“Why would you let him in here? I’m at work and if Garrett had been here today shit would have been all bad. I know you want to help me, but this is my life you’re meddling in. Stop!”
“I’m sorry. I thought it would be good for you all to talk.”
“The only thing talking is my pussy cat. That man just almost had me begging him to let me sample it one more time.” We both fell out laughing clearing the tension in the air.
“Are you going to see him again?”
“Hell naw!” Even though I said that out of my mouth, I was hoping that wasn’t true. I definitely wanted to be in his presence again.
8-DEVIN “THE MERCENARY” MERCER
“Go in there and tell them you want a Vice Lord burger with everything on it, fries with mild sauce, and a pop.” Landon looked at me like I was crazy. My OG saw how annoyed I was getting watching everyone else’s highlights and put my ass out. Spur of the moment, I decided to come see her ass do the shit in person, and I grabbed Landon and brought him with me.
It was the weekend, so he had a pass to leave. I did as much as he would allow me when it came to giving him things. The lil nigga had a lot of pride, but that only made me want to do more. He was adamant about our friendship being genuine and not about handouts. It was rare he would let me go all out for him, and this was one of those times.
“What in the gang gang shit you about to eat? Yall be tripping in Chiraq.” Shaking my head, I pulled some bills out and handed it to him.
“We don’t call it Chiraq. That’s some lame ass shit the media put on us.” Putting his hand on his chest, he fake clutched his pearls.
“Excuse me, Chicago.”
“You still not saying it right. You have to say it like Sha cah go.”
“Ghetto,” he said while laughing and climbing out of the car.
“Hey, keep yo head on a swivel, and if somebody say check it out. DON’T CHECK IT OUT! They about to rob yo ass.”
“Why the fuck you sending me in here on this death mission? We could have eaten downtown or something.” Landon was looking at me with a mean side eye as if I was trying to set him up.
“The best food in Chicago is in the hood. Something about almost dying to get that shit make it taste better.”
“Yeah, aight. Wait until we get back to Miami. Imma send you in there to order some conch and leave yo ass with the islanders.”
“Watch yo mouth and gone the fuck on. We already been out here too long.” Landon closed the door and went inside. I wasn’t sending him off because it was unsafe, I just knew I would be out here for hours signing autographs and taking pictures if I got out. We were on Roosevelt and Pulaski at Super Submarine, so it was definitely a hot spot. I scrolled IG and Tik Tok while I waited for him to come back.
Thirty minutes later, he climbed in the car annoyed as hell. Laughing to myself, I drove towards our hotel. We pulled up at the Waldorf, and even though they did what they could to shield celebrities when they came, I still threw on a cap and some shades trying to hide my identity. I didn’t want anyone to catch a picture of me with Landon. His life would end up a media shit show if they found out I was mentoring him.
We got to our room, and I wasted no time digging into the bag pulling out my food. It was nothing like Chicago food, and it was the only thing I missed from home. Turning on ESPN, we sat down at the table, and I immediately dug in. Landon was looking at his shit as if he wasn’t sure.
“What the fuck is a Vice Lord burger? This shit look crazy.” I shook my head as I continued to chew.
“If I tell you again to watch yo mouth we gone have a problem. If you can’t hold a conversation without cursing, who the fuck gone take you seriously?” He looked at me like I was crazy.
“Nigga, you curse.”
“I know, but I can ball. They forgive you when you’re great.” He stared at me until we both fell out laughing. “How many times do I have to tell you to be better than me?”
“I know, nigga. I’m not in the mood for no bald headed reasoning Tommy. Can you just tell me what I’m about to eat.”
“It’s Gyro meat on a burger. If you didn’t know what it was, why would you order it?”
“If yo bougie ass… I mean you bougie and you drove all the way to the hood to get it, so I figured it must be good. I got something called a pizza puff too.”
“Did you get mild sauce on it?”
“Naw.”
“Then you ain’t get it right. Just eat, I’m trying to watch more highlights of this nigga named The Mercenary. I heard he a bad mufucka.”
