then?”
“You lied to me, Shay!” the guy with the champagne bottle interrupted, looking directly into Danté’s eyes. “Dis nigga ain’t no friend of yours.” He took a deep breath. “Do you wanna take up dis tab fo’ dis bitch?” he asked and pointed at Shay.
Danté’s heart was thumping inside his chest, and his anger had risen to the point where he could have killed Shay himself. He looked at Shay, who gave him a look as if to say, My life is in your hands . He looked back at the guy across the table.
“All I got is fifty-five thousand to my name. After that, I’ll be broke,” Danté told them.
“Don’t worry ‘bout dat. You gonna take Shay’s place anyway. He ain’t trustworthy.”
He paused and took a sip from the champagne glass. His eyes went to his comrade, who hadn’t spoken a word since the meeting started. The guy stood up and went through the door that led to the bedroom. He came back with a shopping bag similar to the one Danté had given Mrs. Diane earlier. He dumped five small blocks carefully wrapped in gray duct tape onto the table. Danté hadn’t expected this much at one time, and besides, he’d only been flipping half a kilo. He looked at the dope and then glanced up at the guy across from him.
“How much you chargin’ me?” he asked.
“Twenty-five each,” the man replied. “Now, if you can’t handle it, you need to let me know.”
“Ain’t no problem,” Danté said, his eyes never leaving his.
The man put the coke back in the bag, stood up, and motioned for Danté to follow him.
Danté stood and moved around the table, following the guy out into the hallway. The two exchanged numbers, with Danté giving him both his pager and house numbers. He never bothered asking about Shay, and the arrangement was that the money would be picked up later.
Just as he was leaving, his pager vibrated. It was Summer.
Chapter 10
With an IV needle stuck in her vein, a fatigued Summer dozed off in the hospital room, with Mrs. Diane sitting in the cushioned chair beside the bed. Mrs. Diane occupied herself with circling letters in her word search book. Her daughter had just given birth an hour ago to a healthy seven-pound baby boy, who she named Danté, Jr.
The door opened, and Danté walked inside with Jeremy and Jermaine. He spoke his last words into his cell phone and ended the conversation just as Mrs. Diane closed her puzzle book. The twins, who were almost three years old, were mature enough to know that something was wrong with their mother. They went to the bed, but neither one of them could actually see her.
One of them looked back at Mrs. Diane, and with sadness in his eyes, he asked, “What’s wrong wit’ Mama?”
As both twins waited for an answer, she simply told them that she was resting.
Danté stood next to her, admiring how beautiful she was in her sleep. He brushed a few strands of hair from her forehead and then he kissed her there. She tried opening her eyes, and her face spread into a smile when she saw Danté. He leaned down again and kissed her lips.
“How you feelin’?” he asked her.
Moving her lips, she whispered, “I’m okay, baby.”
The twins called her while standing next to the bed, wanting to see her. Danté lifted one of them up so she could give him a kiss. Then he lifted the next one, and she gave him a kiss, as well. Mrs. Diane stood smiling at Summer.
Then she leaned down and whispered in her ear, “You been passin’ gas the whole time. I know it was you.”
Mrs. Diane and Summer laughed.
“I love you, Mama,” Summer said while hugging her.
“I love you, too, baby. You’re comin’ home tomorrow.”
“You been to the nursery?”
She nodded. “He’s doin’ fine.”
“I want somethin’ to eat.”
“You can’t eat nothin’ solid yet. Maybe later.”
There was a soft tap on the door before the doctor entered. He wore tousled blonde hair, a clean white overcoat, and
“You lied to me, Shay!” the guy with the champagne bottle interrupted, looking directly into Danté’s eyes. “Dis nigga ain’t no friend of yours.” He took a deep breath. “Do you wanna take up dis tab fo’ dis bitch?” he asked and pointed at Shay.
Danté’s heart was thumping inside his chest, and his anger had risen to the point where he could have killed Shay himself. He looked at Shay, who gave him a look as if to say, My life is in your hands . He looked back at the guy across the table.
“All I got is fifty-five thousand to my name. After that, I’ll be broke,” Danté told them.
“Don’t worry ‘bout dat. You gonna take Shay’s place anyway. He ain’t trustworthy.”
He paused and took a sip from the champagne glass. His eyes went to his comrade, who hadn’t spoken a word since the meeting started. The guy stood up and went through the door that led to the bedroom. He came back with a shopping bag similar to the one Danté had given Mrs. Diane earlier. He dumped five small blocks carefully wrapped in gray duct tape onto the table. Danté hadn’t expected this much at one time, and besides, he’d only been flipping half a kilo. He looked at the dope and then glanced up at the guy across from him.
“How much you chargin’ me?” he asked.
“Twenty-five each,” the man replied. “Now, if you can’t handle it, you need to let me know.”
“Ain’t no problem,” Danté said, his eyes never leaving his.
The man put the coke back in the bag, stood up, and motioned for Danté to follow him.
Danté stood and moved around the table, following the guy out into the hallway. The two exchanged numbers, with Danté giving him both his pager and house numbers. He never bothered asking about Shay, and the arrangement was that the money would be picked up later.
Just as he was leaving, his pager vibrated. It was Summer.
Chapter 10
With an IV needle stuck in her vein, a fatigued Summer dozed off in the hospital room, with Mrs. Diane sitting in the cushioned chair beside the bed. Mrs. Diane occupied herself with circling letters in her word search book. Her daughter had just given birth an hour ago to a healthy seven-pound baby boy, who she named Danté, Jr.
The door opened, and Danté walked inside with Jeremy and Jermaine. He spoke his last words into his cell phone and ended the conversation just as Mrs. Diane closed her puzzle book. The twins, who were almost three years old, were mature enough to know that something was wrong with their mother. They went to the bed, but neither one of them could actually see her.
One of them looked back at Mrs. Diane, and with sadness in his eyes, he asked, “What’s wrong wit’ Mama?”
As both twins waited for an answer, she simply told them that she was resting.
Danté stood next to her, admiring how beautiful she was in her sleep. He brushed a few strands of hair from her forehead and then he kissed her there. She tried opening her eyes, and her face spread into a smile when she saw Danté. He leaned down again and kissed her lips.
“How you feelin’?” he asked her.
Moving her lips, she whispered, “I’m okay, baby.”
The twins called her while standing next to the bed, wanting to see her. Danté lifted one of them up so she could give him a kiss. Then he lifted the next one, and she gave him a kiss, as well. Mrs. Diane stood smiling at Summer.
Then she leaned down and whispered in her ear, “You been passin’ gas the whole time. I know it was you.”
Mrs. Diane and Summer laughed.
“I love you, Mama,” Summer said while hugging her.
“I love you, too, baby. You’re comin’ home tomorrow.”
“You been to the nursery?”
She nodded. “He’s doin’ fine.”
“I want somethin’ to eat.”
“You can’t eat nothin’ solid yet. Maybe later.”
There was a soft tap on the door before the doctor entered. He wore tousled blonde hair, a clean white overcoat, and
Similar Books
