Chapter 9
I sat in my office, looking over profits for the month.
We’d been doing exceptionally well, and I could fuck with that. It didn’t really matter if we had a slow month here or there. I wasn’t in this business for the money, because my paper was long. I did this for two reasons: the love of guns and the need for people to protect themselves. Did I fuck off with a few of my clients from time to time? Yes, I did. Did it ever get in the way of me making my money? No, it didn’t.
It was always business first.
When I was teaching, I was very thorough and hands on. Now once the session was over, that was a different story for some. Case in point, Peach. She booked sessions to perfect her aim in case her son’s father came lurking again. He was a career criminal and liked putting his hands on her when she refused to let him get his family back. It wasn’t that she was scared of him because Peach was a hood chick, and she fought niggas. She was just sick of his shit.
We started messing around about five sessions in. Truthfully, my cousin was right. Her training should have been done a while ago. She just loved coming to see a nigga, and I loved making her cum. As bomb as the head and sex was, it was about time to cut that short. After ghosting her the other week, I hadn’t been answering her calls, and I had Kaylynn taking over her sessions.
I was trying to wrap my head around the budding attraction I had to Romi. Fuck budding… the attraction was in full bloom. I’d never been one to miss out on a booty call for some Netflix and chill type of shit. Still, I liked being around Romi. After seeing a different side of her at my brother’s wedding and spending one-on-one time with her, I was intrigued, to say the least.
I could tell she had a lot going on, and she needed a friend. Here goes my unfriendly ass being friendly as a muthafucka. The thought made me chuckle. I never had female friends because I always ended up fucking them. If Romi wasn’t pregnant, I’d slide right up in her. It was bad enough that I thought about that while she was carrying another man’s baby.
She was just so damn beautiful. I could appreciate that with sex off the table. Add the fact that I liked her personality, and you might as well say a nigga was somewhat smitten. That shit made me laugh out loud.
“What. The. Fuck,” I said, shaking my head.
I had to talk to somebody about this shit. It wasn’t gonna be Kaylynn with her nosy ass. My brothers were out of the question, and so was my pops. I thought about my sisters, but they all gossiped with each other, and it would get back to my brothers. My mama would immediately think she was getting another daughter-in-law, and I didn’t need that pressure.
The only person I could think of was my stepdad. The nigga was cool people. I had mad respect for him. He’d always been the parent to offer advice when solicited, so it made it easy to talk to him. I decided I would slide through after work to holla at him.
A knock on my office door broke my thoughts. I looked up to see Kaylynn standing there.
“What?” I asked, looking back to my screen.
“Peach is here.”
“Okay? Go handle that.”
“She’s demanding to see you.”
“Tell her I’m busy.”
“She already tried to bring her ass back here, nigga. I told you to stop fucking that girl. When she goes postal and fucks your shit up, I don’t wanna hear your mouth.”
“Fuck, Kay! Goddamn!”
I stood from my seat and brushed past her and out to the front. Peach was standing at the counter with her arms crossed and a big purse on her shoulder. When she saw me, she kissed her teeth.
“Come here,” I said, motioning her to me.
She stormed over, and I pulled her into the back hallway.
Kaylynn shook her head as she walked out. “You better check that bag. She might have a gun in there.”
“Shut up,” we both said to her.
I took Peach’s arm and led her to my office. The moment the door closed, I pushed her up against it.
“What’s the problem, Peach?” I asked.
“You ghosted me, and then you passed me off to your cousin. What’s up with that?”
“I told you some shit came up.”
“You owe me some dick.”
I chuckled. “You this mad over some dick, Peach?”
“It’s good dick. If you wanna end this little arrangement afterward, that’s fine, but don’t leave me hanging.”
“You wild, man. Honestly, your sessions need to end too. You know what you’re doing.”
She kissed her teeth. “What if I wanted to come see your fine ass?” She slid her hand down the front of my pants. “I’m really gonna miss this dick, baby. Mmm… the feeling of you beating my shit from the back.” She gave it a stroke. “The feeling of you busting all that nut down my throat. Shit! How about you give me something for the road? You don’t even have to fuck me. I can do that myself.”
She released the strap on her purse and held it open for me to look inside. I laughed at the big ass dildo resting at the bottom of the bag.
“What am I gonna do with you?”
“Pull that pretty muthafucka out and let me have it.”
She retrieved the dildo and dropped to her knees in front of me. I couldn’t lie and say I wasn’t gonna miss this mouth because Peach gobbled dick like nobody’s business. Every time she told me to coat her throat, my shit erupted. Baby never let a drop go to waste.
Just as I went to pull my pants down, there was another knock at my door.
“You got a delivery,” Kaylynn said, cracking the door and sliding a bag in. “I’m not trying to see you exposed.”
I snatched the door open, and she covered her eyes.
“Put it away!” she said, squealing.
“My clothes are on, with yo’ extra ass.”
She peeked through her fingers. When she saw I was fully dressed, she looked around the door frame at Peach on her knees.
She shook her head. “Y’all hos be weak in the knees about this nigga. Stand up!”
I picked up the bag and mushed her as I closed the door.
“Smoke,” Peach whined.
“Hold on a second,” I said, popping open the tamper proof seal.
When I looked in the bag, a grin spread across my face. Romi was funny. She sent me the exact combination of shit that had her throwing up the other night. She was tripping if she thought I was gonna eat this shit together. Separately, maybe.
“Peach, I’ma take a raincheck,” I said, pulling out my phone.
“What?”
“I gotta make a call, baby.”
She was fuming as she climbed to her feet. “Don’t worry about it!” she yelled, throwing the dildo at me, hitting me in the chest. She stormed out of my office, leaving the door wide open. Once again, Kaylynn popped her head in.
“No sucky sucky?” she asked, laughing.
I picked up the dildo and threw it at her, causing her to scream as she ran out and closed the door. Turning my attention back to my phone, I called Romi on FaceTime. She answered on the third ring.
“Yes, Mr. Dillinger?”
“How are we supposed to be friends but you’re trying to give me the bubble guts?”
She laughed. “You got my delivery, I see.”
“Yeah, I got it.”
“Most people would say thank you. You just don’t appreciate my snacks. That’s okay. I’ll eat them.”
“I’ll make sure I save them for you. You must not be busy.”
“Obviously, you don’t care if I’m busy. You called.”
“You answered.”
She huffed. “Whatever. You must not be busy either.”
“I was about to get into something when your delivery came. Made me laugh. I don’t like how you be having a nigga just kee-keeing and shit.”
“What’s wrong with having a good laugh?”
“Nothing, just… I don’t do this shit with women. I don’t have female friends.”
She sighed. “So you just fuck and duck them, huh?”
“When you say it like that, it sounds bad.”
“I mean, it was you who said we were friends. You can’t break up with me so soon after.”
I chuckled. “Break up with you?”
“Yes. I take my friendships very seriously.”
“I hear you, mama.”
She giggled. “I have to get back to work. I have a client coming in.”
“A’ight. I’ll holla at you.”
“Don’t eat my snacks, either.”
“Bye, woman.”
Her laughter echoed in my ear as I hung up the phone. For a moment, I sat there, grinning to my damn self. A nigga was in trouble… big trouble.
I pulled up to my childhood home around six, with my music bumping. Both my mom’s and stepdad’s cars were in the driveway. I hadn’t put the car in park good when the front door swung open and my mama stepped out on the porch with her hands on her hips. I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but her lips read, “Turn that shit down.” Just to fuck with her, I turned it up louder. She stormed over to the car and leaned in through the window to turn the stereo off. As she went to pull back, I got her in a playful headlock.
“Devin Shamal Dillinger!” she yelled, pinching me.
“Ouch, Ma! Damn!”
I let her go, and she climbed out of the window.
“You get on my nerves,” she said, swatting my arm. “You insist on playing this ratchet shit every time you pull up here.”
I grinned as I opened the door and got out. I tried to pull her into a hug, but she shoved me.
“So you can’t give your baby boy a hug, Allison?”
She pointed a finger at me. “I’ma beat your big ass if you call me by my name again. Come here.”
She always caved. I stooped and hugged her. Even at my big age, I loved hugs from my mama. That was my dawg. She kissed my cheek as she pulled away.
“What brings you by?”
“I need to holla at Alec.”
“About?”
“You nosy.”
“You came to talk to my man, and I can’t ask you what it’s about?”
“Ain’t that my stepdaddy? Why do you need to know?”
“Keep getting smart with me, Devin.”
“I’m playing, Ma. For real, I need to talk to him about something, man to man.”
She raised her hands in mock surrender. “Fine. I won’t pry. He’s out back, grilling up some steaks for dinner.”
I rubbed my hands together. “I’m right on time, then.”
“Fat ass.”
We shared a laugh as we headed into the house. Deja sat on the couch on FaceTime with Kilow, just skinning and grinning. At this point, they had been together for almost about ten months. Her ass was in love, and so was he. Every time I saw her, she was talking to him, or they were together. It was worse now since I’d bought her a car for her birthday.
I walked up behind her and put her in a headlock while kissing her cheek.
“Devin, stop!” she shrieked. “Oh my God! Mama, please get your spawn!”
“I’m not in it!” Mama called from the kitchen.
I released her and mushed her head. “I missed you, Dey Dey.”
“Well, I didn’t miss you.”
“Remember that when you want some money.”
“I have another brother. Plus, Uncle Deuce and Uncle Steel will give me money. You ain’t the only option.”
“Watch me have everybody cut you off with ya smart ass mouth.”
“Don’t worry, bae, I got you,” Kilow said.
I snatched the phone. “Nigga, what money do you have?”
He grinned. “I have a job now, man.”
“Where you working?”
“Maceo hooked me up with a job at one of his gas stations.”
“That’s what’s up, lil’ nigga. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks, man. I gotta be able to afford to take my lady out?—”
“Give me my phone, Devin!” Deja demanded, snatching it from me. “You stay in my business.”
“You are my business. Remember that shit.”
I mushed her head again and walked off. My mother shook her head as I stepped into the kitchen.
“Why are you always harassing my child?”
“Because she thinks she’s grown, and I have to humble her.”
She rolled her eyes. “Go on and have your lil’ conversation with Alec.”
“Don’t be listening at the door, either.”
“Boy, this is my house. If I want to stand on the porch and listen, I can do that because it’s my house.”
I waved her off as I opened the door. I made my way down the back steps to the grilling area where Alec stood, manning the grill and two-stepping to some old school R&B. When he heard me approaching, he turned around, and a grin spread across his face.
“How you doing, son?” he asked, slapping my hand before pulling me into a hug.
One thing I could never escape was a hugging ass family. We were a bunch of gangstas in tune with our emotions… well, most emotions.
“I’m good. Wassup with you?”
“Same shit, different day. It’s always good to see you. What brought you by?”
“I’m hungry. I know one of those steaks has my name on it.”
He smirked. “Always. Now what’s the real reason?”
He grabbed two beers from the mini fridge and passed one to me before motioning me to have a seat.
“I uh… I wanted to talk to you about something, man.”
“What’s that?”
“I know you came into this family when it was kinda already made. You ever had any apprehensions about that shit?”
“Nah. I knew the moment I saw your mama that she was gonna be my wife. I accepted right then that whatever she came with, I was down for.”
“Now what if she was ratchet as hell?”
“I would have loved her ratchet ass.” We started laughing. “Seriously, though, a man that knows a woman is worth it will do what he has to do to make sure she knows it too. Your mama was worth it then, and she’s worth it now. It didn’t matter that she had you and Maceo. I was ready to love y’all like my own.”
“I appreciate that, man. I know we were some hellraisers, but you’ve really been good to us.”
“Y’all were something else, but I’d do it all over again. You don’t come from me, but you’re my son no less.” He took a sip of his beer as he eyed me. “Where is this coming from?”
“I uh… I met someone.”
“The beauty from Maceo’s wedding? I saw y’all looking real cozy.”
“Yeah, it’s her. The problem… well, it ain’t really a problem… She has an eight-year-old, and she’s about seven months pregnant now.”
His eyes widened. “Really? I couldn’t tell. She’s small. Then again, some women don’t show much. I assume the baby isn’t yours.”
“Nah. It’s not. I think I like her, though. She’s got this whole homie vibe?—”
He laughed. “I have never been attracted to my homies, Smoke. It’s okay to like her.”
“Is it though? You know niggas love to talk.”
“Since when do you care what another man, or anybody for that matter, has to say?”
“I don’t,” I said, lifting the beer to my mouth.
“So why are we having this conversation?”
I paused in sipping my drink, making him laugh.
“I’m just saying, son. Sounds like you know what you want. You don’t need anybody’s permission to date that woman but hers. Just make sure you understand that her and those kids are a packaged deal. Nobody is asking you to play daddy or stepdaddy, but be prepared to be a male role model in their lives. They will always come first with their mother, so you gotta put them first, too, if you’re gonna be serious with her.
“You see how your brother easily transitioned into fatherhood? Deuce may have a few screws loose, but he’s a damn good father. Salima sat his ass down and that man has no complaints about that. I’m not saying you can’t still live, but kids change the way you live. You ready for that?”
I thought about his question. Should I decide to pursue something with Romi, was I ready to tone down my carefree lifestyle? I mean, I had free range to go where I wanted and do anything I wanted. She wouldn’t be able to just up and go like I could, and a nigga loved to be outside. I guess I had some shit to think about. I mean, who was to say she was even interested in my ass like that?
It was looking like we would have to be friends until being friends was no longer an option.