Free Chasing Bliss by Sabrina A. Eubanks

turn your ass down?”
    Chase nodded, and the oddest thing happened: He felt heat creep into his face when he discussed Bliss with those two clowns. Chase tried to bite back his smile and averted his eyes by looking into his beer. “Yeah, Corey. She told me no.”
    “Oh, shit!” came from J.T. with his loud ass. “Look at this shit, Corey. This negro is sittin’ here fuckin’ blushing.”
    Corey’s mouth dropped open comically.
    “Close your mouth, Corey,” Chase said with a laugh.
    “What you blushin’ for, Chase? What’s up with that?”
    “I’m not…and ain’t nothin’ up. I like her, that’s all.”
    Corey shrugged. “Well, hell, I knew you liked when you came in the office talkin’ about how fine she was. But I thought you said you didn’t think you stood a chance in Hell with her after you wrecked her suit?”
    “I didn’t think I did, but it turns out she’s feelin’ me too. Some shit you just can’t control, Corey. Believe that.”
    J.T. hit him in the arm. “Your mack that strong, Chase?”
    Chase laughed in spite of himself. “Nah, man. Her mack’s that strong…and she didn’t even do anything.”
    J.T. smiled. “Damn, son. Looks like your ass is goin’ under.”
    Chase sipped his beer. “Maybe, but I can think of worse things.”
    Chase looked at his brother, who was staring at him like he was witnessing a miracle. “ What , Corey?”
    Corey laughed. “Nothin’, man. Nothin’. I mean, hey, I like Bliss. Maybe she might make your ass less intense. You’re my brother, Chase, and I want you to be happy.”
    “Don’t send me off to the chapel just yet.”
    J.T. leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “I heard, Smoke, and I ain’t mad at ya. But what you gon’ do when Cyrus finds out you’re fuckin’ his new manager? He’s gonna shit a brick, son.”
    Chase scowled at him and felt anger start to rise up. “You ain’t got no class, man. I ain’t sleepin’ with Bliss. And don’t call me Smoke.”
    “Yeah, not yet. I mean, not right now at this very moment, at this table, but the day ain’t over,” Corey said, laughing rakishly.
    “Shut up, Corey,” Chase replied and finished his beer. He pushed the empty bottle away with a fair amount of insolence. He couldn’t understand why Cyrus had to creep his shifty ass into every conversation he had. He couldn’t be happy for two seconds without hearing his damn brother’s name brought up.
    “For what? I saw y’all lookin’ at each other. That’s a done deal. It’s goin’ down, and you know J.T. is right, Chase. When Cyrus finds out Bliss is your girlfriend—”
    He frowned at Corey. “She’s not my girlfriend, Corey.”
    Corey waved him off. “Okay, Chase, whatever. Like I said, not yet. As we were sayin’, Cyrus is gonna be damn straight pissed when he finds out.”
    Chase sat back in his seat in exasperation. “Why would he even care? Why?”
    J.T. folded his arms across his chest and looked at the table. “Because he begrudges you things. We know it and you know it. It’s the most horrible, outlandish, over-the-top game of sibling rivalry I have ever witnessed in my entire existence. It’s a God-awful shame, if I do say so myself.”
    They both stared at him, and Corey gawked in disbelief. “Yo, J.T., man, are you for fuckin’ real?”
    “Very. See?” He reached out and tousled his hair. Corey took it like he was his little brother, too, and he may as well have been.
    It was kind of funny, but Chase was too busy ruminating to laugh. He signaled for another beer. “Man, fuck Cyrus and his bullshit.” Right on cue, his cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at it reluctantly. Yep. It’s him. Chase turned it off and put it back in his pocket.
    “Ain’t gotta ask who that was,” J.T. commented.
    Corey’s cell phone started ringing, and J.T. smiled.
    “Don’t answer it, Corey,” Chase said menacingly.
    Corey ignored him and took his cell phone out.
    “If you answer it,