Confessions of a Material Gurl・❥・

☆ THIRTY ☆

Tuesday evening・❥・
5:55pm

"That's 250k." Power tells Blanche zipping up the duffle-bag filled with crisp bills, neatly stacked and wrapped in rubber bands, tossing it into the pile of several other exact looking duffle-bags, sitting on the floor. She nods okay in response, not losing track of the stack of money she was counting. They were in the warehouse getting prepared for tomorrow's drop day and they had over a half a million to count up before then.

       Typically, Blanche would be in the zone, quickly counting up the bills, however there was too much weighing on her mind to stay focused. Pretty soon she would have to come clean about Grey, to her dad, especially before she started showing and the thought of doing so was nerve wracking. But Carter wasn't the only one Blanche would eventually have to come clean to as well. Soon enough, Juice would find out and that made her more nervous than anything else. Maybe because somewhere deep inside of her, Blanche was holding out on the idea that one day it would be her and Juice taking this path together, but that was just hopeless dreaming. Juice had already taken that path with someone else, so that idea of them sharing a family was already shattered.
"And that's another 100k." Blanche said wrapping up the last stack of bills on the table in a rubber band.
"Fasho, let's hurry and get this done so a nigga can get back to the crib before Kenia starts blowing up my line." Powers replied. Kenia was his girlfriend of five years and seven months pregnant with their second child. Blanche laughs before saying, "You can't blame her. It's the pregnancy hormones."
Power smacks his lips, "Nah fuck that. Her ass is like that pregnant or not." He complained, lighting up a blunt before starting the count on a fresh stack of bills. The smell of the blunt instantly made Blanche feel queasy and she covers her nose with her hand.
"What's wrong with you?" Power said noticing the gesture she made.
"That shit stinks." Blanche protest.
"Since when did weed smoke start making you nauseous?" He questioned and Blanche shrugs, though she knew why she was feeling nauseous. Power stares at her skeptically before putting the blunt out and counting to count his stack of bills. They remain silent for a moment before Blanche stops counting, blurting out, "I'm pregnant." Power keeps counting his bills not saying a word. With Power, not only was he her older cousin but, her trust advisor and sounding board for almost everything in her life.
"You're not gonna say anything?" Blanche said, breaking the silence.
"It's by that nigga, huh?" He asked, knowing they answer already. She blows a deep breath.
"Yeah."
Power lightheartedly chuckled, "Juice know yet?" Blanche shakes her head no. "You know that nigga gonna be heartbroken when he finds out right?"
Blanche scoffed, rolling her eye.
"Why? He's the one who had a child with someone else first." Blanche reminded.
"You right, but still. We both know he's never got over you. You got my mans sprung, B." Power joked, but truthfully stated.
"Whatever, that's all in the past now." She insisted, as the garage door of the warehouse opens and black, tinted suv pulls in. Carter hops out the back passenger door as Juice and Mouse exit out the vehicle.
"How's it looking?" Carter questioned, examining the money on the table.
"Just 150k left." Blanche responded, averting her eyes to avoid looking at Juice.
"Good. Tomorrow it will be just you and Power. I need Juice to handle something for me." Carter announced and Blanche nods her head in agreement wrapping another stack of bills in a rubber band. Blanche could feel Juice's eyes on her and it made her fidgety. She knew he was probably expecting some sort of conversation about the other night, but truthfully there wasn't any to talk about now. Blanche was pregnant with Grey's child so any hope of them being together was nonexistent.
"I need to talk to you." Blanche said to her father, looking for an exit out of the room.
"C'mon." He replies, motioning for her to follow him to the back office. "Juice take over Blanche's count."
"What's up B?" Juice said to her, slipping the bills from her hand. His fingers linger on hers momentarily before she pulls away, muttering a quiet hello before following her father into the back.
"What did you want to talk about?" Carter questioned once they were in the alone room.
"I ran into mom the other day." Blanche announced making her father's eyebrow raise with curiosity.
"Really?" He said taking a seat at the chair behind the desk.
"Mhm, she looked clean."
"She's been clean for a while now. You would know that if you gave her a chance." Carter replied making Blanche groans as she plops down into the chair behind her.
"Why are you always trying to play peacemaker?" She retorts, rolling her eyes. She hated that her father always thought so rational when it came to her mother. But what Blanche failed to realize was that, Carter was only trying to help her mend the relationship she once had her mother. He could see how much their strained relationship weighed on Blanche, especially when it came to her dating life. Carter didn't speak much on it, but he knew all about Blanche's dealings.
"One day you'll have a child and you'll understand why Blanche." He said, making Blanche swift her weight in her seat.
"I guess." Blanche unenthusiastically replied, leaving it at that without saying too much and giving herself away. She wanted to tell her father, but it just wasn't the right moment yet. She didn't think it would ever be. So telling him was difficult.
"So Grey is Zora's father." Carter stated, out of the blue.
"Yep, small world, huh?" Blanche simply replied, holding back her urge to fidget.
"Small world, indeed."
"I'm surprised you didn't already know. Zenobia never mentioned him?"
"No and I never asked. What do you think of him?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, what's your opinion of him?"
"He's cool, I guess. Why?" She vaguely replied, wondering where her father's was questioning about Grey was coming from.
"We have a lot on the line working with him. Just wanted to know how you felt about him."
"I don't feel anything about him. It's just business." She lied.
"Business with someone whose now close to home. I just want you to remember that." Carter sternly warned Blanche and she sighs.
"I know that. There's nothing to worry about." Blanche insisted. She knew it would probably be best to tell her father now, yet she couldn't bring herself to say the words. If she spoke it, it would make everything more real and Blanche was still unsure how she felt about motherhood. It was obviously a touchy subject for her.