The Stud Palace Read Free

down at the rec center. And I’ve been lounging around the house, reading this book, Brick , by one of my favorite authors, Allison Hobbs. And, truthfully—BFF or not, I’m a little pissed that she’s disrupting my reading time with this nonsense again. Every six months or so, she catches Dante with his dick buried in someone else’s holes, they argue, she smashes up his shit, throws him out, then miraculously he finds a way to maneuver himself—and his things—right back into her space. The crazy thing is, it’s no secret that she’s not leaving him anytime soon. I’ll never understand why she puts up with it. Then again, no one would ever understand why Kareem and I break up as many times as we have to only end up right back together. So who am I to judge? I keep my mouth shut, as always.
    “I’m so sick of this damn nigga and his bullshit, it’s ridiculous. I’m telling you, girl, I’m ready to punch him dead in his face and stab his ass up.”
    I shake my head. “Calm down, girl. Put the weapon down. There’s no need for violence, or you getting all psycho. Now tell me. What—or should I say, who —did Dante do this time?”
    “I’m so pissed right now I could spit fire.” She huffs in my ear. “I found an opened box of condoms in this nigga’s car, with three rubbers missing.”
    “Oh, wow. And what did he have to say when you confronted him about it?”
    “His lying, black ass told me they weren’t his. Then he had the nerve to say I’m always somewhere looking for shit. Talking ’bout I’m always starting shit and acting all paranoid. So I asked him if they weren’t his, then why the fuck did he have them hidden in his trunk under the mat where the goddamn spare tire is.”
    “Ooops and what did he have to say about that?”
    “Girl, please. What could he say? Not a goddamn thing. He stood there looking like he had shit in his drawers. Then the nigga tried to flim-flam his way out of it by asking me what the hell I was doing snooping around in his trunk. I told his ass that it’s my job to snoop ’cause his black ass is so goddamn sneaky. ”
    I frown. “A mess.”
    “Yeah, and it’s all his; dumb ass. I’m not even mad about the fact that he cheated. I’m pissed that the nigga can’t be honest about it. Shit, why can’t niggas stick to the script? As many times as I’ve brought home other women for him, he knows I’ll let him fuck all the extra pussy he wants as long as I know about it. So why this nigga gotta be sneaky and lie like he’s getting over or some shit is beyond me.”
    I almost fall over in my seat. I blink, surprised at what I’m hearing. “You what?”
    “You heard me, girl. Dante and I have an open relationship. Or at least I thought we did.” She pauses, then sucks her teeth. “This nigga is always doing some extra shit behind my damn back, like I’m not gonna eventually find out about it. Niggas are so fucking stupid.”
    I’m not going to lie. I feel a tinge of jealousy flash through me hearing that she and Dante have what I want with Kareem—an uninhibited relationship. But at least I don’t have to worry about Kareem cheating on me like Dante does on her. Before I can open my mouth to question her more about what she’s just told me, I hear Dante in the background saying something to her and she starts going off. “Dante, get the fuck out of my face, nigga! I’m not playing with you. We ain’t got shit else to talk about until you tell me who that bitch is you were fucking and why the fuck you couldn’t bring her home! Your greedy ass always gotta be sneaky about shit . . .!”
    He says something else, but I can’t make out what it is. I clutch the phone, pressing it tightly against my ear, straining to hear him. But all I hear is a bunch of scuffling around and shit smashing and doors slamming. I try to get Sheena to calm down before she ends up getting arrested and I end up being the one having to bail her out, again. “Sheena!