Free Payback With Ya Life by Wahida Clark

excited. “Oh my God, you’re out!” she squealed.
    “Yeah, I’m out. I’ve been home for a couple of weeks.”
    “A couple of weeks? And you’re just calling me? I should hang up on yo’ ass.”
    “Nah. You don’t want to do that. Go easy on a nigga. I’m out here trying to get back on track. So how you holdin’ up and when can I see you?”
    Shit
. Peanut had caught her off guard fo’real. It’s like he always knew to call when she was straddling the fence. Here she had just gone out on a limb to set Shan up so that Forever could come home and the bitch didn’t even come to work. Instead she did one better and quit, making Nyla look and feel stupid. So now she was still pissed at Forever for fucking the bitch raw and getting her pregnant. She was at the point of love him or leave him. Unfortunately, she just couldn’t see leaving him since she had put in so much work. They were married and had their beautiful daughter, Tameerah. But that hadn’t stopped her from thinking of a get-back and Peanut just may be the answer.
    “You still there?” Peanut interrupted her flashback and train of thought.
    “I’m here.”
    “A nigga tryna see you, so what’s up?”
    Damn. He’s coming on strong. But shit, I wouldn’t mind seeing his ass. Beep.
“Can you hold on a sec, that’s my other line.” She pumped her fist.
Yes! Saved by the bell . . . or should I say the beep? And right before I got into something I ain’t have no business getting into.
    “Hold on? Do I look like a secretary, maine? Just tell me when can I see you.”
    “You gonna let me take this call or what? If you ain’t got time to wait, then call me back,” she went back at him and then clicked over. Whoever was on the other line hung up, so she clicked back over to Peanut. “Now was that so hard? It didn’t even take long,” she teased.
    “Naw, but tell me how long I’m going to have to wait to see you.” Yeah, he was pressin’ her. But he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. She was the ultimate picture of a lady in his eyes. He wanted her to be his lady. There was an attraction between them that he couldn’t control . . . no matter how hard he tried . . . and he knew that she could feel it as well. It didn’t matter to him that she was holdin’ a nigga down on lock. He wanted her to be his lady.
    “Actually—”
Beep.
“Shit, that’s my line again; do you mind holdin’ on?”
    “Damn, your line is bumpin’. I’m glad I called when I did or I probably would be the one struggling to get through. But go ahead. Do you need me to take some messages for you?” He was bein’ real smart with it.
    “You got jokes. Nigga, don’t be like that. I promise it won’t take long. Hold on.” She clicked over.
    It was Forever.
    Oh shit, oh shit.
She hopped around as if she were stepping on hot coals.
Just my luck. Does this nigga have ESP?
When the recording said
Press five to accept
, she hesitated. “Oh God, calm down, Nyla, breathe.” She finally did . . . as she pressed five.
    “Damn. I thought you wasn’t going to press five. Did I interrupt something?” Forever was nonchalant about it but she knew he was dead serious.
    “Hold on. Let me get rid of this call.” She clicked over before Forever responded. “Peanut, I gotta take this call.”
    “Is everything aiight?”
    “Yeah. Well, no. I’ll get back with you.”
    “You don’t even have my number. I’ll get back at you. Handle your business, shawty.” Peanut hung up.
    Nyla sighed as she clicked back over to Forever. “Yeah,” Nyla spoke drily.
    “Yeah? That’s all you got to say? Straight up, what dick got your mind gone?”
    “Forever, did you just call here to argue?”
    “I’m just sayin’ you—”
    “You’re just saying what, Forever? Huh? Why it got to be some dick? I can’t be tired of your shit? Of course not. You think your shit don’t stink.”
    “Damn. And your mouth fly. You can’t tell me another nigga ain’t in