Chapter 2 #2
Sanaa kissed his face to soothe the chance of her getting into real trouble before hopping off his lap and disappearing somewhere in the house.
“And that’s another reason I can’t go to homecoming.
Who’s going to keep Aunt Violet from turning my daughter into a sailor?
It’s bad enough that she has her playing bridge and going to the senior center for bingo.
Do you know that we were playing uno the other night and she threw her hand down and yelled ‘UNO MUHFUCKA!’”
Andrew laughed harder. “And topped it off with a ‘yeah nigga!’”
“I know Aunt Violet is going to be here but I can watch her. It’s nothing,” Q shared, hoping to get more than half of Jahlil’s attention.
Jahlil looked up at Q and shook his head. “Nah, I’m good on it. Tell them I said no.”
“Aight, look,” Andrew spoke, quieting his laughter. “As your almost agent.”
“You see how niggas take a maybe and run with it?” Jahlil quizzed. “I never said you were going to be my agent.”
“You said if I graduate on time with honors, you’ll consider it,” Andrew spoke, making Jahlil kiss his teeth.
“Yeah but nigga you got three more years until you graduate high school. You got to go to college and I don’t see you ever graduating with muhfuckin’ honors.”
“Wow. To be a big nigga, your faith is so small. And that’s where Sanaa gets her mouth from. It’s not E.Rose,” Andrew pointed out. “You a hater too. From inside the house. Crazy work.”
“I’m not going,” Jahlil stated.
“Actually, I already confirmed with Carson that you will be there. The alumni Phine Phamily Reunion Kickback. The alumni pickup game. And the concert on the yard. And the house.”
Jahlil looked up at Q with a blank expression. “Why wouldn’t you ask me before committing me?”
“Because you need a life, nigga,” Andrew chimed. “I know it and the whole crew knows it. I wonder if E.Rose is going to be there.”
“I don’t see her on the list. I doubt it. She’s so busy,” Q said with a hint of irritation in her voice.
“It’s Emani. She’s a part of the crew, she’s going to be there,” Andrew stated in a matter of fact tone looking at Q. “She was the best, for real.”
In order for Jahlil not to be that nigga, he needed to stay away from her. As much as possible.
“That right there is why you need to go. Get your girl back and stop being a pussy,” Andrew pointed out. “And if you can’t get her, get some from someone else. Don’t bring no kids back you feel me?”
“Okay hold on,” Q blew, holding her hands up as if the thought of Jahlil sowing his oats somewhere was bound to give her a heart attack. “How about we go to the events, rub elbows with the coaching staff and president, and maybe get a solid plan for retirement?”
“Retirement?” Andrew and Jahlil asked in tandem.
Jahlil’s face was stuck in confusion. “I’m twenty-seven. I have another seven years ahead of me before we even have that conversation.”
“The average player retires from the NBA around thirty-eight. If you’re looking at the hall of fame by forty you need to put some things in play now,” Q spoke up.
By the look on Jahlil’s face, Andrew knew Q was about to get checked. Being that she had a habit of overstepping and crying about it, Jahlil ignored her altogether to talk to his brother. “Ay, watch your mouth. Aight.”
Q didn’t get the hint. “It’s something you should consider, Jah.”
Jahlil groaned before he turned to face her. “Quinn, you sleepy or hard of hearing? Carson committed me to homecoming, aight cool. I’ll talk to him. Everything else, miss me with it and take the rest of the day off.”
“I’m just looking out for you, Jah. Who else is here to do it?” she posed as if Jahlil’s circle was big enough for him to worry about. That circle was tight. The only loose end was her and he was trying to find a way to x her out of the equation immediately.
He chuckled and stood. “This is a conversation I’m not having with you. I’ll see you later.”
He waited until she was exiting the house to move out of the living room.
“I swore she wasn’t ever going to leave,” Andrew huffed. “I don’t like that lady. She’s weird. Hurry up and get rid of her.”
“I’ll handle it how I handle it. You handle them boxes before Auntie gets back. If I were you, I’d call her and sweet talk her. Since seven preteens are about to be all up and through here.”
Andrew pulled out his phone and called Aunt Violet who was out grocery shopping.
Jahlil tried to get her to use JoyCart over and over but she swore she needed to shop the old school way.
After getting dressed and hyping himself up to play nice with others, Jahlil joined Aunt Violet in the kitchen.
Andrew and Sanaa were busy putting away groceries.
“You know you got my baby cursing like a sailor?” Jahlil spoke as Aunt Violet grated a block of cheese. “What you making?”
“Fried chicken, mac and cheese and veggies for these kids,” she shared, before wiping her brow. “And I explained to our in-house terrorist that colorful language is saved for bridge and uno.”
Jahlil winced in laughter. “I just paid her preschool tuition, if her cussing ass gets kicked out, I’m coming to you for that 25k.”
Aunt Violet stopped what she was doing to hold her arms out. “Run up get done up, nigga. What you gon’ do? Do something about it! You won’t because you’re a jive turkey. Don’t make me break your ass down and make change out you, boy.”
In full laughter, he found it amazing how similar Aunt Violet and his mother were. Aunt Violet was everything his mom was on her good days. Before he could get into his feelings, he posed, “ you making all that for that nigga? How he get you to do that?”
“The same way you got me to make a five course meal for a whole team to soften the blow of you leaving OC. Where you going?”
“Team dinner hosted by Malik that I don’t want to go to. But I’m going to be a team player,” Jahlil curled his lip. “Be the bigger man or however the shit goes.”
“You know, the thing about free will is you can be the ain’t shit man and not go. He’s checking your temperature.”
He frowned. “For what?”
“He’s got your girl. And because he has your girl, he can’t welcome you back in his house. Nah, too close. You can smell her all over that house. He needs you in public with cameras and all the eyes so he can show everyone he’s the bigga nigga. So he can have you around your girl with evidence.”
“She’s not my girl,” Jahlil lied to Aunt Violet and himself.
“Oh baby boy, she’s yours. I knew when I stepped in that small ass apartment with that ugly ass orange couch that that was your girl.
She decorated and made it a livable place for your brother.
That’s your girl, always will be. The question is are you going to swing your dick and get her back? ” Aunt Violet posed.
“Auntie!”
“What?” she popped back. “What else you come back here for? Miss me with the family bullshit. The Crew has successfully balanced you both.”
“Save me a plate would you?”
“For what? You’re coming back here sick.
You’re going to see her up close and personal.
Smell her. And I’m telling you, I’ve been watching that girl and she can put that shit on.
She’s going to look good enough to suck off the bone and you won’t be able to because another nigga has your girl.
But you can tell me what you want for dinner next week.
I’m sure by then you’ll be over it. That’s the going time, right? A week?”
Jahlil huffed and waved her off. Before walking out of the kitchen, he kissed Sanaa and popped Andrew on the back of the head. “Be good and watch your mouth, little girl. Don’t embarrass me, little boy.”
“I won’t,” Sanaa assured with a giggle.
Andrew rubbed the back of his head and popped back. “Tell Emani to pull up on me. If the older Savage brother can’t handle her, I can.”
“Nigga, I’ll,” Jahlil grumbled, feeling the heat rush through his body. “Watch yourself.”
Aunt Violet and Andrew snickered at Jahlil’s departing back.
He took the longest way to LSH – Los Oceania Steakhouse – one of Carson’s investments.
He only arrived fifteen minutes late. Giving the valet his keys he strolled inside only to find that Malik had bought the entire restaurant for the night.
The space was filled with damn near everyone.
He scanned the area for his crew, finding them clustered on the other side of the restaurant with a shining Emani in the center.
Yes, he could smell her from the entrance. It was a soft, sensual scent that graced everyone in the room.
Yes, she looked good enough to suck off the bone. A thin-strapped cheetah print dress that hug every curve of her grown body. Red painted lips. A curly updo that framed her face. Beautiful is what she was.
No, he couldn’t get past her without talking to Malik.
“Ayo, Jahlil!” Malik greeted. “Welcome back, man.”
Jahlil gave him a slacked smile, smiled for the cameras and did the professional thing. “Thanks for having me.”
“No problem. You showed up right on time too,” Malik shared, before turning his back to Jahlil, grabbing the mic from the DJ, and calling for Emani. “Where’s my baby at?”
Emani moved from the crew toward Malik. She took his hand, spotted Jahlil. Gone was the warmth she used to flash his way. It was cold – loaded. Anger, sadness, and heartbreak. All that he put there.
“I know y’all want to eat but I need to get something out the way before the season starts. We’ve been rocking real heavy for three years now. Mani, you know I love you.”
She nodded.
“You know I want you by my side.”
She nodded again.
“You know I want you to be my wife.”
Jahlil frowned. There was no thought in this proposal. It was just some shit to do to flex. Malik snapped his finger for the jeweler to appear with the tray of rings. Jahlil snapped his eyes over to the crew and everyone had the same expression.
“What you say?” Malik asked. No bended knee, no real speech, only bullshit.
“Yes,” Emani hummed, looking at the rings. “Do I just pick one?”
“Pick as many as you want, baby,” he encouraged.
As Malik put a ring on her finger that she pointed to, Jahlil moved to the table. Carson handed him a drink.
“Needed this, thanks,” Jahlil grumbled, draining the contents down his throat.
“I think we all do.”