Page 11 of All The Smoke

K aori.

“Where are you?” my best friend asked as soon as the call connected.

“I just got off,” I said as I slid into my car, tossing my bag into the passenger seat.

“Where are you about to go then?”

“Probably to Phat Fish to get the Friday special, then home,” I admitted. “I’m tired as hell.”

Since breaking up with Jamal, all I did was work, go to school, and sleep.

I had to keep myself busy in order to not give in and respond to any of his attempts to contact me.

He called and texted me every single day since I left him a month ago.

It was a task, hard as hell actually, but I was doing it.

My mother and my grandmother got on my nerves more than a little bit, but they were right.

Jamal was holding me back in so many ways and it really was time that I grew up and realized it.

“Nix all of that,” Mo said, jarring me from my thoughts. “Let’s go out.”

“Um, no,” I declined. “I’m not in the mood to club and I have to finish up my final thesis on top of going to see my daddy.”

“Work on the thesis tomorrow or Sunday or whenever you don’t have to see Unc,” she suggested. “And I didn’t say we were going to the club.”

“Then where is ‘out’, Morgan?”

“Crescent Pointe. I know someone having a party out there today. I got invited and the greenlight to invite a friend. You’re my only friend, so, yeah…”

“Who invited you, bitch?”

“Does it matter? It’s a cookout and pool party.”

“Um, considering the kind of company you like to keep, yes it does.” I laughed, ignoring the other part of her statement.

Morgan was a social butterfly and loved to hang in places we had no business which meant she met and hung around people she had no business with as well. I didn’t question nor judge her, I just minded my business and made sure to decline whenever she asked me to join her.

“I resent that, hoe,” she snapped playfully, humor very evident in her voice. “You know Bernard though. His mother used to braid our hair.”

“Bino? As in the one that took your virginity, heffa?”

“Oh, yeah, that did happen.” She giggled. “But yes. Him.”

“No, Morgan.” I shook my head as if she could see me. “I don’t feel like breaking up a fight between you two because you don’t know how to control your smart mouth.”

“Um, I know you fucking lying as many damn fights I had to break up between you and your little lap dog.”

Smirking, I replied, “Touché.”

“Thought so. Anyways, it’s not like that. I ran into him when I was getting gas earlier and he invited us. I’m just going to have fun. I won’t even be paying him any mind.”

“Hoe, please.” I laughed. “You are for sure lying, but whatever. I’ll go…

” I heard her squeal in excitement but I had to cut her off and give my terms. “But I’m driving my own car so I need the location and I am not going out afterwards.

I will not be bringing a change of clothes suitable for the club just to make sure you don’t try it. ”

“Ew, you know how to spoil a wet dream.”

“Whatever.” I chuckled as I turned into my parking space. “When are we meeting?”

“In an hour and a half since you just got home.”

My eyes narrowed into slits. “How do you know I’m at home?”

“I was watching your location, duh,” she replied and I laughed. “I had to make sure you didn’t go to Phat Fish even though it sounded good.”

“Right.” I rolled my eyes, climbing out of my car and heading to my place. “I had my mouth fixed for that all day.”

“Girl, you weren’t going to be with me smelling like cod,” she said and we chortled. She was for sure the type to always say what came to her mind to anyone . Her mouth got us both in a lot of shit all the time, but mine was horrible too. I just had a little more of a filter.

“Girl, you are ridiculous.”

“And oh so serious.”

“Trust me, I know.”

“Good, but look, I’m sending you the address Bernard gave me. I’m leaving in exactly an hour since it’s thirty minutes from us both.”

Glancing down at my Apple Watch, I nodded even though she couldn’t see me.

“That works. I’m not doing makeup since it’s a pool party.”

“As if you need it.”

“Hm, very true, bestie,” I agreed and giggled. “Let me hurry and shower and get right. I’ll call you when I’m leaving.”

“Okay and bring an outfit just in case. Love you, byeeee!” she sang before disconnecting the call.

I knew she was going to try that shit. That was exactly why I told her ass I was driving my own car.

I would go to the party because I hadn’t been out in a while, even when I was with Jamal.

He was jealous and territorial as fuck, so I stayed in.

I hated the arguments that came with me wanting to go out. He always did too much.

I stripped out of my clothes as soon as I got to my bedroom, tossing my scrubs in the laundry basket by the door that I had there to remind me to do laundry.

Walking in my bathroom, I started the shower then went to the sink to brush and floss my teeth.

When I was done I got in the shower and washed, thinking about which swimsuit I was going to wear.

I’d recently bought a few because Jamal and I always went to the beach during the summer.

Since we clearly weren’t this year, I would wear one today.

Stepping out of the shower, I dried off then wrapped the towel around my body before heading into my walk-in closet located inside of the bathroom and rummaging through the bags I hadn’t unpacked.

After finding what I was looking for, I headed back to my room, grabbing my Vy skincare products on the way.

I quickly moisturized my body and dressed while standing in front of my full body mirror.

I smiled at myself in satisfaction as I took in the off white Chanel bikini I’d decided on.

It had the logo on both of the breast covers and on the center of the bikini bottoms in a red, airbrushed design.

It also came with a jacket-like cover up.

It was super cute and comfortable, making me feel sexier than I had in weeks since the breakup.

In the mirror of my bathroom I got my hair together.

I’d just gotten small cornrows a few days earlier so all I had to do was wrap them into two low buns and get my edges together.

I was so thankful I’d chosen a braided style since we were going swimming.

The last thing I wanted was to be bothered with my natural hair in water.

Once I was done dressing, I sprayed on my YSL perfume, tossing the travel-size one into my purse along with weed, cigars, and my Perfect Puffer, a trinket I used when I smoked my blunts because I didn’t want my lips to turn black. I texted Mo to let her know I was leaving.

On the commute to the location she’d sent me, a call from my mother came through so I quickly answered it on my dash.

“Hey, Mama.”

“You sound chipper and outside,” she said with a light giggle. “I expected you to be stuffing your face in the comfort of your living room.”

Laughing, I responded, “Mo is dragging me out. She got invited to a pool party and wanted me to come.”

“You have one of your guns with you?”

“Don’t leave home without one,” I answered truthfully.

My parents taught me to shoot years ago and made sure I had plenty of guns in my home.

There were two in my car that I never took out, one in the glove compartment and one tucked beside the driver’s seat.

They taught me the importance of protecting myself at a very young age and didn’t play about it.

“Good. Have you been okay this week?” she asked. “I know we haven’t talked much since I wasn’t in town.”

My mother had been in Colombia for a week, visiting friends of theirs.

I knew that translated to her handling business, but they were friends with the connect as well.

I’d been over there plenty of times to vacation and spend time with their daughters that were my age too.

Having parents like K-Dot and Ice had its perks because I had more stamps in my passport than the average person.

“Yes, just work and school. Trying to get this final thesis done.”

“But you’re going out?”

My parents didn’t play about my education at all.

They were so disappointed in me when I dropped out.

My mother cursed me out when I first told her and made little snide remarks about it all the time, but my father spoke his piece once and left it at that.

His disdain hurt me a little more though because I was a true daddy’s girl.

I was his pride and joy, so when I disappointed him or hurt him, that shattered me.

Especially when he vocalized how much he was disappointed in me choosing a man over the best life for myself.

I tried explaining how I felt to him, even comparing us to him and my mother, but he shut that down.

He never cheated on my mother. He never allowed another woman to even think he was going to be with her in any way.

He was all about his family and business, nothing outside of that.

The complete opposite of Jamal.

“I’m going to work on it tomorrow and Sunday when we’re on the way to see Daddy.”

“Neal is going to come get you tomorrow evening,” she said. “I’ve arranged an overnight stay with your father and he wants you to be there too.”

I nodded, kind of grateful we were going to do it like that. I could see him and spend time with him tomorrow evening and use all of the other time to get my work done. “Okay, that sounds fun.”

“It will be. Day agreed to come and prepare dinner for us tomorrow evening.”

“I don’t know if I want to be there for that.” I cringed.

“Why? You don’t want to have dinner with your parents.”

“Of course I do.” I chuckled. “You and Daddy just overdo it with the affection. I don’t want to throw my food up.”

“Oh, girl please.” She laughed. “Don’t hate on how my man loves on me.”

Smiling, I replied, “I’m not, trust me. I hope to share what you and Daddy have with someone one day.”

“You will, baby girl,” she responded. “You most definitely will.”