“Wet Sugar” [Part 4 of 30]
Summary: Erik struggles with his Wakanda goals and the absence of Yani, while she, in turn, copes with the lack of support from her job and her daughter’s father...
Mature audience only. NSFW.
Looks like this series is going to be longer than 6 parts. Lol, I knew it, just like “Say Less”, I think I can wrap it up in 6, but the characters said “Nope.” I’ll say 9 now, and see where I can tie things up in a neat bow. Which is never really neat with Erik tbh.
Back to the next update....
"But baby
Don't get it twisted
You was just another nigga on the hit list
Tryna fix your inner issues with a bad bitch
Didn't they tell you that I was a savage
Fuck your white horse and a carriage
Bet you never could imagine
Never told you you could have it
You needed me
Ooh
You needed me
To feel a little more, and give a little less
Know you hate to confess
But baby ooh, you needed me…"
Rihanna- "Needed Me"
Yani didn't arrive at the compound Friday morning.
Erik hung around the pool for most of the day waiting to see if she would show up. He didn't pester Leona about where she was, but every time he heard footsteps coming down the walkway, or voices below the pool, he was up and about looking for any signs of her.
Nothing.
He replayed his contact with her the day before.
He asked for permission to touch her breasts. She consented verbally. The sexual release he received from playing with her nipples, watching those peaks drip with milk gave him the best orgasm he had ever experienced since…shit…since he had been with Disǎ. And that was almost two years ago. His only regret was that he didn't bend down and squeeze the warm liquid into his mouth, swirl the milk on his tongue, see what it tasted like.
Watching her fingers move frantically inside her panties had him curious about what she tasted like down there too. Her eyelids were half slits when he watched her orgasm ripple across her face. And fuck…the sound she made when she was cumming. It made his legs wobble.
The warmth from her lips when he pressed his mouth into hers brought into sharp focus the feelings of displacement in his life. Yes, he was a nomad, going from job to job in the most dangerous regions of the world, but he was used to that, accustomed to living out of duffle bags and airport lounges, his brain configured to collecting data about Wakanda and T'Chaka and compartmentalizing his hierarchy of needs on the most basic survival level. Erik understood and accepted what needed to be done. His purpose. And it was always about moving, moving, moving…
But that kiss, as fleeting as it was…it made him think of being still.
He had never had that experience before.
Even with his ex Disǎ and the deep yearning love he had, and still had for her, he knew that he was going to be in perpetual motion until he was sitting on the throne of Wakanda. Nothing got in the way of that.
Yani was just some random woman on a little rock in the middle of the sea. He had gone through many women over the years in various parts of the world. Black women just as fine if not finer than this one island girl cleaning and cooking for some roughnecks.
What was it about her that had him jumping up every few minutes thinking she was about to appear? Had him making extra excursions up to the front house with excuses that he was hungry or thirsty or had a question about the compound. Had him up all night fantasizing about sucking on her tits while he fucked her nice and slow. Some nine-month-old baby's mother, her pussy probably still recuperating from squeezing out that cute chubby infant…why the hell was he going online looking up info on vaginal sex after childbirth? The hell?
Erik ran his hands over his hair and stood up from the lounge chair for maybe the twentieth time just to make another trek up to the front house. He'd have to ask Leona about her niece in a round-about way before he went back into his room to jack off thinking about heavy tits spurting milk in his mouth. He wanted to leave teeth marks on her areola, deep imprints of his gold slugs…mark her in some kind of way.
"Fuck," he muttered stomping up the steps that took him to Leona.
She was cleaning up in the dining room after making a delicious lobster bisque with grilled tilapia for lunch. He wasn't fond of tilapia, it always tasted dirty to him, but she prepared it with enough seasoning that made it palatable.
"Hello again," she said.
The smile on her lips matched the smile in her eyes, and Erik thought for a moment that she was on to him. He worried that overt interest in Yani would make Leona opt to keep her from working there while he was present. Erik was a killer. She could sense that he was more than just a polite young man showing manners to an elder. He was part of Klaue's team, and he knew that she was also aware of how men like him could turn on a dime.
"My associate Tahir is flying in tomorrow. I'm thinking of taking him back to that club I told you about. Rush?"
"I remember."
"You said your nephew was performing there? What does he do? Sing?"
"He raps. Very good too. A lot of my nieces and nephews do. None as good as Kendall though."
"What day is he performing?"
"Saturday night. I don't know what time he goes on stage, but Yani said it was Saturday. They're all excited about seeing him. It's his first real show."
Yani would be there. Bet.
"Are you going to see him? I can take you with me and Tahir if you don't have a ride—"
"Oh no, that's for you young people. I will be home in my apartment watching my shows. Yani has been trying to get me to go, but….no…"
"I'll record his performance on my phone for you."
"That would be nice, Mr. Killmonger."
He wanted to tell Leona his name, but he wanted to keep some distance too. For now, he only wanted Yani to know it.
He stood watching her for what seemed like an unnecessary amount of time. He had the info he needed, but watching her move about the room reminded him of being with his Nana.
"Can I help you clean or anything?"
She stopped and looked at him, a questioning expression on her face.
"There's not much going on today, pretty much a free day for me," he said.
"You nuh go to the beach?"
"Went twice already. This morning and before lunch," he said.
"I'm surprised you nuh go to St. John like the others," she said changing out placemats for the dining table.
"I'm going on Sunday."
"You like being by yourself, Mr. Killmonger?"
"Most times, yes."
"Things 'round here are pretty much done—"
"You need any help prepping dinner?"
"Oh, no. Dinner will be easy."
"How so?"
"Mr. Klaue is taking you all out to eat tonight. I get a little break. In fact, I am going to watch a little tv now and kick up my feet. Thank you for offering help. It was a kind gesture."
Erik nodded and Leona's eyes regarded him with interest.
"Would you like to watch tv with me?"
He hoped he didn't sound too eager when he nodded his head with enthusiasm.
"Well then, come along," she said.
Erik followed her to the apartment under the house. It was small, quaint, and very neat. The type of neat Erik appreciated. Attached to the entrance of the apartment was a shed that contained the washer and dryer for laundry.
Looking around the apartment living room Erik admired all the photos of family Leona had up. Most of the walls were covered with framed pictures. He spotted several with Yani, many of them when she was younger and had hair full of braids with barrettes and big round bubblegum ties on the ends. Most of her pictures had some incarnation of her squinting at the camera, or holding a hand up to block the sun from her eyes.
She was a thin wiry girl in her youth, but Erik could tell by the shape of older female relatives in many pictures that she was predestined to have hips and an ass to make men weep. That was the amusing thing he found about the island folk. The women would be round and luscious and the men would be lean and angular. There were photos of Leona when she was younger, and Erik had to admit that the women in this family were stellar to gaze upon. Sydette's photos were front and center, and she appeared to be the focal point for the more recent photos of family gatherings.
"Sit, sit…"
Leona went into her kitchen and brought out a bowl of grapes and a bowl of potato chips.
"Would you like something to drink?"
"No thank you, I'm good right now."
They sat on the couch and watched Jeopardy and then Wheel of Fortune before she turned to world news. He was leaning back on the couch comfortably, stuffing grapes into his mouth and listening to Leona critique the state of affairs in the U.S. But then his jowls, the part of Erik's jaw-line that Tahir said made him look like a pitbull sometimes, grew tight when he saw King T'Chaka being greeted by the Queen of England. And by his side wearing a crisp designer suit was his son, a solemn-faced Prince T'Challa.
"Oh, that young man is handsome. All my nieces think he is so cute."
Erik grunted and Leona chuckled. He felt his blood pressure rise and he shifted his body forward to study their faces. King T'Chaka was all smiles as the press took photos of them inside Buckingham Palace. T'Challa's eyes looked pampered and bored.
Erik clasped his hands together. If he were alone, he would probably cuss up a storm or hit something. But he concentrated on being calm in Leona's presence. He could taste his anger on his tongue, a gelatinous cold thing that dampened his mood.
"I gotta go," he said bolting up from his seat.
"Okay, Mr. Killmonger," Leona said.
Her wary eyes watched him, the shift in the tone of voice and facial expression on him much too sudden.
Erik left a cold trail behind him when he exited the apartment. His feet felt unsteady as he walked the path that led to the cove and Yani's beach. He passed by Jerome sunbathing on a wide stone, the creature's eyes closed tight, it's tail flicking a bit.
Undressing and tossing his clothes on the sand, Erik ran into the warm waters and dived under a lazy wave. When his head broke the surface again, he let out a cry of rage that made the cords on his neck bulge. He punched at the water, raised his head to the serene azure sky and released a hot piercing scream that stripped his throat raw. The soft sand under his feet gave way and he lost his balance, falling backward, his arms flailing as he tried to prevent seawater from flooding his nostrils.
Gasping for air, he let out a few more pained shrieks until tears welled up and fell from his eyes.
If he didn't do something about the Udaku family soon, he knew he would burn up, self-immolate, a rabid spontaneous human combustion that would leave his charred remains still clenching fists and screaming to the sky.
Erik fell forward and a new wave lifted his prone body and carried him toward shallow waters. He rolled over onto his back and let the sea carry him while allowing the sun's rays to kiss his skin. Once a striking sienna, time on the island had enhanced his melanin to a sumptuous chestnut color, and he could feel the UV rays burning and darkening his skin even more.
Closing his eyes, Erik focused on letting the anger and frustration and hurt to rush over and away from him. It wouldn't disappear completely, but he could usher it into a corner for now.
His body rocked by gentle untroubled waves, Erik spread out his arms and floated.
Yani.
His thoughts went to her and how she looked when she swam in these same waters. Calm. Secure. At peace.
A calm came over him.
It started from the crown of his forehead and trickled down to his throat where it melted into his belly, unclenching the muscles there before reaching his toes.
He heard a splash.
Jerking up from his back, his eyes scanned the water. Was she here?
A small sea bird swooped over his head and Erik watched it dive into the water for fish.
He couldn't hide his disappointment. The need to see her clawing at him. Did she regret what she allowed him to do to her? Was she embarrassed? Did he cross the line by masturbating on her? So much of his semen had painted her as if she were a fine art canvass. Did it disgust her? Was it the sight of her breastmilk cascading down her stiff peaks and all over his hand and not in her child's mouth that drove her away? Did he waste sustenance meant for her child's growth and she felt ashamed about that? Regretful?
Her lips.
He wanted them again.
Wanted to hear her sighs of release, hear the sound of her fingers in wet spaces between her legs.
His eyes watched the liquid warmth create tranquility around his body.
He conjured a mirage of Yani, the way she was naked and pure when he caught her alone in the open water. Her legs so smooth and vivid and brown as she fell away from him, thighs wide open and giving him a glimpse of the treasure there.
He felt the familiar rush of blood to his center.
His erection bobbed in the water, the weight of it making his yearning for her worse.
"Fuck!"
He was wound up once more, her not being there agitating him and making his body tight again.
The fingers of his right hand slid down his length and encircled his wide glans. He squeezed then twisted his frenulum, his left hand dropping down to fondle his sack. A barrage of images hit him, all of Yani with his hands on her, moving her into various positions. His breathing became more pronounced and he found himself panting as he stroked himself, the heat of his stiffness making his fingers sweat. Pea-sized beads of pre-cum laced his tip and he swirled it around the head and dragged the natural lubricant down his length. He let his head drop back, his locs covering his eyes, the sun beating down on him as he rutted between his fingers.
He felt his glutes flexing, his heels digging into the sand, his toes spreading as he fisted himself faster.
"Oh shit…this bitch…" he gasped, his eyes only seeing Yani's lips and the back of her neck, the spread of her hips…fuck even watching her ass cheeks move while she wore baggy track pants and sweats with an oversized t-shirt had his toes tucking sand underneath his feet now. He remembered the way her eyes shined when he told her he would make her call him Daddy and then her nipples looked like they were crying through her shirt…just like they did when he had his beard pressed near her face and his breath was in her ear talking about Jerome. She had run away. She had also run away when he first saw her on this beach when he had put on his clothes while watching her with her eyes closed to stay modest around him, when he told her he would check on the iguana to give her privacy…
She ran away. She ran away each time her milk…
Wait.
Was he causing her to do that? Secrete fluid…?
The harsh groan that left his mouth superseded the ejaculation that had his seed shooting out into the ocean. He watched his semen hit the water and float for a bit before sinking and the rest washing away with the bigger waves rolling in. He sunk down to his knees trying to catch his breath while the water rinsed his body. Even with that intense release, he wanted more.
And she wasn't there.
He needed her there. He needed to whisper in her ear. Needed to touch her breasts again. Needed to allow his hands to fall down the small of her back and pull her in closer to him. Needed her big brown eyes to look up into his eyes again.
"Yah get too comfortable, Killmonger."
That's what she told him before he made them titties pump.
Nah. He hadn't even begun to get comfortable with her.
###
It was the last hermit crab race of the day.
Yani spent two three-hour-long tours hiking tourists around and exploring Cas Cay the small deserted island they stood on. She gave the Eco Tour spiel about the tidal pools, volcanic cliffs, and the geological blowhole they observed before doing the crab races. The only thing they had left to do was spend time snorkeling in the coral-fringed mangrove nursery. She stood among the red mangrove trees with fifteen tourists wearing beachwear. Their kayaks were tied together and waiting for the last crab to clear the finish line. She was tired and feeling bloated from wolfing down a bacon sandwich when no one was paying attention to her as they all disembarked from the kayaks.
Checking her waterproof watch, she hustled the group to gather their snorkeling gear.
Back in her water element, Yani led the people to safe places to snorkel and kept watch for people who wandered off. She tread water with her snorkel gear resting on her forehead. One of the tourists, a red-faced man from Belgium who was part of a Princess Cruise line kept lingering near her. Yani could tell he was going underwater near her to look at her ass and chest. She was wearing basic board shorts, but her backside was a bit extra. Her tankini top had her tits smashed together and showing some cleavage, and every time she turned around the man was at arms- length distance, his underwater face aimed toward her. Perhaps if she were taller and her physique stretched out a bit, her ass and breasts wouldn't look so prominent. But she was just a tiny bit above average height and came from a family of short round curvy women. Most of her baby weight had dropped, but her Aunt Leona kept her fed well with the rich foods from Klaue's compound, so she was going to be hefting around extra for a minute.
"Sir, please respect my personal space," she told him when he came up to clear his googles of condensation. Her fingers twirled the cowrie shell choker that hung around her neck.
"Excuse me?" the man said, looking shocked that she said that to him out loud where others could hear.
"You are swimming too close to me."
The man's wife overheard her and came splashing over. Her pasty face blocking the sun from Yani's eyes.
"What's going on?" she said.
"I was telling him not to swim so close to me—"
"I was not swimming close to you. I swam past you—"
"Sir, I won't argue with you. I am simply asking you to—"
"Yani, what's happening?"
Ugh. Patrick, the Eco Tours assistant manager.
"This man has been looking at me underwater and I don't like it."
Patrick, as always, went into tourist damage control, ignoring her issue. His fake plastic smile attempting to smooth the tussled tourist feathers.
"I'm sorry for this," Patrick said to the tourist.
"Why are you sorry? I just asked him to stop—"
"Yani, it's time to start heading back. How about rounding up the others, please? Thank you."
"But this man—"
"Yani, do your job—"
"I am doing my job—"
"I really don't like her attitude or her accusations," the wife said.
"Your man was looking at my ass—"
Patrick gave her a look, his smile a frozen grimace.
"I did not!" the man said, his accent thick and flustered once he saw the other tourists gathering around them.
"Yes, you were! My ass and my chest!"
Glancing around, Yani could feel eyes on her. Many sympathetic, but no one spoke up for her. Now she was beginning to feel like the odd man out. She took a deep breath. She needed this job. The hours were flexible and the pay was pretty good by island standards. Where else could she get paid to swim and play in the water? She decided to swallow her pride.
"You were swimming too close, that's all."
She walked away with her snorkeling gear in her hand and placed them in the lead kayak, the one she used to guide them all to the cay. Paddling back, she could hear the husband and wife barking at one another in French. Yani was happy to be rid of them as she collected gear to be sanitized for the next group of tourists.
When she was finished packing away all the gear and cleaning up the kayak launch area, Patrick called her into his office.
"I gave that couple a refund," Patrick said.
He sat behind the cash register and scrolled his cell while talking to her. Yani shrugged. One hundred and sixty dollars taken from the company.
"You used to be an awesome employee—"
"I still am. I get the best surveys, and I get the biggest tips—"
"Yeah…but lately, you've been moody and a little difficult—"
"How? When? Who has complained about me? I'm your best—"
"Not so much anymore—"
"You're a liar—"
"And you're fired. I just received the okay from Heather.'
"Did you tell her what that guy did?"
"I didn't see anything and neither did anyone else. You overreacted."
"Give me my money!"
Yani held out her hand.
"Heather has to cut you your final check—"
"No, you fire me on the spot, you give me my money on the spot—"
"I can't…"
Yani grabbed her phone from her work cubbyhole and dialed.
"Heather, if you fire me then you pay me right now. I swear to God I will bring my cousins back here if you don't tell Patrick to pay me. I'm going to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau too. Or maybe I sue you. One of your customers made me uncomfortable and I only told him to stop…what? Yes, he's right here….do that then."
Yani hung up and the office phone rang. Patrick picked it up.
"Eco Tours…yeah, Heather…yeah…I didn't see anything, she just accused the guy. Okay…alright."
Patrick hung up. The second shift staff were filing in and some watched the expression on Yani's face as she held her hand out.
"Money, now!"
Patrick punched in a code on the register and it opened. He counted out two-hundred dollars in cash. All twenty-dollar bills. He handed it to Yani. She snatched it and stuffed it down her tankini. She stomped out of the office cursing under her breath. Kendall was waiting for her, his old Yamaha V-Star motorcycle spit-shined and propped up by its kickstand. He handed Yani his extra helmet.
"What's wrong with your face?"
"I got fired."
"What? Why?"
"Some dirty old man kept looking at my bumper and my tits. But they said I have a bad attitude. Take me home to my baby before I fight everyone in there."
Her cell rang.
"What Heather? No, it's not right. Patrick doesn't respect me or my work. You know I work hard. I make people return here. Two years Heather…how can you tell him to fire me and you don't have all the facts?"
Yani could see Kendall's face getting stressed listening to her. She patted his arm.
"I'll call you tomorrow, Heather. Yes, I have my money. Okay. Bye."
She thrust her phone into her tankini top right on top of her money.
"Boss Lady?" Kendall said.
"She wants to talk about what happened today. Gave me my job back. Scared I'll sue. All they had to do was believe me the first time and back me up. But them worried about foreign white people being unhappy. Kiss their asses and leave mine hanging."
She sucked her teeth and climbed onto the back of Kendall's bike.
The ride home to Red Hook was congested with cars as people made their way to popular tourist sites. Kendall weaved in and out of lanes and Yani enjoyed the sun warming her back and drying her work clothes. Resting her helmet on Kendall's shoulder as they waited at a slow traffic light, Yani felt herself beginning to get excited for Saturday night.
Eighteen months.
That was how long she had not gone out with friends. The moment she was pregnant, Chez had her locked down at home. When her parents made the decision for her not to stay with them, she still was pressured by Chez to stay indoors when she moved in with Leona. No lunch dates with her girlfriends. Family gatherings with her extended family lasted twenty minutes and then Chez was hustling her away. Even shopping for baby things was frowned upon.
He didn't want her out in public, didn't want her around people who could influence her decision to stay with him or not. When she stood up for herself, he bullied her with verbal abuse. He knew not to lay a hand on her because her family would slice his balls off, but Chez was a master of psychological warfare. Telling her she was fat and ugly and that nobody would want her if she left him. Called her lazy when she wanted to sleep because Sydette was a big baby while she was inside Yani's belly. All of this happened in the later stages of her pregnancy. In the beginning, he was sugary sweet to her, begging her not to abort when she had doubts about having a child with him, promising to be the best father ever.
But when her belly got big, he started in on her. By then it was too late. By then she knew he didn't really want to be a father but her controller. When she became disenchanted with him, the war for her self-esteem began. He wanted to keep her down. Only because he didn't want anyone else to have her when she was so openly done with him.
Chez slept around and then went after a woman that sniffed him out when he first had his record contract.
Ursula.
She was nothing like Yani at all. Ursula's family had a little money, some connections…the right skin tone, the right educational background. Chez may have thought Ursula was a step up for him, but he was most definitely a step down for Ursula by the way her family reacted to him. Their friends used to tease Chez and call him the Dark Gable of the island. Tall and lean, Chez had gorgeous skin that was like midnight silk and a smile that looked like diamonds lived in his mouth. Yani's dream boyfriend. God, she loved him so. Loved him with all the naïve stupidity that young girls had when first love is acute, visceral…painful in its honesty because they have nothing to compare it to. She let him use her body as much as he wanted because that was her man, and her man could have anything he wanted at any time. If he called her late at night and said come over now, she was hopping on that dick quick-quick, even eating his ass if he wanted, which he loved.
To walk into a club or a house party with him was the epitome of being a celebrity in their tiny world. Chez had that "it" factor that made people into stars, and that was the fantasy made false when he became popular. It started with Chez doing a few bars here and there on songs by other up-and-coming artist's mixtapes. Then there was the indie single he put out that had Yani singing the hook for him. She wore revealing clothes for him onstage, simulated fellatio on him at performances…anything to help him succeed. He told her constantly that money was on the way and she could go to school on his dime. They were on their way. When the contract came through and they took their first trip to Florida, Yani's parents fell for the pipedream too. Once they allowed her to take a gap year and saw how good Chez was to her, they loosened their grip on their relationship.
But then Sydette was conceived.
Next came the rumors of the girl with the long loose curls and rich background hanging with Chez's entourage when Yani wasn't around. Rumors of Chez texting the same girl late at night to come jump on his dick. Then the non-rumor of Chez running behind some pregnant girl buying new baby clothes when Yani was laid up with stitches inside her torn and still bleeding vagina as she tried getting Sydette to latch onto her nipple and suck. The non-rumor of some girl driving around the island in Chez's car with a baby girl that looked exactly like Chez, but with hazel eyes and skin the color of the sand Yani stuck her toes in on Klaue's private beach.
Lookie.
"You quiet, Yani," Kendall said, trying to sneak his motorcycle past a hotel delivery truck.
"Just thinking about you performing tomorrow. And me looking cute."
"You know Chez will come."
"I know. I don't care."
"Does Zachary have to come?"
"I'm tired of people asking me that. Chez nuh own me. He can't control who I see. I like Zachary. He is good to me and Sydette. Do you know how hard it is to find and date a man when you have a pickney hanging off your tit? I deserve to have fun with a boyfriend."
"Oh, he's your boyfriend now?"
"Working on it. We are exclusive now. Moving slow and easy. Still dating, not a couple-couple yet, but we agreed to see only each other,"
The words came out and Yani felt the whispery ghost of guilt when she thought of what Erik had done. What she had allowed.
He was dangerous.
Scary.
Persuasive without saying a word.
What if he wanted to do that again and she didn't?
All the men at the compound carried firearms. He could put a gun to her head and force her if he really wanted to. Catch her walking down to the beach alone…
She shook her head, bumping her helmet into Kendall.
"Easy back there," he said.
Traffic began to pick up a bit once they passed the docks.
Twyla was standing out on the apartment balcony with Sydette when Kendall pulled his bike in to park.
"Look. It's Mommy!" Twyla said helping Sydette wave down to Yani.
"Hi, Sweet Pea!" Yani called up, and she could see her daughter’s chubby legs kicking at the sound of her voice.
With her daughter in her arms, Yani smothered her with kisses, pleased to know she had the next two days to herself. Monday would be interesting only because the new men would be arriving at the compound, and she was curious to see who would be joining the wild bunch already there.
"She ate already," Twyla said tickling Sydette's barefoot.
"Why you have my baby in only a diaper? People think I can't afford clothes for her."
"Too hot for clothes, huh Sydette? Too hot to be wearing all that extra material," Twyla said. She reached out and touched Yani's hair. "You want me to touch up this color? Your roots are coming out."
"Should I change the color? I saw this platinum shade that would look so good on me."
"You don't want something darker?"
"I look good with light hair. Makes mi skin look like brown sugar. Cuz you know girls, girls dem sugah…"
"…the girls dem need this nigga, yah!" Twyla finished by winding her hips and giggling.
Sydette stared at them both then grabbed for Yani's cowrie shell necklace.
"Zachary keeps calling. You give him some already?" Twyla said.
Yani slapped Twyla's arm.
"We are courting still."
Twyla rolled her eyes
"Twist my locs?"
"No. I just got home. I'm tired. My hands are tired—"
"You want blonde hair again?"
Yani frowned.
"Let me rest for at least an hour."
"I'll give you two. I have to wash my hair first."
Entering the apartment, Yani was met by another cousin, Dex, who sat in front of the TV eating cereal.
"Yani!" Dex shouted.
"You still giving Twyla and Kendall a ride tomorrow?"
"Yes. I'm bringing Boogie and Donald too. Cee Cee is bringing Dulan and Sonya."
Yani looked at Kendall.
"See? You thought your family was going to be too busy and all your favorite cousins are coming."
Kendall beamed and poured himself a bowl of cereal.
"Auntie coming home today?" Dex asked.
"Tomorrow night," she said.
Dex clapped his hands.
"Just make sure you clean up this place before she gets here."
A two-bedroom apartment and a sleeper-couch housed a baby and five adults. Everyone worked and everyone contributed to the household. Leona worked six days a week on the compound when Klaue was around, and less than two times a week when he was gone. Her nieces and nephews covered her rent for the place in exchange for staying there while she was away.
Dex was happy because he would be able to sleep in a bed for one more night before returning to the couch with Kendall.
"What you cook?" Yani said sitting on the couch rocking Sydette in her arms.
"Got take-out," Dex said stretching his arm and reaching for Sydette's foot.
"Beef Patties?"
"Burger King."
Yani rolled her eyes.
"You don't have to eat it."
"I won't," she said popping Dex in his head.
"Stop that," Dex said.
Sydette reached out and grabbed Dex's hair, her fingers slipping through his matted curls.
"Ow…girl…"
He unhooked Sydette's fingers from his scalp.
Kendall dropped down on the couch next to Yani.
"She's bringing Zachary," Kendall said.
Dex glanced over at Kendall and then Yani.
"Yani…" Dex whined.
"I don't care what you say," she said lifting Sydette up and checking her diaper.
"This is why we end up having drama—"
"Won't be no drama—"
"You know how Chez is—"
"And? He laid up with that hoe and another baby. Fuck I care? I'm there to support my family. Zachary is taking me out to dinner and then we are coming to the club. This is a special night for we and I won't listen to that man's name being uttered in my ear."
Her tone of voice made it final.
"Who is watching Sydette?" Kendall asked.
"Anika."
Yani's youngest sister agreed to watch her baby mainly so she could have her little boyfriend hang out with her at Leona's apartment. Ever since Yani's baby mishap, her younger siblings had been under a strict regime. No boys or men allowed in the house. So they had to sneak. Yani wasn't worried about her sixteen-year-old sister though, Leona would be there to keep an eye on them. Anika was still at the holding hands stage with boys, and the young man she was smitten with was a cornball who loved Anika because she loved anime like Yani, and played RPG games like a pro. Love at first online game.
Yani rubbed Sydette's back. Her daughter was resting against her neck and falling asleep. She could smell the fresh clean smell of baby shampoo in her child's hair, and the deep comfortable breathing she had when she was in her mommy's arms.
Yani reached into her tankini and pulled out her cell and her money. She shoved the cash in Dex's face.
"Take this for the house phone and light bill and put the rest on Auntie's cell phone bill," she said.
"I already covered all that, you keep this for school and Sydette," Dex said folding the bills back up and putting it into her hand.
"You sure?"
"I was able to get extra hours at the Job, so I'm good. They didn't hire too many seasonal workers this quarter."
Yani leaned over and kissed her cousin on the forehead. Every little bit helped. She could apply some of that cash for taking her TEAS test, the first step in trying to get into nursing school on the island. The aptitude test would assess if she had the skills to qualify as a nurse, and the administrative fee was eighty dollars. The rest of the money she would use to get Sydette diapers and some new baby bottles since she broke two of them transferring them home the other day. Any leftover money was going towards some new sneakers. The rubber on the back of her Nike kicks were peeling and crazy glue wasn't helping to save them anymore.
"Can you watch her while I shower?"
Dex took the sleeping baby in his arms and Yani walked into her bedroom and grabbed clean clothes and underwear.
Sleep.
She wanted a long uninterrupted sleep and a plate of beef patties with melted cheese. And some strawberry ice cream with rainbow sprinkles.
Cool water woke up her skin, and she quickly cleaned her body. Rinsing off, her fingers trailed over her areolas, gently skimmed the tips of her breasts as Erik's face came to mind. All day he had been flitting in and out of her thoughts. How would she face him on Monday? It would be difficult to pretend that nothing happened because she couldn't trust her own body around him anymore. She had kissed him, so how could she serve breakfast or lunch, or even clean the pool properly if she would have to look at his lips and not think about them being on hers? Why didn't she say no when he asked to touch her? It would've been so easy to walk away and just deal with her breasts, leave the compound and just ignore him for the rest of his stay.
Her Aunt would catch on too because Leona caught every subtle look, word, or action in that place. She had to. These were bad men who pretended not to be bad, who often spoke in code around them. Auntie would be very cautious and her eyes would be wide open. Watching for anything to be off or strange. Yani knew with absolute certainty that they were really bad men when Leona had her help clean Klaue's personal house and she showed Yani a secret escape passage that Klaue revealed to her in case anything ever happened on the compound. Leona was never to reveal this passageway to anyone who came there. Everyone except for Yani.
The compound was usually pleasant and nothing terrible had ever happened. Only the occasional hurricane threats brought any worry. When Klaue was gone overseas or back in his home country, the compound was paradise and the energy felt lighter to work in. She would swim in the pool, sunbathe, or read books on the patio and pretend to be a spoiled rich girl.
She found it greedy of rich white people like Klaue to own so much property and hardly ever be there to use it when her own family would kill for the space to live on their own island. Three houses sat empty eighty percent of the time simply because some foreigner had money to waste. How nice it would be to let her daughter crawl around on the private beach, or float on a little raft with a view of her own sea? Maybe one day run around through beautiful plants and trees with Jerome? Lay on a big soft bed like the one Erik had in his room all the time.
Her fingers played with her nipples until they were stiff. She turned off the water and stood naked, feeling the pleasure of her own touches. Her fingers on her right hand dropped down to separate the folds of her prominent inner labia. She manipulated the slippery skin, inserting the middle and ring finger of her right hand inside her vagina. She proceeded to thrust in and out as she pictured Erik's hand working his erection, the slit on his tip dripping…
Yani grabbed the detachable shower nozzle and switched the mode to pulse and placed it over her throbbing clit. She had to hurry, wasting water was a no-no. Gently sliding the hood of her clit back and letting the water splash on her perfect pink spot almost brought her to delicious completion until a knock on the bathroom door interrupted her.
"You almost done in there?"
Kendall's voice broke the serenity of her self-pleasuring. She removed her fingers and rinsed off completely before shutting off the water. She didn't bother to dry off, just threw on clean panties and a sky-blue cotton bathrobe. She ran a roller of deodorant under her armpits then opened the bathroom door.
"All yours," she said.
She went into the bedroom she shared with Twyla to find some shorts and a top.
"Yani!"
Dex called out to her from the living room.
"You need something?" she asked, thinking Sydette was fretting because she wanted her.
Dex was standing at the open front door.
"Where's Sydette?" she asked.
Dex nodded his head outside the apartment entrance.
Yani padded over to find Chez standing outside holding Sydette in his arms. She reached for her baby. Chez took a step back from her hands.
"She's fine. I'm her father, calm yourself," Chez said.
Her daughter's eyes stared at Chez like he was a stranger with bad energy. Her little face vacillated between pre-tears and fretting. Soft little grunts of air escaped her lips.
Hair twisted into tiny peppercorn sized locs around his scalp, and a new gold-chained necklace hanging from his neck, Chez stared at her bathrobe, his eyes focusing on her breasts.
"You with someone?"
"I just got out of the shower. What do you want?" her voice was rushed, her eyes focused on Sydette. He made her nervous holding her.
He pulled a wad of cash from his pocket. She took it and counted it. Fifty dollars.
"That's it?" she asked. He owed her way more than that.
"You know I have other responsibilities—"
"You are two months behind, Chez—"
"When I get more, I'll give you more. You are working and making enough money—"
"I work three fucking jobs! If you gave me what we needed, what we agreed on, then I could quit one of them and be with our baby more since you don't want to spend time with her—"
"I'm here aren't I? I'm holding her now, right?"
"It would help me if you could keep her sometimes—"
A car horn honked.
Chez looked behind him.
"Stop honking the goddamn horn!"
His raised voice startled Sydette and she started crying, her arms reaching for Yani.
"Stop crying," Chez said, his arm pulling Sydette away from Yani.
"Give me my baby," Yani said. She tried to keep her face calm. The car horn honked again.
"Stop pressing on the fucking horn, Ursula!"
The yell from Chez's voice made Sydette wail. Yani grabbed her child and yanked her away from Chez.
"You brought your bitch to my house?"
"Watch your tongue—"
Yani stepped around Chez to get a good look at Ursula sitting in the passenger seat of Chez's car. The apartment was on the second floor of a two-story building.
"You can afford to pay what? Five hundred dollars a month for that car, but you come bring me fifty dollars? How do I stretch this out for a month for your baby?"
Yani cradled Sydette's head against her neck. Calm gurgles came from her daughter's mouth now that she was out of Chez's arms.
"I'm doing the best I can, Yani."
"So am I. But I'm tired. Our baby deserves better. I deserve better. It's not right how you treat us—"
"Chez, let's go!"
Ursula stepped out from the passenger side of the silver sporty Honda. She held Chez's other daughter in her arms.
"Your woman is calling you," Yani said.
"When I get some more cash I'll bring it to you."
Yani reached out and pulled on the new gold necklace draped on his neck.
"How much this set you back, huh? Give it to me so I can pawn it."
Chez pulled her hand off of him. He leaned over and kissed Sydette on the cheek. He pulled on Yani's robe at the waist and kissed her on her cheek too.
"I have some money coming in soon. I'll be able to pay back what I owe you and then some. Okay?"
Yani stepped back from him.
"Chez!" Ursula's voice was incessant, "we need to go!"
"Stop yelling in front of my home!" Yani shrieked down to her.
Chez herded her back into the doorway of the apartment.
"Why did you bring her with you? You always try to hurt me, rub my nose in your trash," she said.
"She's not your issue. I'm here for the baby. I'll see you soon."
He rubbed the top of Sydette's head and bounded down the walkway to hit the stairs.
Ursula had a smug look on her face as Chez came back to her.
"Get your butt in the car," Chez said slamming his driver's side door shut.
When they were gone, Yani stood on the balcony trying to keep it together.
"Yani?"
Twyla came out to be with her.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah. He just…" She held up the money.
"Fuck them," Twyla said.
"What did I ever see in him?"
"Don't drag yourself. You were young and in love. Just like many people. He fucked it up by being a jerk. That's not your fault."
Yani held Sydette close to her heart.
No matter what Twyla said, Yani would always feel like loving him was her fault. Her fault for choosing him willingly.
And now her baby had to suffer.
###
Zachary had gone to the bathroom when the man with the dark flashy eyes approached Yani by one of the big speakers near the make-shift stage inside of Rush. He wasn't white, or Latin as his swarthy skin and wavy dark hair suggested. He was dressed like he had money…plenty of it. He was a little tipsy, but in a cute flirty way.
"You are a Goddess and I want to marry you," he said. His voice had an accent like he was from one of those places that always had America fighting. Iran? Saudi Arabia? Iraq?
"I'm sorry, but I am taken," she said. She gave him a smile when his face looked hurt by the response.
"If I told you I needed you tonight, would you come with me?"
The man's eyes were shiny and the mirth in his voice made Yani laugh instead of flicking him aside like a mosquito.
"If you ever change your mind, Goddess, I am here for you."
He gave an exaggerated bow and Yani walked past him to greet her cousins who had all arrived in a pack, shifting the energy in the room with Galibar essence. Their family was well-known, and it was easy to move in the space knowing family was around looking out for her.
Hands on her waist spun her around and Zachary pulled her in for a hug. He was happy and excited to be out with her, constantly pulling her out onto the center of the dance floor so people could see them. It was nice to be with a man who was proud to be with her. Their dinner together had been perfect, the food excellent, and when they arrived at the club Yani felt more like herself again. She wasn't a mommy, or someone's girlfriend, or some worker bee running from job to job…she was just Yani and hanging out with grown-ups, responsible for no one but herself.
She dressed like a star. New make-up she saved up for. Gold choker on her throat. A long yellow dress she ordered online from the States that had cute green and red shapes on it that made her skin look bronzed by the sun. She did feel like a Goddess as her dress flowed around her hips with a small slit at the bottom that gave a tiny peek of her left leg. She even let her cleavage show just straight feeling herself. She allowed herself to drink liquor knowing she had milk bottled at home for Sydette for the next day. She was going to savor this night for a long time.
She extended hugs to her relatives and friends who hadn't seen her out in months. Compliments flowed and Zachary constantly hyped her up. When other men stared at her, Zachary's chest puffed out with pride. She liked how he was secure with thirsty eyes on her.
Rush was filled with gorgeous women, and Yani was happy that she could feel pretty again, not schlepping around in her usual sneakers and sweatpants. Her gold lace-up sandals gave her toes a little trouble at first, but now she was used to them as she moved with Zachary.
Wall to wall patrons crammed into the space and she was happy that Kendall would have an enthusiastic crowd to hear him live.
"Let me have my cousin," Dex said grabbing Yani's hand and taking her over to Monice and Twyla. Zachary nodded and watched her be ushered near the side of the bar.
"Kendall is having a panic attack," Dex said.
"What?" she said.
"He's over by the D.J. booth. I tried talking him down, but he's super nervous and says he can't remember his setlist, and one of his singers isn't coming…he's in a panic. I told Dex to find you," Twyla said.
"Jesus Christ," she said.
Yani waved Zachary over.
"Kendall is losing it, I have to talk to him," she said.
"Want me to go with you?" Zachary asked.
"Yeah, he needs some cheerleaders right now," Yani said.
She held Zachary's hand as she pushed past dancers, the deep bass in the club vibrating through her body. She could see her poor sweet cousin Kendall leaned up against the D.J. booth, his eyes closed and his hands balled into fists. Yani knew the butterflies of pre-performance jitters, but she learned early on to use her nerves to give a good performance. But Kendall was new to this, accustomed to backing other people on stage, not being the center of attention on his own. She hoped he could get through this because a ton of people paid money to come see a show, and he was one of the headliners. His first time being that. It would be a disaster if he couldn't get it together.
"Oh! It's my Goddess again! Here is that vision I was telling you about-!"
That guy again.
Oh shit.
He wasn't alone.
Yani halted in her tracks when she saw Erik sitting next to the Arab man at the bar. Locs cornrowed on his head, eyes relaxed from the drink in his hand, Erik's gaze took her in like he didn't recognize her. Something flickered in his eyes and he leaned forward, his free hand reaching out like he was going to touch her until he saw Zachary next to her.
"Killmonger," she heard herself say.
"The fuck yuh doin' here?!"
Chez's voice almost made her legs buckle when he stalked over to her and grabbed her elbow.
A nightmare made real.
Yani stood still, her eyes darting between three men who were aware of one another and sizing one another up.
"Hey, what is this?" the dark-haired Arab man with the reverent voice said.
Yani grimaced when she felt Chez's fingers digging into her skin. He was pulling her away from Zachary, his hot eyes raking up and down her body taking in how she was dressed.
Yani released her hand from Zachary's and placed it on Chez's arm to try and pry him off. He wouldn't let go, his grip tightening. It hurt.
Erik stood up.
"Take your hand off her."
Erik's voice sounded deadly like it could kill someone in seconds with the terse tone.
His friend stood up with him, feeding into the warning energy Erik gave off. At that moment, Yani knew the Arab man was one of Klaue's men too. Chez had no clue who was confronting him.
"Mind yours, breh. This my baby's mother—"
"—don't give a fuck who she is to you. Back off her—"
Yani's eyes went to Zachary and he stood there not sure what to do, confused as to who Erik was and why he was intruding.
"I need to talk to Kendall!" she shouted shoving Chez away from her. She stomped away from them all. She could hear Erik and Chez going back and forth and when she glanced behind her, she saw her cousin Dex and Dulan pulling Chez away from Erik who was smiling at Chez, his thick neck moving side to side like he was ready to body her ex.
Zachary was right behind her, his face stressed.
"You know he was here?" Zachary asked.
"Why should I care?"
"Who was that other guy? He acted like he knows you—"
"Kendall!"
Yani touched her cousin's neck and his eyes flew open.
"Yani. I feel like I want to throw up," he whispered.
"Calm yourself. It's okay. This is normal—"
"No, it don't feel normal."
"Tell me your songs," she said.
"Bumper…um…Phase Two…Crash Land…She Sez…"
"Good, you know the order and everything. What happened to your back-up?"
"Gloria is here, but Asha is a no show. I go on in ten minutes and Gloria doesn't want to go up without Asha—"
"That's some bullshit," Twyla said easing up next to Kendall and handing him a cup of ice water. She made him drink and rubbed his back. They both could see Kendall calming down.
"Do you have music with their voices already recorded?" Yani asked.
"No."
"Where is Gloria?" Yani asked.
Kendall shrugged.
Yani glanced around the club looking for Gloria. Zachary stood near her, his face looking flustered.
"What?"
"You're not worried about Chez starting something again?" Zachary asked.
"My cousins will snatch him up if he tries something again. Don't worry about him—"
"You still didn't answer me about that other guy—"
"What other guy?" Yani said still scanning the crowd for Kendall's singer.
"The big dude—"
"Zachary, I'm trying to help Kendall, okay?"
"What is Gloria wearing?" he asked.
"She has on one of my shirts, red with me on my motorcycle. She has a big afro…" said Kendall.
"I'll go look," Zachary said.
"Thank you, Zachary," Yani said. She squeezed his arm and watched him leave.
She could see the patrons positioning themselves closer to the stage.
"Hey, Kendall, we doing alright?"
The club D.J., Junior leaned over from his booth, worry on his face.
"He's fine!" Yani said making her voice sound cheerful.
"What?! Yani!" Junior said stepping down from his spot in the booth.
He gave Yani a big hug.
"You look good!" he said.
"Here for my cousin," she said looking over at Kendall, encouraging him to perk up more.
"Are your girls ready Kendall? I have hot mics ready for them. We go on in five—"
"Found her!" Zachary said ushering Gloria back over. The girl looked petrified.
"Kendall, I can't go up by myself—"
"You have to, he needs you to start the song to introduce him!" Twyla interjected, the peevishness in her voice hard to ignore.
"It won't sound right with just me—"
"Make it sound right, you're not gonna fuck up my cousin's show little girl," Twyla said getting into Gloria's face.
"Twyla, that's not helping her—" Yani said.
"Show goes on now, you doing this or not Kendall?"
Junior was all business.
Kendall's eyes sought out Yani.
"Gloria, please, this is where you have to be professional. The show goes on even if part of your crew isn't here. You can't let Kendall down," Yani said.
"Gloria, please," Kendall said.
"Kendall, it's time," Junior said climbing back into the booth. He held out a mic for Kendall and Gloria.
Gloria reached for the mic and Yani felt a sigh of relief flow through her.
"Are you ready for some great music?" Junior called out on his mic as he punched keys on his computer cueing up Kendall's tracks. A roar of "Yes!" came back from the crowd.
Yani held her hands clasped together in front of her silently praying that all things would work in Kendall's favor. Gloria had the mic in her hand, but she looked like she was ready to run.
Junior dropped Kendall's opening track and the room absolutely jumped with the massive bassline. Yani felt her cheeks pull tight as she smiled hard. The track was slapping so good. Gloria stepped forward and started humming, her lackluster energy killing the vibe already.
"Ohmigod, this bitch!" Twyla shouted.
"Give her a chance," Yani said as she bit into her lip, her own nerves scattered when she saw Gloria tanking the performance before it even began.
There were titters from the crowd and many of the people who had been swinging when the beat first dropped now stood still trying to figure out how it all went so wrong in fifteen seconds.
"Give me that goddamn mic you stupid girl!" Twyla said racing onto the platform that was used for the stage.
"Yani, c'mon," Twyla said shoving Gloria aside, "give me back again," Twyla said to Junior who synced the music back to the beginning.
Yani shook her head at Twyla.
"Yani…" Kendall whispered.
Kendall's eyes were wild-looking, his nerves frayed, and at that moment, Yani knew she had to do whatever it took to salvage this for him.
She stepped onto the stage and grabbed a mic that Junior held out for her. The music rattled the walls once more and the club lights lit up and heated her face. She quickly focused on what she needed to do. This was Kendall's first track…"Bumper"…an ode to asses. She heard Kendall rap to this track for weeks, had to hear the hook being sung every damn day she came home from work while he was in the shower.
Twyla wound her hips to the dancehall-tinged track and when her eyes met Yani's, she nodded her head and they both faced the audience and gave Kendall a proper introduction.
###
Tahir had been mumbling about some woman he saw when he went to the restroom, but Erik found himself trying to avoid Isis, the girl he slept with at the Marriott.
She spotted him at the bar and Erik made sure to stay cordial, but she was cramping his style by hanging off of him the way women did after he messed with them. She looked amazing in her peek-a-boo skintight white dress and red heels, but he was not feeling her at all. Even when he introduced her to Tahir who was extremely good-looking, Isis stuck to him like cops on a niggas ass. He was already pulling women that could help him get through his stay on the island, but this bird was clucking too much.
He went dancing with a random girl who walked past him and Isis still didn't get the hint. Finally, he was just straight up with her saying he was just trying to have fun with his friend and wasn't interested in hooking up that night. She was buzzing from drinking rum and his words didn't seem to halt her advances until he physically left her at one side of the main bar and moved with Tahir on the other side.
Tahir was in island heaven, his eyes taking in all the sights of bright lights, heavy Soca and Hip Hop beats, and the thickolicious women roaming the club, so many of them single.
"I swear to you she must be in the employ of a jinn, her eyes…may Allah bless me with a wife with eyes like that…. Oh! It's my Goddess again! Here is that vision I was telling you about-!"
Tahir shoved Erik's shoulder and he turned to see Yani walking toward them. When she stopped in front of them Erik thought fate was fucking with him because she had just crossed his mind again, him wondering if she was out on the floor dancing or on her way to the club. His eyes couldn't release her from their hold as he saw what she looked like outside of cleaning and cooking for the compound. It was her, totally her, but she was just so…
He couldn't even figure out the words before he was reaching out to touch her, wanting to already pull her into his arms and keep her next to him. But then he saw her fingers entwined with a man standing behind her.
He heard her say his name, not the one he wanted her to call him, but the one he hid behind, and she still made the harshness of it sound so sweet to his ears. He longed to pull on the straps of her dress, slip one down from her shoulder and place his lips on the skin there. The gold choker on her neck made him want to place his hand there and squeeze, push her against a wall and pull up the gauzy dress she wore that made her curves too visible for his comfort. He knew what was under that dress and he wanted to see it again. See it on his bed, her legs stretched open wall to wall, her big eyes looking up at him when he entered her heat…
Before he could even gather himself and act chill, (as if the sight of her with some other man didn't bother him when it clearly did agitate him), another dude was yelling at Yani, man-handling her as if he owned her.
Erik saw Yani grimace and that was it.
When she broke away from her baby's father, he wanted to follow her, but the other guy she was with trailed behind her and the baby daddy started to act buck with Erik.
"You ain't gon' do shit, bruh," Erik told him, even laughing at dude when he started flexing for the crowd, but not really trying to go there with Erik. Two other men came over and pulled the man away, calling him "Chez" and Erik made a mental note to check the guy out. He was so quick to come down on Yani, Erik got the feeling the dude was trouble and could retaliate.
"You know her?" Tahir finally said when the commotion calmed down.
"She works at the compound for Klaue."
Tahir's eyes perked up, but when he glanced at Erik, he got the hint that she was off-limits.
He sat back and sipped on his rum again, his eyes scanning for Yani and spotting her near the D.J. booth talking to some people. A huge banger thumped through the speakers and Erik head-bobbed with everyone else as they all watched a cute woman climb onstage. She started humming and then her voice faded under the music.
Did she forget the words or something?
Another woman came on stage and snatched the mic from the first girl and told the D.J. to start the song over. That slamming intro whopped everyone over the head again, and this time he watched Yani climb onstage and join the new girl and they sang a hook that made the crowd go buck wild.
Shit. They sounded good, Better than good.
"Is that my Goddess again?" Tahir squeaked, bouncing on his feet.
Erik stood up and rocked along with the club patrons. The smokey deeper alto of the other singer cradled Yani's honey voice, the harmonies flowing to a young dude who bounced on stage, his energy high and infectious as he spit bars that elevated the music even more. Kendall. Erik yanked out his cell and began recording for Leona.
"Fucking incredible," Tahir said nodding his head and raising his hand when Kendall told the crowd to.
Yani and the other woman rocked behind him as Kendall extolled the virtues of why he loved a woman's ass. Yani and the woman bounced their ass cheeks to the beat, turning sideways so the audience could see what they had, and Erik felt a groan clamp down in his throat watching Yani stick her tongue out playfully and shake her cheeks low, her left hand clutching the hem of her dress as she showed everyone the outline of high-grade shelf booty.
The first song ended and Kendall introduced Yani and his other cousin Twyla. Both women bowed to the audience and stood behind Kendall as he went into another song that was just as good.
The kid was good, a little shaky on his transitions, but he held the audience pretty well. The second song didn't have a need for Twyla or Yani, so they just danced together being excellent hype women for their cousin who had pretty decent bars and clever delivery. The last two songs they joined back in and when Kendall was done with his set, he received hearty applause and whistles from the crowd.
"Now we have to pay our respects people…," the D. J. said, "Yani…Yani…come back up here love."
Yani took to the stage again as Kendall stood next to her beaming.
"Yani sang on Tattler's mixtape two years ago, and was on Big C's song 'Recognize Me', yuh remember? She's our Black mermaid!"
Murmurs from the crowd let him know they knew those tracks.
"Yani, take us back for a minute girl…please…"
The D. J. dropped a tune and the crowd shouted. Yani covered her face as Kendall laughed and patted her back. It was a hybrid of dancehall and a tiny bit of dub.
"I came here to watch my cousin perform and chill with my family Junior!" she said.
"For old times sake, Yani. We've missed you, love. Sincerely. You a real one."
The D.J.'s words triggered something in her and Yani covered her eyes. She burst out crying. Erik stepped forward wanting to touch her face and wipe those tears away, but Kendall stepped up and rubbed her back, whispering something in her ear.
"We love you, Yani!"
A woman's shout from the crowd, made Yani lift her head up.
Erik put his cell phone down.
"You got this, Yani!" Erik yelled at her. Yani's face gazed back toward his direction and the audience agreed with him by clapping for her.
"Turn me up," she said to the D.J. and he made her mic a little louder, "Can I freestyle? I don't want to sing that old version. Mi nuh want anything that reminds me of my ex."
The crowd laughed.
"Do what you feel, Yani," the D.J. said.
The music brought her back and Erik knew she couldn't see him, not with those bright ass lights on her face, but she stayed gazing out in his direction.
"Yuh my likkle water boy,
Wind me up like I'm yuh brand new toy
Yuh bring new kinds of joy
And me wahn some more
Wull on pon me
Wull on pon me
Wull on pon me and take away all me stress…"
Her flow had him moving his hips along with everyone else.
"Did you know she could do that?" Tahir asked, his fingers popping and his feet bouncing side to side.
"Her Aunt said she sang," Erik said, mesmerized.
"Me wahn to peel yuh like some fresh ripe fruit
Lick you down like my Auntie's soup
Got me pattin' on my kitty cat
Me suspect
You wahn grip my neck
Lookie,
I'll let you whisper me the rest
I promise this no test
Stop makin me vex
Come wull pon me…."
Fuck.
She was singing to him.
Erik felt the hairs on his neck raise. Her voice was way too intimate and the lyrics too specific to be about anyone else other than him. Her tone was seductive and she hadn't changed the direction of her stance facing his way.
"Lookie
Won't you come over love
So I can show you love
Promise I got enough to give you all you need
Lookie
Some lovers search to find a love like mine
A love as good as mine
I'll never waste your time
Such a vibe…"
When she finished, she giggled and let the mic hit the side of her hip. Erik felt like everyone could see that the smile on his face was for her and only her. Kendall hugged her and the club patrons clapped.
"Give it up for Yani, the Black Mermaid, yeah!"
"She needs to be home takin' care of her pickney!"
Chez's voice rang out loud and rude.
Yani's head turned in his direction, and Erik felt ready to stomp the nigga out right in front of her.
"What kinda mother hang out in a club with tits out like that? Shame!"
"Fuck you!" Yani yelled out to him and the crowd laughed.
Erik spotted Chez leaning on the other side of the bar.
"Out here being a hoe. You no hot girl no more—"
The crowd heckled Chez back.
"It's ok, it's ok, him try to shame me. It not gon' work. You want this smoke, Chez? I give it to you. Junior, give me Chez's beat. That old Big C joint he couldn't make pop."
Yani stepped to the edge of the stage.
"Run that beat back fuh mi," she said, "I see you. I got your hoe right here."
Chez threw his hands up egging her on.
"What you got for me, huh, bitch? What? You got nothin'!"
Erik felt his jaw clench.
"And dis a wah mi get fi understand
Seh yuh cya keep yuh dick inna yuh pants
Yuh think seh fucking every gyal mek yuh feel more like a man
Yuh supposed to be my right hand, my go to
And nobody nuh fi come to me about you
Cause when yuh down, I lift you up
I keep you moving when yuh stuck
Yuh ma nigga you supposed to be my goku
Or my best friend, who yuh texting
Everyday yuh seh dem gyal yah upsetting
But I'm patiently waiting
Because anuh my time dem wasting
Anuh my time dem wasting
Yuh tired dickhole
Pack up and leave if yuh nuh want mi
Cause mi honestly rather be lonely
Yuh nav nuh time fi me, yuh all fi yuh self, I see
Pack up and leave if yuh nuh want mi
Cause mi honestly rather be lonely
Yuh nav nuh time fi we
No time fi Sydette or mi…"
Erik shoved his fist up to his mouth along with everyone else in the club as heads turned in Chez's direction.
"See, that's what happens when you come for me," Yani said.
She handed the mic back to Junior and stepped away from the stage with Kendall's arm thrown around her neck. The laughter was ferocious and it cut Chez deep, especially when she mentioned Sydette at the end.
Erik strolled over to the man to keep an eye on him, but Chez turned around and stormed out of the club with his boys.
He watched Yani get pats on the back and hugs as she made her way over to the bar. When her eyes caught him again, he thought he would have a chance to talk to her, but her boyfriend entwined his fingers with hers and took her out to dance.
Erik grabbed the nearest woman's hand and pulled her out on the floor with him.
Anything to be near Yani...
###
Part 5 [Part 6]
Authors Note: Lyrics that Yani spits is stuff I made up mixed with actual Jada Kingdom songs, “Wull On” and “Love Situations”.
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