"Sugah and Spice"

Chapter 13

                Coffee pulled up in front of Espresso’s house. He hated being the bearer of bad news but it was something that couldn’t go overlooked or taken lightly. Mya had hurt Espresso in ways no one could imagine. She nearly broke him beyond repair. Coffee was there to help pick up the pieces, but then his world came crashing down too. Simone and Mya were vicious. They didn’t care about anyone or anything but themselves. And now that Simone was in town, Coffee was sure Mya wasn’t far behind. He sat in his car contemplating a way to break the news to his friend. Espresso and he had been friends since high school. When Java came to him to help her get out of her situation, Espresso was the first person he called. They were family, a brother Coffee and Java had always wanted. A light knock on his car window, startled him. “What up, Coff, man what you doing sitting out here in the car? Bring your pretty ass on in here so we can watch the damn game,” Espresso said walking back into the house.

                When Coffee entered the house, he laughed. There waiting in the game room was every type of junk food he loved and ate whenever he and Espresso watched sports. There was popcorn, hot wings, pizza, French fries, nachos, pickles and chips, candy, shrimp cocktail, meatballs and spaghetti, beer, soda and any other type of drink he might want. Espresso had a nice spread set out and Coffee immediately took refuge in it. Maybe if he got his belly full, he could relax. “Damn, you went all the way out but I ain’t mad at cha boy,” he said with a mouth full of nachos.

                “Oh Coff, you nasty bastard, wipe ya damn mouth, dude. I don’t want to see that shit. You always did like talking with ya mouth full, huh. I know ya mama raised you better than that. What the hell, bro, you act like you ain’t eat shit in days,” Espresso teased, picking back up the plate he had obviously been eating off before Coffee showed up. Shoving a hand full of fries into his already stuffed mouth, Coffee nodded in agreement. He chomped on the food before speaking again. “Man, I haven’t eaten anything all day long. I was hella busy today and what happened during my last class truly fucked me up, big time.” Espresso stared with Coffee a while. He chewed on his own mouthful of food. When he was able to speak without spitting out food, he wanted to know what happened. Both men smacked on their food, uncivilized like. Whenever they were alone, doing their man thing, they let all their home-training and manners go. “It must have been some serious shit to keep your greedy ass from eating. I know how much you love food. Just tell me! Did it involve some stupid ass student trying to get answers to the first test? I remember that happened to you last semester,” Espresso snickered. He loved hearing some of the dumb shit Coffee experienced with his young students.

                Coffee wasn’t ready to talk about that now, he was finally at peace. He didn’t want the feeling to end so soon. “Nah, nothing likes that, yet but I bet it is coming. I always have a few who think I can just throw money or try to sweet talk me into giving answers, A’s and free dick. But you know ya boy ain’t having that nonsense.” Espresso pounded fists with his dear friend. They laughed, ate and watched the game. “I am so glad football season is back. I love summer but football is my shit. I hate that I didn’t go pro. We wouldn’t be sitting here right now, that’s for damn sure if I had.” If only he hadn’t blown out his knee during training camp, Espresso thought. When the Steelers learned of his severe injury, they dismissed him, sending him home with broken dreams. That was a low point in his life but that all changed when he met Mya. She was there for him when he underwent surgery. She took care of him during his recovery and rehab and helped encourage him to continue his education. Espresso thought for sure that she would become Mrs. Dexter Cole. Coffee saw the faraway look suddenly appear on his boy’s face and wanted to know what was on his mind. “Hey, you okay over there, Dex? You look like you deep in thought. What’s up? I know you probably thinking about the, could a, would a, should a’s but all worked out for the best. Don’t constantly beat yourself up about what happened to your knee, man.”

                “I know Coff but it’s hard. I think about that shit every day that passes by,” he said with sadness in his eyes. “Oh well, everything does happen for a reason, right. I am very fortunate to have the life that I have. There are many people who aren’t so blessed, Coff. I thank God daily for giving me a brain with all of this finest,” Espresso said, rubbing his hands down the front of his body. Coffee couldn’t help but crack up laughing. Dex was a fool. They watched the rest of the game and when the game was finally over, they both felt like stuffed turkeys. Coffee looked up at the watch on the wall and sighed to himself. It was getting later. He knew that the time had come for him to tell Espresso about seeing Simone. He set up and took a deep breath. “Man, I am so full. I am going to have to hit the gym hard in the morning to work off all these calories I done put down this evening.” 

                “Yeah, I hear ya. I am still sore from my workout this morning but I will be down in the gym in the morning too. I love having my own gym. That way I don’t have to wait for a damn machine, watch all the wannabe’s try too hard, worry about getting all those damn germs from the sweat and shit people leave behind or get distracted by all the fine ass honeys using that damn thigh machine. Man, they know what the hell they doing, opening and closing their legs, revealing all that pussy. I used to be in there hurting because my dick was so hard.” Coffee knew exactly what Espresso was talking about. He too had had his share of hard-ons from women using that particular machine. They laughed again. Coffee got up and went to use the restroom. Before he returned to join Espresso, he threw cold water on his face, looked himself straight in the eyes in the mirror for a much needed pep-talk. He was finally ready to have the conversation.

                Coffee took his seat and got serious. “Hey man, I need to wrap with you for a minute. It’s serious!” That got Espresso’s attention. He turned down the surround system and looked at his boy. “What’s up, Coff. Speak on it.”

“You are not going to believe who talked into my class today, bro. That conniving bitch acted as if nothing happened. I could have slipped the hell out of her. She lucky I don’t hit women.” Espresso was interested. He waited on Coffee to finish. “Simone, dude. She is in one of my classes and get this, the same one that Sugah is. They had a stare off today and I could feel the tension and hatred they have for each other and don’t even know another. I wanted to let you know because if she’s back, Mya may be also.” That last statement sent a wave of emotion over Espresso. The mere mention of her name made him want to wring her damn neck. She was a dirty, scheming bitch. If he saw her, she would be sorry.

“Did Simone say anything about her? Those two hoes just won’t stay away, huh. I bet not see Mya. She has a lot of explaining to do, Coff. I want answers. Hell, I need answers. Nigga, I gotta know!” Coffee burst into laughter, thinking about Espresso’s comment. That was something Eddie Murphy’s character on the movie “Life” said to Martin Lawrence’s character. It was funny as hell. “Man, what the fuck so funny? This here is so sick shit. Maybe then I can move the hell on with my damn life. That brood fucked me up. Coff, I’m a be honest with ya, bro. There is no telling what I would have done if I had run into her trifling ass. Thanks for letting me know that she may be back. I really appreciate that. I wonder why Simone registered in one of your classes. Yeah, I know. Because she wanted to see the reaction on your face when you saw her, to see if you still have feelings for you. Bitches ain’t shit, man! So, what now? We need a plan. If they show up on some other type shit, I’m a be on one, fa real! I don’t know what the hell one is but I will definitely be on it.” Espresso got up and paced the floor. He shook his head from side-to-side, trying to figure out where he and Mya went wrong. He gave her everything she wanted, plus some but that hadn’t been enough. She played him like a fiddle, in a redneck bar.

                “I know. We have to think of something. The fashion show is this coming weekend and if she is in town, I know that they will be there. Those two like to be in the limelight, fucking attention whores.” Coffee was pissed beyond the level of pisstivity. “I can’t deal with this right now. Let me sleep on this and get back with cha tomorrow. I need to go clear my mind and get some rest. I have to teach all day tomorrow and this is just too much.” Espresso nodded. He didn’t want to deal with it either but they both knew that if they didn’t, Simone and her evil ass partner in crime, would do more damage to them than hurricane Katrina did to the people of New Orleans. They were just that damn scandalous.