Aldrich #2
“Yeah. I mean I get the same dividends they do because I’m a relative and I don’t feel like going through the ridiculous games they do trying to gain approval.
I’m proud of what my ancestors have accomplished but a lot of their ideals are completely ridiculous when it comes to how things should go.
There are plenty of ideas that I might have for the businesses, there’s so many that there is enough room for everyone to make their mark.
That would be too sensible for them so they stick to being how they are and trying to knock each other down to ensure they look the best even if they aren’t doing the best.”
“They say it only takes three generations for a family to lose everything. Y’all did something right to beat those odds.”
Her laughter was softer but it wasn’t any less filled with sarcasm.
“Losing money is akin to death to a lot of them. They wouldn’t dare do anything to risk the fortune.
Morals should matter, but look at the world around us.
We’ve got a government run by felons and treating this place like they’re the mafia shaking the American people down.
Social media cache is more important than morality and profit over people is still the real American dream for capitalists.
It’s not easy to instill values but God knows it’s not hard. Look at me.”
“Do you think that comes from your father’s side or the fact that they treated you like an outcast?”
“I’ve wondered if it’s the lack of desirability and conformity that made me this way but I’m not sure.
What I know is that I’m grateful for it.
I don’t want to fit in with the ideals they hold.
They see nothing wrong with scheming, lying and cheating one another all for control and power; they will have to hire someone to explain to them.
I don’t even dabble in the family business and I could probably go and run it better than they could. ”
“And that’s the problem.”
“What is?”
“The fact that you could run it but don’t.
That you are so capable and knowledgeable about positions you don’t even want.
People hate success that they wish to covet for themselves but can’t.
You think I don’t know the washed-up running backs that now commentate our games aren’t talking shit from jealousy?
That I haven’t had former teammates try to throw dirt on my name because they didn’t make it as far as I did?
I know that’s a fact and I let it slide off me.
You’ve done something akin to that but you haven’t had it as easy as I have.
I’ve always had my people in my corner telling me to ignore the haters, while your people were the haters.
It’s fucked up how that works but I’m glad you’re nothing like your people.
Some snobby lil rich girl couldn’t be around my kid giving her the wrong ideas about what success and womanhood are. ”
“Please don’t even get me started on that. The way they treat the marriage market is even worse.”
“Husband hunting?”
“Worse than a Regency England mother trying to land her daughter the title of duchess.”
I paused again because her description didn’t seem to be pulled from thin air. “That was extremely accurate.”
“If my people would’ve been the right skin color and had more money I’m sure they would’ve forced one of my ancestors into the peerage like the rest of the dollar princesses way back in the day.
Supposedly there was some talk of one of my great aunts being married to a sheikh or a shah or something like that. ”
“Aren’t they the same thing?”
“Both are kings but one is from Iran and the other Arab.”
“Again, the same thing.”
She laughed as she shook her head lazily. “Actually no. Iranians are not technically Arabs.”
“I’m feeling very left behind right now.”
She bust out laughing but I was being dead ass. “This is stuff that everyone should know but the American educational system makes people mice in mazes and button pushers. There’s no innovation that they desire unless it comes from their class.”
“Their?” Her ass was speaking like she wasn’t wealthy her damn self.
“Yes their. I’m a nanny. A working girl.” She said it proudly but it still sounded wild.
“Not you likening yourself to a 304.”
She ground her hips like her bare pussy wasn’t two centimeters away from my dick. She knew if she woke him up I was gone need her to help him get back to sleep. “I mean I’m doing something strange for a piece of change so…”
“I wouldn’t call it strange. Acrobatic and very satisfying, yes.
But not strange. Unless you've got some other trick up your sleeve…” She had me wondering what else she had to show me.
Sterling might present as buttoned up but she was relaxed with her sexuality.
She had no issues with telling what she liked or didn’t.
Or letting me know when I needed to go harder or make love to her.
She sat up looking for her phone and I pulled her back down to me and kissed her cheek. “Let me call Reese and tell her to have Runt let that asshole from Miami through on Sunday.”
“Not you wishing me ill.”
“You just sound like you need some sense knocked into your and I know I’m not the one to do it.”
I squeezed her close to me, waiting until I felt her body relax before I spoke again. “Nah, can’t have that. You and I know what we have. We’re good together and for each other. As long as we have that knowledge of us, nothing is going to shake what we have.”
“Look at this pretty boy ass nigga trying to look hard.”
I’d been ignoring the players the closer they crept to our side of the field because I wasn’t in the mood to get fined before I could even play.
We were having another home game and this was on a Sunday night so the lights inside the stadium were even brighter than normal.
We had been playing well on racking up one loss and I swore these Stars niggas were always trying some shit.
Case in point, them coming to our side of the field just like they did last year like shit was sweet. They could only push us so far before someone swung fines be damned.
“These muthafuckas never learn do they?” Marcel looked at me and I could see he wanted to say something but he kept his face calm despite how pissed I knew he was.
I was glad that he and Chris had hit it off because I knew me and Ant had been booed up all season.
Whatever free time I had, I spent it at home or with Ling.
They understood because we literally saw each other every day at work.
We still said we’d have to find a minute to hang out together outside of work.
“Never. But I’m not about to do anything to jeopardize what we've got going on. They're trying to start trouble before the game. We're gone see who’s laughing when the numbers hit zero.” I dropped that word of advice and let it ride, trying to keep it calm.
“You know Ant’s crazy ass ain’t about to just chill and not get in on this shit.” Chris nodded to Ant who was trying to ignore everything and keep stretching.
“Don’t remind me. Gone have me needing to cuss his ass out.” Ant stood up his eyes still on the niggas who were steadily creeping closer and talking louder and louder. With the music in the stadium going and along with the crowd noise, they needed to speak up in order for us to hear them.
“Then he fucking the bitch he got raising the baby too. Wifed the fucking help like a simp.”
My ears perked up and Marcel’s did too because I knew this fuck nigga was not talking about my girl.
“Remember what you said, Money.” Marcel gave me that warning like that was gone stop me from breaking my foot off in his ass.
“That was before that nigga put Ling’s name in his mouth. I ain’t about to let that shit slide.” I turned toward the fucking Stars that were trying to start shit. The main one was this big corn-fed ass Bama that I played against in college and he hated me.
“What’s good, Money?”
I turned back to my teammates with my hands up like everything was cool. “Oh, it’s just this nigga, Micah. He must still be mad cause I fucked his bitch during Covid and he's still salty about it.”
“Nigga!”
Ant and Marcel cracked up while Chris kept his eyes on the men behind us. I knew if they wanted motion he’d give it to them.
Before he could do anything, I just waved them over to our sideline where the rest of the offense was waiting for us. Ant dapped us up before heading to the defensive huddle that Coby was holding.
Grant was looking in the direction we’d come from and when I glanced behind me I could see them niggas were still lingering behind us. “What’s good?”
He asked completely normal, but everyone who’d seen him rumble knew he was on go. It was either the hype from getting ready for the game or that he, like the rest of us, couldn’t stand the Stars. “They're talking shit that’s all.”
“For what?” Grant’s normally zen ass was looking back at the defense like he wanted all the smoke and I wished people would see this side of him more often.
Everybody thought he was a buttoned-up do-gooder, and mostly he was.
But he didn’t take people messing with his friends and family too lightly.
“It ain’t shit.” I rolled my shoulders because I didn’t want to get too hyped up since I needed to focus on this game.
“Gotta be if your overly-disciplined ass is trying to get your head in the game. What’s good?”
“Just talking shit like I said.”
“They over there mentioning his girl. So he’s trying to channel some of your zen so he can focus.” I don’t know where Runt’s ass came from but I guess the rest of the Stars were still talking shit.
I glared at him, and his big ass just laughed at me. He was over six-five and clocked in at over three hundred pounds. I definitely looked like a kid standing with his big brother when I stood next to him. “Anymore of my business you want to tell, Runt?”