Chapter 4
Ahmad
“Autumn, you know I don’t play about phones at my table,” my mom commented.
I glanced at my sister. “I know, just let me finish sending this text.” Autumn kept texting on her phone.
“No, put the phone away.”
“Mom.”
“You heard your mother, baby girl,” my dad intervened.
Autumn poked her lip out and pouted before setting her phone down.
“I just needed to send a quick message,” she mumbled.
I laughed under my breath.
The only person who my dad didn’t let Autumn’s spoiled behind overcome is my mom. She and Autumn used to butt heads all the time because Autumn didn’t like to be told no. Every time they did, my dad was there backing her up.
If there was one thing my dad didn’t play about, it was Loraine Marshall.
The love I saw my dad shower my mom with over the years showed me how a man was supposed to treat a woman.
The love my mom gave back gave me hope that I could find that too, and I thought I did until I saw shit wasn’t always as it seemed.
The two of them were what most people would call a power couple.
Every move my dad made, he made sure to include my mom and vice versa.
Without my mom, I don’t think my dad would be as successful as he was. She was more so the operations part of his construction company. They were a team, a perfect duo, the modern-day Bonnie and Clyde. They were what I once wanted.
“So, I got an interesting phone call today,” my mom spoke up, looking directly at me.
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”
She lifted her glass and brought it to her mouth, nodding her head.
“It was Kylie.” The blood running through me grew cold. My mouth instantly twisted upside down. A disdainful taste formed in my mouth.
“Why did she call you?” The dryness in my question was present.
Once you were out of my life, you were out of my family’s too. I didn’t believe in those relationships where the couples broke up and your family and ex stayed in contact with each other. Once we were over, that was it. Both of us needed to move on and stay out of each other’s lives.
“I don’t know. I didn’t give her a chance to tell me. As soon as I found out it was her, I told her not to call me again.” My mom lowered her glass, smirking.
Loraine Marshall didn’t play when it came to her baby boy. When shit went south between Kylie and me, my mom was ready to hunt her down. It was actually comical because my mom usually was laid back and calm until you messed with one of her kids; then she became a lion protecting her cubs.
Autumn smacked her lips. “You should have let me fight her when I had the chance.”
I shook my head. “She wasn’t even worth it. She was nothing but a lesson learned.”
I thought back to the pain that Kylie had brought me.
For two years she had me fooled, thinking she was a good girl.
She had me ready to plant my seeds in her and give her my last name.
The day her true self surfaced was the day all the love I had for her instantly turned into hate.
If I was a man that put my hands on females, I would have tried to kill her.
I was big on loyalty and trust. If you gave it to me, I returned it.
Any problems you had with me, I wanted you to address them so we could move on from it.
I was never the one to entertain beef and shit.
If we had an issue, we handled that shit.
If it came to blows, then so be it, but I never went back and forth with anyone.
Kylie knew that. She knew she could have talked to me if she had any doubts or nerves about getting married. I may come off as nonchalant but not to the people I love. She could have gotten anything from me, and she knew that.
“What I tell you about trying to always put your hands on people?” My dad glared at my sister with a frown on his face.
Looking at me, my dad, and my sister was like looking at triplets. Even though my sister was a good mix of our parents, my dad’s features were stronger. I, however, looked like my dad spit me out. I had been told it my whole life.
“I know, Daddy, but look how she did my brother.” Autumn batted her lashes then smiled. “You raised us to protect each other, right?”
My mom snickered and shook her head. “Your child.”
My dad joined in with her. “I did, but that doesn’t mean you need to be putting your hands on people.”
Autumn mumbled something under her breath before taking a bite of her food.
“Anyway, I hope you blocked her number.”
My mom nodded. “Of course. I’ll never associate with anyone who hurt my baby boy.”
I frowned. My mom knew I hated when she called me that. I was a grown ass man.
“Speaking of women, Ahmad!” I groaned. I already didn’t like the direction of this conversation.
“Autumn, whatever is about to come out your mouth, save it.”
“But Ahmad, I found someone for you. She’s my new neighbor. I only met her once, but she was cute, and I think the two of you would look good together.”
“Not interested, Autumn.”
“Son, you can’t shut down your love life because of one bad experience,” my mom interjected.
“I’m not shutting down my love life. I see women from time to time.”
“Having meaningless sex isn’t a love life,” she scolded.
“Loraine, Autumn, leave the boy alone. If he’s not ready to get back out there, then y’all have to respect it.” My dad shut both of them down, which I appreciated.
Neither my mom nor sister could respect that I wasn’t trying to date anyone right now. All I wanted to do was build my shop, open another location, and have occasional sex. Nothing too complicated, and nothing that’ll force me into any type of commitment.
Every other week they were trying to hook me up with someone, and I was shutting them down every time. I would think by now they would take the hint, but my sister and mom were very headstrong. Once they set their mind on something, they were determined to see it through.
“How’s your shop, son?” My dad asked, changing the subject.
I didn’t reply right away.
When I first told him that I didn’t want to work with him at his construction company, he wasn’t happy.
He was even less happy when I told him I wanted to open a tattoo shop.
We went back and forth until he saw it was something I was passionate about.
I wasn’t going to give up what I wanted to do because he didn’t approve.
Eventually, he got on board with it and supported me.
“It’s been good, great actually. I’m considering opening another location soon if business keeps picking up.”
My dad smiled proudly at me. “That’s good, son. You know I had my reservations about you wanting to do tattoos for a living, but you proved me wrong. I’m happy you stuck to your guns.”
His eyes went to my sister. “What about you Autumn? How’s the boutique?”
Autumn smiled brightly at him. “It’s going good. We’re getting ready to bring in our summer clothing line.”
“That’s what I like to hear!” My mom praised.
Even though Autumn was spoiled and could get whatever she wanted from our dad, he made sure she knew what to get her own meant, too. He gave her until she was twenty-one to figure out how she wanted to make her own money.
“I’m so proud of both of you!” My mom gushed.
It was times like this I saw why my parents were so stuck on us having these family dinners. Even though I hated the forty-five-minute drive to get here, I appreciated my bond with my parents and sister even more.
____
“This shit nice as fuck.” I stared at my back in the mirror.
“Did you expect anything less?” Neal questioned offensively.
“Shit, you not better than me, but you did a good job.”
I looked back in the mirror. I had gotten angel wings outlined a few weeks ago and finally had time to get the shading done. The shop had closed a few hours ago, but Neal and I stayed over so he could get my back together.
“That shit gone be nice as fuck once it’s healed.”
“Hell yeah, I might have you add some color to it later on, but for now it’s cool.” I took one more look at my back before walking back over to the chair so he could wrap me up.
“I been thinking-” I started staring into space.
“What’s up?”
“You know how I been talking about opening up a second shop?” I stood up and stretched once he was done wrapping my back up.
“Yeah, what about it?”
“You trying to run it for me?” I gave him my attention.
Neal stared at me in disbelief. “You for real?”
“Yeah, man. My brother, you are my best friend. You know what you’re doing and you’re the only muthafucka I trust that’ll run it right. You can move your clients there, handle the hiring, all that shit.”
If it was one person outside of my family I knew I could count on, it was Neal.
Since we were paired together in Junior High for a school project, we’ve been thick as thieves.
Neal was a class clown in school. He was always making jokes and pissing the teacher off.
Over the years, he’s matured a lot. He still joked around and shit, but he knew when it was time to be serious.
When I saw he could draw and told him about wanting to open a tattoo shop, he was down to get his license to tattoo in my shop. He’s been down with me from the beginning, so once again, there isn’t anyone else I would trust to run my second shop.
“I appreciate that shit, man. You know how my home situation was, but you gave me a chance when no one else believed in me. I won’t let you down, bro.”
We slapped hands and I pulled him into a brotherly hug. “You know you family and family looks out for each other.”
He pulled away from me and nodded.
I stayed around helping Neal clean his room so we could head out. Now that I had someone to run the location, it was time to get my second location up and running.