by J Peach
“So when you was my age, you wasn’t chasing these chicks out here? Is that why you got so much money?” Blake asked.
I could tell from Blaze’s facial expression he wasn’t expecting that question.
“Umm,” for the first time since they had been talkin’, Blaze’s eyes finally slid to me.
Hell, I shrugged. He had everything under control, so he could answer that question.
“Yeah and no, but our living situations were different. When I was yo age, I had to grow up fast. I ain’t have what you got now. To have caring people around and all this fun shit. I didn’t have that. Everything was different. Nana was good but she wasn’t like yo momma. She didn’t have the funds we have fah you. You got a pops, I ain’t have my dad growing up. I was daddy, husband and all that shit in my house. Just being a kid was something I never got to be. So how I was at yo age don’t apply to you because yo ass got it good, spoiled ass. But yo momma she wasn’t like that. She was wild as hell, going to strip joints, dancing on bars…” I punched him on the arm. “Gon’ now, Peaches. Damn!” Blaze laughed, leaning back as I tried to hit him again.
“Don’t be lying to him. I was not wild. I was a good girl who got involved with a bad boy, one I couldn’t get rid of.” Pursing my lips together, I looked directly at Blaze, making him laugh.
“Because you had me.” Blake chimed in.
My lips stretching into a big smile. “Yep because we had you but before that I tried to get rid of him and he was just like a—”
“Bulldog drooling.” Blake finished my sentence but said the wrong thing.
I started choking as Blake said that.
“Like a bulldog? What’s that about?” Blaze asked and Blake opened his mouth.
“Nothing,” I responded before Blake could. Looking back to Blaze, I questioned, “Oh, so I used to stalk you?” Blaze looked at his son and I started laughing. “Don’t look at him like that with yo lying self. Oh.” Turning toward Blake, I slapped him in the mouth and then reached over the table, punching Blaze. “I bet not ever hear you cuss like that again or I’m gon’ tear yo little ass up, do you understand me?” When he nodded, I turned to the adult behind my baby’s bad mouth. “What I tell you about yo language when you’re with him? He be with you and cussing and then thinks it’s cool to bring that crap back home with him. Blaze he is not your friend. He’s not King, so you can’t talk like that when you’re around him. He don’t need to know anything about big booty bitches or slapping girls…” I then turned to Blake. “Which by the way, if you ever do, I’m gon kick yo butt. You understand me, Rashad?” I stated with my eyes locked with his as Blaze groaned.
“Oh, shit! She done said yo middle name,” Blaze said, rubbing his head.
“She been doing it since the other day.” Blake tried to whisper over to his dad.
They knew I only called them by their middle names when I was serious. My mom used to always do that to us when King and I were younger. When she did, we knew we were in trouble.
I turned my glare back to Blake.
“She’s right here, I’m serious. B, you need to stop that. You too, Rashad, it’s not cute.”
“You cuss, too. Every time you talkin’ to my aunties you always call them bit—” Blake started to reply back smartly but was cut off.
“We got it. Ain’t that right, Blake?” Blaze cut in with a hard glare at our son. I thought that was it until Blaze reached over and grabbed the front of Blake’s shirt and damn near pulled him on top of the table. “If I ever hear some slick shit like that leave yo mouth again when you talkin’ to yo momma, I’mma put my hands on you, understand me?” He stared my baby down hard.
I felt bad for my little man but I was glad he said something because as of late, Blake’s mouth been more and more like his father’s.
“Yes. Sorry, Momma.” Blake apologized.
Hearing his sad voice, I glared at Blaze.
“Shut yo ass up. Don’t say shit,” he told me, catching my look.
I couldn’t do nothing but laugh. “Don’t talk to me like that. You have one kid and I’m not him so watch who you talkin’ to.”
He reached over the table and muffed my head back. “Or what? You gon’ beat my ass, Peaches? Huh?” he asked, muffing me again.
I slapped at his hand, but ended up laughing. That was the reason I tried to keep my distance from him. In no time, Blaze could have me feeling like that love struck twenty-four year old all over again, instead of the thirty year old woman I was.
“Gon’ somewhere, now. You too damn old to be playing like this. Leave me alone, Blaze, with yo creepy butt.” I glanced at Blake and he gave me a cheeky smile, making us laugh.
Turning away from him, I continued to eat my food while I slickly took glances at two of the most important men in my life.
Chapter 5
Peaches
Breakfast went by smoothly with us joking and laughing. Blake and Blaze argued about nothing at all, which had me bursting into fits of laughter at their craziness. Especially Blaze’s, it was comical to see him argue with his mini self and lose.
“Blake, I’ll beat yo little ass. You better shut up.” Blaze suddenly threatened him.
I hit the table, laughing harder.
“Now you wanna whoop my ass because you know I’m right—” Blake stopped talking to Blaze and looked at me with wide eyes. “Momma, look, it was me, Dad, Unc, Bell and Auntie Kim at the courts. Unc was on my team against Dad and Bell, right. So some babes—”
My brow rose at his use of the word babes, Yeah I was going to have to start monitoring their weekends together.
“— had come up there to watch us play. Cute babes, too. Dad had tried to show out in front of them but failed when I shook his old ass and broke his ankles. Man, it was funny when he fell. But, Ma, tell me if this right. Before the game, we made a bet. Everybody had to give two hundred dollas—”
As soon as that last bit left his mouth, my hands started waving. I cut him off. “Wait, wait, wait you had to put up two hundred dollars? B, you don’t have my baby out there betting? Y’all still do that crap?” I asked not wanting to believe this.
“You know it, so why you ask that dumb ass question? Anyway, the bet was if they won, we pay. You know how it goes—”
“Dude, we won!” Blake yelled loudly, jumping up out his seat as he cut Blaze off. “What the fu—”
“Rashad.” I yelled, his lips snapped shut and he glared at Blaze.
Blaze laughed as he started talking. “Y’all won the game, yeah, but our bet you didn’t win that. You ain’t shake me, my shoes wasn’t tied and I tripped—” Blaze started saying, which seemed to piss Blake off more.
“Bullshit! I broke yo old ass, made you fall and everything. Fuck you saying, man? You can ask Auntie Kim, she was there!” Blake snapped.
“Why the fuck I’mma ask her ass fah, so she can lie? I know what the hell happened. Yo ass ain’t shake me, so you don’t get paid, baby. You can try again tomorrow if you want,” Blaze told him.
My poor little man was hot. Blake’s cheeks puffed up and his shoulders moved up and down from his heavy breathing.
Blaze didn’t know but he was about to get it. Once I saw my baby’s mouth open, my hand quickly covered it. Already knowing his next words were going to get him in trouble.
“Baby, calm down. B, you gon’ make me hurt you. Don’t be having him out there playing if you gon’ cheat him out his money. How much was the bet for?” I asked a cheesing Blaze.
He was taunting my baby on purpose. “Three bills, but he lost.”
I let out a little laugh as I got out of my seat and then walked over to Blaze.
“I’m sorry, Rashad, but I gotda agree with yo dad on this one. You can’t play a big man’s game if you gon’ whine and cry about it later. You gotda man up and comeback twice as hard next time. Especially now that you see yo daddy play dirty,” I told him as I held out my hand so Blaze could give me a high-five.
Once he did, I gr
abbed his wrist and quickly unsnapped his black and blue diamond watch. I took it off him.
“Peaches, what the fuck you doing?” He made a grab for me.
Hurriedly, I jumped back and sat in my seat. “Watch your mouth, Blaze.” I put the watch on my four fingers and stared at it before I turned to my little man. “What you think, babe? You like?” I asked Blake and his eyes lit up.
“Yeah, that thang shining,” he said, making me laugh.
“So here’s the deal, you lost the three hundred dollars but you got a trophy. Since I know you shook your daddy out on the court, you get a trophy. From now on, when you’re playing ball with them, don’t play for money, play for trophies. You understand me? If they aren’t willing to drop an earring, a chain, bracelet or pinky ring, then you don’t play. Three hundred dollars ain’t nothing compared to what they wear, so tell yo daddy to keep his money. You’ll take this.” Grabbing my baby’s wrist, I slid the watch on him.
“No shit! I can have this?” he asked with wide eyes.
“Hell n’all—” Blaze started to say until I cut him off.
“Yep, that’s all you, baby. And you don’t take it off for nothing or nobody you understand me?” Blake’s head bobbed up and down as he stared at his new watch. “If somebody try to take it, you throw hands to ‘em, no exceptions,” I said, looking at a confused Blaze.
“Hell n’all! B, gon’ take that off yo moms trippin’ real shit. Gon’ run that back,” he told Blake, waving his fingers but my baby wasn’t giving that up.
“Nope. You lost fair and square. I got the trophy now.” Blake started waving his wrist around.
I broke out laughing as I looked at Blaze.
He bit into his bottom lip and Blaze started his famous head nod. “Gon’ ‘head and keep that. It looks nice on you.”
Knowing Blaze all too well, I turned to Blake. “Baby, gon’ give it back. I’ll buy you a trophy.”
Blaze started laughing. “N’all, don’t do that. Blake, can keep it, you won it. Don’t even sweat it.” Licking his lips, he turned his slanted eyes on me.
“Blaze, gon’ fo’real.” My warning made him laugh.
“I ain’t done shit,” he said with a sexy crooked smile.
“But you thinking about it, so stop. I don’t have nothing to do with what you and Blake have going on.” I tried to get out of it.
His head titled and his brow rose. “You saying what?” He licked his lips waiting on my reply.
I bit into my bottom lip to keep myself from laughing. “Blaze, fo’real, I don’t have time for you.” Looking away from him, I glanced at Blake who wore a confused look. I let out a nervous laugh as I focused back on Blaze.
“What y’all get me for my birthday?” Blaze finally asked, which got Blake excited and myself relieved.
I couldn’t take no more of his look. I knew I was gon’ get it for taking that watch. I just didn’t know what he was going to do or when. Grabbing my tea, I took a drink.
“I asked momma for two hundred ones like Unc told me to but she said no,” Blake shrugged and his smiled seemed to widen.
Covering my mouth, I broke out laughing as I started to choke, which caused the tea to spill from my mouth. Blaze quickly grabbed some napkins covering my hands as him and Blake patted my back. My eyes burned from tears, as my throat ached.
“You i’ight? Damn, spitting all over the food and shit.” Blaze laughed.
Looking at Blaze with teary eyes, I hit him before pushing his black ass away from me. “Shut up, Rashad, you gon’ get yo little self-hurt. The both of y’all. See…” Biting my tongue, I just shook my head already knowing whatever fuss I was about to do was falling on deaf ears. “Give him his gift.”
Blake was all too eager as he grabbed my purse, pulling out the small square box that was gifted wrapped and then two bigger ones before reaching in his pocket and pulling out an envelope. One I didn’t know he had.
“Here, open this one first,” he told his dad, sliding him the envelope with a wide smile.
“What’s that?” I tried to whisper but Blaze heard and raised a brow in Blake’s direction.
“Dang, you nosy. Gon’! This men business.” Blake brushed me off with a serious look.
I slapped him upside his head as a laugh slipped through my lips. “Boy, you ain’t no man. Rashad, stop talkin’ to me.” Shaking my head, I watched Blaze open the white envelope.
Once he looked inside of it, he broke out laughing. “Damn, who you rob?” Blaze asked as he pulled dollars out and started counting it.
“Rashad, where you get that money from?” I know damn well my baby wasn’t stealing from folks. I haven’t given him any money so seeing that had confusion set in my body.
“Nana and Pops gave it to me for cleaning up around the house. I told them I wanted to get my daddy something without asking you for the money so they paid me to clean up,” he explained just as Blaze whistled.
“Shid, what did they have you doing?” Blaze looked at him.
As they were talking, I grabbed Blaze’s coke and started drinking it.
Blake shook his head at that. “You don’t even wanna know. Just make sho you spend that on a pretty girl with a big booty.”
Again, I started choking. This time pop burned my nostrils as it came out. God, this little boy was going to be the death of me.
“Rashad!” Blaze had tainted my son and it was nothing I could do. “Blaze, we gon’ talk about this,” was all I could really say on my baby’s behavior.
Blaze went to grab the last box and Blake smacked his hand away.
“Open this one.” He gave him the small box first then looked and smiled at me before his gaze fell back on his dad.
Blaze picked it up and shook it by his ear. “Making sho it wasn’t no change. Them strippers complain about that shit.”
I grabbed a piece of ice from my cup and threw it at him. “Shut up and open it.”
He tore the wrapping paper that covered the tan colored box from Avianne & Co and his brows rose before opening the box. “Oh shit!”
Blake started laughing at his dad’s reaction. He took out the 10K solid gold, black rhodium plated, diamond pinky ring.
“This how y’all do it?” Blaze asked excitedly as he put the ring on his pinky finger. After seeing it was jewelry, he quickly grabbed the next box and ripped it open, making us laugh at his eagerness. It wasn’t a secret Blaze liked his diamonds. He wasn’t one to show off but he had a lot of jewelry.
After opening the matching bracelet and watch, Blaze tried to give it back.
“Man, I can’t take these. Don’t get me wrong, this shit is hot as fuck but I know you came off too much to get this, Peach,” he said, looking at his gifts then back at us.
“Bae, it was nothing. It’s your birthday and price doesn’t matter around this time. Plus, Blake really wants you to have it.”
“Yeah, keep it, I picked everything out.” Blake lied. My hand rubbed over his waves and I kissed the side of his head. “Ma, gon’,” he whined, shrugging me off him.
I muffed his head to the side then pushed away from him. “Forget you, too, watermelon head punk.”
“Thank y’all, man. Y’all ain’t even have to get all this,” Blaze got, out of his seat with his arms stretched wide. Blake quickly followed suit as he hopped up to hug his dad. “Come on, Peaches, don’t sit yo stuck-up ass right there. Get yo ass up. This a group hug.”
Laughing, I stood up and pressed my front against Blake’s back and encircling my arms around Blaze’s waist. I held them tight. We didn’t see each other every day, but we were every bit of a family.
“Y’all squishing me.” Blake started to wiggle, trying to get loose. “It’s hot in here.” He complained
Blaze and I laughed at his dramatic self and we broke apart, but Blaze grabbed my arm and pulled me back to him. “Good lookin’.”
Smiling, I simply nodded not trying to hold his eyes too long as my stomach became tight. “As long as you like them,
that’s all that matters.” His hands soon slid into my back pockets. “You need to stop before you get yoself in trouble.”
Blaze bit into his lower lip as he made his famous hum. “Mm, is that a promise?”
Pushing away from him, I laughed. “I’m not about to go there with you, Blaze. We gon’ be good.” I knew where his head was at. Apart from the last three years, we would always end up together, around this time, until the sun came creeping through the curtains the following morning. “Tell me about your little friend.”
“You’ll meet her tonight.” He smiled.
Smacking my lips at his reply, I let it drop knowing I wasn’t going to get nothing outda him.
“Whatever, Blaze.”
Even though it came off jokingly, I hope the chick was up to par for her sake.
More importantly, I hope I didn’t come off like the jealous ex.
Chapter 6
Peaches
Once we left the restaurant, we drove forty-five minutes back to Gary to meet up at Mom B’s house like always. Every year she would buy him a cake and we all would go over there to eat it.
“Can we eat cake now?” Blake asked as he flopped down on the couch next to me.
“Once your papa get back, we can,” Bianca sighed heavily.
Blake seemed to ask that question every thirty seconds or so and it was frustrating her. My baby groaned and stomped out of the living room making me laugh.
Blaze walked into the living room and sat down next to me with a cup.
“Ooh, give me some.” I asked him as he was about to take a drink. With the cup still to his lips, he glanced at me before taking a drink. “Blaze, don’t drink it all.”
“Yo yellow ass don’t even know what it is and you begging.” He fussed before drinking some more.