Page 21

21

Ace

The city finally came through with the secondary budget approval, making this a good fucking day.

Everything’s moving along like it should, thanks to my leadership. Back like I never left, and fresh off a vacation with my girl.

I still smile when those words echo through my mind.

I have a rare moment of peace right now until I let myself remember the end of the trip. My pops calling me on some bullshit. Apparently, Kamryn saw my Instagram story and ran her big mouth to my mama, causing her some concern.

Pop didn’t give a fuck, but Angela’s influence is strong, so that was that. Raya didn’t take it well. I don’t blame her. We’re out here trying to build something, and here they go. Meddling in my shit.

Nosy asses.

Raya

I woke up sore. I think you broke it.

Broke what?

I’m smiling because I already know, but I wait anyway, eager to see it in her words

My pussy

I laugh at that.

I’ll make it up to you.

How?

Next time, I’ma eat it from the back

…

Maybe

I wasn’t asking

She leaves me on read, with her petty ass.

I smirk and lock my phone, pushing her out of my mind for the moment. I have a lot to do if I’m gonna make it out of here on time.

The court smells like sweat, hot pavement, and rubber.

Sweat drips into my eyes as I watch Jovan dribble lazy circles around Bron, talking shit the entire time.

I made sure I was the first one here. These niggas weren’t about to clown me again.

Titus sits on the sidelines chugging Gatorade. “Yall a bunch of bitches!” he yells out.

I bounce on my feet, feeling loose. Feeling focused. The rhythm of the game, the sun’s rays stinging my skin, the sound of our shoes squeaking against the asphalt—it clears my mind completely.

No work. No family. Not even Raya.

Just this.

Jovan pulls up for three. Swish .

Titus hollers, standing up and swinging his towel over his head like a helicopter. “Yall not seein’ us!” he yells.

Dayton groans, his hands resting on his knees. “I’m tired, boss. It’s too fuckin’ hot.”

I elbow him in the back. “Then sit your ass down. Make room for a real shooter.”

More shit talking. More sweat. More buckets.

After my weekend with Raya, I got energy to burn.

We run three more games before finally calling it. Sweat drips down my back, my shirt sticking to my skin as I bend over, hands on my knees, catching my breath. The sun is staring to dip, but the heat is just as oppressive now as it was when we started.

Titus drapes an arm across my shoulders as we walk off the court. “Damn, boy. You was locked in today. What’s good?”

I nod, shaking him off as I reach for the water bottle in my gym bag. The plastic crinkles under my grip as I take a deep pull. “I guess I missed y’all niggas.”

Jovan jogs up beside us, rubbing sweat off his forehead with his shirt. “I hate to compliment you, but you was cookin’ today.”

“Yeah, I know.” I squeeze the bottle, sending a quick splash over the back of my neck to cool off.

Jovan laughs. “What’s good?”

“I just asked him the same thing,” Titus says, dropping onto the picnic table bench. The rest of us follow, stretching out in the shade.

“ Life is good,” I say with a shrug. “Killin’ it at work. Raya finally got her head on straight.”

Titus snickers as we exchange a glance.

“We were at the beach this weekend.” I nod, thinking back to the way she looked in the sun, her skin glowing, her body pressed against mine. “Shit was nice.”

“That’s what’s up.” Dayton daps me up. “So y’all locked in?”

I hesitate. I know they’re waiting on my answer, ready to jump on whatever I say. If I play if too cool, they’ll call bullshit. If I sound too soft, I’ll never hear the end of it. I’ll be a simp for the rest of my life.

Niggas clown each other for everything, so no point in sugarcoating.

“She’s cool as fuck,” I admit. “It’s too early to be saying she’s the one, but I can kinda see a future if I squint real hard.”

Dead silence.

Glances exchanged.

Then—

“You sure you ain’t just pussy whipped?” Titus teases, cracking a grin.

Bron shakes his head as the other guys snicker. “He’s still pissed off cuz you missed the last game.”

“Won’t happen again, boss.” I give Titus a sarcastic salute. “Last thing any of us should ever do is get pussy instead of playing pickup basketball.”

“Relax,” Javon says. “We’re just fuckin’ with you.”

“I am relaxed,” I defend, rolling out my shoulders. “Matter of fact, I wanted to ask you something,” I say to Javon.

“What’s up?”

I lean back, elbows propped against the table. “You know anybody that’s hiring?”

I ask Javon because he’s the CFO for Dodson County schools. It’s a small district just outside of Metro Atlanta, but it’s better than that little daycare center Raya’s working at.

Jovan frowns. “Who you askin’ for?”

I hesitate, then say, “Raya.”

Titus lets out a low whistle. “Damn! You tryna get your girl a job? You ain’t even put a ring on that yet, and you already leveling her up.”

“Yet ,” I say.

That makes them pause.

Dayton lets out a long, drawn out “Daaaaaamn.”

I exhale, rubbing my palms together, feeling the sweat cooling on my skin. I’m just as surprised as they are, honestly.

I still don’t know her like that yet. There’s still some shit we gotta unpack. But Dayton’s words ring out in my head, that thing he said about not wanting to go on without Shara around. And when I really think about it, I already can’t see a tomorrow that doesn’t have Raya in it, even if I don’t quite understand the why of it yet.

It doesn’t make sense in my head, but my body feels it.

Javon studies my face, eyes narrowing. “I mean…alright. I’ll ask around, lover boy.”

“’Preciate it. I’ll send you her info.”

“And you’re sure you wanna mix money and relationships?” he says.

I shrug. “She needs something better.”

And that’s the truth. But it’s a little deeper than that.

Maybe I wanna be her hero.

Maybe I wanna call her up and tell her, hey, baby, I got you a teaching job , and then hear the joy in her voice when she realizes she can finally live her dream.

Because what the fuck am I here for if I can’t make her life better?

Why be in a relationship with me if she can’t count on me to be useful?

I know from unfortunate experience that women don’t keep you around long if you can’t come through for them.

My throat goes dry as the memories creep in. Arnelle’s tear-stained face. The way she looked at me after, like I was supposed to fix everything. Like I was supposed to be the kind of man who knew how.

And I wasn’t.

I failed her.

I shake my head, forcing that shit out of my mind. That was the past, but today is a new day.

And I get a do-over.