Tech walkedinto the gym with Belvin by his side. Donned in jeans that weren’t overly baggy but nowhere near tight, a crème Polo sweater with the quarter zip, and wheat colored Timbs, Tech strutted with the swagger of a dope boy. If it wasn’t for his salt and pepper beard, no one would have guessed that Tech was over the age of thirty-five. Over the years, Belvin had been eating good, so while his best friend was muscular and in the best shape of his life, Belvin possessed a protruding belly that gave away the fact that he loved to eat. Still, he was just as fly as Tech and rocked enough ice that his belly was the last thing people noticed.
It was Tech’s first time attending a WNBA game, but Belvin’s niece played for a team in Dallas, and they had a game against the Diamond Cove Majors. Belvin wanted to support his niece, and he invited Tech on the outing. He knew his friend was going to handle business, but he also wanted him to have some fun. Tech had spent way too many years behind bars. They had a lot of time to make up for.
“What shorty say when Mario got home last night?” Belvin inquired as they took their seats.
“Man”—Tech kissed his teeth—“it only took three minutes for her to get my number from Mario, and she called me, spazzing.” With a shake of his head, Tech stared straight ahead. “Wanted to know why I didn’t tell her I was coming home, why I didn’t come in and say hello. A bunch of nothing.”
Tossing his head back, Belvin laughed. “You already know she wanted to give you some of that.”
“And I don’t want it,” Tech replied with a slight frown. “I don’t want the problems that shit will bring. If I get desperate enough, I’ll go to the strip club and find a broad that’s selling it. I was gone for eleven years, and her ass is still immature as shit.”
“That’s what happens when you like them young girls.”
Tech cut his eye at his friend. “Nigga, you’re the same age as me. I could have sworn your last joint was like twenty-nine”
“You late as hell. That was last year, and shorty I’m fucking with now is thirty-nine. I had to leave them young women alone. They want babies and marriage and shit. Soon as they start talking stupid, my dick gets soft.” Belvin’s frown mirrored his friend’s.
“Yeah, I don’t want nothing under the age of thirty-five,” Tech stated. “Shit, all I really want is pussy. I’m for sure not trying to come home and go back to how I used to be, but you already know me. Laying up and being in a woman’s face all day doesn’t pay any bills.” Aside from spending time with Mario, the one consistent thing on Tech’s mind was getting money.
He appreciated all his sons had done for him, but he refused to live off anybody. Tech had already enrolled in a class to get his CDL, but the class was six weeks, and he had to attend thirty hours a week. That was damn near a job he wasn’t getting paid for. Belvin had a car lot and hired Tech as a mechanic, but he only worked part-time due to his class schedule. Belvin had given him $5,000 when he first came home. Tech had a place to live and a car to drive. He didn’t need much, but he couldn’tsurvive just working part-time. Tech tried to tell himself that it was only for six weeks, but that didn’t make him feel any better.
“Got damn,” Tech marveled just as Belvin opened his mouth to respond to his friend. The Diamond Cove Majors jogged out onto the court to do warmups, and the coach sauntered alongside them with childbearing hips and a gorgeous face. Tech took in the tight, black slacks that hugged ole girl’s thick thighs, the black blazer over a white blouse, and a grey Gucci tie. On her feet were black, platform Gucci heels that showed off her French-tipped toes. “They got female coaches giving it up like that?” Tech’s head briefly whipped in Belvin’s direction before giving all of his attention back to the woman.
The woman was completely covered. Aside from her hands, the only visible parts of her body were her feet, but Tech’s dick was harder than steel. She was beyond sexy. He scanned her hands and didn’t see a ring. He hated to stereotype, but he wondered if she was gay. He assumed since she was a coach that at some point in her life, she’d played ball. Tech surmised that without heels on, she probably stood about five-foot-eight maybe even five-foot-nine. He was six-foot-four, so he gave no fucks about her height. Her skin tone was a beautiful shade of brown, and her long braids were pulled up into a high ponytail. Lash extensions framed her almond-shaped eyes, and her heart-shaped lips shone with clear gloss. Clutched in her hand was a thick folder.
“This is my third WNBA game, and I’ve never seen a female coach that bad. Shit, I might need to come to more games.”
“As long as you’re looking anywhere but at her.” Tech had no plans of approaching the woman, but he still didn’t want Belvin plotting on her.
“You think she likes dick? The kind that doesn’t come in a bookbag?”
Tech chuckled. “I’m not even sure, but if she does play for the other team, I wouldn’t mind trying to change her mind.”
Tech observed as the woman stood on the sidelines and watched the girls shoot. Her back was to him, but he still didn’t tear his gaze away from her. She was the kind of woman that Tech wanted to entertain. Grown, mature, goal-oriented. He didn’t have time for games or bullshit. When Tech first started getting money, he was young. With his looks, he could pull a woman whether he had money or not, but when the money started coming abundantly, so did the women, and he had zero self-control. There was a time when Tech loved Tasha to death. He would have done anything in the world for her—except be faithful.
Tech would never stop regretting his treatment of her. There was no going back, however. He was home and had a second chance at life. Tech had missed so much, but nothing could be done about it. He’d seen men do double digit numbers in prison, get released, and be dead within a year. That couldn’t be his story. There were things he couldn’t control, of course, like sickness or accidents, but Tech was going to be intentional about every day.
He found out that the coach he was admiring was named, Blossom Rivers. Confidence was always something Tech possessed, but he was fresh out of prison with only a part-time job and a school start date. The money he had was designated for his personal needs and kids. He wasn’t in the position to wine and dine a woman or attempt to make her believe that he was home on some different shit. At another time, he would have walked up to Blossom, knowing he could have her. Now, Tech had some shit to handle. He was smart enough to know that a woman worth having wouldn’t want his ass as he was.
Brazil followed the nurse down a long corridor until they reached an area that had small rooms sectioned off. The only things separating the rooms were half-walls that didn’t go all the way up to the ceiling. Each section had a recliner, a chair, and a television mounted on the wall. Brazil passed at least ten recliners that were all occupied with patients receiving chemo. His heart sank at the realization of just how many people suffered from cancer. Old, young, Black, white, male, female—it didn’t discriminate at all. Finally, the nurse stopped, pivoted, and gave Brazil a smile.
“Here she is.”
“Thank you.” He gave a head nod and peered into the room. Giavanna’s head was down, but when she heard his voice, she looked up. Upon seeing Brazil’s face, her lips slightly parted, but she didn’t say anything.
“Mission accomplished because you look surprised.” He chuckled.
“Um yeah, I am. How did you find me?”
“I walked through the door and gave the receptionist your name. It wasn’t hard.” Brazil took a seat, and Giavanna continued to stare at him with a perplexed look.
She hadn’t had Unique in over two weeks. First, she was sore from having the port put in her chest, and then she had to mentally prepare herself for her first round of chemo. While she missed Unique terribly, Giavanna was glad that she was in good hands with her father.
“You mentioned that you had chemo today, and that if it didn’t make you feel too bad, you’d get Unique in a few days.Then, you told me you were coming alone because your mom had the flu. So, I’m here.”
Giavanna didn’t know what to say. The words,thank you, were on the tip of her tongue, but she was baffled. She wasn’t even sure he’d remember what she said about her mother being sick, and she certainly didn’t think he’d pop up at her appointment. The truth was, she’d been terrified to come alone, but she had to do what she had to do. Chemo would be an ongoing thing in her life for a few months. She refused to take it personal if her loved ones couldn’t miss work every time she had an appointment. All of her sick and vacation time would be used for the first month and after that, she’d have to collect short-term disability. The thing was, she didn’t know if her ‘disability’ would be short-term. Once the pay was exhausted, she could save her job by using FMLA, but she wouldn’t get paid for FMLA.
Giavanna had enough money saved to live off for at least six months and after that, if she had to cash out her 401k, she would just have to do so. She had a little more than $300,000 set aside for retirement. The last thing she wanted to do was stress about money, health insurance, and the security of her job. Most days, Giavanna moved through life in a daze. She operated off muscle memory and was always aloof and distant. She hated it, but it had become her new reality.
