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“I just did.” She rolled her eyes again as I pulled off. Once I got on the 290, Bubbles reclined her seat and removed her shoes. When she put her feet on my dash, I looked at her like she was crazy. This girl didn’t give a fuck! Who the hell climbs in somebody else’s expensive ass truck and put their feet on the dashboard like they were chilling on a couch?

“You tripping, Stink.” She looked up confused.

“What I do?”

“You got your ashy ass feet on my shit.” Reaching over, she slapped me in the chest.

“My feet ain’t ashy. You tried it.”

“Look at your heel. I know you see that dry patch.” She looked down, trying to see it.

“Well, lick ‘em and moisturize ‘em then, since you so bothered.”

“I ain’t bothered. I’m observant.”

“I heard. You saw right through Juanita shit. Why you do my mama like that? She was going through it.” We both fell out laughing.

“I ain’t do shit.”

“You had her over there singing the blues and smoking squares.” I shrugged.

“Your mama laid the rules out. I just followed them. She took your bread, rule applied. She took mine, same rule applied. So, I took hers. How does that shit now change? Fuck that! I’m the gander, and her old ass is mother goose.”

“Don’t call my mama mother goose.” I loved how she wasn’t taking it seriously. I thought she would be pissed, but she was over here laughing and shaking her head. I knew it was a chance that it wouldn’t go over well with her when I took Juanita’s shit, but I was going to do it regardless. She needed to learn a lesson, and who better to teach her than me?

“Your mama needs to stop taking people shit.”

“You know damn well you ain’t finna stop Juanita from stealing. She probably trying to figure out how to get you back right now.”

“She can try.”

“See, I’m not getting in this. Both of yall crazy. How were you able to do it that fast? Your friend, Key?”

“Yeah, that nigga can get in anything.”

“Taffy told me about him. Said he was mad at a chick and put her credit score at zero.”

“That sounds about right. Key run a strict program.”

“Yeah, Juanita on her own. I’m not about to piss yall off, and yall not about to drive me crazy. I need to keep the little sanity I got left.”

“You damn sure ain’t got much.”

“That’s why I need to keep it.” Bubbles went to slap my hand, but I grabbed it. When she didn’t pull away, I locked my fingers in hers and continued to drive. When she didn’t say anything for a while, I turned the music up, and we vibed to it the rest of the way. It was something about being able to enjoy a chick’s company even if they weren’t talking. That shit was rare and further let me know she was different. Yeah, her way of thinking was messed up, but after meeting her mama, that girl didn’t stand a chance. She had no option but to turn out like that. An hour later, Bubbles sat up when we pulled into my Exclusive Enclave.

“Where the hell you going? I thought you said we was about to eat? I’m not eating at no rich white people house?” I looked at her and laughed.

“We are about to eat. You gone have dinner at a rich black nigga’s house. Is that cool with you?” She looked at me, trying to see if I was serious. When I pulled into my driveway, I put my hand to the box allowing the gate to open.

“Oooohhhh, this niceeeeee,” she said, mimicking Tiffany Haddish. I drove around to the front and parked. It was no need to put it in the garage, since I didn’t know how long we would be staying. Getting out, I walked to her side and opened the door. Once we got inside, she stopped and looked around. “Naw, for real. This really is nice.”

“Thanks.” She walked further into the foyer and noticed the double sided staircase.

“What you say you do for a living again?”

“Money management,” I said while laughing.

“Mmmm hmmmm. You need an assistant?”