Page 9 of Weddings on the West: Vol. I Brick & Destiny

“You what?” She cupped her hand to her ear.

“I’ll do it,” I gritted out again.

“Good to hear, because if you made me lose my deposit at Le Jardín, I was shooting your ass next.” I didn’t answer, just stood there glaring at her. “Oh, and son?”

“Yes?” I sucked my teeth.

“Ultimately, the choice is hers. At the end of the day, she has the fucking power, she can choose to walk away, granted it will cost her father, but she owes me nothing. I’d suggest you be nice and respectful, because if she leaves, you get to explain to your brothers why they need to start putting in applications at the nearest drive-thru.” Once again, I ignored her, continuing to sulk in silence as she turned and led us back to the rest of the sad ass dinner party.

“E-Everything okay?” Coop asked, eyes darting between us.

“Everything is great,” Ma answered. “How about we go get a drink and leave these two to get to know each other better?”

The four of them shuffled out of the room in silence, and you could hear a ghost queef as we stood there awkwardly. I refused to break the silence because what did we have to talk about? I had no problem talking to women, but what was I supposed to talk to her square ass about? Bible verses?

“So,” she started, looking around awkwardly. “Brick… Is that like a nickname? What’s your real name?”

“Just Brick,” I huffed. I would marry her but wouldn’t be happy about it. Fuck this.

“No, like I know it's Brick… but what is it short for? Broderick?”

“Fuck no! Brick,” I spat, making her eyes widen.

“No need to curse… Brixton?” she asked. I mugged her hard as fuck for even suggesting that square ass shit.

“Brick,” I repeated. I didn’t necessarily think I had a temper, but one thing that would piss me off quick was having to repeat myself. I had done it three times and she was still asking the same shit.

“Brick-ly?”

“Nigga, what kinda shit is that? No! I said my name is Brick! B-R-I-C-K! That's it, that’s all! Don't ask me that shit again! If I start calling you Lil’ Bo Peep, you ain’t gon’ like that, are you?” I might have slightly overreacted, but fuck. A nigga was already overstimulated, and she just kept going.

“Oh,” she said as her lips remained in an O-shaped pout. That was when I first noticed that she could probably suck a watermelon through a straw with them muhfuckas. The thought made me mad again, because she didn’t even have a lil’ gloss on them pretty ass lips. Just basic as fuck.

It took me five whole minutes of her sitting there mean mugging for me to realize that she was giving me the silent treatment. I chuckled to myself and pulled my phone out to schedule an appointment with Mina for later.

“Something funny?” she asked with her arms crossed and a raised brow. She had a bit more attitude than the pastor realized. I could see it under the surface of her polite, church girl act.

“Just you,” I answered honestly.

“Huh?” Her face frowned up and she was the prettiest that I had seen her yet. At that point, I just wanted to piss her off more so she would stay that way.

“Nah, you just sitting over there with your nose all turned up at me, like your shit don't stink… Whole time your daddy sold you to pay off his debts.”

“He did what?” Her face fell and I realized that she wasn’t in on this plan.

“Fuck… You didn’t know?” I cringed. I was already failing at this shit.

“Know what, exactly?” she replied as her suspicious eyes burned into me. “Spell it out for me.”

“Your pops owes my ma some money. I guess for him to pay off his debts, we’re supposed to get… married,” I said, choking as the last word came from my lips.

“What the… heck?! Oh, no,” she grumbled to herself as she shot up from her seat.

“You don’t cuss?” I frowned. This shit would never work. She didn’t answer, not even giving me a second glance as she stormed off to the room where our parents were.

“What did you do?” Her eyes were filled with tears as she confronted her father.

“Destiny… Baby, what are you talking about?” That nigga looked nervous as hell. Ma must have gave him the same pep talk she just had with me.