by A'zayler
A simple gold necklace hung low, teasing anybody eyeing her breasts, while the gold chained strap to her purse hung over her shoulder. There were bracelets on each arm, but they were simple and just enough, like her outfit. Forever was in a knee-length red dress and heels, while Eternity’s olive-green dress was a little shorter but flared out, showcasing her thick thighs and wedge heels.
“We’re your girlfriend’s family, duh.” Eternity giggled, as did Forever.
Jerrico’s eyes danced when Goody’s sexy smile curved her mouth. They hadn’t greeted each other, but with the way the air shifted between them, it was sure to come.
“I am not this man’s girlfriend. Stop saying that,” she countered. Not mean or rude, just informative.
“Shid,” Eternity said. “Y’all ain’t even said nothing yet, and I feel like I’m intruding on an intimate moment.”
Forever’s eyes went between Jerrico and Goody while a small smile rested on her face. “I agree with you, Yummy.”
Finally finding his voice, Jerrico took a step toward Goody and grabbed her hand.
Her heels tapped against the glossy floors of his lobby as she closed the distance between them. She looked at him through her lashes as he stared at her.
“Hey, tough girl.” He hugged her to him with one hand and pecked the side of her neck before releasing her. “You doing me bad.”
Goody waited until she was free of his arms to respond. “How?”
The smile dancing in her eyes let Jerrico know that even though she was pretending not to know, she knew him not hearing from her since his cousin’s party was his issue. It had been a week, and he’d called and texted with little to no response. She’d given him bullshit excuses like she was working or was too tired, and because Jerrico had never begged a day in his life, he let her slide with her lies.
He already knew what the real problem was. She liked him and didn’t want to, so she was curving him to keep her feelings at bay. He would let her have that for a few days, but major pressure would be applied again as soon as he had that kind of time to spare.
“You know how, bitch,” Eternity said, making Forever and Bailey laugh.
Jerrico smirked when Goody playfully hit Eternity’s arm. “Mind your manners, li’l hoe. Don’t you see grown folks talking?”
The women were pure comedy to him as he watched them interact. Another attempt at Goody ignoring him. Unfortunately, for her, he wouldn’t allow it in person. The phone was a different story, but in his presence, she was going to feel him, and he meant that.
“You hungry?” Jerrico’s attention was back on Goody.
She nodded with a smile. “You gon’ feed me?”
“Don’t I always?” He winked while grabbing her hand again. “Bailey, get the family table ready for me, please, sweetheart.”
Goody’s smile dropped, and her nose turned up just a tad when she looked from him to Bailey. Jerrico wondered briefly if that was a sign of jealousy. When she tried to pull her hand away from him, it was confirmed, and he stopped her.
“Quit that.”
Goody frowned at him and pulled her hand away. “Quit what?”
“Thinking I care more about her than I do.”
Jerrico was happy that Bailey had walked away because he would have hated to unintentionally make her feel slighted.
“Whatever.”
“Stop, Paradise.” Jerrico was in her face, his chest touching hers. His dominance overpowered her attitude.
He didn’t say anything, and neither did she, but he was sure she got his correction. When he felt he’d put on enough in front of his customers, he turned to look at her sister and cousin. They were both smiling appreciatively. Forever even gave him a thumbs up while Yummy nodded her head slowly.
“It’s ready, Mr. Blake.” Bailey returned with menus and a smile. “You ladies can follow me unless you’d prefer to seat them?”
“I’ll take them, thank you.” Jerrico left off the endearment this go ’round.
Goody was already running from him; he didn’t need to make it worse.
“You pretty girls can follow me.”
Still holding Goody’s hand, Jerrico led them through the restaurant, having to stop and talk a couple of times.
When they finally reached their table, he pulled the chairs out for all of them. When he got to Goody, she sat, and he stood behind her, leaning over so that his mouth was next to her ear.
“You’re breaking my heart. Stop frowning like this.” he blew into her ear, making her shy away from his lips. “I already owe you for making me miss you.”
Goody didn’t budge. She continued looking through her menu like he wasn’t there. Jerrico licked her shoulder, and she pushed him away by his face.
“Ruthless.” He shook his head and looked at her family. “Tell me what y’all want, and I’ll get it right out here.”
“Marcellus said you’d take care of us,” Forever said with her chin resting in her palm.
Jerrico frowned a tad. “Marcellus? You talked to him?”
She nodded. “I sat in on him and Goody’s meeting Friday and asked him about you. We wanted to eat somewhere nice before I went back to California. I was going to ask you to cook, but once he informed me of the vegan dishes at your restaurant, we chose here instead.” Forever’s eyebrows knitted. “Why’d you say it like that?”
“Because my brother doesn’t talk.”
“Told you,” Goody told her.
“Well, I guess I’m special then.” She smiled and looked across the table to Goody. “Kind of like Paradise.”
Jerrico kissed the top of Goody’s head. “Definitely like her.”
“Aww.” Eternity and Forever both swooned.
“I have to get back to the kitchen. I’ll send you all a server. Get whatever y’all want, it’s on me. No limits.”
“That’s what the fuck I’m talking about.” Eternity clapped her hands. “Y’all have good drinks?”
“You old enough to drink?” Jerrico questioned.
Eternity rolled her eyes, making him laugh, “Boy, if you don’t get me a liquor menu.”
“I’m just joking, nothing but the best. I’ll send you out one of my favorites.” Jerrico looked around the table. “Any more requests before I go?”
“I don’t see fish on this menu,” Goody mumbled. “That’s what I want.”
Jerrico grabbed her small hand from the table and raised it above and behind her head to his mouth. “For you, it doesn’t have to be.” He kissed her manicured fingers with the long, pink nails. “If you want it, I got it. I like your nails too.”
“Shit, now!” Eternity high fived Forever. “Get it, bitchhhh.”
Goody snickered below him with her hand still to his lips. Jerrico smiled and put her hand down before standing upright.
“Let me get back to work. You ladies enjoy. Let me know if you need anything.” Jerrico shot them all an award-winning smile, adding a sexy wink to Goody’s and walked away.
Back in the kitchen, he hurried into his office and pulled out his cellphone. He dialed his younger brother Calvary. He lived right up the street and would get to the store and to his restaurant before anyone else.
“Jerrico, the man hoe. What’s up, big bruh?”
Jerrico chuckled at Calvary’s signature greeting for him. “Fuck you. Where you at?”
“The crib, putting on some clothes. What’s up? You must need something.”
“Yeah, where you headed?”
“I was actually headed up there with Mama and Cellus. They didn’t tell you?”
Jerrico closed his eyes and shook his head. That right there was why he tried to keep his family table open at all times. Being that it was Mother’s Day, he should have known Sophia would want to have all of them together, and since he was at work, she’d find her way there. That was half stepping on his part. A mishap that sloppy was definitely Goody’s fault.
“Nah, they didn’t, and I just sat somebody at y’all table.”
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br /> “What? Why you do that? They finna get they asses up today. I’m hungry as hell too.”
Jerrico and Calvary both laughed while Jerrico finished washing his hands and grabbed his chef coat. He was back to his food with the phone cradled between his ear and shoulder.
“Do me a favor and swing by the fresh market up the street. Get me a pound of catfish and bring it with you. Hurry up.”
“Since when you started selling catfish there? I thought that was high-end shit only?”
“It is, but I had a special request for it.”
“Well, specially tell they ass no.”
Jerrico tried to stop his laugh while walking to the large grill that took up his back wall. “I can’t do that. Just get it and hurry up.”
“Hurry up? You must be trying to impress some woman.”
“Yeah, and I can do that if you’ll hurry up and get it done for me.”
Jerrico heard a car door shut. “I’m on the way to do it already.”
“Good looking, and aye, I might have something for you when you get here.”
“Something like what?”
Jerrico could hear the anticipation in his brother’s voice. Three in the same, they all got excited at the thought of meeting new women. Marcellus could remain calmer than Jerrico and Calvary, but he too enjoyed the beauty of the opposite sex.
“Something with ass and hips for days, so don’t half step.”
“Shit yeah! I’m speeding now. She cute?”
Jerrico laughed so hard that he almost dropped his phone. “Come on now, you know I wouldn’t slide you nothing less.”
“Shit like this is why you my boy. I’ll be there in ’bout ten minutes.”
“Bet.” Jerrico ended the call and got to all the other waiting orders. He was moving at record speed getting things done.
He’d already sent his best waitress to help the girls, so he was free to grind until his family got there, and he was forced to take a break. Jerrico’s head dropped the moment he thought about his mother having to sit with Goody. She was about to blow shit all up for him.
She couldn’t stop herself from meddling; that was just how she was. She’d been trying to marry them all off for a while, so to be at a table with three single, and as far as he knew, successful women, his mother was about to have a field day. His brothers were going to kill him. He’d unconsciously set them all up to be annoyed by their mother’s aggressive parenting.
The minutes ticked by as Jerrico waited for Calvary to arrive with Goody’s fish. He’d sent them all his favorite appetizers, and even a small entrée to share while waiting. He was just about to pull his phone back out to call Calvary again when Bailey came through the door smiling.
“Your family is here, Mr. Blake.”
My family?” he questioned, unprepared to stop.
“Yes, sir, your mother and two brothers. Calvary asked to come back here.”
“Of course, you know that.”
Bailey nodded and left the kitchen. Seconds later, she was accompanied by his little brother, the young, womanizing sniper. His long dreads were pulled up in a tall bun with some falling down here and there. A mouth full of gold teeth, and a beer belly heavily disguised beneath flashy clothing set him apart from the rest. He walked coolly toward Jerrico with a white package filled with fish.
The teal and purple Hornets jersey he wore with black jeans and black sneakers was his style to the tee. Calvary was a successful man with his head on straight, but he had a wild side that only his family knew about. He’d been a tyrant for most of their life and had finally gotten himself together after losing his best friend in a fatal run-in with an overly eager cop.
“Jerrico the man, h—”
“Don’t you say that shit in here,” Jerrico pointed a knife toward Calvary.
Calvary’s grill shined when he burst out laughing.
“My bad, here’s your stuff.” Calvary set the fish on the counter. “You might want to hurry up and cook it, though, because your talking ass mama just sat down with them girls.”
Jerrico’s head shot up, and Calvary laughed again.
“Go out there and make sure she don’t say nothing crazy.”
“Man, that’s Mama. All she does is say something crazy. I’ll see what I can do, though. Which one yours?”
Jerrico paused, trying to figure out what Calvary was talking about but smirked when he realized that he was referring to the women.
“The little one in the yellow.”
Calvary’s face lit up as he clapped his hands. “Word?” He laughed excitedly. “They’re all bad, so it wasn’t like you could fuck up with either one. The one in the green dress is hitting like a muthafucka. She stood up to let Mama sit down next to Marcellus. Boy…” Calvary bucked his eyes and dropped his mouth open dramatically. “Ass so fucking big. I slick wanted to grab it.”
Jerrico looked at his brother with a straight face for as long as he could before laughing along with him.
“Man, don’t put your hand on that girl’s butt.”
“I won’t right now, but I might later. That’s what you had for me?”
Jerrico nodded with a large smile on his face.
“Jerrico the man hoe strikes again.” Calvary playfully leaned on Jerrico’s shoulder. “Good looking out. I’m about to go out here and see what she’s talking about.” Calvary started to walk away but stopped and turned back around. “Hurry up. I can’t muzzle Mama by myself for too long.”
“Marcellus out there.”
They shared a knowing look before Jerrico nodded.
“You know that fool ain’t gon’ say much. I might as well be alone.”
“I’m about to fry my girl this fish real quick then I’ll be out.”
Calvary nodded and exited the kitchen. As soon as he was gone, Heather walked up. She smiled at him and unwrapped the fish.
“I’ll get this prepped while you finish that, and then you can serve it and eat with your family.”
Jerrico smiled at her and quickly pecked the side of her head. “Thank you so much. You gon’ be able to hold it down for me for a few hours?”
Heather looked at him as if he was crazy. “I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t.”
Her reassurance made him feel so much better. Jerrico didn’t care what anybody said, having a black woman who had your back was irreplaceable. Whether it be personal or social, black women were backbones and the strongest creatures alive, which was why he employed so many of them. Majority of his staff were women, all black, and all hard workers.
It wasn’t long before he had the food prepped for their table and was ready to take it out, but he needed to take a quick break first. Jerrico hurried to his office to wipe up and change his shirt. Always keeping spare clothing, it took him little to no time to freshen up and change his shirt and shoes. He even sprayed on a little cologne to drown out some of the food smell.
With two of his waiters by his side with the food, Jerrico headed for his family. He took a deep breath, then an even deeper breath when he noticed his mother was seated right next to Goody. On the other side of her was Mr. Clarence. Jerrico’s nose twitched when his eyes landed on the back of his mother’s chair where Mr. Clarence’s arm rested. The table was a long one with three chairs on both sides, and one at the head of each end.
His mother was in one of the head chairs while Calvary was in the other. On one side of his mother was Goody with Mr. Clarence on the other side. An empty chair was next to Goody, and Eternity sat in the last one closest to Calvary. Forever was seated across from Eternity on the opposite side with an empty chair between her and Marcellus.
The distance between those two weirdos made him laugh. He was still smiling when his mother looked up and caught sight of him. She stood to her feet with her arms open for a hug. Jerrico went straight to her, kissing her cheek before pulling away. He looked at Goody first, and she looked indifferent, then to his brothers. They were both wearing sly grins.
“It’s about time
you got out here.” Sofia took her seat again.
Jerrico filled the empty chair next to Goody, scooting a little closer to her, and they all laughed.
He looked around, trying to see what was funny. His li’l homegirl, Eternity, immediately put him on game.
“Your mother didn’t want us to tell her who was here for you because she said you have a habit of telling on yourself.” Eternity smiled. “She said she’d know when you came out and sat down.”
“But, I sat between both of y’all. I could be with you or your cousin.”
“You scooted your chair right to her.” Forever outed him.
Jerrico paused and looked around the table at everyone before shaking his head. “Y’all really need to find something better to do.”
Sofia smiled and grabbed his hand across the table. “She’s beautiful, Jerrico. Doesn’t talk much, but she’s sweet.” Sofia’s eyes went to Goody.
Her head was down, and she was scribbling words onto her napkin. Jerrico leaned over her shoulder and read some of her words. The little bit she allowed him to read was raw, but she snatched the napkin away and stuffed it into her purse.
“That was dope, P.”
“I don’t like when people read over my shoulder,” she said without an ounce of warmth in her words.
Everyone at the table watched their exchange. Jerrico wasn’t sure what her problem was, but he’d let it slide for the sake of his mother. He looked up and nodded toward his employees. They immediately began removing dishes and replacing them with more food.
“So, tell me about you ladies. There has to be something special about you all to be seated at our personal table. Jerrico has never done this before.”
“Jerrico is a real sweetie. Marcellus is nice too.” Forever briefly looked in his direction. “I don’t know Calvary at all. It’s my first time meeting him, but he was polite. You raised good boys.”
“And fine, you raised some fine boys, Ms. Sofia.” Eternity drew laughter with her comment.
Even Sofia laughed at her. “Well, thank you both. It makes me feel good to hear other people speak so highly of my babies.”