Page 35 of When I Thug You Like That

“Man, come on.” I pushed him, and he started to walk. “Y’all have a good night and get home safe. I’ll see you soon, Jai’ana.”

“With my new student, I hope.” I heard the boundary she set loud and clear, but I wasn’t fazed.

Instead of responding with some slick shit, I smiled and replied. “Most definitely.”

“Whole time I’m downstairs working and you up here flirting with the guests and playing Fonzworth Bentley,” Tay complained once we were outside and at our cars.

“Nigga, shut up. That shit ain’t even take you long to do. And I ain’t no Fonzworth. I know you don’t know nothing ‘bout hospitality, but that’s what that was.”

“Yeah, aight.” He rounded the front of his car and opened the driver’s side door. “So, you feelin’ Baby Jay teacher?” he asked with a smirk.

“Nah.” The lie came out as easy as it did when I told a woman I wasn’t feeling I was gonna call her back. “She fine though. Seems to really care about her students. Personality dope too. She...”

“Damn, nigga, for someone who ain’t feelin’ her, you ‘bout to rundown every personality trait.”

I laughed. “Fuck you.”

“Over there lyin’ yo’ ass off.”

“I’m a grown ass man.”

“Who lies his ass off. Been lyin’ since we were kids. Shit like an uncurable disease.”

“Mann, I just met her earlier today.”

“And here you are carrying food and wine to the table. Then, talkin’ to the homegirl like y’all go way back. I ain’t knockin’ you. I’m just sayin’ you ain’t gotta lie ‘bout it, especially when it’s obvious as hell. She fine. Her homegirl is too. And she got good taste.” He licked his lips and popped his invisible collar.

“Pause, nigga. Like I said, I was just being hospitable.”

“Aight.” His tone said he didn’t believe me, and I was cool with that. “What you ‘bout to do?”

“Go slide up in India real quick,” I said casually, as if I hadn’t just been expressing my frustration about her just a couple hours ago.

Tay just stared at me for a few seconds then shook his head.

“What?”

“Yousa silly dick ass nigga, I swear. And it don’t have shit to do witcho upbringing.”

“Mannn, here you go.”

“Nah, ain’t no here I go.” He rested his arms on the roof of his car. “That’s really all I gotta say. I’m startin’ to think you like aggravation, irritation, and confusion.”

I scratched my head. “I thought you said that was all you had to say? Why you adding mo’ shit?”

“’Cause I felt like it, nigga.”

I frowned. “Fuck you sounding all frustrated about me going to get my dick wet for?”

“I ain’t frustrated. I just hate dumb shit. Especially dumb shit that can be avoided. You was just downstairs huffing and puffing ‘bout what she don’t do and how it affects you and possibly Baby Jay, yet you ‘bout to go fuck her.” He paused like he was waiting for two plus two to equal four for me. “You ain’t got no boundaries. That’s why she don’t give a fuck.”

“A nigga can’t be mad one minute and horny the next?”

“Clearly.”

“Aight, so what’s the issue?”

“Shit, ain’t no issue for me.” He opened his car door wider. “I’m just tellin’ you some real shit. I’m always tellin’ you some real shit.”