DAMN SHE THICK - 5X5 Ch. 03

The karmic brutality continued once Renee unlocked the shop doors. I found her work station loaded up with all manner of flowery bouquets. I looked like someone had cornered the market at several florists. The centerpiece right behind her chair was an open heart wreath, the kind they used at funerals with I LOVE YOU spelled out in roses. Jaquan had gone into overdrive after being discovered as I glanced over finding esteemed baby mama number two completely flushed with the biggest, sappiest smile on her beautiful face.

I crumbled a little bit inside knowing he was a complete bastard. I was conflicted not wanting to ruin some real happiness Renee was experiencing for once in her life. I was used to seeing her in perpetual "Dick Police" mode always on the hunt for a flaky, ungrateful mamma's boy. This for me, was the proverbial "Sword of Damocles" leaving no viable option out of an increasingly difficult situation.

"I got a bouquet every hour on the hour; he also brought me lunch and picked Daisy up from school. It just felt like uhm, when we first started dating. I'm a fool, right?" Renee was literally gushing.

"You're nobody's fool, Renee."

"I feel crazy about this, but that fool made me smile all day. Jaquan dropped Daisy off with a bouquet of flowers and a cute little tiara on her head. He kissed my hand and went back home while everybody was clapping; it just feels weird, right?"

"Sure, I guess so."

"I'm gonna separate some of the smaller plants for my living room; could you toss the rest in the dumpster in the back of my place?" I nodded meekly gathering up the large funeral style wreath taking it to the dumpster in the back alley.

I was twisted up inside at Renee's happiness wondering if I should just snitch on Jaquan. We were blood and nothing more which meant little to nothing these days. He was working overtime to cover his tracks going overboard with overtures to his baby's mother. It wasn't lost on me that he had other children with unnamed baby mamma number one somewhere outside the country raising a son with a marine husband on active duty. The others were unknown to me due to infrequent trips to my cousin's home when my parents were in the city. I collected up the last couple of plants as Renee took a few upstairs to her apartment.

"Shit."

I walked back into the salon finding Yoli standing outside the locked front door. She was wearing a gauzy white dress that looked like a slip. It was too late; she'd already seen me with her thin frame pressed against the thick glass door. I measured my steps to the door taking my time unlocking it but keeping it cracked with my body pressed against it.

"Uhm hey, I saw the light on over here."

"Yeah, so?"

"You helping Renee out?" He body language read timid and faux demure, but I wasn't looking at her with sympathetic eyes in the least.

"Hey, I'm kind of busy over here." Yoli looked kind of ethereal standing there in the darkness under the street light just outside the building.

"I-uhm, I could help you?"

"No, I don't think so." She looked away for a few moments.

"I found your card under the door when I got home; it was real nice. You said you needed me and well, I just thought..." Yoli's thought died in her mouth as I stared back starkly. There was a card in Yoli's hands held like some precious treasure.

"It's getting late."

"I BROUGHT YOU THIS!!" Before I realized it, she'd closed the distance between us pressing the card into the negative space in the cracked door. I reluctantly took the card as she drew back a step timidly.

"What's this?"

"A card, for you."

"Why?" Yoli approached gingerly stopping short of the door watching my body language for an opening. Her hands were interlocked as she pulled on an index finger, fidgeting a bit.

"Sorry, I'm really sorry about today. I would like to...uhm, I wanna make things right. I wanna make it up to you anyway I can. Just be whatever, friends or more. What do you think, I mean you wanna come over?"

She was talking just above a whisper, almost trembling as the image of Jaquan screwing her brains out assailed me like a shank to the gut. Yoli was almost doing a pirouette in child like fashion as she laid things out, hopefully.

"Yoli."

"What?"

"FUCK OFF!" My response was instinctual, animalistic and volcanically savage.

I watched her face break as she stumbled backward turning with her fists covering her face. Yoli disappeared running off into the night taking my palpitating heart with her. I was still watching even though she'd gone. I locked the salon door setting her card on a counter. I found Renee watching from the other side of the shop at the entrance to the breakroom. She looked uncharacteristically shocked making me wonder how long she'd been standing there.

"Uhm, you got any more plants or anything for me to do?" I wanted to change the subject at all costs.

"There's some empty boxes in the breakroom; you can take those out."

"Sure." I edged by her, but Renee snagged my hand stopping me in my tracks. Her fingers captured my wrist, encircling it.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah." I couldn't fake any kind of expression and didn't know if I should.

My heart was thumping hard as I replayed the last few seconds of my life without end. Renee softly pulled me into the breakroom pulling out two chairs facing one another.

"Sit down." I did as she asked.

Renee sat down directly in front of me still holding my wrist. Renee turned my captured palm upward staring hard at it for a few seconds. My heart thumped loudly as her slanted almond eyes squinted peering into my palm. She'd done this right before we hooked up. I told myself I was just imagining things. My upturned palm heated up under her gaze again as she stared more intently than before.

"What?" I tried to make a fist, but Renee used her free hand to extend my fingers.

"I'm gonna say something to you; don't answer me." It was an odd request.

"Okay." Her slanted eyes peered into my own, deeply.

"Jaquan." I watched her eyes dip down to the fingers encircling my wrist for a few seconds before Renee peered up into my face again.

"Yoli." Hearing her say that name made my heart skip a beat. When she looked up at my face I did my best not to look away. I failed for a millisecond in all honesty as Renee released my captured hand.

"Take the boxes out to the dumpster and come up to my place. You've gotta be quiet because Daisy sleeps light."

"I could go-home."

"No, come up to my bedroom." There was no change in the expression on her face as Renee manifested a smirk of sorts.

I nodded gathering up the boxes dutifully taking them to the alley dumpster as she gathered up her keys walking into the salon. While I was dumping the boxes I watched the lights go out in her business, hearing the sound of the door locking seconds later. I hung back gauging things knowing the obvious. There was no telling what I'd find once I climbed those stairs. The lights were low inside her apartment when I pushed the door open. I took off my shoes tiptoeing to her bedroom door.

"Renee?"

There was a single lamp on in the bedroom. Renee was sitting hunched over at the foot of her bed with Yoli's card in her hands. I measured my steps inside having a seat beside her. She handed me the open card. It was one of those pop up cards with a sad looking teddy bear holding a heart. Yoli had written one word in its interior.

SORRY

Renee leaned into my body wrapping her arms around my torso. I held her until she cried herself to sleep. Once she was fast asleep in my arms, I allowed tears to run down my cheeks.

**TO BE CONTINUED**