“Baby, what do I look like cheating on you. Baby, that’s not even in my character. You know I love only you,” Trent said, putting his arms around Kendra’s waist and attempting to spoon her.
“My nigga, you better come better than that and move yo ass away from me, smelling like weed.”
Kendra elbowed Trent in the stomach, so he turned over and closed his eyes. He couldn’t help but smile as he thought, Damn. A nigga smooth.
Later that morning, Trent took Kendra out for brunch on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. After brunch, Trent and Kendra walked up and down Rodeo Drive, going in and out of the upscale stores. Almost every store was Kendra’s favorite.
“Hold up, shawty. I’ll be right back,” Trent said as he jogged out of the store they were in.
Kendra was trying on some Louis Vuitton boots when Trent came back in with a couple of bags. He had one from Tiffany’s and a few from the Gucci store.
Kendra gasped, “For me, baby?”
Trent shook his head, and Kendra jumped up and down like a little kid in a candy store.
“Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie,” she said.
The customers in the store all smiled at the happy couple. The sales lady in the Louis Vuitton store asked Kendra if she was going to purchase the boots.
“No, thank you, miss. My hubby got me all the things I needed,” Kendra stated with a smile.
Together, they walked out the store, hand in hand. Kendra was feeling so good. She did not want the day to end. She wanted to stay on cloud nine. Kendra suggested that they head to the Santa Monica Pier and take a lovely stroll on the boardwalk.
“Babe, I would love to, but, now, I gotta go on the block to make more ends.”
Kendra sighed. As she walked to the truck, she said, “Trent, I knew that was the reason you bought me these gifts. You don’t want me to start fussing.”
“I’m sorry, ma. You know I’d rather be at home with you. C’mon now. Don’t be like that.”
Trent rubbed Kendra’s face and kissed her on her forehead. “Didn’t your man show you a nice time? We went out to eat, then I took you shopping.”
Kendra continued to pout. She knew, if she did it long enough, that she could get her way with him.
“Shawty, don’t be like that, love. Don’t pout, baby. A’ight, ma. I’ll tell you what. we can go home and watch a movie until it’s time for me to hit the streets. I will just tell Marcos to meet me at the house. Is that alright?” Trent asked.
Kendra didn’t want to argue anymore, so she said, “Cool. I’m with it.”
Once inside the truck, Trent called up Marcos and told him to meet up at his house within the next couple of hours. After he ended the call, Trent returned his attention to Kendra.
“Say, shawty. Listen. I might do a whole twenty-four hours on the block. It’s mad money to be made from the first to the fifteenth, but I’m not sure. I just want you to be aware, so don’t get mad if I don’t answer my phone when you call, okay?”
Kendra nodded her head.
“That’s my baby,” Trent smiled.
Back at the house, Kendra was in the kitchen cooking tilapia, rice pilaf, and broccoli, while sipping on a glass of Moscato.
“Hey, baby. Why don’t we watch some reruns of Good Times?” Kendra suggested.
“Nah, boo. We’re going to watch my favorite movie New Jack City.”
In unison, they yelled, “Rock-a-bye, baby,” which was Keisha’s infamous line.
Once Kendra had finished whipping up her nice meal, they sat, ate, and watched the movie. Kendra was happy that she was spending some quality time with her man. For the last couple of weeks, he’d been acting strange, and he hadn’t been performing up to her sexual standards. Kendra didn’t want to think that Trent was out there cheating, so she just chopped up his less than thrilling sex skills to him being tired from grinding.
While they were eating and watching the movie, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it. It’s probably Marcos anyways,” Trent said, walking to the door.
“Just make sure you do your work in the garage,” Kendra pleaded.
Trent nodded. Then, he answered the door.
“Hey,” Nia said as she kissed Trent on the cheek. “I came to keep my baby sister company since y’all Negros wanna go grind.”
“But y’all don’t say shit when it comes to spending our dough,” Marcos said, following behind her.
“What it do, baby boy? You ready to get this paper?” Marcos said to Trent.
“Fa’sho, my nigga. Let’s go do this in the garage. You know my baby don’t like for this to be in the house,” Trent laughed.
Nia walked into the living room and said, “Hey, baby girl.”
“Hey, Nia,” Kendra replied, getting up to hug her sister.
“It sure does smell good in here,” Nia hinted.
“Go ‘head, Nia. There’s some leftovers on the stove. Don’t pick in my food and wash your hands.”
Nia ran to the kitchen, washed her hands, and fixed herself a plate.
In the garage, Trent and Marcos cut down the rocks and bagged them up while banging to N.W.A.’s, Dopeman. Trent was so eager to get on the block. At this time, the police were changing shifts, so it made it easier for them to get their hustle on without a hassle. The Crew Cuts was the name the block had given to a certain group of officers. Although they were the law, if you wanted to grind, all you had to do was make sure you gave them a cut.
Downtown LA was a grimy place to hustle, but the money was grand. A lot went down on Fifth and Main, which was also known as the Nickel. A lot of out-of-towners had gotten caught up down there. Some just weren’t fit to hustle. Trent and Marcos had seen it so many times that they had their own motto- “Hustle hard or go home ‘cause, if you’re weak on the block, you gets got.”
Trent lifted his head in Marcos’s direction and asked, “My nigga, you ready?”
Marcos nodded and said, “Let's be out.”
Trent went back into the house and told Kendra he was out.
“I’ll call you, ma, once I’m finished.”
Trent slapped Kendra on the ass and walked out.
“Finally, they’re gone. I’m so fed up with Marcos’s ass. It wasn’t no way he was leaving me at home by myself, and I don’t understand why they don’t hustle here,” Nia complained.
“‘Cause you know this ain’t their hood, and these fake-ass, ‘round the way thugs is on some real hater shit. You know that, Nia, so please don’t act dumb about it,” Kendra stated.
The girls sat in the living room and watched the rest of New Jack City.
“On the real, Nia. I’m tired of this bullshit. Trent’s ass is slipping in the sex department. It’s been that way for the last few weeks now. I know he’s been hustling hard, but my mind keeps telling me to don’t be a fool. I’m tired of crying and going through these emotions.”
Kendra’s eyes had tears in them as she asked her sister, “Nia, am I stupid to think that Trent might be cheating on me?” She loved getting advice from her sister.
“No, sister, if that’s what you feel, then you need to address the issue before it becomes worse. If you don’t do something now, you’ll start hating him, and he’ll have no clue why you’re doing the things you’re doing to him. Trust in your big sister when I say, ‘Talk to him and let him know how you feel’. It will take a lot of pressure off of you, okay?”
Nia grabbed some tissue and wiped her sister’s eyes.
“I feel you. This job is stressing me to the max. Plus, I’m trying to get ready for graduation this summer. I have a lot on my plate, and dealing with this lack of communication with my man had taken a toll on me,” Kendra said, wiping away her tears.