Chapter 6 #3
I still had fifteen unread messages, three voice notes, four pictures, and a couple of laughing emojis. I looked up from my screen.
“So, I got a question.” All three of them looked at me. “Y’all sent fifteen damn messages… about a non-factor?”
The entire table burst into laughter. Journee nearly spit out her drink.
“A non-factor? Bitch…you should’ve seen that non-factor last night.” Alexis shook her head. “He looked sick, good for his ass.”
“The nigga looked sick,” Nikki laughed. “He couldn’t take his eyes off yo ass last night. We heard about you.”
Journee leaned across the table. “Bitch, when you left with Cohen… Bitch, I thought Hood was finna kill something.”
I rolled my eyes. “Y’all so fucking dramatic.”
“We are not,” Alexis laughed. “I swear we’re not.”
“Fumi, you should’ve seen his face.” Nikki pointed her fry at me.
I laughed. “I appreciate y’all… But y’all don’t have to check Hood for me.”
“We had to,” Journee said without hesitation.
“Why?”
“Because we owed his ass for all his bullshit in the past… But we changed the subject and let his ass off easy.”
The table erupted again. Journee wasn’t entirely wrong. Nikki reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “That’s what sisters do. We protect each other from bullshit.”
A smile spread across my face. “I know, and I appreciate y’all so fucking much.”
Alexis pulled out her calendar. “So, enough of this shit. When are we doing ladies’ night again?”
“Let’s do it in about two weeks,” Nikki suggested.
“I’m off that Friday,” Journee said.
“That works for me. I’ll go ahead and clear my calendar now.”
“My place?” Alexis asked.
“It doesn’t matter to me. I’m bringing the wine and the liquor,” I said.
“I’m bringing a hookah,” Journee added.
“I guess I’m bringing the damn food,” Nikki said, laughing.
“Done.”
We paid our checks, hugged each other goodbye, and promised not to let another month pass before getting together again.
I stepped outside and dug through my purse for my keys. That’s when I looked up. I locked eyes with the last person I wanted to see, Hood. He was walking toward the entrance, a black duffel bag slung over his shoulder. The moment our eyes met… everything around me faded.
Fuck the traffic and the conversations outside. Fuck the music drifting from inside the restaurant. For a split second… Nothing else mattered. Time stood still, but why? Hood stopped a few feet in front of me.
“What’s up, Fumi?”
“What’s up?”
Neither one of us moved.
“I’ve been trying to catch you.”
“I heard.”
Hood’s lips curled into the smallest smile.
“Can we talk?”
“About?”
“I got a few things I wanna discuss.”
He lifted the duffel bag onto his shoulder.
“I’m finna drop this bag off to Skeet. Can you give me five minutes?”
I looked toward the restaurant, then back at him.
“…Yeah.”
“I appreciate it. I’ll be right back.”
Hood pushed the door open and disappeared inside. I stood there for exactly three seconds.
One… Two… Three…
I sighed. “Nigga… Absolutely not.”
I unlocked my car, tossed my purse onto the passenger seat, climbed behind the wheel, cranked the engine, and pulled the fuck out. By the time Hood walked back outside, my parking space was empty. Yeah, I wasn’t giving Hood what he wanted today. We hadn’t had a real conversation in seven years.
I didn’t understand why he wanted one so damn bad. I ain’t got shit to say, and I damn sure wasn’t trying to hear no lies. I wished him well, though.
My phone started ringing. It’s Alexis.
“What?”
The line erupted in laughter. I knew it was all three of these messy motherfuckas on the phone. I swear, these are the pettiest bitches I know; why won’t they let me be great for at least five minutes?
I probably should’ve had them meet me somewhere in the city for lunch because the last thing I wanted was to run into Hood again after last night’s encounter.
“Y’all know y’all ain’t shit.”
“We ain’t,” they answered in unison, laughing even harder.
“Uh-huh. Bitch, we seen yo ass haul out that parking lot.” Journee was damn near crying.
“I sure did.”
“Y’all so damn nosey.”
“Bitch…” Nikki laughed. “Hood damn near ran us over trying to get up with you.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“It ain’t funny.”
“Yes, it is,” Alexis said. “It really is; Alonzo is lowkey mad you’re dogging his nigga out.”
“Y’all so messy; tell Alonzo I can’t take a nigga. I’m not with through anything.”
“True,” Alexis beamed proudly.
“I ain’t ready to have a conversation with that nigga.” I sucked my teeth. “I hope he don’t think we can just pick up where we left off… ‘Cause we can’t.”
“Why not?” Journee asked.
I frowned. “You know why.”
“No. I really don’t.”
“The same reason you ain’t wanna have a conversation with Juelz after you disappeared on his ass.”
The line went quiet. Yeah, that should hold her; practice what you fucking preach.
“That situation was different,” Journee finally said. “Y’all know I couldn’t talk to Juelz.”
“Same shit.”
“Not hardly.”
We all laughed. I finished talking to my girls on my way home. One thing I knew for sure… I could avoid Hood today, maybe even tomorrow. But eventually, that nigga was gone; stop catching me by surprise, and start pressing me on purpose.