Page 41 of The Smoke Hour

He always made me feel so much better.

Smoke

Three Days Later

Kaifiya had a meeting with Terry this evening. She was paying him, and she also was planning to ask him for an extension. I knew that she had her pride, so she refused to ask me for help. Although I had offered it on multiple occasions, she always turned it down and told me that she could handle her business.

I respected that shit, but eventually, I knew that I would need to step in. After the way that nigga showed up and showed out on her at her shop, I had wanted to kick his ass. But it was the reaction that I saw tonight while she met with him that convinced me I was about to take his ass to task on that bullshit.

She wouldn’t let me repay him, but I was for damn sure about to beat that ass for the shenanigans he pulled on her. I was heated a few nights ago when she mentioned that he’d been sending some thugs to her business to collect his money every week. I’d been pissed at her for not telling me, but I didn’t let her know that. Kaifiya was already emotional at the time, and the last thing she needed was my emotions on top of that.

I watched that nigga from the moment that he pulled in. I’d paid my friend Quincy a nice little price to have them seated at a table of my choosing so that I could see everything from my spot—what that nigga ordered, what he ate, what he drank, what he paid with, and when that nigga left the table to take a piss. I caught it all.

It took everything inside of me not to go in there and bust a cap in that nigga’s ass when I saw the tears streaming down Kaifiya’s face. Instead, I comforted myself with the knowledge of the shit I was about to do when he stepped his ass out of Q’s restaurant.

I sent Kaifiya a brief text when she grabbed a handful of napkins to wipe her tears away.

ME:Hey, just checking on you. Is everything going okay?

She swipedat her tears before she glanced at her phone. She held a finger up to his ass, and he had the nerve to shake his head and look frustrated. I saw her typing on her phone. I glanced down and saw the bubble message pop up on my screen.

KAIFIYA:Yes, it’s okay. Thank you for checking on me. I almost lost my shit for a moment, but thoughts of you keep me at ease.

ME:That’s what I’m here for. If you want some company when it’s all said and done, just say the word. What did he have to say?

KAIFIYA:He wouldn’t give me an extension. He told me that if I came back to him, then he would forget all about the debt. I told him that I didn’t wanthim to. He then said that if I were to suck his dick, then he would give me the extension.

ME:That nigga’s out of pocket.

KAIFIYA:I don’t want to ruin your Friday night. I take up enough of your time. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you that.

ME:You don’t take up nearly enough. Besides, I’m not doing shit, just sitting here thinking about you.

KAIFIYA:You’re so sweet. Maybe I will call you afterward.

ME:You do that.

I sat therefor a little while longer, thinking about the bag in the trunk of my car. She stayed with that punk ass bitch for another twenty minutes before she got up to leave.

I could tell by the way she stormed out of the restaurant that she was upset and that his ass hadn’t given her the answers she thought she needed.

I picked up the phone and dialed a number.

“Yo, Bossman, wassup?”

“She’s on her way out of the parking lot, Sam.”

“I see her moving now. I’m right behind her.”

“A’ight. Let me know when Kaifiya makes it there safely.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to handle that business?”

“Nah. Niggas wanna think I’m playing and shit. I’on be on that bullshit. Tonight, I’m the schoolteacher, and honors class is in session.”

Sam chuckled before I ended the call.

I watched as Terry headed out of the restaurant and jumped into his car. I waited for a minute before I pulled out too. He was stopped at the traffic light when I pulled out of the restaurant, and I purposely drove slowly to give him time to get ahead.When he took a couple of right turns and then left, I knew exactly where he was headed.

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