Page 77 of Deuce

“Yes’ ma’am. She’s my best friend, next to my girl, Shar. I’m sure you’ll meet her eventually. She and Maceo are kind of hanging out.”

“Oh!” A light twinkled in her eyes as she looked at me. “Both of my babies are interested in someone. Well, I’ll be damned.”

I shook my head. “How about you spill the tea on that mystery man you went out with last night.”

She rolled her eyes. “You know I hate when you get in my business, Stanley.”

“Ima find out. You might as well tell me.”

“Why? So you can threaten him? Mama gotta have a life too.”

“You ain’t Juanita and I ain’t Jody. Ain’t no Melvins coming up in here thinking he runs shit.”

“Now when have I ever let a man run me? Your father couldn’t do it and you won’t either. I’m forty-five years old, Stanley. I’m grown and if I want to have breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, or a damn snack with a man, I will. I don’t need your permission to date or your approval of who I’m dating.”

“Dating!” I exclaimed.

Everything else went in one ear and out the other once she said that.

“How long have you been seeing this man, Ma?”

“Six months.”

“Okay Ms. Stephanie!” Salima said, snapping her fingers. “I see you. Stop being so overprotective, Stanely. I’m sure your mother can handle herself.”

My mother smiled. “Thank you, baby.”

I frowned. “I didn’t bring you over here to team up against me.”

They both laughed.

“Oooo he’s mad, Salima. You see that vein popping outta his forehead?”

“Looking like he’s gonna bust a vessel.”

They were really laughing at my expense. Part of me was annoyed by the shit. The other half was surprisingly relieved that they were getting along. I don’t know why I really gave a fuck, but I did.

Maybe I did like Salima a little more than I wanted to admit. She wasn’t like most women I dealt with. She talked back, and she really didn’t give a damn what she said to me. The shit turned me on. Every time she said or did some slick shit, my dick got hard.

It was one thing to have women willing to do whatever to get a piece of me. To have one that made me work at trying to get herwas a challenge I never expected to be up for. I wasn’t hurting over pussy. Yet, Salima Navarro had me wanting her for more than was between those thick ass thighs.

After an agonizing breakfast filled with my mama and Salima teaming up on me, we finally left the house and geared up for the two-hour drive to the outlet mall my mother loved to shop at. Salima tried to give her the front seat, but she insisted on sitting in the back so she could feel like she was being chauffeured around.

The two of them talked until my mama got a call from her little boyfriend. While she was in the back cup caking, I drove with a heavy frown on my face. She was just a kee keeing it up back there, grinning and shit.

“Fix your face, Stanley,” Salima said, cupping my chin.

“I don’t like that shit,” I mumbled.

“Did you really expect her to stay single?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve just never seen her with anybody other than my pops. Shit is weird.”

She giggled. “Your mom’s a baddie. I’m sure he treats her well, otherwise she wouldn’t be smiling like that.”

“If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll keep that same energy. I don’t play about that woman.”

“I see that. I love when a man loves and is protective about the woman that birthed him. It’s attractive.”

---