Real from the Fake

Chapter 1

Chapter

One

McKay “Mickey” Bailey

“Nas, I swear I’m on my way. I had to list the club suites on the site for the Sharks. Preseason has officially started and I’m late as hell. Thank goodness I still have the suite at Keystone doing crazy numbers right now,” I stressed to my lawyer, Nasira or Nas.

She was currently rushing me for my appointment about contracts we were drafting for the upcoming season.

A big part of my income came from suites I rented for each sporting event.

I had a couple of them on lease with three-year contracts.

But the ones at the Royals arena were my biggest sources of stable revenue.

Yeah, my suites for the Sharks also brought in a huge chunk for me, especially during football season, but nothing beat basketball season and the extra events at the arena.

“Mickey, you have ten minutes to get here. I still have to meet with a client this afternoon for this case I’m working on.

” I kissed my teeth at her rushing me, even though I was late.

It was my boyfriend Harlan’s fault. He crept in during the wee hours of the night and blew my back out so good.

I had no regrets from the late-night session, but hitting snooze too many times had me paying for it right now.

“Ugh, calm down. You know working under pressure stresses me out. You can make their ass wait. As one of your favorite clients who doesn’t stress you out, I am deemed as more important right now.

Plus I’m not coming empty handed. I just restocked both the butters and my tinctures, so I’m bringing your advance order with me,” I said as I made sure the products were secure in my airtight cooler to make sure none of them either melted or spilled before I made all my deliveries.

This was another source of income. It just wasn’t major because I only sold edibles and special butters to my friends and weed infused herbal remedies to my grandpa Mackie.

“Did you make my cake too?” she asked, now sounding a little more relaxed.

I chuckled as I grabbed my keys and the cooler handle with the attached crate on top full of mason jars.

After meeting with Nas, my next stop was to the nursing home where my favorite client was.

A lot of my clients didn’t smoke or eat edibles, so my tinctures, or herbal remedies as I called them, paired well with tea and coffee to help with their nausea and pain.

Sure, making edibles or butters wasn’t the true intention when I’d gone to school for herbal science and botany, but over the years it’d come in handy.

Viola is turning over in her grave.

Becoming an herbalist had been all for her. I loved my grands and wanted to be closer to them in everything I did. So a lot of my career choices were inspired by them.

“Yes. I should charge yo’ ass extra for that too. I keep telling y’all heffas that I don’t bake, yet between you and the girls, y’all keep putting me to work.” Besides making my herbal remedies, and butters, my best friends Johnni and Hollis always had me in the kitchen adding goodies to the list.

“Heffa, charge me? I’m not paying for this now, just like you don’t pay for my services. This is an even trade off. Now, hurry your ass the hell up before you get here and I’m gone.” I kissed my teeth as I heard the three beeps in my ear letting me know she had ended the call.

After I made it to my car and had everything inside, my phone was ringing again. I groaned as I hit the button on my dash to accept the call. I didn’t even notice who it was before I heard the monotone message playing over my speakers.

“Hi, this is Dr. Compton’s office just calling to remind you of your appointment tomorrow morning at ten a.m.” I smiled as I hit the button ending the call.

“And don’t you worry, my ass will be there bright and fucking early.

” I was due to get my IUD back. I didn’t care how many articles or doctors told me that getting them back to back was safe, I still took a break to let my coochie breathe between them.

I was still young and wanted to have kids one day, just not now.

Especially not right now. Me and my boyfriend Harlan hadn’t even been together for a solid six months yet and I wanted to be married before we thought about starting our family.

I made it to Nas’s office in no time. I got out and went to get the crate before going for the cooler.

“Shit,” I cursed lowly as I looked down at the chipped nail that just happened as I struggled to get the crate. I didn’t have time for this hold up. I was sure Nas had been counting the time for real and I was already out of the ten she’d given me.

“Hey, ma’am, do you need help?” I huffed as I glanced over my shoulder at the security guard who was always out here when I came. He was older and frumpy looking, way too out of shape to chase down anyone who would surely get away.

I put on my wide smile, hoping it would be enough to carry his ass on.

“No, I’m okay, just broke a nail.” I waved him off, putting my attention back on the crate. After a few more moments, I finally got it out, lifting it to put it on top of the cooler so I could roll everything inside.

I rushed in, huffing and puffing all the way down the long ass hallway to her office. I didn’t even bother stopping at the receptionist as I made it, zooming into her office. Nas sat there typing on her phone with a silly grin plastered on her face. I was sure she was texting her boo.

“Had the nerve to rush me and ain’t nobody even in here, heffa,” I said as I took a seat in one of the empty chairs. I went to work getting her order of the herbal remedy, three butter sticks, and her special cake ready.

“Call it my way of motivating you to be on time, Mickey. Here. This is the updated contract for your suites. Does anything need to be changed on your end before I print and email your final copies?”

I sat down in the chair in front of her desk and looked the paper over. Not too much had changed beyond the dates for the year.

“Nope, everything looks good to me.” I watched Nas hit a couple buttons on her computer before the printer began to wind up.

“Ya know this could’ve been a phone call and an email.”

“Then how would you have gotten your new batch? You’re not thinking, Nas.

Now, as always, it was a pleasure doing business with you.

I’m headed to finish my drop offs. I got a lot of waiting customers,” I said as I blew her a kiss and rolled my cooler back out with me.

This time, stopping at the reception desk to give Dana her order.

Twenty minutes later, I was parking in Golden Age Assisted Living Facility. I grabbed the herbal remedy bottles, signed in, and made my way to my favorite client here, my grandpa Mackie, who I was named after.

I heard low old school R&B jams playing as I reached his door, double tapping as I walked in, seeing my grandpa sitting in his chair, looking out the window.

After my grandma Viola passed a couple years ago, he opted to move here instead of remaining in the home they’d shared.

The family hated it, but he said he was happy here and comfortable in his one-bedroom unit.

It was set-up like a junior apartment with all the amenities.

“And here I was thinking you would be out in the community room hustling them folks out their money in a card game,” I said as I greeted him with a kiss on his cheek before taking a seat across from him.

“Them old fools ain’t got no damn money.” He gave me a toothless smile as he grabbed my hand, kissing the back. I chuckled at his words as I got comfortable in the chair.

“Hey, my beautiful namesake.”

“Hi, Grandpa. How you feeling today?”

“Ain’t got no complaints. How you doing, namesake? Your folks were just up here the other day. Your mama said your gran came to her in a dream about some fish.” I shook my head as a few light giggles escaped my lips.

“I’m doing good, and Gran knows she’s messy coming back from her grave to start nasty rumors. It ain’t me, so unless another family member got some news, Gran is wrong this time,” I said confidently. I knew for a fact I wasn’t pregnant.

Mackie looked me over before he huffed and leaned his head back against the chair.

“Even from her grave, Viola ain’t never been wrong. It’ll come out eventually. Whoever it is can’t hide the belly from the world forever.” I pointed at him and nodded to agree as I wore a smirk.

“Enough of all this baby talk, I came with gifts. How did that last bottle of herbal remedies work for you?” Since I switched up the type of weed I used and the amount, I wanted to make sure that last one wasn’t too strong since I’d remade the same kind this time.

“Oh, that little bottle didn’t last long at all.

One of your best batches. I even told my friend Herbert about you.

He’s new and could use you and Eugene requested two bottles this time.

But I told him not to say where he got it when his daughter or granddaughter comes to visit.

He can’t be fucking up my shit, ya know.

” I cracked up as I started removing the bottles, giving him five—two for him, two for the order, and one for a new potential client.

“Yes, please leave my name out of it. Is the money still in your top drawer?” I asked, getting up to put the bottles in the same spot I normally left them and taking the cash.

“Yeah. Should be a little extra too.” I counted out a hundred, leaving the extra twenty-five in there. There was no way I would take it. I wasn’t a dealer, just a girl helping her grandpa with his pain.

“Thanks, Mackie,” I said as I kissed his cheek and he grinned up at me.

“Now, tell me how you really doing? You not still entertaining that raggedy boy you call a man?” I snickered at him referring to Harlan.

“Grandpa, my boyfriend is a man, and yes, we’re still together. Are you ever going to tell me why you don’t like him?”

Mackie huffed as he folded his arms over his chest. “I don’t need no reason, girl. I got enough from his no good spirit that told me everything. You deserve someone who loves you right. I hope you ain’t pregnant by his ass.” I playfully rolled my eyes.

“Mackie, you haven’t even met him yet. How do you know about his spirit?”

“I don’t have to meet him to know he ain’t no good for you, Mickey. And if you’s pregnant by his ass—"

I cut him off. Mackie was talking and getting all worked up over nothing.

“Grandpa, I’m not pregnant. I’m focusing on business.

No time for no babies. The Badgers are in the World Series this year.

That means more money from that suite. The Sharks are in their preseason and those suites will do good.

The Royals season is about to start, not to forget all the concerts lined up this year.

I just listed those suites today, for one.

I’m already anticipating they will have the biggest payout this year,” I stated matter of factly.

Mackie was the reason I’d even invested in the games.

I could watch and understand them all well.

He loved sports and had me watching with him whenever he babysat me.

I remembered the rush I got from sitting in the stands with him, but the real excitement came when we would be up in the suites looking down at everything.

I loved it so much that once I got my inheritance from Viola, I leased my first suite and doubled my money back.

It took a minute to fully understand how to work it so I always made money to live off, but it eventually all came together.

Every year on his birthday, I took Mackie to a baseball game for old time's sake.

“That’s my girl. Your gran would be proud of how you made everything work for yourself.

” He reached for my hand, giving it a tight squeeze, making me smile.

I continued to catch him up on all things McKay before the nurse came to get him for dinner.

I kissed him goodbye and headed home. Tomorrow was a big day for me and I was mentally preparing myself for the aftercare from the IUD placement.

The sound of the door opening had me looking up from the TV to see Harlan walking in the door with a takeout bag from Gen’s Korean BBQ. It was my favorite spot and Harlan made sure I had it at least once a week.

“Hey, baby. You must’ve heard my stomach growling from work.

I’m starving and you’re right on time.” I got up, and greeted him, wrapping my arms around his neck, with Harlan kissing my lips.

He tasted sweet, like peaches, and was kind of sticky.

That was different, but I didn’t think too much of it.

Harlan stayed eating crazy amounts of candy.

I moan into his mouth. “Mmm… you taste good. Like peaches or something.” He chuckled as he released me.

Now avoiding my eyes, but I caught him wiping the corners of his mouth as if the sugar would still be there.

I shrugged, shaking my head, moving right along with him as we headed for the kitchen.

Once Harlan placed the food on the counter, he turned to me.

“Damn, I was hoping you didn’t notice it. I had some peach rings on the way over. Let me get cleaned up then we can eat.” He went to step by me, but I reached out, grabbing his wrist.

“No baby, it’s okay. I didn’t mind the taste.” Harlan then leaned down and went to kiss my forehead but paused.

“It’ll take me two seconds. Plus, I want to get out of this suit.

” Harlan was an investment banker who worked a lot of hours, including weekends sometimes and even traveling.

This week alone, I felt like I’d only seen him when he was between my legs.

This was the first time since last week that we would be eating dinner together.

I wasn’t going to press him about wanting to get comfortable before dinner.

So instead I watched him walk out the room, then washed my hands so I could set the table for us.