Page 33 of No Remedy for Love

“First off, don’t be out here trying to manhandle me, nigga. See, this is exactly why I said I wasn’t fucking with you when I moved back home. I’m not trying to be doing this dumb shit again.”

“Fuck that shit! You fucking one of my employees now, Remi. You got the muthafucking boss loving the ground you walk on but you rather fuck the help.”

Mav was enraged at the mere thought of Remi choosing another man over him. He remembered saying how stupid Reanna was for messing over a good ass nigga like Blaze. He never imagined that Remi would somehow become affiliated with the man whose wife her first cousin was fucking.

Remi laughed, “Are you serious right now, Mav? Blaze and I are friends, the same as me and you.”

“You can miss me with that friend bullshit. Do you fuck all your friends the same way you fuck me?”

“Not all of my friends get the benefits.” Remi winked.

“See, this is the bullshit that I be talking about. Everything is a fucking game to you. How do you even know that nigga?”

“I told you that his grandmother is my patient. Stop thinking you bout to catch me in a lie. I tell the truth, so the story will never change. That man is married anyway. I don’t do other women’s men.”

Remi was trying her best not to break her own rule, but Blaze was making it hard. She couldn’t remember the last time she was so attracted to somebody and it wasn’t just physical. Blaze was a whole damn vibe. They talked on the phone all day for hours and she made going to his grandmother’s house a regular occurrence now, even when she wasn’t working. He was funny, compassionate and just an all-around breath of fresh air. The way he loved his grandmother was a plus and mocked the exact same way she loved hers. Surprisingly, she told her grannyabout him and she asked to meet him. That would probably never happen since he was already taken.

“How do you know he’s married?” Mav gave her a sideways glance.

“Does it matter, Maverick? He’s off the market and I’m not shopping.”

“You better not be. Man, you stressing me the fuck out Remi. I miss you, baby.” Mav gently grabbed her by the collar and pulled her closer to him. He was happy that Remi knew that Blaze was married without him having to say anything. He wasn’t a hater but he was gonna become one that day. He knew that Remi would never fuck with a married man so that was gonna be his next move.

“I miss you too.”

That was partially true, but Remi wasn’t trying to be on no booed up shit. She needed some dick and she needed Mav to deliver. The nigga who had her all hot and bothered had a wife at home. Blaze swore that he and his wife went months without being intimate and, for some reason, she believed him. He talked to her about a lot, but she only gave him the basics. She was feeling him out but she was slowly letting her guard down.

“We need to link so we can make up.”

Mav was taking a huge risk by being hugged up with Remi out in the open like that in broad daylight. He was discreetly checking out his surroundings, but everything was all good.

“I’m going see my granny and Tracy for a few. I’ll call you when I’m on my way home.”

“Is your girl still in town?” Mav hadn’t stayed the night with Remi in a while but he was trying to change that. He and Kiva were already into it. Picking an argument would have been easy and give him the excuse he needed.

“Yeah, she’s still here,” Remi lied.

Monique had actually gone back to Arizona but she was trying to take a travel assignment at the hospital where Remi worked that would allow her to return for six months. The job was paying for room, board, and a monthly expense account for those who took the contract. Ferris was on pins and needles praying that she came back. He seemed to really be feeling Monique, but she was keeping her guard up. Since he was a man whore, Remi didn’t blame her.

“Damn man. Nigga miss waking up to your pretty ass.” Mav was rocking up just by looking at her in her leggings, racerback tank, and Doc Martens. Her hair looked freshly done as did her rhinestone designed nails.

“I know boo, but she won’t be here forever. Let me get going, so I can hurry and get back home to wait for you.”

“Bet.” Mav was more excited than he’d ever been in a while. He pulled Remi in for another kiss before getting in his truck and driving away.

He was heated as he drove back to the shop. He had a few things to get off his chest and some changes were gonna be made at the shop. He didn’t give a fuck how petty he was being. If niggas didn’t like the new rules that he was about to put in place, they could see themselves the fuck out of his shop.

When he pulled up, he got even more heated when he saw Blaze outside with a bunch of other niggas. His frown deepenedwhen he got closer and saw him eating a plate from one of Remi’s favorite Jamaican spots.

“What’s up, Mav?” one of the dudes spoke as soon as Mav walked up.

“Aye, if y’all niggas ain’t getting no haircuts, y’all gotta bounce. My spot getting too hot with niggas hanging around this bitch all day doing nothing,” Mav said what he had to say and walked into the shop. He saw why everyone was outside. The hair salon was closed and there were no customers on the barber side. The other barbers were sitting in their chairs playing or talking on their phones.

Blaze, as well as some of the other men, were taken aback by not only what he said, but the tone that he said it in. That had been a regular occurrence since Blaze started working at his shop almost two years ago and it was never an issue before.

“Man, let me get the fuck from around here. I’ll see you when it’s time for my next cut, fam.”

The same man who spoke to Mav gave Blaze dap and walked away. The other men followed suit, leaving Blaze outside alone. Just like the other men, he didn’t know what was up either. With his food in hand, he went back into the shop and took a seat at his barber station to finish it.

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