Page 11 of Color Me Broken
Juelz pulled his blunt from behind his ear, lit it, then leaned on the hood of the Charger while keeping watch as Mar continued to count the money.
“You good?” Mar asked, still thumbing through the money.
“Yeah,” Juelz exhaled, smoke curling past his lips. “Just feel like shit comin’ to a head soon.”
Mar chuckled. “Nigga, shit always at a head. You just high-strung lately.”
Juelz didn’t laugh. He just looked out at the block, eyes narrowed. His phone buzzed in his pocket again. Private number.
He looked at it, shaking his head, as he silenced the call. He nodded toward the whip. “Let’s slide.”
One week later…
“Bitch, if you flake on me again, I swear to God I’m pulling up and draggin’ you out the house my damn self,” Shyann threatened, her face filling the screen as Tasha propped the phone up against the bathroom mirror.
Tasha rolled her eyes, curling her lashes. “Girl, please. I’m halfway dressed now. You lucky I even feel like going out tonight. But with all these clothes I got just hanging up, it’s a must that I go somewhere. You hear meh?”
“Umm hmm. Well, tell your man, I said thank you for letting you off the leash for the night, finally.”
Tasha paused, lip gloss wand in hand. “Ain’t nobody got a leash on me, hoe. I’m goin’ out ‘causeIwanna. Not ‘cause he said I could. Let’s get that straight right the fuck now.”
“Mmm. Where he at anyway?”
Tasha sucked her teeth and looked down at her phone. “Girl, I don’t know, in the streets somewhere, shit. But hurry up and come scoop me, before I change my damn mind. I’ll be ready by the time you pull up.”
She ended the call and walked back into the bedroom, slipping into the tight wine-colored dress she’d purchased from the mall. She usually doesn’t go out much, but it had been a minute since she had a good drink.
“Okay, Tasha, bitch,” she whispered to herself, grabbing her purse and sliding on her hoop earrings. “We outside tonight!”
A car horn beeped from the driveway. Shyann had finally arrived. Tasha threw on her heels, did one last spin in the mirror, and walked out without looking back. Just as she was heading out the door, she spotted Shyann hanging out the window, yapping her gums with Juelz. He had just pulled into the driveway and was on his way into the house when she yelled something out the window to him.
“What the hell y’all two ‘talmbout?” Tasha questioned as she slid into the passenger seat of Shyann's car.
“Girl, shit. I was just tellin’ him I love that old school car.”
Tasha side-eyed Shyann and glanced at Juelz, who was clearly bothered. “Umm, okay,” Tasha yelled out the window. “Jue,I’ll be back in a li’l bit. I’m just goin’ for a round of drinks and catchin’ up.”
“A’ight.” His hand was on the doorknob, with a disgusted look still on his face. But before he could step inside, her voice came loud through the cracked car window again.
“Bae, put the clothes in the dryer for me!”
Shyann was already backing out of the driveway when Tasha hollered one more time.“And don’t forget the dryer sheets, Jue.”
The bass from the speakers at Vibe was thick enough to vibrate in Tasha’s chest. The air smelled like expensive gin, flavored hookahs, and ambition.
“Check you out,” Shyann yelled over the music, sliding two lemon drop martinis onto the high-top table. “The way these niggas followed you from the door to this table. Girl, if Juelz knew, he’d be in here knockin’ niggas out.”
Tasha laughed, taking a long sip of her drink. The sugar-crusted rim hit her tongue; she was enjoying the moment. The bar scene. But she could do without all the fellas drooling over her. Every so often, one of them would come up to her, trying to spit game. But she wasn’t having it. Juelz was enough already.
“Juelz know I’m not entertainin’ none of these bastards in here,” Tasha frowned, smoothing her dress over her hips. “Ain’t none of them even worth fuckin’ up what we have goin’ on. I tell you that much.”
“Umm hmm. I saw how he was lookin’ at you in that driveway. Like he wanted to put you on a plate and swallow you all up.Slurppp.”Shyann leaned in, her eyes a little too bright. “I’m telling you, T, y’all are the definition of goals. I’m just tryna find a man who looks at me like I’m his last meal.”
Tasha's phone buzzed.
Juelz:
Be safe.
