Marquise
“What the hell?” Erin asked.
I parked my car outside my parents’ house in tears from laughing. Pops had Herman, Ivey’s boyfriend stretched across the hood of his car. I held my stomach leaning against the window, cackling at the sight of him patting him down. Pops checked his pockets and attempted a sobriety test with his hand.
“Marquise, this isn’t funny,” Erin said after she hit my arm.
“This is light work, you should see what he did to her date last year,” I said.
Today was Herman’s prom; although Ivey graduated a year early, she kept her same friends. Personally, I think he wanted the clout because Ivey was in college. I pushed aside my anger about the Mother’s Day brunch to be here today. Anybody taking my sister on a date would see the face that would kick his ass if needed.
After leaving the vineyard, Erin and I had been cooped up in her condo. For the last two days, we’d unplugged, and it was only good sex, takeout, and cuddles. Being underneath Erindeepened my love for her and us. There was no other woman capable of taming and refocusing my fire but her sexy ass. I parked the car and sprinted up the sidewalk to help stop Pops from roughing Herman up too bad.
“Pops, man, you need to relax before you raise your blood pressure,” I said between cackles.
I helped Herman off the hood of the car. “Man, go inside before Pops lose his mind and strip search you,” I said.
Herman’s eyes traveled to Pops and then back to me before he slid past us.
“These damn kids be doing everything. I had to make sure he didn’t have any drugs on him,” Pops said, and I shook my head.
“Hi, Mr. Jefferies,” Erin said with wide eyes.
I knew eventually she would see the crazy side of Pops but in his defense, he was only protecting Ivey.
“Hey, Erin, I had to check him out,” he tried to justify his behavior.
“She is your little girl. My father has done worse,” she said.
I kissed Erin’s right cheek and slapped her butt before she moved up the sidewalk. After Mom allowed her inside, Pops turned to me and tapped my chest.
“This is what I want to see, you loving and taking care of your woman,” he said.
I turned back to the house as if I had X-ray vision before smiling back at Pops.
“Giving you a heads-up, be prepared. Your mother wants a full breakdown on why you left Sunday. It wasn’t my place to tell her,” he said.
I answered with a light head shake before my brother’s car pulled into the driveway. Malcolm and Jhae sat in the car for several seconds and by their actions, he was trying to reassure her. Since the showdown in our living room, she and Mom stillhadn’t truly patched things up. They speak then separate but Jhae missed Mom. She’s just too afraid to push the issue.
“Khalil,” Jhae said, and Pops hugged her.
I shifted to the other side of Pops to avoid a conversation with Malcolm.
“Pops. Quise,” Malcolm said, and I didn’t respond with a greeting.
“Jhae, can you give us guys a minute?” Pops said.
She scanned the space between us and tried moving back to the car. Malcolm secured her arm and redirected her to the house by turning her shoulders.
“Music Note, it will only be a minute,” he said, and she gave him sad eyes. “Mom is not going to kill you. I promise, it’s only a few minutes,” he said, and she sighed loudly.
We witnessed her approach the door and knock. From the sight of the rose tattoo, I knew Erin let her inside. After the door shut, the silence stood between us men. Pops maneuvered to the side, as Malcolm and I avoided eye contact with each other.
“I don’t want my sons beefing with each other. You two are grown men, talk this shit out,” Pops said.
I leaned against the car with nothing to say because I wasn’t in the wrong for once.
“Quise, man, I’m sorry for inviting Toni. I should have run it by you first. I was wrong,” Malcolm said and extended his hand.
