Ratchet Bitches 2 Read online

  Rich smiled. “I’d love to come, but you know your sisters don’t like me much. I’d hate to intrude.”

  “It’s not that they don’t like you. They just expect more from you.”

  “Why should they expect anything from me?” He questioned, leaning up on his elbow as he spoke to her. “I’m your man, not theirs. I think they be concerned about the wrong things.”

  Lauren disappointedly shook her head. “It’s not like that. They’re just used to me dating someone that has his own.” She tried to convince him.

  “I do have my own.” He said.

  Where at? Lauren quickly thought, trying her best not to roll her eyes from his oblivious attitude towards anything that she tried to tell him to better himself.

  “I’m just going through a rough patch right now and I need you to stand by me.” He added.

  “I don’t have a problem with standing by you, but it comes a time Rich when I’d like for you to pay the tab sometimes when we go out to eat or buy the movie tickets. I’d like for you to hand me a hundred dollars here and there towards the utilities and or to be able to help me pay the rent. I mean, I just got my oil and brakes changed on my car.”

  “Aaaah here we go,” he cut in, grabbing his head with his hand like he was tired of having these conversations.

  “I’m sorry you feel this way, but you know I don’t even drive my own car anymore, because you have it more than I do. But, I was the only one paying for the services done to it.”

  Rich smacked his lips a little. “Don’t act like you don’t have money, baby. Your bank account ain’t slacking for nothing.”

  “You said the magic words, Rich… MY BANK ACCOUNT,” She reminded him with an attitude. “I love you, but you got to start stepping up to the plate. I need you to do better.” She sincerely said with a pout on her face. “You have so much potential. You just don’t want to do anything with yourself.”

  “I do whatever I need to do to take care of me.”

  “And, I guess that would be leaching off of me?” Lauren pondered like she was appalled at that comment.

  “I didn’t say that, so quit putting words in my mouth.”

  “Well, you aren’t saying much of anything this morning that’s making sense. I honestly think that anything I ever say to you goes in one ear and out the other.”

  “Nobody wants to hire a convicted felon, babe. I put in applications all the time. I’m trying here. You don’t want me back out in the streets, so what else am I supposed to do?” he questioned, feeling frustrated.

  “I don’t know,” she said, getting out of bed. “But, you need to do something or I’m gonna start second guessing our relationship. I ain’t built to take care of no grown ass man that’s thirty-six years old. Hell, when my son turns eighteen, he’s gonna be on his own, too.”

  “Yeah right,” he uttered. “You spoil him rotten.”

  “Well, that is MY CHILD and it’s also MY MONEY. Plus, what the hell do you expect? He’s a three year old, my God.” She shook her head with a roll of the eyes as she stepped inside of her closet to find something to put on.

  Rich was starting to feel some type of way. “You got a real foul mouth, you know that? You need to watch how you talk to me sometimes. I’m still a man, baby.”

  “And, I’m still independently taking care of my own. So, until you can help out a little, you can continue to expect this attitude.”

  “Yeah whatever,” he said and turned back over like he was going back to sleep.

  Lauren didn’t say another word to him as she searched through the rack of clothes hanging up in her closet. She did love Rich, because he came in her life at the most vulnerable moment and put a smile back on her face. A smile that she thought was gone forever. The only problem was that his good looks and good dick was running off of time that he was about to lose if he didn’t get his shit together. She was tired of hearing the backlash from her sisters. Even her parent’s had started questioning her judgment in men. She’d left Jamal, a confused married man that had no problems taking care of her and their son, but his wife cut that short when she realized that he might leave her to be with them.

  “This shit is for the birds,” she whispered as she grabbed a plain pair of denim jeans and a pink fitted Aeropostale t-shirt. She wanted to be comfortable since she’d be standing on her feet most of the day doing Kerry’s hair. She started out of the closet and into the master bathroom to wash up just as her cell phone rang. Rich looked over his shoulder towards the ringing of the cell phone then put the cover over his head like he had an attitude.

  Why the fuck is he mad? He should be good. She thought as she walked over to the nightstand and grabbed her phone to answer it.

  “What’s up, B?” She asked, realizing that it was one of her younger sisters.

  “Nothing much, girl,” Bianca responded. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m getting ready to head over to Kerry’s house. I’m micro braiding her hair today.”

  “She did tell me that you were gonna be doing that today. I think I’ll make my way over there later, because you’re gonna be there all day fooling with that thick ass hair of hers.”

  “Tell me about it,” Lauren said, but she didn’t mind. Any time spent with her sisters was always time well spent. “So, what’s up? Why are you up so early? It ain’t even eight o’clock, yet.”

  “Yeah, I just had some things on my mind and needed someone to talk with.” Bianca said.

  “Is everything good with you and Tory?” Lauren asked as she stepped inside the bathroom and closed the door. She knew that nosy would be trying to listen even though he was acting like he was going back to sleep.

  “Everything is good with us. I can’t complain. I love my husband and he’s very good to us.”

  “I thought so,” Lauren said, thinking about the big three seat 2014 Cadillac Escalade that he’d just brought Bianca for her birthday the week before. He unveiled the vehicle at her surprise birthday party. The party was lavish and definitely expensive.

  “You know my husband is the best. He has to be heaven sent.” She said, thinking about Kory, her ex-boyfriend and the father to her one year old daughter. She sometimes still struggled with his untimely death about ten months prior, but Tory was there to lessen that pain. “Anyway, Tessa called me and needed a favor.”

  “What kind of favor?” Lauren asked with a frown on her face as she sat on the side of the garden tub, turning the bath water on. She wasn’t one of Tessa’s biggest fans even though that was Bianca’s best friend.

  “Well,” Bianca started. She was unsure if she should even bring it up, knowing how hard her sisters could be on poor Tessa. “She has lost her apartment and wants to move in with us for a month or so.”

  Lauren’s eyebrows furrowed with a million thoughts running through her mind about that situation. “B, I don’t think that’s a good idea. You and your husband have only been married for three months. Y’all are still newlyweds. I don’t think you should move anyone in your home. I don’t care if you do have an extra guest room. You have five children and a husband that needs all of your attention. You don’t need Tessa moving in and turning things upside down.”

  “I’ve thought about that, but she was there for me when I needed her the most.” Bianca said. She’d already contemplated if she should or shouldn’t. She just needed a listening ear and a little bit of advice.

  “What does Tory have to say about that?” Lauren pondered.

  “He has nothing to say except that it’s up to me. He doesn’t want to come between our friendship nor will he ever say no to me. So, that doesn’t help much.”

  “He just wants to please you and if that means that your bestie can move in until she get her shit together then I guess he’s good with it. I see trouble, though.”

  “Well, I kinda figured that you would feel that way.” Bianca said with a sigh. She was definitely torn, because Tessa was the only best friend she had outside of her sisters. She never onc
e judged her for any of her flaws and she certainly had many.

  “You know I’m not crazy about Tessa. I’m not gonna even front.”

  “I know,” Bianca said with a slight shake of the head.

  “I’ve just never seen her being good for you. She drinks, she smokes, she pops pills, sometimes she does coke, has a snooty attitude, and she barely wears any clothes. You know its August girl. The heat is still out there which means that she probably ain’t got any clothes on as we speak.”

  Bianca laughed a little. “Yep, that’s Tessa.” She agreed.

  “You can’t have her walking around your husband like that. That shit ain’t cute.”

  “You’re right, Sis.” Bianca responded. “But, I don’t know. Maybe if it’s just for a month and I’ll make sure that we talk and lay down some ground rules. I just don’t want to see her on the streets.”

  “Girl, Tessa doesn’t have any kids. She fucks for money and she probably never stayed in her apartment anyway from fucking from hotel to hotel. Let’s face it; she’s about as ratchet as they come.”

  “Come on,” Bianca cut in. “She’s not that bad. She probably has her ways and does certain things that y’all may not agree with, but she is my bestie and I love her regardless of how y’all feel about her.”

  “One thing I can say B is that you have a big heart, because the bitch wouldn’t be moving in my house.” Lauren nonchalantly commented.

  “I guess you can’t help how you feel,” she disappointedly said. “You are the least judgmental out of our sisters and that’s the only reason why I called you, but I understand your feelings.”

  “I don’t want to sound harsh, you know I don’t. I just don’t want you to regret moving her in and being that you love her so much; I don’t wanna see y’all fall out just in case she fucks up.”

  “Trust me, Sis. I understand totally. Thanks for the pep talk, but I’ll see once she and I sit down and talk with each other first.”

  “Okaaaaay,” Lauren said.

  “I’ll be over Kerry’s later. It’s the weekend and mom wants the kids. I’ll be free to hang out and have some fun with y’all.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Lauren said. “I’ll see you later. Oh and bring a bottle or something.”

  “Will do,” Bianca said as they ended their call.

  Lauren took off her satin nightgown and proceeded to get in the garden tub full of warm water. She just wanted to relax her thoughts a bit. Here she was giving her sister some advice about what she should and shouldn’t do in her home, when she couldn’t figure out what the hell kind of changes she needed to make in her own. Rich definitely had her fucked up if he thought that he could just continue to slang good dick and not help out financially. Jamal may have been a low down, cheating dog, but he did take care of her. That was the least that he could do since he’d put her through so much.

  As she relaxed in the warm tub of water, her phone alerted her of an incoming text message. She sighed, feeling like she didn’t want to be bothered at the moment. She didn’t move, but then five minutes later, another text came through.

  “Kerry, I’m coming. Don’t bug me,” she said out loud, figuring that it was her sister who was never late for anything. So, she expected them to be on time, too. “You’re just gonna have to wait until I get there.” She continued. No sooner than she could get relaxed again, her phone alerted her of another text message. “Damnit now!” She exclaimed while leaning out of the garden tub to reach for the nearest towel to dry her hands. She then picked up the phone to read the messages.

  You were supposed to be here by seven, heifa. I bet you probably still sleep. Watch you be on my head until late tonight. Call me back. Kerry

  “I knew it was her ass,” Lauren uttered then opened up the next message. “She better not be wasting my damn text messages with this-” But, before she could get out foolishness, her heart sank down in her chest as she read the next message.

  Hey baby. It’s been awhile. I’ve missed you and my lil man. Kiss him for me and tell him that daddy misses him very much. Jamal

  “What the fuck?” Lauren whispered with a sour look on her face. She hadn’t spoken to him in three months. The last time she saw him was the day of Bianca’s wedding and he was supposed to be leaving town to get himself together.

  I wonder if he’s left that nappy headed ass wife of his with her ratchet ass. She quickly thought then proceeded on to the next message.

  I’m glad that you decided to start cashing the checks. Please, take care of my boy. I love y’all. I know I was wrong for many things, but I promise that I’ll make it up to the both of you. I promise. Jamal.

  “Wow,” she said as her heart fluttered. She still loved Jamal. He was that guy, but the wrong guy for her. If only he wasn’t married to a deranged, psycho ass bitch then they would’ve been good. She contemplated messaging him back, but then sat her phone back down. “Lauren, don’t you do it.” She coached herself.

  There was no relaxing of any kind after reading those text messages. Jamal had her thinking, and he had her thinking hard. She appreciated the money that he was still sending, because without that she would be down on her luck, struggling to keep the bills paid. There was just no way could she ever imagine taking him back, even if he had left his wife for good. He’d hurt her too bad with the many secrets that he kept from her.

  “I think it’s better if I just left it alone. Hell, maybe I need to get my number changed or something,” she whispered. However, she felt bad and wanted to reach out, because her son missed his daddy. It was just too much going on at the moment though, and she needed to figure it out first before she made that move.

  “Damn,” she said, reaching over and turning the power off on her phone. She then closed her eyes as she rested her head back on the tub. She was going to get some relaxation to clear her thoughts if possible, one way or the other.

  Chapter 2

  Meanwhile in Marietta, GA, Janay was making her way down the hall and into the baby’s room to pick up Brison since he was crying. She held him close in her arms and rocked the eight month old as his sleepy eyes closed then opened back up to look in her face. She kissed him on his forehead and smiled at her beautiful baby boy. Apparently, he’d had a nightmare of some sort and just needed his mothers warm touch.

  “Shhhh,” she said as she watched him doze back off to sleep.

  Lately, she’d been extremely tired. Her memory seemed to be fading in and out. She’d been feeling some type of way. Maybe it was because she wanted so desperately to move back home to be closer with her parents and her sisters. Finn, her husband, had been working on the move back to Augusta, GA, but being the Assistant Pastor at his father’s church had them stuck in Marietta until they could get someone else to take his place.

  She sighed, taking in a deep breath as thought after thought plagued her mind. Maybe it was postpartum depression. Even though Brison was eight months old, she’d read where a woman could get postpartum depression up to a year after given birth. Whatever it was had her cranky at times, feeling unworthy, unloved, and lonely. She didn’t even look at her son in the same way, because she felt like she wasn’t being a good enough mom to him.

  As she continued to rock Brison in her arms, pacing back and forth in front of his crib; the house alarm sounded off. She knew that it was Finn entering the house. Apart of her smiled inside, knowing that her husband had made it home. He’d been gone overnight from a revival that he had to attend in Charlotte, NC. Every now and then he was asked to be a special guest at different churches. Unfortunately for her, it would sometimes require him to go out of town to perform his pastoral duties.

  “Sweetie,” she heard him call out as he made his way down the long hallway.

  “I’m in here, babe.” She said just above a whisper, trying not to wake Brison back up. The minute Finn entered the baby’s room, she looked over at him. “Shhhh,” she said. “He’s just going back to sleep.”

  Finn stepped inside the ro
om and walked over to her, giving her a light kiss on the lips. “Are you okay, sweetie?”

  “Yeah,” she said as she gently laid Brison back in his crib.

  “I’ve been calling you since early this morning to let you know that I was on my way back home. You never answered.”

  Janay frowned as she looked around the room. “Where is my phone?” She asked, heading out of the room as Finn followed closely behind her.

  “Sweetie, I called the house phone, too.” He said.

  “Are you sure about that? I didn’t hear any phone ring.” She said as the entered their master bedroom.

  “Babe,” Finn called out. “Look at me.” Janay turned to face her husband. “You’ve been acting really strange, lately.”

  “I’m okay, babe.” She assured him, but she knew that she hadn’t been herself. She was highly confused as to what happened to her. Overnight she seemed like a changed person. She walked over to the big king sized bed and sat down. “Baby, I just want to move back home. I’m not feeling being here at all. I miss my mom and dad, not to mention my sisters. I just don’t like being here.” She said as a tear fell from her eye.

  “Sweetie,” Finn said as he rushed to his wife’s side. He knew that she’d been under pressure after they ended up not moving back to her hometown right away. She’d done nothing but stood by him and the decisions that he’d made were only to continue to work with his father until he was well enough to handle things on his own. “It’s gonna be alright.” He said to her as he wrapped his arms around her.

  “Nobody here likes me,” she said, feeling bad as hell. “Your mom despises me.”

  “She doesn’t dislike you. Think about it baby, she has been trying to be so much nicer to you since I had that talk with her. She knows that if she can’t get along with you then she and I are going to have problems.”

  “That’s the thing. You’re her only son, so I can understand why she feels a certain way. I just want her to give me a fair chance.”

  Finn disappointedly shook his head. “She just threw us a dinner party a month ago to try to welcome you into the family. Even Aunt Lily was there to help you feel at home. You didn’t feel the love or the attempt to let you in?”