“Hello?”
“Where you at?”
“Dang, hi,” Iskyiah joked.
“Where you at, Sky? I’m tryna lay eyes on yo’ sexy ass.”
She giggled. “I’m at Forever 21.”
Moolah’s brows folded in. “For the fuck what? If you don’t take yo’ ass to the Gucci store or somethin’ . . . You know what? Never mind. We gonna be over that way in like ten minutes.”
“How’s my baby?”
“She good. Spoiled like her mama.”
“That’s my girl.”
He could hear the smile in her tone.
“I’ll see you in a bit, my baby,” Moolah said.
They said their goodbyes just as Brooke’s ice cream was ready. Moolah paid, and they sat down at a table so Brooke could eat her ice cream.
“I think I like a boy,” she said in between bites of the large sundae in front of her.
Moolah frowned. “As a friend?”
“No, like I want to kiss him.”
“Aye, man. What the lil nigga’s name?”
“Steve,” she replied, completely oblivious to the fact that Moolah was currently planning Steve’s demise.
“How old is he? Who his people is?”
“He’s in my grade. His daddy picks him up every day. He’s nice.”
“That right? I’ma pick you up tomorrow and have a chat with them niggas.”
Brooke scrunched her face up. “You shouldn’t say that word.”
“Says who?” Moolah frowned.
Brooke shrugged. “Just shouldn’t say it.”
Moolah grumbled. He wasn’t worried about swearing in front of Brooke. He was worried about the lil boy trying to push up on her like he was slick. Lil dude was going to have to see him, and his bitch ass daddy was going to have to take an ass whupping just because.
Brooke chatted happily and finished as much of her ice cream as she could. By the time they met up with Iskyiah, the frown on his face hadn’t disappeared.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Iskyiah reached up and kissed his cheek.
Moolah grabbed the singular bag she had in her hand and kissed her lips. “Nothing, my baby. Nothing at all.”
After a tea party lunch, they went to the beach where a professional mermaid taught Brooke how to swim with a tail like The Little Mermaid. Then, they went to a Le Petit Chef restaurant for dinner where animations brought their dinner to life. Both Iskyiah and Brooke were completely exhausted by the time they got home. Brooke went straight up to the room she stayed in the night before, and Iskyiah collapsed on the nearest couch.
Moolah sat next to her and pulled her feet into his lap so he could rub them.
They were silent for a moment before Moolah said, “I got a couple of bones to pick with you.”
