Be Bad For Me(16)

Chapter 9





Later that night before getting ready for bed, Annette decided to call  Anthony one last time. She didn't understand why he hadn't called her by  now to check on their date to the comedy club. Maybe he had gotten tied  up at the studio. This time Anthony answered his phone.

"Hey, baby girl. What's up?" he answered.

"Hi," she said with no expression in her voice. "What are you doing?"

"Eating," he replied.

"You're just eating dinner at almost nine at night?"

"Yeah … I been working, baby."

"Well, it would have been nice of you to call me and let me know that you weren't going to make it to the show?"

"Oh! I swear I forgot all about that! I'm sorry, baby. What time did it start?"

"I've been calling you since this afternoon. Many, many times."

"Oh, yeah? I was in the studio all day. I completely forgot about that comedy thing."

"I figured when you didn't call me at seven as planned that you weren't  going. I wasn't really calling you over and over again for that, though.  I had a flat tire, Anthony, and was stranded on the interstate."

"Oh, my gosh, baby. I'm sorry. Did you call the studio? Did you get your spare on? Where's your car?"

"I took care of everything myself. I needed all new tires, too."

"I feel so bad right now. When I'm finished eating, do you want me to come see you?"

What did he mean did she want him to come see her? Didn't he want to  come see her? "You know what? No, I don't want shit from you right now!"  She was so pissed off that she hung up in his face and turned her cell  phone off. Maybe she would give him a dose of his own medicine.         

     



 





Chapter 10





The next evening, Annette, Bianca, and Denise met each other after work  to have dinner together. They were seated at a small table outside on  the patio of a sports bar downtown.

"You like that new job, Annette?" Bianca asked.

"Oh, hell, yeah. I'm still part time and temp, but they're supposed to  be opening up a couple permanent positions in another month or two."

"You should have that in the bag, Annette. There's no way their gonna  wanna spend the time training someone else for the position when you  already know the ropes."

"You never know, so I'm always on my best behavior." The familiar tune  from her cell phone interrupted them. Bianca and Denise looked too as  she checked to see who it was. She didn't recognize the number and  didn't want to be rude by and interrupting the conversation with Bianca  and Denise to answer her phone. She ignored the call and placed the  phone back in her handbag. Maybe they would leave a message. If not, she  would redial the number when she got home.

"Did y'all hear about Tango's party next week?" Bianca asked.

"Is it this weekend or next?"

"Next weekend," Bianca said. "We should go together."

"I thought you were going with TJ," Denise said to Bianca.

"Naw … he said he might not be there."

"Isn't TJ a member of Heat Ryderz MC?" Annette asked.

"Yeah. He said they were recruiting new experienced members. They're  going to some kind of Atlantic Beach convention for bikers in about a  month. I asked him how I can be a member and he said members can only be  initiated in by other members."

"What does that mean? Can't he initiate you?" Denise said. "Girl, you can ride. I've seen you on a bike before."

"Basically, I think you have to look a certain way and like to do  certain things. He told me that he has a partner, another girl that  rides with him when they go out on weekends already."

"What? I'd tell that bitch to get the stepping." Denise snapped her fingers. "Ain't he yo' man, now?"

"It doesn't work like that. He said they weren't fuckin' or nothing like  that. He said he just invites her to ride because of her looks to  compliment him or the bike or something. But he said that she's not his  type." Bianca frowned and poked at her food.

"The way she looks? What does that mean?" Annette asked. She thought  about her time with Jordan the night before. Jordan had invited her to  ride one weekend. You look like you belong on a bike with me, he had  said. Did that mean that he had considered her as Heat Ryderz material?

"You know … edgy, but still sophisticated … gangsta, but still classy … that's what he said."

"And he doesn't think you're good enough?" Denise asked, sipping her lemonade.

"Well, he said that I was possible girlfriend material."

"Possible," Denise spat. "Who does he think he is? I would have told his ass off."

"Well, I guess that's a start," Annette said.

"I'm still dreaming about that dude that was with him," Denise said, "What's his name, Annette? Jordan, right?"

"Yeah, I actually talked to him yesterday. He works at the repair shop where I got my tires."

"Oh! You did?" Denise's eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh, really?" Bianca was surprised as well.

"And do you have anything to do with giving him my number, Bianca," I asked, cutting my eyes at her.

She smiled. "TJ snatched my phone from me and got it when we were at the  club. You should be thanking me. His ass is fine. We can trade, you  know. You can have TJ and I'll take Jordan off you."

"Don't jump to conclusions. It ain't nothin' like that. He's pretty cool folk, though. He's a member, too, you know."

"TJ told me that. I think it's like twenty dudes or close to something  like that. Some of them have initiated females in the group who either  ride with them or on their own."

"Don't you at least find him a little attractive, Annette?" Denise  scooped up some ketchup with a couple fries and stuffed them in her  mouth.

"Are you kidding me? Yes, he is fine, no doubt, but y'all know that I'm in a relationship."

"What relationship?" Bianca snapped, smacking her teeth.

Annette smacked her teeth back. "Anthony, remember?"

"That muthafucker get on my nerves," Bianca said.

"He acted a damn fool on that dance floor a couple weeks ago," Denise agreed.         

     



 

"Y'all are not going to be talkin' about my man that way. He did what he  had to do to let other men know to keep their hands off," Annette said.  She couldn't believe that she was defending Anthony and she was still  mad at him. When she hung up on him last night, she had to force herself  not to call him back and beg him to come see her. It had almost been a  full twenty-four hours and she still hadn't answered any of his phone  calls.

Annette remembered something and turned to Denise, "Do you know a girl named Candy that works at the radio station?"

"No, at least not in the accounting department, why?"

"Nothing, Anthony just mentioned her the other night." Annette shrugged her shoulders.

"She must be new. They just hired a bunch of people in the advertising  and public relations department. I think Anthony works in that  department a lot."

"Oh." Well, at least, she knew where Anthony had met Candy. Now, she  just had to figure out what they were doing at Club Dominos together.  That was the night when she sprained her ankle on the steps to her  apartment and she couldn't go out.

"I'll check around for you, if you want me to," Denise said.

"No, that's okay. It's no big deal. At least I know that they just work  together is all." She didn't want Denise and Bianca in her business too  much.

"All right, then," Denise said

"So, are we gonna go to Tango's party together, or not?" Bianca said.

"Yeah, why not?" Denise replied. "Can you introduce me to one of TJ's biker friends?"

"I told you that TJ might not be there."

"You know he gonna be there. He say that now ‘cause he probably doesn't want to come attached. You know how men are."

"You're right. Well, I'll be sure to be up in that bitch, then."

Bianca and Denise gave each other high fives.

"I think Anthony might want me to come with him, but I don't know yet,"  Annette said. Actually, that was the truth. She didn't want to tell her  friends yes and then have to tell them no when Anthony insisted that she  ride with him.

"It ain't like he's gonna be up on you all night. You might as well come with us and meet his trifling ass there," Bianca said.

"I'll let y'all know."





Chapter 11





When Annette got home later, she was surprised that Anthony was waiting  in the parking lot, leaning against the hood of his new Mercedes. Before  getting out of her car, she tried to hide her smile. She didn't want to  make it seem that he had gotten off easy for forgetting about their  date last night, and leaving her neglected on the side of the interstate  with a flat tire, and not answering his phone for several hours.

Two girls were standing outside on their patios and were clearly  checking out Anthony. They were whispering to each other and giggling.  Anthony was pretending that he didn't see them as he typed away on his  smartphone.