Page 111 of Anything Necessary for Her
“Thank you, Mommy. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Later that night . . .
“You was right, Peep. That fucking poundcake is like crack.” Low lay back in my bed.
We were fresh from the shower after sheet ruining sex, now resting on a new pair.
“Told you.” I smiled.
“Stazi fine as shit, but that’s why the big homie married her and got all them kids,” he joked.
“Here you go with that theory.” I laughed, my ringing phone slicing through my amusement.
Rolling over, I reached for it on the nightstand and noticed Low was right with me, hovering over my body to read the name on my screen.
“You got lucky.” He rolled off me after seeing that it was my father and crawled from the bed toward the bathroom. “I got just enough energy to pull up on a nigga for hitting yo’ phone tonight,” he called over his shoulder.
Shaking my head in humor, I answered for my dad.
“Yo’ mama said you had something to ask me, baby,” he said, letting out a sigh as if he wasn’t the least bit interested in what I had to say. That immediately put me on the defensive.
“Tell, not ask.” I sat up some, clutching my iPhone.
“Excuse me?”
“Not like that, Daddy. I mean, I don’t feel like I should have to ask you this at all. I want to have dinner with you and Mommy, plus Low. Every time one of my brothers got serious, youaskedfor them to bring their significant other, but I have to be the one to ask for mine.”
“Your brothers didn’t sneak around, Banks. Your brothers’ significant others didn’t keep secrets or do shit behind my back,” he stated as Low rejoined me in the bed.
“Okay, but he did that because I asked him to. You want me with a man who would go against what I want to please you?”
“On occasion, yes, because the shit might be life threatening.”
“But this wasn’t, Daddy. At the end of the day, I have been a good daughter, graduating college, excelling in dance, and doing everything else right, which you have said yourself. Not to mention, I’m grown. I shouldn’t have to hide anything at all because my family will come behind me like cavemen. Honestly, I don’t feel like I am being given the respect I deserve and haveearned. If it was gonna be like this, I should’ve slacked off and been some spoiled brat enjoying my parents’ money and making rash decisions since it seems that’s what you all think of me anyway.”
My father was silent, which was a shock in itself. He usually always had something to say.
“Is Saturday straight?”
I grinned widely and gradually hearing him concede.
“One second.” I pulled the phone from my face. “Is Saturday okay for dinner with my parents?”
“I got you.” Low nodded to confirm.
“Yes, that’s cool, Daddy.”
“Aight. And aye, I’m proud of you. You’ve exceeded the expectations I had for a daughter, so don’t ever think I believe otherwise, princess. It’s just I’m ya father, and I love you more than life itself, so I don’t want shit happening to you, and I don’t want a muthafucka doing anything to you or hurting you, even if it’s just emotionally. I’d rather you be upset with me than fucked over.”
“Low would never. I could have any man I want, so if I choose a certain one, it’s for a reason.”
“He talk a good game, so we gon’ see. He better be on his shit come Saturday.”
“He always is,” I shot back, and my dad paused before chuckling to himself.
We hung up, and after setting my phone back down on my nightstand, I lay on Low’s chest.
