“You took the couch you had me spread all over with you to Ocean City?” Emani asked with a squint.
“Sure as hell did. She hated it. Tried to throw it out at one point.”
Emani laughed and shook her head. “That’s why you’re divorced. What sane man keeps a couch he fucked his ex on and puts it in the house with his wife?”
“To be fair, I’m not all the way sane. I’m sure I got some residuals from my momma.”
Emani winced. “Just a little bit. Enough to make you come back and ruin a happy home.”
She stood to her feet, and Jahlil roared in laughter. “If it ain’t us in that muhfucka, it’s not happy.”
“Ohh, you toxic. Feed me, this popcorn isn’t going to cut it.”
Jahlil picked up his sweatshirt and draped his arm over her shoulder. Back to the party, a plate of food and a round of drinks later, Emani had thrown all of her troubles to the wind. Jahlil was no longer in the background while she danced, he was right behind her. A public display that Malik had indeed lost his girl and daddy was home.
20 /JAHLIL
“Shout out to muhfukin’Jahlil Savage in the place tonight!” The deejay shouted out over the music, prompting Jahlil to throw up a subtle hand gesture representing his old hood in the heart of Los Oceania. “I see you, E.”
Emani had indulged in the liquor and was completely enthralled in Jahlil’s arm hooked around her shoulders, their bodies pressed against one another and her hips rocking against his hardness. For the last twenty minutes, Jahlil had been looking for a way to get her out of here so he could have his way. Every time he thought he had an out, fans would come up asking for pictures, their organizations wanted to stroll or the deejay played something that sent Emani and Donnée into a twerking frenzy.
Emani waved at the deejay, bobbing her head to the music.
“You ready to head back?” Jahlil mused, trying not to touch her the way he wanted to.
“We can go after you answer your phone. Someone has been calling you for five minutes straight,” Emani spoke back, moving out of his hold so he could answer his vibrating phone.
“Shit whole time I swore that was your ass shaking on me,” he joked, sneaking a tap to her ass. He nipped his lip finding twenty-seven missed calls from Sanaa and another coming through. “This is Babygirl. Let me take this.”
Emani didn’t hesitate to hurry him off. He appreciated that. “Go.”
He nodded at her and roamed off to find a quiet spot to answer the call. Far enough away from the party, he answered the facetime call. No hi daddy, how are you just Sanaa with a scowl on her tiny face.
“For why do I have to call your ass twenty-eight times? I’m mean really daddy? Really?” Sanaa questioned. “Where the hell you been? When you coming home? Do you know what time it is, my guy?”
Jahlil scratched his chin through his beard and focused on her. “First of all. That mouth is going to get you put in time out.”
“Psshhh what’s time out to a real nigga like me?” Sanaa shot back.
“She’s been in time out like ten times today. Been talkin’ spicy,” Andrew spoke from the other side of her room making Sanaa sit up and look at him. Her pink bonnet on her head and her eyes squinted.
“You know what? You’re a snitch ass nigga,” Sanaa spoke through clenched teeth.
“SANAA,” Jahlil called snapping her head back to the camera. Sanaa flashed him and innocent smile and batted her eyes. “You can’t play me. Watch your mouth. What’s up?”
“Well I called you because Andrew won’t read my story the way you read it. He keeps whining like a baby. Auntie told him to tuck me in and he’s being a little b-”
“Watch it,” Jahlil warned.
“Nah say it so you can get in trouble and I can go back in my room,” Andrew huffed.
“Ain’t like you got shit to do in there. You don’t have a phone, Andrew. You don’t have a game, Andrew. You don’t have a TV, Andrew. You don’t have a girlfriend, Andrew. You don’t have no friends, Andrew.”
Jahlil attempted to muffle his laughter but it broke through.
“I have a girlfriend and I have friends,” Andrew defended. “You don’t have friends. And I can see why.”
“I’m not even in school yet, dummy,” Sanaah shot back sticking her tongue out.
