Page 49 of Certified Pressure
That shit kept echoing in my head. There wasn’t a worse look than somebody comin’ up dead on my watch, and over somethin’ dumb like a fuckin’ crab cake.
“Shit wild, bro,” Renza said, his head tilted back.
“She lucky as hell ol’ girl knew where that damn pen was,” Kay’Lo added, sittin’ forward with his elbows on his knees. “ThatEpiPen saved her ass, but who the hell even put nuts in the food? Maybe she allergic to some other shit.”
I didn’t say nothin’ at first. I just stared at the smoke floatin’ toward the ceilin’.
“I’on even know. She said she told the chefs not to put no type of nuts in the food.”
Kay’Lo looked over at Renza, then Renza looked back at me.
“You think one of them did that shit?” Renza asked, brows up.
“Ion know what to think yet,” I said. “But if that’s the case, whoever it was better pray to God I don’t find out.”
I pulled from the blunt again and let the smoke roll out my nose. My chest was tight, but I wasn’t gon’ show it.
Kay’Lo sat back and rubbed his chin. “Look, I know this whole setup been movin’ fast… but don’t let one situation throw off the mission. Real talk, you brought them girls here to find somebody you can step into the next chapter with. This some crazy shit, yeah, but don’t lose focus.”
He was right…
That was the whole reason I agreed to this shit. The goal was to build the next generation, and find a real one—somebody that could hold their own next to me without crackin’. Somebody who ain’t just cute or fly, but somebody solid. But the thought of it all started to get heavy.
The expectations, the pressure, the idea of choosin’ wrong and dealin’ with the consequences.
Renza poured up a shot and slid it across the desk toward me. “Here, nigga. Take that and stop overthinkin’.”
I was just reachin’ for the glass when a soft knock hit the door three times.
I looked up.
“Nigga, you got a guest comin’?” Kay’Lo asked.
“Nah.” I stood up, slid the chair back, and walked over to the door.
When I opened it, Imani was standin’ there with her eyes all wide and soft. She looked like she’d been rehearsin’ whatever she was about to say for the past ten minutes.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt anything,” she said. “But I just wanted to check on you.”
I didn’t say nothin’ at first, but I did stare at her for a lil’ minute.
“How you even know I was up here?” I finally asked.
“I saw you walkin’ in this direction and figured you was in this room because I heard voices,” she replied, her voice all calm and innocent. “I just… I don’t know. I felt like maybe you needed somebody to talk to.”
I should’ve told her to go back downstairs, but somethin’ about the moment felt too tangled to press. After all, shedidhelp save Zaniyah, even if it was too damn convenient.
“A’ight,” I muttered, steppin’ back to let her in. “Renza, Kay’Lo… I’ll link up with y’all in a sec. And make sure security lockin’ in, ‘cause she shouldn’t have made it up here that easy.”
“Got you,” Renza said, standin’ up and stretchin’. Him and Kay’Lo dapped me up and left without another word.
Once the door closed behind ‘em, Imani stepped in closer and looked around like she was takin’ mental notes of everything in the room.
“I’m sorry if I came off like all I do is cause drama,” she said, real soft. “That’s not me, Pressure. I came here to get to knowyou.Not argue with other women or start mess. I just… I care about how you see me.”
I watched her as I took another slow pull from the blunt. She was sayin’ all the right shit, but it was the way she was sayin’ it that made it feel off.
“I see you,” I said, finally. “We gon’ see where this goes.”
