Page 8 of For the Love of City

PORSHA

“‘BOUT FUCKING TIME.”

I watched as the car I’d paid for finally eased its way on the block to pick me up.

I had too much shit to do today to have this nigga flaking on me yet again, but here he was, doing what he did best. There was far too much going on right now and the stress was going to make me lose it.

I ain’t have anyone to talk to because my best friend for years had turned out to be a snake and my mama would only look at me and say ‘ I told you to stop dealing with that nigga ’.

I was keeping all this shit bottled up and I could feel myself about to lose all the sense God gave me as soon as I got in this car.

It was hot and my hair was braided down under some bundles.

I was the best advertisement for the work I did but right now I was pissed that I had all this hair keeping my head so damn hot.

Think about your health. You can’t afford to be spazzing out over this nigga.

I gave myself a nod, grateful that my conscience was keeping me together. With music blasting, and the fucking rims I didn’t want spinning, my car rolled to a stop in front of me and my so-called man didn’t have the good sense to get out of the car and open my door.

Yeah, this is unacceptable.

I stomped to the car, the Houston heat beating down on me something serious.

When I’d agreed to let him borrow my car to run an errand hours ago, he’d been all too happy to tell me he’d be with me on the block within an hour.

I hated being on the corner but I did what I had to do.

Fiends needed to be served and we had goals to make.

Well, that was a fucking lie. I did what he wouldn’t do.

My hands were gifted with hair, I’d gotten my state license and I was saving up money to afford my salon and this course that I wanted to take.

Renting a place was nice, but I had bigger dreams than that.

My brother, who looked out for me because these were his blocks I was selling on, was more than happy to front me the money, but I wanted to get it by myself.

Well, that was also a lie.

I had been on some couple goals shit with this nigga and thought we were gonna do it together.

Instead, all the money he made seemed to go to his dream while I was putting in far more work in the street than him and still growing my clientele.

I could hear my mother calling him everything but a child of God right now and I couldn’t blame her.

The news I’d gotten had put a lot of shit into perspective and I was more than fed up with this shit.

Addicts didn’t give a shit about their hygiene, only their next hit, and combined with the heat it had been loud on the block all day. I hadn’t left to eat or drink anything and I was ready to get home, shower and relax.

I snatched the door open and immediately got even more irritated.

My fucking car smelled like skunk, which meant he’d spent money to get some low budget weed instead of being with me selling quality.

The lazy grin on his caramel toned face was only conformation that he was out of his mind and I sucked my teeth as I sat down in the seat.

“Bruh don’t get in here starting that shit, Porsha.”

I had to pause because he really thought I was his dumb ass baby mama that was gone let him talk to me any kinda way. Instead of backhanding his ass into the trunk I reached over and turned down the volume of the damn system.

“Say that again.” I kept all the attitude in my voice because I needed him to understand that I was fed up with him.

Instead of being apologetic, he just stared at me with those nearly Black eyes and an attitude on his face. “You heard me. Your ass out here acting like you too fucking good to wait for a nigga for a minute.”

I studied him again pissed that he was still sitting there not a hair out of place or bead of sweat on his brow, trying to lecture me after everything I’d done.

I was the one that had been running around all day actually trying to do something for us, but I was supposed to just be quiet and be his peace.

I think the fuck not.

I could only laugh as I sat back in the seat and he moved away from the block I’d been working on. “That’s wild coming from you.”

He took his eyes off the road for a second to look at me. “How?”

“Where you been?” I spoke calmly because I knew if I got any more agitated than I already was he was going to end up bleeding in the backseat.

“I told you I had shit to do.” His tone was dismissive as he kept driving down the road.

“Wild, because I had shit to do too. Two heads that I needed to get done today that I had to send money back to and reschedule at a discount because your ass couldn’t do what you were supposed to.

This ain’t my shit to be running, Link. You the one who wanted to be a dope boy so fucking bad.

Begged my brother to put in a good word but somehow I’m the one servin’ niggas all times of day and night because you can’t be relied on to do it.

” I had my finger pointed at him because I was pissed.

“Aye, you out?” His eyes lit up and I was furious at how calm he was being.

I narrowed my eyes because I couldn’t believe the way he glossed over my concerns and went straight to the money.

“Is that all you’re worried about?”

“Yeah, Porsha, man you been out here all day. I would hope that you got the money to show for it!”

I chuckled slowly and then angled my body toward the window because I could feel the attitude my mama gave me begin to slowly creep up and out of the place I tried to keep it tucked away.

“Yeah, I sold out and the money is put up.”

He braked hard as fuck and when I turned to look at him crazy he was staring at me like I’d lost my mind. “Put up where?”

“My brother stopped by and wondered why I was out there doing your job yet again. He took everything I had on me so that I wouldn’t be in a bad spot in case we got ran down on.

That’s why I started calling your ass!” I sat back with my foot tapping on the tan floor mat, waiting for him to say something because I knew that he was about to lose all that bravado out of his voice.

“Fuck, when he pop up?”

I knew that information was going to fuck with him but I didn’t care.

He should’ve never been in the position to have my brother pissed with him.

I’d already had Man give me that look that he was disappointed in me, which was probably another reason I was in such a bad mood.

I was gonna have to face the music as soon as I got back home.

“Two hours ago, nigga.“

Link ran a hand down his face and all that shit he was talking was dead because he knew how my brother was about me.

“Shit. Where he go? I gotta get that off him.”

“Get what off him?”

“My money fuck you mean?” He gave me a look that meant he was serious but I didn’t understand how he could be.

I chuckled again and folded my arms because Link really was worried about the wrong thing. “That’s my money and he’ll be more than happy to tell you that shit whenever you run back into him.”

“Porsha, I gave you that shit to sell—”

“With the fucking money I fronted you, nigga! How many times have I had to dip into my fucking course fund to save your ass from my brother’s wrath?

How many times your ass promises you gone pay me back and then it’s always fucking something.

Trinity need this, her ho ass mama need that.

You need to treat yourself even though you ain’t done shit to treat yourself for.

Shit, if I was the ho and you was the pimp I’d at least get a cut.

Right now you getting some of all my work and that don’t work with me.

We too old to still be playing these lil ass games, Link.

I need a nigga that I can count on not somebody that will leave me stranded for hours. ”

“If waiting for your man was such a gotdamn issue you should’ve gone with your fucking brother.” He said that shit way too bitter and I needed him to understand just how badly he’d fucked up.

“See, I saved your ass from him hunting you down. Because he told me to go wit’ ‘im to find my shit but I declined makin’ up an excuse for you as always.

But yeah, gone head and tell Man how you want the money that he knows I made from pushing product all day.

” I was nodding because I dared for him to step to my brother like he was stupid.

Man had a serious issue with people trying to disrespect him or anyone he loved.

He normally used his fists, but he probably would shoot Link’s ass just because he hated him so much.

“You not gone—”

“I’m not gone do a fuck ass thing but let you drive to wherever the fuck you’re getting dropped off at so I can go home and relax.”

He frowned up like my words were a surprise. “Damn, we not about to lay up or nothing? I missed y—”

I waved him away with my fingers because that bullshit he was talking wasn’t about to convince me to change my mind.

I was angry; I was tired and no sweet talking was going to change how I felt.

A change in his actions would be the only balm, but somehow I knew he wasn’t going to change anything.

He’d been given too much leeway with me and I’d accepted too much.

If anything was going to be different, it was going to have to be me.

“Save that shit for whoever you were laid up with all fucking day instead of putting in work like you should’ve.

You have no issue with fucking up my day but now you want some pussy?

Get the fuck outta here. And move cause you blocking traffic and shit.

” Cars had been honking at us and this dub ass was ignoring it just to keep arguing with me.

He shook his head like none of what I was saying sunk in. “Nah, we need—”