Page 8 of In the Safety's Zone
“Grams, I’m grown.”
“No, you’re old, but that don’t mean you’re grown yet.”
I had to weigh her words because she wasn’t wrong. “You know what, you’re right.”
“I know I am. I’m oldandgrown. But I’m still fine.” She flipped the hair she had layered into a bob over her shoulder with an arrogant smile on her face.
I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You sure are, Grams.”
“You lucky I’m not about fifty years younger. I’d hurt you, boy. But I’ll let some other lady be lucky enough to have all your goodness and your goodies.” She pinched my cheek and I just knew Grams had been hell when she was younger.
“Grams!”
“Are they baddies? Lord I’m glad you’re not dragging them tots in here the way I’m sure your brother used to but if yourdingaling doesn’t work some girl is gone make you a trick, Anthony.”
My mouth was open in shock before I bust out laughing ‘cause this old lady was wild. “Grams, how did we even get to this?”
She shrugged her wrinkle-less face looking unbothered. “I don’t know; it’s your dingaling that doesn’t work.”
“It does work!”
I don’t know why I felt the need to protect my dick’s reputation to this old lady but I did. Scratch that, I did know. Grams would be somewhere slandering me and him if I didn’t speak up now.
A big grin spread on her face like she’d gotten my mind together the way she wanted me to.
“Well good! Now we’re back to the top-tier women. Make sure she’s pretty and she’s got to be smart. And for all that is holy make sure she has her own money. Nobody wants you to marry a pretty fool, a broke baddie, or somebody you got to sleep with in the damn dark. My granddaughter in law can’t have me talking about how well-dressed my future great-grands are cause they look like gremlins.”
I ran a hand down my face giving her a chance to retract any of what she said. When she sat there with her hands folded I had to ask the obvious question. “Grams, you been smoking today?”
Her neutrally painted lips widened in offense and her eyes widened at me innocently.
“Of course not. The doctor said it’s bad for my lungs.”
“Okay, ‘cause for a second—”
“I ate my medicine the way you’re supposed to.” She stuck her tongue out like a kid and had me cracking up.
“Grams…you wild.”
She shrugged her shoulders at me because she knew I wasn’t wrong. Grams reached over and slapped my leg.
“I know I am. Now come on. I done spent all this time talking to you about foolishness and the is probably done. We need to go eat so you can do whatever it is y’all be doing during the off season. Greatness ain’t gone keep waiting for you to come and achieve it, Anthony. This is your year so let’s make this shit good.”
CHAPTER TWO
Out the Shell
APHRODITE
“GET IT!”
I raced after the ball and made it in time to hit the ball back over the net. Instead of cheering on my ability to get to the ball, my father instead knocked it back toward me almost smashing me in the face.
I jumped back from the ball and then returned it to a spot on the court where I knew he couldn’t get it.
“Yeah!”
I pumped my fists excitedly because that mad dash across the court to return his hit hadn’t been easy. The adrenaline was rushing through me and I was grinning at the progress I’d made. I’d gone to Australia and won the first grand slam of the year so I hoped I’d be able to keep the momentum going through everything I had to do this season. I wanted greatness, which is why I was practicing against as many opponents as I could.
