Page 173 of The Love of Priest

"I’m playing. You're on your way back, right?"

Priest nodded. "Yeah. You need anything while I'm on the way?"

"No. See you when you get here." They proceeded to say their goodbyes before the call was ended.

The duration of the drive was lengthy due to the fact that traffic had gotten pretty heavy, but Priest didn't mind. The silence within the car relaxed him. He knew it probably wasn't the best idea to get out of his spot in traffic, but realizing Bueno! was just a turn away, he decided to stop by the bodega. Eyes immediately gravitated toward him once he parked his foreign car at the curb, but he paid the unwanted attention no mind.

Everyone who greeted him got a curt head nod in response as he entered the doors of the store. As always, business was great. Bueno! was a hood staple, and no matter how overpriced Carlito tried to sell shit, people wouldn't stop coming around.

"Aye!" Carlito exclaimed from behind the register when Priest entered the store.

Priest chuckled. He knew Carlito wasn't that excited to see him. He was actually more excited that he didn’t show up with J'Ru.

"What’s crackin' you, short motherfucka?" Priest joked while slapping hands with Carlito.

"Ask ya' fucking mother," Carlito fired back with his thick accent that was a mixture of his deep Hispanic roots and the multiple years of residing in New York.

Priest shot him a joking glare. "Didn't I tell your Oompa Loompa ass to stop bringing up my mom’s?" Priest laughed.

In laughter, Carlito lifted his hands in defeat, choosing to pick his battles wisely. "Where's Mrs. Cox?" Priest passed a few patrons on his way to the back aisle to get himself something to drink.

"In the back.”

Priest nodded before thanking Carlito. With his drink in hand, he headed toward the back of the bodega. Sure enough, in one of the back rooms, Mrs. Cox sat at a small table looking over inventory. She had her glasses, whose arms looked like stained wood, perched at the tip of her nose as her face screwed up in deep focus as she flipped through various pages.Leaning against the threshold of the door with a smirk, Priest applied a knock on the door, despite it being wide open.

Mrs. Cox looked up from the pages, a delighted smile etched on her face at the sight of Priest. "Hey, handsome!" She stood up from her seat, opening her arms for an embrace.

Priest made his way over to her, leaned down a bit, and wrapped her in a hug. "What's good with you, Mrs. C?" he asked her as she appointed him a seat.

She let out a tired sigh while leaning back in her seat slightly. "Nothing much. Just doing the numbers." A light smile formed on her face.

"Always been good at that," he chuckled. "Helped me with my math homework when I actually did it," Priest recalled.

Mrs. Cox laughed as she remembered how taxing it was to get Priest to focus on his academics for just a second. He was always forgetting about his responsibilities for the next girl, party, or basketball game. It got to the point that Mrs. Cox wouldn't let either J'Ru or Priest in unless they showed her some finished homework. It was either they agreed to finish their homework in the back room in exchange for a boatload of snacks they couldn't afford, or they headed elsewhere. They almost never headed elsewhere. They did their homework with the help of Mrs. Cox, and junk food as their motivation.

Settling from her laughter, Mrs. Cox eyed Priest. "You decided when you’re going back?" she asked him, immediately losing his interest.

He let out a heavy sigh while running his hand down his face. "I ain’t going back, Mrs. C. I made it happen without school. I told you I would buy the block, and what did I do?" He raised his brow, awaiting Mrs. Cox’s answer to his question.

“You bought the block,” she answered his question with a chuckle. Priest dropping out wasn't her proudest moment. She urged him to go back so adamantly until Priest started avoiding her and Bueno! so he wouldn't have to hear her lecture him about it anymore.He definitely beat the odds and surpassed her expectations with what he'd become now, though.

An arrogant smirk etched Priest’s face as he nodded his head. “I mean, I ain’t do it how you wanted me to, but I got the shit done.”

“Watch your mouth,” she warned him with a side-eye. “But I am very proud of you.”

“My fault, Mrs. C,” he apologized for his foul language with a chuckle. “But it’s nice to hear that from you. I appreciate it.”

“How is Ms. Britain?” Mrs. Cox shifted the conversation, causing a wide-stretched smile to grace Priest’s face. “She’s a lovely lady. I can tell she’s very genuine and around for all the right reasons.”

“Brit’s good. She’s actually at the house now. We’re moving steady. I rock with her,” Priest enlightened Mrs. Cox.

“That’s good to hear. She’s nothing like that Paula whore.” She screwed up her face at the thought of Paula. “Son, I don’t know what you saw in that wench.”

Unable to contain himself, Priest doubled over in laughter. “Nah, Mrs. C. You’re wildin’,” he shook his head. “I ain’t worried about my past no more, though. Brit’s looking like my future.”

Mrs. Cox reached over and cupped her hand around Priest’s hand, giving it a light squeeze. “Well, make sure you do right by her, and don’t have her waiting too long for a ring. No woman likes to wait.” She shook her head in a distasteful manner.

“I hear you, Mrs. C.” Priest nodded his head.

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