Page 59 of When I Thug You Like That

“Oh, you ain’t tell her ‘bout it?”

“Nah, it didn’t cross my mind. Oh, then she was mad ‘cause she caught me staring at Ms. Jai ass.”

“Oh, you was on bullshit.” Aura laughed.

“I don’t see how that’s possible, seeing as me and India ain’t together, and these my eyes.”

“True,” Pryce agreed.

“If that nigga stop fuckin’ her, he wouldn’t have to worry ‘bout shit like that,” Tay counseled.

“Ahhh, here come the co-parenting police. Since you so much on a nigga case about me fuckin’ my baby mama every now and then, you’ll be happy to know that I ain’t hit in a few days.”

That was the God’s honest truth too. I hadn’t really had too much kick it for India since Baby Jay’s first day. Her not showing up to pick him up and having yet another lame excuse as to why she couldn’t was enough for me. It just showed that the conversation we had earlier that day went in one ear and out the other. Normally, she would’ve found a reason to argue with me about something by now, but I had a feeling she knew she fucked up too because all of our communication had been through text.

She’d done the last few drop-offs, and I picked Baby Jay up in the afternoon. That gave me more time to talk to Jai’ana without her having to get to her class. The conversations were never long and drawn out, but they were enough for me to slip a joke or two in and for her to call me out for flirting. Tuesday, we talked about Baby Jay’s fixation on his food being plated a certain way. Wednesday, we found ourselves in a debate about what school lunch was the best growing up, pizza or cheeseburgers and tater tots. That was how I learned that she hated pepperoni pizza but could bust a whole cheese pie down herself.

By Thursday, I came straight out and asked if she had a man. She still hadn’t gave me an answer. Just a slight grin and a “Have a good day, Mr. Sullivan.” Ms. Jai was playing hard to get for sure.

“Sound like a lie.” Tay waved me off.

“Shit, I ain’t ‘bout to sit here and try to convince you, nigga.”

“So, you been using dismissal time to holla at Baby Jay’s teacher?” Pryce asked.

“If that’s what you wanna call it. We just be talkin’.”

“About what?” he pried.

“Whatever we be talkin’ bout, nosey ass nigga.” I got up from the seat to grab a drink from the fridge.

“Any other time, you be waiting to tell us some shit ‘bout a female,” Aura pointed out. “Now you wanna be quiet ‘bout this one.”

I shrugged, walking back over. “Ain’t nothin’ to really speak on right now. All I can tell you is she cool and Baby Jay fucks wit’ her.”

“Tell ‘em about how you personally hand delivered sliders and dip to her and her homegirl at the distillery last week,” Tay called me out.

“My fault, Ezzy.”

“What you apologizing to that nigga for?” Tay asked, confused.

“This.” I launched a pillow in his direction, and it hit him in the face.

Enzo laughed. “This why I don’t invite y’all over.”

“I apologized in advance.”

“That don’t make the shit no better.”

“It kinda do. That was me being courteous.”

Tay grabbed the pillow and fluffed it back up on the couch. “There. The pillow is safe now. We don’t want no smoke. Now, can we get back to the fact that this nigga done turned dismissal into the Love Jones Connection?”

“Mannn, next subject,” I stressed.

“You sure? ‘Cause you smiling again.”

I sucked my teeth and turned my head back toward the TV. Thankfully, nobody said anything else. There wasn’t much else to say other than what I already shared. Ms. Jai was fine, funny, and I liked talking to her. More importantly, I liked that she’d made a positive impression on my son. I couldn’t ask for anything more, at least not at the moment.