#thread: Gerald Hutchinson

[amiyahsoul]

Good Deeds

INVOLVED: Mercedes Jones & Gerald Hutchinson . LOCATION: Doctor office. TIME FRAME: Flashback NOTES: Mercedes plays the game of houses.     

Seated on the examination table, Mercedes watched her chipper companion with well chilled disdain. She had counted him as a friend once, even loved him for a time.  Now she wished he would drop into a vat of acid and die.  With her luck, he’d come back like the damn Joker, rictus grin and all.  It was her own fault she’d given him the noose, planted the tree, and picked the damn branch to hang from.  She was playing along to save Sam. But if she was honest, it was to save herself as well. She hadn’t lied to Sam, but she had, for years now, intentionally omitted things. Sleeping with Ivan, after the twins were born chief among them.

Gerald typed out the last message on his cellphone before looking up to catch Mercedes watching him.  ‘Go on to hell and watch, he thought coldly.  He could give a damn about the hate in her eyes, if she obeyed. He leaned back in the chair and rubbed his shoulder for a moment, gritting his teeth...  “What is taking them so long?”  Gerald asked. Stretching he rose from his seat, “I have a meeting at one.”  He said, glancing at the clock on the wall.

“Love... you can go,” Mercedes hummed only thinly veiling her annoyance. She grinned lowering her head, take your fuckboy ass the hell on, she thought, gazing sweetly at the man.  “I’ll take care of this and meet you at your house.” She said, her voice dripping in sweetness.  

Gerald moved over to stand by Mercedes his short stubby hand passing over the swell of her belly.  “I could...” He said, a smirk creasing the corners of his mouth.  “But I want to be here... for you.” He slathered his words in honey, pouring them over her thickly, then leaned in to take a kiss from her lips.  

Mercedes puckered taking the kiss with nothing but lip, pressing her mouth closed tightly in case he tried to slip her his tongue... She’d play the part he wanted, too an extent.   What choice did she have?  Samuel was busy welcoming death, and Gerald was planning it.  And there seemed to be very little she could do to change the situation.  Mercedes pulled out of the kiss, a sneer on her lips.  “Are any of those meetings about the release of my album.” She asked pursing her lips.  

Gerald hovered just inches in front of her face. “Could be... You would like that, wouldn’t you? -To get away from me.” He smiled.   What woman wouldn’t want to spend extra time with her baby daddy?” He asked stretching his eyes wide. “I seemed to recall you were more than content playing housewife to ya boy.  What? I don’t get the same love?” He said, poking his lip out.

Mercedes sucked her teeth, “You are crazy.  You can’t actually believe anyone is going to believe this child is yours?” She said rolling her eyes. “Besides you take too many liberties with what you think you know.” She fired back nostrils flaring. “The studio won’t allow you to hold my record hostage forever.  Not when we could do a little promotion before the baby came.”

Gerald chuckled, tIsking her softly.  “I know what is best for you.  …And the baby.” He said caressing her stomach again. “Don’t worry about your album or money.  I got you.” He leaned in and drove his point home with another harder kiss on the mouth.  

“Hello.” The ultrasound tech sang entering the room.  “You guys ready?” She asked slowly, blushing at the affectionate display in front of her.   Gerald broke the kiss and gave Mercedes a broad smile. “Absolutely!” He said as he rubbed the swell of Mercedes' stomach.  “She has been getting bigger by the day.” He quipped, playing his part perfectly.  “But she is still the sexiest woman alive.”  He said kissing her on the forehead.

Mercedes' lips curled into a snarl as Gerald spoke.  The idea of killing him is his sleep dancing around in her head.  “As he said we are ready.” She commented as she tried to keep her voice friendly.

“Great.” Her eyes lingered just a little too long on Gerald.  She gave her hair a flirty toss, then cleared her throat guiltily as she looked to Mercedes.  “Okay…” She lowered the lights and rushed to the bedside, where she added gel to Mercedes' stomach. Turning the camera at the couple she began moving the spectrum over Mercedes' tummy, pressing down lightly to clean up the image. “Alright…” She said taking pictures of the screen.  

Mercedes squirmed a bit as the cold gel was spread across her stomach.  She watched the woman’s hands move in circles growing out from her protruding belly button. “This baby must be tremendous, I wasn’t this big the first time.” She explained, as she turned her head to look at the monitor, to get the first glimpse of her child.

Gerald gave the nurse a smooth smirk as she flirts openly with him.  She was cute, with her blond locks cascading down her back.  He looked then to Mercedes and a stab of annoyance caught him.  She didn’t bat an eye at the woman.  He squinted eyes adjusting to the lower light then placed his hand on Mercedes' thigh as he tried to make out the images on the screen., “What the fuck… wow. So that’s what your insides look like, huh?” He asked, disregarding the tech he moved in closer to the screen to get a better view.  His fingers traced the outline on the screen, “So, I’m confused, I see two circles. Which one is the baby?”

The tech laughed at Mercedes question but was caught off guard as Gerald stepped up to the screen, “This will answer both questions… Both of the circles are babies!” She said cheerfully. “That area under your finger is baby A and the other one to your left is B. I guess that means you guys are having twins.” She said a huge smile on her face.  

Mercedes face withered, “What?” she breathed voice thick and hoarse. She made to touch her stomach then drew her hands back, catching herself. “Are you sure?”  She wondered what Sam would think. Two babies, the thought was overwhelming.  

“Twins? Can you tell if they are boys or girls?’ Gerald asked glancing at Mercedes as she began to dissolve into a puddle of water. “She cries when she is happy.” He said to the tech as he moved to Mercedes once more, caressing her leg again.  

“Not yet. At around 6 months we should be able to tell. Awe, it’s alright Momma. They look perfect.” She said trying to comfort Mercedes. The tech took a few more pictures then repositioned the monitor.  “I’ll send the doctor in and then you guys will be free to go.  You can go ahead and get cleaned up.” She moved back to the door and turned on the light before leaving the room.

Mercedes shoulder quaked as she sobbed. As soon as the tech left the room she snatched her legs from Gerald’s fingers and slid from the bed, grabbing the sheet to wipe her stomach.  “I’m not doing this shit with you anymore Gerald. You can’t expect me to play along with this any longer.”  She said looking to the screen. Gerald’s face twisted as she rebuffed him. “The hell I do!  You thought this shit was going to be easy.” He said with a cheerless laugh. “You were going to play me until I dropped the charges and your boy is out free?  Nah…  it’s his life for yours and my twins.” He said driving  his idea home like a knife through flesh.

Mercedes shook her head, “What is wrong with you?  Your stupid plan is based on a lie.  One that no one will believe.  And let's not forget can tell the police your plan to have him killed in jail. You think your ass is so slick.  Think again.” She hissed.

The slap came quick and hard across her face.  “The the police will never believe.” Gerald barked in a harsh whisper. “You are a desperate woman trying to save your doomed baby daddy. I’ve got the hole in my arm to prove my point.  What do you have?” He said a cynical cast to his voice.  “Don’t forget I can fuck up your happily ever after, no matter what.”  He moved closer to Mercedes grabbing her shoulder, his finger biting deep into her arms.  “Song after song, he is on a pedestal.  Only it’s not his pedestal. It yours.  You’re still a scared little fat girl… You never knew why he like you.  You will never tell him the truth of you. So, you will play along. Because you will lose him no matter what. The only real question is how.”

[deadparrish]

BOOKS READ IN 2017

total count: 78

goodreads: punknicole

i’m going to give a rating and a brief review of each book— just a sentence or two, depending on how much i remember about the book. this is mostly for fun, but I hope someone gets some use out of this! happy new year and happy reading! and, of course, possible spoilers ahead. 

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson: 5/5. Everyone and their mother has read this, so I’ll keep it short and sweet. I really enjoyed this book because I found it difficult to support just one specific character— everyone had flaws and they were all multi-dimensional. I appreciated the fact that each part of the story eventually matched up with the others. 

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon: 4/5. This was a cute book. I didn’t have too many strong feelings about it when I first read it, but it was enjoyable in a passing way. I thought the diversity was really wonderful but it was a bit overhyped.

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater: 5/5. I was rereading this and I loved it even more than the first time I read it. I feel like if you follow me you’ve probably read this, since this is a mostly trc blog, so I won’t go too deep into this. It’s wonderful. 

The Color Purple by Alice Walker: 5/5. I loved this a lot!!!! I think that the style it was written in is really interesting and the fact that it’s about a black lesbian is wonderful. It’s also a classic so I’d say that this should be on everyone’s reading list!!

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavik: 4/5. I never got as into these as everyone else seemed to. It was good and I read it really quickly, but it isn’t something I’d want to read again? I only read it because it had lgbt+ representation and honestly I think that’s all it has going for it. 

The Raven King by Nora Sakavik: 4/5. Again, I read this really quickly. I can’t really remember what happens. I think this is the book that triggered me a bit— there was some pretty awful sexual assault. 

The King’s Men by Nora Sakavik: 4/5. I remember being really disappointed in the ending, but I’m not sure why. I think I expected something a little more dramatic. Again, I read the whole trilogy over the span of two days, so it all kind of blended together. I’d suggest reading these so you can understand what all the tumblr posts are about, but they aren't my favorite. 

The Elements of Style by William Strunk JR. and E. B. White: 4/5. Ah, the first book that I finished that was for school! This was basically a mini textbook, and I found it really informative if a bit dry at times. I’d recommend reading it if English is something that you’re passionate about.

Another Day by David Levithan: 2/5. This was awful. I had high hopes for it, because I really liked Every Day, but this just gives you insight into how awful the main character is. It’s completely unnecessary, and I wish I hadn’t read it. 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: 5/5. I LOVED THIS!!! I read it for school and I absolutely fell in love. It’s extremely heavy handed on symbolism, but the language is so beautiful. I have a twitter thread about how I think that Nick is in love with Gatsby here. 

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson: 5/5. I really liked this too, and I recently gave this to my mom and grandma to read and they loved it too!! I think that the storyline was really interesting and it dealt with some really existential issues about life, which I always really enjoy. 

You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour: 5/5. This was really cute!! I remember really enjoying the wlw representation in this, because most lgbt books focus on white guys, so this was refreshing. 

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes: 5/5. I bawled my eyes out reading this. I can’t even explain it but it is... so fucking good. 

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway: 2/5. Ugh. I didn’t even finish this. I know it’s a classic, but I just really couldn’t get into it. I might try again in a few years but it just didn’t work for me. 

Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente: 5/5. I tried to find this books in stores for at least a year before I finally took the leap and ordered it online. I love it so much— it’s one of the first books on my reread list. The language is really beautiful and I love the aesthetic, but it is a bit dark.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls: 5/5. A book straight out of my childhood! I love it just as much as I did when I was a kid, and I cried even more than I did the last time I read it, which had to have been at least ten years ago. It’s timeless and beautiful and I think it’s a must-read!

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur: 4/5. Honestly, I think this book is a bit overhyped. I enjoyed some of the poems but it didn’t leave a huge lasting impact. 

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray: 3/5. This was a really fast read for me, and I sort of liked it? It was lighthearted and kind of funny and had incredible representation, but it wasn’t a favorite for me. 

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde: 4/5. I love Oscar Wilde, so I’m a bit biased, but I thought this was enjoyable. It was clever and passingly funny, but I think it would be better to see it performed live. 

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: 5/5. This was my second time reading this, and I loved it even more than I did the first time I read it. I read this for school the first time and I’d definitely recommend that everyone read it at least once! It’s an incredible story and it really touches your heart.

The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey: 4/5. I consider this a guilty pleasure book but I’m not exactly sure why. I read it when I was really young, which might be part of the reason why, since it has some really mature themes, but it’s a good read. 

The May Queen Murders by Sarah Jude: 2/5. I remember seeing a lot of posts on here about this book, so I was disappointed when it ended up being really boring. I just didn’t like it, and I wouldn’t recommend it. 

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck: 4/5. I read this for school, and I’ll probably never pick it up again. I didn’t hate it, but it definitely wasn’t a favorite. I would recommend it, though, just because it’s a classic and it’s something that you Have To Read at least once. 

Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan: 4/5. This was another book that I had really high expectations for because I saw a lot of hype for it on tumblr. I did like it, but it wasn’t life changing like I expected it to be. 

The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: 5/5. This is probably my favorite book of all time. I can’t say enough good things about it, so just read it. 

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison: 5/5. This was incredible! It really makes you think about American standards of beauty and how that affects your day-to-day life. 

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros: 4/5. I’ll be honest, I feel like I missed a huge part of this book because I read it really quickly, but I still liked it. 

1984 by George Orwell: 5/5. Everyone needs to read this, especially in our current political climate. There are quite a few parallels between what happens in the novel an what’s happening today, and it’s really helpful when it comes to trying to understand what people on the news are talking about when they say we’re “living in 1984.”

This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp: 4/5. I remember being a little disappointed in this, but I still really liked it! I think I cried but I’m not super sure? I guess it didn’t leave as lasting of an impact as I thought it did, but I remember liking it as I read it. 

Vampirates: Tide of Terror by Justin Somper: 4/5. This is definitely a guilty pleasure book and I’m not ashamed to admit it. My cousin recommended them to me at least ten years ago and every so often I get into a phase where I want to reread them. The title is pretty self-explanatory— vampire pirates. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: 5/5. One of my favorite reads of the year! The narrative style is really interesting and it’s really beautifully written. I absolutely recommend it!!

The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: 2/5. Ugh. Again, I couldn’t even finish this, and I’m not sure why. It just seemed so boring! I’ll try to reread it at some point but definitely not any time soon. 

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath: 5/5. I really enjoyed this!! It also got me into the good graces of my english teacher this year (she saw me carrying it around school and talked to me about it) so I’d recommend it!

Animal Farm by George Orwell: 5/5. I first read this in middle school and really liked it, so I figured I’d reread it and see if it held up, and it did. It’s another classic that I think should be on everyone’s read list!

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart: 5/5. These are really fun books that I’d recommend you read if you have a free afternoon! They’re clever, engaging, and easy to read. 

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie: 3/5. I didn’t like this and I can’t remember exactly why. I think that it was a bit dry for my liking, although it might have just been because I didn’t like all the talk about mothers. Either way, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Calahan: 5/5. This was really interesting! I don’t usually read memoirs, but my mom gave this to me to read and I actually really liked it.

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner: 4/5. I’ve tried to get into the Maze Runner series a few times, but it never quite manages to get me interested enough. I liked this well enough but it didn’t leave me invested enough to go out and buy the next book in the series, so it’ll probably be another year (at least) before I revisit this series. Oh well. 

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux: 4/5. The movie with Gerald Butler is yet another guilty pleasure of mine, so I really wanted to like this, but it kind of fell short. It was decent, but it took me a while to read, which always means that I’m not loving it. 

The Holy Bible: 1611 Edition, King James Version by Hendrickson Bibles (compiler): I can’t write a real review for this because I only read certain parts of it for school, but I counted it on my goodreads because I wanted it to count towards my 2017 reading challenge. It was interesting, I guess? 

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett: 4/5. I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did! The characters were really sweet and I enjoyed their growth, and the plot was interesting. 

Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg: 4/5. I picked this up because I had just watched Kill Your Darlings and I wasn't as impressed as I wanted to be. There were some good poems but nothing that stuck with me.

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. The beginning of my series of unfortunate events reread! I love these books a lot and they were a huge part of my childhood. Everyone should read these books! I don’t have much to say about each individual book but I’ll try to make a comment or two on each one. 

The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. I love snakes so this is one of my favorites out of the series! 

The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. This book helped create my tentative fear of heights. I always remember being horrified of the image of Aunt Josephines house. 

The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. Nothing about this one really ever stood out to me besides my own outrage at child labor. 

The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. This is my favorite of all the books!! I think it’s because I’ve always been obsessed with the idea of boarding school. 

The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. Climbing an elevator shaft would suck. 

The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. I would love to live in a village filled with crows. 

Mythology by Edith Hamilton: 5/5. I read this for school and it was really fascinating! I already knew a bit about Greek and Roman mythology (mostly because of Percy Jackson) but it was cool to learn more about it and Norse mythology. 

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin: 5/5. All I have to say is that A Song of Ice and Fire is so much better than Game of Thrones. 

Witch & Wizard by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet:  3/5. I had found this in a box and wanted to reread it, and it wasn’t as good as I remember it being. It was a really fast read and fairly interesting, though, simply because of the magic. 

The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. I feel like this is when the books really take a dark turn, which makes them really interesting to read. 

Blockade Billy by Stephen King: 5/5. I listen to this in the car with my dad whenever we take a long trip, and I always really enjoy it. There’s nothing super special about it, and I’ve never been super interested in books about sports, but this story is cool because it’s also about murder. 

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood: 5/5. This is amazing! It’s another book that’s been in the news a lot due to the Trump presidency, so I’d say give it a read simply because of that, but it’s incredible and should be read in its own right. A total cliffhanger ending. 

Witch & Wizard: The Gift by James Patterson and Ned Rust: 3/5. Honestly, I can’t remember what this was about. 

The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. Those lions deserved better. 

Holes by Louis Sachar: 4/5. This is one of those books that you’re supposed to read as a kid that I never got around to. I did like it, but I think I would have liked it a lot better if I had read it ten years ago. 

How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster: 5/5. Another really awesome pseudo-textbook! It really teaches you a lot about certain aspects of literature that you’ve probably never thought about before, and it’ll really change the way you read! 

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll: 3/5. This was really boring for me to read and I’m not sure why. I think I just expected it to be something else, and I didn't really like it. 

Medea by Euripides, translated by Rex Warner: 4/5. My World Mythology class read this out-loud and it was really entertaining. It’s not a necessary read but it’s kind of fun. 

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: 5/5. This is super hard to read so I’d definitely recommend paraphrasing it as you go, but it’s a classic, so you definitely need to read it at least once. 

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: 3/5. Again, this was a book that I really wanted to like, but just couldn’t force myself to. I think I ended up skim-reading at least three-fourths of it. 

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks: 4/5. I think this is probably the first straight up romance novel that I’ve ever read, and I actually kind of liked it. It wasn’t my favorite, but it was cute and I cried a little bit at the end. 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon: 5/5. This was excellent! I’d never read anything like this before, and the format was super unique as well, and it was all around a good read. It was also really sad and made me really uncomfortable at times, which I think speaks to how well it’s written. 

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: 5/5. Super good. I read this for class and I’m really thankful for that, since I think there’s a lot of deeper meaning to the book that I was able to examine thanks to class discussions. 

All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater: 4/5. I liked this okay, but it’s definitely not on the same level as The Raven Cycle. I really enjoyed the characters in this— they were all extremely different from one another, and that was refreshing. 

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins: 5/5. This started a minor obsession with murder/thriller novels!!! It was extremely well written and had me guessing until the end (I didn’t see the final twist coming!) I actually leant this to my mom and she also loved it! 

The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien: 4/5. I was desperate to like this more than I actually did. There were parts of it that I really liked, and parts of it that had me literally falling asleep. 

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding: 3/5. Ugh. I didn’t like this at all. It’s only redeeming factor was that it’s a really fast read. 

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber: 3/5. Extremely underwhelming. 

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien: 5/5. I wasn’t super into this in the beginning, because I don’t like war books, but I had to read it for class and I ended up loving it by the end. There’s definitely some triggering content but the book mainly focuses on the idea of truth and storytelling, and it’s really fascinating! 

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson: 4/5. This was okay. I found myself getting annoyed with how dramatic everything was, but it’s a story about overcoming odds and finding strength within yourself, which I know some people are into. 

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger: 3/5. Yikes. The narrator is so fucking annoying in this that I couldn’t take it seriously. I know it’s a classic, but I really didn’t like it. 

The Giver by Lois Lowry: 4/5. This is another book that I wish I had read in a classroom setting when I was a little younger because I feel like I missed out on a lot of the deeper meaning because I sped through it in an hour or two. I did really enjoy it, though. 

The Martian by Andy Weir: 4/5. This is one of the rare instances where I prefer the movie to the book. I liked this book okay, but there were big lengthy descriptions of the “science” that I found really tedious. 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: 5/5. I wish I had read this before I watched the movie, though I still really enjoyed it. It’s another book that leaves you guessing about what’s going to happen until the very end, and it leaves you feeling really unsettled. 

Misery by Stephen King: 5/5. This is my first Stephen King book that I actually read (aka didn’t listen to)! I’m glad I picked this as my first book of his to read, because it’s shorter than some of his other stuff without being boring. It’s more violent and gory than I usually go for, but I still really liked it! 

And that’s it! Happy new year, everyone! 

[amiyahsoul]

Mad Black Man.

INVOLVED: Mercedes Jones & Gerald Hutchinson  TIME FRAME: 2018 LOCATION: Gerald’s Home, Los Angeles, California NOTES:

‘Hot damn she was fine.’  It was crazy, but the gunshot only added to her mystique.  Men protected what they didn’t want another man to sample.  And a bullet through the arm meant that pussy  between her legs must be solid gold. “A drink?”  Gerald offered, pouring himself a Coke.

The dress road her ass a little to much.  And the cut down the front was a little to low. Mercedes needed to use the bait she  had. And right now she needed this man distracted and malleable. She swayed across the room to the white leather L shaped couch. Her eyes caught his as she eased into the seat, crossing her legs. “No thank you.” She said moving the white, red and black throw pillow from behind her back, flinging it to the other end of the sectional.

She wasn’t slick though, wearing that fuck me dress. Gerald thought, topping off his drink.  He sat the can down, and  adjusted himself discreetly before moving out from behind the bar, glass in hand.  He saw the bump of her belly, but what was that compared to the swell of her breast, or the jiggle of her ass?  Trifles. Fucking her with that motherfuckers kid inside her seemed like justice to him. He spoke then, with the assurance of a man who knew he was right. “You want me to drop the charges” Gerald declared, as he sunk into his arm chair. His arm was on the mend. Luckily, he’d escaped any lasting damage. He rolled his shoulder working the stiffness out of it, eyes fixed on the woman in front of him.

There was something bold about his stride as she approached, that made Mercedes uncomfortable.  She’d worked countless hours with this man and tonight was the first time he’d ever felt ominous to her. When he spoke, she swallowed a groan.  Was this read Mercedes week? For the second time a man read her intentions without her saying a word. “Don’t do that Gerald…” She chastised,  “I came to see how you were doing.”

“Fuck that!” Gerald spit, sucking his teeth.  “If you were worried about my ass you would have shown up weeks ago.” He stood and moved to sit on the coffee table in front of the woman, looking down at her. “ So if I eliminate the bullshit then what is left is the truth.” He sat the drink down beside him, “You want me to let him off the hook.”

Mercedes shifted in her seat, smoothing the dress down over her exposed thighs, “Gerald.” Mercedes said patiently.  She eyed him knowing full well there would be no subtle today.  he was like a bloodhound. He had the scent and nothing was going to deter him, no matter what she said.  Giving up pretense she exhaled,  “What I can I say to make you change your mind.” She said breathly.

Gerald laughed, hand going to his shoulder, massaging it lightly. “Nothing… You know he’s a monster Mercedes?��� He said to her with the air of a man speaking to a child.  “He’s not the kind of man you need in your life baby. You have to know that…” He lean in and placed a hand on her thigh. “He shot me and for what a fucking post on Instagram? Nah, mama, I’m going to put him under the jail.”  

“You don’t know him.” Mercedes said, settling in for a fight. “-You know he’s sick.” She pushed on, “What good would putting him in jail do?  I’m not saying he shouldn’t pay…”  She grabbed his fingers and squeezed them in her hand. “But we could find something better than jail time.”

Gerald shook his head disappointed in the woman in front of him.  “What good would it do? It would give a black man justice in this fucked up system for once.” He spouted. “Not to mention it would get that  mad dog off the streets.” He pulled his hand away from her and  pointed  to her with his pinky finger. “You need to see him for what he is.  He's exploited you every step of the way and called it LOVE.” He said bitterly. “Women are so damn naive.”   

“What the hell are you talking about?” Mercedes asked tilting her head at the man.  He was reaching for Jesus now.  “Justice for black men... You are joking right?”

Gerald stood and moved back to his seat grabbing the book that rested on the end table beside him.  He’d always assume this great mystery love of Mercedes was a black dude.  Imagine his shock when he saw her on the red carpet with Tarzan. It grated him. He knocked down a few white girls in his day, but Mercedes was different, special.    He tossed the book to the coffee table where in landed with a smack.  He pointed to it.  “Funny she begged for less while her round ass rippled in time with the forceful way the car rocked outside her mother’s house. She used her slick pink pussy to entice me along with light brown almond shaped eyes,“  He quoted, “He literally sold your most intimate moments and you still want to protect him, Maya.” He mocked angrily. “He owes you his life already but cheats on you like it’s his job. What are you going to offer me that slick pink pussy now too? -Become his literal hoe?”

Mercedes eyed the book face grieved as Gerald recited from its pages. She swallowed, a  wave of nausea hitting her as she looked to the man. “We are all artist, or did you forget?  My whole damn album is a homage to Samuel, but it’s cool as long as your pockets are getting fat?” She crossed her arms, a relation dawning on her. “You knew what the hell you were doing with that post Gerald.” Mercedes said getting to her feet.  “You’re not a fool. You wanted to provoke him. You just didn’t think he would call your bluff.”

Gerald leaned in, “you damn right.  What the fuck is a woman like you doing with a bumpkin from Ohio. I don’t give a damn how big that motherfucker is. You are too good for his sorry ass. Sad part, he knows it’s true.  Worse part, you don’t think you are. But since you are so desperate to help out your master, then here is what I want in exchange for his freedom.  You move into my house, become my woman and you tell Sammy boy, that baby you are carrying is mine.” He listed off without hesitation.   

Mercedes looked aghast at the man, “Master? You’re turning this into a black and white thing? Your last girlfriend was white. “ she said, angrily. She missed a  step and almost fell at his next comment.  Her mouth tightened and her chest heaved up and down boiling. “I’m not lying to Sam.” She squeezed the words passed her thick lips,  “He knows this is his child. How could you even want me to do something so underhanded.”

“It’s not the same thing.” Gerald said dismissing her anger. “Did you tell him you cheated too?” he asked watching her face.

Mercedes only stared her new found contempt for the man plain on her face. “That has nothing to do with this.” She said, fist clenched baring her teeth.

“Oh, I get it.  You’d lie to save your own bouncy ass but not him? You know what they say baby girl, pride goes before the fall.” Now Gerald smirked, he knew he had her cornered.  “You are going to do this or I’m going to tell him that baby isn’t has as they hall his ass off to jail.”

Mercedes touched her stomach, “And you call him the monster?” She hissed, rolling her neck.  “You don’t have shit Gerald.  I’ll tell him myself.” She said turning to leave.

Gerald wasn’t done yet. “You will do exactly what I said. Look here mama you don’t pull the trigger on a man unless you are willing to kill him. Well, I am not dead. But the minute your boy enters general population he will be. And he will die with the knowledge that I’m the one who did, it. Now I’m sure he’d rather lose you then his life any day. He gets to continue pimping you on the page.  He’d get to see  Mackie grow up.  Hell, you could even let her live with him. And he get to continue running hoes.  Like Captain Planet used to say, the power is yours.” Gerald eyes literally shined in triumphed .  Samuel Evans thought he was the biggest, baddest motherfucker on the block.  Hardly. He would show him better than he could tell him.  

Mercedes froze in place as he laid out his plans. “You are bluffing. She said turning to look him in the face. Only his eyes said he was telling the whole truth.  “And all of this was to help me? You are a sick twisted man.” She said, voice low and scared.

“Nah, I’m your savior, your just to blinded by wavy, blond locks to see it. You can go, but I want you here before the trial starts or the deal is off.” Gerald stood then and moved out of the room running his hand over her stomach as he went. “I’ll be a good daddy. You’ll see.” And then one day he’d tell Samuel just how hard he’d been played.