Free Scandals by Sasha Campbell Page B

looking for a relationship.
    His brow rose. “What you mean, what do I do? I throw down in the kitchen,” he replied with his chest stuck out proud.
    â€œReally? You don’t dress like any chef I know.”
    â€œWhat’s a chef supposed to look like?” He laughed. “I cook, but I mainly handle the financial end of the business. My sister and mom do the majority of the cooking, and my brother is the king of the ribs.”
    Shit, I was getting hungry. “Damn, so it’s like that? Some all-in-the-family type shit.”
    â€œTrust me ... we bust our asses and the hours are long, but we’ve been in business for almost twenty years. You need to come down and check us out.”
    I had to smile. “I guess I will.”
    Trey stared at me for a moment and my mind started racing with possibilities. “So, what’s your story? What’s a sexy female like yourself do for a living?”
    Any other time I would have thought a brotha was throwing me a line, but something about his eyes said he was keeping it real. “I’m a stripper.” I waited to see if he batted an eye. Trey barely blinked.
    â€œHey, whatever it takes to pay the bills, and looking at this place I can tell it pays quite well.”
    Tilting my head at him, I replied, “You’re different. Most men either try to fuck me or act like I got herpes when I say I’m a stripper.”
    Trey threw his hand up. “Nah, handle your business, Ma. I’m in the business of making money.”
    I liked him. I didn’t want to, but I did.
    â€œSo, what’s up with Kyle? You gonna take him or not?”
    I released a heavy sigh. “Trey, I don’t do kids,” I whined. “Never have. Also, he’ll cramp my style. I sleep all day and work all night.”
    â€œLike I said before, I’ll watch him on the nights you are working. I live over in Glen Allen, so I’m not that far away.”
    He was trying to make it hard to resist. But I just couldn’t imagine myself with a kid 24/7. What in the world would we talk about? And then I would have curfews, bath time, and grocery shopping. Who the hell wanted to do all that?
    I drummed my fingers against my lips like I was seriously thinking about the bullshit situation my sister had put me in. “Listen ... I have men over at all hours of the day and night. That’s not the type of environment a kid should be around.” One of my cardinal rules was to never shit where you sleep, so I never brought a nigga back to my crib, but Trey didn’t need to know that.
    He took a deep breath, probably growing annoyed. “So what you saying?”
    Hello! Is he not hearing me? “I’m saying I don’t know how I’m gonna do it,” I answered quickly in defense.
    â€œDo you have any other family that can take him?”
    I rolled my eyes because he already knew the answer to that. “You know I don’t.”
    Trey rose from the stool and carried his mug over to the sink. “Then I guess I’ll have to call DFS and see if they can find somewhere for him to stay until his mama gets outta jail.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t mind helping, but I can’t do it all on my own.”
    While he rinsed out his mug I thought about what he said, and just thinking about Kyle going to foster care made me sweat. I wouldn’t wish that kind of life on anyone. Nobody at all. I still had scars to prove it had been a painful life. As much as I didn’t want a little kid hanging around, there was no way I could let my nephew go into the system. Been there, done that shit, and I’d be damned if I let someone else’s head get fucked up behind it.
    â€œDamn,” I mumbled under my breath and cussed my sister for getting me in this mess in the first place. If her ass wasn’t out doing who knows what, I wouldn’t have to keep her snotty-ass kid. “I’ll keep him, but