Kitty-Kitty, Bang-Bang

She laughs. “Hey, Allstar; took you long enough to get there.”

He smiles, takin’ off his leather jacket, then sittin’ at the table. “Wassup, ma? Yeah, I got lost.”

“Well, I’m glad you finally made it. She was startin’ ta bore me wit’ ’er borin’-ass life. Blah, blah, blah.” He laughs. I tell ’er to watch ’er mouth. She keeps runnin’ ’er trap. Tells me she wanted to tell me that she had run into ’im at some party a few weeks ago, but figured I wouldn’t wanna hear it. And she’s right. Well, no…not really. Truth is I neva stopped thinkin’ ’bout this nigga. But I knew I didn’t have any intentions of eva callin’ ’im again.

I sweep up the mess Zaire made on the floor, finish cleanin’ ’im up, then take ’im outta his chair. I sit ’im on the floor and he starts crawlin’ ova to Alex. Alex picks ’im. “Hey there, lil’ man. Wassup, dude?” Zaire starts grinnin’ and tryna talk. “Give me five.”

I laugh when he slaps ’im. “That’s right, Zaire, baby. You know he deserved that.”

Chanel is grinnin’. “Awwwww, ya’ll look so cute. Like one big family.”

“Okaaay, bitch, I’ve had’a ’nough of you for one day.”

“Watch ya mouth, Boo.”

“Whateva,” I say, givin’ ’er the finga. “I’ma deal wit’ you later, ho.” She laughs. I slam the laptop monitor close on ’er. Alex laughs. And Zaire starts laughin’ louder. “Now back to you,” I say, takin’ Zaire from ’im. “Why are you here?”

“I’m here for you,” he says, gettin’ up from the table. He walks ova to me and Zaire. He hugs and kisses me as Zaire looks on. “I wanna ’notha shot at bein’ ya man.”

“I’m not givin’ out any more shots,” I say, walkin’ back into the family room. He follows behind me. I can feel the nigga’s eyes all up on my ass. I grin. “Stop starin’ at my ass.”

He laughs. “I can’t help it. There’s so much of it.”

“Whateva.” I sit Zaire in his playpen, then turn to face Alex, foldin’ my arms ’cross my chest. “Nigga, you tell me why you think I should give you anotha chance.”

He walks up on me, wrappin’ me up in his strong arms. “I had three bullets pumped in my chest and stomach by a bitch I aint give two shits ’bout and almost died. I’m willin’ to take those same three bullets in da heart, and die, lovin’ you. Baby, ain’t shit changed. I love you. I honestly thought I’d neva see you again. And my moms kept tellin’ me I needed to get ova you. But I couldn’t. I didn’t want to. Then I ran into ya peeps. And she told me e’erything I needed to know.”

I squint at ’im, raisin’ a brow. “Oh, yeah, and what’s that?”

He kisses me on the lips. “That you loved me.” I keep my trap shut, lookin’ up at ’im. He kisses me again. “That you missed me.”

“You a fool for listenin’ to ’er.”

“Nah, I don’t think so.” I try to step outta his embrace, but he holds on tighter. “You feel good in my arms.”

“Where you stayin’?” I ask, changin’ the subject. He tells me he’s at the Marriott ova on Fourth Street in San Francisco. I ask ’im how long he’s gonna be out here. He tells me for as long as he needs to be. I stare at ’im. “What’s up wit’ you and ya girl in LA? Ya’ll still fuckin’?”

“She ain’t my girl. And, no, we ain’t fuckin’. I deaded that shit the night I invited you to my spot. I already knew what it was.”

I glance ova at Zaire. He’s knocked out. “Be clear. I’m not sharin’ no nigga wit’ anyone, period.”

“And I ain’t lookin’ to let you.” I ask ’im how many chicks he’s fuckin’. “I ain’t had no pussy since you.”

I raise my brows. “Nigga, stop lyin’.”

“Nah, true story. I’ve been straight beatin’ this dick, fleshlightin’ it, and beatin’ up my blow-up doll. Who you been fuckin’?” I tell ’im ’bout Tone. “You need’a shut that shit down, today.”

I frown. “Nigga, you ain’t my man. And you ain’t runnin’ shit.”

“Whatever, yo. Shut that shit down, Kat. And let’s make this shit pop wit’ us. I’m tryna play for keeps, baby.”

I tilt my head. “What are you sayin’?”

He walks outta the den. Tells me he’ll be back. That he wants me to open the box he brought me. He walks back in, carryin’ it under his arm, handin’ it to me. “Open it.” I sit down on the sofa, then untie the ribbon, liftin’ the lid. The flowers are beautiful. Two dozen orchards and birds-of-paradise.

“Thank you,” I say, liftin’ up the card, then pullin’ it outta the envelope. I read it: I LOVE YOU, KAT, MORE TODAY, THAN THE DAY BEFORE. I WANNA BUILD A LIFE WIT’ YOU, BABY. WANNA BE ALL THE MAN YOU’LL EVER NEED. LOVE, YA MAN FOR LIFE…

“The flowers and card are beautiful. But you still haven’t told me why I should give you anotha chance.”

“There’s another box inside there,” he says, liftin’ up the flowers, then pullin’ it out. I blink. “Kat, I’m not goin’ anywhere. You’ve cursed me out, pulled a gun out on me, and moved three thousand miles away, and I’m still here, still standin’, still feelin’ what I feel.” He opens the box. “I love you, Katrina Rivera, and I wanna be ya husband, ya lover, and ya friend. I wanna grow old wit’ you. Raise mini-mes and mini-yous. And explore da world, and each otha, wit’ you—and only you. I wanna die knowin’ I loved you and you loved me back, baby. Will you marry me?”

I feel myself startin’ to hyperventilate. It feels like e’erything ’round me has stopped as I stare at the two- carat rock. My words get stuck in the back’a my throat.

“Ya peoples and my moms helped me pick out da ring. If it’s not what you want, we can go pick out sumthin’ else.”

I shake my head. “No, it’s beautiful,” I say, feelin’ myself becomin’ overwhelmed. I’ma fly, buttery bitch wit’ a buncha secrets. A cold-blooded killer, a ruthless bitch, wit’ dozens of bodies tagged wit’ ’er name on ’em. And— although I don’t plan on bodyin’ anyone else, I can’t say what I’ma do if I get the urge to pop anotha muhfucka’s top, like his if he tries to do me dirty.

“Well, baby…will you be my wife?” I look at ’im wit’ tears runnin’ down my face. I stare into his eyes as he kisses my tears. “Yo, you my fuckin’ heart, girl. Let’s make this shit official.”

I nod. “Yes,” I finally say in a whisper. I lean ova and kiss ’im in a way I’ve neva kissed any otha nigga. I kiss ’im wit’ a purpose I neva knew existed inside’a me. I kiss ’im wit’ more passion than I eva thought imaginable. And ’cause I’m that bitch, I slip my tongue deep into his mouth, and welcome ’im into the Kat Trap.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cairo resides in Northern New Jersey. He divides a lot of his time between Jersey and southern California, where he is working on his next literary creation, Man Swappers. His travels to Egypt are what inspired his pen name. You can email him at: [email protected]. Or visit him on his website/blog at www.booksbycairo.com, or at www.myspace.com/cairo2u, www.facebook.com/CairoBlacktheauthor, or www.blackplanet.com/cairo2u

IF YOU ENJOYED “KITTY-KITTY, BANG BANG,” WE’RE SURE YOU’LL LOVE THIS LITTLE TASTE OF CAIRO’S NEXT NOVEL MAN SWAPPERS COMING SOON FROM STREBOR BOOKS ENJOY!