looked like she wanted to pluck my eyeballs out.
Tanisha folded her arms. “Okay, I’m listening. Why can’t you go?”
“Something came up and I gotta work.”
She uncrossed her arms and pointed a finger in my face.
“Do I look stupid to you? Do I look like I have Tanisha’s a stupid bitch written all over my face?” she spat.
“No, but—”
“Then why the fuck you tryin’ to play me?” she yelled.
“I’m not trying to play you. I really gotta go to work.” I turned to her mother for some help, but she looked just as skeptical as her daughter.
“So I guess you work with this Anita, right?” Tanisha asked, giving me a look that told me she wasn’t going to believe whatever answer I gave her.
“Uh-huh. Yeah, I work with her.”
She sucked her teeth, then rolled her eyes as she walked over to the door. “You are such a fucking liar.”
I stood up. “I’m not lying, Tanisha. I swear to God. If you want, you can come to the church with me.”
Both Tanisha and her mother started laughing. “Church? Now I’ve heard everything. You niggas be coming up with some of the corniest shit. What are you, the preacher?”
I was about to tell her I was the preacher’s son, but instead I just gave her the basics. “No, I’m supposed to be running the Bingo game tonight.”
She and her mother laughed even harder than the first time. “Yeah, you running game, all right. ’Cept it’s not even good game.”
Tanisha opened the door, glanced at me, then looked outside to the hall. I took her hint and walked toward the open door, stopping at the threshold. I decided to give it one last-ditch effort.
“I’m not lying, Tanisha. If you don’t believe me, you can come by First Jamaica Ministries on Merrick. I’ll be there all night.”
“I ain’t going nowhere looking for you. Now get out my house.”
As I stepped past her to exit the apartment, she put a hand on my shoulder. I turned to face her and she said, “You know what, Dante? I wish you had never paid for my groceries.” She reached in her pocket and pulled out some money, forcing it in my hand. “I hope you have fun with Anita, but believe me, it won’t be as much fun as you could have had with me.”
“Tanisha…” I looked in her face and she raised her hand as if she was about to smack me. I ducked out of the way just in case she swung. That’s when I knew it was time to get out of there. She was about to take things to the next level and the last thing I needed was to wind up in jail for fighting a woman. I walked out the door without another word.
7
Tanisha
It was a little after ten when I walked out of the house and stepped into a waiting cab. I decided to go in to work to take my mind off the fact that Dante had canceled our date to be with another woman. Maybe making some money would take my mind off the fact that I was hurt. I hated to admit it, but I was really feeling that brother, and it wasn’t just his looks. I would have bet money that he was one of the good ones, but I guess I was wrong, because he sure made a fool outta me. I just wish I hadn’t spent all my money on a new outfit and begged my boss to give me the night off. Trust me, he had not been a happy camper when I told him I wasn’t coming in. Saturday was our busiest night at the club, and the last couple of weeks we’d been short-handed. I thought he was gonna give me a hard time when I called in and told him I was coming in after all, but he was so happy I thought he would jump through the phone and kiss me. Well, at least somebody cared, even if he was a fifty-year-old, overweight, balding white man.
“Where to, miss?” the driver asked.
“Take me to the F train at the corner of Hillside Avenue and 168th,” I replied as he headed toward Merrick Boulevard. We hadn’t gone two blocks before my cell phone started ringing. I fumbled through my bag to find it.
“Hello?”
“How’s it going?” a female voice whispered.
It was my friend Natasha,
Tanisha folded her arms. “Okay, I’m listening. Why can’t you go?”
“Something came up and I gotta work.”
She uncrossed her arms and pointed a finger in my face.
“Do I look stupid to you? Do I look like I have Tanisha’s a stupid bitch written all over my face?” she spat.
“No, but—”
“Then why the fuck you tryin’ to play me?” she yelled.
“I’m not trying to play you. I really gotta go to work.” I turned to her mother for some help, but she looked just as skeptical as her daughter.
“So I guess you work with this Anita, right?” Tanisha asked, giving me a look that told me she wasn’t going to believe whatever answer I gave her.
“Uh-huh. Yeah, I work with her.”
She sucked her teeth, then rolled her eyes as she walked over to the door. “You are such a fucking liar.”
I stood up. “I’m not lying, Tanisha. I swear to God. If you want, you can come to the church with me.”
Both Tanisha and her mother started laughing. “Church? Now I’ve heard everything. You niggas be coming up with some of the corniest shit. What are you, the preacher?”
I was about to tell her I was the preacher’s son, but instead I just gave her the basics. “No, I’m supposed to be running the Bingo game tonight.”
She and her mother laughed even harder than the first time. “Yeah, you running game, all right. ’Cept it’s not even good game.”
Tanisha opened the door, glanced at me, then looked outside to the hall. I took her hint and walked toward the open door, stopping at the threshold. I decided to give it one last-ditch effort.
“I’m not lying, Tanisha. If you don’t believe me, you can come by First Jamaica Ministries on Merrick. I’ll be there all night.”
“I ain’t going nowhere looking for you. Now get out my house.”
As I stepped past her to exit the apartment, she put a hand on my shoulder. I turned to face her and she said, “You know what, Dante? I wish you had never paid for my groceries.” She reached in her pocket and pulled out some money, forcing it in my hand. “I hope you have fun with Anita, but believe me, it won’t be as much fun as you could have had with me.”
“Tanisha…” I looked in her face and she raised her hand as if she was about to smack me. I ducked out of the way just in case she swung. That’s when I knew it was time to get out of there. She was about to take things to the next level and the last thing I needed was to wind up in jail for fighting a woman. I walked out the door without another word.
7
Tanisha
It was a little after ten when I walked out of the house and stepped into a waiting cab. I decided to go in to work to take my mind off the fact that Dante had canceled our date to be with another woman. Maybe making some money would take my mind off the fact that I was hurt. I hated to admit it, but I was really feeling that brother, and it wasn’t just his looks. I would have bet money that he was one of the good ones, but I guess I was wrong, because he sure made a fool outta me. I just wish I hadn’t spent all my money on a new outfit and begged my boss to give me the night off. Trust me, he had not been a happy camper when I told him I wasn’t coming in. Saturday was our busiest night at the club, and the last couple of weeks we’d been short-handed. I thought he was gonna give me a hard time when I called in and told him I was coming in after all, but he was so happy I thought he would jump through the phone and kiss me. Well, at least somebody cared, even if he was a fifty-year-old, overweight, balding white man.
“Where to, miss?” the driver asked.
“Take me to the F train at the corner of Hillside Avenue and 168th,” I replied as he headed toward Merrick Boulevard. We hadn’t gone two blocks before my cell phone started ringing. I fumbled through my bag to find it.
“Hello?”
“How’s it going?” a female voice whispered.
It was my friend Natasha,
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