“Pam only got three words to say to me,” Bobby said and laughed a little.
“What’s that?”
“Fuck you, Bobby.”
Black laughed. “That’s it?”
“Anything I say to her, that’s Pam’s answer; fuck you, Bobby. I try to be nice to her, you know, ‘Pam can I talk to you’. She just sticks her hand out like, go ahead, the floor is yours. I say what I gotta say and when I’m done all she says is, fuck you, Bobby.”
“That all she says?”
“No, she speaks to everybody else like she got some sense, but me, fuck you, Bobby. And it don’t matter if the kids or her grandmother is around, it’s always fuck you, Bobby.”
Mike laughed.
“Her grandmother says, ‘Pam, not in front of the children’.”
“What Pam say?”
“They done heard me curse at him worse than this,” Bobby said. They got to the car and put his luggage in the trunk. “Where’s your driver?”
“I’m driving.”
“I can’t remember the last time you drove us anywhere.”
“You wanna drive?”
“Hell no. I don’t like that right hand drivin’ shit.”
Black looked at Bobby. “Looks like you picked up some weight.”
“Pam’s grandmother was glad to have a man to cook for, and she can cook her ass off. When I go over there in the morning to take the kids to school, she got pancakes or waffles ready, eggs, grits with butter and bacon or sausage or steak or chicken. She cooks enough to feed an army. Then she’ll call me during the day and tell me what she’s cooking for dinner and says that she got this and that left over from dinner last night so come on by and have lunch.”
“Looks like you ain’t missed a meal.”
“No, I didn’t.”
Black paused. “While we on the subject, I want to warn you, Cee has gained a lot of weight with the baby. She afraid she won’t be able to lose it.”
“CeCe used to be fine,” Bobby said and got in the car.
“Well she ain’t exactly fine no more and she’s real sensitive about it. I know you got fat jokes for years, so go easy on her, okay.”
“We’ll just bump big bellies and move on from there,” Bobby said and Black drove off. He took Bobby to The Grill and had dinner with Jamaica. Then the three old friends went around to all their spots, while Black and Jamaica brought Bobby up to speed on all they had going on the island. They ended the evening at Paraíso.
“Who is that?” Bobby asked.
“That is Jada West,” Black replied as Jada sauntered toward them, elegantly dressed in a Ralph Lauren Black Label Silk Halter Gown, Jabine ankle-strap suede sandals, citrine, whiskey quartz, diamond and 18k yellow gold earrings.”
“Good Evening, Mr. Black,” Jada said “And who is this handsome gentleman?”
“Jada West, this is Bobby Ray.”
“So this is the famous Bobby Ray,” Jada said when Black introduced them. “Mr. Black speaks very highly of you. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for quite some time,” she looped her arm in his. “Come, let me show you around and you can tell me if you like what we’ve done here and we can get better acquainted. Would you gentlemen excuse us?” Jada said to Black and Jamaica.
As Bobby went off with Jada, Jamaica turned to Black. “What you wanna do about Harry Walker?”
“Tell him to be at The Grill tomorrow night at nine,” Black said and headed for Jada’s office to wait for Bobby. He was standing on the balcony, looking out at the ocean when Jada came in laughing with Bobby. The three sat and talked for a while over drinks. “Will you gentlemen excuse me?” Jada said and went in her dressing room.