Page 23 of Disrespectfully, Relic
He thought about the years they’d wasted beefing over their parents as he slid into his point A to B car that he upgraded every year but kept the same make, model, and color. Relic was a creature of habit. He cranked his engine, and his thoughts shifted with his gear, coaxing him to recall a time when Shabu wanted nothing more than his big brother’s affection. His throat tightened at how much shit between them had changed.
Relic propped an elbow on his car door, cupping his forehead as those skeletons in his mental closet tried breaking free to remind him of all the fucked-up things he’d done as he drove. His brothers didn’t know the half and never would. Shabu and Titan loved him, even with his flaws, so he’d slaughter every soul on earth before he allowed someone to sever their brotherhood. He was grateful Savvy had come around to liking him before their conflict ended with her funeral. His son’s mother hadn’t been as lucky.
By the time he pulled into a parking spot at his destination, he wondered how the hell he’d gotten there since his mind had held him hostage like a strait jacket the entire drive. His eyes scanned the large parking lot as he shook off his daze and climbed out, mashing the lock button on his fob before trudging toward a two-story brown and tan brick building with obnoxiously priced white gowns displayed in the wall to ceiling windows. He began calculating the cost of everyone’s attire as he flung open the door, causing the greeting bell to chime. Savvy was squealing his name and rushing toward him before he even got a foot in.
“The bank is here!” she broadcasted, making two skinny white women trailing behind her beam while a few nearby customers stared in piqued interest. Relic didn’t get a word in as she wrapped her arm in his like she’d do Shabu and introduced with a proud smile, “This is my husband’s brother who he thought wouldn’t show. I had faith in him, though! He’s even walking me down the aisle because, even if he won’t admit it, he loves me like a little sister. Right, Relic?”
She glanced up at him with a cheeky grin while her long lashes fluttered over hazel eyes. Relic looked away.
“I’m walking you, so my brother can stop bitching about it. Where do I pay for your dress, so I can get your loud ass out of these people’s establishment?”
“Oh, we don’t mind her at all! The whole family is a hoot,” one lady said with a giggle as she skittered past to direct them toward the register counter. Relic twisted his lips before he leaned toward Savvy’s ear.
“That’s her way of saying y’all ghetto niggas kept them entertained.”
“Relic, stop!”
She snickered, removing her arm from around his to slide the credit card Shabu had given her inside her back pocket. When Relic hadn’t arrived in the fifteen minutes he’d claimed, Shabu sent her to pay for her dress since he was tipsy, horny, and ready to bounce. Relic noticed her move but didn’t speak on it.
He pulled out his billfold, plucking through his cards before handing Savvy his ID and business American Express that she didn’t bat an eye at, while the employee’s gaze lit up. Her hand shot out for it before Savvy could reach across the counter.
“We just need a deposit today to reserve the dress. It’ll be fifty percent of the—”
“We don’t do that, baby.” He shook his head and fanned off her spiel before she could finish. “Take the whole payment, and her dress should be done as promptly as you swiped the money off my card.”
“It will be. We strive to have the best customer service and satisfaction around,” she assured him, glimpsing at his identification card before she did a double take and then peered at him with a squint. Her attention went back to finalizing the transaction after a few seconds.
Relic pushed his shades further onto his face, knowing she wanted to inquire about his eyes but wasn’t brave enough to ask. She was the kind of woman he liked—the one who thought things but kept it to herself instead of prying because there was a chance the conversation wouldn’t end in her favor. The lady fake busying herself with a payment that had been processed was nothing like Aura, who spoke with her chest and then retracted it all once he applied the bare minimum of pressure on her. Neither were like Kennedy.
After spending a week breaking down everything that he’d found out about her, he concluded she was the type to fight him tooth and nail, give the exact eye contact he’d spent years perfecting, and would either put him in a hospital bed or a jail cell if he laid a single finger on her. After their last conversation, Relic had pieced together where most of her notable qualities derived from. Whether he’d tolerate them or handle her in his usual manner kept him from reaching out to her since then.
“Relic!” Savvy waved a hand in his face, making him store away the intricate parts of Kennedy he’d been sorting out like a thousand-piece puzzle. He shoved down her hand, making her suck her teeth as she complained, “You’re the one that zoned out! I said come on. The lounge is upstairs. I doubt we’ll be here much longer since Shabu is ready to go.”
“Is that why he sent you to pay for your dress when I told him, I was coming?”
“You caught that, huh?” She glanced over her shoulder at him with a light smile as they ambled around the gown racks and then ascended the corner staircase. “He was just getting it out of the way in case you missed us. You know how you do.”
“Nah, I don’t, because I show up for the important shit. I would’ve shown up for the first bootleg ass wedding, too, if he’d asked me.”
Savvy slowed so that Relic was at her side once they reached the top floor and then directed him toward the private lounge area. She smiled before nudging him with a shoulder.
“Aww, are you jealous he didn’t ask you?”
“What the hell do you think? He asked Titan and Pierre over me like I’m not the oldest and didn’t take care of his ass.”
“Shabu wanted to ask you but assumed you’d say no. He didn’t want to deal with that disappointment, so it was easier to ask someone who’d agree and would be happy for us.”
“So, he doesn’t think I’m happy for him?”
“He thinks you’ve come around and loves that we get along now. You agreeing to walk me down the aisle made his day, but offering to pay for my dress, that did it.”
“I heard the nigga, telling the whole world I was paying,” Relic said with a laugh as she joined in. Savvy pushed open the door to their room as he expressed, “That alone would’ve gotten me here even if I hadn’t planned to show.”
“Like I said, I had faith in you. Tell that to your brother.”
She pointed across the room at Shabu, who had his back facing the door. His arms were outstretched, and legs gaped like he was being searched by the boys in blue, while a frail red head squatted in front of him with tailor’s tape, measuring his inner thighs. Relic spit out a laugh when his brother jumped from her getting too close to his crotch, and Shabu craned half of his body around before showing all thirty-two teeth.
“Oh, muthafucka, you lucky! On my kids, I was riding past that goddamn studio the minute we got out of here.”
