Page 89 of When I Thug You Like That

“So, you just assume I’m not allergic, and I’m gonna eat all that food?”

“Nah.” I sipped my drink. “I assume you greedy like me. I know you’re not allergic to seafood because if you were, you wouldn’t have hesitated to mention it.”

She smiled. “Okay, you got some points on the board for that one.”

“Shit, I’ma earn my A.”

“Who said there was an A available?”

“There’s always an A available when you perform above expectations. You know that, Ms. Jai.”

Silence.

“I like your haircut,” she complimented. “I was gonna tell you that back at the school but figured your head was already big enough.”

I swiped my palm over my waves.

“You could’ve told me. I know how to handle a compliment.”

She stared at me with her lips poked out.

“Aight, probably not.”

We both laughed because I was indeed a cocky ass nigga. Not to the point where it turned women off though.

“But thank you. Got a new barber.”

“Really?” She took a sip of her drink. “I thought guys were just as serious about who touches their hair as we are with ours.”

“Oh, most definitely. This barber came highly recommended, and the results proved why.”

“I agree. I might need that information for my godson. His old barber isn’t an option anymore, and Taina has been trying to find someone good.”

“If you want, I can send a text and get him scheduled,” I said, pulling out my phone.

“Really? I’d appreciate it. This Saturday would be perfect. Oh, and my godson is autistic. Haircuts haven’t been an issue for him, but I still want to make sure whoever he goes to is patient.”

“I’ll double check, but if anything, Baby Jay’s barber is the owner, so I can have him on standby. If it’s better for you, I can meet y’all there.”

“Better for me, huh?”

“Yeah. I can introduce y’all, make sure everything go smooth.”

“Handsome and useful. Okay.”

“We on the fourth compliment? Yeah, I’m definitely picking up the tab. You can have dessert too.”

“Boy, shut up.” She laughed.

CHAPTER 14

He is…

JAI’ANA

Iwas still laughing when the waiter returned carrying our food. Jay was a comedian without even trying. And seeing as I was used to laughing at niggas and not with them, this was a breath of fresh air.

The smell of lobster and pepper sauce hit me before the plate touched the table. I hadn’t eaten a real meal in hours, and the granola bar I had around five didn’t even scratch the surface enough to keep me full.