Chapter 2
“Hey, what’s on your mind?” Zenia asked as she stared up at me. I must have zoned out while she was sucking my dick. Since my dick was no longer hard, I stuffed it back in my shorts and got up from my seat.
“My bad. I got a lot of shit on my mind and my head just ain’t in it. I’ma head out, and I’ll hit you up when I get a chance.”
A deep frown was etched on her face, but it didn’t faze me. At the end of the day, she wasn’t my bitch, and I didn’t owe her anything.
“This isn’t fair, East. I’ve been waiting to spend time with you for weeks, and you’ve been giving me the run around.”
“Aye, I’m not with all the back and forth. You knew I was a busy nigga when you met me, and ain’t shit changed. I’m on a paper chase, and that’s the only thing I’m worried about right now. If you can’t handle it, then you can stop fucking with me. It ain’t that serious.”
I hated arguing with people in general, but it pissed me off to have to explain myself to a bitch I wasn’t locked in with. Baby girl was doing too much, and I wasn’t here for it.
“I like what we have going on, but I just wish you could make more time for me. I understand you’re about your money. It’s one of the things I’m attracted to the most. All I’m asking is that you squeeze me into your busy schedule. I don’t think I’m asking for too much.”
She wasn’t asking for too much. The problem was that she was asking the wrong person.
“I’m about to head out. Make sure you lock up,” I replied, completely ignoring her little whining session.
At the end of the day, I was single, and I didn’t need to explain shit to a soul.
I headed toward the door without saying anything else.
The moment I got in my whip, I saw an incoming call from my homie, Logic.
“Aye, what’s up, ugly ass nigga?” I barked into the phone.
“Shiiddd, you wish. I’m the finest mothafucka walking around this city. Fuck what you heard,” he shot back.
“What you ’bout to get into? I’m just leaving this little chick’s house and I ain’t ready to head inside yet.”
I wasn’t one who liked to kick it all the time, but I needed something to distract me from the thoughts going through my head.
“You know they’re having the basketball tournament over there at John’s park. I heard it’s jumpin’ over there, so I’m about to slide and see what’s going on. Slack said there were some fine-ass bitches over there, so I’m about to see what’s up.”
I chuckled at him mentioning bitches because ever since his breakup with his girl, Nova, Logic had been running through bitches like water. He had always been a ladies’ man, but I could tell he was tryna get that girl out of his system.
“I don’t care ‘bout no bitches, but I’ma slide through. My granny mentioned something about her church friends selling plates. Those praying hoes might be stuck up, but they can throw down in the kitchen.”
My stomach growled thinking about how good the last plate I got from them was. My granny knew how to throw down, so I always ate good, but those old ladies with the jiggly arms and no necks weren’t too far behind her in the cooking department.
“Alright, bet. I’ll see you in a minute. Don’t flake on me because I know how your ass is. You’re the only nigga I know who likes to be cooped up in the house. What’s the point in being young, get money niggas if you ain’t gon’ enjoy the life you’re building?”
I sat in my car listening to him give the same speech he always did.
Him and Keynauri were always on me about being inside all of the time.
I went out with them on occasion, but now that we were making money, I hated being on the scene.
I wasn’t sure whether it was my paranoia or what, but I always felt like I needed to lay low.
Before we started selling product for this street dude named Gunna, we were robbin’ niggas.
I wasn’t a superstitious ass nigga, but I believed in karma to an extent.
I was never the flashy type because I felt like it put a target on your back.
As far as most people were concerned, we weren’t touchin’ any real money, and I wanted people to continue to think that.
As soon as I pulled up to the park, I wanted to turn back around. There were people everywhere. Bitches were sittin’ on top of cars and niggas were posted up on every corner of the park. Before I could even change my mind, a text came through from Logic’s petty ass.
LJ: Get yo’ bitch ass out the car!
I smirked, then parked my shit in the first empty space I saw. I should have rolled up before I came, but it was too late now. Hopefully, Logic would have a blunt on him like he normally did.
“Hey, East!”
“Damn, that nigga know he’s fine as fuck.”
I heard the women call out to me, but I paid them no mind. Instead, I focused my attention on the location where Logic was.
“What’s up, nigga? I know your ass was about to try some bullshit and dip when you saw all those cars. This shit is packed as hell.” Logic greeted me along with a few of our other associates. He passed me the blunt he was smoking and I accepted it with no hesitation.
“You already know. I hate big ass crowds. Plus, niggas act like they don’t know how to act when they get out in public.
I see twelve is deep out here.” I acknowledged all of the uniformed cops posted throughout the park.
Whenever black folks came together, there was always one bad apple that would ruin the experience by shooting.
I made sure to keep my heat on me at all times, but I never pulled my shit out at family events.
There were too many women and children in the area, but not everyone was built like me.
We chopped it up for a while as we watched niggas hoop on the court.
I used to play basketball in school, but it had been years since I picked up a ball.
My life revolved around making money and trying to provide for myself and the people I loved.
I rarely had time to do normal shit people my age did.
“Hey, East. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.
” This chick named Lamesha spoke. My brows furrowed as I looked up at her.
She and I used to go to school together, but outside of that, I never interacted with her.
I was confused as to why she was speaking to me, and it must have been showing on my face because Logic and our homie Rome burst out laughing.
“Damn, you don’t have to be so rude,” she spat with her hands perched on her hip.
I kind of felt bad, but I still wasn’t sure what she wanted me to say.
“I apologize, sweetheart. I wasn’t aware that you and I were in contact, so your statement caught me off guard.”
Again dumb and dumber were hollering next to me while ol’ girl looked at me as if I had broken up with her. I don’t recall even speaking to her when we were in school, so I was just as thrown as she was.
“Bitch, you made it seem like you knew him and this man is staring at you like a stranger. Let’s get out of here before you embarrass yourself any further.
I need a damn drink.” Her friend scoffed, then turned to walk away.
I thought ol’ girl would follow her friend, but instead she stood there for a moment longer.
“I sent you a few DMs asking if you wanted to hang out, but you never opened them. I don’t mean to be awkward, but I’ve always had a big crush on you, and I noticed you never have a girlfriend. I was thinking that maybe we could get to know each other or something,” Lamesha suggested.
I kept my face neutral as I smoked the blunt, then passed it back to Logic who was still showing his ass. I was surprised she wasn’t embarrassed by his reaction to her being there.
“You’re a pretty girl, so I’ma put you up on game.
Don’t ever approach a man for anything. We are very primal creatures, and if we see something we like, we go after it.
You deserve someone who will chase you, not the other way around.
I don’t date by choice, but you need to work on your self-esteem, love.
Don’t lower it for anyone, not even me.”
I thought she would take it as a compliment or at least appreciate that I was letting her down easy, but when her mouth twisted up, I realized she must have taken it the wrong way.
“Who are you supposed to be? Dr. Phil or some shit? I don’t need a therapist, nigga.
I’m not some desperate bitch who can’t get niggas.
Tuh. I pull every mothafucka, I want and my self-esteem has never been an issue.
If anything, I was trying to give you a chance to prove you aren’t gay, because the bitches are saying your fine ass might be playing for the other team. You sound real sassy if you ask me.”
“Yoooo! East, you better fire her ass up. You can’t let a bitch built like Mrs. Puff talk to you any kind of way!” Logic roared, sending the group around us into a laughing frenzy. I couldn’t feel bad because she brought it on herself.
“Aye, I tried to be nice and let you down easy, but you decided to take it too far. If you messaged me multiple times and I never responded, that should have been the first clue I wasn’t interested.
You’re over here looking desperate as hell while smelling like two fish tacos from Paco’s Tacos on Fifth St. I’m not interested, and it has nothing to do with my sexuality and everything to do with your crusty deer ankles and that little odor coming from those lent covered leggings you got on.
“You should really get that taken care of because everyone isn’t on a pescatarian diet.
Since I already sound sassy to you, I guess now would be the wrong time to tell you that the makeup on your lace is two shades too light and that glue ain’t holding down shit but the dandruff from your dry ass scalp.
Now please get the fuck out of my face. I don’t even talk this much in my everyday life. ”
“Fuck you, booty bandit!” She stormed off as I shook my head in disbelief. I had my fair share of uncomfortable exchanges, but that was one of the weirdest ones by far.