Page 29 of When I Thug You Like That

“Aight, bet. Let me go break out the good shit, so you don’t be talkin’ ‘bout me and my family. I’ll be back.”

“Bring back some light bites too, Jay,” Taina requested, like they’d known each other forever.

He laughed. “I got you, Taina.”

He bopped off, and I watched him pass the bar and disappear into the back.

“He said he coming back, friend.” She snickered.

“Bitch,” I let out with a small smile, obviously caught. “You talk too damn much when you kid-free.”

“And you smile a lot when something or someone interests you. See something you like?”

“Stop talkin’ to me.”

I looked away from her and could hear her snickering next to me. Maybe professional and friendly to an extent was going to be harder than I thought.

CHAPTER 5

Need That

JAMISON

“Aight, man. I’m gone.”

“Oh, hell naw, nigga. You not ‘bout to leave me to do this shit,” Tay said, standing from the crate he sat on in the inventory room.

The last of the work had just been distributed, and the only thing left to do was count the remaining inventory and log it in. Key had called earlier, letting us know she wouldn’t be able to make it tonight. With her being so particular about how she wanted shit set up, we left the inventory and organizing to her and just dealt with the hands-on part of distribution as far as meeting and communicating with workers. Anytime we did attempt to organize, she had something to say, so I said fuck it.

“I’m not doing that shit, Tay.”

He leaned back against one of the stacked cases and folded his arms. “And fuck make you think I am? That shit ain’t my job just as much as it ain’t yours.”

“Key called you to get it done.”

“She called both of us.”

I pulled out my phone, unlocked it, and clicked on my call log. “Last call in here is from my pops. Ion know what you talkin’ ‘bout.”

“Nigga, you was standing right there, and the phone was on speaker. Like I said, she was talkin’ to both of us.”

I ran my hand over my waves. “It don’t take both of us to get that shit done, bruh.”

“I know, so do it.”

He stared at me.

I stared back, neither of us backing down. And we didn’t give a fuck that we were two grown ass men going back and forth about who had to complete the simple but mundane task. We just knew that we weren’t trying to do it.

“I got kids,” I let out like that shit meant something to him.

“Them lil’ niggas independent as fuck. Plus, they wit’ they mamas this weekend.”

I frowned. “How you know where my kids at?”

“Because you told me about that shit India pulled when you got here, and I know Justin ain’t at the crib by himself at eleven o’clock.”

“Oh, right.”