Page 8 of Just Listen
“Acres Homes.”
She arched a brow, as she sat at the table. “Oh, really?”
“Yeah. Who you know from ‘round there?” I questioned, figuring that she had to know somebody.
She shrugged. “A few people.”
I grabbed a chair, positioning it right next to her, before sitting down. “No specifics?”
“Nope.”
I narrowed my gaze. “Why do I get the impression that you don’t wanna play the name game, because you don’t want me figuring out who you are?”
She reached in, opening the container of mac and cheese. “Because if it’s meant, then you’ll know everything you need to know. Directly from the source.” She dipped a small spoonful of macaroni into her mouth.
I nodded, while contemplating. Yep. She was definitely a stripper.
Watching Big Baby eat was interesting. Studying her in general was something I couldn’t stop doing. I was analyzing every word, every movement, every gesture. Her long nails were clean underneath. She ate so properly, not wasting a crumb. She chewed with her mouth closed, as her dimples sank into her cheeks. Her skin had a polished sheen to it, like she bathed in baby’s oil. Her teeth were white and straight. I could tell that she had good hygiene.
Every so often, she’d gaze at me, with those hypnotizing eyes. “Why are you watching me, Malice?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” I wanted to know. “I love what I see, and I’m just soaking it up.”
“Is that right?” She covered her mouth, as she spoke with food in it. “So, is this the norm? You pick up girls from the club, and stuff them with soul food in the middle of the night?”
“Nah.” I shook my head, before taking a piece of oxtail into my mouth. “This was a first, actually.”
“Okay.” She placed her fork down. “So, what’s next?”
I shrugged. “This your world.”
“I heard that.” Her eyes scanned the room. “You got some tequila?”
“Don Julio.”
“Alright. Let’s take some shots.”
I nodded. “Bet.”
After wiping my hands and mouth, I stood up. After approaching the smart refrigerator, I scrolled to YouTube, and played some music, before grabbing the bottle. By the time I was done pouring the shots, Big Baby was standing next to me.
Wasting no time, she took her shot to the head, and I did the same. Within less than ten minutes, we had both downed three shots apiece, and was talking up a storm.
“Main, say, tonight was wilder than a muthafucka,” I admitted. “Them niggas turned that lot into the wild west.”
“Yeah, that was crazy. Did your boys check on you?” She asked.
I nodded. “They texted me. They said that security kept everybody in the club, while they were shooting.”
“That’s good, I guess. For the people in the club, anyway. But I know that a lot of mamas are gonna be crying in the morning.”
“No bullshit,” I concurred.
“I wonder what the beef was about,” she pondered aloud.
“Either money, dope, or get-back,” I assumed.
“Yeah, that’s crazy.”
