“Yeah,” Julio answered proudly. “And that Jewish kid from Philadelphia plays on the keyboards. Scott Storch. That kid is nasty wit’ it.”

He held his blunt tightly between his lips again and stretched out his free fingers to play an imaginary keyboard progression:

“Derrrnt…darrrnt…derrrnt…darrrnt…derrrnt…darrrnt…durrrnt…durrrrnnt.” He hummed the notes as he moved his hands left and right.

Ivan started to laugh again.

Julio said, “That’s that Jewish kid, man. Scott Storch. He’s nasty. He was the one who played those wicked piano notes on Still D.R.E.

“Bling-bling-bling-bling-bling-bling-bling-bling-bling-bling-blingblinnggg…”

Ivan said, “I didn’t know you were into music like that.” He figured the effects of the marijuana were helping out his neighbor’s free expression that evening. It was a strong grade, too. Ivan could smell it.

Julio nodded and uttered, “Yeah, man, I love music.” Another cloud of smoke left his mouth and floated up into the night air.

Ivan continued to think about that. He said, “It’s just something about music that gets everybody open.”

Julio continued to smoke and said, “Yup.” Then he considered Ivan. “You want some of this?” He extended the blunt in his right hand.

Ivan turned it down. “Nah, man, I gotta be back at work in six hours. And Fridays and Mondays are the worst. You can’t wait to get the hell out of there on Friday, and you can’t believe you’re back there already on Monday.”

Julio said, “I gotta be at work in six hours, too. But at least you got weekends off. I only get Sundays off. And you work inside. I’m outside all day in the heat.”

Julio worked for a groundskeeping company. And in the state of California, groundskeeping was an around-the-clock job.

Ivan thought about it and nodded. “I guess we all got our own medicine to swallow, hunh?”

Julio held his marijuana up in the air. “I’m swallowing my medicine right now.”

Ivan laughed and shook it off. He started to walk to his apartment with his key out. Once he reached the door, he figured, What the hell? Go ahead and get some. It’ll help you make it through Friday.

He looked back to Julio and said, “Yo…let me get some of that.”

Julio studied him first. He asked him, “Are you sure? I mean, they don’t do no urine tests where you work, do they? I wouldn’t want to be the one who gets you fired.”

Ivan smiled. “You wasn’t thinking about that when you first asked me.”

Julio looked confused for a second. “Well, I wasn’t thinking until you said something. But you work at an office. Grass don’t matter where I work. We all smoke a li’l bit of herb.”

Ivan said, “Nah, that ain’t no li’l bit of herb you smoking. That smells like you got some good shit.”