Carmen Read online

  It was Casey’s sixteenth birthday. He woke up to a drop-top red Ferrari. Carmen was elated. She was his best friend and knew that she’d be the one right in the passenger seat whipping her hair back and forth.

  Casey hugged his parents and took off for the mall.

  Sheila, Missy, and the housekeepers spent the rest of the day getting ready for his birthday celebration. The Kincaid’s spared no expense for the prince.

  Hours and hours later, the party was in full-swing.

  Courtney asked Sheila, who had a watchful eye on her baby girl. Carmen was in the middle of the party having the time of her life.

  She loved to see her dancing and smiling.

  “Have you seen Missy?”

  Now that she’d thought about it, she hadn’t seen her since the guests arrived.

  She shook her head, “No.”

  Courtney wondered where could she have ventured off to.

  Sheila told him, “Let me check around.”

  She took one more look at her daughter before searching the mansion for her lover’s wife.

  Her jaws dropped at what she’d witnessed when she opened the door to one of the guestrooms on the main floor.

  Missy was being fucked by a kid no older than seventeen.

  Not only was she getting her back blown out, but she was doing a line of coke.

  “The real partyyyyy is in here!”

  Missy screamed.

  Her eyes were glossy.

  The kid scolded, “Close the damn door.”

  Yeah, he was in here fucking the hell out of Casey’s high ass mother.

  “Missy! Get up!” she hissed.

  A knock came to the door, “Sheila?”

  Courtney walked past the room but thought he was tripping when he heard a familiar voice. Sheila was supposed to be helping him look for Missy….fuck was she doing?

  “Sheila, you found her?” he questioned.

  The door opened and Missy was so coked out she didn’t even react to seeing her husband.

  “This dick is good!” she giggled like a school girl.

  The young boy was now ashamed at his actions. What was he thinking?

  “Oh my,” Courtney’s face turned beet red.

  Sheila didn’t know what to do or say.

  Carmen was on his heels, “Daddy, have you seen my mom?”

  Courtney hurriedly closed the door.

  “Go to your room!” he said, not thinking that meant he was sending her to the dark basement.

  Carmen hated it down there.

  “Where is my mama?” she asked again, banging on the door.

  Sheila walked over to Missy and helped her up.

  The kid looked at the adults in the room and had the nerve to ask, “Are y’all going to tell my parents?”

  Now, he was nervous.

  “Son, put your clothes on and go the hell home,” Courtney told him.

  He was so disappointed in Missy and she needed to seriously get a grip on this nasty habit.

  It was embarrassing.

  “Okay, okay.”

  Missy couldn’t stop sneezing.

  Sheila looked at her deeply.

  “Court, I think she needs to go to the hospital.”

  She was worried.

  He panicked, “How the hell are we going to do that?”

  A light bulb went off in her head almost instantly.

  Ten hours later…she was helping her through the house. Claiming that Missy had food poisoning.

  The party kept going and Casey thanked them profusely the next day.

  It was the best birthday he’d ever had.

  The Kincaid Family could’ve won an award for best performance over the decades.

  “It’s not too late to hash it out.”

  Unfortunately, Missy didn’t see it happening. She knew the state of her son’s health. His sister didn’t.

  She would allow her to see him for herself.

  “Keep me posted on how the visit goes,” was all she offered.

  Missy stood up and that was the silent cue that she’d given Carmen that the visit had come to an end. She was done talking for today.

  “Why are you selling the house?”

  She was curious.

  Missy’s hands spread in front of her to make a vital point, “Whose here with me? I’m all alone.”

  It was a perfect opportunity for Carmen to remind her that she really wasn’t.

  She was her daughter, step-daughter...whatever you wanted to call it.

  She was alive.

  She was functioning in her right mind.

  Missy wasn’t alone.

  They needed each other. Together, they could get through this. Carmen didn’t think it was best if they gave up now. They were all each other had right now. However, remnants of her past held her tongue captive.

  She’d always been the black sheep of the Kincaid residence, at least that’s how she’d always felt.

  But…as always, Carmen kept her comments to herself.

  She hugged her quickly and dashed for the steps.

  Running out of that house as fast as she could. She’d been doing that her whole life. Even at the tender age of thirty-two, it was nothing new.

  She parked at the Burger King and cried her lashes completely off until her phone vibrated.

  Neezy was calling.

  Her Nehemiah.

  He was a breath of fresh air.

  A man who knew who he was. Neezy was certain and confident of himself and that’s what she loved the most. In a short time, she was learning a lot from him. Every time they talked, he dropped gems on her that would stick forever.

  He was strong and masculine. The light bulb in his brain never turned off, it never dimmed.

  On one hand, she could still count their encounters yet each one being better than the last.

  “Hello,” she tried her hardest to sound regular.

  The other night while they laid intertwined. She told him, “I wish you could’ve met the old me. I was amazing. Bright. Bubbly…fun,” she was boring now.

  She tried getting to know him and his past and even wanted to indulge in her history, but he didn’t want to hear that shit, instead he kissed her lips, “We met at the right time. I don’t question fate.”

  She hung onto his every word, because they fed her soul.

  “You keep crossing my mind, how is your day going so far?” he asked, in a hushed, raspy tone.

  She could hear the exhaustion in his voice.

  “It’s cool, no complaints. You at the studio?”

  He basically lived there, and she admired his dedication.

  “You know it…if you’re not doing nothing. Come through. I’ll wrap up once I see your pretty face,” he tossed out there, casually.

  His compliments rolled off his tongue without much effort and that’s probably what had her smitten.

  “I’ll see.”

  She knew she was going but she wanted to surprise him.

  “Bet.”

  Carmen stopped at a local vegan spot that was en route to where Neezy recorded at and got him a kale wrap and coconut water.

  It was the little things.

  Their love language was acts of service. It was quite obvious rather quickly. They each enjoyed serving one another. Material things weren’t what impressed them neither was quality time because that happened without effort. An act of service was when you went out of your way to do something special for your loved one. Such as making them breakfast in bed, doing the grocery shopping because you knew they had a busy week, running a hot bath. It was something that required you to push past a normal limitation to ensure a smile on your loved one’s face.

  When she entered the studio, she made sure to wave and speak to everyone although she didn’t know anyone but him.

  Neezy was in the booth, spitting fire.

  He had a lighter in one hand and a blunt in the other.

  His chest was bare, and his eyes were closed as he rapped about being a you
ng real nigga and people couldn’t relate because of how they were raised.

  His voice sent lightning bolts through her caramel frame.

  She believed in him.

  Carmen knew he was on his way to the top.

  The way he spoke about what he wanted to do in the community as soon as he was able to.

  What she loved the most was that he didn’t crowd their conversations with things of the past.

  Even when she tried to go there with him, he would shake his head and tell her that it was a future for a reason.

  She wanted to know all about his brother, his life before prison and for him, it was a closed chapter.

  Carmen watched him, excitedly for another thirty minutes, which was when he finally snatched the Bose headphones off.

  He stepped out of the booth and greeted her with a head nod.

  She motioned to the food, to show that she’d picked him up something to eat and he seemed delighted.

  “Be right back,” he told the producer.

  He ambled over to her and helped her up.

  They sat close together and she watched him devour the plate.

  The faint smell of marijuana, his bloodshot red eyes and barely their voice signified drained energy and him being high.

  After he ate, he drank the water in its entirety, burped loudly said excuse me and then kissed her.

  “Oh my, kale breath is on a whole nother’ level,” she fanned the smell away.

  He laughed loudly, “You’re wild.”

  She gave him a one-cheek smile, “I’m still happy to see you.”

  They were kicking it for now and it felt good. No unnecessary pressure.

  While trying to figure out her next move and him starting a promising career, complications weren’t needed or the lingering question of what are we and what are we doing right now.

  Carmen didn’t propose the thesis and neither did he.

  Energy and effort spoke way louder than broken promises and titles that would be neglected.

  “The feeling is mutual.”

  He wanted to kiss her again but figured he should find some gum first so instead he pecked her lips and then told her, “You wanna go to my crib and wait on me? I don’t want you to fall asleep here.”

  He fished out the keys assuming she was going to say yes. Which she did.

  “Are you going to wake me up when you come in?”

  He batted his long and thick eyelashes and whispered in her ear, “Can’t wait to wake you up with this tongue.”

  It was three forty-eight in the morning when he saw his promise through.

  Neezy showered and slid into bed, touching her stomach since she was sleeping on her back.

  From her belly button, he used three of his fingers to trail down into her cave and accessed her clitoris. Carmen wore no panties.

  He asked, “How are you soaking already?” he had barely touched her.

  He’d laid out a few rules after their second little sleepover ended. She saw the list via text message and was in complete awe at some of his demands.

  “If you’re going to wear underwear, I prefer black. Not polka dot, stripes, hey sexy…none of that.”

  “I love feet. I want your toes in my mouth eighty percent of the time, so keep your feet done. Every two weeks.”

  “Keep that pussy bare. Waxed. Your asshole too. But don’t shave your legs.”

  “I’m not wearing protection when I’m inside of you. I’m grown, I don’t sleep around…. anymore. We need to get tested together.”

  “Whenever you’re in my bed, no panties on. You never know when I’m going to get hungry.”

  Neezy and Nehemiah were two totally different people. She’d met both but loved her some Nehemiah.

  “I don’t know…” she moaned as he toyed with her clit.

  “Damn, this shit gushing all over my fuckin hand, baby,” his voice was pleasant.

  It seemed as if time didn’t factor in. They were already so comfortable with each other.

  “Hmmmm,” she panted.

  His fingers flicked with fury on her mind. Whatever was on his mind, he was going to get it off by fucking her until his energy drained.

  “You missed me?” he wanted to know had she’d been feeling how he felt.

  On his way home, he thought of her the entire time.

  “Yes,” she breathed loudly as he brought her to her first climax.

  As she erupted, he flipped the comforter back and dove in head-first.

  Eating her pussy was therapy.

  It made everything better.

  Every time she screamed and told him that he was doing his mother fucking thang and how his tongue was like a blizzard, he erased another doubt or problem.

  Relief was felt immediately as she came in his mouth.

  He was at peace.

  She was his refuge.

  His mind was troubled, and it came out of nowhere.

  Something was brewing.

  Bad news was on the horizon.

  His instructs were never wrong.

  He couldn’t even fuck her.

  Neezy left her in the bed trying to catch her breath and went to meditate.

  The sun rose and he had smoked four blunts.

  This was a familiar feeling.

  He was reminded of this gnawing ache the morning before his brother’s death.

  Carmen padded into the living room in one of his shirts.

  He motioned for her to come closer…not wanting her to think that she was to blame for his sudden departure during an almost steamy love making session.

  “They rushed Tia into emergency labor. Do you want to go to the hospital with me?”

  He closed his eyes and swallowed the large lump of worry that had been rumbling since he left the studio.

  The ancestors knew.

  His spirit was aware.

  She watched him mentally and spiritually process what she’d just told him.

  He was really deep.

  Like deep as fuck.

  He was woke.

  He was informed about everything.

  He kept up with the news, politics and every current even from the South to the West coast.

  He didn’t shine in rooms as of yet because he didn’t care to.

  Aside from his God-given gift, he was well-educated.

  He told her that he used to read all the time.

  When he opened his eyes, she watched him carefully with curiosity glimmering in her ducts.

  She had questions. She was curious.

  He could feel the goosebumps on her skin.

  But, now wasn’t the time.

  “Let’s go.”

  They rode in silence.

  Carmen prayed while he drove.

  The one thing she didn’t miss about living in New York or California for that matter was the constant traffic. Early morning, late night, before and after lunch, during a freakin’ family emergency…the traffic slowed for no one. Neezy was calm. He didn’t panic or get frustrated, so she didn’t either.

  She learned quickly how to follow his lead.

  “Do you ever get mad?” she randomly questioned, once seeing that the traffic wasn’t shaking anytime soon.

  “I used to. It doesn’t fix anything though.”

  “How do you have a good day no matter what you’re facing?”

  She was enthused with him.

  If there were a plethora of marketing materials on the subject of Nehemiah, she would’ve snagged them all up on Amazon.

  He shrugged his shoulders, “It’s a mind thing baby. You gotta give your mind more power than your flesh. You ever heard the saying mind over matter?”

  He was so smart. Carmen was older than him, but she knew that she could learn a lot about life through his eyes.

  “Yeah, I have but it’s easier said than done. I meditate, recite affirmations, pray. All of that. I still can’t silence the devil.”

  Nehemiah didn’t adhere to the same guidelines of living that she did. />
  “Once you realize you’re tired of operating in the same nature, you’ll switch up quick. Trust,” he spoke from experience.

  She believed him.

  They finally made it to the hospital and ran into everyone that belonged to their clique.

  The floor was closed off for privacy.

  It was so much going on that no one noticed or questioned how and why did Carmen show up with Neezy.

  It didn’t cross her mind till hours later.

  Juice came to give them an update.

  “She’s…okay.”

  His bottom lip trembled.

  That was the most gut-wrenching, excruciating experience of his life.

  He looked into the eyes of the people that he loved so much and told them, “I almost lost my wife.”

  He was a strong and noble man, but men broke too.

  Life could come at you fast.

  He couldn’t even remember the last time he watched a movie with his wife or bathed his children.

  Those were the things that crossed his mind when they were trying to see why her heart stopped beating during the emergency C-section.

  Porter and Moses hugged him and Neezy stood near the other men that referred to Juice as brother.

  Mahogany was out of town.

  Nia told them to keep her posted.

  Teka immediately began to pray.

  Carmen wiped her tears away and did the same.

  Juice wept into his brother’s neck.

  He was thankful that God didn’t just spare the baby but his wife too.

  Tia wanted them to take her instead and he wasn’t fucking having it.

  Juice needed them both.

  She was fearful.

  She held his hand tightly as they made her count to ten to sedate her.

  He told them, “Let me get back in there. Thanks, y’all,” he wiped his face with the back of his hands.

  “Go home. I’ll send an update,” he suggested.

  His mind was somewhere else.

  “I’m not going nowhere bro. I got you,” Moses told him and everyone else agreed.

  He looked at Neezy who stood in the corner, “We’re going to have to reschedule the video shoot. I have some personal matters—"

  He stated, as if it wasn’t obvious.

  “Big bro, don’t insult me man. Fuck that shoot. We focused on family right now,” Neezy let him know.

  Juice respected him so much more for that.