that you got some flashy-ass wheels and them thick-ass chains, you always ready to fly up to the club. The chicks don’t want your fat ass, for real.”
“ Shut up, nigga. I bet five hundred dollars that your dumb ass can’t even spell club,” Fat Ed said, knowing James hadn’t gone past the fourth grade. “What’s up, Tuffy?” Fat Ed asked, ignoring James. “You trying to roll or what?”
“ Man, I’d love to hang out wit’ y’all, but my girl’s on her way over here. She’d have a heart attack if she knew I was in the club chasing ass.”
“ I ain’t fooling wit’ y’all, either. I got some business to take care of,” James said.
“ I hope it’s with soap and a toothbrush,” Fat Ed replied.
“ Fuck you, man. You ain’t the only muthafucka tryna get that paper.”
Fat Ed turned his attention to Kevin. “What’s up? You tryna roll after you sleep some of that shit off?”
“ Shit, man, I don’t need to sleep. Just let me run home and shower, and I’ll be good.”
● ● ●
All night long, Kevin chased his high with shots of cognac, one behind the other. He danced, flirted, and filled girls’ heads with bullshit. His pockets overflowed with phone numbers from girls he wouldn’t even remember in the morning.
Close to four a.m., Kevin stumbled into his mother’s apartment. He kicked off his shoes and tossed his smoke-filled clothes in a pile on the floor. A scrap of paper fell from his pocket. He didn’t have to pick it up to know what it was.
“ Man, to hell with all y’all gold-diggin’ tramps,” Kevin said. He didn’t want any of the girls from the club. He wanted his Simone.
Shit, I’ma call her, Kevin thought. He staggered into the kitchen and snatched the phone from the wall. He dialed the number. After a few rings, a sluggish male voice answered.
“ Hello.”
Kevin froze. His eyes darted to the time on the microwave. It was a little after four.
“ Hello?” the voice repeated.
Kevin hung up. Waiting a few more minutes, he called again, hoping this time Simone would answer. However, the male voice answered again.
Shit, Kevin thought, riddled with disappointment. “I love you, baby,” he mumbled as he hung up the phone.
Chapter Ten
“ Kevin! Kevin!” Beatrice yelled. She barged into the room, turning on the light. “Get this got damn phone!”
“ Ma, what?” Kevin sprang up in bed, rubbing his eyes as he adjusted to the bright light. “What’s wrong?”
“ Felicia been ringing this got damn phone off the hook! Tell her don’t call my house at five o’clock in the morning no more! Here!” Beatrice threw the cordless phone on Kevin’s bed.
Kevin picked up the phone and fell back on his pillow.
“ What the fuck is wrong wit’ you? Why you callin’ here?” he growled.
“ Kevin! Oh my God,” Felicia screamed. “That Jamaican Toby is looking for James! He’s been up here banging on my door with a shotgun, saying he gon’ kill all us, and James not even here!” Felicia’s hysterical cries agitated Kevin’s throbbing head.
“ And what the fuck you callin’ me for?”
“ Kevin! He got a muthafuckin’ shotgun and my baby in here! He tryna tear my door down! He illin’ for real.”
“ If you don’t stop screamin’ in my ear. Shit! Where the fuck is your piece? Shit, shoot that muthafucka!”
“ Kevin, I’m scared,” she cried.
“ Shit, man,” Kevin said more so to himself. “Who there with you?”
“ It’s just me, the baby, and Tuffy. Tuffy’s the one who told me to call you,” Felicia cried. “He said you was cool wit’ Mike and them Jamaicans.”
Scared-ass muthafucka, Kevin thought. “Look, Felicia, Toby ain’t gon’ do nothing. If he was, he’da already done it. I’ll come up there later and talk to him. Just don’t open the door if he comes back.”
“ Kevin, no.” Felicia sobbed into the phone. “This muthafucka crazy. He got me and Tuffy in this bitch scared for real!”
“ Shit,”
“ Shut up, nigga. I bet five hundred dollars that your dumb ass can’t even spell club,” Fat Ed said, knowing James hadn’t gone past the fourth grade. “What’s up, Tuffy?” Fat Ed asked, ignoring James. “You trying to roll or what?”
“ Man, I’d love to hang out wit’ y’all, but my girl’s on her way over here. She’d have a heart attack if she knew I was in the club chasing ass.”
“ I ain’t fooling wit’ y’all, either. I got some business to take care of,” James said.
“ I hope it’s with soap and a toothbrush,” Fat Ed replied.
“ Fuck you, man. You ain’t the only muthafucka tryna get that paper.”
Fat Ed turned his attention to Kevin. “What’s up? You tryna roll after you sleep some of that shit off?”
“ Shit, man, I don’t need to sleep. Just let me run home and shower, and I’ll be good.”
● ● ●
All night long, Kevin chased his high with shots of cognac, one behind the other. He danced, flirted, and filled girls’ heads with bullshit. His pockets overflowed with phone numbers from girls he wouldn’t even remember in the morning.
Close to four a.m., Kevin stumbled into his mother’s apartment. He kicked off his shoes and tossed his smoke-filled clothes in a pile on the floor. A scrap of paper fell from his pocket. He didn’t have to pick it up to know what it was.
“ Man, to hell with all y’all gold-diggin’ tramps,” Kevin said. He didn’t want any of the girls from the club. He wanted his Simone.
Shit, I’ma call her, Kevin thought. He staggered into the kitchen and snatched the phone from the wall. He dialed the number. After a few rings, a sluggish male voice answered.
“ Hello.”
Kevin froze. His eyes darted to the time on the microwave. It was a little after four.
“ Hello?” the voice repeated.
Kevin hung up. Waiting a few more minutes, he called again, hoping this time Simone would answer. However, the male voice answered again.
Shit, Kevin thought, riddled with disappointment. “I love you, baby,” he mumbled as he hung up the phone.
Chapter Ten
“ Kevin! Kevin!” Beatrice yelled. She barged into the room, turning on the light. “Get this got damn phone!”
“ Ma, what?” Kevin sprang up in bed, rubbing his eyes as he adjusted to the bright light. “What’s wrong?”
“ Felicia been ringing this got damn phone off the hook! Tell her don’t call my house at five o’clock in the morning no more! Here!” Beatrice threw the cordless phone on Kevin’s bed.
Kevin picked up the phone and fell back on his pillow.
“ What the fuck is wrong wit’ you? Why you callin’ here?” he growled.
“ Kevin! Oh my God,” Felicia screamed. “That Jamaican Toby is looking for James! He’s been up here banging on my door with a shotgun, saying he gon’ kill all us, and James not even here!” Felicia’s hysterical cries agitated Kevin’s throbbing head.
“ And what the fuck you callin’ me for?”
“ Kevin! He got a muthafuckin’ shotgun and my baby in here! He tryna tear my door down! He illin’ for real.”
“ If you don’t stop screamin’ in my ear. Shit! Where the fuck is your piece? Shit, shoot that muthafucka!”
“ Kevin, I’m scared,” she cried.
“ Shit, man,” Kevin said more so to himself. “Who there with you?”
“ It’s just me, the baby, and Tuffy. Tuffy’s the one who told me to call you,” Felicia cried. “He said you was cool wit’ Mike and them Jamaicans.”
Scared-ass muthafucka, Kevin thought. “Look, Felicia, Toby ain’t gon’ do nothing. If he was, he’da already done it. I’ll come up there later and talk to him. Just don’t open the door if he comes back.”
“ Kevin, no.” Felicia sobbed into the phone. “This muthafucka crazy. He got me and Tuffy in this bitch scared for real!”
“ Shit,”
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