“Nah. It ain’t. Not right now. I got a lot of shit going on, mainly my business.”
She closes her container then her entire face drops, her smile first. “I really like you, Xai and that’s my fault. I know what we said that first night but I can’t help how I feel. I think you like me too, so look. I’ll take whatever you give me,” she admits.
Her words cause me to sit all the way up. I hate when a woman doesn’t know her worth and just takes what a man dishes out. I saw my momma do that shit with too many non-deserving lowlifes. I had been young as fuck, but even then, I knew no woman should let a man treat her any kind of way.
“I’m not gon’ let you do that,” I tell her, then stand. My office has huge ass glass windows and I can see the front lobby and the outside cleaning bays. They are finishing her red Camry.“They’re ’bout done with your ride. It’s on the house. Thanks for lunch for real.”
“You’re really ending this?” she snaps then stands.
“That’s what I keep saying, Narissa. There is no us; there never was.”
“So fuck me and my feelings? Wow! Negroes ain’t shit for real,” she scoffs.
I let her have her words. She’s upset and words can’t do shit to me. However, when I see her eyes shift back and forth, then her hand stretches out like she’s about to do some fucked up shit, I grab her hand and step into her space.
“You not ’bout to fuck with any of my shit,” I grit. “It’s time for you to go.”
“Fuck you,” she snaps.
She snatches her hand free, grabs her small bag, then storms out of my office. I follow to make sure she acts with some damn sense as she walks through my front area and outside. When we both pass the front desk, Trista, my front desk clerk, gives me the “You good” look and I nod.
Terrance, my ace from back in the day and one of my best workers, pulls her Camry to the front. When he gets out and asks for her ticket, she pushes right past him.
“It’s good. I took care of her,” I say and he nods and steps away from her car. She hops in and speeds out of the lot, tires screeching.
“Ol’ girl was hot,” he says as he walks toward me.
“She’ll be alright,” I tell him.
We walk back into the lobby and Trista stands. “She didn’t pay,” she says.
“I know. That was on me,” I tell her. “And don’t let her or anybody else to the back again without checking with me.”
“My bad. She said she had your lunch like you were expecting her. I should have checked with you first. Sorry.”
“You good,” I assure her before walking back to my office.
Once back in my office, I throw away the food containers, wipe my desk down, then drink my Coke. With my distraction gone, I can handle business. I’m meeting with my real estate agent, Merrick, today at two. He’s got three possible spots for my second Clean Ridez location.
Rick and I go back to elementary school. His family is big shit in Crescent Falls. He’s one of the Redmonds; they actually founded the town and own the best soul food restaurant here along with a few other businesses. His dad is the NFL legend Deondre Redmond. Like a lot of ballers in the league, he has a ton of kids. Rick is one of nine but he doesn’t even fuck with his dad. Shit, none of them really do.
Instead of leaning on his dad’s name and fame, Rick did his own thing and got into commercial real estate right after college. When I decided to get my first spot, I reached out to my boy. Naturally, I hit him again when I decided I wanted a second location.
Me: We still on for 2?
Rick: Yeah. I’m at the one off Broadway now.
Me: Bet. I’m OMW.
Before walking out of my office, I grab the cash deposit from my safe. I still have a lot of customers who pay in cash so I typically make bank runs daily. Today, I’m depositing a grip. Weekends are busy as shit and on Mondays, my deposits are substantial. This one is no different.
“I’m out for the day,” I tell Trista before walking out to my ride. I’m driving my Charger today because she needed a complete detail. As soon as I start her and my phone connects, my cell rings and Kadean’s name pops up on the screen.
“What up?” I answer.
“You at the shop?” he responds.
“No, just left,” I say as I pull out of the parking lot.
