Page 19 of Gang of Roses: Dice

Chapter 3

Ritz “ Radar” Monroe

It was time for me to shake because this girl was starting to grind my gears, and it wasn’t even ten o’clock yet.

“Ritz, honey, I just want to know when we’re going to take this relationship to the next level?” she whined.

Honestly, I thought about saying some reckless-ass shit that would’ve made Bronco proud, but I decided against hurting her feelings...for now.

Instead, I stayed quiet and started gathering my things so I could get the fuck out of there.

“So you’re not going to say anything?” she yelled.

“First of all, lower your fuckin’ voice. I don’t function well with elevated tones. Secondly, we’d have to be in a relationship before we could take it to the next level, sweetheart.”

“So what is this, huh? We’ve been exclusive for almost a year.”

“Anera, love, you’ve been exclusive for a year—and that’s only based on what you’ve told me. I have no clue what you do when you’re traveling, and honestly, that’s your business.”

“Ritz, what are you talking about? I thought thi⁠—"

Before she could continue her rant—a rant I really wasn’t in the mood to hear—I figured I’d clue her in on a few things.

“Anera, riddle me this. Where do I live?” I asked.

The look she gave me suggested she thought I was asking the dumbest question imaginable, but I was going somewhere with this.

“Are you serious?”

“Answer the question, ma.”

“Okay, Ritz, I’ll play along. You live in a penthouse at Monroe Casino.”

She said it with so much confidence that I almost hated to burst her bubble.

“Have you met my family?”

“Yes, Ritz. I’ve seen Bronco at the casino a few times. And I know you have other family members because they did a spread on you in Magnolia Times Magazine.”

I stared at her. This girl couldn’t be serious, but Anera kept going.

“But, baby, I figured you’d invite me over once things got serious.”

I laughed. Not because she was funny, but because she had just proven my entire point.

“Anera, you don’t know where I live. You’ve never met my family. You don’t know my favorite color, my middle name, or what side of the bed I sleep on. Hell, you don’t even know what kind of whiskey I drink. Shawty, I own a casino, and I will gamble here and right now, that you can’t even tell me what I like to play.”

Her face immediately fell.

“Point proven, and yet somehow you’ve convinced yourself we’re in a relationship? Make that make sense.”

“I thought this was going somewhere.”

“You couldn’t have possibly thought that without some sort of delusion or manifestation in that. I’m honestly not trying to tear you down because I would never do that to a black queen, but I’m too grown to pacify you.”

I headed to the door without another word. I fucks with Anera; she was cool in my book, but she was way too dense for me, if I was honest with myself. I heard her mumbling under her breath, but what she did know well about me was that I was done talking, and if she continued to walk down this road with me, she was cut off. Anera likes to throw that year up like we were really like that. Like we fucked on each other every day or every month, for that matter. She was around longer due to a nigga getting tired of different women, but I didn’t see shit going no further than the bed, and her bed at that.

Hearing my phone ring, I fished it from my pocket. It was Tom, my tech.