JENNA
May 1st
"Hey G, what you doing here?" I spoke opening the door for Gunna. "After all these years and you still call me Gunna." He said.
"I told you, I liked your street name better." I replied walking into the living room.
"Where's baby Nate?"
"Either with Gabby or August them." I answered sitting down and picked up my laptop.
"You're going back to work?" He asked sitting down about to rest his feet on the table but I stopped him.
He knew better.
"Not technically, just helping some newbies get started." I answered reading my email again.
"I still can't believe we all turned nothing into something... they said we couldn't and we did it."
"Doubts are undercover pushes. When they doubt, it encourages us to go harder." I replied and he nodded in agreement.
"Facts on facts, look at you coming with da knowledge."
"Dis all you plan on doing?" He questioned and I shrugged. "I was a homebody back then, nothing changed." I reminded.
"You went out with us from time to time, but all da fucked up shit played a part in you staying in." He stated, it was true.
"I had y'all helping me every step of the way though." I said then poked his cheek and he laughed swatting my hand.
"Come on wit dat weird shit sis." He complained and I laughed doing it again.
"Childish b."
"I sure am." I replied then snickered and he chuckled.
"I heard you got a lunch date..." He spoke giving me his famous look.
"Let me guess, you want to join?" I asked raising a brow. "I mean... we were da original trio."
"You can come G, just don't start talking about sports." I said and he laughed. The last time he, baby boy and I had lunch they spoke about football and basketball for two damn hours and I just sat there listening.
"Well we got family to discuss about now and new business endeavors." He stated. "You say dat now, but wait until Nate bring up basketball." I said and he chuckled.
"Aight, I'll be sure to go around dat topic." He assured.
"You say that now."
**
SKY'S & TRINA QUEST TO BEAUTY
May 8th
"See trick the way these hands set up if you think you gon steal from me and assume you don't have to pay it back, one of us leaving in a stretcher and it won't be me." Q spoke and they laughed.
"You will beat up yo friend over two dollars?" Loren asked.
"Bitch if you need it that bad just ask, I don't play that shit. I work too damn hard for my money. Friends or not, it's mine, so ask."
"He got a point." Sky replied as she wiped down her area.
"So y'all would expect him to fight y'all?" One of the clients asked.
"See, wit dem it's a different story because we borrow shit all da time and replace it da same night." He spoke up.
"The consequences will be different if it were either of us?"
"Let's jus hope we don't have to find out." He answered and Trina and Sky laughed.
"How's our lil man?"
"Well and eating like he a full grown man." Trina answered and the ladies laughed.
"He tryna be like his daddy." Sky stated and she laughed.
"You needa hurry up and bring him around so we can see him." Loren said.
"I'm good on dat." She replied just as hers and Sky 12 0clock walked through the door.
"Another day, another slay."
**
"What?! Hell no! If my man is a cartel king then I better have all the knowledge and sense to fight, shoot, hide and move dope. I think it's stupid for a girl to get with a guy knowing what he does and all she feels she has to do is look cute and play dumb." Hayden stated and the ladies agreed.
"So you would want yo dude to teach you how to shoot, fight, move dope, hide money and kill folks?" Q asked and she nodded.
"Because when push comes to shove, if he get locked down, he's gonna expect me to take over unless we got an older son."
Q glanced at Trina and Sky who were just focused on their clients hair.
"I'm sure y'all men gave y'all some training?" She inquired looking at Trina and Sky.
"Training on what?" They both asked, the whole state of Georgia knew about August them, but like any smart person, when the questions came, Trina and Sky denied, denied, denied.
"Never mind."
"Mhm." Trina hummed giving her a look and Q snickered.
"Would y'all want to be on some El Chapó shit if y'all knew yo nigga wouldn't be dumb enough to get caught?" Q asked looking around and a few ladies nodded and the others shook their heads.
"Why not?"
"I don't have the time to be looking over my shoulder every damn second. I don't have time to try and figure out if our friends can actually be trusted, I watched a lot of movies and shows where the best friend end up switching up and siding with the enemy. That power trip is something serious and I ain't built for that life, I'd fuck around and start shooting niggas for looking at me funny and end up in jail." Summer announced.
"That's why you gotta know who you got in yo circle and always pay attention to body language." Q said.
"You could've grew up with that person and sat on the bed with them while they cried, but once that power come into play it's a wrap."
"If you can't get into dat lifestyle with not even two good friends, then dat mean something is wrong on your part and not theirs." Hayden stated.
"Maybe, maybe not, but I'm good with my life right now." She spoke.
"Y'all heard about the new business that's supposed to be opening up out here soon?"
"Yup." Sky and Trina answered.
"I wonder will it last, y'all know the Nola Men made a few businesses pack up and move and they've been around here for years." Q's client announced.
"Only time will tell."
**
The lunch date
"Did you talk to Gabby about this?" Jenna asked giving Nate Jr. a look.
"It's supposed to be a surprise mama." He reminded.
"Why would you want him to tell her he plan on building her a home out in Jamaica?" Gunna questioned and Nate chuckled.
"I mean, because what if she doesn't want to move there? I'm sure she likes it here." She replied.
"That will be our summer home mama." He told her and she rose a brow.
"You tryna get away from me huh?" She asked in a joking manner and Gunna and him laughed.
"You know I could never mama, but what do you think about dat?" He asked.
"I think it's pretty cool, will it be like the one your father had built for us?"
Shaking his head, he wiped his hands on the napkin.
"It won't be as big, just something to her liking. No more than six rooms."
"You plan on having some mini you's don't you?" Gunna asked with a slight smirk and Nate went to respond until he saw Jenna's face.
"Come on ma, I'm grown now, what's wrong wit me wanting kids?" He asked and she just stared at him.
"It's too soon for you."
"How?" He asked. "Because she feels like you and Gabby should be married." Gunna spoke up and Nate stared at her for a moment.
"You and pops weren't married when you had me."
"We got married after, the fact is baby boy, I want you to get married first before you decide to have kids, that's the only thing I ask of you." She told him and he turned his cap backwards and shared a look with Gunna.
"I think yo pops would want dat." Gunna told him and Nate nodded.
"Aight... I'll wait." He promised and Jenna smiled.
"Aye, I was trying to go visit Nate's grave a few days ago but he's been moved." Gunna announced and Jenna and baby Nate looked at him funny.
"You can't just move someone's grave." They both said and Gunna chuckled.
"I went and dat shit was not there at all, no headstone, no flowers, where we had him buried dat shit was empty." He told them as he pulled out his phone to show them the picture he took.
"He handed Jenna the phone first and Nate got up from his seat and walked over towards her to look.
Jenna just stared at the picture without saying anything.
"What da hell does dis mean?" Nate asked staring between Jenna and Gunna.
"Somebody's tryna send us a message."
**
OMNISCIENT
"Our grand opening is in two weeks, it may be time for us to start scoping out the club up the way to see what our competition is like." Don spoke to his team.
"I don't wanna see what the hell they got going on, we're gonna be the best in this state regardless." Pedro replied and Arianna laughed.
"Attitude like that gets you no where, we're here to make friends not enemies. Haven't you had enough loss?" Don questioned and Pedro looked elsewhere.
"Far as I'm concerned, our best bet is to make nice with the Nola Men and play this game safe until boss man gives the ok, Capeesh?"
"Mhm." They all hummed, dismissing them, Don headed out front to make a call.
"Excuse me?" The pretty brown skin spoke, staring at her briefly, he ended his call.
"Are you one of the owners here?" She asked walking up towards him, nodding he met her half way and extended his hand.
"I'm Courtney, I work at club Nola Nights." She informed, smiling he nodded slightly.
"Checking out the competition?" He asked and she laughed.
"No, my coworkers and I figured you guys could use like a welcoming treat." She announced heading back to her car and retrieved the tray of wings.
Handing it to him, he looked the different flavors over.
"Hot, mild, spicy barbecue, and teriyaki... just a few of the locals favorites." She told him, Pedro walked outside and turned his nose up at her.
"Thank you, I guess I'll have to return the gesture." Don said and she laughed waving him off.
"No it's fine, when are you guys gonna be done?" She asked looking at Pedro, who held a scowl on his face.
"Why?"
"Pedro." Don scolded and Courtney rose a brow. "I'm gonna pretend I ain't even hear dat." She said before focusing back on Don.
"We'll be open in about two weeks, or maybe sooner." He assured, "Are you doing like a twenty for hour club? Or a certain limit?"
"Jus a simple night club, we'll open at eight, close at three." Don replied and she nodded.
"Ok ok, sounds pretty good. I like the whole black and gold theme." She complimented looking over the exterior.
"We may change that, not sure yet." He replied handing Pedro the tray of wings and motioned for him to go inside.
"Courtney correct?"
"Yup." She answered, "Any advice for us?" He asked.
"I might be da wrong one to ask, I'm just a bartender... but you can ask my bosses. I would just say, be good to the guests." She told him and he nodded.
Feeling her phone vibrate, she pulled it from her pocket, "You can take that, it was nice speaking with you." He told her as he shook her hand again.
"You as well uh.." "Don." He announced, "Nice meeting you Don." She said before heading towards her car as she answered Gabby's call.
He headed inside, once she pulled off and looked at Pedro.
"Why must you be an asshole everywhere we go?"
"That's the competition, fuck we need to be friends with dat piece of shit for?" Pedro asked and the rest of the workers looked at him.
"Piece of shit? You don't even know her. Watch yourself Pedro, you like digging holes and I'll be sure to let you fall in this one." He told him before he headed towards the back.
"If you fuck this deal up for us, your ass is grass." Arianna warned.
"Fuck you."
**
GABBY
Same day
"I think they may be Italian, well at least that's what their names were giving me." Courtney announced as we set the bar up.
"But dat one Pedro nigga, I may have to go oops upside his damn head, nigga straight ignorant." She added and I laughed.
"Well you know, not all but some of them don't like black people.. yo ass gon end up in a river fucking wit Pedro ass." Liv spoke and I busted out laughing.
"How you know they don't like black people?"
"Bitch, I watch movies and I've ran into a few, like I said not all of them are like that. It's the same with white people, some are racist, some aren't, you just gotta decipher between the two." She clarified.
"It's true, but I don't know why some of them are like that. Because majority of them have African descent." I spoke.
"Bitch that's with everyone if you wanna be technical, but we ain't finna get into all of that, we gon leave dat for da bird." Court replied just as Emma walked through the door.
"Hey y'all."
"Hey chica." We replied.
"Are the digital menus hard for y'all?" Courtney asked.
"It was at first, but it's pretty easy now." I answered, as I walked out towards the tables to make sure the menus were on the charger.
"Boss men tryna move on up in dis game, niggas tryna go digital and shit." Liv joked and Courtney and Emma busted out laughing.
"I think they just got tired of people tearing up the paper ones." I spoke beading back towards the bar.
"I would've wrote, fifty dollar fee if you ruin the menu. I bet none of dem mafuckers would've damaged dem." Court said and I laughed agreeing.
"How many people were at the club?" I asked.
"Yeah bitch did you even get a chance to see what the name was?" Liv asked.
"I only saw Don and Pedro ass, but the name wasn't up there yet... but their theme is pretty dope." She announced.
"I wonder if they can be someone we can like borrow shit from?"
"I don't know, the way Pedro attitude set up, he seems like he might be da one dat will ruin shit." She replied and I shook my head.
"And his ass will get the business." Liv said and I laughed.
"His ass will be be under da river."
"Under? Really?" Emma asked and we busted out laughing.
"Yes bitch, under."
*
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Thoughts?
I've had to change some stuff up in this story briefly, all I'ma say is, I hope y'all paying attention to the hidden hints.