Page 28 of When I Thug You Like That

“So, do we have a drink to celebrate you taking on your new favorite student?”

I giggled. “I don’t do favorites.”

“Girl, yes you…”

I cut my eye back at Taina, who clamped her mouth shut and pretended to look in the crowd.

Jamison laughed. “Looks like ya homegirl just told on you.”

“Looks that way.” I shook my head. “This is my best friend, Taina. Taina, this is Mr. Sullivan.”

“Jay,” he corrected. “Don’t be tryna make a nigga sound old and shit. Nice to meet you, shorty,” he said with his hand out, and Taina shook it.

“I thought you said it was Big Jay,” I teased.

“She can’t call me that. You can.”

“Jay it is.” I chuckled. “And you can call me Jai’ana unless I’m on school grounds. Then, it’s Ms. Jai.”

“Heard you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Taina replied. “Ummm, the name Sullivan sounds so familiar. Do you happen to have any attachment to this place?”

Jay nodded. “It’s a family business.”

“Okayyy. We love a Black family doing they thing.”

He cocked his head to the side. “How you know we Black?”

“Please don’t tell me you on that shit Raven Symoné on,” Taina said, disappointed.

My eyes widened, mortified at her lack of filter. Jay busted out laughing.

“Nah, we Black as fuck, shorty.”

“Oh, ‘cause I was about to say, my friend will not be fu…”

“This is a nice place y’all have here,” I cut her off.

Jay seemed to find her amusing. “Preciate that. Y’all been taken care of?”

“Not yet,” I said.

“I’ll take care of that. What y’all drinkin’?”

“Wine,” I replied.

He smirked. “I know that, smart ass. What kind? Something sweet? Dry? Red? White?”

“Give us the good shit,” Taina cut in. “You know, since we celebrating the new student and all.”

Again, I cut my eye at her.

“What? You said the wine better be the best thing that ever touched your lips. I’m tryna help you out, friend.”

Jay’s attention came back to me, his smirk still apparent on his face. “That’s what you said?”

“Don’t worry ‘bout what I said in the privacy of my own car, Mr. Sullivan.”