Chapter 5 Bolt
“I like the new manager,” Joshua commented from the driver’s seat of his truck. “She seems like she’s not about to play with any of those people. That’s a good thing.”
Joshua sometimes made chicken deliveries from his farms to my restaurants. He mainly did it when he just wanted something to do. Since I wanted to meet the new manager that my grandma insisted that we hire after she fired the previous one, I rode with him. I would always opt to save my gas.
I nodded, thinking about Mrs. Vivian. She had been in the food management business for over twenty years. She managed restaurants where people had to wait six or more months for a reservation. When she was sourced for the manager, I was surprised that she was interested.
We found out that she retired over ten years ago and was bored.
Her husband encouraged her to go back to what she loved, but in a smaller aspect.
I appreciated her expertise and the changes she’d already implemented.
My mama liked them so much that she was in the midst of planning a managers’ retreat so all our managers could get together and share their best practices.
“Yeah, she’s cool as fuck. She has the aura of a mama or grandmama,” I pointed out. “She moves around fast as hell for her age.” I laughed at the memory of seeing her move around the restaurant like Speedy Gonzales.
He laughed. “Yeah, her ass was moving in there. She checked in the chicken inventory faster than any of the other managers.”
The ringing of my phone filled the cab. I answered it on speaker when I saw that it was my sister. “What’s up, Sis?”
“Nigga, just know that when I see Anna it’s on fucking sight. I’m gonna do her in dirty. I’m talking real fuckin’ dirty!” Her voice was at its highest octave.
My head snapped in Joshua’s direction. What the fuck? My face was tight as hell. “What the hell are you talkin’ about, Bethany?”
“That cradle cap, flat screen mounted face, lopsided titty, moon crater ass bitch went up to Heritage on some bullshit at the basketball game. Her stupid shit caused a damn near riot. Now the school is all on the news for the violence,” she revealed.
I was confused as fuck. “What the fuck do you mean? Who told you that shit?”
“Benji was at the damn game. He called me right after the shit happened,” she let me know.
I glanced at the time on my phone. It was late, and the game should have been over for at least an hour. P’Nee should have called me by now like she said she would once she got home. With what happened, according to my sister, she should have called me hours ago.
“Where is Nee? She hasn’t called me about this shit.”
My irritation was high for multiple reasons. First, what the fuck did she mean Anna went to the basketball game on bullshit? She didn’t have bullshit to go up to my baby’s school about. Second, how the fuck did she start a riot?
Bethany scoffed. “Now, why the fuck would she call you when it was one of your hos that started the shit? I told you when you told me that y’all was official to not play with her.”
The bridge of my nose went between my fingers, and I pinched it to temper my anger. “Bethany, don’t play with me, Sis. I love you, and I don’t want to disrespect you behind you talking about shit you don’t know about. The only woman in my life is P’Nee Margie Anderson. Now where is my woman?”
I heard her attitude through all her hard ass breathing, but I didn’t give a damn. Bethany thought that being older than me meant she was my second mama. Ma’am, your ass is only one year older than me. With a huff, she responded. “She’s at home. I just left her house.”
After I thanked her, I disconnected the line. When my focus landed on Joshua, his face was etched with concern. “Yo, what the fuck is Anna on? There is no way that girl is that butt hurt that she rolled up at the high school.”
My hand rubbed down my face. “Man, I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. I got to check on my baby first.”
Nervous! I was nervous as hell as I walked up to P’Nee’s front door.
After the call with my sister, I called this peanut ass head girl like four times and texted at least twenty.
She sent me to voicemail and left me on read.
This would be our first rift of some sort within our relationship.
We hadn’t been together that long, but long enough to feel like forever.
I put my code into the door keypad. When it dinged and turned green, I blew out a breath of relief.
I turned the doorknob to walk in, but that bitch didn’t open.
She has the privacy lock on. Stay on the leash, Bolt.
I lifted my hand and knocked like a civilized gentleman.
Her rude ass took longer than normal to open the door.
Her attitude answered the door before she did. “Yes, Boltin.” Her tone was drier than saltine crackers.
“So, I have to come to my woman’s house now to talk to her? That’s what we’re doing now, Nee?” My left ear lowered toward my shoulder. I was a bit disconcerted that she had yet to invite me in or move from the front door, indicating that I could come in.
She lifted her shoulders nonchalantly, then rolled her eyes. “I mean, shit, shouldn’t you be at that bitch house, letting her get some dick? She did say that she would have it whenever.”
“Man, move.” I walked into her house after she moved to the side to let me in.
I stood in the middle of her living room ready to toss her thick ass.
“P’Nee, don’t play with me, sweetheart. You know, like me and my dick knows, that you are the only one privileged to get it.
It’s gonna be like that until either the rapture or God sees fit to call us home. ”
She stood there in her devilish house dress that she knew turned me on.
This was a setup because there was no way that she didn’t know I would come over here.
She could have put on some sweats and a T-shirt.
That would have turned me on, too, but it wouldn’t have been easy access. She wanted to get fucked on the low.
Her neck crooked a little before her hand went on her hip. “Bolt, it’s whatever. It really is.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Stay on the leash.
“P’Nee, I don’t like how nonchalant your attitude is.
That’s not going to fly with me, because my ’chalant is here, and it cares.
It’s not whatever. It’s me and you. Now, this bullshit with Anna, I will take some accountability for because I should have warned you that there was a ditzy broad out there.
“I should have never left you open like that. I knew her ass was ditzy, but I didn’t think her ass was stupid. Trust me, that shit will be handled,” I told her.
She stared at me for a beat. There was this hurt or disappointment in her eyes that I didn’t like. I wasn’t sure which one it was, but I didn’t like either.
“How do I know you’re not fucking her anymore?” With one hand still on her hip, she lifted the other and shook it. “You know what, no. I didn’t move here for drama. This is not what I signed up for. I think it’s best we just remain friends, Bolt.”
A tear fell from her eyes. “This woman came to my school where I lead children and accused me of potentially fucking my students! A huge fight happened, and police locked up some of my damn students! These are good kids, Boltin! Now they may have a blemish on their record because of your dick drama that I had nothing to do with.”
My entire spirit left my body. Her words hit me hard because I knew how important her school was to her. This shit was fucked up, and it was partially my fault. I slowly moved closer to her. When she let me wrap my arms around her, I pulled her into my chest.
“I am so fucking sorry this happened. It should never have happened. I’m not sure what I can do to rectify the situation, but you know that I will do everything I can to fix it.
” I tried to reassure her. “P’Nee, I’m not fucking with that girl.
I’m also not okay with us not being together. That is not a part of God’s plan.”
Her head bucked back. That smile tried to break through, but she pushed it back. “How do you know what’s in God’s plan?”
“You think a nigga doesn’t pray for blessings over this relationship?
I want this to last forever. I love you with your mean, stubborn ass.
” This was the first time that I let those words leave my mouth.
I’d felt it for a while but was scared to say shit.
I wasn’t sure if I could take her not feeling the same way.
In my mind, time had no bearing when it dealt with love, but to some, it did.
She melted in my arms. “I don’t know, Bolt. Her ass is still on social media talking shit. Like, what the hell.”
My face scrunched. I wasn’t a social media type of person. “What the fuck do you mean she’s posting shit on social media?”
She pulled from my hold. I followed her upstairs to her bedroom.
She grabbed her phone from the charging plate on her bedside table.
Her finger tapped the screen a few times before the screen of her phone was casted on to the television.
I sat on the bed as she went through the post and videos that Anna’s stupid ass posted.
“Make sure you save these stupid ass shits. She’s going out real bad over something that I took from her long before us.” I stood up. “Get some clothes on.”
Her beautiful face tightened. “I’m saving everything and sending it to my lawyer. Yeah, that bitch is going to feel me. Why do I need to get clothes on?”
“I’m about to go to that ho’s house, and I want you there. I need you there to know exactly what’s said and shit. Plus, I need you to help me stay on the damn leash. I’ll be honest, this is my first time having to deal with this kind of shit,” I admitted.