Page 56 of Can't Get Enough

“There’s restrictions on those.” He frowns, his dark, thick brows bunching. “They can be a little tougher, but I’m familiar with the ins and outs if you need any help. What aspect of cannabis? A grower, a dispensary, an app? What we talking about?”

“It’s a grower, but she has ideas that are more scalable.” I grin and shrug a little sheepishly. “The extent of our knowledge doesn’t go beyond smoking it.”

“Funny,” he says, but there’s an inward concentration to his expression that may mean his wheels are spinning.

“We just want to know a little more about the business. Nelly feels strongly that we should give this woman a chance, but we’ve focused a lot more on tech-enabled companies.”

“That all makes sense. I definitely take a risk investing in growers, but it’s not as much about ROI for me. The prohibition of cannabis has done a lot of harm specifically to our community. I want to assist marginalized entrepreneurs who have been historically disenfranchised by legislation designed just as much to target us as it was to protect anyone else.”

“That’s a really restorative approach,” I say approvingly.

“Absolutely. The system criminalized activity around this drug in a way that disproportionately prosecuted Black people. Why not flip the script now that it’s legal and use it to create generational wealth in our community, for our families? Close some of the gaps created by the shit we had to put up with since we got here.”

“Amen to that.”

“Cannabis has now been classified as a less-addictive drug. NBA players used to be penalized, suspended for it, and now the league has reached an agreement to allow it. Baseball, hockey, and football had already made that adjustment.”

“I heard that, and couldn’t help but think about how Iverson caught a case way back in the day for weed.”

“Exactly. Ricky Williams lost a whole season of football because of it, but times have changed. Hell, one state recently issued mass pardons to those doing time for marijuana-related charges. As legalization spreads, so does opportunity. We need to take advantage of that.”

He slides his hands into his pockets and rocks a little on his heels, eagerness radiating from every pore. And I realize that money is like a playground for him; investments an adventure.

“I got an idea,” he says.

“Famous last words?” I set my empty glass on the bar and signal the bartender for another.

“No, famous first ones.” He levels a look on me that tells me we’re headed for a bad idea. It’s full of challenge and maybe a little mischief. “Come with me to Colorado.”

“Um, no.” I was already questioning my wisdom coming to his box tonight. A road trip? No damn way.

“There’s a grower there who has branched out into more scalable efforts,” he continues. “A point-of-sale app similar to what she may be considering.”

“I don’t think—”

“Not just you, of course,” he cuts in, his smile knowing, like he read my mind at a glance; could see my thoughts. “Bring Nelly and Kashawn, too. I bet they’d love to meet this grower.”

He knew the buttons to push. Of course I wouldn’t want to refuse such an opportunity so perfect for what we’re considering out of hand, at least not without consulting my partners.

“Can I let you know in the next day or so?” I ask.

“Of course. Whenever you’re ready.”

“Shit!” Maverick’s father shouts, banging a fist on his leg. “What the hell? You can’t…”

He closes his eyes and rests his forehead against the plexiglass.

“We losing?” Maverick calls unnecessarily.

“We shouldn’t be,” his father spits. “We coulda had this. Maybe still could. I’mma go down.”

“Pop, stay outta Coach’s ear,” Maverick says, a warning note in his voice. “Our time is coming, but tonight—”

“I ain’t saying nothing to none of ’em,” Chris barks. He closes his eyes and purses his lips tightly, a man trying to hold his shit together if I’ve ever seen one. “I just need to be closer to the action. I wanna be down on the floor.”

“Gotcha.” Maverick nods, the tension around his mouth easing. “You know where the seats are.”

Chris shifts his gaze from his son to me and then back again. “You staying here?”

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