Page 5 of The Hood's Finest: Jersey & Mylani
“He’ll love that. Those two stayed getting into some devilment.” During the middle of our conversation, my pops walked in. He went straight to my mom and greeted her like he always did.
“Wassup, people?” he asked after kissing my mom on the lips and groping her like their son wasn’t sitting here.
“Wassup, Pops. How was work?”
“Running smoothly as always.”
See, what people didn’t know was that my brothers and I moved our drugs outta state through my pops’ trucking company. He was against it at first, but once I presented him with a plan and he saw how the numbers would look, he couldn’t pass it up. So, for the past five years, our dad has been somewhat of a silent partner.
“That’s always good to hear. I hate to drop Jerz off and run, but I’m meeting up with y’all other sons tonight, and I need to go and get myself together.”
“You just like your mama. I ain’t never seen a man get dressed at a woman’s pace before yo’ lil’ ass came along. I blame you for shit, Charm.”
“Don’t do that. Don’t listen to him, baby. It’s nothing wrong with a man taking pride in his appearance.” My mom sided with me as usual.
“I know, Ma. He’s just a hater like his sons. I’m up.” I left my parents in the kitchen and went to tell my son bye. I found him in his room they had set up for when he was here.
“Aye, man. I’m up. Don’t you and MJ show y’all’s asses too much, or I’ma fuck both y’all lil’ asses up tomorrow. You got that?”
“I hear you, Pops,” he replied, never taking his eyes off the game.
“You better. I’ll see you tomorrow. Love you.”
“Love you too, Pops.”
I left my parents’ house and went home so that I could meet my brothers later at the club. It was always a movie when we decided to pop out, and tonight would be no exception.
4
Mylani
It was Friday, and the club was packed. It hadn’t been opened for that long, but business was booming. This was actually my first stripping job, but it seemed to come natural to me. I loved singing and dancing, so I figured, why not get paid to do it. I was currently in the dressing room getting ready to make my rounds when Dynasty, the head stripper, walked in.
“Y’all better get y’all asses out there if y’all wanna make some money. Jersey and his brothers just graced the muthafuckin’ building. If you know, then you muthafuckin’ know.” She rambled on excitedly like a middle school girl who had just seen her crush. I didn’t know who Jersey or his brothers were, but I wasn’t crazy enough not to find out.
I walked out on the floor, and these bitches were acting like a celebrity just walked in the building. I wasn’t about to seem pressed, so I went and did a few table dances. “On Me” by Lil Baby blared through the speakers, and I went to my first table.It was an older guy, but their money spent just like everybody else’s.
I was twerking my ass to the beat, making sure I earned every dollar that his old ass made rain on me.
“Passion, what’s it gone take for you to go home with me?” he had the audacity to ask.
“More than you can afford. I ain’t Ebony, and you ain’t inThe Player’s Club. All I do is dance… dassit!” I clarified. I didn’t need nobody’s money that bad.
“All this money I’m dropping on you, and you can’t pay me back?”
“Nigga, this ain’t no payday loan. You know what? Let me get my money and go before I have to slice yo’ old ass in here.” I angrily picked up my money before storming off. I didn’t know who the fuck his ass thought I was, but he definitely had the wrong bitch. After my tirade, I stormed off, mad as hell. I was stuffing my money down in my PINK drawstring bag when I collided with a hard body that smelled like heaven’s gates opened up.
“Damn, shawty. If you wanted to be up under a nigga, that’s all you had to say.” I looked up and was staring in the face of the fine guy from earlier that paid for my and Trinity’s lunch.
“My bad. I didn’t mean to run into you like that. I was trying to get away from that stupid ass nigga over there,” I said, pulling the string to my bag tighter.
“You good? You want me to go holla at that nigga for you?”
“No, I’m good. I’m about to go get ready for my set.”
“You don’t look like you good, shawty. Matter fact, wait right here.” I watched as Mr. No Name walked over to where I just come from. I looked on at the exchange between him and the old guy before he came back toward me.
“Here.” He handed me a handful of bills.
