I'd Rather Be Single Page 4

  "What, Tyra? One time what?" Rossyln asked.

  "One time they ran a train on me Rosslyn," I whispered hoping the nail techs didn’t understand what I meant.

  I began balling as Rosslyn reached over from her chair to rub my back.

  "This is the first time that I've ever told anyone about that." I sniffed while wiping my eyes.

  "I was only 14 years old, we were in this guy Jamal's apartment and when he finished having sex with me he told me that Jerome and Cedric needed to have a turn inside me and that they really liked me and would hang with me everyday if I let them have a turn. So after Jamal put on his pants, I remembered Jerome and Cedric walking into the bedroom pulling out their dicks telling me to relax and that they really cared about me. So I laid back on Jamal’s twin bed and let them have their way with me. I felt disgusted, Rosslyn. I cried as they took turns using me for my innocent body which I never knew was supposed to be sacred because my foster mom never taught me to cherish my body. And after they had sex with me I blacked out."

  “Damn, Tyra, that’s fucked up,” Rosslyn said seeming to sympathize with me.

  "The night you took me to the club to meet Terry Lamont, I saw some girls from my projects that hate me because of my past. Two of the guys that ran a train on me was two of their boyfriends." I revealed.

  Rosslyn butted in. “Tyra, I do actually remember seeing some girls staring at you with screw faces when we were leaving the club that night but I thought they were just jealous. As a matter of fact, I see those girls very often at the NBA and NFL parties around Boston."

  I pursed my lips to the side, "Trust me, they aren't jealous of me, they hate me."

  “Shit, don’t even dwell on it, we all have a past, honey,” Rosslyn said. “Take mine for example, I started doing this because I had trust issues, I used to watch my dad cheat and beat on my mom all the while she paid all the bills. All my dad did was get drunk and beat the shit out of her because he couldn’t find a job. He felt like he was less of a man so beating my mom gave him a sense of power.”

  Contempt distorted her face while she told the story. I could sense that the hate she harbored for her father made her resent men.

  “Before my mom died, she told me not to ever be with a man who couldn’t provide for me because paying the bills alone had worn her down. She worked twenty hour shifts just to provide for us. My father hated her for being the bread winner and he knew that she wanted to leave him. Eventually she became dependent on anti-depressive medications because my father made her life hell. She slipped deeply into a depressive state and was also diagnosed with some sort of mental health disease.”

  “One evening I had came home from school and found her dead in the bathtub. The doctor said that she overdosed on her medication but I knew that it was my father who had drowned her. They say she was dead before her body sunk into the bath water but I’m a hundred percent sure with every breath in my body that it was my father who took my mom away from me,” she said with conviction. “I hate my father,” she said looking me in the eyes.

  Her eyes teared up and her face was balled up. It seemed the memories were making her sick.

  “I’m so sorry to hear that,” I said as my heart sunk to my feet sympathizing with her.”

  “And that’s why I do what I do,” she said as she switched to let the nail tech massage her right hand.

  “When I was seventeen, D-boys were my first introduction to living a good life. When my drug dealing boyfriend brought me my first real Gucci bag, dating a regular dude was out of the question. I vowed never to be with a man who couldn’t provide for me. My mom’s advice was the greatest advice I’ve ever took heed to.” She smiled, “Tyra, I got about 250k in the bank right now.”

  “Wooooow!” I said in amazement. Rosslyn was truly my hero; you had to be a bad bitch to beat these niggas out of all that money since the age of seventeen.

  “But that ain’t shit until I get at least over five hundred stacks, then we are talking real money. Girl, these niggas are millionaires, they got bread to break off and just waste and their pockets still won’t be hurting.”

  “Well I’m trying to get like you,” I joked.

  “Trust me, honey, you are on your way to the top. Just follow my lead, you’ll be good.” She assured me.

  “Well so far so good, because I got Teddy Pento in the bag, baby,” I boasted as we laughed.

  Rosslyn turned off her massage chair so that I could hear her, her face seemed real serious. “The shit that happened with my father really made me not trust people. I hate being let down and I hope you never let me down Tyra,” she said.

  I didn’t know what to say, I cared about Rosslyn and wouldn’t even think about doing anything to wrong her.

  “How about we promise not to let each other down,” I said.

  She paused for a minute, then the serious look on her face faded into a smile. I felt our sisterhood was really becoming solid.

  "Let’s leave the past in the past and focus on this future of getting money. At the end of the day, getting paper makes everything better, trust me," she said talking about her favorite subject, money.

  She smiled at me. “I love you, pretty bitch, let’s get this money.”

  “Love you too,” I said.

  *********

  Temporarily, money did make me happy. Teddy was showing me the world. Since he was recently drafted and had all that new money, he laced his family first. He moved his mom and dad into a beautiful house in Boston to be closer to him. His family was tight knit, they loved them some Teddy and he adored his folks. He took the family life very seriously which I loved about him. But after lacing his family, he laced his boo, as he soon began calling me. All the Gucci, Hermes bags and Christian Dior apparel were small time. The first time that he dropped big money on me was when he visited my apartment. He smirked at all of my old furniture and small living space and the day after, he sent me a text asking for my bank account number.

  "Why do you need my account number?" I wrote back.

  "So you can move out of that tired ass apartment. I can't be Teddy Pento and having my boo living in that piece of shit.” Teddy constantly referred to himself in the third person which people who were full of themselves often had.

  I smiled at his response and wondered what he had in mind. My apartment had reminded me of Rodney and I was dying to move out. I quickly sent him my bank account number and when I went to the bank to check my balance, the teller told me that I had twenty thousand dollars in the bank and I almost had a heart attack. I had never had more than a thousand dollars in my account so I was speechless. The ghetto teller at the bank looked at me like I was retarded.

  "Um, hellooooo, are you okay?" she asked as I stared at her stunned after she revealed the

  balance.

  "I'm fine," I muttered snapping out of it.

  I sprinted out of the bank and called Teddy. "Boo, you put twenty thousand dollars in my account?"

  "Hell yeah," he said. "You are moving out of Roslindale, there are some new buildings that were built last year near the Marina Bay, I want you to go in there, rent out a two bedroom and furnish it however you want with that money.

  "Oh my goodness! Thank you so much boo, muah, muah, muah!" I said blowing kisses through the phone.

  "Yeah, yeah, yeah boo, you deserve it, now go splurge; hit me later."

  "Okay, baby, bye."

  I hung up and called, Rosslyn.

  "See how easy this is?" she blurted after I told her about the money.

  "Rosslyn I don't know how to thank you. If it weren't for you I would be with tired ass Rodney hating my life. I feel like a million bucks right now."

  "Well you are worth it, pretty bitch," she said.

  "Thanks, girl."

  "I'm out with Terry Lamont right now, I'm gonna hit you back when I go home," she said.

  "Okay make sure you do, bye."

  I went straight to Jordan’s furniture in Brockton and purchased the most expens
ive furniture I could find. The luxurious maple and marble bedroom set I decided on was five thousand dollars. The cream leather sectional I picked out for my living room was seven thousand dollars and I copped a flat screen from Best Buy for $2,500.00. I was starting all over; I planned to not take any of my old furniture from my apartment into my new living space because most of it still smelled like smoke from Rodney’s smoking habit anyway.

  I told the furniture store that I would let them know the address to deliver the furniture to ASAP and they agreed to hold it for me.

  I zoomed my way to the apartment complex near the Marina Bay that Teddy had suggested I check out. The leasing office was just about to close when I caught up with the agent who was packing up. I begged her to let me view one of the two bedroom apartments in the luxurious white brick and glass building.

  "Well, I was just about to leave but yes, I can take you up to see one of our floor models," the husky Hispanic agent said putting on her glasses.

  "Thank you so much, I appreciate it," I said gratefully.

  We started our tour and I couldn’t help but smile the entire time. The building was brand spanking new; it even still had the brand new paint smell to it.

  "This is the concierge desk, you have twenty four hour security in the building, a computer room to your right and a work out facility to the left.” she said as we browsed through the lobby.

  We took the elevator up to the spacious two bedroom floor model. I knew that I took a chance picking out my furniture without seeing what my new apartment would look like but any furniture would go well on the gleaming hardwood floors that the apartment boasted. The windows went from the ceiling to the floor and it actually had a fireplace in the unit.

  “I’ll take it,” I said without even seeing the bedrooms.

  “You’ll take it?” the Spanish lady repeated as she took down her glasses to look at me. “Don’t you wanna see the bedroom, it has a walk in closet and the closet doors are made of mirrors. And don’t you wanna see the Jacuzzi tub in the master bath?” she asked.

  “I’ve seen enough thanks, where should I make my check out to?” I asked reaching into my bag for my check book to put down a deposit.

  As I was writing my check, I decided to do a little boasting. All that money Teddy put into my bank account had me really feeling myself. “My boyfriend is Teddy Pento; he plays for the Patriots so I’ll add him to the list of permanent guest names at the concierge desk.”

  I knew bringing up Teddy was totally irrelevant to my leasing the apartment but it was just fun to boast about the fact that my baby played in the NFL and of course the perks always poured in.

  “Teddy Pento?” she repeated.

  “Yes,” I said with a smile.

  “I’m definitely a fan. Well listen, usually we take first months rent, last months rent and a security deposit but don’t worry about last months rent, we’ll take care of that. And don’t worry about a credit check, just fill out the lease and you can move in on the fifteenth.”

  “Thanks,” I said appreciating the help and the hook-up.

  I was all smiles leaving the apartment complex; I rolled by the swimming pool and blurted an excited giggle envisioning all of the nights that Rosslyn and I would spend drinking Martinis by the pool and all the fun Teddy and I would have cuddling in the sun.

  My phone rang in the middle of my excitement and I thought it was Rosslyn calling me back but it was Rodney. This was the first time that he had called me since I kicked him out.

  “Hey Rodney?” I said.

  “Hey, Tyra, how you been?” he asked.

  “Been great actually,” I said, smiling at how great my day was going.

  “Well listen, I need a favor.”

  I rolled my eyes; I had heard that line way too many times when we were in a relationship.

  “Can I borrow a hundred dollars? You know I still haven’t found a place to stay since you kicked me out. I’ve been staying with family members and since I’m still not working I don’t have any money to pay my aunt for staying at her place this month.”

  I thought about the money that Teddy had put into my account. I could at least spare a hundred dollars for Rodney. After all, I did kick him out knowing he had nowhere to go but the thought of him still not having a job was a turn off.

  “Okay, I’ll give you the money; I’ll drop it by your aunt’s house in twenty minutes,” I said before hanging up.

  Rodney’s aunt lived in East Boston in an area where a lot of prostitution took place. The area was also known for it’s huge transgendered community. I knew Rodney hated every minute of living there but he had no where else to turn once I put him out.

  Scores of cars were on the street trying to solicit some of the prostitutes who were on the corners getting lectured by their pimps or women who weren’t afraid to flaunt their goods in public and I tried to hurry up and get to Rodney’s aunt’s house before any drama took place.

  When I approached his aunt’s old fashioned white ranch style home, Rodney was standing in the yard smoking a cigarette looking scruffy as ever. He appeared depressed and had a full mustache and thick beard like he hadn’t shaved in weeks. He was wearing a pair of jeans that he wore at least once a week when we lived together.

  “You know I always hated them jeans, Rodney,” I said approaching him.

  “Whatever, Tyra,” he said taking the money I handed him after he put out his cigarette.

  “I hate taking your money,” he said while staring at me with the same puppy dog eyes that drew me to him. I was quickly engaged in his eyes, they were sad and sincere. I knew that if he had the money to provide for me he would have took care of me a long time ago. Plus I had a soft spot for him. For some reason he just lacked the motivation to find a job.

  I broke out of my trance. “I know you don’t want to take the money Rodney, but take it and make sure you take care of yourself, don’t worry about paying me back.”

  “I really miss you,” he said as I walked back to my car.

  I peeked back at him and smiled.

  I was almost in tears driving away, I really felt bad for Rodney. He was my only love and I missed him a little but my new life was much better than the one I was living with him and I was excited about my new place.

  *******

  “Put the couch right there,” I said directing the movers to place my cream sectional in front of the marble fireplace. “End tables go at the end of each corner of the couch and put the coffee table in the center of the room,” I instructed.

  “Yes, ma’am,” one of the husky movers said as he wiped beads of sweat off his forehead with his arm. They had just moved my large maple king size canopy into my bedroom before lifting the couch.

  I placed my hands on my hips and glimpsed around pleased at how my new apartment was coming along. The dining room set was in place by the kitchen and the cream leather curtains that matched the sectional gave the living room area a nice bright rich touch.

  “What’s up man?” I heard Teddy greeting one of the movers as he made his way inside of my opened apartment door.

  “Hey boo,” I said giving him a light peck on the lips.

  “You like how it’s turning out?” I asked him as we both looked around at my newly furnished space.

  “Yeah, shits fire, I like it, boo,” he said full of approval.

  “Where you been all day, I’ve been calling you?” I asked him after remembering that I’ve called him like five or six times only to reach his voicemail. He was starting to be very distant in the past week.

  “Oh I was spending time with the family, you know how that goes,” he said off hand.

  “It’s cool,” I said not really thinking into it too much. Family time came with the territory; he was always spending time with his mom and dad so I never got mad.

  “Come here,” he said pulling me in and gripping my ass covering up the black juicy logo on my pink sweatpants.

  “I got something for you. Something for us,” he sai
d.

  I thought, things couldn’t get any greater, what else could he have for me?

  He reached in his back pocket and pulled out two tickets to Puerto Rico.

  “Puerto Rico, baby?” I let out in amazement. “But I don’t have my passport,” I said.

  He smiled. “You don’t need your passport to go to PR; they consider it like one of the states.”

  I glanced down to read the two tickets in my hand. “And baby, these tickets are dated four days from now.”

  “So?” he said hunching his shoulders.

  “Boo you know I have to work,” I explained as if he didn’t know.

  Teddy gripped my waist and stuck his tongue down my throat kissing me aggressively. I loved the way he kissed, his thick lips always seemed like they were sucking in my entire face but it turned me on. I was almost ready to get naked right there and get it on. He held my face with a steady stare in my eyes, “Fuck that job, Teddy Pento’s boo don’t need to work, let me take care of you.”

  I broke our stare turning my head to take in what he asked. I didn’t know how to feel at that moment. I knew that I wanted to get benefits out of our situation but quitting my job meant that I would fully give up my independence. Rosslyn was living off of men but she had enough money in the bank so that if any of her men would ever cut her off she would be good. I had almost spent the entire twenty thousand dollars that Teddy gave me within a month on my apartment and new clothes so I would be up shits creek if I quit my job and Teddy ever left me.