Carl Weber - Baby Momma Drama

“Not half as bad as I felt”

“I can imagine. That’s why I wanted to apologize. I truly believe black women need to raise up our men, not tear them down. I was out of line and I’m sorry.”

I was blown away as she finished her minispeech. In less than five minutes this woman had gone from the outhouse to the penthouse in my book. She was genuine. So I figured I’d accept her olive branch and perhaps extend one of my own.

“Apology accepted. Matter of fact, why don’t you come by and pick up those Brothermans? I’ll give you ten percent off.”

“Thanks. I just might do that.” She smiled.

“Well, now that that’s settled, can I buy you a drink?” I lifted my hand to get the barmaid’s attention.

“Okay, but you’d better make it a double.” She pointed to Joe and Rebecca, kissing on the dance floor. “I have a feeling we’re going to be spending a lot of time together tonight.” Our laughter was a signal that the tension between us had lifted.

“So, you’re obviously not a comic book collector,” I said as we chitchatted over our drinks. “Who are the Brothermans for?”

“My boyfriend, Derrick. He’s got about ten boxes full of comic books in our apartment. He’s a real collector. He’s even got a Superman comic book from nineteen sixty-nine.”

Whoever this brother was, she must have really liked him, ’cause she was grinning from ear to ear at the mention of his name. I didn’t wanna tell her that a 1969 Superman comic was worth less than the Brotherman comics she had refused to buy in the first place. So I just listened to her talk about her man’s comic collection while I sipped on my drink.

“Sounds like this Derrick is a pretty cool guy. There aren’t too many brothers who collect comics seriously. Why don’t you bring him by the shop?” She was unusually silent, which made me suspicious. “He is a brother, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, he’s a brother,” she sighed. “But he’s away for the next six months.”

“Oh, yeah, what’s he in? The Army or Navy?”

“He’s in the Na-” she started to say. “No, I’m not going to lie to you. Derrick’s not in the Army or the Navy. He’s in prison.”

I wasn’t sure if she was serious. She just didn’t seem like the type to date a brotha in jail. Then again, if it were up to her, he probably wouldn’t be in jail in the first place.

“I’m sorry to hear that. It must be tough not having him around”

“It’s like I’m doing time myself,” she lamented.

“I don’t mean to be nosy, but what’d he do to get locked up?”

She took a long sip of her drink before she answered.

“Derrick was arrested for possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute. They gave him six years. But he should be coming home in six months.” She looked so sad, I was sorry I had even brought it up.

“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. We can drop the whole thing right now.” I placed my hand on hers.

“No, it’s all right. I’m surprised you’re not trying to judge me like everyone else.”

“That’s not me. To tell you the truth, I have a lot of respect for you. At least you’re sticking by your man. My old lady left me for the biggest player in Petersburg.”

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s nothin’. After he took my woman, that son of a bitch had the nerve to pull a gun on me.”

“Don’t worry. Her loss is gonna be someone else’s gain. I know quite a few women at the post office that would go crazy for you. You should just forget her. A woman like that it worth it.”

For the better part of an hour we shared basic get-to-know-you facts about ourselves. We discovered that we had graduated college in the same year and actually had a lot of common interests. When I asked her what kind of music she liked, Jasmine mentioned that we hadn’t danced yet Once we hit the floor, we didn’t stop for an hour. And man, could she dance. As I watched her I couldn’t help but think about what Joe had said earlier about dancing and sex. Joe must have seen some good things on the floor himself, because when we got back to the booth, he and Rebecca were kissing like lusty teenagers.

Jasmine and I hadn’t even warmed up the chairs when I felt a soft tapping at my ankle. I knew it was Joe. We had been using this type of signal for years. I looked at him discreetly as he cut his eyes toward the door, so the girls wouldn’t notice. I turned my head in that direction and almost passed out. It was Monica, and right behind her, being frisked by security, was Jordan. The only thing that went through my mind at that moment was that if security let him pass, it meant he wasn’t carrying his gun. I smiled at Joe, hoping he’d be up for a good fight He shook his head to let me know he wasn’t.

“Why not?” I asked loudly, no longer caring what the girls noticed.

“Excuse me, ladies, but Dylan and I have something to discuss in private.” Joe stood and waited for me to follow.

“Is everything all right?” Jasmine asked.

“Oh, everything is just fine,” Joe answered for me, placing his huge arm around the back of my neck and dragging me away from the table. As soon as we were out of sight, Joe put me in a painful headlock and whispered in my ear as he led me into the men’s room.

“Listen to me, Dylan, and listen to me good. I know I promised to help you get Jordan. But tonight’s not the night, man.” He loosened his grip so I could breathe.

“Come on, Joe. He’s right there. He ain’t got no gun, no nothing.”

“No! I’m the head of security in here, Dylan. I’m not gonna jeopardize my job!” he shouted, putting his thumb and forefinger an inch apart. “Besides I’m this close to getting some tonight from Rebecca. You’re not going to blow this for me, Dylan, you hear?”

“Joe, the guy pulled a gun on me! I’m not letting him get away with that.”

“I’m not asking you to let him get away with it. All I’m asking is that you trust me. We’ve known each other a long time. Have I ever let you down?”

“No.”

“Then let me handle Jordan. I promise you he’s gonna get his.”

I looked at Joe and shrugged my shoulders. As much as I wanted to kill Jordan right then, I had to respect Joe. My revenge would have to wait.

“Look, let’s get out of here. Why don’t we take the girls back to my place and see if we can get lucky?” Joe gave me a big smile as we walked out of the bathroom. “That Jasmine sure is fine, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, but she’s got a boyfriend,” I said with a shade of disappointment.

“Damn, that’s too bad. But you’re not gonna let that stop you from getting some, are you?”

“I’m not gonna do that shit, Joe. You seem to forget somethin’. Jordan’s doing the same shit to me right now.”

“Suit yourself. Just make sure you keep her entertained when we get to my place. The last thing I need is her cock-blocking me.”

As soon as we were out of the bathroom, I spotted Monica slow-dancing with Jordan. She was wearing my favorite dress, a tight-fitting navy blue cocktail dress that I bought her when we were on vacation in Jamaica. She looked stunning in that dress. When Monica looked up and we made eye contact, she smiled nervously, then placed her head back on Jordan’s shoulder, closing her eyes. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Was she really happy with him? Nawl She was just trying to make me jealous. She had to be.

As we returned to the table, Jasmine gave me a huge smile. I decided that two could play Monica’s little game. So I stuck out my hand, and without a word, Jasmine followed me onto the dance floor. I wrapped my hands around her slender waist and pulled her in close enough to feel her breath on my neck. She placed her head on my shoulder. I took a deep breath, taking in the freshness of her hair.