“Some niggas need to understand that they money ain’t nowhere near close to long enough to fuck a chick that belongs to a boss. You need help to get that?”
“Help? Nigga you gone show me?” I snapped back because the shit was on principle. Fuck Crystal and what we had in the past. Wasn’t no nigga gone check me in front of nobody.
Everyone in the room held their breath, and next thing you know, he let out an uproarious laugh. Everyone except Chubby and me joined in nervously. “I’m just bullshitting with you. These females do whatever the fuck they want. Can’t trust em. Especially one like her.”
This nigga.
“You run yo mouth like a woman when you need to be making sure you have hands like a man. You over there selling wolf tickets nigga. Fuck out of my face.” I sat back down.
He threw his hands in the air mockingly. “Ooh.” He teased. “Let me stop fucking around because you know you ain't shit without that gun.”
I cracked a devious smile. I was never afraid to throw hands. Shit, that was one of my favorite things growing up. I was labeled as a pretty boy, so a lot of niggas tried me, but they learned quickly I wasn’t with the shit at all. It was clear that hedidn’t want to fight. He was there for a show. He thought that since he had an audience, I would back down. I was done talking. If he wanted smoke, all he had to do was climb up the chimney.
“Clearly, I ain’t hard to find, my nigga. Don’t let pussy I already gave up, get you put in the dirt.”
The door chimed, and everyone looked at it. A man walked in with what I assumed was his son. That made Nate step in.
“Alright, fellas, it’s over.”
“You're right. I’m good on the cut.” Kole dropped a hundred on the barber and walked out the door. A few moments later, the conversation picked back up like nothing had happened.
“Watch that nigga, T,” Chubby said when we walked out the door.
“I ain’t worried about no nigga mad at me because they trying to crawl in Crystal’s ass, Bruh. My eyes always open, but I ain’t wasting no time on that unless I need to.”
I dropped him back off at his whip, and I was heading home ahead of schedule since my son, MJ, would be spending the weekend with me. So far, the schedule that Crystal and I came up with was working out. I could see him whenever I wanted, but I learned quickly that Crystal got that shit confused and wanted to make things about her. So, sticking to the time constraints made things clear. I would pick him up every Friday to spend the weekend with me and take him to school daily from her house every morning. That way, I was able to keep my bond strong with him. Out of all the shit I went through, he was always on my mind on how I had to move. I knew I couldn’t hustle forever, so getting into this restaurant shit was a major start of something that could be different for me and my son. I had toadmit to myself early on that I was not physically there as much as I should have been. That changed, and I was committed to making sure he knew who I was and that he could depend on me.
When I arrived, Crystal was already there, and I looked at my clock. It was only one, and we agreed to meet at two. I wasn’t stressing it, but I knew she would find a reason to be mad about the shit, even if she were the one who was early as hell. I jumped out and went to her back seat to where my Junior was. I unbuckled him and let him out.
“What’s up, daddy?” he said, smiling and giving me a five.
“What up, lil’ dude?” I smiled widely just like I did every time I saw him.
“Umm, hello to you too,” Crystal said, cutting in from the front seat.
“What up, Crystal?” I gave her a dry hello.
“We've been out here waiting for a minute. Where were you?”
“We said two. But I got him now, so you're good,” I walked towards my front door, not wanting to hear her shit. I heard her door close, so I opened my front door and let MJ in. “Go play in your room, man.”
“Damn, can you wait up a second?” She snapped.
I turned to face her and gave her my attention.
“I just wanted to say I appreciate what you do for me and MJ. I know your birthday is coming up in a few weeks, and I just wanted to help you celebrate. Let me know what I can do to help,” she said, batting her pretty eyelashes. It was intentional that she was dressed exactly how I loved. She wore a dress that exposed her thighs and heels that raised her height. That would have to be for the next nigga’s pleasure. She was set for life offme, but that was a bullet I just had to bite. One thing I wasn’t going to do was be forced to be in a relationship with someone I had no desire for. I would respect her as my baby mother, and that’s as far as it goes.
“On some real shit, that’s the weekend my restaurant is opening. I won’t be into much.”
“See, I don’t see why you don’t let me help you with that. I can be everything you need. I've been down since the very beginning. You're throwing a lot of money at that business. I can ensure everything else stays in order. I accept what comes with you and this life,” she placed her hand on my chest as she finished talking.
“You worried about the wrong shit, Crystal. We gone keep it strictly about MJ. You can let yo new nigga know he ain’t got no competition, so next time he come crazy I’m gone lay his ass down.” I turned to walk inside, and she grabbed me.
“What new nigga? I promise you I ain’t never messed with no other nigga since I met you!” She lied. I would be a fool to believe that.
“Hear me clear. Whatever you got going on, as long as it don’t affect my son, I don’t care. I’m gone go in and I’ll have him back to you at the scheduled time.”
“It’s like that? You gone throw years away because of one dumb ass mistake?” Her eyes misted. She wasn’t even on the same wavelength of thinking as me, and I wasn’t about to bust my brain trying to explain something to her that should’ve already been so clear.
