by K. C. Mills
“Amen to that. I don’t even know who my cuz is anymore,” Nova added.
Joy just smiled. Truth be told, he had her just as much, but it was good to know that the feeling was mutual.
They chilled at the mall for a little while longer before they dropped Joy off at Logic’s apartment. He wasn’t there yet, so she made his bed since she left in such a rush earlier, and then got comfortable in the living room with some one-on-one time with lifetime. Joy actually enjoyed hanging out with Najah and Nova, and could tell that they all were going to have a special and interesting relationship.
-11-
“Unc, will you tell my ma to sign me up for basketball? She keeps tripping about it.”
“Watch how you talk about me little boy, and I’m not tripping about it. I said I’m not signing you up because of your slick ass mouth. You so grown that I need you to understand that I make the rules, not you.” Najah grabbed her son Trent by the shirt, and pulled his body towards her. He was so much of his father’s child that she hated it sometimes. At 6-years-old, he looked like he was 10, taking on his father’s build. Fez was 6’3” with an athletic built body that had your panties wet just from looking at him. His dark chocolate skin and jet-black wavy hair, had been passed down to their son. Fez told anybody that would listen, that Trent wasn’t his, but they all laughed at him because Trent was Fez’s twin. Najah always said it was her fault because she hated him so much while she was pregnant; all they did was argue.
“Let him go Nah Nah.” Logic looked at his sister in a way that she wasn’t going to challenge. She released her son and rolled her eyes at him.
“Look Trent, you need to calm your little ass down and respect your mother. Didn’t we just talk about that?”
Trent dropped his head and mumbled, “Yes sir.”
“Aye, come here,” Logic said reaching for his nephew. As soon as Trent was close enough, he pulled him into a hug. “Yo, I need you to be a man. A man respects women, especially their mom. Don’t let anybody show you or tell you different. You see her?” Logic pointed at his sister. “That’s your rock right there. Nobody will love you or support you more than your moms, Trent. Not even me. Don’t ever forget that. So you treat her like a queen because that’s what she is, you feel me?”
A smile spread across Trent’s face. “Yes sir.” He hugged his uncle one last time before he let him go, and then walked up to his mother and wrapped his arms around her waist and looked up at her. “Sorry Ma.”
Najah shook her head and smiled at her son before she leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. “Go see what your grandma in there doing and let me talk to your uncle.”
“About me playing ball?”
“Bye Trent.”
He grinned at his mom and then high-fived Logic. “Later Unc.”
“Later Trent.”
When he was out of sight, Logic looked right at his sister. “You gotta stop trying to handle him, Nah Nah. You either babying him or trying to jack him up. You can’t do that.”
“I’m trying Auggie, but he drives me crazy; he has so much of Fez in him.”
Logic’s jaw got tight and he narrowed his eyes at his sister. “Fuck that nigga, Trent ain't nothing like him and never will be. Just watch how you handle him before you force his ass in the streets.”
“Fine, damn, chill out. I’m just saying.” Najah knew that she struck a nerve by saying Fez’s name around her bother, so she changed the subject.
“So your new boo has a key to your place but I don’t?” A smug look crossed her face as she looked at her brother.
He laughed. “It’s not even like that. I just gave it to her so that she could lock up since you and Nova kidnapped her ass this morning.”
“So you taking it back then?” Najah asked, folding her arms and letting her weight rest on one hip.
“Mind your business, Nah Nah.”
“You are my business.”
Logic chuckled. “That’s the same shit Joy said.”
“What’s that?”
“That I’m your business.”
“See, I knew I liked her bourgeois ass,” Najah said and laughed.
“I’m not messing with you. I’m out though. I’ll hit you up about Trent and this basketball thing.”
“I don’t have time for that, Auggie. I work and go to school, when am I supposed to have time to take him to practice and games?”
“Just chill, we’ll talk about it. Tell Ma I said I’ll check her out soon.”
Logic moved to the door and stopped after he had it open.
“Hell no, tell her your damn self. You not ‘bout to have her cuss my ass out ‘cause you didn’t tell her bye.”
“Come on Nah, please? You know she’s gonna start talking and shit and I’ll never get out of here.” Logic took a step towards his sister, kissed her on the cheek and then jetted out the door yelling, “Love you, bye,” before he closed it behind him.
He knew his sister was cussing him out, but she would just have to get over it. He needed to get home so he could spend some time with Joy.
When Logic made it to his apartment, it was after seven. He unlocked the door and found Joy knocked out on his sofa, holding the remote against her chest. He smiled at how cute she looked and all he could think was that coming home to her wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Once he was inside, he dropped his keys on the coffee table before he leaned down and started panting kisses all over her face until her eyes opened and she smiled at him.
“You just getting here?” she asked, pulling her body to a seated position. Logic sat down next to Joy and she leaned into his body, letting her head rest on his shoulder after looping her arm through his.
“Yeah, I’ve been at my mom’s with Nah Nah. You know she was talking shit about you,” Logic said playfully.
Joy quickly lifted her head and frowned at him, because as far as she could tell they all got along and they seemed cool with her.
“Really, about what?” She sounded so surprised that Logic didn’t have the heart to continue his lie.
“Nah, I’m just fucking with you. She actually said you’re cool.”
“No thanks to you, for throwing me to the wolves.” Joy balled up her fist and let it land on his thigh.
“Chill, it was all good. You’re cool with them and apparently, they like your bourgeois ass too, so it all worked out.”
Logic got up and walked into the kitchen followed by Joy, who watched as he began pulling items out the cabinets and refrigerator. Joy just followed his movements as she sat on the counter before she finally spoke up.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
Logic looked over his shoulder and smiled before he leaned down to retrieve a pot from under his counter. “I told you I had a surprise. I’m cooking for you, then we’re going to chill and talk, so stop looking at my shit because it’s off limits tonight.” He had a grin on his face when he noticed Joy’s eyes roaming his body.
“Talk?” Joy asked, as she raised her eyebrows.
“Hell yeah, talk. We got the other shit perfected, but I think we need to get to know each other, don’t you?” Logic winked at Joy as he filled the pot he was holding with water.
Joy laughed. “I’m good with that and I’m not the one who always has a problem with respecting personal space.”
Logic chuckled before he walked over to Joy and kissed her on the neck, and then went back to cooking. “I’m good shorty.”
“We’ll see, what are you making?” Joy asked.
“Spaghetti with Italian sausage meatballs.”
“So you cook like that?” Joy smiled as she watched him move around the kitchen. It seemed like every day that they were together he got sexier to her, and seeing him moving around his kitchen like he owned it, was definitely adding to that.
Logic looked across his shoulder at Joy. “Mini don’t play. She said she wasn’t raising any lazy children or sorry men; so yeah, it’s like that.”
“Do you want
me to help?” Joy asked.
“Nah, I’m good. Just talk to me and keep me company,” Logic replied.
“About what?”
“You, shorty… who is Joy Malone?”
Joy had no idea what he wanted to know, so she just started rambling about her life. She told him about her parents and their boring marriage, how it was for her growing up with them, and how they hated the fact that she didn’t pick one of the schools that they chose for her. They talked about him meeting her family one day, which Logic wasn’t thrilled about based on everything that Joy had told him about them; but he agreed to do it, just no time soon. By the time Joy had gone through her life story, dinner was ready, so she sent him to get comfortable while she fixed their plates.
After she had them set up to eat in his living room, Logic returned wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, and the two of them got comfortable on the sofa to eat.
“So you know all about me, what’s your story? I mean, I know you dropped out of school at sixteen, but I don’t know much else about you.”
“It’s because there’s nothing to tell.” Logic looked into Joy’s eyes before he focused on his plate again.
“Everyone has a story.”
“True, but not every story is worth the time it takes to tell it.”
“Yours is, to me anyway.” Joy frowned at Logic, but he smiled at her because of how cute she looked and the seriousness in her request.
“Well, you know about my moms. I don’t really know much about my dad other than he was a pimp. My mom kept us away from him, but I heard he died a few years ago. I’m not one of those people who feel like my life was ruined because Daddy wasn’t around. Shit, Mini held us down. She’s always been everything I needed, and then there’s Luther. I guess you can say he was like a father to us. He wants my mom, but she’s not fucking with him like that.” Logic chuckled like he was having a private thought, and then continued.
“My brother was my dude. We were close, always had been, which is why he hit the streets like me. He always wanted everything I had and to do everything I did, and he was good at that shit too; hell, better than me. He was street smart… it was natural for him. I was more of a thinker and he was more of a hustler. My moms always said he got that from our pops. I miss him like crazy.”
Joy set her plate on the table in front of her and turned to face him. She surveyed the solemn look on his face, before she reached for his plate and placed it next to hers, and then climbed onto his lap, straddling him. Joy placed her hands on the side of his face, and then kissed him.
“You trying to seduce me shorty?” Logic looked leaned back just a little and smiled at Joy.
“Do you want me to?” Joy asked before she kissed him again.
“I meant what I said, just talking tonight shorty.”
Joy looked down at his lap. “You sure about that?”
“That’s gonna happen anytime you’re this close to me, but trust me, I can handle that. You just get your shit together.”
“I’m good, trust me,” Joy lied. She wanted him but wasn’t going to break if he wasn’t.
Logic decided to test her, so he cupped the back of her head pulling her into him, and kissing her in a way that had him rethinking his decision. Once their eyes were on each other again, he laughed because Joy’s face was flushed.
Logic leaned forward and reached around Joy to grab his remote. “Come on, let’s watch a movie.”
Joy rolled her eyes and grabbed the remote out of his hand, as the two of them got comfortable. Joy found a movie and they chilled for the rest of the night. They were both feeling each other and the thought of this being a regular thing for them.
-13-
“Logic, can I holla at you for a minute?” Gotti moved slowly towards Logic, knowing that he would be cautious about dealing with him. Logic glanced at Gotti and then looked past him, as if expecting someone else. Donte’s soldiers never made moves alone.
“It’s just me,” Gotti said when he realized what Logic was doing.
Logic laughed sarcastically. “Your boss know you here?”
“Nah, this is about him, so he don't know shit about me being here.”
“About him?” Logic asked, now curious to find out what Gotti had to say. He nodded to a table and the two of them sat down.
“Shit isn’t the same since you left, Logic. Everybody’s beefing, we’re losing money and Donte’s doing some foul shit. He’s taking shorts and the customers know. They don’t like that shit so they’re finding other suppliers.”
“That’s not my problem anymore Gotti, I don’t know what you expect me to do about that.”
“I expect you to get your shit back. It’s always been yours. Donte is a fucking snake man, and you know it. He’s changed, Logic; he don't give a fuck about anybody but himself, and he’s gonna fuck around and get us all killed. I gotta eat man, so I gotta be out here… but not under Donte, not anymore. Come get your shit back, Logic.”
Logic thought about it for a minute before he answered. He had too many people to think about now, and going back would only complicate things. “Nah, I can’t do that. Just start your own shit. You’re smart Gotti.”
“And forever be looking over my shoulder? That shit won’t work, and I’m a worker not a leader - that’s your shit, and I’m good with that. I’m telling you now, you got support. The block is ready for you with whatever. If we need to take Donte down then fuck it, we got you. Just take your shit back Logic. It was never his in the first place. The only reason why we were so strong was on the strength of you. Nobody respects Donte and shit is getting out of control.”
Logic was taking it all in so he still hadn’t said anything. Gotti stood and extended a hand to Logic. They dapped each other and then Gotti had his final say.
“Look, I know where your head is at after Nard and trust me, I feel you on that, but I also know you want Donte to pay for that shit. You got support Logic; we’ll stand for you with whatever. So just think about it, that’s all I ask.”
Without another word, Gotti turned to leave and Logic let him. He had a lot on his mind and needed some time to process it.
Logic couldn’t help but be intrigued by the idea of taking over again. That was his life; he was good at it and he missed the rush it gave him. He missed the respect and the authority. There was something in that feeling that he knew he couldn't get anywhere else. Some things just were what they were, and Logic belonged in the streets, he knew it, and was fighting against himself every day that he tried to stay away from it.
The problem was that he promised his mother he wouldn't go back. She was afraid of losing another son, and he knew that it would break her if she knew that he was even considering it. Also, now there was Joy. Even though she said she would be okay with it, he knew in his heart that she didn't know what she was agreeing to. He understood that, but it didn’t matter because until now, he hadn’t really given much thought to going back.
Having the support of the block would make it much easier to get rid of Donte, and he knew it. If he was in charge again, everyone would look the other way like it never happened. Hell, Gotti even said they’d do it for him if that’s what needed to happen, but Donte was his. Logic needed the satisfaction of knowing that he took the life of the person who took his brother’s life, and he wasn’t going to rest easy until that happened.
“Hey baby.” Logic looked up right into his mother’s face and he found it odd that of all days, she would stop by today; the same day that Gotti stopped by begging him to come back.
“Sup Ma, what you doing here?” He made his way over to his mother and pulled her into a hug.
“Just came by to talk to Luther about a few things. I think I’m going to let Nell and Linda take over for me. I’ll still check up on them, but I’m an old lady now and I think it’s time I slow down a little.” Mini smiled at her son. She had been playing with the idea for a while and since she had Nell and Linda working under her, she figured that they could hand
le the actual cleaning, while she focused on the business side. She had put enough time into her small business that she felt comfortable passing down the physical labor to her employees. Mini was a hard worker and started off cleaning to keep food on the tables after she got out of rehab, but with Luther’s help, it eventually turned into a small business. Nothing major, but enough for her to take care of her family and not depend on anyone else.
“That’s good Ma, I’ve been telling you that for years.” Logic smiled at his mother. He hated that she worked so hard for them, which was another reason why it was always so easy for him to hit the streets. It killed him how hard she worked, especially since he knew it was all for them.
“We had to eat baby,” Mini said with a soft smile. “Is he here?” she asked, and then nodded towards the back where Luther’s office was.
“Yeah, he’s back there, come on.”
Mini frowned at her son. “I don’t need an escort. I can find my way back there without getting lost.”
Logic chuckled. “Yeah, aight.” He knew that she didn’t want him back there with her. For years she stayed neutral with her relationship with Luther, but Logic knew that she wanted more. She just made a point of putting her life on hold for her family, so she and Luther remained friends. Honestly, Logic didn’t really mind. Luther was a good guy and he knew that Luther would be good to his mother, so he was good with them being more than they currently were.
He watched as his mother smoothed her long hair and adjusted her shirt, before she took off towards Luther’s office. When she was out of sight, he went back to setting up for their lunch crowd, which would be coming through soon. They were never really extremely busy, but they did have a steady flow of regulars that came through.
“You’ve been quiet lately,” Kia said as she approached Logic.
“What’s quiet Kia?”
She flashed a seductive smile. “I haven’t seen much of you outside of here.”