One night in Manhattan

BestFriends

***

"Why you look like someone killed ya damn cat? You and Fatima fighting already?" Jordan teased. Jordan and Zac made appointments to get tattoos by their favorite tattoo artist in Brooklyn but Zac hadn't really figured out what he wanted yet. The only thing he was sure of was the location he wanted it. Jordan was about a quarter of the way through his third session for his work of art. He was getting his entire leg covered in a mural to resemble something of a galaxy found in the Marvel universe. In only two more sessions his entire left leg would be covered in ink from mid-thigh down to his ankle.

"Man no. me and Fatima cool. I saw her earlier." Zac arrived at the tattoo parlor thirty minutes into Jordan's session. "Well maybe. I gotta check on that later. But I gotta tell you about the bullshit Shelby pulled."

"Damn." Was all Jordan could say when Zac told him what Shelby said. "and you did all this... at Fatima's house? And then you just left right after?"

"Yea. What?"

Jordan paused to breathe through the pain from the needle. They were just below his kneecap and the pain was a bitch to bear. "yea. You messed that up."

"No I didn't. We're going to dinner tomorrow."

"and that's all that its gonna be." Jordan said quickly. He laughed at Zac. Jordan always said Zac was a little bit slow when it came to women. Yea, he was a charmer. He could charm any woman out of way more than her clothes if he wanted. He'd seen him in action more times than he could count. But sometimes, when it came to him reading between the lines, he was Ray Charles. "Zac, you got into it with your ex over a sex tape.. or a few. In front of Fatima... and then you left." Jordan said it as slowly as he could hoping that Zac would figure it out.

"Yeah.. but we are having dinner tomorrow." Zac said back equally as slowly. "I don't even know why you talking to me. its not like you have much experience with women."

"you always been this sassy when you're mad?"

Zac rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

"See sassy."

Zac walked closer to the table where Jordan was laying and slapped him on the back of his head.

"Wait til I get up nigga. You play too fuckin much"

"Can you just listen? I haven't even told you what I really needed to tell you."

"do I have a choice?" he asked motioning toward his leg

" seriously J, I need your advice cuz I feel like I'm tripping."

Ok ok. Imma be serious. Wassup?"

"Ummm. My pops might be getting out and there's a part of me is excited. But then there's a small part of me that doesn't care. I mean I haven't spoken to the man in almost decades"