Page 54 of All The Smoke
It’s a date then.
Bet.
Any request for attire?
Whatever you gon’ be fine in which is everything so naw, wear what you want.
Look at you being a charmer
Being honest.
Mhm. I hear you, sir. Break is about up, so I’ll call you tonight?
Look forward to the shit.
I had to hurry and put my phone away because a nigga was fucking simping bad! I hadn’t ever said no shit like that to a woman before.Look forward to it.What the fuck kind of shit was that? The shit wasn’t doing anything but solidifying to me more and more that I really wanted her ass. Even if she wasn’t carrying my seed, I fucking wanted her.
Pocketing my phone, I scooted to the end of my chair and waved Solo over so I could finish getting him together. We had to meet my parents at the church because Bishop had some shit going on for this mayor shit. My initial plan was to not come at all but I decided I’d be there because I had plans for their asses.
“Mr. Tate, are you not going to wear the suit we chose for you?” Bishop’s assistant Grace asked me.
“Naw.”
“Do you not like it?” she asked, sounding confused as fuck.
“It’s straight.”
“I’m confused, Mr. Tate?—”
“It’s Smoke,” I corrected. “Stop being all formal and shit with me, Grace, like you ain’t known me since I was a little nigga.”
“I know, I just… he is going to be upset if you don’t, Solom—Smoke. He handpicked the suits and…”
“I don’t really give a f…” I caught myself before I cursed in the house of the Lord again. A nigga was a heathen but I ain’t play around on church grounds. “I don’t care for real, Grace.” I shrugged. “Bishop tells all y’all what to do. He don’t run nothing over here.”
“I just don’t want to be chastised.”
“You won’t be,” I assured her. “If he says something to you about it, tell him to come holla at me about it.”
Nodding, she picked up the tags and shit I had popped off Solo’s clothes, pushing them and other random trash into a bag then exiting the room. I was in the guest pastor’s suite gettingSolo together because I didn’t feel like hearing my mother whining and carrying on. She felt a way about Bri doing the pickups and drop offs with Solo, but I didn’t care. I really didn’t want him around their grimy asses at all, but Solo loved his grandparents so I didn’t completely cut them off, just stopped them from interacting directly with me.
After I was done getting him together, we left the office and made our way to the main sanctuary where they were wrapping up bible study. A lot of the people were surprised to see me when Solo and I entered because I hadn’t stepped foot in there since my brother got hit. I had no desire to listen to a man preach the things he rarely followed himself. I still did bible study with Noah though and I would catch church online from time to time, other churches, just not Bishop’s.
“Where is your suit, son?” my father asked lowly when Solo walked up on the pulpit where one of the deacons had asked us to come. He smiled for the crowd while he waited for my response.
“I didn’t bring one.” I shrugged.
“I had Grace bring something.”
“Bruh, are we here to discuss what I got on or do ya shit?” I nodded toward the crowd. “I’m a grown man. I don’t need you picking out my clothes, Bishop.”
“I know, Solomon, I just—” His sentence was cut short when the lady making announcements called him to the podium. Putting on that fake ass smile, he stood and buttoned the coat to his suit and approached.
“Thank you all for agreeing to stay after for a little longer with me,” he said once he had everyone’s attention. “I won’t keep you long, I just have some news I want to share with you. Good news too,” he said and smiled, pulling some oohs and ahhs from the crowd as well as applause. I was disgusted with theway he had people eating out of the palm of his hand. Shit was sickening.
“You know how I talked about how important it was to believe in God and how He knows the best way to handle every situation so we get the best possible outcome in today’s lesson? How we should trust and believe He knows best because He does?” People were on their feet with their hands lifted, the organist was playing as well as the drummer as he raved on and on. “Well, I’m asking that you believe in me, your bishop, the same way you believe in God as I follow His direction and enter this year’s mayoral race.”
An eruption of applause and cheers took over the room as he stood there smiling along with my mother who took her place at his side. He turned toward me and waved me and Solo over, but I looked away, keeping my son at my side. I wasn’t there for that. I was really just showing face to play the part for the time being. I had something for him for playing with my money and my brother.
