Chapter 17
“Did you have to answer like that?” Teaira says as soon as I answer her FaceTime.
“You call, I answer. No matter what,” I tell her as I wrap my towel around my waist. I just got out of the shower. “What’s up?”
“Just checking on you. How’d you do on your final?”
“Killed it. I just have one more tomorrow then I’m packing.”
“Yeah. You have to be out by Friday, right?” she asks.
“That’s what they say but Coach told me he’ll give me until after the combine. I just want to have all this shit in order and boxed up.”
“I can come help.”
“Nah. You can’t. What I look like having my girl, my pregnant girl at that, lifting boxes and shit,” I say and her eyes get big as hell when I call her my girl.
I don’t know why though because that’s who she is to me.
All that friendship shit is gone for me and her too; she just needs to realize it.
So when she doesn’t say anything, I ask, “You are mine, right?”
“I am but you’re mine too. We both have to be all in.”
“I’ve been all in. I was just waiting for yo’ sexy ass to catch up,” I say and she gives me her pretty smile.
“I’m caught up now,” she says, still smiling. Her hand raises to her mouth and I see she’s eating popcorn.
“That better not be that popcorn we made a week ago,” I fuss.
“Just the ranch. Aundricka said it lasts seven to ten days. This is day six and it’s still fresh and good.
I’m going to finish this. I damn near cried when I threw out the Chicago mix,” she says with a smirk.
She didn’t have to throw out the bacon one.
I smashed that joint. “I hate that I can’t tag her in our pictures on Skroll.
She’s a new business and she could use the hype.
That was the best popcorn I’ve ever tasted. ”
“I know, baby, but you can crop me out and post them.”
“Yeah but just a picture with Teaira isn’t going to get her the recognition she would with a post with Tyriq Hill, the All-American and future NBA star.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself.”
Aundricka did her thing for Teaira’s popcorn.
I actually heard about her spot from Quay.
She wants to do a cooking class with her friends for her birthday in September.
I looked the place up and reached out. Aundricka agreed to a private lesson for us two.
I mentioned popcorn and the caramel and cheese one Teaira eats all the time and she did the rest.
If it were just up to me, I would let Teaira post us and tag On the Table. However, with my current NIL sponsorships and pending deals after the draft, I can’t. Mick and Paxton made it very clear when I signed with both that image is everything and it has to be managed.
“I’ll post. I loved everything about that night. Thank you again.”
“You welcome but stop eating that shit. Today is your last day,” I insist.
“Fine,” she pouts. “I’m going to try and make my own. I think I can. The lesson was detailed and I have the recipe cards.”
“Let’s make the bacon one first.”
“Yeah. You liked that one. You ate more than me,” she says, smirking.
“What else did you eat today?” I ask.
“Two of the egg bites my momma made.”
“Good. I’ll bring dinner tonight. Just let me know what you want later.” I grab my phone from the sink then walk out of my bathroom and sit on my bed. My body is still warm from the hot shower and I need to cool it down before I get dressed. I’m stopping by Kassir’s to holla at him.
“Okay. I will but I was wondering. Where are you going to keep your stuff after you move out?”
“Mick is making arrangements. It’ll be temporary until the draft and I sign a contract.”
“What kind of arrangements?”
“His assistant found a few Airbnbs but my other options are either a suite at The Metropolitan here or at The Drexel there so I can be closer to you.”
“So, you’ll still have to go back and forth?” she says.
“Back and forth how?”
“I mean…think about it…if you’re at an Airbnb or hotel, even here or in Crescent Falls, you’ll still have to be back and forth…in case like, I need you,” she says, stumbling all over her words which ain’t like her at all. Teaira doesn’t have a problem saying exactly what she wants.
“If you need me, you know I’ll be there. If you need me every day then I’ll be there every damn day.”
“Well, let’s just do that. There’s no need in wasting money on hotels or Airbnbs. You can stay here when you move out of Arena House. That saves you money and time,” she says and I hide my laugh.
“Just say you want a nigga all up on you all the time. This ain’t got shit to do with money or time. You are where I want to be anyway. Just say that shit.”
“Okay. I do.”
“You do what?”
“I wanna be all up on you all the time,” she says, smiling.
“I knew it,” I say.
“Whatever. What time are you heading this way?”
“After I get dressed. You need anything before I head to Kassir?”
“And to your mother,” she adds.
Earlier this week, I finally agreed to talk to my moms. Having both sides of our families in our child’s life is important to Teaira and she wants some progress made before our due date.
Because I want to make her and my child happy, I’m going to try.
I can’t make no promises but I can try something.
After I leave Kassir’s, I’m taking my mom to dinner at the Taste of Italy.
I need to talk to her without her husband anywhere around, and after our last dinner, I can’t trust that he won’t be at the house.
“And her. I’m still going to meet her.”
“Good because this isn’t just for our baby. It’s for you too.”
“Bet.”
“Okay. I’m going to let you get dressed off camera because if I stay on here, I’m definitely going to need something before you go to Kassir.” She winks before ending the call.
After sitting for a few more minutes to cool off and think about my talk with my mom, I finally get up and get dressed.
Arena House is already starting to get ghost. Many players dipped right after their last finals and went home so it’s only a few of us left.
When I walk through the lobby, it’s empty as shit.
Before hitting the highway to Diamond Falls, I stop by High Timez to pick up some premium dro.
They have a new strain, Bring da Fire, and I heard it’s straight pressure.
I’m not going to be faded faded but I plan to blaze with Kassir as we talk.
He knows me and about the shit I have with my father; so if anyone can give me some insight, it’s my big bruh. I value his opinion.
It’s almost four when I make it to Diamond Falls and four on the dot when I pull into the back parking lot of D-Ville.
Since you need a key card to reach Kassir and Rebel’s top floor of the building.
I hit him and let him know I’m downstairs.
By the time I exit my ride and walk through the back entrance, he’s at the elevator on the first floor.
“From the cradle to the casket,” he greets me.
“Cradle to the casket, bruh,” I say before dapping him up.
He looks at the High Timez bag in my hand. “You brought that fire I see,” he says. “We gon’ need it or you just want it?”
“I need this shit,” I admit.
“Already,” he says, understanding I need to have a real conversation. We hop on the elevator and head up. “Rebel went to chill with Teaira and watch some TV show,” he says when we walk into his crib.
“Probably Scandal.”
“I think that’s it. You want something to drink? I got the Black Barrel.”
“Yeah.”
He heads to his kitchen and I sit on the sectional. The TV is on and 2K is paused on the screen. As he pours the drinks, I pull out both prerolls and fire mine. I take the first hit and damn. Like a simp with virgin lungs, I fucking cough.
“You forgot how to smoke, nigga?” Kassir clowns me.
“Nah. That shit strong as fuck.”
He hands me my drink and I take a sip. To redeem myself, I take another hit and this time when the smoke fills my lungs, I blow it out without embarrassing myself. Kassir sits on the other end of the sectional and fires up his. After his first hit, he shakes his head.
“Yeah. This shit fye. Which strain is this?”
“That new one in the black jar, Bring Da Fire.”
“Imma need a few ounces of that shit.” He takes another hit then looks at me. “What’s up with you? I know you not nervous about the draft or that combine shit. Can’t nobody see you when it comes to that ball.”
“Nah. I’m actually good with it now. It was the championship that had me stressed but I’m straight now. I just gotta show up and kill it so I can secure my first-round spot. Mick says it’s looking like the Royals or the Boars but you know where my heart is.”
“Royals all fucking day,” he says.
“All day. If we are going to bring that championship back next year, Jabari and Meyer need you.”
“I hope they see it that way. Either team, I’m good, because I did what that nigga thought I wouldn’t but my heart bleeds that blue and green.”
“His words didn’t mean shit when you were a jit and they don’t mean shit now.
You are the man you are in spite of that nigga.
Don’t focus on him. You ’bout to have yo’ own family now and being a real dad requires making sacrifices and changes.
I changed the game when Kassan was born.
All that beef shit with bitch ass Ralph and the Bedford Boyz wasn’t worth it.
My son wasn’t coming into this world in the middle of no BS… none.
“I made shit clear with his mom, stopped pushing heavy, and ended that beef. No anger or resentment is worth hurting your child or your woman. I almost lost Rebel forever but I got lucky and she came back. You don’t want to fuck around and lose Teaira either.
Not every nigga is as lucky as I was to get a second chance.
No beef, street or family, is worth losing your child or your woman,” he says, dropping the jewels I needed to fucking hear.
“I’m meeting my moms for dinner so I can talk this shit out with her. So, thanks bruh, for real. I needed to hear that.”