encouragement from the crowd.
Later that night, everyone ended up at Janet’s house looking through a stack of old photos, laughing, crying, and just reminiscing on the past. That night everyone slept over, either because they were too drunk to drive, too tired to walk, or just because they felt peaceful being around those who loved them and just wanted to enjoy the moment while it lasted.
****
“Where you at?” Bam asked Cartier.
“I’m home. Why?”
“You alone, or is Jason there too?”
Cartier knew Bam had dirt. She could hear the urgency in her voice and was eager for her to share. “No, no, Jason ain’t here. He’s running the street. What happened?”
“This ain’t good, so I’m just going to give it to you straight, no chaser. I found out who Jason’s fucking with, and you ain’t gonna like it one bit.”
Cartier’s heart plummeted. Although her intuition told her Jason was fucking around, deep down inside, she was hoping she was wrong.
“Who is she?”
“Her name is Jalissa, a Puerto Rican bitch. I’m not really sure you know her, but you can find her at Sophie’s any Friday of the month. And, Cartier?”
“What?”
“Her and her sister Marisol both have something in common with you. Y’all have the same taste in men. Her sister is Ryan’s baby momma.”
The news hit Cartier like an unstoppable force. It was wrong on so many levels. More than ten years later, she just couldn’t get past Ryan leaving her to rot in jail while he hooked up with Marisol, and now to hear that her husband was fucking with the sister was beyond hurtful. She was humiliated, angered, and jealous.
“Are you positive?”
“Yeah, girl, I am. I heard it from more than once source. But the most trusted informant was Mesha, that young booster from Harlem. She said she ran into Jason in front of Bloomingdales with Jalissa last week and he bought a bag full of stolen merchandise off of her for Jalissa. She said they were all hugged up like two love birds. So what are you gonna do? I can come with you when you put your foot in her ass for fucking with your husband, but just so you know, if you fuck with Jalissa, her sister Marisol ain’t gonna take shit lightly. I heard her hand-play is nice and that she keeps a .357 on her at all times. I know you ain’t no punk, but I just want you to know what you’re up against.”
Cartier tuned Bam out as she droned on and on. She didn’t have a clue about how to handle the situation. Should she confront Jason and listen to his lies? Should she run up on Jalissa and have it play out as it did with Mari back in California? Should she just kick Jason out for the last time and give up on her marriage?
“How does she look?”
“Huh?”
“Jalissa. Describe her.”
“Umm, she’s about our height, light skin, long brown hair with blond highlights. I dunno. She’s pretty, I guess. Oh, and she has a mole next to her upper lip.”
“Like Cindy Crawford?”
“Yeah, just like that.”
“I know exactly who that bitch is,” Cartier said, visions of the girl inside the salon flashing before her eyes. “I saw her at Sophie’s the day Li’l Momma and I got into it, and I also saw her and Jason the night of the shootout in the club.”
“See, didn’t I tell you she went to Sophie’s? So do you think she know who you are?”
“Of course, that bitch know I’m Jason’s wife. She was clocking my every move in the salon. Li’l Momma checked her, but I just brushed it off. You see how sneaky these bitches are? She sat a few feet from me, just staring at me, knowing she’s fucking my husband.”
Bam listened to Cartier’s tantrum for a few more moments before she got to the good part—the meat and potatoes as her foster mother would say.
“But check it. We gotta talk about how Jason has gone against the grain. You know I can’t let this go, Cartier. Big Mike was my man, and he’s dead. There’s no coming back from that. Now we find out that Jason is
Later that night, everyone ended up at Janet’s house looking through a stack of old photos, laughing, crying, and just reminiscing on the past. That night everyone slept over, either because they were too drunk to drive, too tired to walk, or just because they felt peaceful being around those who loved them and just wanted to enjoy the moment while it lasted.
****
“Where you at?” Bam asked Cartier.
“I’m home. Why?”
“You alone, or is Jason there too?”
Cartier knew Bam had dirt. She could hear the urgency in her voice and was eager for her to share. “No, no, Jason ain’t here. He’s running the street. What happened?”
“This ain’t good, so I’m just going to give it to you straight, no chaser. I found out who Jason’s fucking with, and you ain’t gonna like it one bit.”
Cartier’s heart plummeted. Although her intuition told her Jason was fucking around, deep down inside, she was hoping she was wrong.
“Who is she?”
“Her name is Jalissa, a Puerto Rican bitch. I’m not really sure you know her, but you can find her at Sophie’s any Friday of the month. And, Cartier?”
“What?”
“Her and her sister Marisol both have something in common with you. Y’all have the same taste in men. Her sister is Ryan’s baby momma.”
The news hit Cartier like an unstoppable force. It was wrong on so many levels. More than ten years later, she just couldn’t get past Ryan leaving her to rot in jail while he hooked up with Marisol, and now to hear that her husband was fucking with the sister was beyond hurtful. She was humiliated, angered, and jealous.
“Are you positive?”
“Yeah, girl, I am. I heard it from more than once source. But the most trusted informant was Mesha, that young booster from Harlem. She said she ran into Jason in front of Bloomingdales with Jalissa last week and he bought a bag full of stolen merchandise off of her for Jalissa. She said they were all hugged up like two love birds. So what are you gonna do? I can come with you when you put your foot in her ass for fucking with your husband, but just so you know, if you fuck with Jalissa, her sister Marisol ain’t gonna take shit lightly. I heard her hand-play is nice and that she keeps a .357 on her at all times. I know you ain’t no punk, but I just want you to know what you’re up against.”
Cartier tuned Bam out as she droned on and on. She didn’t have a clue about how to handle the situation. Should she confront Jason and listen to his lies? Should she run up on Jalissa and have it play out as it did with Mari back in California? Should she just kick Jason out for the last time and give up on her marriage?
“How does she look?”
“Huh?”
“Jalissa. Describe her.”
“Umm, she’s about our height, light skin, long brown hair with blond highlights. I dunno. She’s pretty, I guess. Oh, and she has a mole next to her upper lip.”
“Like Cindy Crawford?”
“Yeah, just like that.”
“I know exactly who that bitch is,” Cartier said, visions of the girl inside the salon flashing before her eyes. “I saw her at Sophie’s the day Li’l Momma and I got into it, and I also saw her and Jason the night of the shootout in the club.”
“See, didn’t I tell you she went to Sophie’s? So do you think she know who you are?”
“Of course, that bitch know I’m Jason’s wife. She was clocking my every move in the salon. Li’l Momma checked her, but I just brushed it off. You see how sneaky these bitches are? She sat a few feet from me, just staring at me, knowing she’s fucking my husband.”
Bam listened to Cartier’s tantrum for a few more moments before she got to the good part—the meat and potatoes as her foster mother would say.
“But check it. We gotta talk about how Jason has gone against the grain. You know I can’t let this go, Cartier. Big Mike was my man, and he’s dead. There’s no coming back from that. Now we find out that Jason is
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