could control me in every way .
Mona, the gigagorgeous Latina wife of Pierre Ross, stood and did a little dance, and the other wives laughed. Chiquita had met Mona and Pierre, one of the star point guards for the Lakers. It was because of Pierre that she and Jamal had tickets. Somehow Jamal and Pierre had hooked up. It seemed an un-likely pairing, but with the way her boyfriend earned his money, it wasn’t hard to figure out their deal.
“Baby, you’re going to love this.” Jamal was back, his eyes beaming with excitement. “Pierre’s boys just gave me this.” He held up a folded invitation. “We’re hanging out at a special party—in honor of the rookies. It’s two weeks from this Saturday.”
This time, when Chiquita smiled at Jamal, it wasn’t fake. A Lakers party—for rookies. She leaned back into her boyfriend’s arms and began to imagine. New meat searching for new meat.
Looked like being Jamal’s girlfriend was going to pay off. This time with him had been decent enough, but it was time to move on….
Asia sat straight up in her bed.
Time to move on .
Those were the words Bobby had said to her. But moving on from him was not an option. She wasn’t giving up all that she had. She was never going back to Compton—not in this life, not even in her dreams.
Asia glanced at the clock. It was barely two in the morning. But she didn’t close her eyes. This was not the time to sleep. Tonight, all she would do was plan.
Chapter Seventeen
A SIA
“Asia, how am I supposed to get Bobby’s address?” Noon whined.
Asia paced in her bedroom. “Handle it.”
“This is crazy. I told you, don’t mess with Bobby’s wife.”
Asia’s anger soared—as it did each time Noon uttered that advice. Why was Noon so worried about Bobby’s wife?
“Noon, just get me Bobby’s address. Check Marcus’s Black-Berry or get me his home number and I’ll find the address myself.” Asia could hear Noon inhale, preparing to protest more. But before she could speak, Asia softened her voice. “Noon, if you needed me, I would do this—and a lot more—for you.”
In the silence that followed, Asia had her victory. It didn’t have to be spoken; both knew how much Asia had done for Noon. When Asia hung up, she had no doubt Noon would return with the information.
It was time to begin the next phase. This plan had to be bigger, better, faster than the one she’d had before. Back then, she resorted to the trick that stood the test of time—pregnancy.
It had been a careful plan, the way she slipped a birth control pill into her mouth in front of Bobby every chance she got. And then how she held the pill under her tongue. Once he became used to seeing “the pill,” it hadn’t been difficult to talk him out of his condom.
“Baby, it’s just you and me, right?” she whined. “All I want to do is feel you. I’m on the pill; there’s nothing to worry about.” She’d kissed him and cooed, “I promise, once you feel me, you’ll never go back.”
It had taken one request. And they’d never gone back. Until she got pregnant.
“I cannot believe you did this to me!” he’d ranted when she told him the news.
“Bobby, it’s not my fault. I’m on the pill.”
He’d held his head in his hands. “I should have never been bareback.”
He was distraught. She was disgusted.
What’s the big deal , she’d wanted to ask. We’re going to be together anyway .
“You need to get an abortion,” he demanded, shocking her.
“No!”
“Why not?”
“I…it’s against my beliefs.”
He frowned, then screamed, “What beliefs? You’re not religious. You don’t even go to church.”
“You don’t have to go to church to have a relationship with God.” She’d mimicked the words that her Aunt Beverly had often spoken. “I believe in God and I won’t have an abortion.”
He’d stomped out of the Culver City apartment she shared with Noon. At first, she’d just been mad. Then as days passed without a
Mona, the gigagorgeous Latina wife of Pierre Ross, stood and did a little dance, and the other wives laughed. Chiquita had met Mona and Pierre, one of the star point guards for the Lakers. It was because of Pierre that she and Jamal had tickets. Somehow Jamal and Pierre had hooked up. It seemed an un-likely pairing, but with the way her boyfriend earned his money, it wasn’t hard to figure out their deal.
“Baby, you’re going to love this.” Jamal was back, his eyes beaming with excitement. “Pierre’s boys just gave me this.” He held up a folded invitation. “We’re hanging out at a special party—in honor of the rookies. It’s two weeks from this Saturday.”
This time, when Chiquita smiled at Jamal, it wasn’t fake. A Lakers party—for rookies. She leaned back into her boyfriend’s arms and began to imagine. New meat searching for new meat.
Looked like being Jamal’s girlfriend was going to pay off. This time with him had been decent enough, but it was time to move on….
Asia sat straight up in her bed.
Time to move on .
Those were the words Bobby had said to her. But moving on from him was not an option. She wasn’t giving up all that she had. She was never going back to Compton—not in this life, not even in her dreams.
Asia glanced at the clock. It was barely two in the morning. But she didn’t close her eyes. This was not the time to sleep. Tonight, all she would do was plan.
Chapter Seventeen
A SIA
“Asia, how am I supposed to get Bobby’s address?” Noon whined.
Asia paced in her bedroom. “Handle it.”
“This is crazy. I told you, don’t mess with Bobby’s wife.”
Asia’s anger soared—as it did each time Noon uttered that advice. Why was Noon so worried about Bobby’s wife?
“Noon, just get me Bobby’s address. Check Marcus’s Black-Berry or get me his home number and I’ll find the address myself.” Asia could hear Noon inhale, preparing to protest more. But before she could speak, Asia softened her voice. “Noon, if you needed me, I would do this—and a lot more—for you.”
In the silence that followed, Asia had her victory. It didn’t have to be spoken; both knew how much Asia had done for Noon. When Asia hung up, she had no doubt Noon would return with the information.
It was time to begin the next phase. This plan had to be bigger, better, faster than the one she’d had before. Back then, she resorted to the trick that stood the test of time—pregnancy.
It had been a careful plan, the way she slipped a birth control pill into her mouth in front of Bobby every chance she got. And then how she held the pill under her tongue. Once he became used to seeing “the pill,” it hadn’t been difficult to talk him out of his condom.
“Baby, it’s just you and me, right?” she whined. “All I want to do is feel you. I’m on the pill; there’s nothing to worry about.” She’d kissed him and cooed, “I promise, once you feel me, you’ll never go back.”
It had taken one request. And they’d never gone back. Until she got pregnant.
“I cannot believe you did this to me!” he’d ranted when she told him the news.
“Bobby, it’s not my fault. I’m on the pill.”
He’d held his head in his hands. “I should have never been bareback.”
He was distraught. She was disgusted.
What’s the big deal , she’d wanted to ask. We’re going to be together anyway .
“You need to get an abortion,” he demanded, shocking her.
“No!”
“Why not?”
“I…it’s against my beliefs.”
He frowned, then screamed, “What beliefs? You’re not religious. You don’t even go to church.”
“You don’t have to go to church to have a relationship with God.” She’d mimicked the words that her Aunt Beverly had often spoken. “I believe in God and I won’t have an abortion.”
He’d stomped out of the Culver City apartment she shared with Noon. At first, she’d just been mad. Then as days passed without a
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