Chapter 27 #2
Nastasia folded her arms and let out a breath, looking off into the living room to search for a cat. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to check in with me, but I don’t want to be blindsided or surprised either.”
I nodded. When we weren’t together like that, I hadn’t liked not knowing her ex still popped up after I told him to fuck off. She’d brushed me off then and I didn’t like it. Regina wasn’t a threat to us. She had never been into bullshit like that, but I could understand and respect Nas’s stance.
I chuckled, soon shaking my head. Me at twenty-eight.
“You right,” I said. “Regina isn’t like that, but I get it.”
“Okay,” Nastasia settled down. “Now what?”
“After talking to my people, my head was on straight. I was mad at Pops at the time but then I cooled off and figured I had to show him I was serious about ownership. No women. No drama. Just work. Outside of falling for you,” I admitted with a shy smile, “I’ve been on it.
Now here come Tee not taking my no for an answer.
Tonight, he offered me a stake in a new club where I’m seventy percent owner to his thirty. ”
Nastasia’s dark eyes enlarged as her mouth dropped open. Now she got it. “Damn.”
“Tell me about it.” I brushed a hand over my head, feeling the weight on my shoulders.
“What’s in it for him?”
“Outside of some tips on his spot? Pissin’ Pops off.”
Nastasia made a face. “That’s low.”
It was, but in a way it was still a win for the Marcusons. “Seventy/thirty is a lot.”
“Seventy/thirty is amazing, but you don’t have a seventy/thirty father. You have a dad who’s always been one hundred and that’s better than money,” Nastasia reasoned.
That was something only she could say. And I loved her for it.
We ate the wings and then we took it to the bedroom.
All talk of clubs went out the window as I entwined my body with Nastasia’s.
Seeing her smile, hearing her moans, feeling her nails dig into my skin, smelling the scent of her body, and tasting it, nothing beat it.
But as the clock winded down and the clock struck eight, I was up, showered, dressed, and out the door for work.
It wasn’t until I was in the car on the highway speeding toward Atlanta that the tough decision hit me. In the morning, I was finally talking to Pops.
Nastasia left early Sunday morning regrettably. She took Scorsese and went home to prepare for a breakfast date with her parents. I’d been invited, but I really thought it was important for them to work on their relationship solo or as a trio.
Besides, I had to speak to Pops. At BLVCKJVCK last night, I’d given Cease the rundown on Tee and even he was stunned at the gracious offer.
It was my fault things had gotten this far. And as I sat with Pops out on the patio at his place, I intended to man up and fix it.
The late September morning air was a gentle breeze as we sat across from each other at the table. Pops had his morning paper and his sweet tea. I nursed a glass of ice water, but I was too shook up to drink it.
My mother was in the house watching TV with Brasco, per my request to speak to Pops alone. The setting was calm, safe, and pleasant, but I still didn’t know what to say.
“What’s up, Eazy?” Pops finally spoke up.
I was ashamed and nervous, but still I looked my father in his eye and came out with it. “I messed up.”
He looked at me over his paper and sighed before setting it to the side. “Go on.”
I explained to him about running into Tee Money a few months ago. About giving Tee my number. About betraying Pops.
“I was mad about not getting the papers for BLVCK, but I never reached out to Tee. I been duckin’ his calls for the longest because I figured if I work hard and leave the women alone, you’d see that I was worthy of the title,” I confessed.
“But last night I ran into Tee again and now he’s offering me more. ”
“More?” Pops pressed curiously. He leaned over in his seat and rested his jaw on his hand, examining me thoroughly and quietly. I couldn’t tell if he was mad and that made this scarier. Sweat beaded my temples and my hands were shaking before me.
“Tee offered me seventy/thirty my way in a new club,” I said. “All I gotta do is give him some tips on Chamber.”
Pops sat back and blinked. And then he whistled as he gazed off at his lush green lawn. “Seventy percent ownership?”
I hung my head. “Yes, sir.”
Pops grabbed his glass of tea and took a swig, smacking his lips and appearing thoughtful. Still not upset. “You’re not even one percent in owning BLVCKJVCK.”
“I know.”
“Tough choice you got there, Eaze.”
This was my dream right in front of me, but Nastasia’s words and common sense rang true in my head and heart.
“It is, but you’re my father and I can’t go out like that.
I’ma call up Tee as soon as we get through and let him know.
I just wanted to clue you in so you’re not caught off guard by anything. ”
Pops set his glass down and eyed me, angling his head as if to read me for a lie. “I was caught off guard five months ago.”
“Huh?” I didn’t get it.
“Five months ago I ran into Tee at the golf course. He told me about how loyal and good my boy was for not jumping at the chance to do business with him. Imagine my surprise with this new information,” Pops clarified.
“So I waited, and I waited for you to speak up, to tell me about this offer. And when you didn’t?
I called up Tee and told him to go higher. ”
His words were tripping me up and I couldn’t grasp anything he was saying. “Higher?”
Pops nodded. “Tee and I, we go back a ways, but it was never really personal. I was heated he tried to rope you in, but I was a little more heated you didn’t tell me.”
“So you knew,” I realized.
“I knew,” Pops repeated.
“So this was a setup?”
“A loyalty test, if you will,” Pops went on. “And I gotta say, I was a little nervous with a seventy/thirty offer hanging in your face.” He held his stomach as he let out a hearty chuckle. “You had me on the edge of my seat there.”
I was relieved, confused, and a little annoyed. A fucking loyalty test? I supposed I deserved it for not coming to Pops right away, but still. “Wow.”
“Wow indeed.”
I shook my head and looked down at my lap, feeling a mountain-sized weight rise from my shoulders. “Seventy/thirty is not enough to cross you.”
“Nah? What about eighty/twenty?” His words caused my head to lift up to meet his gaze. “What do you say? Eighty/twenty your way for a new club?”
“What are you talking about?” I was tired of the riddles and games.
Pops became serious. “LA, Miami, Atlanta—I think it’s time we hit NY.
It’s been on my mind for a while now and I think after this you’ve proven to me you’re ready for some real responsibility.
So, how about it? A joint venture, where you’ll own eighty percent of the newest Marcuson club in New York? ”
My mouth gaped open and my heart stopped. A migraine pulsated in my right temple and I couldn’t breathe.
What the fuck?
“I… Y-You… Pops.” I couldn’t speak, something that caused my father to laugh.
“I was worried for a minute there over Tee, but I’m glad you came to me.
I’m not stupid, Eazy, I know I owe BLVCKJVCK to you.
That’s why for the newest spot I want you in from the beginning, your vision and plans, because it’ll be yours.
You open this new spot with a bang and I’ll sign BLVCKJVCK over to you entirely.
You got an eye for this, and I’m not going to hold your personal life against you,” Pops stated.
He soon held his hand out. “What do you say, partners?”
My whole life it felt like I was waiting for this moment, and I couldn’t imagine it feeling this good. A cool breath passed through my lungs and escaped through my mouth as I reached over and shook hands with Pops. Ownership. I was finally at the owner’s table. And it felt powerful.
“Someday you’re going to own four nightclubs, you know that?” Pops asked.
I couldn’t contain my smile at the idea of owning two. “Come on, Pops. You’re killin’ me.”
“So, what’s next, Mr. Marcuson?” Pops prompted as he looked me in the eye.
My head was already wrapped up in planning out the very real reality of Pawn, or PVWN. New York. The birthplace of hip-hop. With my connections from BLVCKJVCK, I knew I could have New York’s finest emcees and singers coming through PVWN.
There was so much to do and so much to plan. I said the first thing that came to my mind, “I’m moving to New York.”