“Oh, honey, I’m not that damn deep in the motherhood trenches. I’m outside today. I need to make sure them motherfuckers are at the club tipping me Friday.”
“Say less.”
It wasWednesday night on The Boulevard. Old schools and new schools lined the block. In the lot of the abandoned grocery store were the whips of those who chose to stretch their legs and walk the three block strip.
“Let me get a sour cup.”
“And, I’m going to have the same. The watermelon kind.”
The sour bomb pop cups were a slice of heaven in the Channing City heat.
“Aight. Coming right up.”
The blaring sound of the ice cream truck continued as I handed over six dollars.
“I could’v–”
“Girl, don’t piss me off,” I warned Saga, snatching my sour cup from the makeshift counter.
“Bitch you not the boss of me.”
“I’m not. But, I’m a friend and a friend can pay for her friend shit sometimes.”
“Right. Right. Right.”
Saga grabbed her cup, popped the top, and followed me onto the strip. The moment we hit the curb, our attention was solicited.
“Hyphen– Baby, I been hoping to run into you,” Rodney sang. “There goes my baby.”
His antics were comical, but his pockets were deep. I didn’t mind playing the dummy to get a few dollars out of him.
“Saga my Saga,” Roddrick, his younger brother called out.
“These niggas,” I groaned, keeping a smile on my face. “You want to run these niggas’ pockets, then here is your chance. They both have more money than their funny looking asses know what to do with. I can show ‘em.”
“I second that.”
“Just don’t–”
“Fall in love.”
“Don’t even like the nigga for real.”
“Exactly,” Saga agreed.
Saga walked over to Roddrick, sliding right between his legs. I made my way to Rodney. He was dressed in denim shorts and an oversized tee. On his head was a black fitted cap. He tugged at it before lowering his arms to hug me.
It had been nearly four years since I’d last seen him. Time hadn’t made his face any more pleasant. He was uglier than I last remembered. Still, his pockets were pretty. Nothing more mattered.
“Hop in with me.”
Subconsciously, I scanned the block as I slid into the drop top Benz. Rodney joined me on the driver side. His obnoxious cologne assaulted my nostrils.
“Long time no fucking see. How you doing, love?”
I shook my head, prepared to lie. A sigh rushed from my lips as I dug into my sour cup.
“Not as good as I’d like to. In fact, not good at all.”
