“ Admit it. You love someone who probably doesn't love you back.”
St. Louis,Mo
&
Years 3 thru 5
“ So girl you knew this nigga was a fool from the jump!” Shavon said leaning past LaDaya to look at me. “ Your ass was sprung on the dick girl! That's all that was.”
I couldn't help but laugh because she was merely stating the truth. I knew Roderick was a natural fool day one.
“ Yes he did show his ass day one but it was easy for me to over look because I put this on everything, there was never another incident like that again. I mean we had the normal fights like every couple has but nothing too serious. I'll lay my hand on a stack of bibles! We were the perfect couple,everyone told us that.” I said shaking my head.
The driver came over the speaker letting the passengers know we were pulling into St. Louis. I couldn't have been happier, I was looking forward to the next hour off the bus and wanted to call Katrina. I could only imagine Roderick was blowing her phone up as well. I had to admit, I did feel better talking to LaDaya and Shavon about Roderick. It sure beat having all those thoughts running around in my head.
“ Well when we get back on the bus I want you to finish the story girl! I need to know what else happened because I know he had to have shown his ass again! When did he ask you to marry him the first time?” LaDaya said sucking her teeth.
“ I will girl let's just get off this bus! I feel like I'm going stir crazy all cooped up like this.” I said as we filed off the bus with the other passengers. “ I'll see you guys back here. I'm walking across the street to that smoothie shop. Then I'm going to make a few phone calls.”
“ Okay girl. You may see us over there too.” Shavon said. Her ear was already pressed to her cell phone calling her man.
I crossed the street and sat on the bench outside the smoothie shop to call Katrina. I turned on my cell phone to find six more text messages from Roderick and two missed calls from Katrina. I pulled up her number and pressed the call icon. Katrina picked up on the first ring.
“ About time your ass called! I was getting worried. Girl that nigga Roderick is going crazy! It's a good thing I dropped you off as early as I did because he was over here an hour after I dropped you off at the bus station.”
“ You didn't tell him where I was going did you?” I asked nervously. Katrina talked a lot of shit but she did have a tendency to crack under pressure. Not to mention the fact that Roderick had a way of getting what he wanted out of people. He didn't even like Katrina and had expressed his dislike for her. Roderick attempted to drive a wedge between our friendship from the start of our relationship. He'd make claims she wasn't the type of female I should hang around and that she had a bad reputation around the neighborhood.
I wasn't trying to hear shit he had to say about Katrina. At that point Katrina and I had been thick as thieves for three years. We'd met our first day on the job at the exclusive boutique La Deaux. We were the only two black employees working there and quickly became inseparable. It wasn't long before we both decided to move out of our parents homes and got a place together. I was more than ready to leave my fathers home. I'd moved in with him when my mother passed away the summer before I entered the ninth grade. My sister and I both came to live with our then estranged father in California. As soon as my sister turned 18 she took off and moved back to Cleveland,she'd never really taken to California. I stayed but my father and I had a strained relationship at best. Besides it's not as if his new wife had ever really wanted my sister and I there anyway. Truth be told, my father was the reason I was so adamant about marriage. My father had never married my mother even after two kids with her. My mom loved him till the day she died and I hated him for it. He'd come visit us in Cleveland and my mother would still sleep with him. I vowed as a young girl to never allow that to happen to me. I wanted a complete family, I wanted to be married to my childs father. This was one of my main issues with Roderick, I refused to have a child with him until we were legally married. When I left the hospital with my baby to go home, we ALL had to have the same last name.
“ Well don't tell him anything. He's been blowing my phone up! I've had it turned off though. As soon as I get to Cleveland and get settled down I'm going to change my number. Anyways girl I only have less than an hour before we leave here. I'm going to run in this shop,use the bathroom and get myself something to drink. When I get to my sisters I have to tell you about these two ladies sitting next to me on the bus.” I said laughing “ Girl they had me feeling some type of way for MILES! But they turning out to be cool the more we talk.”
We talked a few more minutes before I hung up and walked into the shop. About ten minutes later LaDaya and Shavon joined me. We all grabbed drinks and a snack before heading back to the bus. Damn, I thought every stop we make has this bus filling up. I'd anticipated some of the stops to cause the bus to be crowded but it was a full busload each stop we made so far.
“ Awww shit!” LaDaya whispered as she grabbed Shavon's hand and commenced to knocking her knee against mine. I looked up to see a fine ass brotha standing right next to me in the aisle taking the seat directly across from me. I knocked LaDaya right back. Even though the last thing I was interested in was a man, I couldn't deny the brotha looked good. Smooth dark chocolate skin and a head full of waves,thickly groomed brows framed his eyes.
“ Hello. How are you ladies this evening?” he asked with a smile showing two deep dimples in each cheek. I was tongue tied for a moment but LaDaya and Shavon weren't.
“ Heeyy!” they said in unison. LaDaya's gap teeth and Shavon's golden grill were on full display.
As he sat down in his seat I caught a whiff of his woodsy,spicy scented cologne. Damn! I was a sucker for a good smelling man. I just smiled at him and didn't say a word.
Before I knew what was happening Shavon was leaning forward in her seat introducing us to the new passenger.
“ We're good! I'm Shavon, this is my best-friend LaDaya...,” she said pointing to the middle seat where LaDaya couldn't seem to stop grinning “... and this is our new friend Amina!” she said. “ We're all on our way to Cleveland, how about you?”she asked with no shame about just how nosy she sounded. I was embarrassed as hell.
He smiled showing off those deep dimples again.
“ Nice to meet you all. I'm Rasean. I'm headed to Cleveland as well.” he stated stretching one of his long legs into the aisle. The bus had taken off from the station and was back on the road.
“ Girl that nigga is fine!” Shavon whispered from her window seat loud enough for LaDaya and I to hear.” I almost forgot I was engaged. Anyways back to this hot tea you were pouring for me a LaDaya! Because where you left off, yeah that negro cut a fool with your ass on day one. He also laid the pipe to your ass so good you couldn't resist that nigga!” she said snickering loudly.
I busted out laughing.
“ I thought you would have let this go!” I said cutting my eyes over at her.
“ Hell no!” they both shouted.
LaDaya shook her head and turned to me.
“ Uh-Uh baby. My Pandora can wait! The story was just warming up.”
“ You were just getting started. Besides, I need to know how this went on for ten years.” Shavon said snapping her fingers.
I took a deep breath quickly thinking of where to begin.
“ Okay well like I said. Outside of that first night when he was tripping with me,things between us were perfect. Until we hit our third year together...”