Capricorn
Chapter 52

Lunar Years of the Pig:
* 1923 (Feb. 16, 1923 - Feb. 6, 1924)
* 1935 (Feb. 4, 1935 - Jan. 23, 1936)
* 1947 (Jan. 22, 1947 - Feb. 9, 1948)
* 1959 (Feb. 8, 1959 - Jan. 27, 1960)
* 1971 (Jan. 27, 1971 - Feb. 14, 1972)
* 1983 (Feb. 13, 1983 - Feb. 1, 1984)
* 1995 (Jan. 31, 1995 - Feb. 18, 1996)
* 2007 (Feb. 18, 2007 - Feb. 6, 2008)
* 2019 (Feb. 5, 2019 - Feb. 17, 2020)
* 2031 (Feb. 16, 2031 - Jan. 30, 2032)
* 2043 (Jan. 29, 2043 - Feb. 10, 2044)

*

Ron sighed as he unlocked the door and walked into his apartment. When he locked the door behind him and turned around, he saw Carmen and her girlfriend in the kitchen. Her girlfriend was sitting on the island with a plate of pasta in her hand, and she was feeding Carmen, standing right in front of her, leaning against the counter. Besides, at work, he hasn't seen much of her. He hasn't seen much of anyone.

He hasn't heard from Missy. He hasn't heard from Adena. He hasn't heard from Craig, and he hasn't heard from or seen Carmen either, unless it was a quick pass in the hospital hallways. 

It's been over a week.

And the hospital hallways weren't the appropriate place to ask what the hell went on with his current roommate and ex-roommate. His curiosity was killing him. 

"Hey, stranger," he said to her as he dropped his bag by the door and walked into the kitchen space and to the other side of the island.

"Hey yourself," Carmen said to him, and then her girlfriend put a small forkful of pasta into her mouth. 

He kept forgetting what her girlfriend's name was. "So, um, what's your name again? I'm seeing a lot more of you here and there." Her back was facing him, and she turned to look at him.

"I thought I introduced you two. Damn, this is Nicki. Nicki, Ron. Ron, Nicki. Otherwise known as LALAAAAAA," Carmen teased her.

"Ohmygod stop it. I only go by my government out here in the real world," Nicki, aka LaLa, said as she swatted Carmen.

"That's where I know you from!" Ron said, putting two and two together. Or pretending to. "You dance at-"

"See? Only the vampires should know about my nightlife," Nicki said to her and swatted her again.

"No offense Nicki but I've been to every strip club in the state. I know about all of you. Dated some of you too. No judgment here."

"Yeah, Ron is cool. He helped me last minute with this place, and we're grateful, right?" Carmen reminded her.

Nicki sighed. "I wish everyone was like that."

"People are coming around," Ron said with a shrug. "So, um...you guys had some guy here last week or something? And left him here?" He hoped that quick segway wasn't too noticeable.

Carmen looked at Nicki. "You left him here?"

"He wouldn't wake up! I thought he was dead. I had to go, and I was gonna be late," Nicki said.

"I'm so sorry, Ron. I overslept, rushed out, and didn't have time to wake up either of them. I thought Nicki would take one for the team."

"I did. I brought him here," she said, and Carmen rolled her eyes. "Sorry, you guys, but I was going to be late to work. I made sure he was breathing."

"He didn't piss you off, did he?" Carmen asked him.

"No, it's funny because that's my old roommate. The one you just replaced. I thought he was bringing you back here because he was that far gone. But it's the other way around, huh?" he said with a chuckle. "Small world huh? So when he walked out of his old bedroom, I thought I was in the Twilight Zone. Can't believe he's back to his old tricks."

"What you mean?" they asked him. 

"Before we both met our girls, we were typical bachelors. He being a D.J. and me being a doctor with money got us a lot of-"

"Trouble?" Carmen asked and laughed.

"That too. Then all of a sudden, he switched up. He stopped the drugs. He still drinks like a sailor, though, and then he met his girlfriend, fell for her, HARD, and now they're one big happy family. Or WAS since he was here so recently..." he said, hoping they would spill some tea.

"Well, he told me they had broken up the night before. That's how I found him. Brokenhearted and drunk in a bar. It looked like he had been drinking for days already," Nicki disclaimed. She didn't want them thinking she was some one-night side piece. He said he was single. She didn't need that drama.

"I knew he wasn't in his right mind," Carmen said.

"So he seduced you with his drunk seductive charms, and you brought him here?"

"It was more the other way around. We knew each other already. He used to work at the strip club I work at."

"Ohhhhh," Ron said. Right. Shit. He fucked one of the strippers he used to work with. There was no way Adena was going to take him back now. It was bad enough that he even worked there.

"He got fired because of this big misunderstanding which was kind of my fault—long story. So I brought him back here. He didn't mention at all that he used to live here."

"He had no clue where he was when he woke up," Ron said.

"So he wasn't just a 'cutie at the bar,' you knew him?" Carmen asked her.

"Well yeah-"

"So why did you bring him back here?"

"Cuz you said come home. You missed me. You had a long day, and I told you, let's have some fun, and you were down with it."

"Yeah, because I thought he was just a cute stranger. You worked together? You been with him before?"

Uh oh, Ron thought to himself. Another can of worms opened. 

"We just worked together. The bar was the first time we sat down and talked. Like Ron said, he found that girl of his and settled down. He would play the music, get his money and bounce. He never looked at any of us. All the girls want a turn."

Ron chuckled, "Pimpin' ain't easy." He was proud of him.

"And you finally got yours?" Carmen said to her.

"Don't do that," Nicki said to her. "What did I get? Nothing. He couldn't get it up, remember? Then he passed out while we tried to remove his pants."

Ron almost spits out his drink. He couldn't get it up? Damn. Such an L. He HATED when that happened. 

Or maybe it wasn't an L. "Wait, so you all just made out, and he passed out? You didn't do anything? It got pretty rowdy in there."

"He didn't do anything, but we still did," Nicki said and winked at Carmen, but she wasn't amused or impressed. "Carmen, stop it."

"Just admit it; you've wanted to fuck him," Carmen told her.

"He was so sad. I was just trying to cheer him up and get him someplace safer. Who knows where he would have ended up? Besides, it was my fault he was fired, and I felt I owed him."

"So to apologize for firing him, you decide fucking him would be the best way to do that? What is that? An I.O.U. Fuck? A Pity Fuck? You got rid of your guilt and got to fuck your work crush. A 2-FOR-1. Good for you."

"Where the hell is this coming from?" Nicki asked her.

"We agreed on being honest with each other." 

To get you all caught up, Nicki and Carmen were trying out being a polyamorous couple, and they were still working out the kinks. "Was he a crush or just some dude at the bar?"

"Both?" Nicki said. Carmen's eyes widened at her. "You said to be honest! He's not even a crush; I just wanted to fuck. You know, like that nurse you brought home?"

"He was just a guy who somehow had the same route home as me. We don't work together. He works at a clinic in Harlem. We never chatted until that night, and I brought him back here."

"So it's ok when you do it?" Nicki asked her.

"Wait, I thought you didn't like guys?" Ron asked her.

"She doesn't know what she likes," Nicki said with a firm roll of her eyes, crossing her arms. As she said that, the door opened, and in walked Missy. She stopped short when she saw her almost ex-boyfriend talking to two beautiful women in the apartment they used to share. "Who are you?" Nicki asked her with an attitude.

"Who the fuck are you?" Missy asked as she closed the door behind her and walked up. Ron intercepted her. "Who is she?" she asked him.

"That's Nicki. Carmen's GIRLFRIEND," Ron reiterated. Carmen walked into her bedroom with a huff, and Nicki followed her. "Why you just popping up here? You didn't even call."

"I never had to before, and I still have a key," Missy said as she swirled the small keychain around her finger. 

"And you wanted to catch me doing something, I bet."

"That's the last thing I want," Missy said as she walked past him and into his bedroom. He followed behind her and closed the door. 

"Well, what are you doing here then?" he asked her.

Missy sighed. She wanted to come over and talk, but seeing those two girls, one of them who looked like she just came from a strip club, turned her off immediately. See. She knew it. It was only a matter of time before he had half-naked chicks over here while she wasn't around. "I came here to get more stuff."

"You got everything the last time you came over, remember?"

"I thought I did," she said and surveyed the room. She hoped. She needed an excuse. There had to have been something she left behind so she wouldn't look like a complete idiot and be on her way. 

"Ok, what did you leave?"

"Just leave me alone, alright?"

"So you just barge in, claim you left something in my room, and now you don't want to talk to me?"

"This used to be our room. Ours," Missy said as she searched the room for something that was hers. She should have never come over here.

"You need any help?"

"Nope, I got it. You can go back to your threesome."

"What part of 'that's Carmen's girlfriend' did you not understand?"

"You know how many girls I fooled around with who had girlfriends or boyfriends? That doesn't mean anything. Besides, she said she liked guys now, right?" Missy asked him. "'Oh, I thought you didn't like guys,'" she said, mocking him. "I could see it from a mile away."

"No matter how you want to twist it, I don't want that girl, and she don't want me."

"Now..." Missy said. "Let me leave you alone a little while longer. Just wait until you get bored. The three of you get all friendly in the kitchen, and the next thing you know, they're both on top of you."

"You really think that low of me?"

"I know how you used to be."

"I know how you used to be. That doesn't mean I think you want to fuck anything that moves?"

"Unless it's a guy I was trying to help out?"

"You mean The Rock? He obviously liked you. You said so yourself. He had a crush on you."

"That's not his name. His crush on me doesn't matter if he means nothing to me."

"Now..." he said, mocking her back. "Let me have left you two alone a little while longer. Wait until you get bored or have too much to drink. The two of you get all chummy in MY kitchen, and the next thing you know, you're on top of him."

Missy rolled her eyes. "I'm glad to know you think so low of me. I'm a hoe. If you don't trust me, just say that."

"Ohmygod Miss, I was joking. It's called turning the tables. I was pointing out a double standard. I'd be a hoe if I did what you claim I will do once I get bored. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"I could easily think the same about you."

"There. You finally said it-"

"BUT. I don't. I never did. I was paranoid it would happen, though. I'm not gonna lie. It could happen."

"Fine, we're both paranoid and don't trust each other. SO it's best we end this before someone gets hurt and walks in on one of us fucking someone else in the kitchen."

"That's not what I meant, Miss."

"Can you leave me alone now? Please?" Missy asked him as she walked into the bathroom and kept searching. She looked under the sink. Damn, did she really take everything? She shouldn't be surprised. Adena's been saying she had a lot of shit. Which she knew would turn into, so when will you get your own spot?

"Hey, Miss?"

"What, Ron?" she asked as she stuck her head out of the bathroom and paused.

"Is this what you're looking for?" he asked with a smirk as he held up a bright green thong.

She frowned. "Wow, no. That's not even mine." What was she even still doing here? This was just another disappointment all over again. "I'll see you around," she said as she walked to his door. He intercepted her again.

"This is yours. Stop playing."

"It's too small. It's not even my size. Thanks for proving me right."

"Girl will you shut up and look," he said as he held up the tag. "Yeah, it's smaller. I found it under the bed. It must have been there for a minute. Probably back when we first met. That's why it's small."

"So now I'm fat?"

"Missy, are you serious?" he asked her. "Your ass is fatter, though. Whose fault is that?"

"Don't flatter yourself," she said as she snatched the thong from him. Shit, it was hers.

"Also, your favorite color is green. And the first night we were together, you had on that one piece that matched these exactly. Remember? You had just left the club with what's his name?"

"I remember," Missy said shortly, arms crossed. 

"Me? Didn't like him. Immediately. You? I liked you. Immediately."

"I know. You told me so at the Disaster Party."

They called it that because now whenever they talk about it, they can laugh because how wild was that?? 

"No, I never said that. We literally had just met there."

"You didn't have to say it," Missy said with a sassy smirk.

"Oh really?" Ron asked with surprise. "Well, you did beat Felicia's ass. That's when I knew," he said with a wink. "Then I run into you at the bodega. You literally were like a walking glow stick. I zeroed right in. I hadn't seen you since the party, and the dude you were with was whack. He walked past me and went up an aisle. You tried to walk past without noticing me, but I grabbed your hand. Your hands were freezing," he said to her.

"And that's exactly what you said. It was cold as hell. It was January. I'm always losing gloves. Your hands were warm."

"And that's exactly what you said. No wait. You said, 'And your hands feel good,' and then you winked at me. You tried to be slick and pretend you liked what's his name, but I held on to your hand just a little tighter. You thought saying that, winking at me like that and dressed like that, I would let you pass me by?" he asked as he tugged on the thong she was still holding. 

"You were drunk and horny."

"It didn't take long for you to join me," he said with a smirk as he looked down at her. He then grabbed her hand. "Remember what happened next?"

Missy sighed. "Yes. You asked me if I was on a date or something, and I said no. Cuz it wasn't. He was just a guy I got back in touch with because I was bored."

"Exactly, and then he yelled, 'Aye, Marissa, come on and grab me another six-pack.' We both said-"

"Who the fuck is Marissa?" they both completed. She smirked. 

"Because I remembered your name after meeting you once. I never forgot it. Never will. Then I asked if you wanna get out of there, and you nodded, and I took you out the back entrance. Leaving him in the cold. Literally."

"Supposedly, his dumbass stayed out there for 10 minutes. Freezing," Missy reminisced with a shake of her head.

"And then we were in a toasty Uber Pool next to another couple."

Missy laughed. "They were more drunk than we were. The girl had a flask, right? Had the nerve to ask me-"

"'You wanna try? Whoa, you glow in the dark!'" they both said and laughed. 

You had to be there.

"I didn't know if she was being racist or just stupid," Missy laughed. "I swear..."

"Then we came here. Stood here in this very spot..."

"I remember. It was warm..."

"Your whole body was like ice. You barely had anything on. I gave you Dusse to warm yourself up..." he said as he reached behind her and pulled her closer. "Remember?"

Missy only nodded. She felt like she was having an out-of-body experience. She felt like she was being transported back to that very moment. She would never forget it because she felt the exact way she felt right now. It was like everything was the same. Nothing had changed.

"Had you sweating after...wet after..." He leaned in to kiss her, and like in slow motion, his face came closer and closer to hers. "But be honest," he said as he paused. His lips were so close to hers that she could almost feel them. All he had to do was go for it. "You didn't come here looking for our first-time thong. What did you want?"

Why was he still talking? He wanted to talk now? She took a breath. "What do you think?" she asked him. Her eyes were closed, and their bottom lips touched for a second. 

"You missed me?" he asked her. She bit her lip and nodded, her eyes still closed. "Say you miss me."

She smirked. "You miss me," she said to him and then went for it. Their lips finally connected, and the moment became more than a deja vu. "You missed me," she said between kisses.

"Every minute," he said to her. Both their hands and lips roam all over each other. 

No more talking.

*

The Roosters are the most flamboyant of the Chinese Zodiac. Appearance is important. They're constantly improving themselves but are never satisfied with how they look.

*

As soon as Kehinde asked Adena to open a gallery with him, she got right to work while he was in Italy. Unfortunately, he would be swamped and gone for several weeks. He originally planned on going home to California. "I can come straight back to New York if you want to jump-start the process."

And jump-start she did. 

This new business venture was exactly what she needed. When she was swamped, she wouldn't think about Craig and not get upset. He threw her a curveball last week. While she was at dinner with Kehinde, Craig had called her. He didn't leave a voicemail, but he texted her. 

Adena, it's me. I'm on my way over. I need to see you.

It was hours later, but she needed to hear those words. She needed to hear from him. Once it hit her that she was going into this possibly life-changing career shift, the person she thought of first was Craig. If things were the way they used to be, she would go straight home and tell him the news first. 

The problem was she still felt the same way. After thanking Kehinde a hundred times, her ride home couldn't go any slower. Then there was a detour. She was so anxious the whole ride, and butterflies were in her stomach as she rushed inside. Now that she was getting bigger and it was more evident that she was pregnant, people went out of their way to help her. It was nice and everything...

They weren't doing it right, and their ways of helping her needed to be faster. She wasn't an old lady. 

She remembered the driver looking at her with wide eyes as she jumped out of the car without help and rushed inside. Craig hadn't said a word after that, so she hoped that meant he let himself in and was waiting. She was also panicking that he had given up and left.

When she walked into an empty apartment, her heart dropped and replaced the butterflies flying happily in her stomach. Did he give up? Was she too late? Again? Once it set in, her depression and tears turned into anger and four-letter words. Fuck him. Fuck him for standing her up when she didn't ask for him to come over in the first place. Why send that message at all?

That's what she decided to do with hers. She had a whole 4-page letter of text asking where he was and how he could do this. She then deleted it all. She didn't want to know why. Besides, fuck him. If he could have a quick change of heart and just leave, she could do the same. She wasn't going to give a response. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. She was going to show him that she didn't care at all.

She still lost a lot of sleep that night. 

She didn't make it any better by diving headfirst into this new business venture. She kept herself busy at work and worked from home as soon as she got off. When she was busy, everything around her disappeared. 

Even people.

Missy staying with her was a blessing in disguise. She had her best friend nearby. If Missy weren't living with her, she would have never seen her otherwise. She could close out the world but still be social with Missy around. 

What were they going to do once the baby came?

Sometimes she didn't have time to stress over the baby, which was good. The capacity in her mind was already full.

So full that she forgot a doctor's appointment and forgot to sign up and begin her Lamaze class. She was supposed to do it weeks ago. She sighed as she walked into the Center and searched for the class. She walked down the hall and then found it. Before she walked in, she peeked in to see what she was getting herself into.

She realized quickly that she would walk into more disappointment. The class had already started, which was a pet peeve of hers. However, every mother had a partner or someone they trusted as one. She would be the only 'mother' with no 'father.' 

She shook her head. "Nope."

She could watch Lamaze on Youtube, most likely. No need to add more work and disappointment on top of what she already had. She turned around and walked quickly back to the front lobby.

"No running in the halls!" came a voice.

She stopped short and turned around. She could recognize that voice anywhere. 

"Hey stranger," they said to her. 

Adena sighed. What was Taye doing here?

*

Roosters are very sensitive and vulnerable people. They are very susceptible to criticism and flattery, easily influenced by both. They're Yin animals and can either be supportive and inspirational or destructive and inflexible. 

*

https://youtu.be/GHy75KNqMDQ