Page 6 of The Smoke Hour

“That’s what I did, Smoke.”

She had a point, but this wasn’t the time for that.

“I’ma deal with your ass later. Get back out there on the stage and finish your set,” I ordered.

“Yes, sir,” she replied.

I knew that she was pissed, and honestly, it wasn’t her fault. But I had to hold someone accountable. There was only so far that I could go with these broads.

“Y’all wanna sneak your asses up into a club without paying the fee?” I asked the remaining three.

“The fee wasn’t the problem,” the petite one with the shoulder-length hair, wearing glasses, stated.

“Twenty G’s ain’t a problem for you, li’l mama?”

Her little cute mousy ass actually squeaked and lowered her eyes to her shoes.

“That’s what I thought.”

“Could you not smoke that in here, please?” the tall, light-skinned one, who wore blonde locs, asked.

I chuckled. “Ain’t that some shit. You sneak your ass into a cigar lounge and ask the owner not to smoke. Your ass got some fucking nerve.”

She rolled her eyes at me.

“Listen, I’m gonna do y’all a favor and let you walk out of here free and clear. I won’t call the police and file trespassing charges or no bullshit like that. Just don’t bring your fine asses back up in here unless you’re actually looking for work.”

“Thank you very much,” the smaller one stated humbly.

The tall one rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth. “I highly doubt you’d have the cops up in this establishment.”

“I’m not doing shit illegal in here. I ain’t got a problem calling their ass, but I don’t wanna see y’all black asses going to jail. That’s the problem with our people now. Forgetting where the fuck we come from and turning our backs on each other.”

“We didn’t come here for a history lesson,” she replied.

“Then what the fuck did you come here for?” I asked.

Both ladies looked at their other friend who, although she had worked her ass off on that damn stage like clockwork, had remained quiet until now. She stood between them. They were all arranged by height, and somehow, I didn’t think that was planned. It looked as if it was something they were accustomed to doing.

“You’re the reason they’re here?” I asked her.

She didn’t say anything but just kept staring at a point over my head.

“I would ask if your ass was deaf, but I know the way that ass clapped on beat, you can hear,” I remarked.

She didn’t say anything, and she didn’t move her gaze from that point above my head.

“Ladies, you can leave.” I dismissed the other two.

The three of them turned to go.

“No. Not you, Josephine Baker.”

She spun around and mugged me so damn hard when I said that shit.

“I want to speak with you.”

“You don’t have to stay,” the tall one stated.

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