Page 10 of All In

Fresh out of the tub, Jackie drifted across the room, finally feeling the wine and weed settling into her limbs. Max was still knocked out in his own bed for once and not hers, so that was a win. She glanced at Syxe's text again and smirked. Syxe ain't never lie.Dr. Nigel was fine as hell.Jackie closed her eyes at the thought. The man looked sculpted, like pressure had shaped every inch of him. He stood a solid six-five, broad enough to fill a doorway, yet carried himself with a quiet strength that somehow made him seem even bigger. Nothing about him reached for attention. He simply commanded it. Then there was hisvoice.Low. Unhurried. Laced with a calm restraint that made you listen before you even realized you were. Jackie caught herself and laughed under her breath.

He probably got a white bitch at home.

She shook her head, laughing at herself before the thought wandered any further. She slipped into a pajama set she may or may not have walked out of Target with for the free. Unwrapping her hair, Jackie shook out her bundles, courtesy of her homegirl Bri.

Sabriyah "Bri" Sampson had recently opened her second beauty bar in North Philly, Beauty by Bri II, and tapped Jackie to plan the grand opening. Bri couldn't pay much at the time, so instead of cash, she paid in bundles. Thanks to Bri, Jackie had enough hair to last the winter. Truth be told, Jackie would'veplanned the whole event for free. Bri was a real bitch. She never forgot where she came from. Even after opening a second location, she was still the same woman Jackie had known for years. She'd fired and rehired Kormia more times than anybody could count, yet somehow it never seemed to affect their friendship. So when Bri tapped Jackie to help with the second grand opening and the budget wasn't there, she had no problem finding a creative solution. Jackie had never been too proud to barter, especially with another Black woman building something in the city.

She remembered when Bri did hair out of her grandmother's kitchen. Now she owned two thriving salons in the very neighborhood that had raised them both.If Bri could build something from that, what excuse did Jackie have not to take her own craft seriously?

Dressed at last, Jackie lit a stick of sage, rolled a fresh blunt, and climbed into her king-size bed. Tonight, it felt too big. Nights like this always made the room feel heavier, reminding her just how long it had been since she'd shared it with anyone. She'd never admit it out loud. Hell, she barely let herself think it. But sometimes... The silence became too much. It made her wonder, in those small, stolen moments, what it might've felt like if things had turned out differently. If she was allowed to want more without feeling selfish for wanting it. She slid on her readers, grabbed her Kindle, and tried to lose herself in someone else's story before sleep. That's when her phone rang. Kormia.

Kormia always had some shit with her this time of night. But against her better judgment, Jackie swiped to answer. "It's late," she said flatly. "And no, to whatever you about to ask.”

“My bra off and I'm in bed."

"Bye, girl. I'm not asking for nothin'!" Kormia laughed, loud and messy like always.

"I'm just checkin' in. I know you said you had a meeting down to the school today."

"Yeah." Jackie leaned back against her pillows, finally letting herself exhale.

"So, what's the chat? They putting Fat Daddy's bad ass out the school or naw?"

"Girl, fuck you. My son not bad, and he was never gettin' put out. They just wanted to meet to create a strategy. To better understand some of the behaviors he's been showing. Dr. Nigel thinks he's carrying more than he can articulate, and that's part of what they're seeing."

"Oops, not you quoting the good doctor already," Kormia teased. "That nigga must look like something." Jackie rolled her eyes. "He alright," she lied, knowing damn well that man was fine as fuck.

"So, what happened to waking it up on his ass? Telling him a thing or two about a thing or two?"

"I misjudged him," Jackie admitted. "Not Jackie Brown walking back a take."

Jackie smirked, rolling her eyes again. Her mind drifted back to Nigel—the easy confidence, the way he'd listened, and how strangely safe she'd felt sitting across from him.

"Uh-huh," Kormia dragged. "Let me find out you got a crush on the school shrink." Jackie sucked her teeth. "Kormia, the last thing I'm thinking about is a man."

"Mmhm. Anyway..." Kormia paused, like she was about to switch gears.

“You... heard from Cash?" Jackie froze, her thumb rubbing the hem of her pajama shorts. She hated how quickly her chest tightened at the mention of his name. "Why you asking?"

"Ion know. Just... figured with everything that went down after the wedding, he would've reached out.”

“I mean... he did..." Jackie trailed off, unsure if she wanted to go back there.

"Spill the tea, bitch." Kormia's voice perked up immediately.

Jackie sighed, shaking her head with a reluctant smile. "He drove us home after everybody left. Carried Max inside, then carried me across the threshold on some newlywed shit."

"Aww, that's so sweet," Kormia dragged out, her grin damn near audible through the phone. "And then what, bitch? You gave him some, didn't you?" Jackie laughed, low and tired.

"No, I didn't. What happened was... he told me he hated my block."

"I do too," Kormia admitted without missing a beat. "It be givingNew Jack City."

"Well, it's home for me right now. And last time I checked, your ass was living in your nail salon while your daddy take over your brand-new condo."

"First of all, I'm not living in my salon." Kormia shot back, her tone defensive but unconvincing. "I'm just... doin' renovations."

"Mhm. Renovations. So that is what we calling it now?" Jackie said, arching a brow even though Kormia couldn't see her. "Anyway, girl, don't try to change the subject," Kormia continued. "What really fuckin' happened? And don't leave nothin' out."