Shanibooks.com

When A Good Thing Goes Bad

 

 

Chapter 1

He’s Mines

 

 

 

 

 need to snap out of it and get moving!” Lela spoke to the emptiness of her bedroom. No matter how hard she tried to focus on her task at hand, like getting up and getting dressed for her girls’ day out, she could not help but think back to last night.

Last night, she had been mentally exhausted after spending almost eight hours posted in front of her computer transcribing. When tantalizing smell made it hard for her to concentrate on work, she just knew she was imagining things. However, once she walked into her dining room, she was delighted to find that the delicious aroma was the real deal.

The table had been romantically set for two.

Lela’s favorite meal, shrimp fried rice, prepared by none other than Chef Tyrese, was served on her crystal dinner plates and placed on her pedestal glass table. Her gold-tipped flute glasses, which she only used for special occasions, were half filled with white wine, and a bottle of Chardonnay rested in an ice bucket in the middle of the table.

“Mmmm. This smells delicious, babe! You did all of this for me? Thank you!” Lela beamed.

“No thanks necessary. I wanted to do something special for you. Besides, you’ve overworked your pretty little hands on the keyboard all day today and the only thing you are going to be using them the rest of the night for is pleasuring me. We have the house to ourselves for a change, and we are going to make good use of it…room by room.”

Lela found herself blushing as she went to the sink to wash her hands. Usually, she and Antwan ate dinner together. Tyrese did not make it home until well after seven o’clock, and she would have his dinner waiting in the microwave. It was a refreshing change for Tyrese to have dinner laid out for her.

After dinner, Tyrese directed Lela to the bathroom while he washed the dishes. She smiled as she rushed to the bathroom to find rose petals and jasmine-scented bathwater awaiting her. Out of habit, she pushed the door closed behind her.

There on the door’s hook hung a pink Victoria Secret bag adorned with a big white bow and a heart-shaped note. Inside, there was a red sexy Babydoll negligee and a large bottle of Rapture, her favorite perfume. Lela rushed to read the note: “To the woman who lights up my life, forever and always. Love, Tyrese."

Awe! But what is all of this for? And more importantly, where did he get money for this? She told herself to mask the cynicism and just enjoy the moment, but instinct got the best of her. "Last time I checked,” she mumbled under her breath, “you were unemployed.” The latter words resonated louder than she anticipated.

While her mind weighed the fact that Tyrese had not paid one bill this month, her body begged her to enjoy the sensational ride he was guaranteed to take her on -- if she could get past the pesky internal reminder that bills needed to be paid. Her mind, heart and body were in a constant struggle where Tyrese was concerned.

Just then, Tyrese waltzed proudly into the bathroom and placed one hand under Lela's chin, raising her face so that their eyes met. He kissed her passionately on her lush lips, allowing his colossal hand to seductively unbutton her shirt. "It's for you, babe. Just because.”

I guess he overheard my mumbling. Well, there’s no turning back now, Lela thought. It would have to be now or never to let him know that she’d rather have bill money than treats. "Because what, Ty? I need for you to…to help out…" Lela protested, though losing her effectiveness, “…more with the bills.”

Instead of offering an answer, Tyrese kissed the softness between her breasts, taking a moment to suck on her jasmine-scented skin. Unsnapping her bra, he gently kissed her breasts giving them equal care and attention.

Once he worked Lela into a passionate frenzy, he leaned against the wall and licked his lips.

Tyrese standing there, licking his lips in all of his chocolate glory, brought Lela’s protesting to a screeching halt. She had spent many days and hours massaging and adoring every tight muscle on his handsome body, and tonight would be no different.

"Oh, you are good, Ty. You are too good," she whispered as her hands wandered down to his zipper.

"Mmmm,” he moaned in his best rendition of Barry White. Then, he took her pleasuring hand into his. “Not so fast. Tonight, we’re taking things nice and slow.”

He sat down on the toilet and began to explain the reason behind his romancing. "I've been hustling CD’s and DVD’s all day at Lamar's shop because I wanted to do something nice for you because you have been working so hard and holding me down. I just want you to know that you are appreciated.

“So soak your body, relax, and allow me to pamper you. Consider this night a token of my love for you. You can expect much more of this in the years to come, baby. Today is a new day.” He gently guided her into the bubbles, and claimed her lips once again before slipping out of the bathroom.

Today is a new day. Lela didn't know exactly what he meant by the statement, but she liked the sound of it. For now, she settled on dropping the money subject.

After a relaxing bath, Lela applied lotion to her smooth, mocha latte skin and sprinkled edible powder evenly over her body. As she did a spin in the mirror, she noticed how the negligee fit perfectly over her curves. After heating her curling iron, she hit the ends of her silky wrap.

Entering the bedroom, she stood in awe at the scene before her. Several candles lined each side of her Manhattan style, queen-sized bed, creating a glow in the room. A silver serving tray with strawberries, whipped cream, melted chocolate, and two crystal wine glasses filled with the remainder of the Chardonnay sat on the nearby nightstand.

"Everything is so nice. I don't know what to say, Ty," Lela said as she slowly glided toward the bed.

"That’s what I’m talking about! Show a brotha some love. But, be forewarned, I didn't do all of this to see what you would say," he hinted. “Now bring your sexy self on over here.”

When Lela joined him underneath the sheets, she began to feed fresh strawberries dipped in melted chocolate into his hungry mouth. When he had his fill, she replaced the sweet fruit with her lip. She showed him no mercy as she savored every inch of his powerful frame.

After turning her onto her back and spreading her legs wide, Tyrese slid deep inside her inner core. She cried out in ecstasy as he rocked her world until the late hours of the night. He had her begging for mercy, only granting her wish when their aching muscles were too tired to move.

When the lovers were finally drifting off to sleep, Lela sent up a prayer. Thank you, God, for sending me a decent man of my own.

A twinge of guilt crept up her spine when she thought about the fact that what she had just done was fornication, so she adjusted her engagement ring on her finger and added, and God please forgive me for my sins. We’ll be married soon.

After the breathtaking night Lela and Tyrese shared, Lela was all smiles when she was awakened by Tyrese showering kisses all over her neck as his strong hands caressed the warmth between her legs.

"I need to ask you something, babe,” he whispered seductively.

Her eyes focused on the clock, which read 5:00 a.m.

"Anything, Ty," she murmured. At this moment, she was putty in his hands.

“Can I borrow three hundred dollars to get my alternator replaced?”

Lela figured she must have had a bothered look on her face when he quickly added, “Before you say anything, I will pay you back as soon as I sell my four-wheeler, babe. I just need to get my car fixed so I can have transportation to get out and make money for us. You know I’m always on the grind.”

With it being her first time hearing about his car needing repairs, she was shocked to be hearing it now with his hand between her legs.

"You know I got you, Ty. I didn't know you were having problems with your car,” she replied calmly, but deep inside, she was flipping out because by her giving him this money, it would mean she paid for her gifts yesterday and the dinner.

“Yeah, it started yesterday.”

Lela pushed the covers back, climbed out of bed, found her wallet, and counted out three crisp one-hundred dollar bills, handing them to him. Even though she was tired of pulling the weight, she knew he was hustling to get his business off the ground, and she believed in standing by her man.

"Now, you said you would pay me back, right?”

He nodded his head. “Yes, of course…as soon as my four-wheeler sells."

While giving him a knowing grin, Lela glided back under the covers. “Well, come over here and finish what you started.”

A few hours later was when the phone rang waking Lela from her deep slumber. She felt around in the tangled blankets, searching for the phone so she could put an end to its annoying shrill. She was pissed at whoever was responsible for pulling her out of her deep slumber.

"Hello," Lela answered groggily, not bothering to clear the sleep from her voice.

"Wake up, girl!" It was Tonya. "I'll be there in thirty minutes," Tonya sang.

Lela hated her friend for being so perky right now. Then she remembered what day it was. “Uh-uh, gimme like an hour."

Lela turned under the warmth of the comforters and focused on the red digital numbers of the tiny clock on her nightstand. 8:30 a.m. It had barely been an hour since Tyrese left and she needed a little more time to recoup.

She heard Tonya suck her teeth and clear her throat. "I know you didn't forget," her friend said, and Lela could picture her rolling her eyes from the other end of the phone.

It was the first Saturday of the month, the day her and Tonya set aside for pampering and club hopping. Their day would consist of spa treatments and shopping and their night would be filled with booty shaking at whichever club was hitting.

"No!" Lela lied. "Damn, girl, I just got up.” She didn't dare admit that she had pushed their plans to the back of her mind. Thanks to Tyrese, she had been floating high above the clouds since last night and didn't care to land anytime soon.

"Aiight, I'll be there in an hour. Be ready.” Tonya sounded irritated.

"You just make sure you’re here in an hour and don’t have me waiting on you."

“Whatever sleepyhead.”

 Lela gently peeled back the red silk sheets entangling scantily clad body. Her pretty brown eyes instinctively fixated on the empty space beside her, a space only her beau could claim…Tyrese Whitman.

Tonya would be at her house within an hour honking her horn like a wild woman if she wasn’t ready, so she knew she had to somehow pull herself together and get moving.

Thinking back to the time she shared with Tyrese before he left that morning had Lela in pure ecstasy. After getting out of bed, she placed the phone back in its cradle and hurried to get dressed.

As she danced into the bathroom, she thought, so what if I kick my man a few dollars. At least he's trying to get some business about himself so he can have a steady income. Plus, he's mine.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                           Chapter 2

 

                                                                                             Today is a New Day

 

 

 

ela and Tonya had claimed the first Saturday of each month as their monthly holiday, L & T’s Ladies’ Day Excursion. As usual, their first stop was Golden Beauty Salon.

Lela’s V-neck, rhinestone logo, South Pole hoodie allowed her breasts to nearly spill out of her shirt, causing every man she came in contact with to do a double take. When they passed Fred’s Barbershop, two locally-known ballers, Mufassa and Contraband, came rushing out the door trying to push up on them.

“Ah, yo, yeah you...bring yo’ fine ass back ova here,” the tall dark-skinned brother sang out to Lela. The grill in his mouth was so big he could barely talk.

“What--ever!” Lela replied as she teased them with what they would never have by sashaying right on past the brothas. Her fitted rhinestone-designed blue-jean covered behind was a sure tease. She was about to marry the best thing Opelika had going for it, and there was nothing any other man could do for her.

Tonya, on the other hand, followed her friend’s lead only because she knew the two men didn’t make enough money to hold her attention. “Wannabes get on my last nerve,” she told Lela, while flipping her long tresses over her shoulder and continuing her stride toward Golden Beauty Salon.

Since Tonya only needed her long, blond-streaked tresses curled, she was the first to get her hair done. In the meantime, Lela mulled over whether she would get a curly weave or wear her natural hair. The words Tyrese plunged into her soul with last night helped her quickly decide. Today is a new day.

“Give me a long curly weave, Quetta. I already washed it, so all you have to do is braid and stitch,” Lela told her longtime beautician and friend after she had finished with Tonya’s hair. She walked over to the case that held the different hair tracks. “I want this color.”

“A weave? And with bronze highlights at that? What has gotten into my African Queen Au Naturale.” Naquetta stood in shock that her friend had decided to go from a weekly hair pressing to a weave.

“Yes, girl, I’m ready for something new. Plus, you know I have to keep it hot for my 22-year-old fiancé.” Lela raised her hand to show off her engagement ring once again. Naquetta had been one of the first people she told of her engagement last week.

“I heard that. Where is Tyrese’s fine self anyway?”

“Girl, watch your mouth.” Lela put her fist up and then laughed it off. They often teased each other about taking the other one’s man. “He’s getting his car fixed.”

“That boy and his car.”

“You know him well, don’t you? He wouldn’t survive a day without that car in working condition.”

After three hours in Naquetta’s chair, Lela’s inner diva was born. Her curly tresses flowed down to her mid back and fit her pretty round face to perfection.

At the Colonial Mall, Lela and Tonya did some shopping. Lela was partial to a skirt and two shirts that Tonya picked out, but couldn’t find anything she liked enough to buy for herself.

"I can't find anything I like. All of their stuff is so high," Lela said as she clinched her purse tightly to her side.

Sashaying around in her elegant, black, safari-style shirtdress and six-inch black stilettos, Tonya still would be a perfect dime even if she skipped out on the beauty treatments. Tonya could have passed for a supermodel..

"I know you're not going to be cheap today. You promised you would get jazzy with me tonight. How do you like these boots?" Tonya asked while strutting from one end of the Belk's dressing room to the other, as if she were modeling on a catwalk. “And let me tell you something,” she warned Lela. “You better flaunt it while you got it, honey. One thing for sure is you'll never catch me half stepping.”        

“Whatever. You need to open a savings account, a checking account, a 401K, or something," Lela preached, and then digressed. "But don't let me get in the way of you trying to keep up with the Joneses. Go on and get what you want. The boots are nice, but I'm going to Citi Trends."

"Stop it, I say! Unlike you, I'm not letting a 401K get all my money. I'll worry about retirement when I get there. I think I’m just going to chill on my fat social security check, anyway." Tonya laughed.

"Social security check? Girl, you're a trip. When you’re old and broke, these hundred-dollar mini skirts aren't going to mean a thing.” Lela laughed at the thought of an elderly Tonya switching around in a hot red mini skirt.

Ignoring Lela, Tonya winked and hissed at some fine brothers passing by, who did a U-turn and headed back their way.

"Well, right now, these mini skirts mean ballers like that are going to pay my way.” Tonya rubbed her hands over the curve of her hips. "Hell, I'll get a man with a 401k and let him bank roll me when I'm sixty. I know if Grandma Jana’s still reeling them in, I will have no problem.” She then strutted over to some halter tops, as if what she spoke was the truth.

Lela shook her head. "What am I going to do with you and Grandma Jana?"

"Nothing, but love us.” Tonya handed Lela a shirt with barely enough material to cover her upper assets. “Go try this on while I run some game down on these brothas and see where they pockets at.”

After an hour of browsing and trying on different outfits, Lela settled on a Baby Phat ensemble, which consisted of a blue-jean pencil skirt and a sash tunic, all from the discount racks, of course. However, what she saved on the outfit she ended up splurging on a gorgeous pair of two-hundred-dollar Bijou pumps.

Tonya left the mall with about five bags in each hand, with a few of them compliments of one of the guys she whistled down earlier.

With shopping for their outfits out of the way, the next destination was the spa.

“I know you’re going to let me spin the wheel this time. You told me you would let me drive your new whip, but I see you’ve been holding out with giving up the keys.” As Lela reminded her friend, she stood by the driver’s side of Tonya’s brand new, black on black, 2005 Chrysler 300.

“Okay, but be gentle with my baby.” Tonya tossed Lela the key, and they took off down Opelika Road.

"Oooooohhh!  I’ve been craving ice cream all week. Before we go to the spa, I'm going to get me a butter-pecan cup from The Fat Cherry in Tiger Village. You want one?" Lela asked over the sounds of her growling stomach. If anything was her weakness, butter-pecan ice cream and shrimp fried rice were the two things.

"Nah, I'm straight," Tonya replied. She was 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 140 pounds soaking wet. Yet, there was not a moment she didn't watch her weight.

Lela, on the other hand, was a generous 5 feet 4 inches and 165 pounds. She watched her weight and exercised, but did not have a problem with indulging in the finer foods in life. She didn't stress over her extra weight because most of it resided in her full breasts, luscious thighs, and voluptuous hips.

As they cruised down 280, heading toward The Fat Cherry, D4L's “Bet You Can't Do It Like Me” blasted through Tonya's Bose speakers. At the stoplight, they both sang and bounced to the latest southern group that had the south jumping off the map.

"Hey,” Lela yelled over the music, “Ty bought me D4L's CD yesterday. So, now you can show me how to do the Laffy Taffy before we go out tonight. I want to know how to do it like the skinny light-skinned one. What's his name?" 

Tonya searched her mind for the rap artist's name. "Who? Faybo? Girl, we need until next week for me to teach you to do it like that. You have to have skills like me to learn that fast.” Tonya popped her shirt collar, boasting.          

Lela hit her friend's shoulder playfully. "Whatever. Teach me anyway.”

Out of the two of them, Tonya was the dancer. When they were kids, she was always coming up with dance routines for their dance group, the Spray Peppers, named after the female rap group Salt-N-Pepper. Tonya was Pepper, Lela was Salt, and Naquetta was Spinderella. You couldn’t tell them that they weren't going to be superstars when they grew up.

Tonya made a mental note to bring Lela up on a few new dance moves before tonight since Lela was still stuck in the 1980’s. The last time they went out, Lela took it upon herself to try to resurrect the Cabbage Patch. She had a crowd of mostly 20-year-olds weak from laughing at her old-fashioned dancing. Lela would take it back to the 80’s in a heartbeat, and had no shame in her game.  

“Aiiight,” Tonya replied, giving in. "Good thing you got me as a friend, girl,” she added while turning down the music. “Leave it up to you, and you'll be doing the Running Man, with no one to tell you that it's not cool."

"You know me well," Lela laughed while turning the music back up.

The stoplight had turned green, but Lela did not go. Something in her right field of vision had her full attention. Before she could formulate words to speak, Tonya read her mind.

“Is that Tyrese's car?"  

"Yeah, but I thought he would still be at the auto shop," Lela said with a tinge of suspicion.

Parked directly in front of The Fat Cherry, his car was hard to miss. He drove the only Caprice in town that was a rolling advertisement for the Auburn Tigers football team. The car had orange candy paint with a blue leather interior. In big blue letters, TYRESE was spelled out on the trunk. To match his car, most days he would be dressed down to the socks in Auburn University paraphernalia. 

Lela swooped into the parking lot and parked directly in front of his car.

“That's his car alright, and look-a-here."