“Hell nah. You’re really trying to have the feds on our ass. This place costs money. It doesn’t make money.”
Dix laughed and nodded. “You right. Shit, we’re the only ones who come through. It’s basically our hang out spot.”
“Exactly, so when you start turning six-figure profits, the fuck you think the feds gon’ do.”
“Be up my ass like I be up in pussy.”
Vega turned up his glass and emptied it for a second time. “Aight, so I’ll figure some shit out and get back to you. You down?”
“Like panties falling to the floor when we step in the building.” Dix grinned, and Vega laughed at his dumb ass.
“You’re corny as fuck.”
“Shit, I know, but you’ve been gone. Somebody had to keep those hoes smiling so the pussy didn’t stop.”
“Well, kill that shit because I’m back now. If you were fucking with women like Nene, it wasn’t working for you anyway.”
The two men relaxed into their conversation, shooting the shit about everything Vega had missed then moving on to what they planned to accomplish now that he was home. Some things never changed, and others did, but with the right timing. Vega understood his current position and would work on changing it, but for now, he was going to have drinks with a trusted friend,hit the club, then hopefully see the woman who had all of his attention right now.
8
Joi sat nervously staring at the cashier’s check on her desk. Ten thousand dollars. It was a lot of money and half of what she’d gotten the loan for. She was grateful for the business sense to keep good credit because they never even flinched when she requested the amount. The woman who processed her application simply finalized everything then asked if she wanted the money in a check or deposited to her account.
As soon as the money cleared her business account, Joi was at the bank requesting a cashier’s check to pay Reg back. It had been a little over a week and she hadn’t seen him once. She’d barely talked to him. His reasoning was that he had to go out of town on business, and she was happy, because she was dreading the conversation that the two were about to have.
Since the card game, Joi hadn’t seen East either, but they talked and texted a lot. She quickly learned he was all about business and spent most of his time at his barbershop or the tattoo parlor attached to it. She was feeling him, true indeed, and their connection was cool on a “get to know you” type vibe, but he never once invited her to come see him or asked her out, so she just left things like they were.
At this point, she still had a man, even if she planned to remedy that today. As far as East knew, she was spoken for. When they talked, they talked. She wasn’t the type to just pull up on a man she was unsure about, so if he didn’t initiate anything, then it wasn’t happening. Even still, that didn’t stop her from wanting to end things with Reg.
Seconds later, her door chimed, and Joi’s stomach began to knot up. “Why the hell are you nervous? He isn’t shit. Just let him go,” Joi whispered before she stood and lifted the check from her desk.
Before she could exit her office, she heard a female voice and not Reg’s. Out of habit, Joi glanced at the dry erase board near the door to make sure she hadn’t missed an appointment, but Ria glided into her office with a big smile, letting Joi know it wasn’t a client.
“Hey, what are you doing here?”
Joi placed the check back on her desk and moved to her friend, offering a hug before the two plopped down on the velvet suede sofa in Joi’s office. Its emerald green color matched the rest of the décor; everything was emerald green and a soft cream that the store insisted was called eggshell.
Joi hadn’t seen Ria in over a year. They sent birthday wishes and things like that, but their contact was minimal. Joi was even surprised that Ria knew where her shop was since she didn’t show for the grand opening but figured she likely saw it on social media since the two still followed each other.
“I came to see my friend who acts like she doesn’t have time for me anymore.”
Ria rolled her eyes and narrowed them at Joi. The two were close but hadn’t spent much time together lately. It was mostly because Joi spent so much energy getting her shop up and running. Next in line was filling in spare time with Reg and anything left was spent with Nyelle. Ria had been what Nyellewas to Joi a few years back, but then Ria pulled away when she got her new man. Joi wasn’t the type to sweat anyone, so she left things how they were.
“I have time for you, Ria.”
“Not really. I see you out with Nyelle, but you never hit me up.”
Joi chuckled sarcastically and shook her head. “Hit you up so you can let me down. Don’t make this about Ny. I know you feel like she moved in and moved you out, but truthfully, you stopped coming around because of Lue. He didn’t want you around your little young friends, remember?”
Ria stared blankly for a minute, knowing it was the truth, and she felt bad for it. Dating an older man seemed fun in the beginning, but the rush quickly diminished when he became controlling and tried to mold her into a woman she wasn’t prepared for or even wanted to be. Three years later, she had wasted so much of her life on a man who only wanted her as a trophy and not as a companion or equal.
“I know, and I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s not about Ny. She’s cool. I like her a lot. I just… I don’t know. When you two started getting close, it was like she replaced me. Even after you and the asshole broke up, you and Ny were still close, so it seemed like I didn’t matter.”
“Girl, bye. You’re my people. I’ve known you since first grade. I would never replace you, but I had to live my life while you were living yours. That’s not about Ny, that’s about Lue keeping you from anything he felt didn’t fit his plan, and my young, wild ass damn sure didn’t fit his bougie ass plan.”
Ria rolled her eyes. Joi was speaking facts. Lue showered her with gifts and a lavish lifestyle, but it came with a bunch of things she didn’t agree with. They were forever at social events, plays, business events, or boring dinner parties with his old ass friends who refused to talk to her because she wastoo younganddidn’t know anything. She heard their whispers behind her back about being a gold digger when Lue was the one who pursued her and insisted on buying her things she never asked for. Ria was just glad to be done with him and that life. She wanted to be with people her age, having fun, living life, and doing young people shit. The only good thing was that Lue helped her start her own business and she was self-sufficient. Even after they split, he never once asked for anything that he gave her back. He just made her promise to consider trying again one day. He said it was a phase and that she needed to get it out of her system. He agreed that his life was intense and didn’t allow her a chance to really live.
“You’re right, but he kinda finally gets it. He said I need to live a little.”
