Rissa, her husband, Wesley, Rashad, Declan, and of course my baby girl, and Daylen were here. I secretly thanked God that Wesley’s mother took their son, Weston, on vacation with her. That little boy was bad as two fucks. When that fucka superglued their little dog to the wall, I knew he wasn’t worth a kid damn.They asked him why he did it, and Beelzebub Junior said he told the dog to sit still, and it wouldn’t, so now it would. That kid was a damn menace who knew no bounds. His ass wasn’t welcomed at my house.
“Daddy, um, I saw Simone the other day.” Simonette’s voice was soft. It was clear that she didn’t want to tell me. Based on how her husband looked at her, she had no other choice. He probably knew like I did that whatever interaction happened bothered her.
I cut my steak before I responded. “Oh, really? Where was that, and what was that like for you?”
I put my steak into my mouth. I wanted to shout fuck that bitch, so I needed my mouth full to stop me. It wasn’t that I hated Simone. If anything, I hated that I allowed myself to be in a marriage for as long as I was unhappy.
There were times that people thought if they did what society thought was it would grant access on the road to happiness. I was here to say that was not how it played out sometimes. There were times that you just had to take the road less traveled to get your happiness. It all started with smart, responsible decisions and actions. I fucked up when I wasn’t responsible when I fucked with Simone, knowing that I had no desire to be with her forever. That was my first mistake, and my second was when I convinced myself that I had to marry her.
Simonette shrugged her shoulders. “I mean, it was alright. I was surprised to see her. It’s been a while since I’ve seen her. I guess it was what it was.”
Rissa’s fork clinked on her plate. “Sim, I wish you would lie and tell ya daddy that that damn lady didn’t almost make you cry. Pop Rob, she was obnoxious, and I had to curse her silly ass out hard. Now, y’all know that I have levels of curse outs. She hit the hard level, and I almost tussled with her lazy ass wig.”
“Rissa, sweety, what is a lazy wig?” I was scared to ask. I knew the explanation would be just as ignorant as the statement, but curiosity got the best of me.
She pushed her plate back and leaned onto the table. “Okay, stay with me. A lazy wig is when you get a lace wig that should be glued down, but you think ya head big enough to hold it on without the glue. I mean, her head is big, but it is a little lopsided. Whew, best friend, I’m so happy that you didn’t inherit that. Well, because Simone head is not quite big enough, her wig was on a lazy ass gangsta lean or whore lean rather.”
See, it is just as ignorant.It was easier to go with it when it came to Rissa. “That makes sense. Why was she obnoxious, baby girl?”
I felt all the men gawk at me sideways when I told Rissa that she made sense. If any of them should have had a straight face, it should have been Wesley. He married the crazy girl and procreated with her. I loved Rissa like a daughter, but I understood why Weston was the way he was.
The attention went on to Simonette when she cleared her throat. “She, um, she wanted to know about the baby shower. When I told her that she wasn’t invited, she demanded an invite because she was my mother.”
I ate another bite of my steak. No one said anything as I chewed and swallowed. I asked her if she wanted Simone at the baby shower. I didn’t speak my piece until after she confirmed that she didn’t. “Well, if you don’t want her there, then she won’t be there. That’s the end of that.”
Simonette’s eyes roamed next to her where Daylen sat. He reached his hand up, put it behind her head, then pulled her temple to him and kissed it. His lips went to her ear. I had no idea what he whispered in her ear, but she nodded, and a smile surfaced on her face. I loved the way that he loved my daughter and thanked God for their arranged little wedding weekend date.
When they told me about their little arrangement after the fact, I didn’t know how to really feel. By the time they told me, they were deep into a real relationship. It didn’t matter, but it was a little comical.
“Let’s change the subject. Rob, how has it been with your new president?” Declan knew how to curve the conversation.
I smiled at the thought of fine ass Ms. Jubilae Plates. “Oh, it’s been amazing. She brings a new light to the floor, and she’s about her business. She has her admin walking around with her ass on her shoulders because her days are literally numbered. I love having her in my space.”
I heard the clink of silverware, and I didn’t need to see where the sound came from. “Daddy, what do you mean you love having her in your space? Do you two share an office or something?”
“No, she has her own office. Simonette, you’ve been to my new and old office. She is in my old office,” I said dryly. The way my baby girl pried in business that was not hers should have been studied. What kind of question was whether we shared an office?
Simonette’s face contorted. “I’m confused because you said that you loved her in your space. Daddy, how is she in your space? You don’t like people in your space unless it’s me.”
My jealous little baby girl.“We have eaten breakfast together every morning since she’s started and lunch as well. We’ve been in multiple meetings together at this point. That’s how she’s been in my space.”
Before she said anything, I knew that damn answer would not suffice her inquisitive ass. “Okay, so you love eating breakfast, lunch, and being in meetings with her? You’ve never said that about anyone else before.” Her eyes bulged, and she gasped. “Daddy, do you like her?”
Wesley laughed. “Sim, you had to ask all those questions to conclude that your father likes the woman? Wow!”
Rissa slapped her husband’s arm. “Nope, not my best friend. Don’t do her.”
She looked serious, but that dissipated when he pulled her into his side and kissed her neck. They couldn’t be serious if they tried. It was cute that she tried it though.
“Daddy, do you like her?” Simonette broke through the giggles. There was this desperation in her voice that had my ear lowered to my shoulder.
I didn’t need to think about it, but I did take a slight pause. One thing that I had never done was lie to my daughter, and I wouldn’t start now. “Baby girl, I do like her. I like her very much.”
The table was quiet. Simonette nodded her head and looked down for a beat. When her eyes lifted and met mine, they were soft. “Is she nice?”
A Little Time Later. . .
Sister Lunch
