Page 22 of Another Constant

“I don’t have it,” I replied simply. The last time Joseph showed up here he got four hundred dollars out of me and the time before that six. I didn’t know why I gave it to him, but I did. I never thought I’d get it back, which I didn’t, but I guess I gave it to him to get him out of my face. This time though, I couldn’t, plus OA had already gotten in my ass about being useful to Joseph and Hari. Maybe not useful, but I had to stop paying to get out of my face and actually just have some damn boundaries.

“What do you mean you don’t have it? You must have some?—”

“I don’t have it. You haven’t even paid me back for the last time you came here in need.”

“I gave you life. You’re my damned daughter and without me you wouldn’t be here.” Anger was all over his face, letting me know his mouth was about to go there. I had to remind myself that I couldn’t go toe to toe with Joseph here because this was my place of business.

“I don’t have it, Joseph. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work if there isn’t anything else.”

“There is something else. I need that money.”

“And I don’t know what to tell you.” I walked over and opened my office door for him to exit. The man was literally building up to ask me for a kidney or my first born at some point. I could feel it.

“Fine, I’ll take a thousand.” He stopped in front of me.

I shook my head. “And I don’t have that to just give away to you either. If your business is in trouble, maybe you should go down to the bank and take out a loan.”

“Fuck the bank. You got it, you just don’t want to give it to your old man.” He started down the small hall toward the front with me behind him. “And fuck you too.” His anger seeped from his lips as soon as we made it to the sales floor.

I didn’t respond. I just looked at him, holding my own anger at bay. While he had nothing here to lose, I had everything. My shop was in a decent neighborhood and I actually had clients in the store. This was how I knew Joseph was no grown ass man. He was seconds from throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of my shop.

His voice grew louder when he began to speak. “You always thought you were better than us…” he started, but his sentence trailed off when a tattooed hand found his shoulder. Only when he turned his lean body to the side I was able to see the face of the man. The face of a man I had been talking to on the phone for weeks but hadn’t physically seen since the night he fixed my car and kissed me.What the hell was he doing here?

“Who the fu—” The rest of the question was caught up in his throat as he turned around and saw who had grabbed his shoulder. Apparently he was familiar with him… had to be.

“Uh, yeah. Fine. What are you doing out this way, Kinga?”

“Don’t be questioning me like you know me, old motherfucker. Get your ass up outta here before you see the inside of a trunk.”

Joseph jumped, straightening his posture before he booked it out of the front door much faster than he came in. He left so fast I just knew he left the bottom of his shoes.

“Do I even wanna know why that ol’ country, broke pimp was doing in here?” Kinga asked, now standing right in front of me.

“Nah you don’t, but if you must know, that’s my mama’s baby daddy. The only thing that would stop her from getting into heaven in my eyes.”

Kinga chuckled. “That’s cold as fuck. So, that’s your father.”

“Nothing near, but that’s what he likes to call himself.”

He nodded.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” I couldn’t help how widely I smiled up at him.

“Figured I’d bring my niece to finally see the dog you’re supposed to be selling me,” he responded, looking down at the pup in my arms. “Aja, where are you, shorty?”

“Coming, Uncle.” I then heard little feet moving in our direction before a cute little girl stood in front of me, chocolate with a head full of beautiful curly hair.

Once I greeted the cutie who nearly begged me to hold the puppy in my arms, I took her and her uncle to my office. I was pretty sure she’d enjoy seeing all the others as well. Nope, I still wasn’t looking to sell Bleu, the little pup I had now named and became more attached to day by day.

“You still ain’t tryna let him go, are you?” Kinga’s voice interrupted my thoughts as I watched the puppies play and love on his niece. On the phone one night we’d briefly discussed the fact that I didn’t want to let this one go.

“And I’m not. His name is Bleu.” I leaned back on my desk as he stood near the door.

Laughter escaped his lips. “And what if that’s the one I wanted?”

“You would be shit out of luck.”

He laughed. “You got plans tonight?”

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