His father was young and so was his grandfather when he had expired a couple of decades before. I didn’t like that risk hanging over one of my best friends’ head. I could never express it to him that way. Men go the alternative route, we take jabs to express our feelings and fears. It adds pressure and is a manipulative method, but effective nonetheless.
Mark snapped, “Fuck you, Jacobs! If I had your pesos, I’d fucking looking like a damn Greek god, too! You have a goddamn chef who cooks for you, a personal trainer who pushes you in the gym at your beckon call and a—”
“…a bad ass African American woman who is the epitome of a fucking Aphrodite, complementing his Adonis,” Eric chimed in, interrupting Mark’s weak ass argument. “Damn, that woman! She still haunts me in my wet dreams. When I think of how she shook her curves on that stage the night of your birthday bash, Jacobs, I get a boner!”
“Oh, fuck you, too, Eric! This conversation is not about me and my affinity for Caucasian sisters. And by the way, Rayna is a great catch, Jacobs. But hell, I’d have her too, if I could afford it!” Mark practically shouted. He was getting emotional, per usual. I tried to stifle my laughter, but couldn’t.
“Why thank you, Mr. Richardson. I appreciate your approval of my *,” I jeered evenly to Mark who, I knew after just a few more drinks, would become indignant and I was not up to calming his drunk ass down. I turned to Eric. “And to you, Gerrity. You can dream about my girl all you like…and feel free to include your palm to finish yourself off, but as soon as you come sniffing around her, I’m crackin’ your ass.” I gave him a warning glare. Mark toppled over in laughter from Eric choking on his drink. I guess he thought I’d forget about his grievances with his wife that included her scent a few months ago. “So when do the affairs begin, tomorrow?”
“No, there’s a Meet and Greek tonight…fully stocked bar. You should come along, bro. It’ll be a nice change of pace for you. You know deep down you’ve always wanted to be an Alpha man,” Eric announced with haughtiness. He was nuts.
“Oh, nah. If I were Greek material, I’da been a Q Dog. I’m too animalistic to be pretty.” I threw my tongue out like a dog, just like the Omegas do. With a scoff, Mark waved me off and Eric shook his head in contempt. They knew I was joking, I was too wrapped up in the streets to appreciate the benefits and culture of a fraternity. Shit, I’d created The Clan. I was good.
“I think we should all go and see who comes back with the most numbers,” Mark’s eyes were just as big as his damn belly in excitement. “Shit! This could be fun like old times, only Jacobs, you won’t win so easily with that thick Brooklyn accent. We have Alpha brothers coming from all over the country and with all types of swag. So, you won’t have the advantage.”
“Fuck! I’d beat all your asses out. I’ve been known to rack up AKAs. You know NaTasha’s one.” Eric raised his eyebrows.
“I ain’t fucking with y’all, man,” I muttered, much under my breath. “Why in the hell does everything end up with wagered bets between us?” I protested.
“Yeah, Jacobs, like when we bet you that you could slam Kristen Johnson, the transfer from Yale, and we watched from the closet when you had her head hitting the hard ass headboard in the dorm. That shit was awesome!” Eric reminisced at my expense.
“Oh, yeah! Remember when we walked in on Jacobs banging the shit out of two Deltas at the same time in the shower,” Mark shrieked, walking up on me while adjusting the glasses on his face. “Do you still get * like that?” Eric stopped taking shots on the pool table to wait on an answer.
“Man, fuck y’all.” I laughed hysterically. “I am thirty fuckin’ seven years old. I don’t need * like I did when I was nineteen. I’m good with quality over quantity.” My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. I saw it was Rayna calling. As I answered, I informed the guys, “I gotta take this,” and walked towards the stairs.
Eric whispered, “Is Rayna quality because she can keep up with your energizer bunny ass or does she have platinum between her legs?”
I flipped him the bird while walking up the steps.