Page 111 of The Ninth

Tati gasped, smacking my leg. Both Dean and Josiah cracked up laughing.

“Baby girl, his money sent me to the league.”

“T, walk with me to get us some more bottles,” I nudged my head.

“We’ll be back...”

“I’m waiting,” he smiled.

We giggled, quickly speeding away. Once we were far enough, I gripped her arm, “BITCH! He look good as fuck!”

She rolled her eyes, “Cass, I’m not supposed to meet my husband in here! Hell, not even a boyfriend.”

“A nigga would be lucky to have you no matter where he met you. Don’t let that shit with Doodas’ sperm donor deter you. You deserve to go off and do whatever you want.”

She smiled, hugging me as we approached the bar. Devyn and Kenzie walked up to us, pouring four shots. They were salt rimmed and also had limes. I watched as they both stared into each other’s eyes, throwing them back. It was their weird bar thing. Apparently, there’s reason to celebrate.

“Did you hear?!” Devyn asked.

“No, what?!”

“Ben and Liv threw Pink out, just how we wanted,” Kenzie said below the music.

Devyn interrupted her, “Even better, she’s just been outside yelling and screaming to the point Ben had her escorted off of the property. Apparently, she’s been calling her nigga and he hasn’t answered or came and got her.”

Good boy.

“That’s so fucking embarrassing, oh my GAWWWWD!” Tati yelled. “The fucking cherry on top of all of this! He fucking humiliated shorty, G!”

The three of them started cracking up laughing. They chatted excitedly as I threw my shot back and Kenzie poured more.

I went to speak. To tell them that I’m responsible for the humiliation. Looking at the VIP section shut me right up. One by one they all looked over. We just stared. Some of us in shock. Some of us in anger.

Juan sat there where he always sat when he came in for me. He never came if I wasn’t here. Most nights I would come from the back and see him waiting on me, in the cut. Only now, he wasn’t waiting on me. He had Ben’s niece on his lap, tongue down her throat. I bit the inside of my lip seeing her drag his hand down her body.

It doesn’t matter how good of a man a nigga appears to be. A nigga is a nigga at the end of the day. He’s always going to do nigga shit.

Did he owe me anything? No. Am I sad? Hell nah. But to sit here and ask me if I’m sure I don’t want to be with him and then kiss a hoe in my workplace not even an hour later? Oh, Juan. How you had the audience fooled.

Before I could stop her, Kenzie stomped away, walking right up to them. I wanted to busy myself. To turn away as if I didn’t see him. But a piece of me wanted him to know that I seen. So he knew why it was so easy staying true to Kenzo and not running off with him. He’ll be the next bitch loverboy. Whether it’s her or another hoe, good luck to them.

“Thirty minutes to give it up when he ran you down for three months,” Tati whispered. “She’s not clearing you.”

I chuckled under my breath, “Be nice. She did nothing wrong. Besides audacity, he didn’t either.”

“You coo?”

“I’m frozen. At first I felt bad, but fuck that. It feels good to be the one that got away and not the lovesick person that’ll think about the other on a random night in the future. I got one more act of petty before I leave this nigga alone until the afterlife.”

I pulled out my phone, sending Juan one last text. I’m drunk and in a funny ass mood.

“You know K3 goofy ass getting sent straight to hell for fucking that nigga up.”

I watched as Devyn slammed their drinks down. They know I’m not tore up over this shit, but my bitches got the right to feel whatever way they want! Devyn damn near was red in the face.

Timbo walked past, looking at them and then us, “Aw, hell nah. Y’all jumping?”

“Overly jumping,” the four of us said in unison.