Page 62 of Senior

“Try me.”

He shook his head. “That’s cold. I thought we were better than that. It be yo’ own people. Y’all have a good night.”

I bite back a laugh as he trotted down the stairs and made a left toward his house.

“Not you have a great value version of Deuce around the corner,” I said.

“Shut up, Stanley. Come on here.”

She looped her arm through mine, and I lead her down the front steps to my car.

“Oooo! You pulled out the grown man car on me tonight,” she said, trailing her fingers over the custom pearl paint job.

“You deserve my best tonight, love.”

“I hear you.”

I opened the door and helped her into the buttery soft seats before closing the door. I pray this date went without a hitch. It would the first of many for us, but I really wanted this one to go well.

I shook my head as I read the text message thread on Senior’s phone.

He had me snap a few pictures once we got in the car to send to those nosy ass girls. Speaking of the girls, the name of the group chat was taking me out. They were in his messages doing the most.

Salima: Look at my mother-in law y’all! Grandma where?

Shar: Big Pressure and Big Fine. Your grandparents could never!

Mia: I can’t even be a hater because y’all look happy as hell.

Jaeda: I’m gonna cry because y’all look so good together.

Salima: Y’all gotta hurry up and tell Deuce because I need to see this cuteness in person.

Shar: A pop out would go crazy on the compound. Every group chat would be going off.

Mia: Ooo! Do it at Sunday dinner. I gotta tell my mama.

Jaeda: Bitch, don’t you be messy!

Mia: I mean, she’d gotta know at some point, right?

I shook my head.

I wasn’t the least bit worried about Maddie knowing. She was a whole ass married woman living her best life. What happened between Senior and I all those years ago was also over all those years ago. She had happiness with a man she deserved so there would never be any beef with us for me to entertain.

I tucked his phone into the cupholder and refocused my attention on the scenery.

We rode through the city with sunroof open, music going, and a blunt passed between us. It had been so long since I smoked weed. I used to smoke like a chimney with this man all those years ago. Every so often, I still indulged, but it wasn’t something I needed to do. Tonight, however, I found myself pulling the blunt from his fingers and taking a pull from it.

I was feeling good and relaxed at this point.

I looked over at my man, looking all sexy in this five-piece suit, beard with a fresh line up. That bald ass head was extra shiny, and he smells amazing. I felt like that teenage girl again, riding along in his car after my mama forbid me from seeing him.

She couldn’t stand Stanley and told me I’d better cross the street when I saw him coming. I remembered the first time she caught him in my bedroom after forbidding me to see him. He’d walked me home from school. My mama was at work, so I invited him in for a snack and to do our homework.

Stanley was convinced he didn’t need to do well because he was taking over the family business with his brother as soon as they were of age. I told him I didn’t date dumb niggas or high school dropouts. The crazy thing was, he was smart as hell. He knew every answer. Passed every test and quiz with flying colors when he decided to come to school. He just chose not to do the work at times.

Once he heard I didn’t do dummies, he was at school every day and putting in work. That night, we were studying for a chemistry test. At least I was trying to. Stanley was being fresh and kissing on my neck while I tried to focus.