yourself go. You look like somebody dumped a bunch of baby powder in it and just walked off, leavin’ you there. I see where the flour from our house went. Dusty mothafucka.”
“Huggie, you need to cut it out. This isn’t the time,” Doris warned as she handed Lauren a clear bag filled with several Tupperware dishes.
“Thank you, Mama.”
Huggie burst out laughing and shook his head.
“Doris, you have to do something. Landon been over here dippin’ his beard in batter like he’s about to fry it like chicken. A, Landon, did you join the Johnson and Johnson class action lawsuit? That baby powder is a killa! I know you don’t have a cervix, but mothafucka, that beard of yours look like some coochie hair gone wild. You may as well guzzle some RoundUp while you at it. If you, or someone you know, has a raggedy ass beard filled with cornmeal ’nd shit, you might be entitled to a settlement, wit’ yo’ trifling ass.”
“Huggie, if you don’t stop this mess!” Doris laughed.
“What’s wrong with you, man? Why are you so quiet?” The guy approached Mr. McKinney, grinning. Lauren’s father huffed, propped his feet in his Lazyboy, and ignored the man.
“We just had a disagreement is all. Lauren and her friend were just leaving.” Doris placed a kiss on her daughter’s cheek, then, much to Aries’ surprise, hugged him tight.
“A disagreement? ’Bout what?”
“Seems Daddy here doesn’t think I should be dating Aries, Uncle Huggie.”
“Lauren. Please!” Doris stated between gritted teeth. Huggie’s eyes grew big, then he rocked back on his heels as he tossed glances around the room.
“Now why’s that, Landon? He beatin’ on her?”
“No, he doesn’t beat me,” Lauren answered on her father’s behalf, her hand on her hip and lip poked out. “In fact, he doesn’t do anything but treat me how most men would want their daughter to be treated.”
“Well, she been widowed for a while now, man.” Her uncle regarded his brother-in-law.
“Huggie, mind your business,” the man stated dismissively as he reached for his drink and took a leisurely sip, his eyes still glued to the tube.
“Oh, I’m minding my business, man. This here is my sister.” He pointed towards Doris, who’d gone back into the kitchen but was still in sight. “And that right there is my niece. Been there for her since the day she and her brother were born.” He tossed a glance towards Aries, then looked back at Landon. “That’s messed up, man. Why you doing this guy like that if he’s not messing around on her or hitting her? If he ain’t do nothin’ to her, then leave her alone. Sounds like you’re the one that needs to mind your business.”
“I am leaving her alone. Doesn’t mean I have to accept it and I damn sure don’t have to explain anything to you, Huggie. Doris! Get him the flour to give to Gina so he can get the hell up outta my house, please.”
“It’s not just your house. It’s mama’s, too, Daddy, and Huggie helped you get this house all them years ago before I was even born, so he ain’t got to leave, either.”
Her father shot her a death glare, then lit a cigarette.
“Lord help me. Hold on, Huggie. I’m going to get the flour for Gina,” Mama said wearily. If this was the shit she had to put up with on a daily basis, she more than likely was exhausted.
“What do you do, man?” Huggie asked him.
“I own a bike shop. I repair and sell choppers.”
“He’s in a motorcycle club, too. They do charities and all sorts of great things for the community,” Lauren piped up.
“That’s all right! I can dig that.” Aries smiled and nodded at him. “I used to have a Harley ’bout twenty years ago, barely rode it, so I sold it. How long have you been doing that?”
“Fixing bikes? Since I was like seventeen. I’ve had the shop for about eleven years now.”
“You’ve gotten over that business five year hump then. I like that. That’s good. Business going all right?”
“Business is going perfect. Can’t complain.” The two continued to chat it up until Lauren’s father loudly clearly his throat.
“Huggie, Aries’ last name is Creed,” he interrupted. “He’s the son of that big cat construction company guy, I forget his name, but you remember… His name was on everything ’round Atlanta for a while. Bought up all the hood property in Buckhead decades ago and turned them into places Black people couldn’t afford anymore. Gentrification.”
“Oh, really? Isn’t that