Two Tears in a Bucket Page 3

  Shoot. That’s as loud as it’ll go.

  Melanie snatched the boom box’s plug from the wall.

  “Girl!” Simone protested as she turned off the vacuum. “What you doing? I was listening to that.”

  “The whole neighborhood was listening to it. C’mon,” Melanie said. “Me and Lavon are done in the kitchen. Let’s take these boxes out.”

  “Yeah, I left my bag in your trunk, too, Melanie,” Lavon added as she eased into her shoes. “What’s up? We going out tonight or we staying in?”

  “I’m tired,” Simone said as she gathered up a few boxes and led the way out the door. “I say we stay in.”

  ● ● ●

  James pulled the stolen Lincoln into the parking lot. “That’ll be fifty dollars,” he said over his shoulder to Kevin.

  “Yeah, I got your fifty dollars,” Kevin said, tugging at the crotch of his pants as he climbed from the backseat. Nic opened the front door and hopped out, too. “Where you going, Nic, man?” Kevin asked as he slammed the door.

  “What?” Puzzled, Nic looked around. “You getting out here, too?”

  “Yeah, I live in that building right there.”

  “Man, get outta here. My girl’s best friend just moved in that building. They having some lil’ girly sleepover. I came over here to crash that mug.”

  “Girls? Now that’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout,” James said from inside the car. “Close the door, Nic, so I can park this muthafucka.”

  “What he parking for? Don’t nobody want his dirty ass,” Kevin joked.

  Before Nic could close the door, James punched the gas and whipped the stolen Lincoln into a parking space.

  “Damn, man,” Kevin said. “Look at them bammas over there? The one holding the bag looks familiar.”

  Nic turned his focus toward the handful of scruffy roughnecks seated on a rusty, abandoned car parked next to the trash dumpsters. While sipping on bottles concealed by brown paper bags, they took turns puffing on a joint.

  “Ah, Kevin, you know them. That’s whatchaface and ’em,” Nic said as he snapped his fingers to recall their names. “Shit, I can’t think of slim’s name, but all them hang with your brother.”

  “Why LeCount got them out here smoking that shit?” Kevin was pissed. “This ain’t that kinda neighborhood. They need to keep that shit up on the strip. My mother would have a fit if she knew they was out here like that. She moved over here to get away from that whack-ass shit.”

  The building door flew open. Laughing loudly, Simone, Melanie, and Lavon walked out, toting boxes.

  “Damn,” Nic said. “There go my girl and her friends right there.”

  “Got damn, y’all bitches lookin’ good!” One of the scruffy dudes yelled out as the girls approached the abandoned car parked next to the dumpster. He passed the joint to his buddy. “Can I go?”

  “Yeah, to hell,” Lavon responded bluntly.

  “Ah girl, fuck you. I wasn’t talking to your big ass no way.”

  “Fuck your dirty ass,” Lavon retaliated as she dropped her boxes in the middle of the street.

  Melanie grabbed her arm.

  “Girl, come on. Let’s just go back in the house.”

  “Come on nothing,” Lavon spat, snatching her arm away. “How he gon’ just up and call us bitches? Who this dirty muthafucka think he talking to?”

  The ringleader eased off the car. “What!” He chuckled.

  “Bitch, you better listen to your girlfriend and take your fat ass back in the house ’fore I bust you in the head wit’ this bottle.”

  “Ah!” Kevin approached the crowd with Nic and James in tow. “What the fuck wrong wit’ you, man? I wish you would hit her.”

  “Aww! What’s up, Kevin, man.” LeCount’s friend smiled, displaying a mouth full of gold teeth. “Count told us your ass was home. Do me a favor and go tell your slow-ass brother to hurry the fuck up.” Leaning back on the car, the ringleader took a swig from his bottle.

  “I ain’t your muthafuckin’ gofer, nigga.”

  The ringleader ignored Kevin and turned his attention toward Simone. A sly smirk cracked his frown as he watched Simone swing the boxes Lavon had dropped into the dumpster.

  “Damn, girl. You phat to death. Can I go?”

  “Man, what the fuck is wrong wit’ you?” Kevin asked. “I got this, baby,” he mumbled to Simone as he gathered the few remaining boxes.

  “What? That’s you, Kevin, man?”

  “Yeah, that’s me,” Kevin lied, tossing the boxes in the trash. “And the one you talkin’ ’bout hitting with your bottle is her sister.”

  “Man, I ain’t trippin’ off that damn girl. I wasn’t gon’ hit her ass.”

  “I know you wasn’t,” Kevin said, ending the conversation.

  Melanie headed to her car and popped open the trunk.

  “You a’ight?” Nic asked as he tucked his arm around her waist.

  “Yeah, I’m just glad y’all were here. Him and Lavon woulda been scrapin’ in the middle of the street, then Simone woulda jumped in,” Melanie said.

  “And what would you have done?” Nic said, joking with Melanie.

  “Nic, you know what she woulda done,” Lavon answered as she grabbed her overnight bag from the trunk of Melanie’s car and tossed it over her shoulder. “Her ass woulda got the hell out of dodge.”

  “Naw, I’da ran for help,” Melanie said, chuckling a bit. “Here, Simone. I think this box is yours.”

  “I got it,” Kevin volunteered.

  “Thanks.” Simone smiled.

  Damn, Kevin thought as he got a real good look at Simone. A hot-ass mocha number. “So you the one out here starting all the trouble?”

  “How you figure that?”

  “’Cause,” Kevin said as Melanie slammed her trunk close, “dumbass over there was tryin’ to holla at you.”

  Brushing Kevin’s comment off with a wave of her hand, Simone led the way inside the building to her apartment. “I heard him say something about your brother. You live around here?”

  “Yeah. Right downstairs in this building actually.”

  “Really? So are them bammas always out there like that, smoking and drinking?”

  “Naw, those dummies waiting for my brother. First time I’ve seen them around here.”

  “So what’s up?” James said, looking at Lavon as they waited for Simone to unlock her door. “Me and you ’pose to be together since everybody else all paired up?”

  Lavon took one look at James and said, “Fuck, no.”

  “Damn,” James huffed. “Why the hell I have to get the evil one?”

  “Man, shut up,” Nic instructed. “Ain’t nobody paired up but me and Melanie,” he said as they all headed inside Simone’s apartment.

  “Dag.” Nic looked around, nodding his approval. “This is hittin’, Simone.”

  The freshly vacuumed, light-colored carpeting made the living room-dining room combination seem huge; swallowing the colorful pillows Simone had tossed in each corner. The pillows, along with the cart that housed the television and VCR, were all the furniture the room had to offer.

  “Thanks. I don’t have anything for y’all to sit on,” Simone said with a shrug of her shoulders, “but y’all welcome to the floor. It’s plenty of that.”

  “Most def,” Nic replied, still in awe. “Hey, what were y’all gettin’ ready to do up in here anyway?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” Melanie answered, “but I got a bag full of movies.”

  “What you got?” Nic asked.

  “Jason, Freddie, Chuckie. I got all of ’em.”

  “Oh, yeah? Cough ’em up!” Nic said as he helped himself to the television.

  “Hold up, Nic. What you doing?” Simone asked.

  “Y’all watchin’ movies, right?”

  “Yeah, movies are fine, but we ain’t watching Freddie, Jason, or Chuckie,” Simone protested from the middle of the floor.

  Kevin smiled. “What’s wrong, you scared?”

&
nbsp; “No, I ain’t scared. I just don’t like horror movies.”

  “Sure, ya’ right,” Melanie added, passing Nic a movie from her bag. “Kevin, she scared. You should stay and watch it with her.”

  “Yeah, Kevin. You ain’t ’bout to go nowhere, are you?” Nic asked while he slid the tape inside the VCR.

  “I know I’m not,” James said as he made himself comfortable on the floor.

  “Naw, I don’t have nothing to do,” Kevin answered. “But hold up. Let me run downstairs real quick. Then,” he said, turning his attention to Simone, “if it’s okay with you, I’ll come back and protect you from Freddie, baby.”

  “Look at y’all asses,” Lavon said, somewhat irritated. “Don’t you get no whack ideas,” she said to James as she made herself comfortable on the other side of the room.

  James sucked his teeth and stood back up. “Hold up, Kevin. I’ma go downstairs with you and holla at your mother.”

  “Oh, your mom’s home, Kevin?” Nic asked.

  “Yeah,” Kevin said, heading to the door. “She should be.”

  “Well, hold up. I’ma run downstairs and say what’s up, too. Melanie, get us some snacks and blankets ’cause it looks like this sleepover just turned co-ed.” Nic grinned as he followed Kevin and James out the door.

  The apartment door had barely closed before Melanie said, “Got damn, Kevin fine as hell, and he jive digging you, Simone! He had sparkles in them pretty-ass hazel eyes from looking at you!”

  “Yeah, he’s fine as a mutha with his pretty-ass teeth,” Lavon agreed. “Nic’s a cutie, too. But that lil’ dusty thing they got wit’ them ain’t hittin’ on shit. He needs to take his musky ass home. His got damn breath smell like baby shit.”

  Melanie chuckled as she stretched out on the floor next to Lavon. “Yeah, he’s a rotten mess. But, Simone, what you think about Kevin?”

  “Oh, like y’all said, he’s fine as hell. But he probably dodging panties left and right.”

  ● ● ●

  “Damn, Nic,” Kevin said as they headed down the steps to his apartment. “What’s up with your girl’s friend?”

  “Hell, ain’t shit up wit’ the evil-ass fat one,” James spat, his voice riddled with disappointment. “Her big ass must need a snack. Kevin, y’all got some Twinkies or somethin’ downstairs that I can feed that big bitch? Maybe if I toss her ass a treat—”

  “Shut the fuck up, James,” Nic interrupted. “Lavon got a thing for niggas that don’t smell like onions.”

  “Fuck you, man. What the hell you tryna say?” James said as he sniffed under his arms.

  “Hey, c’mon, y’all,” Kevin yelled, terminating the feud before it went any further. “Seriously, Nic, what’s up with Simone, man?”

  “Simone?” Nic chuckled to himself. “Naw, Kevin. Don’t even think about it. She ain’t your type, man.”

  “What the hell is my type?”

  “I mean, she ain’t one of them fast-ass, wham-bams like all your other lil’ honeys. Simone’s a keeper. She wifey material.”

  “Ah, man, that’s just what I need, Nic. To hell with them fast-ass broads. I’m trying to change.”

  “You tryna change, huh? Where that little crazy red chick that you was so in love with?” Nic asked.

  “Oh, you talkin’ ’bout Rhonda,” James informed.

  “Yeah, Rhonda—that’s her name! If you gon’ change, Kevin, why not change and just be about her. You were crazy about her.”

  “Man, I ain’t messin’ with Rhonda’s hoeing ass no more. You know how many penicillin shots I had to get ’cause of her?” Kevin said. “Naw, I’m done with her. I want a real relationship, somebody I can trust.” Kevin placed his key in the lock. “So what’s up, Nic? You gon’ hook me up or what?”

  Nic smiled. “Man, please. Since when does Kevin Kennard need to get hooked up?”

  ● ● ●

  The movie credits scrolled the screen. Kevin looked around the room and noticed sleep had captured everybody but him. James left midway through the movie when he realized Lavon really wasn’t interested. After turning off the VCR and television, Kevin crawled across the floor to the boom box. He switched on the power but nothing happened.

  “Oh, it’s not plugged in,” he mumbled as he eased the cord into the outlet. Al Green’s “For the Good Times” blasted through the speakers.

  “Aww, shit,” Kevin said as he quickly turned the volume down, thankful he hadn’t disturbed anyone.

  Kevin glanced over at Simone, admiring her creamy mocha skin and her long, wavy black hair as she lay on a pillow, knocked out. He took one of the extra blankets lying on the floor and draped it over her. She opened her eyes and smiled.

  “Ah,” Kevin blushed, slightly embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “You didn’t. It was the radio,” she whispered.

  “Oh, that was my fault, too. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry.” Simone propped herself up on her elbows.

  “You want me to turn it off?”

  “Naw!” Nic yelled. “We want y’all to shut the hell up and go to sleep! You, Al Green, and that bear over there snoring waking everybody up.” Kevin and Simone couldn’t help but chuckle. “Y’all go back in Simone’s room wit’ that noise. And take Lavon with you.”

  Kevin looked at Simone. “So what’s up? You got some cards or something?”

  “Umm … I don’t think so, but I got a Monopoly game.”

  Kevin smiled, eager to play anything with the mocha goddess. “Okay, that’s cool, but I’m the car.”

  Chapter Four

  There was nothing Kevin could do to prevent the smirk he’d worn on his face all day. He couldn’t believe how close he’d come to making love to Simone. It never took him any time to get inside a woman’s panties, but Simone was different. Wifey material, like Nic said. The last thing Kevin wanted to do was rush her.

  But shit, it’s been two weeks, he thought. However, deep down, he didn’t care. He was falling for her, which was out of the norm for him. Since Rhonda, Kevin Kennard liked and refused to love. Yet, Simone’s innocent smile, her laugh, her physical persona, all coupled with the last two weeks he’d spent with her constantly invaded his thoughts and chipped away the ice around his once cold heart.

  Shit, I’m fallin’ for her and I ain’t even got none yet. He smiled to himself.

  “Kevin,” Fat Ed hollered as he walked down the strip in his long black leather trench and black leather gloves. “What’s up, man? What the hell you grinning at?”

  “Nothin’, man. Hey, run me home real quick.”

  “What the hell’s going on wit’ you, Kevin? Why you keep rolling out early?”

  “Naw, I got this lil’ shorty that I’m jive digging.”

  Fat Ed shook his head and chuckled. “Yeah, until Rhonda’s ass pops up.”

  “Man, why everybody keep talking that madness. You of all people should know I’m done wit’ Rhonda.”

  “Yeah, but it ain’t like I haven’t heard that shit before.”

  “C’mon,” Kevin said, ignoring the comment. “You takin’ me home or what?”

  “We partner up like I said, and you won’t need no ride home.”

  “There you go wit’ that crazy shit again. I wish you stop trippin’. I told you I ain’t no hit man.”

  “Here.” Fat Ed sucked his teeth and tossed Kevin a set of keys. “Take yourself home. The Rover’s ’round the corner. I met another little stripper chick up at our ole spot. She hittin’, too. I let her hold the Benz. She’ll be up here in a minute. So, take the truck. Shit, keep that muthafucka. Maybe it’ll help you change your mind.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “Shit, for real you outta stick around,” Fat Ed said. “Shorty probably got one of her phat-ass friends wit’ her. We can get a room and do like we did when you got out.”

  “Naw,” Kevin said. “I’ma pass this time.”

  ● ● ●

  The next day, Kevin to
ok the first few hours off just so he could drive Simone to work. Driving down the road, he glanced at her. “Damn, you look good in this truck.”

  “That don’t mean you gotta get one.”

  “That’s the farthest thing from my mind. Matter of fact,” Kevin said as he pulled in front of Simone’s workplace, “I’m giving it back to my man today.”

  He took Simone’s hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it lightly.

  “I’ll see you tonight,” he said as he leaned over the center console and allowed his lips to greet hers where they surrendered to their passion, kissing nice and slow.

  Simone peeled from Kevin’s lips and opened the door. “Whew! I better leave while I can.”

  ● ● ●

  Beatrice didn’t like the idea of Kevin driving around in Fat Ed’s flashy truck— not one bit. Even though he had been two hours late to work, she let him leave two hours early just so he could find Fat Ed and give the vehicle back.

  All over town, Kevin drove around searching for Fat Ed. He went past his house and checked all the usual spots, but couldn’t find Fat Ed anywhere. Just when he was getting ready to give up, a light bulb went off in his head.

  I know where you at.

  Whipping a U-turn, Kevin headed to their old secret hideout, a run-down strip club in a warehouse next to a deserted department store. After parking in a nearby alley, Kevin strolled inside the club and surveyed the thin crowd.

  Damn, where everybody at? he thought. He headed to the bar, ordered a bottle of Remy Martin, and strolled to the tables in front of the stage, where he and Fat Ed used to sit on a daily basis.

  Kevin took a seat, poured himself a shot, and skimmed through the handful of men scattered around the stage. There was no sign of Fat Ed. Hell, he’ll show up, Kevin thought as he made himself comfortable.

  Music popped through the cheap speakers as the dancers seductively made their way to the stage, one behind the other. By the time the fourth dancer sashayed across the stage, Kevin was good and tipsy.