I turned my head and looked at him then. The nerve of that question.
“I heard what you said earlier to Wyatt.”
His face didn’t soften or harden.
“What partnership was he talking about?” I asked.
He looked at me for a moment before answering. “Wyatt wants to stay on with us and offered to invest in the wine-tasting project you started.”
My mouth parted before I could stop it. “Why wasn’t I consulted?”
“It didn’t concern you.”
I blinked at him. “Didn’t concern me? It’s my idea, Marlon!”
He finally pressed the button. The elevator gave a soft hum and started moving to the cellar.
“I know.”
“And?”
“And it didn’t concern you. Like I said.”
This nigga here…
“Why did you turn it down?”
“It’syourventure,” he said. “You don’t need help.”
I stared at him, trying to decide if he was serious or if he was fucking with me.
“Oh, so now it’s my venture.” I folded my arms tighter across myself. “Where was this energy when you got rid of somebody that was helping that same venture? Somebody I care about?”
His shoulders shifted as he rolled them. “You don’t care about that man, Rabbit. You bored, and your boredom is an expensive bill I’m tired of paying. You already hired an assistantI did not budget for. You barely put a dent in the money you owe me. And now I’m supposed to take Wyatt on as an investor too?”
“Shouldn’t investors bring in money?” I argued.
“I don’t need that man’s money. I’m good.”
“So why you making it a big deal, then?”
“I’m not.”
I rolled my eyes away from him. “You’re so damn difficult for no reason. If it’s about the money I owe you?—”
“It’s not.”
“—The wine tasting will make you your money back, Marlon.” I leaned toward him, voice sharpening. “I ain’t realized we was penny-pinching around this motherfucka.”
“Like I said. I’m good,” he said nonchalantly. “I got my money secured. But it ain’t about having it. It’s the fucking principle. That’s not the way you move through life or run a business, burning through shit when you got people’s livelihoods to think about. Wyatt will be fine without this place. Will the other workers? Will Patch? Will your TaskRabbit?”
Damn.
“I ain’t think about it that way…”
“Why would you, Rabbit? You too spoiled to notice anything that don’t concern you.”
“Fuck you, Marlon.”
