Page 31 of Dreaux: The Corporate Assassin

Ignoring him, I thought about how hot and bothered Dre had me at dinner the other night. I have never been so bold to do something like that in public, but I liked it. I just knew he was going to fuck the shit out of me when we got back to his place, but I was scared out of my shoes when Jules Boudreaux crept from the shadows like Candyman. From what I’ve gathered, he’s just as dangerous as Rosier and Andre, but nothing has been proven. For all I know, he’s just an ominous lawyer.

“All right! The girls are here.” I clapped as I finished setting up the food and drinks. “Act like you have sense, Jerome.”

Not even bothering to wait for him to respond, I took a deep breath and greeted my cousins, Rissa and Arnez. Jerome and I were both almost thirty, so I blamed their childishness on being in their mid-twenties still.

“Well, hello.” I smiled and gestured for them to come inside. “I’m glad you girls could make it tonight.”

“I’m glad you remembered little ol’ us…” Arnez was the first to start her shit. “I thought you were too good to be in the same space with your hood rat cousins. I mean, you’re a big shit officer and all.”

“Federal agent,” I corrected as I rolled my eyes. “My occupation doesn’t have anything to do with why we don’t hang, Arnez. You know you and Rissa keep y’all’s distance for whatever reason y’all have conjured in your minds.” I folded my arms as I eyed them both. “If we’re going to enjoy the night, let’s go ahead and get the animosity off your chests.”

The girls looked at me with nothing but disgust and disdain. I didn’t know their real issue with me, but if they wanted to discuss it and move past it, now was the time. I wasn’t doing this foolish shit each time we see each other.

“You think that just because you have the government job and rich baby daddy, you’re better than us.” Rissa was the first to speak. “You think because you have the nice house and nice car that we’re beneath you. We come from the same family, and we’re cut from the same cloth?—”

“You’re more so cut from a dirty dishcloth, and we’re from a Louie rag.” I squeezed my eyes shut as Jerome chimed in. “All that hate y’all have in your heart for this girl is unwarranted, and it’s not her fault that y’all would rather fuck for a three-sixty frontal than to have a career.” He stood from his seat on the couch and pointed between the two of them. “I will not sit here and listen to either of you try to shame her for wanting to do something with her life—for not only her but her child. If y’all can’t stop with the madness, y’all need to go ahead and wrap a to-go plate and dip out. No need to sit up in her house while holding all that jealousy up in you.”

“Jealous! She’s nothing but a baby mama just like us!” Arnez all but yelled while smirking. She folded her arms and matched my stance. “At least we didn’t have a baby by married man. Right, Rissa?”

“Right,” Rissa said, egging Arnez and her foolishness on. I rolled my eyes, ready for everyone to get the hell out. Cousins or not, I was with Jerome—there was no need to sit in my house, hating me.

Pausing to catch my bearings so I didn’t end up being the one that tore my house up from beating ass, I thought about the married baby daddy I had. This is one of the reasons it was hard for me to be cordial with Bryce. He causes unnecessary drama in my life without even being present. This is the one thing people could throw up in my face when we had disagreements. Having a baby out of wedlock is one thing, but having one by a married man is grounds to have you shunned from the church and family, especially with black people. It doesn’t matter if you knew if he was married or not; you were liable to be the family’s black sheep. And sometimes, that’s exactly how I felt.

“Would you rather her have a baby daddy like Tyrone?” Jerome glanced at Rissa. “One that lives with his mother and won’t even buy your twins a pack of beef-flavored noodles.” Examining Arnez, he smirked, and I knew he was about to go too far. “How’s Mark? Last time I saw him, he was at my friend Milo’s house, getting bent over an ottoman. You still out here trying to be a family with a man that takes more dick than me?”

“Okay, that’s enough.” I stifled my laugh as Arnez turned beet red. Everyone knew Mark was a bottom when she decided to have a baby with him. She was the only one in denial about it. “I love you three. I just want us to get along. No one of us is better than the other.”

“Who?” Jerome stuck his nose in the air as I gestured for them to go into the kitchen so we could eat. “I’m most certainly better than these hoes.”

“Rome…” I eyed him, making a facial expression that had him lifting his arms in surrender. Thankfully, the conversation died down once the food was served and drinks started to flow. Before long, we all had loosened up and were having a good time.

“Nezzy, I saw the finest man of my life earlier today.” Rissa was high as hell, and I could tell she was feeling good. “He told me all he wanted was his dick sucked, and we couldn’t exchange numbers, but I swear… he wanted me. If I run across him again, I’m going to trap his ass.”

Giggling, I couldn’t stop myself before I was bent over in laughter. I don’t know if it was the alcohol or her delusions, but Rissa was a sad case. Yes, I loved her, but there was no way I would trap a man just to end up in a worse situation.

“You want to tell me what the fuck is so funny?” She mugged me as she stood from where she was sitting on the couch. I was stretched out on the floor and didn’t feel the need to match her energy, so I stayed put. No matter how much she jumped bad, she knew I would mop the floor with her ass. “You’re just mad no one wants your wannabe, high-class ass.”

“Uh, sis… look who I found roaming up the sidewalk. He brought a friend too!” I snapped my head in the direction of Rome’s voice and locked eyes with Dre. “Let me find out they wanted to pull a two-man.”

“Say, Dre… who the fuck is this nigga?” Skip asked as he snarled and pointed at Rome. “He must don’t know who the fuck I am. I will hurt his fruity-ass.”

“Ohhh! Hurt me, Daddy,” Rome sang, causing Skip to pull his Glock from his hoodie. We all gasped as I scrambled to my feet. “Oh, you mean business!” Jerome flailed his arms and ran to the other side of the living room. “Shit, you're fineandcrazy. Let me sit my ass down. Mama isn’t ordering a new wig until summer, and she’s going to be pissed if she looks burnt out putting me away next weekend.”

We all looked at Rome before we burst into laughter. Even Skip chuckled as he shook his head and placed his gun back under his hoodie. Scanning the room, he took a seat in the corner away from everyone and said nothing else. He’s been that way for as long as I can remember, so it wasn’t unusual.

“Hey, boo!” Rissa crooned as she walked over and wrapped her arms around Dre. I couldn’t stop myself from scowling if I wanted to. “Let me find out you followed me here so you could see me. I knew we had a connection.”

“Girl, if you don’t unhand me, I’m going to cut them muthafuckas off and slap you with them,” Dre said menacingly as he peered down at her. “Don’t ever touch me again. Got it?”

“Y-Yes,” she stammered as she stepped back from him. “I’m sorry.”

“I know this ain’t the new stepdaddy you was talking about?” Rome walked over and looked between them as Dre made his way over to me. “Looks to me like he doesn’t want you near him, let alone for you to give him some pussy.”

“Dre, you know Rissa?” I asked as he walked past me and slapped my ass before heading into the kitchen. His lack of response pissed me off. There’s no way the night would end with us in my bed if he’s had my cousin. “Dre!”

“Aye! Who the fuck you hollerin’ at?” He was back in front of me before I could blink. “I met that girl earlier and told her she had a fat ass and perfect lips for sucking dick. To be honest, I can fuck you both or neither one of you because I’m single.” He glared at us both before going back into the kitchen. “Where the plates, though? A nigga got the munchies like a muhfucka.”

Frowning at his retreating back, I could hear Rome snickering. Hearing shuffling behind me, I glanced over my shoulder and noticed Rissa gathering her things.

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