“She’s cool,” Ace shrugged. “I guess she’d make an okay stepsister.”
That made me laugh even louder than before. “Stepsister? Slow down, G. We just started dating.”
“I’m just throwing it out there,” he stated knowingly.
“You are funny, kid.” I shook my head.
I had never had Ace around anyone that I was dealing with, but I was pleased at how smooth the transition was. He adapted well, and Kiwi was a cool kid. Bri had hit me up a few times, and I was trying to think of a way to let her down easy. Bri was a cool chick, but she wasn’t it for me. I never wanted to be that guy. The kind that strung women along and gave them false hope. Something was telling me that Bri’s sudden clinginess was about more than her being a nympho.
“Call me before you go to bed,” I glanced over at Ace before he got out of my car.
“I got you, dad.”
The way Ace made me smile was crazy. That kid was something else. I went straight to Mr. Jennings’ house, and Apricot let me in. “Hey. He’s in the living room eating dinner.”
When I walked in the living room, Mr. Jennings was sitting in his favorite recliner eating chicken, rice, green beans, candied yams, and cornbread. He had a fresh shave and haircut. He actually looked good, and I was shocked.
“What’s up, OG? You look good.”
He chuckled. “I decided to stop wallowing in pity and get back on track. Sitting in a jail cell gave me a lot of time to think.”
I sat down on the couch and peered at him. “What made you do that? I mean, the charge was mine. I was going to eat it.”
“I know you were. I’ve lived in the lap of luxury for the past twenty plus years. Hell no, I don’t want to sit in a rank ass prison cell for years, but you gotta take the good with the bad. I lived my life. Visited more than fifty countries. I’ve eaten the finest foods, and had the pleasure of raising my daughter. I want the same for you.”
“Wow. I really didn’t expect that.”
“I didn’t expect to do it. When I went down there, and they told me you didn’t have a bond, the shit just fell off my lips.”
“I appreciate you. Real shit. If there’s ever anything I can do for you all you have to do is say the word.”
“There’s no pressure, but I sure would like for a nice young man to come along and give my daughter and granddaughter the world.”
With a chuckle, I shook my head lightly. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Mr. Jennings and I chatted for another twenty minutes, then I said my goodbye’s and left. I had enough money to be straight for a while, but I didn’t see the need of waiting to start getting my businesses off the ground. I planned to get up early the next day and begin putting things in motion. On the drive home, I found myself wishing there was a way that Mr. Jennings could get out of this shit without having to do prison time, but the only way I could think of was him turning informant. And he was too G for that.
The next day, I was at home playing around with my website, ordering business cards, and looking at office equipment.Apricot was beside me on the couch with her laptop resting on her thighs. She worked from home most days and from what she said, her job was pretty easy. Apricot got a notification, and she picked her phone up off the couch and looked at the screen.
“DJ found me on Facebook and sent me a message,” she announced.
“What did he say?”
“He said he has something to tell me.”
I looked over at her. “Find out what the tea is,” I jested.
Apricot laughed. “I know right, there’s no telling what he has to say, but I’m going to hear him out and be nice. It’s not his fault our father cheated on my mother with his mother. He didn’t do anything to me. I’ve been thinking I was the only child for almost thirty years, and I actually have a brother. It’s insane.”
I bobbed my head. “That’s what’s up. Hopefully the two of you will hit it off and become close.”
I became lost in the documents that I was looking over when Apricot tossed her laptop onto the couch and leaned forward. Her phone was in her hand, and her brows were furrowed.
“What the hell? Yoooo, this little nigga has me fucked up.”
“What did he say?” I instantly went into protection mode.
Apricot didn’t respond right away. She continued to stare at the phone. I was about ready to take it from her to see what she was looking at myself, but she finally spoke.
