Page 47 of Deuce

“What’s good, beautiful?”

I blushed at Deuce’s voice. “Hey.”

“What are you doing?”

“Poolside with, Shar.”

“Mmm… now why would you put innocent people in danger like that?”

“What are you talking about?”

“What are you wearing?”

“A bikini.”

“Case and point. Are there niggas out there?”

“I mean… yeah. It’s an apartment complex. They live here.”

“Maybe I should get Jaeda to hack the cameras. Make sure nobody looks at you too hard.”

I sat up and looked around for cameras. “Are you crazy?”

“Haven’t we established that I’m not all the way right in the head?”

“What would you get out of having her hack the cameras, Deuce?”

He chuckled. “For one… I get to see your thick ass in that bikini. I mean, I can always pull up on you.”

“You don’t even know where I… you know what, nevermind. Let me not give you any ideas. Are you calling about my car?”

“Listen. You need a new fuel pump, and your transmission is gonna go.”

“Fuck! How much is that going to cost me?”

“A fuel pump is gonna run you at least a couple hundred. A transmission… that’s at least five stacks.”

“Are you serious?”

“I mean, I’ve already got my boy working on both.”

“I can’t afford that.”

“Don’t worry about it. I got you.”

“I can’t ask you to do that?—”

“I didn’t hear you ask me for shit.”

“Stanley,”

“Salima. I don’t like to do too much talking, shawty. If I say I got you, I got you.”

I sighed heavily. This car was going to bleed me dry. I didn’t want him to pay for my repairs, but if I dipped into the money he gave me, that would set me back. I was working for tips at this point because I had to put in two weeks to generate a check. Then I had to wait for payday, and I still had bills to pay.

“Okay,” I said quietly. “Thank you.”

“No thanks needed. I’ll see you tonight.”

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