6. Ro
ro
. . .
“Oh shit!What did I do to deserve Benny Blue waiting on my line?” Malcolm “MJ” Jacobs said with a chuckle lacing his booming voice.
“It takes a minute to link up with the ever popular Two, Three,” Ro shot back using MJ’s dice nickname, the same way MJ still did with him from time to time.
Ro held the phone to his ear as he sat in his office and swiveled the chair so that he could see out the window at the same time.
“Just out here tryin’ to keep up with your bigtime corporate ass,” MJ said. “What’s good with you? Heard you made your way back to the east coast.”
“Yeah, I did. Trying to settle in now,” Ro replied.
Ro met MJ that long ago summer when Ro had been sent to Mississippi to stay with his grandfather. His mother had been afraid that the group of boys Ro was hanging with at the time would get him into more trouble than he’d already found himself in. Little did Christine know, sixteen-year-old Ro was even more versed in street life than being a passenger in a stolen car. Which was what he’d been charged with just before his mother decided he needed a summer vacation.
MJ was twenty-four at the time, fresh out of Morehouse and also in Jackson visiting his family. Noticing Ro’s talent with the dice and taking an instant liking to him, MJ let Ro come hang with him mostly every night that summer. During which time they played so much dice, MJ gave Ro the nickname Benny Blue. The only run-in they had was when Ro was crushing on Tonya Glenn who at nineteen was undoubtedly more mature than him. But Ro also thought Tonya was too young for MJ’s old ass, so when he saw MJ attempting to kiss Tonya at a party, he was pissed. They fought in the alley that night and Tonya left with MJ.
Two days later, MJ pulled up to Ro’s grandfather’s house where Ro had been sitting on the porch nursing his wounds. MJ offered an apology to Ro, saying they should never let a woman break their bond. Plus, Tonya was already pregnant by some other dude and was looking for any guy to take the fall for fatherhood—she left with MJ because she thought he was the bigger fish—college graduate, had been away from Jackson and didn’t plan to live here. Ro had accepted that apology and thanked the Lord MJ had won that fight and the girl. The last thing Ro had needed was to go back home and tell his mother he’d gotten someone pregnant.
From that moment on he’d been like a long distance protégé to MJ as they kept in touch. After Ro graduated from Clark University, he’d headed out to Vegas where MJ had planned a grand celebration for him. Ro had taken a few other trips out to Vegas to see his good friend over the years, had spent time scooping up a few wins at dice games for old times’ sake at MJ’s Blunt Minded Joint, a cannabis club with a secret location in Vegas.
“Settling in, huh? You plan to stay there for good?” MJ asked. “Last we talked when we met up, you weren’t sure you’d ever settle in one place.”
“Nah,” Ro said. “I think I always knew I’d end up back home.” The part he left out was that he’d always known he would end up with Sariya.
Even though in the weeks that passed since he’d had that little run-in with her uncle, things had been somewhat strained between them. They’d still been doing their business stuff, but she’d seemed a bit reserved. Like there was something she wasn’t saying to him, that she probably should get off her chest. For his part in that, he didn’t really want to know what she was holding back. Especially not if it was about her uncle and her mother.
“But it was the job that brought you back there, right? How’s that going?” MJ asked.
MJ was like the big brother Ro never had and Ro loved him for that. Whenever he had real shit on his mind, he knew he could pick up the phone and call MJ. The guy seemed to know a little about everything, and even if he didn’t know about something particular, he managed to give good advice regardless. Plus, he’d been there at a time when Ro had been lost and could’ve easily gone another way in life. But having MJ as a mentor had inspired him to get on a clear path to making the money he wanted to make and becoming the man he wanted to be.
“It’s good,” Ro replied. “Learning a lot of knew stuff, meeting a ton of new people. I mean, power people. Like the ones running in those political circles in D.C.”
“Okay, I see you, Benny Blue,” MJ replied. “Lining up those favors like I taught you.”
Ro nodded even though he knew MJ couldn’t see him. “Absolutely. Which brings me to this call today.”
“You need something? You know all you have to do is ask,” MJ said.
“Right. Right. Well, I was a little hesitant because the person I’m trying to help is very independent. She wanted to make some calls on her own, see if she could pull in the cash she needed to do all the things she wants for this project. But I knew you’d have a specialized interest in this.” Ro hadn’t told Sariya he was making this call. So, he prayed it would end on a good note so he’d have good news to assuage the fact that he’d left her out of this part of the business they were working to build.
“Tell me more,” MJ said.
Ro ran down the pitch he and Sariya had perfected in the past weeks as they talked to his associates at the bank, the real estate agent she’d finally decided to work with and the owner of the building she’d decided she wanted last week.
“Okay, that sounds good. You know I’m all about helping with the community however I can. In my line of business, it can’t always be on the ground and face-to-face, but I’m always looking for a good investment. You’ve advised me on a few over the years,” MJ said.
“And I’m trying to put you on to one now,” Ro said. “She’s got the location picked out and we’ve gotten her qualified for a build-out loan, but she’s going to need some working capital to drop into her operating accounts. She has to hire staff, get licensing. I’ve already made a few calls to my people with the state to get her cannabis license expedited since she’s trying to open next month. But there are some more accreditations she’s going to need.”
“Right, you’re good with all that paperwork crap.” MJ laughed. “Mr. Banker Man in your GQ suits and silly ass ties you like to wear.”
“Man, I know you ain’t talkin’ the way you always rockin’ those bowties with your suits.”
“Only when I’m handlin’ business, youngun,” MJ replied.
Ro laughed because he could picture MJ in his expensive suits and bow ties that made him look much older than the forty-five years he was.
“But seriously though,” Ro continued. “She’s a good person. Smart, has a master’s in nursing and wants to use that to help her community. I believe she’s going to make something special out of this place.”
“And you’re feelin’ her,” MJ said. “Not just in a business sense.”
Ro ran a hand down the back of his head. He’d intended for this call to be strictly business where the connection between him and Sariya came in. But MJ wasn’t a stupid man, not by a longshot. Add that he knew Ro very well, and there was no sense in Ro lying to him.
“Yeah, I am.”
“You really feelin’ her, like that forever kinda shit?”
MJ was single, had been for as long as Ro had known him. He had a couple of kids though, a son who lived in Jackson and a daughter who was out there in Nevada near him. But he’d never spoken of a woman that he was really feelin’, as he’d just put it to Ro.
“Yeah,” Ro replied. “Like that forever kinda shit.”
MJ let out a long low whistle. “I see.”
“But that has nothing to do with the business, man. You know I don’t get down like that. Especially not with her. I thought about becoming an investor myself, but I don’t want to muddy the waters with what we have going on personally. Make no mistake, I’m ready to give her the world,” he told MJ. “But part of that is making sure her business is secure. I don’t want anything on the books that might give the appearance of something inappropriate, not with my job at the bank and certainly not with the state and federal licensing departments.
Ro’s name wasn’t anywhere on Sariya’s applications and he wanted to keep it that way. Once they were married, because he definitely planned to marry her and soon—they’d waited long enough to be together—they could combine their finances but he knew it was important for her to have this business to herself. For her name to be on the bottom line alone.
“If you invest, she’s also looking for a reputable supplier to some of the medicinal cannabis she’s going to offer. The provider she’s speaking to about coming to work there has a list of what items she’d prefer to administer and in what forms. You know they shy away from straight smoking, due to the other ailments possibly deriving from that,” Ro said.
“Right. You know my guy is good. I think there’s about six or seven strains that are top tier for a range of medical conditions. Probably the ones on her provider’s list. But I’m sure my supplier can get a hold of them for her,” MJ said. “But I like how this sounds so far. You know I need to see some things on paper, so send me that when you get a chance. But on the strength of her being the lady that’s caught your eye, I’m inclined to just write her a check.”
Ro grinned, his chest full of appreciation toward MJ and excitement for the moment he would be able to share this news with Sariya.
“I appreciate that, man. I owe you bigtime for this,” Ro told him.
“Man, kill all that, you know better. Whenever you need something and I’ve got it or can get it, it’s yours. You wanna make your lady happy, get her business started on a good foot, I’m down with it. Just send me some info in writing and I’ll let my lawyers look it over. But I’m definitely on board.”
Ro didn’t thank him again. MJ would get pissed if he kept repeating himself, so instead he shifted the conversation to checking in on MJ’s kids, his parents who still lived in Jackson and stuff like that. It was a good conversation and when it ended, Ro felt a lot better about the plans for Sariya’s business.
It had been almost two weeks since she’d seen her mother. Since the day of the Pop Up Shop where her and Uncle Larry had been more than a little rude to Ro. And in that time things between her and Ro had been a little strained. Not that she’d stopped seeing him. Ro definitely wasn’t going to allow that and she hadn’t wanted to stop seeing him. But there was tension between them that she knew stemmed from this unresolved situation.
In the past weeks she’d had to be really honest with herself about why she’d pushed Ro away before, why she’d denied herself the happiness she was feeling with him now. As she pulled into the parking spot in front of her mother’s house, she’d smiled at the knowledge that her brakes were no longer squeaking. That was because Ro had taken her car to work with him on Monday and left her the keys to his truck if she needed to go somewhere. He’d had the brakes fixed and the annual servicing that she’d been putting off until it was absolutely necessary for her to spend the money on them, completed.
And she’d purchased a wall mirror for that space in his foyer just before you entered the living room. In his ensuite bathroom she’d added clear plastic drawer organizers mostly because she hated to pull open a drawer and have all her stuff floating around in it. So, she’d put them in all the drawers and added her personal items to the ones on the side of the vanity that he’d said belonged to her. She’d also bought new sheets because the ones he had weren’t as high a thread count as she preferred and since she’d been sleeping there at least four out of the seven nights a week she’d wanted to be comfortable.
It had seemed odd how quickly they’d fallen into this relationship mode where he called her midday to see what their dinner plans were and she showed up at his office, not only for business purposes but just to surprise him with lunch. It seemed fast, yet, natural at the same time. Like this was where they were always meant to be.
But as she got out of her car and walked up the front steps to her mother’s row house, she knew there would be push back on that declaration. Just as her mother had seemed to push back on everything where the Simmons family was concerned.
“Hey, Mama,” she said when she used her key to enter the house.
She’d done like Kim had instructed and had called to let her know she was coming by today. So, she really shouldn’t have had to walk all through the house to find her mother in the basement, ironing clothes.
“Hey,” Kim said when Sariya came down the stairs. “You just getting here? I thought you were coming by earlier.”
What was earlier? Sariya had literally called her mother half an hour ago because she’d already been close to her house after meeting the real estate agent at the building, she had just settled on for the wellness center.
“Yeah,” she said in reply because she really didn’t want to argue. At least she didn’t want their argument to be about how long it did or did not take her to get here.
Sariya walked across the room and took a seat on the couch. Her mother’s back was facing her as she stood at the ironing board. For the next few moments Kim went on about her business as if her only child wasn’t even in the room. They’d been through this before, this was just how her mother was and to an extent Sariya had accepted that. None of which meant it didn’t work her nerves.
“I’m going to open a wellness center,” she said and when her mother didn’t immediately respond, she continued. “I found a place down at the corner of Irvington. It used to be a part of the school’s property, so there’s a building with a lot of extra space around it. I’m going to do some minor renovations to the building first, just enough to get us up and running and then I’ll work on plans of expansion.”
Kim finished with the one shirt she’d been ironing. She put it neatly onto a hanger and then hung that on the doorknob. She bent down and pulled another shirt out of the basket and put that one on the ironing board.
“The center will focus on providing for those patients that were displaced when the clinic I was working at was shut down. We’ll provide medicinal cannabis treatments and therapy, stuff like that.” At this point she was certain Kim didn’t give a damn about the details. She probably didn’t actually care about anything Sariya had said since she hadn’t bothered to respond. But the one thing she wasn’t going to allow her mother to do was tell her she hadn’t shared her employment plans with her.
“I’m trying to have it open next month and I know that’s ambitious but it’s also on a day that holds some sentiment, Four20.” She didn’t know if her mother knew what that meant or not, so she just kept talking. “I have to hire people, which means managing medical staff which is part of what I went to school for. But I also think I’ll need an assistant. I might ask Donyell to help me out in that area just until things get off the ground and I can hire someone to permanently fill the position.”
“You just love that family, don’t you?” Kim asked, ire dripping from every word.
The tone and the question shocked her so much, Sariya didn’t have an immediate response. But that was fine since apparently, now Kim had lots more to say.
Her mother set the iron down and turned to face Sariya. She planted one hand on her hip and pursed her lips before speaking. “Ever since we moved into this house you’ve preferred being down there with those people. Trying to act like you’re part of their family. Now, you’re even sleeping with that boy who you know tried to kill your uncle.”
Sariya flinched at that last comment and was shaking her head before she could find the words to speak. “Killed? What in the world are you talking about? Ro never touched Uncle Larry.”
“That’s what you think, but he was in that car with Larry and then he somehow got off on all the charges but Larry had to go to jail. I know his parents set it up that way. They’ve always thought they were better than us,” Kim spat. “Always judging me just because you ain’t have no daddy.”
“Nobody cared about the fact that I didn’t have a daddy but you,” Sariya said. Which was only half true, for a long time she had cared that she didn’t have a father in the house with her, but after a while she realized that she couldn’t miss what she’d never had. Until they’d moved here and she’d met Mr. Ralph. Then, she could envy Donyell for the father she had been blessed with. But Donyell had been more than willing to share Mr. Ralph with Sariya and Mr. Ralph had been happy to fill in wherever he was needed in Sariya’s life. None of that had ever made Kim happy.
“Don’t you get smart with me,” Kim shot back. “I bet you don’t talk to the Simmons’ like that.”
“The Simmons’ don’t talk to me like you do.” Extremely tired now, Sariya stood. “Look, I only stopped by to tell you my plans so you won’t worry about me having a job anymore.”
“Well, you still ain’t got no job. Did that bougie ass Ro talk you into this? Is he funding this new business for you and you pay him back by sleeping with him?”
If she were anyone else. A stranger on the street, an acquaintance, a friend, Sariya would’ve smacked the taste out of her mouth. But since she couldn’t do that and expect to get into heaven, she clenched her fists at her sides.
“It’s none of your concern who I sleep with or how I plan to start my business. I haven’t asked you for a dime since I graduated high school and Lord willing, I won’t have to in the future.” She took the first steps to leave but Kim quickly jumped in her path.
“You think that boy wants you?” She sucked her teeth. “You better think again, they only want you as long as they think your kitty’s good and when that’s over, so is everything else.”
“I’m not doing this with you,” Sariya said.
“And you think those Simmons’ are like the Cosbys. Well, I got news for you, the Cosbys were fake and they sent Bill’s perverted ass to jail. So there,” Kim said as if her words had really proven a point.
Well, they had. They proved that her mother was out of her mind. She was bitter and resentful and she’d been that way for so long she didn’t know how else to be.
“I’m leaving,” Sariya said. “Get out of my way.”
“Don’t you talk to me like that. I’m your mother!”
Sariya gave a wry laugh. “You can’t even convince yourself of that.” She rolled her eyes and walked all the way around the coffee table that had been in front of the couch, so that she could get to the open part of the floor and make her way up the steps.
“When he leaves you hanging like your daddy did me and like he did Larry all those years ago, don’t you come back here crying to me,” Kim yelled up the stairs.
“I won’t,” Sariya replied in a quiet voice. “You can count on that.”