Page 29 of The Ninth
We watched several movies, listened to music, and practiced making The Ninth special drinks with Cassie’s bar. She told me about her Black American dad moving to Ethiopia and never leaving after meeting her mother. She moved here for college, became a citizen and never left. She bartended her way through school and is constantly sending money home. She’s the oldest of us all at twenty-nine. A very pretty woman, inside and out.
Tonight, we’re going back to work. I was nervous and...a part of me was afraid, wondering if I would see Duke there. I hate that I care what he thinks. I just wanted to keep those two parts of my life separate for now.
There were three soft knocks on the door before it flew open. Cassie took her shoes off, running and jumping onto the bed. Kenzie groaned immediately, signaling she was still sleep. Cassie giggled, smacking and humping her ass anyways.
“Wake-uppppp! We have a busy day and weekend! Plus, my man is paying for our nails, toes, hair, and clothes!”
“You said he’s buying me a car?” Kenzie mumbled.
K3 and Cassie both chuckled as she laid in between me and Kenzie. I realized she was on FaceTime with him. She glanced at me and then smiled big, excited.
Cassie: OH! Papa, this is Devyn, my cousin.
Before I could object, she flipped the screen towards me. I didn’t put a bonnet on, so my curls were smashed around my head. There was a crust mark on my arm from drooling. I almost looked a complete mess. But I could tell Cassie was excited, so whatever.
And.....oh? Cassie has the type of beauty to cause people to stare. I don’t know why I expected K3 to not look the way he did. He was leaned back against a wall casually with one arm behind his head. His beater was stretched to the seams over his muscles. Overly light skinned. Gorgeous locs, eyebrows and lashes, plus beard. I couldn’t even appreciate his beauty, because his face screwed up.
K3: Shorty don’t talk?! I said WHAT’S GOOD!
Me: Oh, hi.
Cassie cackled while taking the phone away.
Cassie: Don’t look too hard sista or I may have to beat yo ass. He fine as hell, ain’t he?
Me: I can see why you spend all day entertaining him.
They both laughed.
Cassie: You, me, and all his other bitches can see why.
K3: Hecky naw, Joe. Don’t even play like that. I hate other bitches. I don’t even like your friends OR your alleged cousin.
Kenzie cackled. Alleged?!
K3: Thank you for speaking with me this morning. Daddy thought about you all night. I think about you always. Enjoy your day and as much as it hurts...I’ll speak to you sometime tomorrow. Giving you your space.
Cassie: I love you so much...
Somehow, her voice always seemed more raw on the phone with K3. More genuine. If he wasn’t in jail, every single call would seem so romantic.
K3: Can I please just ask one thing of you?
Cassie instantly started giggling.
K3: Just let daddy kiss that water faucet bye. I love both of you ladies.
Cassie hopped right up, running out of the room. It took me a few seconds of staring at the ceiling fan to realize he asked her to show her coota-cat on FaceTime. It took half a second to realize that’s exactly what she went and did.
“I love themmmmm...” Kenzie smiled.
“Really? Do you think he actually loves her?”
“Oh, he’s Edward exposing his skin to the humans down bad for her. If there was such thing as a healthy obsession, it would be them. I know they had that argument...but it’s the first of its kind in almost a decade. No one’s perfect, but their love is. You’ll be around to see it for yourself. Or like I said last night, just talk to Cassandra.”
She hopped out of bed, going to get in the shower as I sat up. To start my day, I like to just sit with myself for a bit.
Last night, I did get drunk and assumed that Cassie had a roster and was fucking off. It was a joke because we were talking about Kenzie’s. I also said that she didn’t have to get it out the mud which I envy. Kenzie looked at me like I was insane, saying, “Girl, you really don’t know your own cousin!”
