"I'm just saying, he's too old for my baby," Cecile stated, staring at her best friend, Angela.
"Anastacia is not a baby. She's 21, for Christ's sake. And so what if he's a few years older than her. A mature man can help her..."
"Can take advantage of her.... All my baby knows is sports and her school work. She's not into men like that. He's going to hurt my baby..."
"You don't even know the man..."
"I know men!" Cecile stated firmly. "All of them are just alike. They all think with their dicks and not their hearts."
"That's not fair, besides, she just met him...what...three weeks ago when she was home. All they've been doing is talking on the phone."
"She chases me off the phone to answer his calls," Cecile said, exasperated. "He's the first person she talks to in the morning, and the last at night."
Angela chuckled. "You're going to have to let go...cut her navel string one day, Cecile. You should be happy that she's finally getting a taste of love."
"That's not love," Cecile snarled. "That man wants to fuck my baby and then he's going to leave her high and dry. He's going to hurt my baby's heart."
"How you know he's not Mr. Right?"
"Mr. Right Now," Cecile scowled.
"I think you are being too hard on the man. Besides, give him time to show who he really is. If he's a dog, in time, it'll come out. A dog can't hide forever."
"That's just it, Angela, we don't have any time. He wants to take her on a cruise when she comes home for summer break."
"That's so nice," Angela swooned.
"She comes home in a week."
"I know you're a concerned mother, but don't do anything that will cause Anastacia to be mad at you."
"I'm going to do what I have to do to make sure this dog doesn't hurt my baby."
"Be careful, Cecile. Very careful. This shit could backfire on your ass and ruin the realtionship you two have."
"This is a grown ass man I'm trying to protect her from. He's nothing but an old dog trying to take advantage of my baby. And I'm not going to let that happen!"
* * *
"Coming out to the club ain't nothing like it used to be, bro," Jerome said to his younger brother, Mikey, as they waited for the parking valet to bring Jerome's Maxima. "I remember when I coulda come to the club and pick, choose and refuse hos."
"You ain't lying, bro. All I come out for now is to get my drink on and unwind after busting my ass all week," Mikey explained.
"I feel you," Jerome said as the valet stopped in front of him. He tipped the valet and jumped behind the wheel.
Mikey jumped in the passenger's seat. "That's why I always pick up one a my lil tricks, get her some weed, something to eat, and take her to a hotel til I come back from the club."
Jerome laughed as he pulled off. "And what do you do if you find something in the club?"
"Go fuck! Then go to the hotel and fuck again," Mikey stated like it should have been obvious.
Jerome started laughing. "You always fucking with hos that live with their man."
"Them the best ones. Let someone else deal with them hos problems. I fuck. That's what I do. Them some nice hos that I fuck, but hos have too much drama when involved in relationships."
"So, what you saying is that it's stress free and less drama when you the other man?"
"Hell yeah! See you wouldn't understand 'cause you have all them hos feeling like you're their man..."
"But I don't have no drama." Jerome laughed.
"See, you be fucking with them good girls. The professional women. I ain't gonna lie, bro, you run your hos..."
The sound of Jerome's ringing phone stopped Mikey midspeech. Jerome checked his caller ID. "Anastcia's mom! What the fuck?"
"Anastacia? That tall, fine ass chick that plays volleyball for UCON? The one you met in the club about three weeks ago?"
"Yeah. Wife to be." Jerome grinned.
"What the hell you doing with her mother's cell phone number, bro? More importantly, what her mother doing calling you at three forty five in the morning? Booty call?"
"Shut up!" Jerome said, pressing the green icon. "Hello?"
"Hello? Where are you?" a female voice asked.
It wasn't Anastacia for sure. The woman sounded a little older. "On my way home?" Jerome answered tentatively.
"I thought you were taking me to get something to eat?" she asked, sounding disappointed.
She sounded a little tipsy too.
Jerome stifled a laugh as he looked across to his brother who was making fuck faces and humping motions in the passenger seat. "May I ask who you want to speak to?"
"Who is this?" she asked, sounding alarmed. "Is this Jermaine?"
"No, I'm sorry you must have dialed the wrong number."
"Who is this? Your number is programmed into my phone," she demanded.
"This is Jerome. I'm a friend of Anastacia's..."
"Anastacia's friend? What your number doing program in my phone?" she asked with a little attitude.
"Is this her mother?"
"Yes, it is!"
"I met her when she was home three weeks ago. She had your phone... I think her phone had gotten stolen..."
"Oh yeah, I remember now," she chuckled, sounding a bit at ease. "I'm sorry for calling you at this hour..."
"That's quite alright..."
"I was trying to call a friend of mine. He was supposed to take me for something to eat, but he disappeared on my as...listen to me, I'm telling you all my business. Alcohol just loosens my tongue. I'm sorry for calling you."
"That's okay. It was nice talking to you," Jerome said, chuckling.
"Please don't tell Anastacia...she hates when I go out for drinks."
"It'll be out little secret," Jerome said, chuckling.
"Promise?" she cooed.
"I promise."
"Thank you," she said. "Okay. Drive safely."
"You too," Jerome said. "Bye."
"Byyyyyye," she sang, ending the call.
Mikey laughed. "That was a booty call. Mama want some."
"You crazy, bro. Besides, her mama don't know me."
"Mama fine?" Mikey asked with a raised brow.
"I don't know. I've never met the woman. She sounds sexy as hell, though."
"If her daughter takes after her, she probably is fine," Mikey said as he fired up a joint. He hit it and passed it over.
Jerome cranked up the volume as he got on I-95 North. He took a hit of the joint and passed it back. "You know what, I'm going home. I don't feel like being bothered with none a my hos tonight. She done got me thinking about Anastacia. And this weed only ga make me hungry. I'll drop myself off and you can take my ride."
"My car already by the hotel. Why can't you just drop me off?" Mikey asked as he took out a napkin from his wallet. He unrolled it and took out half a blue pill and threw it in his mouth. Then he chugged the remainder of the water that he had brought out of the club.
"Because I don't feel like passing home to drop you off. Just drop me and carry the car."
Five minutes later, Jerome pulled in front of their house, pressed the button for the garage door and hopped out. It wasn't until he was inside and upstairs getting undressed that he remembered his cell phone. He had left it in the Max.
Three minutes later, Mikey stared at his brother's ringing phone. Anastacia's mom. What the fuck does she want now? I'm not answering that shit, he thought as he headed on a collision course for the hotel. The phone stopped ringing, then started up again. Mikey ignored it again. The third time it rung, he answered it. It has to be an emergency. "Hello?"
"Are you home already," the female asked.