Page 8 of Wifey
“Cam is well aware of your feelings on all of this, Tay. I would be lying if I said he didn’t care, but he’s not going to give up his empire just because your feelings are hurt.” Hayley replied. “Cam’s been doing this a lot longer than he’s admitting. He didn’t just start this before you met him.”
My eyes narrowed at Hayley. “How long?”
“Since he was a teen. He and Que have been in the streets for a long time. His rise to what he is now, however, has been years in the making. He had to make some very unfortunate decisions to ensure he got his status.” Hayley hints and I really don’t want to know. I can already guess what Cameron had to do.
“No matter how much we try to downplay what they’re doing, it doesn’t change the fact Cameron is a drug dealer, Hayley. That’s a stone-cold fact.” I sharply reply. “Excuse me, drug lord. Big difference. Cam is never out in the corner.”
“Bitch, Cam brings in about one million a day keeping America’s deplorables doped up. The best of the best Becky and Johnny can afford. Do you even know his net worth, Pooh? Cam’s a fucking billionaire, Tay.Billions. He doesn’t work for his Daddy; his Daddy works forhim.
“I understand you don’t like the dope game and I respect that. But are you seriously gonna tell me you would rather starve and put people out of work in this shit economy because of your damn morals? Tay, you were broke, girlfriend. I don’t mean you have a hundred dollars on you, but you can make it stretch, broke. I mean you barely had enough money for those 25-cent Cup Noodles at the grocery store broke. You refused the money Que and I wanted to give to you. Cam was in the process of helping you anyway, Tay. He has connections in every part of Atlanta. Somebody is always watching you on his behalf.
“Now, if you’re still insistent on being Ms. High and Mighty about all of this, keep that same energy when it comes to that one store you like to shop at, but damn near every employee is on welfare. And let’s talk about that one online shop you like, but every employee gets worked to death. Meanwhile, the owners of those stores are billionaires and they’re doing it legally. Those workers have no choice but to take those jobs and be overworked and underpaid. But yes, Cameron is worse because it’s drugs people arechoosingto take.”
“I should be okay because at any given time, he’s a target and in turn, so am I? So are you and Que?” I shot back. “I should be okay as long as he keeps me laced up in Fendi, Gucci, and whatever else I could buy on my own?”
“Girl, you couldn’t even buy yourself some fries let alone that hundred thousand dollar security system.” Hayley rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why you’re frontin’ towards me but it’s not cute, Pooh.” She took another bite of the biscuit. “And I can tell you how much this food is slammin’? I put it down in the kitch.”
“You do.” And just like that, our argument is over. Food usually solves a lot of problems if people realized it. “I don’t know what I’m going to do about this guy, Hay. I don’t see how this will end in a good way.”
“Well, you have to just wait and see.” Hayley stands up and picks up our plates. “But if you think for a split second Cameron is going to let you go without a fight, you’re dead wrong.” She heads back inside.
I stayed outside for a bit longer, sipping on my coffee, and taking in everything she said. Cameron helped me when I really needed it and I would forever be indebted to him. But I also didn’t want the title of his girlfriend.
Damned if I did. Damned if I didn’t.
The rest of the day was a blur with many people coming in with orders. Due to the pandemic, we closed up our indoor experience but still had many customers who gladly ate outside.
As I cleaned and disinfected the tables, I thought about Cameron. Could we really keep our lives separate? What if the community found out about my connection to him? Drug dealing aside, I would have to worry about the pushback being associated with his Republican senator father.
While no one could actually call Eric racist, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think so.
He’s a Southern man with Southern values. He might have a sprinkle of a Negro or two in his networks but it’s clear Eric mainly deals with folks who look like him. That wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t his comments about standing for the flag and how everyone should respect the police.
Eric grew up in a privileged life and extended that same privilege to his wife and children. They don’t have to worry about getting killed when they step outside the home. They don’t have to worry about being followed in a store for just existing.
Yet, the irony of what Cameron does and whom he associates with on a regular basis isn’t lost on me. Everyone on his team is either Black or brown, with the lone exception of Maria, the head of his security. And even she is street tough and not to be messed with.
I pushed everything aside and focused on work. I was surprised I was able to get any work done throughout the day, but my business couldn’t be successful depending on my mood. I had to keep pushing.
I thought of my father. He’d survived an economic downturn where his business was hit hard. He still got up early and brewed fresh coffee, even when his clientele dropped almost sixty percent. When he rebounded, he still put on the same effort.
If he went through a bad breakup, he still made coffee. If he won some money off the scratchers, he still made coffee. If he had to shell out more money at the mechanic’s than he’d planned, he still made coffee.
My father was about his money, no matter what was going in his life. I need to follow the same drive.
The overhead speaker began playing “Mama Used to Say” and my lips curved into a smile. Cameron’s old maid used to clean to this song and I can see why. It’s fun, upbeat, and easy to sing along.
Then I became annoyed. Why am I happy go-lucky over a dude who kills people for a living?
A rush of police cars and fire trucks sped through the street, almost making me deaf. It’s not unusual to hear sirens, but seeing so many made me wonder what type of emergency happened. It’s not weird to hear that around these parts considering the crime here. It’s weird it was so many at once.
I was about to close shop for the day when Hayley came racing out from the back, staring at her phone. “Bitch, now I know why you’re sprung over Cameron!”
“What?” I shake my head. “What are you talking about?”
“Girl, haven’t you been on Twitter at all?” Hayley pulled out her phone and clicked on her Twitter app. I don’t know how Hayley has almost thirty thousand followers and all she does is post booty shots and food.
Come to think of it, now I know why she has so many followers. She’d successfully nailed two niche markets in one. “Cameron’s dick is all over the webs!”
