Page 23 of Deuce

“It ain’t even like that.”

Maceo shook his head. “Ma, he lying.”

I punched him in the arm. “When grandma said you give a nigga a rib and they will tell everything, she was talking about yo’ ass.”

He laughed and so did my mama.

“So, who is she?” she asked.

“Nobody you need to fret over, Ma. Ain’t nothing going on there. You know I don’t sweat these females. There’s always a yes to take the place of a no.”

“Ugh! That sounds like your father talking. Listen to me, baby. All pussy ain’t good pussy. All pussy isn’t gonna hold you down when shit gets real. Yeah, you may have a little power and money because of your last name, but you are not untouchable or invincible. You could lose everything today and those women you stick your dick in would be gone tomorrow. Ain’t no loyalty in these hos, Deuce. As soon as you are down bad, they get gone.”

“All the more reason I do what I do. I ain’t loyal to these women and I don’t take none of them seriously. I might trick off of them from time to time because I got it like that. But at the end of the day, I’m going home by myself, just the way I like it.”

My mother raised her palms. “Okay, Stanley.”

That was the end of that conversation. I looked over at Mace who’d gone quiet. I could box him in his shit for getting her started. I knew she only wanted what was best for me, but I wasn’t the type of nigga that went around falling in love and shit. These hos didn’t want love from me, and I didn’t want or need it from them. I was good. The sooner Ma Dukes understood that, the better.

I stuck around long enough for Mace to finish feeding his face and my mama to wrap his fat ass a plate to go. She walked us to the door and pulled us both in for hugs and forehead kisses, like always. Mace headed to the car, and I reached into my pocket for my money clip.

“I don’t need anything, Deuce,” Mama protested like I didn’t leave her with money every time I came over here.

“I didn’t ask you that.”

“Baby… you take care of me. My bills are paid. My house and car are paid for. I don’t need you to keep my pockets laced.”

“You got a man that I don’t know about keeping them laced then?”

She playfully shoved me. “I’m just saying… I’m good.”

“You know, Ma…” I said, pausing to peel off a couple stacks for her. “The quicker you realize I’m the hardheaded nigga you raised, the better off we’ll be.”

Folding the money, I placed it in the dish with her keys and kissed her cheek.

“I love you, woman.”

“I love you, too. Be safe and stop being mean to your brother.”

“Man, fu-, forget him. I should make his ass walk home. He needs to work off all that food he just ate. I bet you that plate won’t make it back to the compound.”

She giggled. “I know it won’t.”

“Take care, Mama. I’ll be back by in a couple days.”

“Okay.”

I turned and headed down the front steps and to my car. When I climbed in, sure enough this man was balancing the plate on his knees and munching on another taco. I shook my head.

“What?”

“Not a damn thing. You waste that shit on my floor and you’ll be cleaning my car. Buckle up, muthafucka.”

I wasn’t builtto sit on my ass all day.

A week had passed since the take down at Aura and I was still jobless. My mother had returned to work, and I was sitting at home, twiddling my thumbs. I didn’t have to clean much because Mama kept the house spotless. There really weren’t any errands to run that would take an extended about of time to complete. And visiting family was a no go right now. They would ask too many questions about what I had going. One wrong answer and one they’d be all in my damn face trying to slide in my business.

Other than hanging with Shar when she wasn’t at work, I’d been lounging around the house, filling out applications. I hated being jobless. I’d been making my own money since I was fifteen years old. This was the longest I had been without a job and steady income, and it was really taking a toll on me.

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