Fighting Words

Anthony finishes his workout feeling amped. Leaving the weight room women stare at him appreciatively, some even try to catch his eye. One thing Anthony never does is talk to women at the gym. They are distracting and will ruin your workout session to find some way of letting you know they're available. He hates the ones that are so bold enough to act like they don't know how to use the equipment and seductively eye him for help. "Wow this thing seems so complicated, how do I get on it?" 😼Anthony either acts like he doesn't hear or tells them "I don't work here sweetheart" and walks to the other side of the weight room. 😾

Half the time these women are taking selfies or making Tick-tock videos, and wear buckets of makeup to "work out". Again a distraction the handsome prosecutor doesn't need.

Anthony showers and quickly exits the gym. The gym is a short jog from the detailing shop Drip Clean where he goes just about every month to detail his Range Rover since the shop opened three years ago.

A young boy named Lorenzo AkA Zo hands Anthony his key.

"Truck is all ready for you Mr. Lawson."

"Thanks, Zo. I see you're putting in those hours this summer."

"Yes Sir. Full-time gig until school starts." Zo says proudly.

"That's good. Stay out of trouble and make that money champ." Anthony pounds Zo's fist and takes off.

"You got it, Mr. Lawson."

Zo runs back over to one of the workers who was installing starlights in the ceiling of a Lamborghini.

Anthony walks past all the luxury vehicles and old-school classics, with various works being done. From simple detailing to tricked out mods.

As he gets into his freshly detailed truck he starts to think about Isa. He connects his phone to Ace Rover and looks up the song Isa dedicated to him... Well she was faking like it wasn't but this Stud knew he turned that ass out. As Bando Jonez's song "Sex You" plays through the speakers he glances back at the left passenger side window hoping they forgot to clean the inside and that Isa's message commemorating their epic backseat action was still there. It wasn't and as he pulls off the into the City of Parkdale traffic he chuckled to himself remembering Mark's reaction when he read Isa's message, realizing he just sat in their sex.

"Got all these hoe's calling asking me to come thruuuu!" Anthony sings along.

Anthony had to admit to himself, he liked Isa. Really liked her. Time moved slowly when he was with her. Their vibe was so natural and their sex was phenomenal. It felt like her body was molded for him. The whole relationship felt kismet. Except how could it be when she was a defense attorney and him a prosecutor. Extreme opposites and even if Isa had left her contact information their relationship was bound to fail. The moral ethics of it all was too off. Yet it felt natural to want to do for her, to please and even provide if she asked... And yet she didn't, not even a ride home...

'Maybe that's why she snuck off... She knew it wouldn't work...'

Anthony groans in frustration and decides to text Mark.

Anthony: Hey man how's brunch? Need me to swing by?

Instead of getting a text back, Mark calls.

"Yo, what's good? Brunch's over? Let me swing by and get a plate." Anthony bellows in the phone, not one for small talk.

"Aye man, you can come by, it's over thankfully..." Mark shakes his head still trying to process everything that just took place. He was still standing outside not ready to go in and deal with Monica. His emotions were all over the place and was glad that Anthony reached out. He could put off dealing with his wife's temper tantrum a little longer if Anthony was there.

"That bad huh? Wait, did Monica find out about you and Sheri?!" Anthony made his was to the governor's house. Five minutes away from his current location.

"No, Monica has no idea. But I did hook up with Sheri in my office..."

"And F Boy Mark strikes again! Man what are you thinking? I mean I've never seen you this reckless sober or while you're being an Alcoholic, cheating was never your thing." Anthony says bewildered. Mark earned the name F Boy because of the dickhead he becomes when he drinks. He's an angry drunk. Picks fights or destroys things but never cheats on his wife.

"I don't know Ant. This girl got me losing my grip. I look at her and can't think straight." Mark confessed. "It's the craziest thing." Mark let's out a deep breath.

"What is it about her? You don't know her... I mean, I get it but you have too much at stake to be caught up..." Anthony knew he couldn't chastize because his feelings for Isa felt like an irrational crush.

"Ant I know. But like I said, I can't think when I look at her. My only goal is to get her alone and try to figure her out. What she likes, what she wants, anything... I mean I dragged that girl into my office and just gave it to her without a thought." Mark reminisced, embarrassed at how quick it was. Sheri probably thought he was a loser.

"How you even manage to be alone with her long enough with Monica home???" Anthony still can't understand how Mark has been able to be this crazy.

"We had guests over. The ambassadors of Jamaica and Sheri's friend. She had plenty of company... But-"

"Isa was there?" Anthony cuts Mark off. Trying to suppress his emotions.

"Eyyeesss, Isa..." Mark wondered if he should just tell Anthony that her name is Jill but this was about him right now not some dodgy hoe.

"Did she mention anything?! Is she alright?!" Anthony couldn't hide the eagerness in his voice.

"Uh, well enough to still be the annoying ass bitch I'd be willing to cuss out again if we weren't in front of polite company. Yeah, I'd say she's doing just fine." Mark said annoyed at Jill's antics. She's subtle but she knows how to piss you off.

"Young, watch yo mouth because if her annoyance was enough to make you wanna cuss her out again then I don't know how you and Monica are surviving." If there was any female Anthony avoided talking to, it was Mark's wife.

"I'm just saying, your girl don't ever seem to know her place, which is to shutup and let people who have business talk with no snide remarks." Mark says, strain lacing his voice, irritated that they still seem to be stuck on the subject of Jill or Isa or whoever else this hoe decides to be to whomever she gives play to.

"Snide remarks! Again do you know who your married too? The queen of snide remarks and shade! You do realize that don't nobody likes your wife besides you right? You might be the only one who actually does... Wait, do you even like her? Sheri does seem nice, but like you said birds of a feather flock together so I guess soon enough you'll be cussing her out too right?" Anthony asserts challenging Mark's logic.

"Again my wife has business to talk and Queens in charge don't need peasants to like her. And don't ever question my love for my wife! Sheri's an incidental development and if she proves to be just a dumb ass bitch like her friend then she can get it too! So far it's just the temperament of yo hoe." Mark was frustrated at not being able to vent because Anthony wanna give rank to a hoe.

"Again, I've never come at anyone you deal with foul, and you know if I wanted too I could dig into Monica's shit! Cuz she don't ever know how to talk to nobody!" Anthony was pissed now.

"That's because you know the difference between a wife and a hoe." Mark drawls out slowly irritated that Anthony made him spell out the obvious.

"I guess you do too! Since your wife gives you no ass, you went and got yourself a hoe! But damn bro you shitting where you sleep! To bring her to your crib and fuck her while your family's home."

Anthony shakes his head. Mark can be the biggest ass when he's in the wrong.

"Bro why do you think I even called you! I'm having issues! But instead, you wanna argue about a bitch of no consequence." Mark's at his peak.

"Ninja! We started arguing because you started talking recklessly. But that's how you are, you say dumb shit and think nobody is about to respond. And call her a bitch one more time! Try me ninja! Try me!" Anthony was ready to fight at this point.

"I just don't get why we trapped on the subject of Isa! If you wanna see what's up call the bitch but leave me out of it!" Mark snarled not scared of Anthony's threats.

Anthony comes speeding down the governor's long driveway when he sees Mark conveniently standing at the end. He puts Ace Rover in park, hops out and runs over to Mark and puts him into a chokehold.

"Say something else wit cho bitch ass." Anthony has the governor in a tight grip, ready to put him to sleep.

Mark is choking and gaging. Unable to get Anthony to loosen his hold no matter how hard he punches.

Anthony finally lets go. "You've been forgetting who I am lately, I don't like it."