Page 23 of Maceo

“What do you have planned for the day?”

“I’m about to shower and go visit my goddaughter. Then I’ll probably go see my daddy at work. It’s his birthday.”

“Word? Tell my dude happy birthday. As a matter of fact, take him a bottle of that Louis XIII Cognac. It’s an unopened box on the bar. I have a jar of that good shit for him too.”

I rolled my eyes.

Maceo and my father were like two peas in a pod. I remembered the first time they met. He was chilling at my apartment while I cooked dinner for us. There I was, minding my business in the kitchen, when I heard the locks disengaging. I knew it had to be my dad because he was the only one that came in there like he owned the place.

“Sharina!” my dad yelled.

I sprinted around the corner to find him holding his gun at his side. Maceo was supposed to be rolling a blunt, but now he was looking at my father with daggers in his eyes and his own gun in his hand.

“Daddy! Oh my God! Put that away!”

At the sound of me calling him daddy, Maceo’s face relaxed. He placed his gun on the table and went back to rolling his blunt.

“Who this nigga?” my father asked, tucking his gun away.

“Daddy, this is my…”

I paused, not sure how I should introduce Maceo. We’d been hanging together heavily, and I really liked him. We hadn’t talked titles, saying we were just going with the flow. That was why it shocked me when he spoke up.

“Her boyfriend,” he finished for me.

“Her boyfriend! Sharina, when you get a nigga?”

“Daddy, please.” I walked over to hug him. “This is Maceo Dillinger. Maceo, this is my father, Paul Gladden.”

Maceo set his blunt down and stood to his feet, extending his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Gladden.”

My father was a little hesitant to shake his hand until I bumped him.

“Dillinger?” he asked. “Is Blake or Stanley your daddy?”

“Stanley. You know my uncle and pops?”

“From back in the day. I haven’t seen them in years, though. I used to buy my weed from your uncle.”

Maceo grinned. “You wanna hit this?”

My father pulled his own blunt from his pocket. “I can match you.” He went into his other pocket and pulled out a small wad of money. “Here you go, baby girl.”

“Thank you, Daddy.”

“You’re welcome.”

They both took a seat. Sensing that there was no longer a threat present, I went down the hall to use the bathroom. By the time I came out, they were acting like nothing had happened. I stood in the hall, watching for a second as they spoke.

“You prepared to spoil my princess?” my father asked. “You can’t hold back with my baby.”

Maceo chuckled. “I knew she was spoiled when I met her, so I got her.”

“She’s spoiled, but she’s a good girl. She loves a good gift, but you can’t buy my baby. Material shit is nice, but she needs time,love, attention, and affection too. Give her loyalty and honesty, and she’ll hold you down.”

I smiled to myself. This was why I loved that man.

“I hear you.” Maceo glanced over at me as I finally came into view. “She’s got me already.”

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