Page 19 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings
“Bet. I got some shit to handle with my brothers anyway. Shoot me your address so I can pull up on you when you get off.”
“And why would I do that?”
“We ain’t sixteen no more, Em. Do what I said. I’ll see you around four p.m.”
“Fine,” I huffed, not knowing why I was giving in and letting him order me around like he was.
As soon as I hung up, I shot him my address, then got up and strolled to the floor so I could get to work. On the way to the counter, I also text Sapphire to let him know he needed to make sure all his shit was put up when he got home and our living room was presentable because I had company coming by. Tucking the phone into my pocket, I put on my fakest smile and got ready to greet people at the door and ring them up. I appreciated Lola for this. Waiting tables was cool, but I had too much on my mind, and I didn’t want that type of interaction today.
It picked up around eleven for lunch, which kept me busy through my last break. I was so anxious about seeing Ivo later that I found myself stuffing my face with pie at the counter. I’d placed an order for me and Sapphire for dinner tonight because I didn’t plan on cooking either. Our apartment wasn’t far from work, so I clocked the next bus arrival.
“Hey, you okay? You seem distracted.” Lola stopped at the counter to put her tickets in and count her tips.
“Ivo called me,” I confessed.
“Did he now? What did he want?”
“He wants to come by my place and talk to me when I get off,” I told her, shaking my head. “I don’t know what to do with that.”
“Hmm, well, might as well get that over with now. I can’t believe you’re actually going through with this though. I mean, it’s selfless and beautiful, don’t get me wrong… but… it’s a lot mentally, physically, and emotionally. You’ve been pregnant before, so you know that.”
She was right about that. My daughter, Jury, was my heart. I loved and missed that little girl so much. Even our video chats had to be on a schedule, and I hated it! She was four years old, and I felt like I was missing out on so much. Her father decided to move her across the country in order to put some distance between her and me. Juke turned into somebody I didn’t even know. Suddenly, I was a threat to my own daughter because I was grieving.
My father wasn’t perfect, and we butted heads on a lot, but he was still my daddy. He’d spoiled me and instilled a few core values in me that I knew I would carry for life. He was stern and mean, but I loved that he could check Rashida when it came down to it. She was like a wrecking ball, always ready to demolish something or put you down, but Daddy didn’t allow her to talk to him crazy. When his business tanked and he committed suicide, it was like everyone we knew or thought would be there for us just checked out. Even my own damn mama.
Shit was wild. Nobody cared to step in and show any kind of empathy or provide a place to stay or anything. We were on our own. Rashida had to sell everything that we did have, and with the house under foreclosure, there was nowhere to go butcheap motels. I’d saved what I could over the years, but it was nowhere near enough to provide for me and Sapphire. My father had been accused of embezzlement, so naturally, they froze all our shit. Had me feeling like I failed because I didn’t have a plan. I was twenty-six years old, and at the time, the only thing I was interested in was shopping, partying with my girls, and traveling.My journalism degree was collecting dust because it wasn’t something I felt passionate about in a long time. Had me feeling like maybe I should have majored in something more practical in a field that was always demanding.
“I know. But I need this. It will help so much and give me and Sapphire the cushion we need. I’ve got my degree; I just have to figure out how I’m going to put it to use.”
“I’m sure it’ll come to you.”
“Thanks, Lola. You the only person I can talk to around here without feeling like I’m crazy. I feel like everyone is still watching my every move, wondering if I’mma snap and off myself like my daddy or something.”
“Girl, people need to be worried about the headcases in their own fucking families and leave you alone.”
“You calling me a headcase?” I joked.
“If the shoe fits… crazy.” Lola made a silly face, and we fell over laughing.
When I recovered, I checked the time on my watch and saw that it was time to clock out.
“I gotta go. I told Sap to clean up so the place wouldn’t look a complete mess when he came by.”
“Girl, you have to call me and tell me everything! I know you’re off tomorrow, but we can link and do lunch or something if you want,” Lola suggested, pushing herself off the counter.
Ducking off to the back, I put the combo in my locker and grabbed my things so I could go. The nervous knots in my belly were practically ping ponging off one another. By the timeI stepped outside of the bar and grill, the warm sun against my skin rejuvenated me. The bus arrived about three minutes later, while I sat on a bench texting Sapphire to let him know if someone came by, to just let them in, and I would be there soon. Twenty minutes later, I was pulling the lever to get off at my stop and trotting down the block to our apartment building. I did my best to keep us out of the hood, but with my budget, that wasn’t possible. We were in the heart of it, but our building was cool for the most part. It wasn’t the projects or nothing, but muhfuckas did like to hang out talking shit, drinking, and smoking weed in the front.
“Damn, that’s Sap sister right there,” I heard a young dude say when I approached the front door.
“She bad,” another one chimed in, puffing on a black and mild and exhaling. “What’s up, sexy?” The brown-skinned one with locs pulled back in a barrel style chucked his chin at me.
“Smoking is bad for you. Are you even old enough?”
“Shit, I’ll be however old you need me to be, baby.” A grin tucked the corners of his mouth, and he swiped his tongue across the bottom row of his diamond grill.
These young boys were bold as fuck! I don’t know what the hell they were breeding them with though. Some of them were some fine lil’ shits. I just knew I wasn’t entertaining they asses. I needed a grown ass man. Fucking with one of them would have me in jail for beating they little sprung ass girlfriend’s ass!
“You wouldn’t know what to do with me, sweetie.” I yanked the door to the building, and his little friends poked at him about my comment as I stepped inside.
