5. Fontaine Jackson
I’d met up with Jelani earlier to check on a shipment of weapons we’d gotten from the Reapers, and since Drea had gotten hemmed up at the salon, I swung by and picked Gunnar up from school.
I loved my nephew, but he was yapping my ear off about some cartoon the entire car ride.
I felt like I’d been to every corner of the city by the time that was done.
I needed a drink. What I didn’t need was Parker also talking my ear off.
“It was cool,” I replied, more interested in the bourbon in my glass than her.
Parker smiled. “That’s all I get? No details?”
I exhaled before taking a sip. “I mean, it’s another day that ends in ‘y’. Handled some business, picked up my nephew, now I’m here. Nothing really exciting in the IT world.”
“I bet you know a lot of corporate secrets,” she mused.
My brows lifted… “Like what?”
She took another sip of her drink. “I mean…I’m sure you’ve heard all the rumors about Banks Enterprises,” she said, her gaze never leaving mine.
I scoffed. She was silly if she thought I’d give her anything other than a generic answer. “People been saying that shit for years. I’ve known Cash since college, ain’t never seen him do anything illegal.”
There was a bit of truth in that. I did go to Duke with Cash.
He was my roommate freshman year. I was a computer science major, and he recognized my skills early on.
I grew up in a nice enough neighborhood, but my mom’s teacher salary wasn’t enough to cover everything.
My pops had been out the picture since Drea was little, so I busted my ass for scholarships.
When Cash put me on with B.C., I had more than enough to pay my way through college and help my mom when she needed.
“Mmhm,” Parker hummed. I didn’t like the way she said that, like she knew more than she was letting on.
There was a slight shift in the energy of the restaurant—a familiar prickle ran down my spine that made me sit up straight.
I knew this feeling.
And I hadn’t felt it in two years.
“Oh shit,” a voice said behind me. My head whipped around to see Jasmine standing there, looking mortified, her eyes darting between me and—Nairobi?
My breath caught for half a second.
She somehow looked even more beautiful than when I last saw her two years ago. Her pixie cut was jet black now and she had a little more weight on her hips and thighs.
Jasmine looked like she wanted to grab her and make a run for it, but she was finna pop at any moment so that wasn’t possible. It was clear they hadn’t planned to sit at the bar—it wouldn’t be comfortable for her—but the waiter had placed them at a table damn near next to Parker and me.
“It’s fine,” Nairobi said.
She sat down like it was nothing. Like me showing up in Miami was nothing. Or never happened at all.
I set my glass down. My jaw clenched as I forced my face to stay neutral.
“Uh… hi, Fontaine,” Jasmine said, giving me an awkward hug before turning to Parker. “I’m Jasmine.”
Parker’s eyes lit up. She ignored Jasmine’s outstretched hand and went in for a hug instead. Jasmine stepped back. “Oh gosh. I’m sorry, that was weird of me.” She let out a nervous laugh.
Jasmine gave her a tight smile and went to sit at the table with Nai.
My eyes went back to Nairobi. “Sup, Nai?”
She cut her eye at me. “Hi, Fontaine.” Her eyes flicked to Parker. “Parker.”
The fuck?
Parker gave Nairobi a saccharine smile. “Nairobi. Glad to see you made it safely.”
What the fuck was going on? “Y’all know each other?”
Neither of them answered.
I pushed back from the bar and went over to Nai. “Yo, can I talk to you?” I asked low in her ear.
She shook her head. “I’m good.”
I jerked back, my chest tightening. I wasn’t trying to cause a scene in the restaurant, but she wasn’t about to carry me like that.
“Yeah. I think so.” My hand closed around her arm.
“Fontaine—” Jas started.
“Jas, you know I have love for you,” I said, looking at her. “But I’ma need you to chill on this one.”
I turned back to Nairobi and tightened my grip. “Let’s go, Kitten.”
Her head snapped up at me, eyes burning with anger, but underneath it there was something else—pain.
She tried pulling out my grasp, but I gripped tighter. Cursing under her breath, she finally shoved back from the table and stood.
I led us toward a secluded corner by the restrooms, my pulse racing as I let her go.
She folded her arms, her chest rising and falling as she glared at me. “What do you want, Fontaine?”
I ran a hand over my head. “What do I want?” I repeated, locking eyes with her. “I haven’t seen you in two years and now you just pop back up in Atlanta. What are you doing here?”
She went to answer but paused as a server briskly walked past us into the kitchen.
Her eyes found mine again. “What happened to ‘good luck with my lonely ass life’?” she spat. “It doesn’t matter why I’m back. I didn’t come back for you, that’s for sure.” She let out a cold laugh. “Aren’t you on a date? You just gonna leave your girl like that? I thought you had manners.”
“How do you know Parker?”
Her lips curled into a sneer. “Ask her.” She turned and walked off.
“Kit—”
Nairobi spun back around so fast.
“Fuck you,” she hissed, pointing at me.
My jaw ticked, but I didn’t move.
“You made it super clear in Miami that we’re off that,” she snapped, her heels clicking against the floor as she stormed back to Jasmine.
I let out a sharp breath and tried to shake off the interaction.
I don’t know what pissed me off more—that she came home and didn’t reach out, or that Cash knew she was back and didn’t tell me.
I’d never gotten over her, but it hurt less knowing she was away.
Now it felt like someone had reopened an old wound.
I walked back to the bar where Parker was watching the whole thing with thinly veiled amusement.
“Yo. We out.” I told Parker, making sure to ignore Jasmine and Nairobi.
She glanced at Nairobi and back at me. “Are we going back to your place?” she asked. My eyes nearly popped out my head. This bitch had lost her mind. She’d never been to my spot before.
“You buggin’. Who said anything about coming home with me?”
Parker giggled and downed the last of her drink. “Relax. I was just asking.”
I wasn’t in the mood for her shit. Nairobi already had me fucked up, and Parker was here adding fuel to the fire for what?
I glanced over at their table. Jasmine was looking over the menu, and Nairobi was watching me.
Parker slid off the barstool, tucking her clutch under her arm. “Well?”
I tossed a few bills from my wallet on the bar and headed for the exit.
“That was intense,” she said, following me.
I ignored her, pushing open the door and stepping into the humid night.
I stopped in front of the valet station. “How do you know Nairobi?” I asked.
Parker hummed thoughtfully, her lips curving into a sly smile. “I guess you could say we work together.”
I stepped in front of her. “Yo, you really working my nerves right now. What the fuck does that mean?”
Parker rolled her eyes. “Let’s just say, I help coordinate Nairobi’s… projects.”
My stomach dropped. “You’re her handler?”
“Bingo.” She winked.
I stepped closer to her. “So, you knew I used to deal with her this whole time?”
“Maybe,” Parker smirked, stepping around me to hand the valet her ticket.
This was wild. Parker and I met at a coffee shop of all places. She’d been sitting by herself reading some book, and we kept eyeing each other until she finally approached me before she left. She’d always come off a bit aloof, smart, but a bit of an airhead. I realized now that it was all an act.
I exhaled sharply. “Did you know she’d be coming here?”
She shook her head. “Now that, I didn’t know.”
I searched her face for any hint that she was lying, but she just looked amused. Parker put a hand over her heart. “Scout’s honor. I wouldn’t set you up. It's not like I wanted her to find out about us like this,” she said with mock-sincerity.
“There is no ‘us’, Parker,” I gritted.
She patted my shoulder. “Okay, Fontaine.”
“You really expect me to believe you didn’t know she would be here tonight?”
She shrugged. “Believe me or don’t. But you’re real pressed about this. She didn’t choose you. So, what’s the real issue? Regret?”
My chest burned. “Watch yourself.”
A smile spread on her face. “Ahh, I see. Hurt, then.”
“You don’t know shit.” I laughed bitterly, shaking my head.
She leaned in. “You looked like you saw a ghost when you saw her. And you haven’t stopped glancing back since we walked out.” She nodded towards the restaurant. “How much you wanna bet she’s been watching us out here this whole time?”
I didn’t have to turn around to know she was right—I could feel Nairobi’s eyes on us.
Parker sighed dramatically as the valet pulled up with her red BMW. “I was hoping we’d be able to have some more fun before you ran into her,” she said, stepping toward the car. “But I guess this is it, huh?”
She blew me a kiss, flashing one last smile before pulling off.
Two years ago.
Three weeks had passed since Money got shot.
What was supposed to be nothing more than knocking some niggas’ heads together had turned into a whole production.
And Nairobi— who should’ve only been here for a short time to get intel from Kyree— was still here helping us figure out who’d ordered the hit.
I’d spent most of the day staring at computer monitors trying to get additional info for Nairobi to use, and my brain was fried. I needed fresh air and a change of scenery.
I headed to the Emerald Lounge and was surprised to find her tucked in a corner booth nursing a bottle of wine by herself.