“Do you plan on keeping us at your house forever?” Giselle snickered.
“It’s your home now, too. This house was only temporary.”
“And how do you figure that?” she teased, hands falling on her hips.
“Don’t play with me, princess. I’ll be in the car.”
Giselle packed more clothes for her and the twins and carried the large luggage bag to Heavy’s car on the curb. He hopped out to place it in back and opened her door for her. She didn’t know where he was taking her, but half an hour later, he parked in the lot of Laser Lounge. She remembered this place as a staple in her summer visits as well.
“What are we doing here?”
“I thought you might need something to take your mind off all this other shit. Bev’s loaded fries are legit too.”
Ever since Alonzo showed up, she felt like she’d been tiptoeing on eggshells. She didn’t want to set him off because she knew she was to blame for all of this. The fact that he was still catering to her and her feelings left her speechless. Heavy truly was one of one.
“They are.” Giselle grinned and unbuckled her seat belt.
“I talked to Maisie and Crew, though. They’re meeting us here,” he told her, reaching for the blunt in the ashtray and sparking it.
“That’s fine with me.” Giselle kicked off her shoes, pulled the ponytail from her head, and ran her fingers through her kinky curls. “Don’t get me wrong, I love our kids, but when you’re doing it alone… it can be a lot. It’s nice being here and having this support system.” She turned, pressing her back against her door and lifting her legs into Heavy’s lap.
He admired her bare feet as he puffed on the weed. She wasn’t the only one who needed an escape.
“I want to change their names,” Heavy announced, holding the blunt out for her. “To Sapien. No disrespect to the Knox name, but those are my kids, and they out here named Maynard after some bitch nigga.”
“That’s only right.” Giselle brought the blunt to her lips and pulled. “Can you promise me one thing?” She studied the blunt again before bringing it back for another drag. “You won’t ever try to take them from me or remove me as their mother? No matter what?”
Heavy gripped her calf and swung his attention in her direction.
“Never,” he vowed.
The bass from Crew’s car vibrated the lot before he pulled into the parking space beside Heavy and Giselle. Maisie exhaled a cloud of smoke, and Giselle passed the blunt to Heavy before she sat up and draped herself across his lap in the driver’s seat. He let the window down for her, and Giselle stuck her head out, leaving her ass and legs exposed to him for admiration. She was dressed in some tight ass leggings with a distressed denim jacket over a white V-neck T-shirt.
“Dem boys in the hood, they sell anything for profit!” Maisie sang along.
“Five in the mornin’ on the corna clocking!” Giselle rapped along, waving her hand and popping her ass in Heavy’s face.
“If you don’t get yo’ hood ass out this car.” Heavy slapped her ass, and Giselle giggled.
He lowkey loved when she got turned up because she was usually more reserved, but still quick to go off if provoked. This girl had many sides, and he was enjoying getting to know them all. She pushed his door open and popped out while Maisie did the same, and the two of them rapped and danced in circles as Crew also shut off his car.
As soon as they stepped inside, Giselle and Maisie went right to the booths to grab a table so they could eat first. Crew and Heavy stopped at the entrance counter to pay for them and get gaming cards, then joined them after they’d already ordered half the damn menu.
“How are the kids feeling?” Maisie asked, sipping her strawberry lemonade through a straw beside Crew.
“Better. The fevers are gone. They both just have little coughs and sniffles,” Giselle answered.
“Well, when do we get to come and see Heavy’s big, beautiful house? Nigga, we been knowing you all this time and never got an invite,” Maisie scolded. “I thought you lived in that damn shop.”
Heavy flipped her the bird, and Maisie snickered. After a quick blessing over the food when it arrived, everyone dug in.
“We came to have some fun, right?” Giselle chewed on her fries and picked up her cup of strawberry soda for a sip. “How about some laser tag? Me and Heavy against you and Crew.”
“You do not want to go there, G. You know we competitive as hell.” Crew chuckled.
“Exactly. Let’s go.” She sipped until her cup was making that empty sound through her straw, and set it on the table.
“It’s only fun if we make a wager,” Crew announced.
