Getting Grace

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The next morning Jerome sat in his bed thinking about what Grace told him. "She's pregnant." He got ready for his day and met everybody downstairs.

"What took you so long?" Phresh asked.

"I woke up late." He said looking at Grace who was on the phone. He walked over to her and stood over her. "You feel better?"

"Yeah." Grace said softly looking up at him. He could see the sadness and fright in her eyes. She hung up and sighed.

"It's ok." He mumbled to her. "I'm not mad." He lied. Last night he got mad and left because the baby's probably not his. It pissed him off. He didn't want the baby to be his, but it angered him because she was sleeping with Kelly who's the probable baby daddy.

"Let's go. Get away from her." Grayson said. Jerome backed away with his hands up and Grace grabbed his arm.

"It's ok I'm talking to him." She said.

Grayson looked between them and nodded. "Well we leaving. Come on unless you walking."

"Ok." Grace said following Grayson. Grayson drove them to the mall and he gave Grace his card.

"Get out Phresh." Grayson said.

"What!?" He said. "I gotta babysit?" Grayson turned again. "Fine." He got out and so did Grace.

"Don't worry I'm not that bad. I'm fun." Grace said walking along side Phresh.

"I wanted to go with them." He said.

"I didn't." Grace said. "I just don't didn't wanna stay home and Grayson offered me this.

"So are yall dating? Because I could've sworn Gray was gay." He said.

"What?!" Grace said laughing. "Grayson's not gay."

"That's not what everyone else is saying." He said.

"Come on. Grayson's my brother and if he was gay I'd be the first one to know." Grace said.

"Blood?"

"Yeah. Same mom and dad." Grace said.

"Oh." He said. "Ok, then I believe you. Grayson does act a little sweet though. You should ask."

"No." Grace said sticking the thought in the back of her mind. She knew in heart her brother wasn't gay.

"How old are you anyway?"

"Seventeen." Grace said.

"So you're still in high school?" She nodded.

"You?"

"I just turned 19."

"Happy birthday." Grace said. "So how long have you worked for Grayson?"

"I just started." He said. "I guess that's why I'm stuck with you."

"You're making me feel bad."

"Don't. They going to shoot niggas and I'm kicking it with a pretty girl." He said smiling. Grace blushed and giggled.

"Thank you." She said. "I needed a fresh compliment."

"Well, I'm Phresh." He said. "But, you got a boyfriend, Jerome feel you, and you my boss sister."

"At least you respect that." Grace said. "You're pretty fine. I never been with a dreadhead."

Phresh smiled and chuckled. "I see what you doing. What you want?"

"You know what I want." Grace said looking straight. Phresh laughed and so did Grace. "I'm just joking. So how did you meet Grayson? And why do you wanna work in the streets?"

"I met him a few months ago through this boy named Dezmond. Who's his "boyfriend" I guess. That's what he told me." Phresh said. "I started hanging with him and he offered me a job."

"Dezmond?" Phresh nodded. "Ok."

"And I wanna make money and this the fastest way for me." He explained. "What you going to school for?"

"Lawyer. Somebody's gotta help Grayson." Grace said.

"So you plan on buying something?"

"Yeah, I just don't know yet." Grace said. "Oh shit. I can buy makeup." Grace said running towards Sephora. Phresh followed her and stopped away the entrance slowly following her in.

"Gray don't let you buy makeup, huh?" Grace shook her head.

"I've been wanting this for a while now." Grace said picking out a bunch of makeup. She bought all of it and went to Victoria secret for perfume and lotion. "I feel free."

"Right." Phresh said. "You're free alright. What other store you tryna hit?"

"I need some hats and t shirts so. I guess just look around." She said with a shrug. "I never been to this mall before."

"Same. By any chance do you have a sister or a bestfriend?"

"No sister. Just Gray and I. And one bestfriend, Veneer. I'm a loner. V got a girlfriend so it's really me and Kelly."

"Damn." He said snapping. "I need a fine girl that's fucking. You think you could hook me up?"

"I don't talk to a lot of people." Grace said. "I keep to myself."

"I'm dropping mad hints at you right now." He said.

"What?" Grace asked smiling.

"Nothing. I'll just wait for you to catch on. Where you going?"

"I want a dress." Grace said going into dillards.

Phresh stopped and held Grace arm. "Look at her."

"What? Who!" Grace asked looking around.

"In the pink." Grace spotted her and turned her nose up. "She is a grown woman. She isn't worried about little boys like you."

"I am grown, ok." He said. "And I'm mature. Your brother don't fuck with just anyone."

"You have a point." She said nodding. "You ever seen him kill somebody?"

"Naw." He flipped his dreads back and smacked. "I ain't killed nobody either so..."

"I didn't say you did." Grace told him looking through the dress. "Kelly's taking me to a red and black party and I don't know which dress to get. This one or this one?"

"Uh. Try them both on." He suggested. Grace nodded and went back to the dressing rooms.

She came out in the first one and Phresh looked up from his phone biting his lip. "Damn." He munbled.

"What?" Grace asked jokingly.

"Nothin." He said sitting up.

"Take a picture." Grace modeled and he took a picture with his phone. "I'll look at it later. Let me change."

Grace came out in the second dress but didn't like how it fit on her. "This a no." Phresh agreed and Grace changed into her clothes. She grabbed her stuff and asked Phresh to see the picture.

"It's cute. Send it to me." She said. "I'll give you my number."

"Coo." Phresh said as they walked to the front desk.

"Let me see." Grace put her clothes on the counter and went the picture to his number. Then while he wasn't looking she set it as his background. "Here."

"Let's go." He said picking up Grace's stuff and slipping his phone into his pocket.

"Man, Grayson's here. I wasn't finished." She whined stomping out. She got in the car and gave Gray his card back.

"Yo Gray, yo sister cool as fuck man." Phresh said.

"Awe, thank you." Grace said.

"Awe thank you nothing." Grayson said. "I know you ain't tryna fuck with her. You the smart one."

"Naw none like that. She just cool people."

"Alright." Grayson said. "Don't fuck up."