Naughty or Nice by Eric Jerome Dickey Read Free Book Online Page A

I didn’t.
    â€œAll that security at TGIF.” I pulled my locks into a ponytail. “We turn anything into a club.”
    â€œToo bad they don’t support the businesses in Leimert Park like this.”
    I motioned at TGIF. “This’ll last ’til somebooty gets shot.”
    â€œYou are so negative.”
    â€œWhy does every black club close?” I yawned. “Somebody gets shot.”
    â€œNot always.”
    â€œOh really?”
    Tommie yawned back. “Sometimes they get stabbed.”
    â€œTrue.”
    â€œSpeaking of getting shot and stabbed, we gonna invite the rest of the family over?”
    I rolled my eyes, something I rarely did. “Half of those fools are Crips, half of ’em Bloods. We put them in the same place we’ll end up with a bunch of bloody crippled people.”
    â€œHadn’t thought about that. Maybe we can rent Kevlar vests, roll up in there 50 Cent style.”
    â€œWe’ll do our private thing, then maybe—and I do mean maybe—we’ll go visit one or two of the older relatives. Maybe hit Blood City on Christmas Eve, roll through Cripville on Christmas.”
    We sat there for a moment, yawning the night away.
    I asked, “What are your long-term plans?”
    â€œGet back in Cal State L.A. Finish up. My New Year’s resolution, special for Daddy.”
    â€œGet off your ass and don’t end up thirty with no skills and no education.”
    Our parents didn’t finish high school, so it’s been up to us girls to push each other. No brothers or strong male figures were around to guide and protect us since Daddy died, so we had to guide and protect each other. We didn’t grow up in a Norman Rockwell painting, didn’t have any doctors or lawyers in our family, never had those kind of role models, so I took responsibility, made sure Livvy had her education and some sort of a marketable skill, and wanted all of us to be the role models for the next generation. Every generation should be better than the one before.
    Tommie patted my hand. “I’m going to start paying you more rent next year.”
    â€œJust work on getting your shit together.”
    â€œWell, maybe I could move to a cheaper area so you can rent your place out.”
    â€œNo, you’re not.”
    â€œYou can’t keep spending and lending me money.”
    â€œI don’t lend money. I never give more money than I can afford to lose.”
    She leaned over and kissed my cheek. A couple of brothers passing by saw that and looked at us like we were Rosie O’Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres.
    I yelled, “Ain’t that kinda party.”
    One of them yelled back, “Not a party unless a dick’s invited.”
    â€œWe’re sisters, asshole. Keep stepping and don’t mess up our family moment.”
    They moved on.
    Tommie yawned. “What you want for Christmas?”
    â€œA fallout shelter.”
    â€œGet me a shovel and a pick and I’ll start on that first thing in the morning.”
    I chuckled. “What do you want Santa to bring you?”
    â€œWhatever you get me is fine.”
    She was still looking around, still searching for the mystery man.
    Tommie fidgeted. “I’ve been having real erotic dreams.”
    â€œWelcome to the club.”
    â€œAbout this guy.”
    â€œUh huh. The guy you’ve been looking for all evening.”
    She laughed and shook her head. “Was I that obvious?”
    â€œWhat does he look like? What does he do? Give me the juice.”
    â€œHe has a nice personality. Very caring.”
    â€œIs he nice looking? Light, dark, brown, what?”
    â€œA creamy vanilla with a nappy head.”
    â€œMaybe we should drive around and look for his ass.”
    She laughed. “Kinda like Common with an LL body.”
    â€œDamn. What’s his name and does he have an older brother?”
    She blushed.
    I smiled, gave her a you-go-girl