by Tigris Eden
“Hi, Ava.”
“Hi.” She sticks her thumb in her mouth with her free hand and then curls into her father’s side, staring at me with wide brown eyes.
Jackson jiggles his leg a little, trying to detach his daughter, but she isn’t budging. She makes little grunting noises as he tries to get her to stand on her own.
“Ava honey, come on. Be a big girl for me, okay?”
She says no and ducks her head behind his thigh.
“It’s okay. I understand.” I look up at Jackson and smile. He smiles back, his eyes filled with warmth and love for his little girl.
“She’s stubborn just like her daddy.”
“Don’t know if that’s bad or good yet,” I joke.
“Definitely good. You ready to go home? You can ride with me.”
“Um, I’m going to see my uncle at Harry’s. That’s what I was coming over to tell you. If you still want to have that talk, you can swing by later and pick me up.” I stand, straightening out my dress.
Jackson reaches out with his free hand and takes off my hat.
“You be careful. I know what night it is at Harry’s. Call me when you’re ready to leave, okay?”
“Yeah. Then we can talk tonight?” I ask, hopeful.
“Yeah, darlin’. Tonight. I love you, Annabelle Macon.” He leans forward and kisses me lightly on the lips.
“Love you too, Sheriff.”
I turned to leave, but not before he calls out, “That ass has swag, Anna.”
I turn, laughing before scolding him, “Watch your mouth in front of your little one.”
“Ass isn’t a bad word, it’s a fact.”
Shaking my head, I turn and head over to my cousin’s SUV. My heart is smiling on the inside. When he wants to be, he can be sweet, but times like now are rare. Especially when he says something so out of character. There’s a funny side to Jackson that I’m sure not very many people get the chance to see.
Give and Take: Chapter 13
Harry’s juke joint is alive and kicking when we finally make it to the club. My Uncle Tiny is there checking photo IDs at the door. When he sees me, he powers through the crowd and grabs me up, yanking me off my feet and swinging me in the air.
“Anna Banana.”
“Uncle Lester, it’s good to see you.”
“Good lawd in heaven, but you have grown into quite the lady.”
“Thanks.”
Slowly my uncle lowers me to the ground and eyes his daughters.
“What the hell are y’all two wearing? Where are your damn clothes?”
“Daddy, we’re fine.”
“You’re fine when I say you’re fine. Yo mamma knows y’all snuck out the house looking like a pair of garden tools?”
“You calling us hos, daddy?”
Lester looks down on the twins, shaking his head in disappointment. He raises his face to the sky and starts praying out loud, “Lord, help me to help these girls learn if they want a good man, then they need to dress in good clothes. Like my niece, Anna. Give me strength not to lay hands on them in public, and the wisdom to keep my cool. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
That is my uncle, always praying for help when it comes to his daughters.
Lola pushes past him and the twins and I follow.
“Y’all ladies behave inside. Harry don’t want no trouble,” My uncle yells as we walk into the club.
Harry’s is clouded with smoke, and the smell of stale beer and hard liquor almost suffocate me. The only thing good about this place is the music and the food. The DJ is playing Erykah Badu, and the floor is packed with bodies moving back and forth to the music. I find a table in the back corner and shove my way through bodies until I’m able to grab our seats.
“It’s popping off in here tonight,” Lola hollers over the music, setting her purse next to mine.
“It sure the hell is. Who got my drank? I’m ready,” My other cousin says as she tosses her bag next to ours.
“Chantelle, we just got here. No one needs a alcohol now.”
Chantelle looks me up and down like I’m crazy. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I need a motherfucking Long Island or Crown and Coke.” Chantelle stands and walks over to the bar.
“That’s your sister.” Lola chuckles, looking over at India.
“Yeah, well it is what it is. Can’t stop that one.”
Chantelle returns with her drink, and the four of us sit around and talk about all the things I missed while I was back home in New York.
“Girl, you should have seen Curtis’ face when I told him the condom broke. He was horrified.” Chantelle laughs.
“That’s serious, girl.” I cough. I was being real too, but at the same time trying not to laugh. Curtis went to Xavier College and was home visiting family when he and Chantelle hooked up. The two of them fooled around when they were in high school.
“Who you telling? I know that shit is serious. But to be honest, I kind of wish it had happened. Then I wouldn’t have to get my ass up every morning and go down to LaTonya’s and do hair. I could just wake up next to a fine ass brother, with more money than is necessary to live.”
“No, girl. That is not how you do it. Pooh Bear has money, and you don’t see me staying in bed all day. Get your head out of your ass, Chanty, and do the right thing. You’re not stupid. Hell, girl, you and India have brains. Work that shit out in a way where if your man decides to bail, you have the means to support yourself.”
“Amen to that,” India chimes in.
Me, I just sit back and listen to Lola go in on the twins. They are older than we are by a few years, but Lo is right. Both girls are smart.
“I want to start my own business,” I blurt, and all eyes focus on me.
Where in the hell had that come from?
What I said is true, I just wasn’t ready to talk about it. I’d thought about it a lot in New York and the more and more I thought about it, I knew my first, original, plan was the right one. Stage One was just a way for me to ignore what it was I truly wanted to do. I was scared, and until this moment, I hadn’t realized how afraid I was until I said my wants aloud. I want my own business.
“Taking pictures?”
I nod my head. “I want my own studio. Have clients, the whole shebang.”
“Then you should do it,” Lo said.
“Yeah, you got skills with that camera. I’ve seen your pictures, Anna. They’re amazing.” My cousin India says. Her light brown eyes showing interest. “I could even help you in the store,” she goes on. “I mean if you wanted help. Plus, I know a ton of people who would love you to take their pictures.”
“Really? Like who?”
India shrugs. “Well, I’ve wanted to do event planning. But Chantelle over there thinks I’m crazy. I have a small list of clientele. I helped with Joey’s shower.”
“I thought Corrine put it all together?”
“She contacted Amy, my boss. She was the one that put it all together.”
“You serious about the event planning?”
“Yeah. I am. Even found a space in Beauville.”
“But you’re closer to Shreveport.”
“I know, but Amy is a bitch. Once I make the move, she’ll try to blackball me. I don’t want that. I just want a fresh start. No trouble.”
An idea forms in my head, but I don’t jump to conclusions and assume everything will work itself out. I smile at my cousin and nod my head. We can at least start talking about it.
“Let’s carve out some time and discuss this in more detail.”
“Are you serious?” India’s excited. I can hear it in her voice.
“Yeah, Cuz, I am.”
India is about to respond when a group of men come up to our table.
“You ladies mind if we sit here with y’all?”
There are four of them. All in varying states of drunkenness and the leader of the group is eyeing me as if I’m his next steak.
“Does it look like we want you all to sit here?�
� Lo asks, raising her voice.
One of the men laughs and stoops low so he’s eye level with her. The smell of smoke and beer is pungent as he speaks.
“Look here, honey, you ladies are alone. We’re just trying to have a good time.”
“Go somewhere else with your time. Good or bad, we’re not interested, okay.”
If that was it, I think they would have walked away, but Chantelle had to open her mouth and make it worse.
“Take your drunk, broke asses on. Get.”
“Who you calling broke? Bitch.”
“Don’t talk to my sister like that!” India yells, drawing attention to our table.
Their father is no longer working the door. I’d seen him earlier, and he was in the back, probably talking to Harry. Rudy is at the bar, and when I catch his eye, I give him the signal. Rudy is an ex-boxer slash badass biker, now bartender and he can go-rounds with any guy on his worst day.
“I think you guys had better leave. We don’t want any trouble.” I say to the leader of the drunken group.
“Honey, all we want is to sit next to some pretty ladies. Instead, we encounter rudeness. Is that any way to treat people?”
“It is when you won’t take no for an answer.”
“We got a problem here?” Rudy asserts walking up behind the group of men. They turn to face him and the leader of the group smirks.
“Rudy! My man. No troubles here, just trying to hang out with some friends of ours.”
“They don’t look like they want to be your friends, Parker.”
“Oh they do, buddy. You know how it goes. They say no, but they mean yes.”
“Fool. Are you stupid? We ain’t interested.” Lola insists again, this time standing from the table and reaching for her purse. “We’re leaving, Rudy, can you let Tiny know.”
Rudy looks at us and then back at the guys.
“Yeah. Just let me take out the trash first.” He looks at Parker and his group. “Come back tomorrow when you’re sober. Right now, y’all need to get the fuck up out of Harry’s. Don’t make me ask you twice, although if you do. I promise to make it worth my time.”
“Man, we just wanted to sit and talk.” Another in the group complains. “We shouldn’t have to leave because of them,” the same guy says.
“Well, they didn’t want to talk. When a lady says no, it means no,” Rudy stresses. He grabs Parker by the arm and dares him to protest. He doesn’t. The rest of the men don’t have to be told twice. They back away from our table and find their way out of the club.
“Always drama. It never fails,” India complains, grabbing her purse. She’s eyeing Rudy who is now back behind the bar. Tiny is now out front with a frown on his face.
“Should have never let you four in. Always causing trouble.”
“What? Me? I’m never trouble.” I declare with genuine hurt in my voice.
“You’re the biggest troublemaker of them all, Anna. You come in here all gussied up, long legs, long hair, and all that beautiful brown skin. I may be your uncle, but I know a beauty when I see one. You got that quiet charm that men want to unlock. Whereas my girls are gorgeous, but they got mouths on them. Plus, most men know they’re my girls and won’t come near them. They know what’s good for’ em. Lola we not even gonna talk about you, girl.”
“What I do? I’m a married woman.”
“Yeah, but you’re your own brand of trouble. Poor Bear when he comes in to get a drink I can see it all over his face. The man is happy, but he walks a slippery slope with you.”
“My Pooh Bear is happy.”
“Deliriously.” My uncle deadpans.
Uncle Tiny looks over at me and shakes his head.
“Sorry girl. Jackson’s on his way over. I called him the moment Harry and me saw what was happening on the monitors. He’ll be here in like five minutes. And, Anna….”
“What?” I growl. I can’t believe he called Jackson. That was for me to do. Now Jackson was going to come down here all guns a-blazing and wouldn’t even care he was outside his jurisdiction.
“I told him it wasn’t your fault. He’s just worried. Wants you home safe.”
“How do you even know that I’m talking to Jackson?”
“He called the bar to let us know you girls were on your way. Told me to keep an eye on y’all. Cause like me, he knows the four of you are just chaos waiting to happen.”
“Speak for those three, Uncle. I’m no troublemaker.” Lola corrects.
“I’ll take you two home,” he points at India and Chantelle. “Your mama’s pissed at you Chanty, for leaving the light on in the bathroom. Go hang at the bar. Lola, Bear is expecting you.” Lester advised.
“I’m going. I’m going.”
Lola hugs me around the waist. “Don’t be a stranger, Cuz. Too long in between visits. Don’t forget your family.”
“You’re right. I won’t. If things work out with the studio, you’ll be seeing a lot more of me.”
“Good.”
“Bye, y’all. See you on Sunday at church.”
“Right.” Chantelle chuckles.
Everyone knows Lola won’t make it to any of church service anywhere on any given Sunday. She just feels it’s the polite thing to say.
The three of us walk over to the bar. I finally get around to ordering a drink. “Rudy, I’ll take a Long Island iced-tea please.”
“You got it, Anna.”
Rudy looks over to India.
“What about you?”
“I’m not drinking tonight, but thanks, Rudy.”
“So be it. One Long Island coming right up.”
I scoot closer to India and whisper in her ear, “When did you start having feelings for Rudy?”
Her eyes narrow on mine before she answers. “I didn’t start anything with Rudy. He’s just the guy that tends bar at Harry’s.”
“He’s also hot. He’s got a kick-ass bike, and you like him.”
“Don’t, okay? I don’t need anyone spreading rumors. He’s seeing someone, anyway.”
“But he’s not married. It may not even last. You know how Rudy is.”
“That’s exactly why I’ll just admire him from afar.”
Rudy places my drink in front of me, and leans across the bar in India’s direction.
“Who you admiring, Ladybug?”
“None of your business, Rudy. Don’t you have drinks to make?”
He smiles before straightening back up. “Yeah, kid, you’re right–, drinks to make. Just make sure whoever you’re admiring is worthy of you, got it?”
India doesn’t say anything, just turns on her stool putting her back to the bar. I don’t say another word. It is none of my business. But I know exactly how she feels in some respect. Wanting something for so long only for it to be out of reach, then when you finally get it, you don’t know how long you can keep it. India has a good head on her shoulders, and for whatever reason, she doesn’t want to go rounds with Rudy. He isn’t as bad as Jackson used to be, but he does have his fair share of women. He tends to go with the busty blonde types– two things India didn’t have in her favor.
Jackson is at Harry’s in record time. He walks into the bar, and it isn’t Jackson that walks in, but Sheriff Storme. He has his badge and gun at his hip and makes a beeline straight for me.
“You okay?” He breathes.
“Yeah. I’m fine. Rudy took care of it.”
Jackson turns to look over at Rudy who is down at the other end of the bar chatting up some blonde.
“Rudy.”
His heard turns towards Jackson’s voice. “What’s up?”
“Thanks.”
“For what? We all love Anna. I’d do anything for her, man. She and the twins are family.”
Jackson laughs.
“What about Lo?”
“What about her crazy ass?”
Both of them are laughing now.
It is good to see him being so open. Most of the time, he is serious.
“Well, tha
nks again, man.”
Jackson takes my hand in his and helps me off my stool. I walk by my cousin and tap her lightly on the shoulder. She turns in my direction and I whisper in her ear so only she can hear me. “He’ll always see you as a family member and a little kid if you keep letting him. You need to make the decision.”
“We’ll talk about the studio sometime this week, yeah?” She counters, ignoring my comment.
“Yeah.” I squeeze her tighter and then place my hand back in Jackson’s and leave Harry’s.
“You and your cousins are terrors.” Jackson comments as we get into his truck.
“No, we aren’t. Trouble just seems to congregate around us when we’re together. It’s like we’re magnetic.”
“Yeah. Something like that,” he murmurs.
The drive back to his place is pleasant. His hand rubs absently back and forth on my knee. It creates an intense need that I am trying to keep on a low simmer. I don’t want to jump right back into us having sex. He said we would talk, and that’s what I intend to do. There are words I need to say, and I’m eager to hear what he wants to tell me. I don’t expect something huge or monumental. All I’m looking for is acceptance of who it is I am and as I see myself when I’m with him. I know with the start and end of the conversation we are about to have, it will be the beginning of something real, something that symbolizes what Jackson and I are heading toward. Is that a big deal? Yes… yes it is. Maybe I need to take a further step back than I anticipated.
Damn.
That makes my chest hurt.
“Um, Jackson.”
He looks at me a moment before her turns back to the road.
“Annabelle.”
“I don’t want you to think we can go back to the way it was. I don’t think that’s going to work.”
“I don’t either. I said we were going to talk and that’s what we’re going to do. Anything that does or doesn’t happen after that, it’s going to be because we both agree.”
I feel a little better after he says that.
“Okay. That’s good.”
“You’re not going to like some of what I have to say, but I’m hoping that once I get it all out on the table then we can move forward.”
