Page 128 of Save Room for Us

Digging into my jean’s pocket, I said, “’Preciate you reaching out, but I gotta let you know if I’m gon’ allow you back into my life and shit. That includes telling you about anything I got going on.”

“I understand. I hope you decide to let me make everything up to you.” She watched me as I stood up dropping cash onto the table. “You’re leaving?”

“I am.” I polished off my whiskey. “That should cover the meal and dessert, if you interested.”

With that said, I walked off and out of the restaurant and hotel completely. Once I was in my whip, I started it up and immediately dialed my pops.

“What’s good, boy? Coming over?” He picked up, excited.

“Hell nah. So whatever project you working on, you on ya own, old man.”

Laughing, he said, “Damn. Aight.”

“I just left eating with ya baby mama.”

“Stop calling her that shit, Sif.”

“Ain’t that what she is?” I grinned, knowing it fucked with him.

“More like a host or some shit, ’cause she was never a mother.” He exhaled. “What she talking about?”

“Some bullshit. All I know is I don’t trust it. She been frolicking for seven years, and all of a sudden, she just couldn’t hold back anymore? Aight. She up to some shit. I ain’t figured it out yet, but I will.” I shook my head. “I’m only telling you ’cause you swear a nigga is overly suspicious and always jumping to fucking conclusions, but I ain’t been wrong yet about shit.”

“Very true. I mean, Nori had her moments of being cool, like holding shit down while I was sick as fuck, even when pregnant, so she got it in her, but it never fucking lasts,” he explained, but I wasn’t hearing it. “What you need me to do?”

“I want you to see her.”

“Nah, young nigga. You know my wife?”

Laughing, I said, “I don’t mean alone, Pop. Chill out. I mean as a unit, including Ma. That way, y’all both can get a read on her, tell me if I’m tripping. You don’ known her longer than me, and if I ain’t mistaken, she went to school with Ma, so she has too.”

“True.” He groaned. “Aight, we can do that. I just need to run it by Lisara.”

“Cool.”

“I want you to know, Sif, that though I think you are overly suspicious of every-fucking-body and everything, that’s what makes you a better man and businessman. You gon’ avoid a lot of bullshit that way.”

“I was right about Grady’s ass by the way.”

“See.”

“Correction, though; I ain’t suspicious of Anastazia.”

“You shouldn’t be, but don’t cross her, or she gon’ pop you.”

He and I cracked up.

“That’s how I like my women anyway.”

“Me too. Keep a nigga in check when he need it every now and again.” We both chuckled. “Glad that’s who you chose though, Sif. I like her. Pretty, smart, low-key—that’s what you need.”

“I do. She make a nigga wanna put on one of them corny ass turtlenecks and take Christmas pictures with her and shit.”

My father chortled loudly.

“Make you wanna play step daddy ASAP, huh?”

“Already am, shit. Real daddy, actually. Get that nigga up out of here and away from my fucking family.”

---