Page 110 of In the Safety's Zone
Rye walked up and her anger-filled features had me wondering what was about to go down. I knew that tone and suddenly when I looked at her I could see every feature she’d gifted Anthony in her face.
The prodigal mother returns.
Jillana’s look was filled with contempt and I wondered if I was going to have to break up a fistfight. “Not the original gold-digger trying to stop me from coming to games. I can’t even be a visitor now?”
Rye, to her credit, ignored the dig at her much better than I expected her to. When we’d talked earlier she was putting the baby to sleep but it was clear she’d left her with Mr. Mac who was apparently the baby whisperer.
“How did you get in this suite?”
“I know a few of the people who work here. They remember when I used to be up here every away game so they didn’t bother to check my ticket.” She looked proud of the fact that she’d breached security and I wondered if she realized she’d put these people’s livelihoods in jeopardy just so she could be a bother.
Rye calmly walked closer to me presenting a solid wall to block her view of the suite behind us.
“Well, they’re about to get fired.”
“You would have someone fired over their trying to help reunite a family?” Rye’s frown deepened before she shook her head at her mother-in-law. Seeing that her plea didn’t move Rye, Jillana went back on the offensive. “You’re a really treacherous soul you know that?”
“I’m treacherous? I’m a gold-digger? It sounds like you are projecting a lot of your worst qualities onto me, Jillana.” Rye’s smile was tight, her arms folded across her chest like it was the only thing keeping her from launching her body at Jillana.
Jillana flipped the platinum blonde bundles over her shoulder with a roll of her eyes. Her makeup was too heavy and her outfit too young for someone who had two grown sons here to play today. “You got my son to cut off my money—”
“HIS MONEY. It was and is his money. The only person in the world entitled to his money is his daughter. That’s it.”
Her voice was raised and the folks who had been focused on pre-game were now turned around. Sterling was holding baby Ami and when she stood up I had to wave her back down. Rich wasn’t about to get on me because his girl was out here trying to be super friend and jump into fights and shit.
“Rye, don’t let this woman get under your skin. Let’s have someone put her out and be done with it.”
Jillana ignored the threat of being put out and glanced behind us. I didn’t think it was possible but her eyes became even more hate-filled. “And here comes the traitor.”
I glanced behind us and caught Billy looking bored with this entire exchange as she got closer. I knew she was trying to keep it calm because her children were here but Jillana didn’t have that type of give a fuck about herself.
“Jill, I promise this isn’t what you want. You snuck up here and made a scene, so now sneak back out. The last thing you want to do is distract your boys. I’m sure you want them to hit all those bonus metrics so you can come begging. It probably won’tget you anything but I know how you love to count other people’s pockets.”
“You think you know everything don’t you?”
“I know you. Take my advice and leave. If either of your sons wants to reach out, they will.”
She frowned at Billy and it deepened when she glanced at me. “Not with you constantly throwing your no good friends at them. I’m sure this one is now after the little money that Ant has since her season is over.”
Oh, we’re taking jabs at my health?
“Ma’am my hamstring is healed, if my win last night says anything. I’m here to support my man and unlike you I was invited. I tried to do the whole respect my elders thing but you’ve insulted two people that I know are damn good women. The common denominator in their disdain is you so clearly you’re the one that’s the problem. And if you want to count pockets I got a fourteen million dollar check hitting my account for winning last night. Count that.”
When her eyes widened I saw her damn near salivating and plotting on a way to get her hands on that check. My earnings were public record so I didn’t care about her knowing what I made.
“All you bougie bitches stick together.”
“Bougie? I’ve worked since I was nine years old so please miss me with that.”
She apparently had just as much respect for my work ethic as she did her sons. Like being successful was only necessary for the benefit of your parents.
“Whatever, little girl. You think that my son is going to want a future with you after he sees the way you disrespected his mama?”
“She hasn’t done a damn thing to you.”
“Nobody was talking to you, Billy.”
Billy laughed out loud and anyone with sense knew she was about to go off. “But I was talking to you. Now I try to respect the elderly, the unfortunate and the unlearned and you clearly embody all three so I’m giving you grace. But even I’m not an endless fount of it. We are guests in this suite and you aren’t. The owner wants you out of it. I will call security and have you revoked from being on this property if you can’t figure out how to stay the fuck away from us.”
