Memphis Streets 4: Skeletons

Chapter 47- Shaniqua

"Just tell us what the hell you did with the baby," Adaryl hisses. "We have the right to know." I shake my head, tired of going around in circles with them over this shit.

"The less y'all know the better," I keep telling them, which is the truth. I can't trust these bitches worth a damn and now that I got this cop sniffing around my panties, I gotta play shit smart. I'm not about to fuck up and get locked down over this bullshit.

"Whatever," Li'l Bit pipes up. "I say we put that night out of our minds and just act like the shit never happened."

"I'm down with that," I say and then look to Adaryl. Clearly, she is feeling some kind of way because she can't even fix her face.

"Whassup?" I explode.

"What? I didn't say shit," she retreats, defensive.

"You don't have to. My ass ain't blind. What I don't get is why do you give a shit? You've been on my ass for months to handle the situation. Now it's done and you still have a long face?"

"No. I don't," she lies.

"I just don't understand why you're so secretive all of a sudden."

"Maybe because you've been acting so shady. Now you're over here tryna play inch-high private eye. You still ain't told us what the hell you told the po-po when they came poking around your place."

"I didn't tell them shit," Adaryl barks.

"You had to have said something. That new captain don't take silence for an answer—and you're as prickly as I am so I know she had to get under your skin."

"No. She wasn't like that."

"Bullshit."

Even Li'l Bit cocked her head at Adaryl. Neither one of us are buying her story—which makes her twenty damn questions even more suspicious. "I don't give a fuck what you two think."

She waves us off and then hops up from our table. "Where in hell do you think that you're going?" I demand.

"We're done here, right? There's nothing else to discuss. We can all go our separate ways and pretend this shit never happened."

Without waiting for a response, Adaryl turns and skates off. "Oookay."

Li'l Bit shakes her head. "I don't trust that bitch," I say.

"Not at all." Li'l Bit dismisses it.

"She's always been a little funny. Don't let her get to you."

"Uh-huh." I stare a hole into the back of Adaryl's head, unable to settle this weird feeling I'm getting.

"Let it go," Li'l Bit insists.

"She's not going to talk." I shift my gaze to meet my girl's straight-on.

"Are you sure? Are you willing to bet your freedom?" Li'l Bit's confidence wavers as she casts a look over her shoulder at Adaryl joining the skaters rolling around the rink. "She won't talk. She better not."

"If she does, you know what we'll have to do." My cell buzzes against my leg. I lower my slice of pizza and scoop it out of jean pocket. The name on the caller ID surprises the hell out of me.

"What is it now?" Li'l Bit asks. I hold up the phone and flash it. Adaryl's face goes from dread to shock—just like mine.

"Where in the hell has he been?"

"No idea." My heart leaps into the center of my throat.

What do I say? What if I sound too anxious? Desperate? "Well? Are you going to answer it?" I swipe my finger across the screen before the call is sent to voice mail.

"H-hello." It's so loud in this joint that I have to cork my other ear in order to hear.

"Hello. I guess this means that you're still alive," Diesel says.

I pause, not sure how to respond. "Hello," he says. "Are you still there?"

"Hey. Yeah. I'm here." I glance up as Li'l Bit moves from her chair to sit closer to me. "Oh. It's like that now? You haven't been missing a nigga?" I shrug, torn between admitting the truth and playing it cool.

"I figured that you were busy and you'd call when you were ready." Li'l Bit gives me the thumbs-up.

"Hmm. Well—you were right," Diesel says with a chuckle. "It's nice to hear that you have matured some since the last time we saw each other. I like it."

"What can I say? I like to keep people guessing." I wink at Li'l Bit, who is giggling into her hands.

"People—or men?" He comes direct.

"People."

"Uh-huh.You've been seeing anyone since you last saw me?" Again, I hesitate.

"Don't lie," he warns before his voice drops even lower.

"Have you given my pussy to someone else?"

"Your pussy?" Embarrassment, my face blazes. "I wasn't aware of you staking a claim."

"What? You just shoot up every nigga's house that you smash? C'mon, Scar. Quit playing games. You know that you want me to be your man."

"I do, huh?" I squirm in my chair, remembering just how good this nigga is at straightening out a bitch's back.

"You gonna lie and tell me I'm wrong?" Another pause. "Well?"

"I haven't said either way."

"Humph. Then maybe I'm wrong and you have given my pussy out to some random nigga over there flagging those damn cartoon colors. Maybe I need to move on to the next bitch that knows something about loyalty and how to treat her man."

"So you're my man now?" I ask, liking the sound of that. "I could be—if you do me right."

"I'll do you all right. The next damn time I see your fine ass."

"Is that a promise?" His voice keeps dropping into an incredible baritone that has my pussy creaming.

"Absolutely."

"Then how about you be my date for opening night at my club downtown. I want to make sure that I have the baddest bitch in Memphis on my arm. You with it?"

"A club, huh?" I clutch Li'l Bit's arm and bounce in my seat.

"That sounds cool."

"Then it's a date?"

"Yeah. It's a date."

"Cool. I'll pick you up at eight next Friday. Tell your brother not to shoot when I show up at the door."

"You got it. I'll see you then. Bye." I disconnect the call, look at my girl, and then sing, "I'm gonna get some dick tonight. I'm gonna get get some dick tonight."