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“God, please watch over me. For ten minutes, I just need for you to shield me,” I voiced, as I pulled my car into the gas station.
Other cars were gassing up, which made me feel somewhat comfortable. What had me shaking a little bit was the black Porsche truck that was parked right in front of the gas station doors. It was playing loud, rap music, and about ten guys were hanging out by the car.
I just prayed that none of them saw me, found me attractive, and tried to come over. I parked as far away from that commotion as I possibly could, which really wasn’t much because the gas station really that big, and the other pumps were already occupied. Luckily, I wouldn’t have to walk past the men since I would just pay at the pump with my card. Because I watched the news and knew that people tried to break into cars people pumped gas, I stored my purse under my seat and got out, holding my debit card. I got a few napkins from the dispenser and pulled out the pump.
“Damn, Black! You fine as fuck!” I heard one of the men yell.
I knew they were talking to me, but I kept my back turned, not even going to give them any attention because once I did, one of them was liable to come over.
“Where yo’ nigga at, ma? Ain’t no fuckin’ way your fine ass should be pumping some fuckin’ gas by yourself this late at night! Don’t you know that it’s savages out here!” another one called out.
My heart started to race a little faster as I prayed that this gas would go faster. I was going to just get at least ten dollars in because that would hold me on the drive home. I could feel somebody coming up behind me, so I yanked the pump out. It dropped to the ground. Some of the gas got on my feet, and a little bit of it got on my legs.
“Watch out! Why the hell you pumping gas this late at night anyway? You know where the fuck you at, shorty?” that familiar, rude voice said to me.
I was bent down, trying to pick up the gas pump that I’d dropped, but he stepped over me and picked it up. It was Billion. I don’t know if I should say this, but he was once again coming to my rescue. My hands were still shaking. For a second, I really had to post my back against the car because this could have ended differently for me. This could have easily been one of those men who were standing over the car came behind me and would have possibly tried to snatch me up.
My eyes weren’t on Billion. Instead, they were too busy fixed on the boys who were still standing by the car.
He followed my eyes and turned around to see what I was looking at, and then he sucked his teeth.
“Yo, y’all little niggas go home! Y’all scaring the fuck out of the lady. Y’all done looked at my car long enough. Get the fuck off my shit before you get all them fuckin’ fingerprints on my shit!” he yelled out to the boys. He didn’t even have to say it a second time because instantly, all of them just took off running.
By this time, Billion had placed the gas pump back in the car and was letting it pump on its own. While it did that, he went over and grabbed a few napkins. I have to say that I was very shocked when he bent down and wiped off the gas that had gotten on my legs, and even the gas that was on my feet. I didn’t even say anything. I was just still trying to piece together what could have possibly happened.
Just like the last time I saw him, he looked nice. He was dressed in a black, gray, and white Nike windbreaker with the matching bottoms that he happened to be sagging in. I couldn’t see his perfect waves tonight because there was a black Nike hat on his head. Black huaraches were on his feet, and unlike the last time I saw him, he wasn’t flashy in his jewelry. Instead, he wore one simple chain around his neck, which was a Jesus piece, and when he talked, I could see his golds.
Being so close up on him again, I took in his flawless skin, how good he smelled—even though I could smell smoke on him—and just how big and strong he was. I looked down at him, and his light brown eyes were staring into me as he finally stood up and tossed the napkins in the trash. By this time, my gas had shut off, and he took out the pump and put it back where it belonged.
“Aight. You good on gas. This spot is a hot spot. I’m not sure how much you know about this part of town, but if this shit ain’t safe in the daytime, then imagine how unsafe it can be at night. I told you before how some niggas can act like fuckin’ savages when they see a woman in a dress,” he told me.
The dress that I wore today stopped right before my knees and had a slightly snug fit. My hair had been pulled up into a ponytail all day, but I had taken the ponytail out when I was backing out of the church parking lot.
“Thank you. I just need to go over there and put air in both of my front tires. The pressure in them is going down,” I told him.
He looked at me for a few seconds, and then he went over to my passenger side and examined the front tire.
“You got a nail right here in this one. Come here,” he said, and I walked over.
I bent down a little bit, and I could see the nail.
Billion walked in front of the car to examine the next tire. Funny how I was standing out there with him, and I wasn’t scared one bit. He just gave off vibes of protection. I personally knew that I was standing in one of the worst parts of Miami, but for whatever reason, I felt like I was okay because I was with him.
“You must have been driving where they were doing construction because you got a nail in this one too. My nigga got his own car shop about two blocks from here. You need new tires, ma. Both of these tires are fuckin’ bald. That shit is dangerous as fuck to be riding around with tires like that. Ima have him hook you up with new tires and an alignment. You’ll be good to drive the car down a couple of blocks,” he told me.
I gave him a look like I wasn’t too sure. I mean, I was comfortable around him, but not that comfortable.
He saw the way I was looking and released a sigh.
“I ain’t them thirsty ass niggas who were hounding you when you pulled up. You’re best friends with Twink, and that’s my cousin, but I swear she’s like my little sister. I know you mean a lot to her because she be talking to me about you all the time, so all I’m trying to do is look out and, at the same time, make sure you safe and shit. My face is good everywhere I go, so you ain’t gotta worry about nobody fuckin’ with you. You going to follow me there or what?” he questioned.
“Yeah, I’ll follow you,” I let him know.
“What’s good, Dru?” I said once my homie, Dru, of over twenty years answered the phone for me.
I was leaned back in my seat and talking to him through the Bluetooth in my car. This was a dude who I went way back with, a dude who put money on my books when I was locked up and had even come down to the prison to see me a few times. All of those were things that he wasn’t obligated to do, but because he was a real nigga, he did the shit anyway.
Dru was a couple years older than me, and I met him while I was in middle school. Lil bad ass nigga, just how I was growing up, plus we lived in the same projects. The brotherhood that we had over the years stemmed from him being around the way. He was in attendance the night I celebrated my welcome home party. He and his baby mama, Rajanae. Since we were youngins, he’d always been fascinated with cars and shit, so I couldn’t even say that I was surprised when I learned that he’d opened his own shop.
