Page 88 of Certified to Handle You
Across from me, Pressure sat back like he always did with one arm stretched out behind Pluto while she leaned into him, his attention movin’ between the table and her. Kay’Lo was the same way with Toni, ’cause he stayed on some tender shit.
I watched all of it for a second, not sayin’ much, but just lettin’ it sit.
After we ate, the energy switched up like it always do when we all in the same place too long.
Pressure leaned back for a second, lookin’ out at the water like he was already halfway in it, then rubbed the side of his face before he spoke.
“Aye… what that water lookin’ like?” he said, noddin’ toward it like he already made his mind up.
I let out a low laugh and shook my head. “Dumb ass nigga, don’t get yo’ ass out there and get took up by somethin’. I’m not jumpin’ in after you.”
He looked at me. “You comin’.”
“That ain’t what I said,” I replied, still smirkin’.
Kay’Lo stood up slow, stretchin’ his arms like he was already bored with sittin’. “I’m not finna sit here all day,” he said, glancin’ toward the edge. “If we goin’, we goin’.”
Pressure pushed up from his seat like that was all he needed to hear. “That’s what I’m sayin’.”
I glanced over at Reni, reachin’ down and runnin’ my hand along her thigh. “You comin’ or you stayin’ up here lookin’ good?”
She smiled and shook her head, leanin’ back into her chair. “I’m good. I’m about to stay right here.”
“Mm,” I muttered, leanin’ down and kissin’ her quick. “Don’t get too comfortable.”
“Go ahead,” she said, smilin’.
The water was perfect. The shit was deep, clear, and endless. Me, Pressure, and Kay’Lo was jumpin’ off the side, splashin’ down hard enough to hear it echo off the yacht. Every time one of us came back up, the other two was already talkin’ shit.
“You dove like a bitch,” I told Kay’Lo, pushin’ water toward him.
“That’s ’cause I’m not tryin’ to break my fuckin’ neck, bitch ass lil’ boy,” he shot back.
Pressure laughed. “Nah, that shit was weak. You folded mid-air.”
“Nigga, shut up,” Kay’Lo said, swimmin’ toward the ladder.
We stayed out there longer than we needed to, floatin’, wrestlin’ and jumpin’ back in like some big ass kids that ain’t never went swimmin’ in the ocean before. Every now and then I would glance up and see the women laid out at the front with they bikinis on, drinks in hand and talkin’ like they been knowin’ each other forever.
Eventually we climbed out and made our way to the dock area, water still drippin’ off us while somebody had already brought drinks out there.
The dock sat low enough that you could see the ocean right behind it. The waves moved calm but strong and the sun hit the water in a way that had the shit lookin’ like it was filled with diamonds.
Me, Pressure and Kay’Lo sat back with drinks in our hand and the music playin’ loud.
That’s when the bullshit started for real, but it wasn’t no stiff back-and-forth shit. It was loud, messy with everybody talkin’ at the same time type shit.
Pressure was leanin’ forward with his drink in his hand, already laughin’ loud as hell while he pointed at me. “Man, you knew not to bring that up.”
I was smilin’ before he even finished, leanin’ back with my hand restin’ on Reni’s lap while I shook my head. “That story not even bad, you just ain’t like how you looked in it.”
Kay’Lo let out a laugh under his breath and leaned over, restin’ his arm across the back of Toni’s chair. “Nah… he looked crazy. I’m not gon’ lie.”
Toni shook her head, smilin’ while she leaned into Kay’Lo, and Pluto was already laughin’ low while Pressure kept tryna talk over everybody like he wasn’t the one gettin’ clowned.
The whole table felt alive with voices overlapin’, and bodies leanin’ into each other.
We stayed like this for a minute, goin’ back and forth, laughin’, talkin’ over each other and sayin’ shit that ain’t even matter. Reni leaned against me at some point, her leg draped over mine and her hand restin’ on my chest while she listened.
