Page 20 of Bricked Up
“Actually, I just want you to run wit’ whatever you’re feeling creatively. Do you!” He shrugged. “You know what I like, so make that muthafucka shine for me. I’ll make sure you have all the supplies you need and feed you and all that good shit.”
“Shit, that’s wassup,” She nodded. “Speaking of feeding me. I can eat two chickens right about now. What’s good to eat around here?”
“Everything is good in this area, but I’ve got the perfect spot for you, and it’s right across the street.”
“Shit, what the hell are we still doing here, then?” Callie tossed her hands up in question. “Let’s go.”
“After you,” Saadiq stepped aside so she could exit first.
“I’m surprised you ain’t pull up wit’ ya better half. Where’s wifey?” Saadiq asked once they were seated and their food was ordered at Shannon’s Brunch Bowl.
“Dallas is in Nevada with her family. She and her sisters surprised their mom with an early birthday gift and took her to Vegas for the weekend. Then they’re gonna spend the week with her in Florida once they return. So I’m solo dolo for a minute, and I miss her ass like crazy already.
I know you do wit’ y’all spoiled ass, but why you all up in my business nigga? What the hell you been up to? Did ya whipped ass get Zia back yet?” Callie smirked as she sipped her glass of water.
“Cal, I know you ain’t calling me whipped, girl,” Saadiq chuckled as he reached for the complimentary wood basket of cheese bread. “Shit, all Dallas gotta do is look at you and you ready to screw her against the wall.”
“Touché,” Callie cackled as she nodded in agreement. “But with friends like you and Truce growing up, what do you expect?”
“Nah girl,” Saadiq shook his head as their waiter approached with Callie’s loaded nacho fries and catfish nuggets and Saadiq’s quesadillas, fried mushrooms, and onion rings. “Don’t try to blame that shit on us.” He shot back as he devoured an onion ring. “But uh,” He drank some of his papaya juice, clearing his throat before he continued. “Zia’s still holding back. I feel it. She’s still got her guard up, and I feel some typa way ‘bout it, but I get it. She thinks I hurt her. So she’s cautious. But I’mma get to the bottom of this shit asap. You know I can’t live without that girl. I tried and failed. I’mma hit up the club tonight to see what I can find out.”
“I feel you,” Callie nodded in agreement before filling her mouth with another forkful of her fries. “I told you, I always felt like Zia was your soulmate. I told Jabari that same shit, a couple of weeks before all hell broke loose. That nigga argued me up and down that soulmates don’t exist.”
“Aye, speaking of that nigga, you heard from him lately? His ass been moving real funny since right before I moved back home. ‘Bout three weeks before I told that nigga I was coming back to stay, he ain’t really had much to say to me. I know he’s finally a pilot now, and he told Porter that that’s the reason he’s so hard to get in touch with, but if memory serves me correctly, they got phones all over the gotdamn world. I know his punk ass is my cousin, but he’s always felt more comfortable coming to you about shit, so I need you to get in touch with him for me.” Saadiq explained as he loaded a quesadilla with salsa before he damn near inhaled the thing.
“I guess he didn’t tell you, but I haven’t spoken to him in almost four months. He ran into me and Dallas one night at Stroker’s lounge three months back, drunk as fuck. He was goingon and on about some chick that broke his heart, then asked me and Dallas for a threesome. When we said no, he cursed us out. Said women ain’t shit but annoying ass cum buckets, called us a couple of weak ass dyke bitches and left.”
“Damn, straight up,” Saadiq asked as he scarfed down a few onion rings. Confusion furrowed his brows. “How come you ain’t never tell me. I woulda beat that nigga’s ass had I known.”
“I’on know,” Callie shrugged. “I ain’t want ya to be beefed out over me. Y'all blood. So instead of slicing that nigga up, I just let it go. I kinda even felt sorry for him. But Dallas wanted to murk that nigga right then and there, though.”
“Shit, I’on blame her, that nigga never could hold his liquor. I’on even know how he became a pilot in the first fucking place.”
“Me neither, Saadiq. He’s also developed a bad gambling habit, too. I suggested he get help for the drinking and gambling before the big blow-up, but he told me that he had everything under control.”
Saadiq guzzled down the rest of his juice as his face settled into a frown. “You still shoulda told me that shit regardless, Callie. That nigga is only blessed enough to know you because of me. He know I’on allow that kinda disrespectful shit behind people I love. I’m pissed at you for keeping that shit from me and his punk ass for saying that shit to y’all.”
“Yeah, I know, and I apologize. I do hope you forgive me. As one of your best friends, I just didn’t think it was healthy to add bullshit to your plate, especially when I knew that you were still fucked up behind Zia. You were still mad at the world. Plus, like I said, the nigga was drunk. But I ain’t got shit to say to him until he apologizes for that shit he said.”
“That nigga is definitely gon’ apologize,” Saadiq reached for his glass of water after wiping the corners of his mouth. “I’mma make sure of it.”
“Listen Sid,” Callie waved a dismissive hand at him as she dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. “Don’t worry about all that. I’d rather you tell me how you plan to get ya woman back. What's the plan ‘cause I’m tired of seeing ya miserable ass trying to act like you ain’t depressed and missing the fuck outta Zia.”
Grinning, Saadiq sat back and ran a hand across his face. He was blushing hard as fuck, and Callie thought it was too cute that this man was still so smitten with one woman after all these years. “The plan is to get her the proof she needs to know I never cheated on her. Then fuck her pretty ass into submission. Once she takes me back, I’mma ask her ass to marry me.”
“Welp,” Callie chuckled, shaking her head. “At least ya whipped ass got a plan. I love that you love her out loud and how she did the same when y'all were together. It’s beautiful to see. Not enough women are loved out loud and appreciated for just being who we are. I’m rooting for y’all. I always have and I always will.”
“And that’s why I’mma always be ten toes down for you, no questions asked, Callie.”
For the next hour, they caught up with each other. The friends chatted it up before they made it back to the shop. Saadiq got to work on the floor while Callie sketched out her vision for the walls. Once she was done, she gave Saadiq a supply list, let him know the timeframe she needed to complete the project, and that she could start tomorrow evening. Once their plan was set, Callie headed out. Several hours later, an exhausted Saadiq drove home, showered, and headed right back out. After he shot a quick text to Truce that he was on the way to The Horny Frog, Saadiq shot a text to Zia to let her know not to make any plans on her off day this Sunday because he’d planned a special day and evening for her. He meant to let her know this morning, but he’d gotten distracted when he decided to make her come all over his dick.
As he drove, he prayed that he’d find the answers he needed tonight. He didn’t know if the twins still worked at the strip club or if anyone even remembered Jabari. But he was hoping somebody in the club could give him some information about his cousin. Because he’d fucked over so many of their family members, including his parents and his two younger sisters, nobody knew his whereabouts. Or at least that’s what they claimed. Saadiq, their cousin Porter, and their grandmother were the only three people who could get through to Jabari. But with their grandmother gone and Porter moving to Hawaii after marrying his wife five years ago, it was just Saadiq. And everything had been all good until he told him he was moving back home.
Pulling up into the valet line once he reached his destination, Saadiq hopped out and went inside. As soon as he walked into The Horny Frog, he laughed when he spotted Truce getting a lap dance from two pretty ass, thick, mocha-skinned chicks. One thing Truce was gon’ do was get down with the get down when it came to women. Truce was a ladies’ man. Though for five years prior, only one lady had had his undivided attention. Until she cheated on him and got pregnant by another nigga. Now, Truce was a big-time hoe, and Saadiq wasn’t mad at the homie either.
As he strode further into the joint, Saadiq noted that though the club was crowded, it wasn’t as packed as it used to be when he and the homies came here back in the day. Back before he met Zia, The Horny Frog was one of the regular hangouts. Back then, The Frog was packed every night of the week, even more on the weeknights than the weekends.
The main floor was still spacious, and the peach colored walls were now a soft green. Gold and black accent colors complemented the green throughout the establishment. The VIP room occupied the entire back wall. Black leather couches and long booths still circled the large oval-shaped wooden stage.The bar was still positioned along the left wall, and a couple of large private booths had been added across from where the extra seating used to be. As Saadiq approached the bar, he spotted the glass elevator and the winding black staircase near the VIP room that led up to a floor of nothing but private rooms.
