In Too Deep Read Free

She and my mother hit it off from the start, which I knew they would. My pops was more than pleased. I introduced Monique to Jalisa six months later. I waited that long because I wanted to make sure that we were on the right track. Just like she did with my parents, Monique immediately clicked with Jalisa. It was almost hard to believe she didn’t have any kids of her own the way she carried on with my little girl. That was a big reliever for me, because there’d been other women who didn’t get along with Jalisa in the past, which was why I was no longer with them. Everything was working out for me. I had a beautiful little girl and a sexy, intelligent woman at my side. My future was looking damn bright.
    And then the migraines started.
    Out of the blue, Tina, who couldn’t seem to stand me before, suddenly came to the realization that I was her soul mate. Of course, I knew her change of heart was because of my growing relationship with Monique. I think up until that point, she thought I was going to come crawling back to her, begging for her to take me back. Once that didn’t happen I think she suddenly realized what she’d lost when she’d decided to sleep around with her former agent behind my back.
    At first Monique let Tina’s meddling roll off her back. Like I said, Tina wasn’t the first pain in the ass she’d dealt with, and baby mama drama wasn’t new to her. She’d gone through similar circumstances herself, so she knew how to deal with Tina’s little comments or her unexpected visits to my place. But as time passed, and Tina’s persistence increased, the inevitable started to happen: our relationship began to suffer. It just became too hard for Monique to ignore Tina’s unfriendly attitude toward her and the way she blatantly threw herself at me. As Tina had undoubtedly hoped, Monique and I started to argue. She couldn’t understand why I accepted Tina’s nonsense. Why I let Tina call whenever she wanted. Why I never put her in check when she was out of line. Why, when Jalisa was with Tina for the summer, she still found it necessary to call me.
    â€œWhy is she calling? She has Jalisa with her. What could she possibly need?”
    â€œBaby, don’t worry about her. She just wanted to let me know what time they would be arriving next week.”
    â€œAt one o’clock in the morning?”
    â€œIt’s only seven o’clock in Italy.”
    â€œAnd she knows what time it is here. Come on, Randy. Why don’t you put a stop to her shit? You know what she’s doing. She knows what she’s doing.”
    â€œBaby, everything’s fine. There’s nothing to worry about.”
    â€œRight. And maybe one day she and I could be friends.”
    â€œI wouldn’t allow that. I need you just the way you are—untainted.”
    â€œThen why do you allow her to do what she’s doing? I know you don’t tell me everything she says to you. But I know she’s saying something you don’t like, or don’t want to hear. I can read it in your face.”
    â€œMonique, I’ll handle Tina, Okay?”
    â€œWhen? I’m getting tired of her calling whenever she wants to. I’m tired of her little surprise visits. And damn it, if she gives me one more smart-ass comment, or look, I’m going to slap some ugly on her.”
    â€œBaby, can’t we all just get along?”
    â€œI’m not joking.”
    And she wasn’t, either. Because the following week when Tina brought Jalisa home, she did what she normally did, and Monique did exactly as she promised. She smacked Tina so hard, I know the makeup artists had a field day trying to cover up her bruise. I couldn’t blame Monique, though, because Tina deserved it. But it all happened in front of Jalisa, and even though Tina was Tina, she was still Jalisa’s mother.
    â€œWhat the hell was that about?” I’d asked Monique. I