• 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 •

• 29 •

eneaj

"I'll be seeing you tonight then, Eneaj," Fifth confirmed. "It was a pleasure."

"Likewise," I nodded.

Fifth left the buffet, and I text Mrs. Smith about the new employee I had just acquired. A lot of people in my life told me that I was too caring, but I really think that Fifth will be a welcome addition to my club. I checked the time, and figured I might as well head back home to the mansion. It was three something, and I'd probably make it back in time to chill for about an hour before getting ready and coming out to Zinnias.

I paid the bill, and took me a little fortune cookie, walking out to the parking lot of the Chinese buffet.

A new start, for a new person.

"Hmm," I threw away the cookie in a bin near the sidewalk, tucking the little piece of paper into my pocket.

A new start, huh?

"I'm curlin' my hair tonight, hollon," Yenvy said, pinning the next curl up. "I'll be done soon. Ima keep them in until we get to the club and hope they hold for the night." She sprayed some shit over it and I got out, coughing, before I get cancer of the esophagus or some shit.

"Well, I'm ready so lemme know..."

"I invited some of my home girls too. One's a stripper, the other used to work with me at my old law firm."

"Your old who?" I turned around slowly, confused. "I thought you've only worked for one?"

"Oh yeahhh," she nervously twirled a straight strand of hair around her finger.

"Yenvyyy?"

"I quit at the firm. I'm goin' solo now," she declared. "I'm gonna put my full focus into the venue and taking cases at my own pace. Big firm life wasn't for me, and I didn't feel like I got to get that personal connection with my passion the way that I've always wanted to."

"Yenvy, I support you but," I gestured around at the mansion, "How is the three of us going to continue to live comfortably? You pay for more things than me and Val. Combined, we all would be making around the same amount, Val a bit more less of course, but you get the point."

"We'll be fine. The venue will be a success."

"It's August, and our goal is to be open and poppin' in about six months basically," I reminded her, "I'm just sayin', that's a long time with a slower income flowin' in. Maybe reconsider goin' to them for right now and tellin' them you quit."

She bit her lip nervously, "I already did it."

I didn't know what to think, leaving before Yenvy could tell me anything else. The last thing I wanted to do was have to work more, but the way Yenvy was movin', I'd have to start bringing in a whole lot more cash so me and Val could hold our own.

This was an expensive mansion we all lived in, not a house. This shit was gonna take a lot.

"Hey."

"Hey."

I leaned against the doorway, watching Val get dressed.

"Could we, um, talk?"

"If it's serious but not urgent I'd rather wait until I had a good time tonight," I told her honestly. "Oh," I remembered, "But if it has to do with why you were on DND, I'm all ears. Val, you're never on DND."

She sighed, "Me and Yenvy were hangin' out."

"So you didn't wanna be bothered by your girlfriend? Was I the only one you were ignoring?" I demanded.

"Yenvy put it on DND so we could talk okay? It was about losing Illiora and shit," Val threw up her hands, "I made it very clear that's all we were doing and that's all that we did."

"What the fuck she wanted yo phone on Do Not Disturb for?" I asked, stepping up in her face. "You know what that seem like to me, Val? Like y'all was doin' some shit y'all wasn't sposed to at that park."

"We wasn't and I don't know- Ask her. She said she didn't want me on my phone."

"Man, so you listen to her when she tells you to get off your phone but you can't when I ask you to?" I laughed. "I practically gotta beg you to get off, but you ready to do anything for another bitch."

"Man, you reachin', Eneaj. You really reachin' now."

"Am I? Am I, Val?" I demanded.

"Yeah, you are," she nodded, scoffing.

"It sound to me like she wanted you all for herself-

"Why was you at a restaurant? How bout that? Why I check yo location and you at a Chinese buffet. We both know you don't sit down and eat at places, you like to eat at home," she folded her arms.

"Maybe I felt like eatin' out today. And anyways, that happened wayyy after you put yo shit on DND and went on yo little picnic date at the park," I rolled my eyes.

Val laughed, shaking her head, "We was sittin' in the car, talkin', chillin', and usin' Yenvy's vape. Nunin more, nunin less, Eneaj. Niggas didn't even have a blanket. We was inside the vehicle."

"A Bentley has enough room to make out in," I shrugged.

"Insecure ass," she snapped, "How I know you ain't go up to Dallas to take yo secret boo out on a date to the Chinese buffet?"

"Cap," I smacked my lips, giving her a dirty look, "I got the club a new employee."

"Yeen tell me that when I asked you what you was finna be doin' earlier. You didn't even mention an interview," she said accusingly.

"Because it all just happened so fast," I told her honestly.

"Ohhh, so you was the one cheatin'," Val laughed.

"Get off my dick," I snapped, "She was homeless and a great musician, especially according to the amount of followers she has on YouTube because of her singing. Might not be above 1k, but she's something. I offered her a job at my club. She was staying inside the venue, had broken in."

"Fuck that, man," Val turned away.

"You was the only one swappin' saliva today. Get the fuck on," I slammed her bedroom door, walking over to mine.

I didn't even want to go to the club anymore.

Didn't even want to live here in Houston anymore.