Married To The Game

C:5 | My First Love

After about an hour of meet and greet with my family I finally got around to fix me a plate. I was on my way back to my seat with a glass of wine when a familiar somebody bumps into me, knocking my wine on me. "Watch it, son." My New York accent quickly surfaced. We instantly made eye contact and my eyes "Well if it isn't the celebrity herself." Josh said, smiling. My annoyance quickly turned into embarrassment. "In the flesh." He swooped down and gave me a hug. My heart rose about five feet. After all these years he was still fine. Nothing had changed with him. Not even a wrinkle or a blemish. "I take it Carol invited you?" "You know it." We both laughed. I looked to see if he had a ring on his finger, and to my relief, he didn't. Josh was my first love. He was my first everything. I always thought we'd be together forever, at least that's what he always told everyone. And we would have been, provided he didn't go to college. I wasn't mad at him though. School just wasn't for me. I found other things to do, other ways to make money. Selling clothes, doing make up, baking; you name it. I did everything I could except work a real nine to five job like everybody else. My side hustles always made money, I just never sticked to one consistently. Hell, I even sold a couple zips back then to keep up my sneaker collection.  "My apologies for the outfit, I'm sure it cost a lot." He added, looking at me soaked in wine. Everybody was going to harp on my outfit, I see. "Don't apologize, clean it up." I laughed, giving him some napkins. "I don't wanna waste them, I'll just get a towel." He signaled for me to follow him upstairs. My grandma's bathroom still looked the exact same way, as if I never left. Painted Pepto-Bismol pink, with old photographs of my grandmother and grandfather hanging up. It was so cute how in love they are. "So, no ring I see." I said, jumping up on the counter so he could dry me off. "If you would of came a couple weeks ago you woulda seen one." My heart sank. "Word?" "Yeah, she left me for some hoochie. Who woulda thought she'd end up gay?" He laughed. I tried to join in, but it didn't sit well with me. "What about you, where's your ring? I know it's all kinda ball players down in Miami." He asked, handing me the towel. He seemed genuinely concerned. For some reason, that actually turned me on. "I don't wanna talk about it, just know he's not in the picture." I don't know why, but for some reason I just couldn't tell Josh what happened. I felt guilty, and top of that, I felt embarrassed. He had a good and easy break up. Not only did I get cheated on and kicked out, I got beat. Oh, and I had a baby made on me. Even if I could work up the nerve to tell Josh, he'd just fly back to Miami with me to find Marcus. "I respect it. So what's up with you, Mrs. Miami? How's Florida? What you got going on down there?" His responses were another thing that made me fall in love. He never pressured me to do anything I wasn't into. "It's good, I work in a office and all. Who woulda thought, right. What about you, what you do up here?" He paused. My question must of caught him off guard. "I- work for a private company. It's in sales." "Sales, huh? You've never been good at running game." I said, and we both died. "Still crazy as always. Here, I gotta get going, but I'd love to see you tomorrow." He pulled out his phone, before placing another phone in his back pocket. "Two phones huh?" He handed me the phone. "Business phone." He said dryly. He kinda made me feel bad for questioning him. Josh wasn't the sneaky type, so I figured he wouldn't start now. I gave him the phone back after saving my number. He gave me a peck on the cheek. "Coffee on me in the morning?" He said, staring me deep in my eyes. I nodded, causing him to squeeze my thigh before leaving.

I headed back downstairs, only to be greeted by my mom and Aunt Carol. "Look who I found!" Carol said, pointing at my mom. I just shot her a look. They know she's suppose to be in rehab. "Amanda," I spoke, clearing my throat. "Esther. And it's mom, not Amanda." She said back. "Yeah, right."
"Hey, hey. Come on, that's not what we're here for." Carol spoke. Everybody knew me and my mom weren't on the best terms, so I don't know why everyone was playing crazy. That's what pissed me off about this "family". They always wanted you to sweep stuff under the rug. And that's not me. I'm not going to pretend something didn't happen, just to keep everyone smiling. I don't care what anyone says, problems aren't solved with time. Especially not mine, considering I've left New York for years and my mom is still a junkie. She actually looked clean, to my surprise. "I'm so thankful you came back, Esther. Can we go upstairs and talk?" She sounded sincere. But I wasn't in the mood. "I gotta go check in my hotel." I said dryly. "Hotel? I figured you'd stay with us. Or with Amanda." Carol said, looking confused as ever. I was a grown ass woman, twenty three to be exact. I was way over staying with my family, or my mom at that. "Since when you got your own spot Amanda?" "Come by sometime while you're in town." She said before embracing me. I instantly got annoyed. I didn't know if this was the drugs talking or if this was the real her.

As I snuggled in my king size bed I heard my phone go off. It was Josh with the time and address of the coffee shop. He was so consistent, even after all these years. For some reason, I just had to have him. I needed more then just a coffee date. And a kiss on the cheek wasn't cutting it either. Screw it, Ima text him.

wyd? Come through.

just got out the shower. Where am I coming to?

I hurried and sent my location. Damn. I wish I woulda waited a little while before sending it. I didn't want him to think I was being thirsty or anything. Oh well, what's done is done.

omw

I decided to take another shower. I wonder if he knew what he was coming over here for. I mean, he had to. It was almost one in the morning. I definitely didn't feel like talking. I got back out the shower and threw on my silk robe. I heard a knock at the door. "How'd you know what room I was in?" I said, letting Josh in. "I asked." Looking at his pants, he was hard already. "So, um, what's up?" He said, catching my gaze. He went to sit on the couch, as I followed. He was in a Calvin Klein sweatshirt and grey sweats to match. It was really sexy for some reason. I'd never catch Marcus in some shit like this. He always wore some top designer shit. Some shit to let you know he was that nigga. Rolex's to bed and all. Even his pajamas were YSL. It was refreshing seeing a man throw on something regular and still be fine. "Just wanted to catch up before coffee." I sat on the couch beside him. He looked unconvinced. "It's been five years, i'm sure we both missed a lot." I added, attempting to seal the deal. "Esther?" "Yes?" "You know I can see right through you, right?" I felt my face getting hot. He leaned over and kissed me, before taking my robe off. "I love you" was all I managed to get out.

My ten o'clock alarm went off. "Josh?" I called. Last thing I remember we were both asleep on the couch. I heard my phone ring and jumped on it. I frowned; it was Omari. "Hello?" "Yo, yo. I got that work for you up there set in stone. You straight?" He breathed into the phone. The call turned into a facetime. Omari instantly smiled when the camera turned on. "Damn. Tell me what I did for you to answer like that. Cause I'll do it way more often." He said. I looked in the mirror, noticing I was still naked. "Oh, shit." I dropped my phone and threw a t-shirt on. Omari was used to having his way with his other workers, but not me. He knew I wasn't down with that, and that's what made him fuck with me even more. Business and pleasure doesn't mix. "Who got you naked that quick?" He smirked when I came back to the camera. I cleared my throat. "What's up with this drop? And who's this client I got to meet?" "His name's Vito. All you gotta do is pick the work up from him. He's my new connect up there so don't fuck it up. Me and him ain't did business before. He gives the Italians their shit too." "Where am I meeting him at?" "Staten Island." "Staten Island?" I repeated. Is he crazy? It's police swimming in State Island. "Yeah, that's what I said. What's the problem?" "The problem is that's a police play ground." Of course, Omari wouldn't know any better, being he never been a minute outside of Miami. He sends us to do any outside work. He loved staying in his city for some reason. I just couldn't relate. After all the stuff I had dealt with in New York, I was ready to move, and that's exactly what I did. As soon as I turnt eighteen. "I move in New York all the time you tripping." "Yeah but you ain't from here and you ain't never visit here neither. I'm not going to Staten Island, you want it picked up you come and get it." Click. I knew was dead wrong for hanging up on Omari. But fuck it. That was begging for a case. And I didn't have time for the feds, I was heading towards the top of the game. I had an even better idea. I called Omari back and told him I'd do it if he sent me the info. And sure enough, he did. I got an incoming call and my face lit up.
"Where'd you sneak off to?" I answered.
"Hey, sorry about that. My job called me in while we were sleep and I didn't wanna wake you." I smiled. "Oh, you're good. I just woke up not too long ago." "Still want that coffee?" I looked at the clock and sighed. "Actually, I gotta take a rain check on that." "Oh?" "I got called into work myself. Some out of office stuff I have to tend to." It was eleven now, and I had to go pick up my drop at twelve. "Okay, cool. Dinner tonight? I'll be over there around seven. You still like take out, Mrs.Fancy pants?" I laughed. He never took no for an answer. "I love take out."

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