“Always,” I replied.
“So, while we are talking, I wanted to talk to you about something else.”
“You need to put some clothes on, because now that I know you're feeling better, that pretty pussy looking dead at me.”
“You see me all the time.” She responded, but she promptly went to the drawer, pulled out clothes, and starteddressing. She placed on panties, a bra, a skirt, and a tank top before she turned back to me.
“The restaurant.”
“Shit.” Just the mention of it made me sit down and run my hands over my hair.
“I think that maybe you should let Chubby take over.” She was timid, and the frown on my face when she finished speaking was surely a deterrent. I waited to hear her out. “I’ve known you for a long time. I know when you are passionate about something. I think that you are doing it for all the right reasons, but until you get everything figured out on the other side of life, it’s not safe. You may be able to come back to that. I’m not worried about money or how that will change. I’m worried about you, and I’m worried about Chubby. This is his dream. His livelihood.”
“What you mean? I would never leave that nigga out like that. He knows he's taken care of no question.” I shot back.
“But, he is a man, baby. He doesn’t want to be handed money. He wants to work hard and see what he has built stand, and not be reset by a feud he had no hand in. You are smarter than this street life, but you also need to find your thing. The thing that drives you and brings you happiness, so much so that you never want to think about anything else. Personally, I love HR work because I can advocate for people who have been wronged. Most HR professionals work with the business in mind first. I wanted to do things differently. Stand up to bullies because that’s what I needed and wanted for most of my life. I want to own my own company and work directly with Unions. It makes me happy. Can you honestly say that this restaurant is something that brings you passion, or was it a way to supplement income so that things don’t fall off?”
“You talk to Chante about this? Chubby said something?” I asked.
“I talk to Chante all the time, baby. I am just trying to get you to see that this is huge for Chubby, and he can’t create opportunities out of thin air like you can. He’s your best friend, but I bet when y’all are together, he never asks for anything. I know him. He’s always been prideful. Now ask yourself this. How hard did he have to work to put up the money for this restaurant?”
“I hear you.”
“It’s just what I think. Don’t be mad. I will support you no matter what you do.” She walked into the bathroom and started to apply her makeup. Her words washed over me, but I wasn’t ready to absorb them yet.
I needed to gauge Chub’s head. When I walked out, he wasn’t there, and neither was Chante. I tried not to read too much into it. Maybe they went home to get settled. Everything was going back to normal. We couldn’t hide forever, and the way Kole was moving, it was only a matter of time before he showed himself.
“Hey, baby. I’m gone.” Dyami said over my shoulder. She was the finest professional woman. My woman. She tried to slink past me to the door. I stepped in front.
“What do I tell you about that?” I cracked a smile after the words left me. She rose on her toes and kissed my lips. Gently at first, then I deepened our connection. When we broke apart, I rested my forehead on hers. “I hear you.”
“Okay, wish me a good day.” She beamed.
“I’m following you.”
“Still?”
“Only for a little while longer. I’m taking care of everything.” I said firmly. She didn’t fuss. She walked out the door, and I followed behind her.
It was one thing I did have a firm grip on, and that was Jay’s ass. He wasn’t talking to the police. I had an associate of mine pay a visit to his house and let him know he had a family to think of. He was caught on the wrong side of shit, and it was best he kept quiet. I had a few people on the inside if it got that far. At the right moment, he would be a memory, but it was too hot to do anything right now.
My phone rang as I drove, and it was my mother.
“Hey, ma.”
“Marcos, how are you doing, baby?”
“I’m fine, ma. Why you ask that?”
“Because I am looking at the news about the restaurant. What is going on, baby?” She pleaded with me.
“I don’t know.”
Silence.
“I saw MJ still in bed before I left. Did he wake up?” I asked.
“Just a few minutes ago, and you know he’s asking for you.”
