Brothers and Wives (12 page)

“That’s the thing, Scottie. I’m too scared to walk around and see what else has happened. I’m telling you I barely set one foot in the apartment and I can see from here that the living room bay window is now just a shattered memory, no pun intended.”

“Okay, um, let me get Dani situated first and I’ll make my way over to your spot. Hold tight.”

Damn. Ugmo bitch spoils everything. But at least he’s going to leave her to come see about me
. LaNecia thinks for a moment and calls Scottie again.

“Um, when you come over, don’t bring anyone else. I’m embarrassed my place looks so jacked up.”

He says okay and she hangs up the phone, happy that he’s coming over, but distressed that Ike may cost her some money.

If I would’ve gotten renter’s insurance like people told me to, maybe I’d have money to get a new television
. She shakes her head at all the mess. Soaked carpet, window fragments, and some tree leaves and mud are stuck on the HD television.

LaNecia sits in her car and waits for Scottie.

After he arrives, they examine the entire apartment. There’s enough natural light streaming from outside to make a quick inspection of the outer rooms, which include the living room, the dining room, the kitchen, and both LaNecia’s and Karetha’s bedrooms.

“All this ain’t too bad,” Scottie says after assessing the damage. “Only the living room got messed up. A tree fell against your bedroom window, but it’s not like you can’t sleep in there.”

“Ha!” she says looking aghast. “Ain’t no way I’m staying here by myself, Scottie. How about if I stay with you?”

“You’re asking the wrong person, baby girl.”

“But …”

“Hey, I’m sure Anya and Neil won’t mind having you there till your apartment maintenance man fixes that window. When is Karetha coming back?”

“Hell, I can’t get the bitch on the phone. Cell phone circuits are still messed up. Some calls go through, others don’t. If she’s tried to call me, I’m sure she’s wondering what’s happening back home.”

“Look, try not to stress. Karetha will be fine in College
Station. And if you want, you can hang out with me for the rest of the evening. If the lights aren’t back on by tonight, you may as well stay over with us.”

Her face brightens. “Are you sure it’s okay, Scottie? I don’t want to mess up your evening in case you had other plans.”

“Somehow I don’t believe that you don’t wanna mess anything up, but since this is an emergency, all my plans are canceled. I’m going to do something nice, which is making sure you’re okay. How’s that sound?”

“Sounds like a great plan, Scottie. Ooo, can you take me to a movie, for real this time? Just the two of us?”

“You’re always scheming, huh?”

“I just want to have fun for a change. Life has sucked since you’ve been gone.” She gazes at him happily. “Remember how we’d go roller-skating on South Dairy Ashford? And we’d hit up Sonic and order fries and burgers and just sit in the car and talk?” She studies him. “Didn’t we used to have fun together?”

“Yeah. Sure. Anyway, you gonna grab some overnight clothes so we can bounce outta here?”

“Um, right. Come with me to the room. It shouldn’t take long.”

Excited, LaNecia races to her walk-in closet and flings open the door. The closet is pitch-black. She automatically hits the light switch on the wall.

“Dang, I forgot we have no power. Hold up a sec.” She runs to the kitchen and rummages through a utility drawer for her Maglite. Then she pulls out a tiny stepladder that’s next to the refrigerator and grabs it by the handle. Once she returns to the closet, she points the light at the top shelf of the high-ceiling closet.

She unfolds the ladder and climbs a couple of steps until she manages to touch the small piece of luggage.

“Need some help?” Scottie is so close she can feel his hot breath on her neck. “No, I got this, I think,” she replies in a soft voice and hands him the Maglite. He points the light at an angle that brightens up the closet. LaNecia lifts both her arms toward the shelf. Scottie bumps into her back trying to reach over her. The feel of Scottie’s flesh against hers makes her shiver, then moan.

LaNecia turns around until she’s completely facing her cousin. Her mouth is now inches away from Scottie’s gorgeous plump lips. They lock eyes for a moment. LaNecia then moves out of the way and lets Scottie grab her overnight luggage. Sweating profusely, she steps off the ladder, rushes to the bathroom, and turns on the water faucet. She splashes water on her face and dabs it with a towel.

Scottie sets the flashlight on the bathroom counter. “You gonna be all right?” he asks, then stares. She is standing in the bathroom dressed in her black lace bra and see-through panties.

“I–um,” she says and falls into Scottie’s arms. “I’d feel better if you gave me a kiss, Scottie, I need this so bad. I need you.”

“No, no, cousin.”

“Please stop calling me cousin.”

“That’s what you are.”

“I don’t have to be.”

“Baby girl, you can’t help but be my cousin. Now pack your bag, please, and let’s go. I don’t want to deal with this extra stuff.” He pulls himself out of her arms.

But she throws her arms around his waist and squeezes him so tightly he lets out a gasp. “Mmm, mmm, mmm. That’s
all I’ve been wanting.” With Scottie locked inside her grip, she puckers her lips and kisses him on the cheek. His body stiffens.

“I know it’s been a long, long time and you have to get used to how I am again.”

“Hmm.”

“Tell me something, Scottie. When you were up in Michigan, did you fuck around with other girls?”

“Huh?”

“Don’t ‘huh’ me. Once you got settled in, did you hit the clubs, meet some girl that reminded you of me and have sex with her?”

“Why would you ask me fool-ass shit like that?”

“Because I want to. I know you love to have sex, so I figured that you were up there doing it with somebody.”

“How about you?” he asks in a husky voice. “Did you fuck any guys after I left?”

“Oh no, you don’t,” she says with a laugh. “You don’t have the right to be jealous and ask who I was fucking. You left
me
, remember?” She turns around and storms from the bathroom and heads back to her room. She finds a new shirt and some tight blue jeans and gets dressed. Scottie, who followed her from the bathroom, is now waiting in the doorway of her bedroom aiming the Maglite as he watches her pull her arms through the sleeves of a hot-pink blouse. She makes sure to stick her chest out while she talks.

“If I sucked a Negro’s dick, I’m sure you’d understand. But I won’t kiss and tell.”

“Oh, but you expect me to?”

“Look, Scottie. I know you. The way we used to fuck every other day, ain’t no way you can go up north and not find a girl who you can smash on the regular.”

“Yeah, whatever, man.”

“One thing for sure, you probably didn’t love her. It was just sex.”

“You’re crazy, LaNecia. But that’s what I love about you.”

“See,” she smirks and slips her feet inside four-inch pumps. “You just admitted it. You love me and you know you love me, but you’re too scared to let Ugmo know how you feel.”

“Ain’t nothing ugly about Dani.”

“Hmm, with a little bit of plastic surgery, she’d be lucky to upgrade to a three.”

“Dayum, cousin, that’s cold.”

“Cold sch-mold. I don’t want to talk about her. Where’s the old bitch at anyway?”

“She’s home, remember?”

“Not really. I’m not trying to keep up with her. I’m worried about my own self.” LaNecia starts tossing a few sexy bras and panties and a couple of shirts and shorts in her overnight bag.

“Scottie, baby, can you give me a payday loan?”

“Here, LaNecia.” He reaches for his wallet and hands her three twenties.

“Don’t tell anyone I gave you that. I wouldn’t want anyone to know how nice of a man I can be.”

“I won’t. I swear.”

“You’d better not.”

For the rest of the afternoon LaNecia walks around with a poker face. After they arrive at Neil’s and explain her situation, Anya insists that LaNecia stay with them until her electricity is restored. She, LaNecia, and Scottie are standing around the kitchen sipping on ice tea and eating microwave popcorn.

“Girl, we got this curfew thing going on, so no one has
an excuse to be outside after nine unless they’re coming home from work or school.”

“Yeah, speaking of work, I’ve been missing a few days. And when I called to see when’s the next time I’ll be on the schedule, they say ‘Don’t call us, we’ll call you.’ Can you believe that?”

“I sure can. In these tough economic times you better smile and act like you love your job even if you can imagine setting a bomb and blowing up the place,” Anya tells her. “I’m sure they’ll be calling you back to work soon. Just be careful, okay?”

“I ain’t worried, Ms. Anya,” she replies and throws a few pieces of popcorn in her mouth.

“She ain’t worried. Ha!” Scottie laughs and heads toward the den.

LaNecia snatches her glass of tea and plops down next to Scottie, who’s now sitting on the love seat looking at TV.

“Do you mind?” he asks.

“What are you talking about?”

“We’re the only two in the den. There’s a big empty sofa over there.”

“What’s that got to do with me?”

“Oh, you really think you’re funny, LaNecia.”

“Do I see a smile? Is Scottie Meadows actually smiling?”
Damn, I’m good. I knew I could get to him. All I gotta do is be myself, work my magic, and things will be just like they were last year. Can’t nobody tell me I’m not good at what I do
.

“Shhh, I’m trying to look at the sports highlights. I do not want to be bothered.”

“Yes, sir.” She forces herself not to grin too wide. She sits back on the love seat, content just to be sitting near him, close enough to smell his deodorant.

Even though Scottie may complain and make “zinger”
remarks to her, LaNecia knows good and well he enjoys the attention she lavishes on him. She feels he puts up a front around Dani.

But Ugmo’s not here, is she? Good for me
.

They get comfy and watch football highlights for another half hour. Then he asks her if she wants to play two-man spades.

“You damn straight I do. I know you need to brush up your skills, so let’s do it.”

LaNecia and Scottie are sitting in the dining room playing spades when the doorbell rings.

Dani strides into the room and stands in front of Scottie. She leans over and puckers her lips. Scottie hesitates for a second, then gives her a kiss. She opens her mouth and they kiss for a couple of minutes.

“Sorry I was late. I tried calling you, but you didn’t answer,” she says, wiping her mouth. “You ready to go?”

Pissed, LaNecia glares at Scottie.

“Yeah, I gotta go upstairs and get my phone. Be right back.”

LaNecia dashes up the stairs right behind Scottie. After he enters his bedroom, she slams the door behind her and locks it.

“What the hell is going on?”

“LaNecia, please. I had a previous engagement with her.”

“See, this is exactly what I’m talking about. You can’t keep a promise to save your life.”

“Look, I said you’d be able to hang out over here and you are. I–I am just gonna go find a bite to eat with her and then I’ll be back.”

“That’s foul. Scottie you told me that all your other plans were canceled. So to me that should include Ugmo, too.”
LaNecia’s eyes are burning with jealousy. “I don’t know what you see in her. It confuses me. She’s so much older than you. What do y’all have to talk about? Geritol?”

“Baby girl, you just don’t understand.”

“Oh, I do understand. I think you’re in denial. That’s what I think.”

He walks up to her and sweeps her braids away from her forehead. “Your nose looks so cute when you’re mad. I actually like it when you get mad at me.”

“Negro, please,” she snaps, but she still allows him to smooth back her hair. “Can’t you tell her no for once? For me?”

“That wouldn’t be cool.”

“Scottie, she’s so much more of an adult than me. She’d be all right. It’s not like she’s your woman, right?”

“Well …”

“So she’s just a good friend. I’m family, Scottie. Family comes first.”

“But, um.”

With a gleam in her eyes, LaNecia places her hands on Scottie’s chest, kissing him on the cheeks, and pushes him until he’s sitting on his bed. He stares in her eyes as she gently shoves his chest until he’s lying down.

She gyrates her hips and licks her lips. She reaches down and begins slowly unbuttoning her hot-pink blouse. Scottie’s eyes are locked on her, and she’s thrilled. She has him exactly where she wants him.
I’m the type of woman who’s willing to go above and beyond to get the job done. I gotta do whatever it takes to get this man’s mind off that heifer who acts like she’s the Queen of England
.

LaNecia has unzipped her blue jeans. She hooks her fingers in the belt loops and slowly pulls down her pants, inch by inch.

“You like this?” she whispers. She feels her panties getting soaked and can’t wait to take them off. She can imagine Scottie sticking a couple of his fingers deep in her vagina. That used to drive her crazy.

“You know it’s been a while since I’ve been fucked good,” she purrs. She takes a sniff and detects the aroma of sex on her underwear.

“You smell that?” she asks. She starts pulling down her pink lace underwear, making sure that Scottie’s imagination is completely engaged. She crawls in bed next to him and lies sideways.

Men are visual. They love to fantasize. That’s what he told me when we first started hooking up. He used to enjoy my little stripteases. His dick would be so long and hard it felt like a microphone, and all I wanted to do was put it in my mouth and start screaming
.

LaNecia reaches for Scottie’s right hand and rests it against her vagina.

He moans.

“You’re so fucking wet.”

“You did that, baby. That’s all you,” she whispers. Scottie removes his fingers. LaNecia grabs his hand and forces it to touch her again. Her eyes roll back in her head. She begins to pant heavily and pumps against his hip like she’s having sex.