She didn’t get far before I pulled her back by the collar of her shirt.
“What the hell?!” she snapped, yanking the fabric free from my grip and spinning around. “Let me call you back,” she said into the phone. “Don’t be pulling on me like that, nigga!”
Hanging up, she slid her phone into her bag. Staring at me like I’d personally offended her, she brought her hand to her hip. “What’s wrong with you today, Mr. Grinch?”
“Ain’t shit wrong. It’s disrespectful to walk through somebody’s crib without speaking. You a Sullivan, so I know you have manners.”
She sucked her teeth, waving her hand dismissively. “Whatever. Grand rising, king,” she said sarcastically.
I nodded once. “Proceed.”
Shaking her head, she continued toward my kitchen. Key had been calling me Mr. Grinch since we were kids. One Christmas we all spent at Grandma Lettie’s, she made us watchHow The Grinch Stole Christmas, and apparently, I reminded everybody of the green nigga who hated joy. I didn’t see it. Just because I didn’t always have a smile on my face and want to be on the scene all the time didn’t make me a grinch. I was just Pryce.
“What’s that?” She pointed to my shake on the counter while taking a seat at the island.
“Protein.”
She scrunched her nose. “That shit look thick and nasty.”
“It’s good for you.”
“Mmhmm. Any who, you know why I’m here. You got that for me?”
I reached into the kitchen drawer and handed her a white envelope with the letter G written on it. “Five hunnit, right?”
“Yep.” She opened the envelope and checked the bills. “Okay, cool. You’re the last person I had to collect from. This bout to be the biggest party Grandma ever had.” She pulled her phone back out, and her fingers moved quickly before dropping it back in her bag. “We got cousins from Atlanta, Jersey, Florida, and Chicago coming. We going all out.”
“Damn, you put out a bulletin or somethin’?” The question was kinda dumb. Anybody who knew Key knew she didn’t do celebrations on a small scale.
“Pretty much. This Grandma Lettie’s 70thbirthday party. You know everybody poppin’ out for the matriarch. Relax your face a little. You can be happy bout this.”
“I am happy for her. Just not in a party mood.”
“It’s this weekend, Mr. Grinch. You don’t know what kinda mood you gon’ be in then.”
“Yes, I do. Which is why I’ma sit this one out.”
“Welp, that’s not an option, Pryce. She’d want everyone there.”
I gulped down some of my shake and licked my lips. “I’ll do something special with her beforehand.”
Leaning forward, she folded her hands on the island and stared at me like she was trying to figure me out. “What’s wrong witchu?”
“Why something gotta be wrong wit’ me?”
“Cause I know you.”
She did know me. We were only a year apart in age, but Key always found herself latched to my hip growing up. Although she referred to me as Mr. Grinch, she didn’t allow anyone else to do it. While she could get on my head about my attitude, she checked anybody else for doing it. Well, everybody except for Grandma Lettie, my parents, and Dai.
“I’m good, Key. Don’t ask me again.”
She sighed, knowing it was her sign to chill. “You know, I saw Adai’s mom the other day at Marli’s salon. She asked about you.”
My grip tightened around the glass as I put it back to my lips and took another gulp.
“I told her you were good,” she continued. “She said she hope you gettin’ it together for when Dai decide to come back.”
My brow raised. “The fuck I gotta get together?”
