This book is not for the sensitive.
« Now she wanna fuck with me. Live a life of luxury, models in my money trees Such beautiful company Fuck a 9 to 5 I'm seeing dollar signs. »
Jojo snatched the paper out of Cedric's hand and begins to pin the paper, ignoring him. "Let's go. You starting to piss me off." He said, with irritation in his tone. "Damn, man, it's just jokes! Learn to laugh, stop being so disgruntled." Jojo shook his head as he left out the coffee shop.
DeVante found a small motel that charged $20 a night, which gave him at least 7 nights to figure out some shit. As he put his luggage in the dusty room, that he bought, Dalvin's stomach begins to growl. "I'm hungry, De." "Alright, there's a pizza shop down the block. I can get us a pizza." "You sure? I can just eat another snack cake." "Nah, you need some real food in you." "You sure?" "Dalvin, just get showered and grab one of my clothes. I'll be back." He said, walking out the motel room.
Dalvin felt bad, he didn't have shit. He couldn't help his brother. He felt like a leech. He should've stayed home like his brother advised. But, if he stayed at home, he would feel like shit. So, it was like damned if he was and damned if he wasn't and that killed him the most. It was like in this situation, there was no right answer.
DeVante walked into the pizza shop and walked up to the counter. A woman looked at him and smirked. "Welcome, to Fat Slacks Pizza, why haven't I seen your cute ass here." She said, with a smirk.
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DeVante lets out a small chuckle as his face showed a red tint on his cheeks. "Uhm, well I just moved here." "From where?" "Virginia." "Mphm, ain't that a honky state?" "Isn't the whole south a Honky nation." She nodded. "Fair point. So, I assume you're looking for a job, right?"
"Well, I came here to order a box of pizza, but I do need a job." "I like your smile, I'm the store manager here." DeVante's eyes widen in shock. A Black woman being a manager was rare in the south but a Store manager at that was a shock to DeVante. "I know, shocking. But, you know they get paid extra if they got a negro working management position and besides, nobody smarter than me." She jokes. He lets out a small chuckle but gratefully smiles at her.
"That means a lot to me. Like I greatly appreciate it." "Don't worry about it, you come back tomorrow, I'll have you starting at 8.50 an hour." She said, winking. "Really?" He said, with his eyes widen. "Yea, I got you. I gotta support our fellow black folk." DeVante lets out a small chuckle, in disbelief. That would NEVER happen in Virginia, maybe North Carolina might not be a bad setting for him & his little brother. "Anyways, what would you like today?" "Uhm, a Large Pepperoni Pizza." She nodded as she rang him up.
"5.75." He hands her $6.00 and she hands him his change. "Your pizza will be up in a few, but be here tomorrow, 9 AM sharp, so we can start on your paperwork." "Yes, ma'am." "And call me Donna. Ma'am makes me feel old." She teases. He chuckles. "Alright, Donna." She smirks as she leans on the counter. "My name comes out smooth like brown liquor. I can see us getting along pretty well." She said, with a small smirk and a wink. DeVante blushed harder.
It was rare for women to flirt with him, being mixed often times, gets him shunned by women. But, this woman just flirted with him, smooth and with ease and on top of that, gave him a job right on the spot. Maybe, things happened for a reason and a good reason at that.
She hands him the pizza and a card with the business number on it then, bid him a farewell. As he walked out the shop, a piece of paper caught his eye. He furrowed his eyebrows as he snatched the paper off the bulletin board.
WANTED: A ROOMMATE OR TWO
RENT: 425 A MONTH
Three Bedroom Apartment
2 People occupy the residency, in need of a 3rd and/or 4th person to help pay rent.
If interested, contact Cedric & Joel Hailey @ 919-555-1010 .
MUST HAVE 150 UPFRONT
He sighed as he only had at least $200 left. Maybe, he should wait till he starts, but in the same breath, for that price split three ways was around 140 dollars alone, and with the hours Pizza shop had, he was guaranteed to make that in no time.
Hesitant, but willing. He shoves the paper in his pocket, going back to the Motel. When he arrived, Dalvin was sitting on the bed with an Oversized T-Shirt and basketball shorts that were clearly too big for his short stature. He placed the pizza on the bed and Dalvin immediately begins digging in the box. DeVante chuckled. "You're hungry." He teases. Dalvin looks up and he blushed slightly, in embarrassment.
"Sorry, did you want some." DeVante shook his head. "Nah, I'm good. Good news, I found a job." Dalvin looked at him, shocked. "That fast?" He shrugged. "The lady offered the job for me on the spot." "Oh snap, that's good." He said, smiling. "yea, and there's somebody looking for a roommate too. They want 150 on the spot, leaving me $50.00 left... I don't know if I should do it or not..." "Well, logically speaking, Yea. Cause if you get the apartment, you can get a refund of your $150 you paid for this shitty motel." DeVante chuckled, but Dalvin had a point. If he could get the Apartment in the next 24 hours, he can get his full refund back.
"Alright, I'ma try and get it." "That's the spirit and with your personality, I know we'll get it." He said, winking at his brother. He pulled the piece of paper out his pocket and grabbed a quarter out his back pocket. He picked up the phone off the hook then, put a quarter in. The Dial tone came on and he dialed the number on the piece of paper.
Three rings and a man answered the phone. "Who the fuck is this." DeVante's eyes widen to the man's abrasive behavior on the phone. "Uh, I'm calling about the ad looking for a roommate. The man on the other end fell silent then, yelled. "I TOLD YO BITCH ASS THAT THE SHIT WOULD WORK. Sorry, about that. When, would you like to set up to take a look at the apartment?" "Uhm, As soon as possible. Maybe, tonight?" "Mmhmm, Ok. You do know you need $150 up front, right?" "Yea, I have the money." "I like you already. Come at 6." "Alright, Uhm is there any way you could give me some type of direction to where you're at? I'm new in town." "Yea, sure. Where you at currently?" "I'm at Motel 10." "Ew, Why you at that dump?" "I just needed a place to sleep at for the night." "Mhm." The man said, over the phone skeptical, but shrugged it off.
"Motel 10 is down the street from where we're at. So, What I need you to do, is Go down Turnip St, then make a right onto Delancy Drive, once you get down Delancy Drive, You'll see a food lion at the end of the block. Turn down and keep going straight until you reach Grover St. Once you hit Grover St. You'll see Creekwood Apartments and that's where we're at." "Alright, great." "See you at six--" "DeVante." "DeVante, I'm Cedric." "Nice to meet you." "yea, same. See you at six." He said as he hung up the phone.
"So?" "I'm meeting them at 6. The guy over the phone seems like a jackass though." He said, shaking his head. "Well, it's only for a few months until we get back on our feet. We just have to deal with him till then." DeVante nodded, Dalvin was right. Just for a few months until he can get his shit together. He just hopes, he's not another Donald DeGrate.
"So? How you like him so far?" "He Got the money but he staying at Motel 10.. it sounds suspicious if you ask me. I'm thinking about canceling the meeting." Jojo shook his head. "Nah, let's just wait until he shows up. I mean, if he has the 150 up front, he's good for one month and we need next month's rent. I'll be damned if we gotta go back home to Church every fucking day." Cedric shuttered at the thought. "You right, nigga. But, you better hope this nigga ain't a fluke or else, I'ma beat yo ass."
