Chapter 4 Family Business & My Business
Family Business & My Business
PRYCE
Istood in front of the mirror at Aura’s tailor’s shop in a tux jacket that fit right but felt constricted, solely because I didn’t want to be there.
Adai had just texted that she was back in the city, and my mind was at the airport.
I cursed myself for silently agreeing to not show up.
She was dragging this space shit as if the six months wasn’t long enough.
I mean, we had issues, but she was trying to hide out like a nigga was beating her at one point or something.
“Stand still please,” the tailor said again, tugging at my sleeve.
I let the shit slide the first time, but now, his perfection was starting to piss me off.
“It fit, nigga. Damn.” I snatched my arm back and took the jacket off to hand to him. Walking over to the chair I’d previously occupied in the corner, I sat down.
He threw his hands up and shook his head.
“Don’t worry bout him, Danny,” Jay said from across the shop where he sat, leaned back in his chair with his arms folded like he was supervising the fitting instead of getting measured himself. “He don’t mean no harm. He don’t get out a lot,” he joked, and the guys laughed out loud.
“Yeah,” Aura cosigned from where he stood in the middle of the room in his tux. “He been angry since a baby.”
“Nigga, shut up,” I said to Aura, who continued laughing.
They loved to fuck with me.
“Aye, I won’t be spoken to in that manner in preparation for my special day,” he shot back with a smirk.
“You the bride or the groom, my nigga?” I joked back. “Talkin’ bout, in preparation for your special day.”
“Don’t disrespect me, dawg.”
“Both y’all niggas shut up,” Enzo, who’d changed back into his street clothes, said as he walked from the back of the shop.
He was the first of the groomsmen to get fitted, while me, Tay, and Jay arrived sometime after.
“Here this nigga go, thinking he run shit. Mr. EverybodyCalmDown,” Tay teased, and Enzo chuckled.
The name fit him perfectly. He was either too laid back and wanted everybody to chill or ready to fuck some shit up. I didn’t care either way.
“I can’t believe you got us in here trying on tuxes,” Tay said to Aura. “You ain’t even let the engagement settle in, dawg.”
Aura adjusted his cufflinks in the mirror, not bothering to look up when he spoke. “Don’t need to wait for something we both know is happening, Tay.”
“True but damn. Can she get a minute to enjoy the ring?”
Aura smirked. “She’s enjoying it. But it ain’t got shit on this boulder I’ma bout to put on top of that one.”
“Do she know there’s gonna be a wedding next month?” Jay asked skeptically.
“What you mean?”
“He means you’re known for doing wild shit. Like having her car towed while she’s on a date,” I said. “So, we know you’re not above planning a whole wedding and telling Danae to show up fully dressed and ready.”
“Yeah, what grumpy man said.” Jay pointed out.
“Keep playin’ wit’ me, nigga,” I warned, and he chuckled.
“You know,” Aura started, “I thought about that, but then I was reminded that G said being with me had to feel like a choice, not suffocation. That said, yes, she knows about the planning. I don’t see why we need to waste time in engagement mode.
I want her to have my last name. Plus, I want even more of a reason to pop a nigga if he approach her. ”
“Nigga, you ready to do that now,” Jay said.
We all muttered our agreement, and Aura shrugged.
“It’ll be even more justified once she’s my wife.”
That made us all laugh This nigga was truly unhinged.
“Explanation makes sense to me,” Enzo said. “Congrats again, my nigga.” He dapped Aura and came over to sit next to me.
He didn’t say anything at first, just watched as the tailor began to take Tay and Jay’s measurements, and Aura gave himself compliments in the mirror. I knew what he was doing, so I remained silent. After a few minutes, he pulled out his phone and sat back.
“Wassup, Ezzy?” I broke the silence like he wanted me to.
“Shit. What’s on your mind?”
“Shit.”
He nodded, expecting the answer. My family knew me. And they knew when to press and when to stand down — to an extent. Enzo didn’t press me, but he didn’t leave either.
I exhaled slowly before speaking again. “Adai is back in town.”
“How you know? She hit you up?” he asked, looking straight ahead. It was his way of giving me the space without feeling exposed.
“To tell me she was back, yeah.”
“Oh. What brought on that decision?”
“My forty-eight-hour warning,” I said simply.
He turned to me with a questioning look. “You threatened that girl?”
I shrugged. “If that’s what you wanna call it.”
He laughed. “You just about as crazy as that nigga.” He pointed to Aura.
“Aye, Danny,” Aura called out to the tailor. “Give us a minute.”
Placing the tape measure around his neck, Danny nodded and walked off to the back.
“We bout to have an intervention?” Tay asked.
I pulled out my phone, ready to ignore them.
“Ohhhh, Grumpy Man got the problem.” Jay nodded slowly. “How can we be of service?”
“A nigga wit’ two baby mamas and a possible can’t,” I shot at him.
He chuckled. “Nigga, I’m poly. We one big happy family round my way.”
We all cracked up cause Jay was a fool. I was still trying to figure out what kind of Big Love situation he had going on. Although both of his baby mamas were rarely in the same place at the same time, especially around us, I knew quiet dysfunction when I saw it.
“Real shit though,” Enzo started up again, “we family, and even though you be wanting to be on your own…”
“As do you,” I interrupted.
“He got a point there,” Tay agreed.
“Yeah.” Enzo nodded. “We may be the same in that way but still different. I know how to navigate my shit.”
“And what that say about me, nigga?” I snapped, taking offense.
“Man,” Aura let out, “is we here to talk about how you two niggas can be standoffish or help Pryce get his girl back now that she’s here?”
“Oh, shit. Dai back in town?” Tay asked, a little too excited for my liking.
“Aye, pipe the fuck down on the excitement.”
“Nigga, shut up.” He waved me off. “You know that’s family.”
“That nigga bout to beat yo’ ass bout his woman.” Jay laughed.
“Got me fucked up,” Tay said, leaning back in his chair.
“Anyway,” Enzo spoke up again. “She’s back, and I think he should let her come to him. Let it be on her terms.”
“Terrible idea,” Aura concluded. “You need to go get her. She came back for a reason. Go get her and make her stay.”
Enzo smirked. “That nigga threatened her. That’s why she’s here.”
Aura squinted. “I don’t see the problem. And since you did that, you popping up shouldn’t faze her.”
“Maannn, I’m not forcing her to talk to me.”
“That’s ass backwards as hell. Why you threaten her then?” Enzo questioned.
“Shit, cause I want her back. I gave her more than enough time when she left.”
Tay snapped his fingers, pointing at me. “I got it. Send her some flowers. Write a letter and invite her out to dinner.”
“Mutual ground,” Jay said slowly. “That’s smart. Buy her something too. Something sentimental.”
“It’s not a fix,” Enzo added. “It’s a start. Opens up the door to conversation.”
“And so does popping up and making her talk,” Aura suggested again.
“Why you encouraging this man to harass her?” Jay chuckled.
I listened as they continued to toss around ideas of how I could win my woman back like it was a strategy meeting and not my life. Nothing they suggested stuck, and I’d already made up my mind as to how this was going to play out between me and Dai.
“Y’all done?” I spoke up. “Cause y’all irritating the fuck outta me. I’m cool on advice. I’ma do what I wanna do when I’m ready to do it.”
My phone vibrated before they could respond, and it was a welcomed distraction. It was a text from my office manager.
Brandi: We got a real disgruntled couple here refusing to pay the tow fee. The wife is threatening to call the cops, and the husband is talking about hopping the gate. She got one more time to call me out my name, and you gon’ have to fire me cause I’ma whoop her ass.
Me: Tell them the owner on the way.
Standing, I announced my exit. “I got shit to handle at the tow yard. Send me the tab for this tux once you get the number, Aura.”
“Aight. Keep us posted with Adai,” he said, dapping me up.
“No,” I replied and chucked the deuces. “Be safe. Love y’all niggas.”
Stepping outside, I checked my phone again. Scrolling to my thread with Dai, I started to text her then deleted the message. I knew what I wanted to say but thought it was best to say in person. For now, I’d settle with her being back. How long I’d be willing to do that was up in the air.
I pulled into the lot of Sullivan Towing and parked in front of the entrance.
I wanted Brandi to have a clear view of my car.
I also wanted to see the couple in action before I got out.
From my viewpoint, there was a Black woman at the window, pointing at the glass, and a white guy standing guard behind her.
Getting out of my car, I pushed the door open and leaned against it.
I subtly acknowledged Brandi with a slight nod.
The guy must’ve caught on because he glanced back briefly but didn’t say anything.
By appearance, one wouldn’t have guessed that I was the owner of the company. I was dressed casually in a white tee, Amiri track shorts, and a fresh pair of Uptowns. I looked more like a patron than owner. Which likely was the reason why they didn’t seem fazed by my presence.
“I’m not sure if I’m speaking a foreign language or if your comprehension skills are just lacking,” the woman berated Brandi, “but what I’m telling you is this was an illegal tow. And if you don’t get me my fuckin’ car, we’re gonna have a problem.”