Lost One

28

❝TAE❞

               "GODDAMN!" He exclaimed dramatically as he jogged back and forth, shadow boxing the air while chomping down on the seafood pineapple bowl his eldest brother cooked. Tae was present in the commercial kitchen with his brother that laughed quietly and shook his head at his brothers reaction.

               The two were standing in the very own kitchen that would whip up meals for Ace Zone Kitchen—a way for Toby to expand his own brand with his food trucks and adding catering.

               "Fuck this shit good." Tae announced taking another bite of the new food item for Ace Zone.

               "Preciate it." Toby respected the opinion of his younger brother he invited to taste the new items that would go on the menu. "I wish De was here to try it out. But I know he down in the ATL. I ain't spoke to em in a few days. I see y'all fixed y'all shit from the other day."

               Tae knew his brother was referring to their argument two days ago on the ride to the party. "Yeah, we hashed it out. He apologized, even to Shantey."

               "Look at him maturing." Toby smiled proudly. "Glad y'all fixed that though. That shit between you and Ma I'm staying out of it. You defending yo family and I don't disagree with that. We grown as hell. She gotta mind her own."

               "Yeah, she do." Tae agreed as he finished the pineapple bowl, leaving no crumb behind. "But, you need a restaurant." he grabbed a napkin to clean the residue of his hands.

               "Here you go." Toby chuckled, "How many times I gotta tell you I'm straight wit the food trucks and now this kitchen. I'ma hire up some staff to keep it going smoothly and for this catering shit. How bout this, it all go right with this say for a year or two and I'll really consider opening a Ace Zone restaurant?"

               "Aight, cool." Tae nodded and Toby sealed the deal with the Booker handshake. "You gone have to hire a nice size staff. You announcing the catering kitchen on social media got a lot of buzz and they wanting it bad."

               Toby exhaled sharply, looking around the space filled commercial kitchen. "I already know. I gotta be hands-on with this one making sure shit go straight. I'll have staff handling inventory, prepping, cooking, serving. Then gotta keep shit up to par wit the cleanliness. The health department don't fucking play and I ain't bouta have my shit shut down behind dirty mufuckas."

               "Shit all three of us some borderline OCD mufuckas so I know the cleanliness will never be a issue."

               "Facts. I'ma hire a manager to keep everything all copacetic. I was gone give that title to Troy, but.." Toby paused to shake his head. "That boy ain't been having his head in the game since his mother's dumb ass arrived. Nigga been staying out late acting all secretive. He put it on his Moms anytime I question em bout it or that he doing the mural wit Lotus at yo training facility."

               "Honestly, T, he ain't been to assist Lotus wit that since before the party." Tae admitted thinking his nephew was getting busy with Ace Zone but now that he knows his fathers food trucks weren't it, it has him asking, "Do you think he reverting back?"