In the Life (30 page)

"No, it would not. You should…."

"Look," Alonzo put a little bit more sternness in his voice. The conversation was beginning to piss him off. "This is not up for discussion. I am moving out so deal with it." Alonzo slammed the door shut on Jackson leaving him speechless yet fuming.

Chapter 13

The birds were singing, the sun was shining, children were playing, and Jackson was doing 90 on the Dan Ryan Interstate on his way to work. The pedal wasn't on the metal for too long though. The usual morning traffic slowed him right back to a respectable speed. He was feeling pissed as hell. Just that morning, Alonzo had announced that he was moving out of the apartment leaving Jackson high and dry. Jackson couldn't believe he was doing that. He also couldn't believe that he didn't punch Alonzo. No one slams a door in his face.

Jackson had the radio playing in his car. He wasn't really paying much attention to the songs that the station was playing until they switched over to Kirk Franklin's Smile. Jackson was quick to turn the station.

"I am sorry, Kirk. I love the Lord, but I don't want him around while I think these evil thoughts in my head."

Jackson checked the other stations to see if the music was any better. All he heard were commercials. He needed something to match his mood. Giving up on the radio, Jackson checked the little CD booklet he kept in his car. Usher, Erykah Badu, and Adele were not going to help him. Where was some rap when he needed it? He was not in an R & B kind of mood. Where was his DMX album? He needed to listen to his first joint;
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
. A wave of disgust came over him when he realized its whereabouts.

"That's right. That bastard borrowed it like a month ago!" Jackson banged against the wheel and let out a guttural kind of scream. He turned off the radio completely and rode to work in silence. He almost ran over Sherrod as he pulled into the Bennigan's parking lot. Luckily, Sherrod was able to jump aside to the curb.

"Damn, what was that about?" Sherrod asked as Jackson got out the car. He slammed his car door shut. Remembering that his apron was still in the back seat, he reopened the door, grabbed it, and slammed the door again.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he tied the short black apron around his waist.

"What is wrong with you?" Jackson tried to avoid answering the question and head into work, but Sherrod was not letting him off the hook that easy. "Jackson?"

"Nothing, okay? I am cool. Or at least I will be cool."

"Well, you are about to get a hell of a lot cooler right now because ain’t no way in hell am I letting you into that building like this. If you think it is bad that I am all up in your face, imagine fifteen other servers asking you why you look pissed before you can even make it back to the kitchen. Now will you tell me what is going on?"

"Your boy acting up."

"Who?" Jackson looked around before he replied. No one else was in hearing range of their conversation.

"Your boyfriend, rather."

"What he do now?" Jackson could visibly see Sherrod tense up.

"He came in this morning talking about he wants to break the lease and there ain’t a damn thing I can do about it. He said he is moving out this month."

"What the hell? Well, what are you going to do?" Sherrod asked, wanting to also know about what time Alonzo got in that morning; but he would find that out sooner than later.

"I don't know. I guess I have to look for a new place. I can't afford to stay there by myself and I refuse to go back home. If I get home early enough today, maybe I can go visit some places in my price range."

"What's your price range?"

"Hell if I know. Shit! This is fucked up." Jackson tilted his head back and closed his eyes. The apartment search already had him drained before he could start. He wiped the nonexistent perspiration from his brow and turned his attention back to Sherrod who was smiling at him.

"I know what you should do. Let me move in and take Alonzo's place. You know I am trying to get out from under my grandmother. It would be perfect."

"I don't know, dude."

"Why not? I have been over there so much lately that I should have mail coming there."

"Yeah, but that is because Alonzo is there. No matter how I feel about him right now and the dirty shit he is pulling, he is still my friend, you and I moving in together wouldn't be right. That would be kind of shady on my part."

"And how do you see that? We are friends, right?" Jackson nodded his head in reply. "And we were friends before I even met Alonzo, correct?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I mean, we talked and all at work."

"But the point is that I knew you way before him. What is wrong with two friends moving in together? We both need a place to live and this way you don't even have to move."

"But if you move in, can you guarantee that we will remain friends."

"Of course. Why wouldn't we stay friends? It’s not like I am going to pull some shiesty shit."

"No, you know what I mean. We gonna live together. You are with Alonzo. All we can be is friends and not cross any other boundaries. Can we do that?"

"Yes," Sherrod lied. He knew what living together could possibly lead to, but he didn't care.

This was the perfect solution to all his problems at home. He would be back on his own and not answering to no one. Where Alonzo is concerned, Sherrod didn't plan on doing anything wrong. He did care about Alonzo although he wasn't quite sure why. Sherrod knew that it would take some big time restraint to keep his feelings for Jackson at bay, but what was the worst that could happen if he didn't?

Chapter 14

The good tips from that morning helped to brighten Jackson's mood. He tried to stay upbeat. He knew that Sherrod was right. He just couldn't let Alonzo's actions get the better of him and drain him of all of his positive energy. However, he could not accept Sherrod's roommate proposal. Jackson was convinced that it was still not the best thing to do. How would Alonzo feel about it? On second thought, should Jackson even care? Obviously Alonzo wasn't caring about what Jackson would do concerning the living situations.

Mykel had his own ideas on what Jackson should do. He was the type of dude who acted first and then stood by on the side of the rode with a smoking gun damning anyone from asking him questions later. But that was a side that someone had to really dig deep to get too. Don't fuck with his family or his close friends and you would be cool.

Upon Mykel's urging, he and Jackson made an appearance in Boystown at the same club as before. Jackson almost did not go. He did not want to see Tracy or have to feel pressured to make some kind of small talk with him. Actually, did he owe Tracy small talk? Since Tracy hadn't called him, he was off the hook for that. But still, Jackson did not feel like any run-ins with the sexy, yet ill-equipped bartender.

The same people that were there every week could be seen waiting in line to get in. The guys ran the gamut of sexy, urban dressed thugs to trendy, flamboyant closet queens. Jackson was thankful that the crowd of club goers was enough camouflage to slide past the front bar undetected by Tracy. He was busy making drinks anyway. After getting past that minor hurdle, Mykel and Jackson headed to the main room to check out the scene. It wasn't poppin quite yet, but the guys grabbed a few drinks and soaked up the atmosphere. They saw a few familiar faces, a few of Mykel's exes or ex-flings, but nothing major was happening. They were about to chop it up as being an off night for the club.

Mykel excused himself to go to the restroom, but quickly turned back before making it all the way to the front. He marched back to where he had left Jackson and grabbed him by the arm. Without saying anything, he led Jackson back up front.

"Nigga, what are you doing?" Jackson jerked his hand away from Mykel's grasp. For some reason, he had been led back to the middle of the dance floor in the front room. House music that Jackson couldn't identify was playing in the background.

"Look at what I see." Mykel pointed up towards the bar where Tracy was. He busy talking to Alonzo and the two were laughing, joking, and being a little touchy feely. It was casual, but the way that Alonzo placed his hand on Tracy's shoulder when he was laughing was a tale tell sign that something was going on. Mykel saw it and Jackson saw it too.

"Uh okay. I see how he do."

"Yeah, and I bet that is what he been doing all this damn time. You would think he would know better, especially after finding out about his little teeny weeny short man dick."

"Naw, I never got around to telling him, remember. He was never around." Jackson didn't take his eyes off of the two men. He watched as Tracy poured Alonzo another drink and did not bother to get any kind of payment from him. These niggas were foul.

"Yo, you know I got Bea Arthur in the car. I can go get that bitch and bring it back into the club. You know I am cool with Big L at the door so you know I can get it through."

"Bea Arthur?"

"Yeah, my butcher knife; I don't leave home without it. You never know when shit gonna pop off."

"You named your knife Bea Arthur, as in Dorothy from the Golden Girls?" Jackson looked back at his friend.

"You damn right cause its big, a rusty, and will have a nigga running to Saint Olaf like his name was Rose." Jackson wanted to laugh at his friend's stupidity, but he knew Mykel was being serious. His friend was a bit special.

"No, I think you can leave Ol' Bea in the car. I got some other plans for tonight."

"Oh, what you gonna do? Pour sugar in Tracy's gas tank? Set Alonzo's clothes on fire?"

"Of course not." Jackson pulled out his cell phone and started to walk towards the coat check.

"What are you doing then?" Mykel said following Jackson towards the door. He was ready for whatever was about to go down.

"Well, right now I am texting Sherrod and telling him that we need to talk."

"Oh, you gonna bust Alonzo out to him? Is that it?" Mykel was semi disappointed that this was all that Jackson was going to do.

"No. I am going to tell him to meet me at the crib. I think that this whole apartment thing just might work out after all." Jackson put away his phone back into his coat pocket after sending his message successfully. It was short and to the point. He had told Sherrod to meet him at the apartment ASAP. Jackson was sure that he would come. If anything, Sherrod would do anything that he could to come over on the basis of just getting out the house.

"Wait a minute. So all yall gonna do is talk?" A devious look spread across Mykel's face. It matched the one that Jackson was suppressing.

"I mean, we are going to start off talking."

"You fucking trick! You gonna let him get it tonight. But what if Alonzo comes home tonight? What if he doesn't go home with pencil dick?"

"Well, I guess he is going to see a show now won't he?" Jackson's phone rang out a series of chimes. He dug back into his pocket to see that he had a new message. "I better hurry on home. It looks like my man will be there any minute now and I don't plan on keeping him waiting."

Chapter 15

Sherrod would be any there minute. Jackson made sure his room was neat and presentable. After all, if all went right, he and Sherrod would be spending all of their time in there. Jackson planned on bedding him and claiming him as his own. What was he doing with Alonzo anyway?

When Jackson saw Sherrod's smiling face at his front door, he couldn't help but smile too. He became more at ease in his presence. Jackson was not sinisterly plotting to betray his friend. He was just happy to once again be around the man that admired so much.

"I am glad you called man. My grandmother just never goes to sleep, I swear. She was up talking my ear off about renovations she wanted to make on the house. She wants the kitchen redone and the hall bathroom too."