17. Alisha #2
“And you over cheating.”
That made him pause slightly then he smirked against my skin.
“You jealous.”
I pushed against his chest immediately.
“Nigga bye.”
He laughed while trying to pull me back.
“Come upstairs.”
“Hell no.”
“Ali—”
“No,” I snapped louder. “I don’t want no diseases from your dirty dick ass.”
That finally made him step back fully. I wanted him uncomfortable and to feel some of the humiliation I’d been feeling lately.
“My dick ain’t dirty.”
“Wouldn’t know it’s apparently community dick now.”
“See now you talking crazy.”
“Am I?” I folded my arms staring directly at him. “Cause every time that woman come up your whole energy change.”
For once Deuce didn’t have a comeback. I shook my head slowly before grabbing my wine glass.
“You know what really pisses me off?”
“What?”
“I would’ve held you down through anything if you kept it real with me.”
He knew that was true.
“But embarrassing me?” I continued. “Making me look stupid behind my back I’ll never forgive that.”
I finally saw something close to guilt move across his face. Deuce stood there speechless. He wanted to say something but couldn’t come up with the words. He probably was going to come up with another lie, and I was overhearing it.
“You done?” I asked before sipping my wine.
“You really think I’m out here cheating on you?”
I laughed. “Nigga please.”
“Alisha—”
“Nah don’t Alisha me now,” I snapped. “Go call the bitch Kim since you so worried about her getting wet.”
“You doing too much.”
I pointed at him dramatically. “That’s exactly why I don’t trust your ass. Every time her name comes up you get defensive.”
“She ain’t nobody.” He stressed.
“Then why you looking stressed?”
Deuce grabbed his keys off the counter hard as hell. “I’m not about to keep arguing.”
“Cause you losing.”
That made him cut his eyes at me like I was getting on his damn nerves. Good let him be irritated. I’d been feeling crazy for months while everybody around me acted like I was imagining shit.
“Where you going?” I asked.
“Out.”
“Probably to her.”
“Ain’t nobody thinking about that girl.”
“Boy if you don’t get the fuck out my face.”
He walked toward the front door before stopping suddenly. “I love you.”
That made me angrier because why do men always pull that card after acting foul?
“Love your fucking self,” I yelled.
Then I heard the front door slam. The second he left; I sat down heavily at the kitchen island rubbing my temples. I felt drained. About thirty minutes later, I grabbed my purse and headed over to Grandma Lorraine house to pick Brittany up.
I needed grandma’s energy right then. She always made me feel better somehow. Even when she was cussing everybody out.
The second I walked inside; Brittany came running full speed toward me.
“MOMMY!”
“Hey baby.”
She wrapped her little arms around my legs while Grandma Lorraine sat at the kitchen table cleaning greens.
“Bout time,” Grandma said without looking up.
“I wasn’t gone leave my baby.”
“She finally looked over her glasses at me.
Then frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Damn grandma always knew.
“Nothing.” I lied.
“Girl please.” She pointed the knife toward me. “You got that same look I used to have after hearing about my husband’s cheating ass.”
“Grandma!”
“What?” she shrugged. “The Lord already knows what happened.”
Brittany ran off toward the living room to watch cartoons while I sat down at the table.
“The FBI came to my shop again.”
Immediately Grandma stopped cutting greens. “The who?”
“The FBI.”
“Jesus Christ.” Then she sucked her teeth loudly. “I knew that boy was still in that street shit.”
I rolled my eyes. “Grandma.”
“Don’t Grandma me.” She pointed again.
“They questioned me about Deuce’s trucking company,” I admitted.
“And?”
“And they saying he involved in something.”
Grandma stared at me for a second before sighing heavily.
“Well…”
“Well, what?”
“Baby…” She lowered her voice. “Street niggas ain’t selling lemonade.”
I rubbed my forehead tiredly. “And then this woman keeps popping up.”
Grandma’s eyes widened. “Ooooooo.”
I already knew she was about to be messy.
“What woman?” She asked.
I told her everything about the restaurant and the water throwing and how she magically ended up at my shop so I could do her nails. By the time I finished Grandma Lorraine was damn near hollering laughing.
“You threw water on her?” she cackled.
“Yes!”
“GOOD.”
“Grandma!”
“She deserved it,” she wheezed dramatically. “Sometimes these little hoes gotta get baptized.”
Grandma’s expression softened. “You trust your spirit?”
“Yeah.”
“Then stop second guessing yourself.”
That’s exactly what I needed to hear.
“Men think women dumb,” Grandma continued while seasoning her greens. “Whole time God gave us intuition for a reason.”
Then she paused. “But don’t go crashing out too fast either.”
I frowned. “What does that mean?”
“It means to gather facts before you go to jail over a bitch named Kim.”
I burst out laughing again. Then suddenly somebody knocked on the front door. Brittany little ass ran to the door like she was about to open it. My nerves were already bad.
“Brittany don’t open that damn door!” Grandma yelled dramatically before getting up herself.
I followed behind her curiously. The second she opened the door there stood Agent Brown looking uncomfortable as hell already.
Grandma blinked slowly.
“The hell you want?”
“Ma’am I’m looking for…”
“Ain’t no ma’am over here.”
I had to bite my lip hard to stop laughing.
“Lorraine Jackson?” he asked professionally.
“The fuck else would I be?”
Agent Brown glanced past her spotting me. Grandma immediately moved in front the doorway blocking him.
“Ma’am I just need to ask a few questions.”
“You need to ask Jesus for forgiveness for getting on my damn nerves.”
I almost screamed laughing. Agent Brown sighed patiently.
“This concerns your grandson, Deuce Carter.”
“No,” Grandma snapped. “This concerns you harassing my grandbaby.”
“I’m not harassing anyone.”
“You at my damn house ain’t you?” Grandma folded her arms tighter.
“Don’t y’all got real criminals to chase?”
“We do.”
“Oop.”
I covered my mouth because even I wasn’t expecting that.
Agent Brown jaw tightened slightly.
“Mrs. Jackson?—”
“Look here,” Grandma interrupted dramatically, “if you don’t get your fed looking ass off my porch.”
“Grandma!” I yelled laughing.
“What? He got me fucked up.”
Even Agent Brown looked tired now like he regretted pulling up already.
“I just want to ask a few questions,” he replied.
Grandma rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. “Baby bye.” Then she pointed toward the sidewalk. “Ain’t nobody studying you.”
Finally, Agent Brown looked toward me one last time. “Mrs. Carter be careful.” Then he walked away.
The second he got back in his car; Grandma slammed the door dramatically.
“Ole bitch ass.”
I lost it. “Grandma!”
“What?” she huffed. “He keeps popping up like he paying bills.”
Still laughing, I followed her back toward the kitchen. Grandma picked her phone up.
“Who you calling?”
“Deuce.”
Uh oh, the second he answered, Grandma ain’t waste no time either. “Get your shit together.”
I covered my face, already laughing.
“Grandma stop.”
“No, you stop,” she snapped into the phone. “The FBI at my damn house now.”
I heard Deuce's muffled voice through the speaker immediately. “What?”
“You heard me.”
Then Grandma pointed toward me.
“My grandbaby stressed out because of your fast ass.”
“Grandma!”
“She threw water on a hoe today!”
I slid down in my seat embarrassed as hell while Grandma kept going.
“And honestly? I’m proud of her.”
I could hear Deuce groan loudly through the phone.
“Listen here Deuce,” Grandma continued more seriously now. “Whatever street shit you involved in fix it.” Then she added, “Before you lose your family.”