After months of living together I stopped working and stayed home with the boys. Jason suggested it and thought it would be good for them until they were older. Jason was such a family man. He wanted a family so bad and did everything he could to make this life come true for the both of us. He frequently talked about the life he had back home in New York with his family. He didn’t want the life he grew up in; he wanted better and a stable one for me as a woman and my boys as kids. He talked about how his mom had him and his brother at a young age and they moved from place to place and his mom from man to man. He hated it and did everything he could do to show me he wanted better.
I believed him and wanted it too. I had been through so much growing up. Our lives were so similar that our stories seemed to wrap around each other. I figured together we would be dynamic and I thought we would end up married, saved, and living the American dream.
Jason was wonderful. After a few months of us being secluded to just each other and my boys, Jason started going out. Unlike my ex-husband, Julius, he wanted me to go out with him and meet all his friends.
“Babe, you gotta meet Kev while he’s in town this weekend. You’ll love him,” he said in reference to his best friend, who I’d heard a lot about but never met. Jason had pretty much just been under me and kept away from his business.
I playfully responded, “Not as much as I love you.”
“Aw, babe, you know you wonderful, don’t you, girl?” He grabbed me close and kissed me.
“You gonna make me go against my rules and marry you. That what you tryin’a get me to do? Fallin’ all hard for you and stuff.”
We both laughed.
“Seriously, Reese, Kev is golden. He has been my best friend since we were kids. I can trust him wit’ my life.”
He grabbed his cell and turned it on to call Kev and let him know we were coming out. Before I could say a word to Jason, he was fast down the stairs. He talked about Kev all the time so I was excited to finally be meeting him. Jason had told me he and Kev were inseparable and that they were more like brothers than friends. He told me they had been friends since they were kids and how they had gone into business with each other years back. He went on to tell me they came to Columbus to expand their business.
“Babe, you ready to go?” Jason hollered up the stairs.
I was in my mirror, putting the finishing touches on my hair. “Be down in a sec, babe!” I screamed.
“Okay, baby, hurry. We still have to drop some money off at the sitter’s for the boys!”
I loved Jason for caring about my sons as much as he did. I believed he did because he didn’t have any children of his own. He was such a loving man and my boys loved him just as much as he loved them. But I was in for a surprise from this point on.
Chapter 7
The Best Friend
I was finally ready to meet Jay’s best friend, Kev, but for some reason I was nervous. I thought maybe it was ’cause of all of the good things Jay had said about him. Was I even worthy to meet the almighty Kev?
I gave myself one more glance in the mirror, then turned out the light and began to walk down the stairs. I could see Jay standing at the end of the stairs with his back turned away from me. He was talking to Kev on his cell. I knew this because he’d said his name while talking to him. I heard him ask Kev if he was playing pool. I stopped halfway down the steps and listened to what Jason was saying. He had his speaker on so I could hear their entire conversation.
“Man, you interruptin’ my shot! I got two grand on this game,” I heard Kev say.
“Where you at? I want you to meet somebody,” Jason proclaimed.
I heard a long sigh come from Kev before he said anything else. “Who, Jay?” Kev sighed again. He sounded so frustrated with Jay, but I had no idea why. “We down here for money,” Kev snapped. “Look, Jay, I know how you get around women and it ain’t always good, so maybe I need to remind you why we in Columbus. We down here for the money, Jay, not some chicks!”
I continued to listen to their private conversation. I wanted to hear more so I stayed there on the steps and eavesdropped, hoping Jay didn’t turn around and catch me.
“Jay, come on now; you know that Columbus is our ticket into making millions.” Kev stopped talking for a second and I could tell he was taking his shot. I heard the stick hit the ball, then the other balls and down one of the pockets on the pool table.
“Yes!” he shouted with victory, then turned his attention back to his conversation with Jason. “Jason, I’m not tryin’a get into yo’ business, man. I just don’t want nothing to mess that up; after all, it’s my business too.”
Jason was getting angry at how Kev was talking to him. I could tell he was getting angry because the truth hurts, though, and from the tone of Kev’s voice Kev was telling him the truth. True enough Jason was a little high-strung and would get involved with women. He’d told me a time or two. This sometimes created drama for himself, the crew, and the woman involved, but nobody had been bold enough to tell him but Kev. Everyone else who worked for them was afraid. Again, I’d been told a time or two.
“What you mean, Kev? You think I’m out of control or somethin’?”Jason questioned.
I watched Jason try to stay in control but it was obvious he was getting upset. I started walking slowly down the stairs when I heard Kev answer Jason calmly. “Naw, man, you not out of control. You do what you do. We at the Brownstone playin’ pool.”
It seemed as if Kev realized there was nothing he could say to Jason to get him to understand, so he let it go. I could sense the worry of him wondering if Jason was gonna bug out sooner or later. He would be more than likely the one responsible for picking up the pieces. Kev had always picked up Jason’s pieces whenever Jason got himself in trouble. Kev was there to make the situation right.
Jason had a problem with his temper and had put his hands on more than a few of the women he dated in the past, but Kev would smooth out the problems by paying the women or sweet-talkin’ them into just leaving Jason alone, for their own good that is.
“All right, man, I’ll be there in a minute.” Jason hung up, then turned around and noticed me coming down the steps. He smiled. “You ready to go?” He put his arm around my waist, then kissed my cheek.
“Yep, ready to go.” I didn’t tell him I heard his conversation, and I was pretty sure he didn’t know. We left, headed to the sitter’s first, then to the club.
After we stopped by Toya’s and gave her money to take the boys to Magic Mountain, we went to meet Kev. Kev was still playing pool when he saw Jason coming through the door.
They locked eyes and raised their heads at each other to signify saying, “What’s up.” Next, Jason started talking to a few fellows in the room.
Kev turned around and continued to shoot pool. I knew who he was right away ’cause I remembered him from Eva’s party. I couldn’t help but watch him shoot, because the brother was so fine. I remembered that he and I had given each other the eye the whole while we were at the dinner party. To be real, I was a little surprised when Jason came out to get my number instead of him. I chalked it up that maybe I had imagined the connection that night or something.
After making his shot, Kev turned around again and looked at Jason. He did a double take, and that’s when he noticed me. Kev looked surprised but still remained cool. When Jason saw Kev looking, he grabbed my hand and walked over to him.
“Here, baby, sit right here for a second.” He pulled out a chair near to them. I could hear everything they were saying but I didn’t know what they were talking about, nor did I care.
“Sorry, man, I beat you to it. Besides, Kev, you got a woman in New York.” Jason smiled. “And you don’t cheat.” He either winked or had something in his eye. Jason laughed and walked away, saying to me, “Baby, baby, come and meet my best friend, Kev.” He grabbed my hand and we walked over to Kev.
I could tell Jason thought the whole thing was funny, but I didn’t know what the joke was then, only later. However, Kev didn’t think anything was funny and he was wearing the stern look on his face to prove it.
“Kev, this right here is the love of my life.” Jason was hugging me and he had his arm around my neck. I put my hand out to shake Kev’s.
“How you doin’?” he greeted me.
