Chapter 3
Chapter
Three
SUGAR BABY
I t was Sunday, which meant family dinner day.
Unlike usual, when I left here, I’d have to meet with someone to pay Tyreek’s debt.
He thought I was playing about giving me the weed, but I took it expeditiously.
The only difference between it and what I got from the dispensary was the taste and it was slightly stronger.
Usually I’d get a pre-roll with a gram and be good, but with this shit, I didn’t even need to smoke a whole blunt to feel the effects.
I didn’t smoke often, mostly when I wanted to relax after a long day. The weed and a long, hot shower was enough to wash all my worries away. If I felt like leaving the house, I could get the same effect by going to the beach.
As Uncle Tony and Aunt Terry made small talk, Tyreek’s eyes were on me. I tried to figure out what was on his mind without him having to actually say the words. His fork tapped against the plate that held his peach cobbler. With a huff, he sat up in his seat and blurted, “I’on wanna go to college.”
Oh.
Okay.
I guess we’re having this conversation today.
Aunt Terry’s mouth snapped shut and Uncle Tony’s eyes widened. Clearing my throat, I took a sip of my sweet tea. I’d have his back if needed and would also try and talk him into getting a degree of some sort. That was always my place in the family—being the balance and standing in the gap.
“You plan on opening your own business?” Uncle Tony asked.
“I’m not sure what I want to do. I just know I don’t want to do that.”
“Why not?” Aunt Terry asked.
Tyreek shrugged and looked at me for help, so I spoke up.
“I think he’s not challenged enough in his current classes. When I was considering college, I wasn’t interested in taking what I felt like were unnecessary classes, but now, I wish I’d gone for the experience.”
“You have to go to school for something, Son,” Uncle Tony said. “Even if you don’t go to a four year university, you need a trade degree. How do you plan on taking care of your family?”
Tyreek chuckled. “I’m eighteen. I’m not thinking about that right now.”
“But you should be. The foundation you lay now is what you’ll build on in the future. Now if you don’t want to go to a university, we won’t make you, but you need to do something, or you’re gonna end up working a dead end job for the rest of your life. ”
I was surprised he didn’t mention his plan to move to Atlanta.
A part of me hoped that meant he was considering staying here.
I was all for traveling and living in different places, especially while you were single and young, but Tyreek wasn’t ready for that yet.
He was too wild and undisciplined. It seemed like he looked for trouble because safety and peace were boring to him.
I always felt like that was because of how smart he was, and because he simply wasn’t challenged enough.
Whether it was through advanced classes, sports, or hobbies, he needed more than he was being provided at school.
Once we were done with dessert, Tyreek and I headed out.
It wasn’t unusual for us to spend time together, so his parents didn’t ask any questions, and I was glad.
I wasn’t the best liar and always felt guilty when I had to.
Truthfully, I could say me not being transparent about what was going on was a form of lying, but I was hoping things would be resolved today and we’d never have to go through something like this again.
BigXthaPlug played as I drove to the meetup spot.
I wouldn’t say I wasn’t nervous, but I also didn’t feel like things would go horribly wrong.
Tyreek had finally told me who he’d gotten the weed from and learning that it was Cash made me feel better.
Though he was lethal, powerful, and dangerous, Cash was also known as a man of principles and integrity.
It was kind of like an oxymoron to know the same man who chose to beat a man with his bare hands before pulling a pistol was the same one who paid for peoples’ groceries, did food drives, and talked to the youth at schools.
Had it been someone else, I probably would have felt like they’d still try to hurt or kill us even after I paid the money.
My peace in this moment came from hoping Cash would take the money and leave.
When we pulled into the parking lot, Tyreek grabbed my wrist. “Let me handle it, cuzzo.”
Chuckling, I shook my head as I cut my car off. “No. Me even having to pay this is because you tried to handle it yourself.”
He sucked his teeth with his spoiled ass and released me. “I’on want him thinking I’m not a man and I can’t handle my own shit.”
“You aren’t a man yet, Reek.” I softened my tone when I added, “You have to grow and become a man, and a part of that involves making the right choices. Can you honestly say you’ve been making the right choices lately?
” His head shook as he avoided my eyes, but I gripped his chin and forced him to look in my direction.
“Eye contact. I don’t care if you’re right or wrong.
You look whoever is talking to you in the eyes.
” He nodded. “Now you are a young man, and I got your back. We’re going to handle this, and you’re never going to put yourself in a situation like this again, right? ”
“Right,” he agreed a little too quickly, causing me to roll my eyes and make him laugh.
“You do some shit like this again and?—”
“I promise I will never try to sell drugs again, Baby. Unless I work at the dispensary.”
That filled me with excitement. Squealing, I clapped. “So I can tell Beethoven about you?”
“Just . . . give me a little while to see if I can find something myself. If I can’t by the end of the month, yes.”
That damn pride.
I agreed anyway, because at least he was trying.
I knew it would mean more to him if he did it on his own, so I was cool with that.
Plus, it would make him feel more independent.
If he couldn’t find anything, I had no problem trying to help him find a job.
I really felt like the dispensary was the perfect place for him though.
Before I could open my door, that same tinted truck from yesterday pulled up. It parked on the side of my car, and a second truck pulled up on Tyreek’s side.
“Oh shit,” he muttered as four men hopped out of the trucks.
I’d never seen Cash before, so I had no idea which one was him.
As one of the men made his way over to my side of the car, I gulped.
He was fine as hell but definitely scary looking.
Maybe scary wasn’t the right word. Serious was.
He was tall, wide, and thick with a muscular build.
His skin was the same shade as cashews, and his hair was braided into small plaits that hung a little past his shoulders.
Dressed in all black, he ran his hand down his chest as he closed the distance between him and us.
The second my hand covered my pistol, Tyreek gripped my wrist.
“Unh uh. That’s Cash. You pull that out on him and we’re both dead.”
That’s Cash?
Oh.
He was finer than I expected, that’s for sure.
He had thick brows that were naturally arched hovering over lazy eyes that looked damn near closed.
His lips were juicy, and they looked so soft.
And he had a short scruffy beard that connected to a mustache-goatee combo that was more pronounced.
Releasing my grip on the pistol, I reached for my door, but Cash opened it.
Instead of letting me get out, he lowered himself as his arms rested against my car. His head tilted as he looked from me to Tyreek .
“Where the fuck is my money?” he asked with a low voice that made me shiver.
I extended my hand, and Tyreek put the handle of the bag inside.
Cash took it gently, but there was still enough force for it to make my arm jerk.
A huff escaped me because if it was anyone else, I would have cursed his ass out.
But this man? The man who had killed a man by breaking his skull with his bare hands?
He could snatch whatever he wanted, and I wouldn’t say a thing.
I wouldn’t even try to shoot his big ass.
My bullets would probably bounce off his chest like it was a shield of steel.
An annoyed sigh escaped Cash as he looked in the bag.
I was confused because it was fifteen thousand.
Lord knows I didn’t want to pull that from my safe for this bullshit, but I’d do whatever for my cousin.
I looked over at Tyreek and the guilt on his face told me all I needed to know before any words left Cash’s mouth.
“How much is this?” Cash asked.
“Fifteen thousand,” I answered confidently.
“Where’s the rest?”
“What rest?”
Shoving the bag into my chest, he clenched his jaw as he looked at Tyreek. “Why you wasting my time, lil nigga? What did I tell you when you copped my shit?”
“If I was late, it was a thousand every day you didn’t get paid.”
“What!” I yelled, rearing up in my seat. I had my seat belt on, so the force knocked me right back. “How many days are you late, Tyreek? And why didn’t you tell me that?”
“Well, when they didn’t mention it yesterday, I figured I didn’t have to pay it.”
The men that surrounded the car laughed, but Cash’s face remained stone .
“How many days?” I reiterated.
“Thirty.”
“So you owe this man forty-five thousand dollars?” Chuckling, I shook my head as tears filled my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.
My heart raced as I tried to come up with a solution, but honestly, I had none.
I didn’t have that much money saved. The only thing I could do was get a loan, and I really didn’t want to have to do that, but I would.
Turning to face Cash, I nibbled my bottom lip out of a nervous habit.
“I-I don’t have that much, but I’ll pay you back on his behalf.
If I knew what he was up to, I would have been taken care of it.
Please don’t hurt him. He’s only eighteen, and even though he made a really dumb decision, he’s super smart.
If you can give me a little more time, I can get a loan and?—”
Cash lifted his hand and silenced me. “What they call you?”
“Baby,” I answered.
“Where you from?”
“Here.”
His head jerked as he scowled. “Here where?”
Smiling, I relaxed a bit more in my seat. “The Belly.”
Yellow Grove was called The Belly because it was the literal center of Rose Valley Hills.
The Belly was where I was born and raised, though it may not have looked like it.
Now, I stayed on the outskirts of The Belly.
If I went to the left, I’d be in the hood.
If I went to the right, I’d be in the downtown entertainment district, which was considered one of five of the most affluent neighborhoods of Rose Valley Hills.
It was crazy because I would hear sirens from police cars and ambulances all day every day yet still felt safe.
If I went a couple of blocks up, the live music that was often played in the entertainment district replaced that .
“Who your people?”
“You wouldn’t know them. Just know I’m from here.”
“Was that your catering company from the party?” one of the men from yesterday asked from behind Cash.
“Yeah. Sugar Baby Caters. That’s me. My name is Sugar Baby, but everyone calls me Baby.”
“That’s your real name? I thought that was just a nickname,” the loc’d man said. “Everyone was raving about your food when we were scoping the place out,” he said casually.
“Get out,” Cash said as he stood upright. He opened my door while I unbuckled my seat belt.
“Cash, please. Keep this between us,” Tyreek begged. “My cousin has nothing to do with this. She’s just trying to help me out.”
Ignoring him, Cash took hold of my hand and helped me out of the car, which was weird. I wouldn’t have expected him to be such a gentleman but whatever. I guess I shouldn’t expect or assume anything with a man like him.
I took ten steps forward before Cash asked, “Where his pops at?”
Smiling bitterly, I shared, “At home. His health is trash. He’s had two strokes and had a heart attack three months ago.
His job let him go because of all the time he was missing, and he’s currently taking care of their home with his early retirement fund.
The last thing I want is for his son’s behavior to make him have another health scare, so I’d prefer to handle this myself. ”
Cash looked down at me, so I looked up at him. Those lazy eyes. Those juicy lips.
“I respect you looking out for him, but he needs to learn his lesson. If I was a lesser man, he’d be dead. You understand that, right? ”
I nodded. “I understand.”
“How do you intend for him to make amends?” His question slowed my steps. We stopped walking and I looked at him.
“Make amends?”
“Yeah. He gon’ pay for this shit. This ain’t on you.”
“Look.” A soft chuckle escaped me. “However I decide to make him pay me back, that’s between us. I’m offering to pay you back. That should be enough.”
“You got a smart ass mouth for somebody I can step on with my shoe with your little short ass.”
Offended, I gasped and clutched my chest. “Hey!”
“If you wanna take on the responsibility of his debt . . . cool. But you’re short. You owe me thirty K.”
“I said I’d pay you. I just need a little time .”
“You don’t have time. You have one opportunity to wipe the debt clean.” My curiosity was piqued. I nodded for him to continue. “Cater this event I’m doing next month, and you won’t have to pay anything else. No interest. Just what he owes.”
“What kind of event? For how many people? What kind of menu would you like?” I rattled off question after question until his head shook. His hand wrapped around my neck, and the action caught me so off guard I was speechless.
“We can discuss those details later. I’ve been in this open space for too long.”
Without saying anything else, he headed back toward the truck that was on my side of the car. He didn’t ask for my number, availability, nothing. I assumed when he was ready to talk, he’d contact me through Tyreek.
Until then, I’d just have to wait.