Page 13 of Deuce

“See how you do me? I was gonna ask how you were doing.”

“Oh… well I’m fine.”

“I see you have no faith in your only child. That hurt.”

I knew she rolled her eyes as she kissed her teeth.

“I’m sorry, baby. Thank you for checking on me.”

“Always… so mama, what’s going on with you and Pops?”

“Stanley, you know I hate when you find yourself in my business like you belong there. Don’t you have some work to do?”

I eased the seat of my Hellcat all the way back, surveying the neighborhood around me.

“I’m always working. I’m working right now. I just thought I’d call to bother you. Now answer the question. You and Ms. Maddie finally decided to be sister wives?”

“Let me make this clear. Your father wants me, I don’t want him. Once Maddie came around, I let that go. I’m nobody’s second choice.”

“I hear you, Ma.”

Just then, Salima turned in the driveway. I watched as she drug herself out of the car and into the house. Poor baby looked worn out. I’d been on Jaeda’s line earlier, getting the rundown on her. She was twenty-five, no kids, and was living with her mother. A little background check on her mother told me that she was recovering from open heart surgery and Salima was taking on all the bills, according to her bank statements.

I learned that she’d lost her job due to a fire three months ago and had only recently gained employment at Aura. I kinda felt bad that she was now jobless again.

“Ma, I gotta get to work.”

“Okay, baby. Come see me.”

“I will. I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

I disconnected the call and grabbed my sunglasses. Climbing out of the car, I took the short stroll up to Salima’s front door. Somebody was obsessed with flowers. They were everywhere. There was this old school tire swing, hanging from an oak tree branch. A small makeshift pond sat off to the side. The neighborhood seemed pretty quiet. It was summertime and nobody was outside. Of course, itwashot as a muthafucka out here.

Raising my hand, I gave a generous knock on the door.

A few seconds later, it opened. There stood a beautiful Salima in nothing but a robe. She looked at me for a moment and her eyes widened.

“It was you… you’re the guy from last night.”

“It would seem so. You mind if I come in?”

“Yes, I mind! You don’t get to show up here after you put a gun in my face.”

“It was nothing personal. Your screaming was too much for my ears.”

She scoffed. “I was afraid for my life.”

“Baby, if I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t have had the chance to scream. You weren’t the target, therefore you were never in any real danger.”

“That’s your logic? How the fuck was I supposed to know I wasn’t a target, nigga? You traumatize people for fun?”

I chuckled. “Not for fun,” I answered, sliding past her.

“Um, excuse you. How dare you!”

“You were being rude, and it’s too damn hot to stand in this heat.”

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