Brothers and Wives Read Online Free

love it that Scottie dedicated a song to me. I want to enjoy the moment and begin to dance like I’m performing onstage at the freaking Toyota Center.
    “I don’t believe this shit!” LaNecia appears from nowhere, shouting at me as she approaches. This chick has thenerve to stand in front of me, competing with me for Scottie’s attention.
    “Who invited you here?” she asks.
    What’s with her? Can’t she see I’m busy?
    “Excuse me?” I ask, still rocking to the beat and shaking my ass. “Do I know you?”
    “You may not know me now … but you will.” She rudely narrows her eyes on my outfit. “Why are you dressed like that? You know what they say about people who dress all skimpy like you?”
    “No, I don’t know what they say. But fill me in.”
    “You’re dressed like a whore. No, not
like
a whore …”
    I stop dancing. “I
am
a whore? Is that what you’re trying to say?”
    “Yep.”
    “Look, little girl, whoever you are,” I say sarcastically.
    “I’m LaNecia.” She points at a wooden necklace she’s wearing that spells out the sentence “LaNecia is the SH#&.” Obviously monogrammed. “Can’t you read?”
    “I am a grown-ass woman, Miss LaNecia. I don’t know why you gots to be all up in my face. I was invited, if you don’t mind, and I’m about to finish dancing. The good part is about to come on.” I start rocking back and forth to the music again.
    “You’re too old to be dancing to Lil Wayne anyway.”
    “And how in the hell do you know how old I am?” I jiggle my butt and gyrate my hips.
    LaNecia opens her mouth again like she’s about to go off on me. The clergyman returns and steps past us to talk to Scottie at the deejay booth. I do a bunny-hopping dance move and bounce over a few spaces past LaNecia so I can discreetly check out the happenings. The clergyman gesturesat Scottie like he wants him to please stop the music. Scottie shakes his head. Turns the music up louder.
Boom, boom, boom!
I can feel the cement floor vibrate like aftershocks rumbling under my feet.
    Clergyman frowns and cups his hands over his mouth, yells something at Scottie. LaNecia swings her head around and storms over to the deejay booth, leaving me by myself. Soon she and the clergyman begin arguing.
    I put two and two together. The way that she listens to the preacher, then points a hard finger at Scottie, I can tell she’s defending him. The question is, Why is she taking up for Scottie over a man of the cloth? And I want to know why she’s given me a lot of attitude when she doesn’t so much as know my name.
    Meanwhile, I notice that people are now craning their necks and staring more at LaNecia’s antics than at me and my fancy dance moves. I slow things down a notch until I’m standing still. Thankfully, I hear my name being called and turn around to see Brax sitting on Vette’s lap. He waves happily at me. I wave back, then return to our table, take a seat next to them, and scoop Brax into my arms. I give him a loving hug. He squirms and yells, “No, Mommy, too tight!” I laugh, because I’m positive he knows I didn’t squeeze him
that
hard.
    “All right then, fine. Be that way,” I say and cover my face with my hands and start sniffing loudly and moaning. “Ahhh,” I cry. I peek at Brax through my fingers. His mouth is wide open as he gapes at me with his big ole pretty eyes.
    “Mama, don’t cry. Sorry.”
    I look up, laugh, and squeeze his cheek. “Got ya, Brax.”
    He laughs, too, giving me a toothy grin.
    “Y’all so crazy, Dani. You are still the same, girl.” Vetteshakes her head and starts sipping on a clear plastic cup filled with lemonade and ice chips. “And that’s exactly why my cousin LaNecia feels threatened.”
    I lean in closer. “I’ve noticed her bad attitude. What’s up with her?”
    “I’m not sure you’re ready for this part of our family history.”
    “C’mon Vette, quit messing around. I’m sick of this girl acting crazy with me, so go