Page 30 of When You Dance
Sandrene was so disappointed that I couldn’t make it to her before she had to go to the club. I didn’t want to risk going to the club during the week and running into that nigga again either. She whined on the phone with me for twenty minutes while she drove there. Honestly, it made me feel good that she wanted me so badly. Although she was whining, I had a smile on my face the entire time.
I’d gotten to Beaumont last night, and we were now at our parents’ house, chilling out before we headed out to party with my brother. However, I could see he was somewhat tense. Maybe those nerves were kicking in. Mama had cooked enough étouffée to feed the multitude of five thousand, and I was enjoying my third bowl while clowning around with Arrow, but watching DJ interact with his guests.
Some of his frat brothers were in town to celebrate with him, along with a couple of his coworkers. Shavozz’s mother and brother were here and a couple of other members of her family that I hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting. Shy was waiting on Brittany hand and foot, making sure she was good at all times. He was so happy that she’d finally gotten pregnant, that nigga wasn’t allowing her to do anything even remotely strenuous.
Her going to work was out of the question. Axton had to hire a traveling nurse to pick up the slack. Mama had filled me in on all the shenanigans that had taken place since I’d last been here. She’d also told me that Yolanda and Rondo kind of had a thing going on. I already knew that though from DJ. I was just hoping—
“Jamel, you mind hollering at me for a minute?”
I looked up to see Rondo standing over me.Shit.“Naw, I don’t mind.”
I stood from my seat at the table and followed him outside. I didn’t know what this conversation would be about, but I wasn’t about to back down or hide shit. Once we were seated at the picnic table, he asked in a hushed voice, “You have anything in particular planned for DJ tonight? Or are we just going to party? I figured I would ask you since y’all are true siblings.”
Whew shit.“Naw. He just wanted to go out.”
“So he didn’t want any strippers?”
“Nope. Said he didn’t need nobody titties, ass, and pussy in his face but his wife’s. I’m starting to feel that shit too.”
“Uh oh. The love bug done bit yo’ ass? Same chick you were talking about a lil while ago that work at the strip club?”
“Obsession. I wouldn’t say I’m in love, but I’m in a strong ass like.”
“That’s what’s up, man. I’m getting to know Yolanda. She seems cool. She came and met me in Lafayette last weekend and met my daughter. My baby mama still on that bullshit about me taking baby girl to Texas.”
“What’s up with her? What is it about Texas? I mean, it’s not like you aren’t already taking her out of state since she lives in Alabama and you live in Louisiana,” I said, steering the conversation away from Yolanda.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t happy that she was finding happiness. I just didn’t wanna slip up and say something that made him think that I knew her on a personal-personal level. Nobody needed to know that shit. DJ, Arrow, me, Yolanda, and the Lord were the only ones that knew what had gone down between us. Arrow and DJ didn’t know the extent of it. They surely didn’t know that it went down a little over a month or so ago.
“She thinks I’m fucking around when I come out here and leaving my baby on Shavozz. All she has to do is ask Sunni. I think she just wants me back and don’t know how to just come out and say that shit.”
“Would you consider taking her back?” I asked as my eyebrows lifted.
I would feel more comfortable if he just left YoYo alone. He was getting close to the family because he was now a part of the family.
He glanced at me then lowered his head slightly. “I would consider it. I mean, I would have to think really hard about it. When things were good, they were good, but when they were fucked up, they wereallthe way fucked up. We cheated on each other, lied on each other… it was bad. But I loved her. The only woman I ever loved. Kennedy was toxic as hell, and so was I.”
“Well, if both of you contributed to the demise of your relationship, it’s probably worth exploring, especially now that you’ve matured and changed.”
“Maybe, but I’m really feeling Yolanda. I can tell it’s some shit to her though. I’m trying to figure out if I wanna find out what that shit is. If we get any closer, then I’ll know if it’s worth it.”
I only nodded in response. If they worked out, great. If they didn’t work out, still great. Niggas weren’t usually as concerned about fucking the same woman. It wasn’t like I was still fucking her. However, I knew he would possibly be concerned about it if they got closer and made things official.
We continued making small talk until I saw Jungle walk around the back of the house. The fucked up shit was that the guy from the club that I stole off on last week was with him. I quickly stood from my seat and was about to fuck him up until Rondo grabbed me. “Whoa! What’s up?” Jungle asked as his boys gripped their weapons.
He lifted a hand, signaling for them to be at ease. His irritation was evident through the frown on his face, and if I didn’t offer an explanation, there would be hell to pay and an all-out war around here. Shy, Seneca, DJ, Ali, and Chad immediately ran up, making their weapons visible as well. “What’s up, Mel?” Rondo asked.
“That muthafucka right there deserve more than the lick to the jaw he got. Talking shit about my lady. We ain’t in the club, nigga! Ain’t nothing but space and opportunity now!”
“You damn right, muthafucka,” he said as he pulled his gun.
All my bruhs pulled their guns as well. Jungle turned to him and grabbed him by his neck. “What the fuck wrong wit’chu, nigga? These people practically my family. You ain’t gon’ be fucking with my family. Just like my sister off-limits, so are they. You don’t even deserve to look them in the eye. I’ll fucking kill you right here. You hear me? Take yo’ ass back to the car. Vegas, keep that nigga in line.”
He said that shit calm as hell. His voice didn’t raise, but I could only imagine what his eyes looked like. Knowing that he considered us family was cool, especially since we didn’t hang as often. The nigga was a kingpin in H-Town and stayed busy fucking shit up. Once his guard, who he called Vegas, left with him, Jungle turned back to me. “My apologies for that nigga. He was insulting yo’ lady? That’s a hell naw in my book. I hope we cool.”
I extended my hand, and he slapped it then we shook. “I appreciate you for having my back. He was doing that shit to get under my skin.”
“Jayceon always starting shit somewhere. He gon’ find himself floating in a fucking bayou if he keep fucking with people. What y’all got to eat?”
