12% of people marry because they are completely in love. 88% of people marry just so they are then liable for only half of their rent.

Mokokoma Mokhonoana

Truth be told...I was one paycheck away from disaster. I had left my baby's father, and for a while, I thought I could juggle everything on my own. I was a full-time student and paralegal at a small law firm. I had a beautiful apartment with all utilities included. On top of everything, it was in a very safe part of town, two bedrooms, no bugs, cold air condition when it was hot, and sufficient heat when it was cold. I had paid the rent in advance. Money from my Universal Life policy that was taken out by my mother years ago allowed me to borrow from its cash value.

My ex Mike and I split custody of our son Andre where it was more beneficial for me to have him in the evening every other night. The night of the car accident was enough to cause my life to careen out of control. Not only had I lost my job, my ability to continue my education, but I had also virtually lost my mind.

"Honey, everyone else knows the rent is paid downstairs. I have a drop slot for it. You have been the only one I have to make a personal visit to ensure I don't have to put the eviction notice up for this month." Ms. Ella placed my eviction notice back on the clipboard to take my envelope full of cash.

"Are we done, Ms. Ella?" I had asked. I had been itching to slam the door on her face but thought better of it. She was the landlord, and I was late with scrounging up enough money to barely pay the rent that she was eager to collect. She knew I had lost my son, and her sympathy was long gone, including her patience for me to find my mind again.

"I have my son, Richard who has moved in with his Fiancee. They have that empty apartment next to mine. They have been moving their things all day today. I am going to make sure he makes himself known to everyone. He is expected to go on the police force soon. In the meantime, he will help around here with the maintenance of any kind. It won't just be Eugene."

"Your son?" I had an idea who she was possibly talking about. The asshole blocked my parking spot with his big ass U-haul truck. I honked. He wasn't apologetic. His Fiancee called me a bitch, and I flipped them both off a very forceful bird.

"Richard Sinclaire Grimes. His sweet, beautiful Fiancee's name is Lori Loraine Talbert. They will be married in less than three months." Ms. Ella boasted. She counted the envelope filled with cash. It was the amount of the rent to include the 25.00 dollars late fee. "Rent is due on the first."

A few days later, Ms. Ella had a stroke. I was in a near celebratory mood, thinking this would buy me some time to come up with the rent. It did not. Her son, Richard, was at my door with a rolled-up eviction. I had him step inside.

"What are you doing, Michonne?"

My hands were already undoing his belt, unfastening his jeans.

"What do you think I'm doing?"

There was a long pause. Enough time for him to reconsider the sudden unexpected territory he had wandered into due to my extensive planning seconds before his arrival. Not once did he protest or stop me from pulling down his pants and underwear. Both he had stepped out of while using his eyes to ask what was blatantly apparent once I guided him to sit his bare ass on my couch. I opened a condom. There wasn't much I needed to do to slide it down because he was entirely at full throbbing attention. I wanted to look at it in better lighting, being it my first vibrant pink, but the condom and my need to buy time were imperative.

I slid down my panties. Rick's eyes were wide and focused on the act of my undressing. I stepped out of the only item I had on other than my white silk robe.

The moment I moved to straddle him, he let go of the eviction notice. His hands grabbed my waist, instantly halting my actions. His blue eyes locked again with my own. There was less uncertainty than compared to seconds ago when he had first asked. I may have deluded myself into believing that he and I were vibing in our interactions of recent and if he had turned me down I would not have been surprised. White men were known to have a last-minute conscious as demonstrated on the Walking Dead.

"What are you doing, Michonne?"

"Paying the rent."

A/N: I've been working. Hate my job but I love to write! Patience with the other story... this is to prove to MJ what a mountain looks like.

Update A/N: 10/20/19. If you are new or have been avoiding my stories because you are accustomed to a certain style, i will make this solemn promise, You will more than likely find a headache here. There isn't a straight line. Just layers on top of layers, connecting somehow or someway to equal, Richonne.