Page 43 of For the Love of City
“And?! Girl code. I’m not about to set her up with you and set her up for failure. Y’all want two different things out of life right now. My girl wants the ring and the family not a fling. She’d be out here ready to shoot my ass because you playing with her. That Houston would come out real quick and all that bougie refinery would fall out.”
“Damn, that makes me want her lil’ ass even more. Prissy and hood: the perfect combination.” Trav thought he was slick with the way he glanced at me but I was gone get his ass when Lyric left.
“Well, since y’all gossiping and shit I’m about to find CB. I’m hungry as hell. Y’all don’t want me in the planning, that’s cool. But I want to be there when shit goes down.” She looked at us for our agreement and we both nodded.
“You sure you ain’t pregnant?”
Lyric gagged like the idea was disgusting to her. “Why is everyone trying to put a baby on me? Y’all doing more than my husband who isn’t trying to put a baby in me. We are good. Young as fuck and want to do young, rich people shit for a minute. Is that too much to ask?” She was pouting again but I knew she wasn’t about to do anything she didn’t want to. No matter how much we teased her, Lyric knew what she wanted out of life and knew we would support whatever that was.
“Damn, C, don’t tell me you ready to be a grandpa before you a dad again.”
Travis really wanted me to pop him in the mouth. “I already raised my youngin.”
Lyric was now on his side as she locked in on me. “You know what he’s saying. You got a jumpstart with me, starting from scratch wouldn’t be so bad.”
“Lyrie, I’m old as hell right now.”
“You know how many people popping out babies right now?”
“Got damn not you agreeing we old.”
“Shut up. You know what I mean. Ain’t too late to start. I never had a little brother I actually liked. You know Reina’s step kids don’t count no matter how much they keep trying to push the issue. Anyway, before the old head crew gets theirDependsin a bunch, I’m about to go. I was told I had to be done at a certain time so let me head out. I hope I’ll see y’all at home when we get back.”
It wasn’t a question; it was a command. A setting of expectations so that we complied.
“We’ll finish up here and head back. We got shit to handle in Texas shortly so we’ll be there.” The three of us got up and we walked Lyric to the door. The bodyguard that Grant hired was waiting by the front door to walk her to the car.
We hugged her and made sure she got to the car safely before heading back to the meeting room.
“Your ass think you real funny don’t you?”
Travis knew exactly what I was talking about based on how he was laughing like something was funny. “You lucky I don’t tell somebody about y’all asses.”
“You lucky I ain’t told Grant you want to fuck on his sister.”
He choked on the water he’d been drinking before he stared at me in surprise. “Aye! Why you say that like that?”
“Like what? What you wanted me to pretty that shit up? Punk ass.” I’d been peeped how he had looked at Grant’s sister and how much time he spent helping her get acclimated to life in Atlanta. He wasn’t slick but I wasn’t going to push him.
“You could try. How would you feel if I said that shit about P?”
I chuckled because he had a point. “I’d put your head through this wall.”
Trav looked triumphant as he sat back and folded his arms. “Exactly, so understand where I’m coming from.”
He sounded thoroughly offended and now I was even more intrigued. “Oh, you for real with this?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you how serious I was.” The stunned look on Travis’ face meant he couldn’t believe that he was this gone over a woman.
“Try me nigga. We been friends for like thirty years.” I sat back grinning with my arms folded happy to tease this nigga the way he had done me for the last year.
Travis looked at me then let his eyes look around the room. “I’m thinking about stepping back. Handing all this shit off.”
I sat up because I knew I hadn’t heard him right. “Nah, you fucking wit me.”
“Nah.”
“Thought you said you’d die in the game.”
