Choose Wisely (5 page)

             
I finished my margarita and told my girls I was ready to go. They wanted to dance before we left. I watched them head to the dance floor. I decided to check on Melissa before we left. When I approached her table she was laughing. It was nice to see her out with someone besides Darius. Don’t get me wrong he was my boy. But if he couldn’t see my sister was a good woman than that was his loss.

             
I cleared my throat to get their attention.

             
“Hey sis!” I smiled.

She looked surprised to see me.

              “Hey Sandy! What are you doing here?”  I slid in the seat next to her.

             
“I should be asking you the same thing. Since when do you go out on dates without letting me know?” I teased.

She rolled her eyes and t
hrew her one hand up in my face.

             
“Last time I checked I was grown!” She giggled.

             
“I know that’s right!” I stated.

I turned my attention to my sister’s date.

              “Hi I’m Sandy Melissa’s sister. I figured I should I introduce myself since my sister over here is being rude,” I joked.

Her date extended his hand.

              “Hi I’m Tyrone,”

I shook his hand and smiled.

             
“So what do you do for a living?” I questioned.

Melissa kicked me under th
e table. I figured it was my queue to go. He was about to answer and my sister cut him off.

             
“Don’t answer that! My little sister was just leaving,”

I stood and fixed my dress.

              “Ok I get the hint! It was nice meeting you Tyrone,”

I bent down and whispered in her ear.

              “You better call me with details as soon as you get home!” I kissed her on the cheek and headed towards the bathroom.

The line was too long and I really had to go. I decided to
sneak downstairs and use the bathroom in Ms. Karen’s office. I knew where she kept her spare key. Once I got the key I opened the door and turned on the lights. I had a tight feeling in my chest when I walked in the room. Everything looked the same. It just felt weird knowing I wasn’t going to hear her voice. Or that crazy laugh, that made you laugh right along with her. I raced to the bathroom. I wanted to hurry before someone came looking for me.

             
I closed the bathroom door behind me. I almost jumped out of my skin, turning to see Dontae sitting at his mother’s desk staring at me. I placed the key on the desk. Ready to explain why I was there. But he stood, walking towards me. He placed his finger to his lips telling me to hush. He was so close I could smell the liquor on his breath. I took a step back and waved my hand in front of my nose. I wasn’t use to him drinking. He must’ve noticed my reaction. Because he reached into his pocket and popped a peppermint into his mouth.                                                                                                                                                                        “I just wanted to apologize for the way Lexi was acting earlier. I explained to her that she has no say on who gets in the club and who doesn’t. Tara and Shay told me they brought you out to celebrate. Congratulations Ms. Officer,” he smiled and took my hand.

I was grinning from ear to ear. I was happy to know
he still cared.

             
“I’m not an officer yet,” I stated.

             
“I know but you will be. You have wanted to be a cop since we were kids. Most people talk a good game, but not you. You know what you want and you do what you gotta do to make things happen. Man that’s one of the reasons I la----- I couldn’t believe it! Was he about going to admit he still loved me? Before he could finish his sentence someone opened the office door! Dontae backed away from me when he heard her voice.

             
“Papi what the fuck is going on? Lexi barked.

Her voice was starting to give me headache.
I gave her a look, like please say something to me. I dare you! She ignored me and started yelling at him in Spanish. I could tell he was getting annoyed. He hated to argue.

             
“Listen Ma ain’t nothing going on. I was apologizing to Sandy for how
you were acting earlier
,”

             
“How I was acting? Did you forget this is the same bitch that attacked me?”

Before Dontae could answer I reached around him and grabbed Lexi’s hair.

              “I’m not going to be too many more of your bitches tonight!”

Dontae
put his arms out and stood between us.

             
“Sandy chill let me handle this. Go find Shay and Tara please!”

I let go of her hair and fixed my clothes.

              “Alright I’m out. You need to put a muzzle on your girl before she gets hurt,” I stated.

Dontae covered Lexi’s mouth before she said something that he and I both knew she would regret. I walked out of Ms. Karen’
s office. I wasn’t paying attention and bumped into Lou on my way upstairs. He looked like he was in a hurry.

             
“Are you alright I asked?”

             
“Yeah I’m good. I just gotta check on my sister that’s all,”

I moved to
the side so he could get by. I thought about checking on Dontae. But I quickly changed my mind. He got his self-involved with some girl he barely knew. Now he would have to deal with her and the drama that came along with it. I headed back upstairs to find my girls. I was tired and I had to get up in the morning.

             
When I made it back to our table it was empty. I looked on the dance floor to find my sister and friends all dancing the night away. I sat down and sighed. I wanted to leave. But I didn’t want to spoil everyone else’s fun. I scanned the room and noticed Darius sitting at a table alone. I walked over to him to make sure he was ok. He was staring at the dance floor. It looked like he was watching Melissa and her new friend Tyrone.

             
“Hey Brah you alright?” I asked.

He picked up his Corona and swallowed what was left of it.

              “Yeah I’m good. Why you ask that?”

I took a seat next to him.

              “No reason, I just saw you sitting alone and I wanted to make sure you were good that’s all,” I patted his shoulder.

             
“You know I love you like a brother,” I grinned.

             
“Yeah I know,” he said while pulling on his goatee.

             
“Who is that dude your sister is with tonight?” He questioned.

I glanced back at the dance floor.

              “She didn’t introduce you?” I paused.

“All I know is his name is Tyrone.
Why you asking?” I shook my head while waiting for his answer.

             
“I was just curious. You know that’s my girl. I’m just surprised she didn’t tell me she was seeing somebody,”

I looked Darius in the eyes. I could see he was hurt. I truly didn’t understand my sister and his relationship. Dontae and I stopped trying to
figure it out years ago. I knew he wouldn’t admit how he felt about my sister and I didn’t have the patience to sit there and pry it out of him. I touched his hand and kissed him on the cheek.

             
“Brah just talk to her before she leaves,”

             
“Nah I’m cool. If she wanted me to know about her new friend she would have told me,”

I knew that it was time for me to go. I had my own problems. I sure as hell wasn’t trying to get mixed up in anyone else’s love life.
I said goodnight to Darius and headed back to my table to wait for Shay and Tara.

             
I followed behind Shay and Tara, while we made our way to the back of the parking lot. I had told Shay earlier to park behind the club. The parking lot there was much smaller and less chance of something happening to her new 2013 Chrysler 200 Convertible. Before we reached her car I heard a commotion.

             
I motioned for my friends to turn around and be quiet. We stood behind the dumpster outside of the club. I told them to wait there, while I got a better look. I took off my heels and crept up towards the couple I saw arguing. I hid behind one of the cars in the parking lot. I got excited when I realized the couple having words was Lexi and Lou.
‘What’s going on here?’
I thought. I sat quietly and peeked around one of the cars in the lot so I could see and hear what they were saying.

             
“Shut up! Lexi shouted. This was your idea! Now all of a sudden you are feeling some type of way!” I watched as Lou grabbed both of her wrists and hemmed her up on the hood of the car they were standing in front of.

             
“Girl watch ya mouth before somebody hears you! You know what you’re supposed to be doing! I ain’t come here to watch you bullshit around, now where so-called man at?”

             
“He went to his other spot, his friend Darius is closing here tonight,” she cried.

He dragged her around to the driver’s side of the car and pushed her in the seat.

              “Lexi take your dumb ass home. I will see if dude needs help here. I guess I’ve been gone too long, cuz you acting like you don’t know who runs this shit!”

He backed away from the car so she could pull off. I
crept around to the back of the car, where I was hiding so he wouldn’t notice me as he walked by.

             
My heart was beating fast. It felt like it would bust out of my chest. I could tell Shay and Tara were scared. Their arms were linked together. While they pretended they were looking for something by the dumpster when he passed by.  I bet Shay didn’t have anything smart to say to him now. I thought. I waited for him to go back inside before I met my friends at Shay’s car. I didn’t know what was up with Lexi and Lou. But I was damn sure going to find out.

             
My evening was going great. The only downside of my night was the evil looks Darius was shooting my way. He wasn’t even supposed to be here tonight. I knew he was upset because I didn’t mention Tyrone to him. I didn’t feel the need when I wasn’t even sure if I was going to see him again anyway. After my talk with Vicki, I knew it was time to put some space between Darius and myself. How was I ever going to move on if I continued to depend on him? He was angry but I knew he would get over it. Besides he went out on dates all the time and I never treated him any differently. I would smooth things over with him tomorrow. Tonight it was all about me.

             
I had learned a lot about Tyrone this evening. He had been divorced for almost a year. He said his wife left him for another woman. They were married for three years and once he started traveling things just fell apart. I was kind of shocked to hear is wife was with another woman. It made me wonder was she always gay. Or did he turn her that way? He took me by surprise twice that night. Earlier when the waitress came and asked what we wanted to drink, he ordered my drink for me. I was grown I didn’t need a man to order for me. I didn’t want to spoil our evening so I figured I let it slide.

             
Our night was coming to an end. Tyrone excused himself to check on the performers he had booked for the show earlier. I waited and enjoyed the music the DJ was playing. I was about to find a waitress an order a drink I actually liked, when Darius walked up.

             
“So how’s your night going?” He asked.

             
“It’s going alright. How about you?” I smiled.             

             
“It could be better Trina’s trrippin’ again. But you already know how that goes,”

Trina was no good. She was an unfit mother as far as I was concerned. But it wasn’t my place to say so. I felt bad for Darius. He was going to have to find a way to deal with
her for at least the next twelve years. I had always been his go to girl when he had problems with her. But things were about to change. I hoped he could handle it. But by the looks he gave me earlier I wasn’t sure.

             
I noticed Tyrone making his way back to our table. I had finished the Corona Darius’s had brought me. I don’t know why but before he walked up. I slid my bottle in Darius’s direction to make it seem like it was his. Darius gave me a confused look.

             
“Girl what are you doing?” He asked looking in Tyrone’s direction.

             
“Nothing just take the bottle please,” I begged.

He snatched the bottle and looked at me in disgust.