First Degree

Chapter 28: Tess

"So I said yes." I shrugged as I sipped my tea with a pinky up. I sat in this bougie, sort of, tea shop. It was the least I could do. Khi left for work, leaving me all alone.

P sat across from me with a blank stare. He's my only friend, so I had to tell him.

"What about how he left you hanging?" He asked. That's why you never tell your friends your business. They hold grudges even after you've moved on.

"But I'm happy now." I smiled and showed my ring.

"Make sure this ain't your next victim, because you tend to leave your men stiff." P said.

I laughed at his sense of humor but he didn't. I knew he was being awkwardly serious.

"As long as he doesn't test me." I sipped my tea once again. I knew I was capable of doing anything. I just didn't want Khi to make me feel like I felt when I was with Liam.

"I don't want to see you back in prison. I want to see you grow." P sipped his tea and instantly spit it back out.

"What the fuck is this?!" He yelled, causing all the bougie white people to turn to him with distraught faces.

"It's the rich life. Now stop being ghetto and sip the tea." I laughed. He slid the tea away and waved for his check.

"Sis, I live the broke life." He chimed in, causing me to laugh.

"Me too but my dead husband was filthy rich and so is my new fiancé. Well, he's well-off." I corrected myself.

"I thought Jamaica had your name written all over it once you got out." He said.

"That was the anger talking. Jamaica doesn't have half the opportunities that America has."

"Well take these opportunities."

"It's not that easy for a convicted felon to get a job!" I rubbed my face in frustration.

"So carry your pretty ass to Sapphire. I know they'll hire you." He smirked. I threw my napkin at his big head.

Sapphire is a hot strip club in New York City. Nothing but bad women strip there. I hardly have enough ass to consider myself bad, lad alone a stripper.

"Go fuck yourself." I rolled my eyes.

"Come on. Let's walk the strip." He laughed.

We threw our tips on the table and walked out the shop. The air was a thick humid air. It made my natural hair become frizzy, as if I didn't have it in rods earlier.

"You bitch!" I heard a very loud voice behind us. We both turned around in unison and a woman stormed toward us with her workout clothes on.

It was Tess

"You bitch!" She said again, once she approached us. I looked at her with shock. I didn't know what I did to offend her so much.

"Sorry?" I shrugged.

"You could have told me you got out!" She hugged me with her sweaty body touching my clothes.

"This is so hot." P commented.

"Is this your man?" Tess had no shame in saying what was on her mind.

"Absolutely not!" P said before I could. My little feelings were hurt.

"Well damn, P. Be more harsh why don't you!" I rolled my eyes at him. He shrugged and started lighting a blunt right in the open.

"I've missed you." She gave me a sincere smile. She aged well. I could tell the kids at her job stressed her out a little because she had little grey strands in her dark curls. It was appealing on her.

"Khi.."

"That bastard." She took the blunt from P and took her two puffs and passed it back.

"He cut me off for Tammi." She put emphasis on Tammi's name like she hated her. "That slut."

"Girl I showed up to the house and announced myself as his woman and we kicked her young butt out." I laughed. She looked shocked as her lips curved into a smile.

"Bitch, you didn't!" She said.

"That's real slutty of you, Genesis." I heard P say. I ignored him because I knew it was trashy but I didn't care.

"Girl and I told her to take those ugly drapes with her." I laughed.

"Oh man! I wish I was there!" She said. Her eyes trailed down to the shining rock on my left hand.

"I miss something?" She asked as she admired the fine jewelry.

"He proposed to me." I genuinely smiled.

"That's nice shit!" Tess p's eyes glistened as my ring shined in them.

"Be honest, Tia."

"It's Tess." Tess corrected him.

"Do you agree with this. I've watched this woman cry and pick herself up each day over that man, because he stopped visiting her like the first year." He said. Tess and I just looked at him.

"Don't start venting with the blunt, bro." Tess frowned. He passed it to her and she took a long drag.

"Tess, do you even work with kids anymore?" I asked because she was quite a stoner now.

"Why work when your husband is a CEO of a Fortune 500 company?" She asked.

I always knew Tess would get her a rich husband. She never dated guys that was anything less than successful. Her past boyfriends were lawyers and professional athletes. Even her best friend was successful.

"You should come over. I'm sure Khi would love to see you." I offered. She ignored me and blew the smoke out and threw the rest of the roach on the ground.

*

"Khi, I have a surprise." I peeped into his office as he was typing away on his computer.

"You're a big enough surprise." His beautiful lips pulled into an adorable smile.

"Tess." I called down the hall. I watched as his expression went from happy to hopeful.

Tess slowly asked in the office with me. We all stood there in an awkward silence. Tess looked at him like she wanted to say something but was too prideful. Khi seemed excited, but didn't want to show it.

"We are not five you guys." I took a seat in front of Khi's desk and started flipping through his files.

"Tess." Khi muttered.

"You disgust me." Tess said.

There was another long silence. This silence felt comfortable.

"I've missed you. Miss hearing your annoying voice each and every day." He laughed a little. I knew he missed Tess. Hell, me too!

"I heard you're getting married. You weren't going to invite me?" She asked. Khi walked closer to her and picked her left hand up.

"Clearly your slut days are over too." He dropped her hand like a hot potato.

"Says who?" She said. They both smiled like goofy teenagers and hugged each other.

"Buddy!" Khi said excitedly.

"My friend." Tess wore a genuine smile as she hugged Khi tightly.

"This is totally a Kodak moment." I smiled.