Heartbreak of a Hustler's Wife: A Novel

by Nikki Turner

  “If it’s not too much trouble.” Desember took her coat off. “It’s cold as hell out there.”

  “It’s cold as what?” Des said, dropping the last of the bags in the foyer.

  “My bad. Didn’t mean to cuss,” Desember apologized. “It’s a bad habit of mine.”

  “Not everybody in here is grown.” Des gestured toward Desi. “That’s our daughter, Desi, and I’m Des—from what I’ve been told, I could be your father.” Des nodded toward Yarni. “And you’ve met my wife. This is going to be kind of awkward for us all for a while, you, me and Yarni. But we gon all figure it out and be one happy family, if you’re truly my daughter.”

  Yarni intervened because she wanted this transition to be as comfortable and easy as possible for both Des and Desember. She knew that Des was playing it low key for her sake, so she decided to take on the role of peacemaker. “Before we get into all that, do you need me to show you to your room to get comfortable? Or you want to just chill out here while I make the hot chocolate?”

  Fuck the hot chocolate and the bullshit, Desember thought to herself but responded, “Do you all have a computer down here that I could use?”

  “Yes, we keep a laptop in the library,” Yarni answered. “Let me get the hot chocolate started and then I’ll show you where it is.”

  After Yarni put the milk on the stove, Desember followed her to the library. Yarni directed her to a glass desk and an iBook.

  “Thanks. Can you ask Des to join us, please?” Desember asked.

  “Sure.” Yarni went to get him.

  By the time Desember had the computer up and running, Des and Yarni had come into the room.

  “What can I do for you?” Des asked Desember, his arm around Yarni’s waist. “My wife said you wanted her to come get me.”

  “Give me a second.” Desember’s fingers were busy tapping the keys on the keyboard and then they came to a stop. “I just need a credit card from you,” she said.

  She caught him off guard. “It’s a lil fast to be going shopping, don’t you think?” he said with a smile. “You’ve only been here two minutes.”

  “I’m going to keep it real with you. My mother has a track record of not being totally honest when it comes to paternity issues. Although your mother says she can look at me and tell I’m yours, I would like to be sure. I’m sure you don’t want to waste your time taking care of a child that ain’t yours. Before I get into your world or I let you into mine, there is one important matter of business that needs to be resolved. This has to be done now, time is the most precious commodity we have and I don’t want you to waste any of mine nor yours. I’m ordering a paternity test so we all can be clear of what’s what.”

  Des nodded at the girl’s logic and went in his wallet, handed over his credit card and watched her finger the numbers in. He’d been planning to get around to that eventually anyway. After the punching of a few final keys, she handed the card back to him. At that moment Des felt guilty about how he initially came off; all Desember wanted to know was the truth. Same as everybody else. “I apologize if I offended you, but this is the first time I’ve had to deal with something like this.”

  Desember snapped off, “So, I’m the only daughter you’ve ever abandoned?”

  “Look, I met your mother like twenty years ago, during bike week. She was in college, out for spring break.” He looked at Yarni then back to Desember. They both were all ears. “We got hot and heavy right off the bat.” He made sure to clarify. “This was before I ever met my wife. But after the weekend I never heard from your mother again.”

  “Why wouldn’t she try to contact you if she knew she was carrying your child?”

  “Maybe I can answer that.” All eyes were now on Joyce. She entered the room carrying a Heineken and a sheepish expression.

  They all stared transfixed as they waited for her to go on.

  “Angie had a boyfriend back at school when she met Des,” Joyce began. “Her mother convinced her that the baby could have been either of theirs. Why stir up unnecessary trouble?” Joyce paused to take a deep breath before continuing. “After the baby was born—actually, after you were around two years old, your features became more defined. Angie knew in her heart that the baby belonged to you, Des. She looked up my number and contacted me.”

  “Why didn’t you call me?” Des asked, shocked by the story.

  “Because you had gotten locked up by that time,” Joyce said, “that’s why.” She shot him a look. “Now be quiet and let me finish what I was saying. I don’t know why you don’t exercise your manners after all that home training I gave you.”

  “Okay, Ma, go ahead,” Des gave in.

  “Thank you.” Joyce rolled her eyes. “As I was about to say,” she continued, “I told her you were found guilty of a horrible crime that you didn’t commit and the judge sentenced you to an unimaginable amount of time.”

  Joyce addressed Desember. “Angie told me all about you, Desember. She was almost certain you belonged to my son. I offered to take you,” Joyce gave a caring smile to Desember, “and raise you myself. But Angie wasn’t having it. And I couldn’t blame her. I was being selfish because I’d just lost my son to the system and I wanted someone to fill the empty space I had in my heart.

  “Angie said she didn’t want her baby to come up with a father who was behind bars all his life. It wasn’t fair to the child.” Joyce took a sip of her beer. “Not to say that I agreed with her, but it was her child, not mine, so all I could do was follow her wishes. Angie made me promise I would keep her secret. And for my silence she periodically called me through the years, to fill me in on how you were doing.” Joyce couldn’t help staring at this young woman who was her granddaughter. “I always sent presents at Christmas and your birthday, and cash every month to help out.”

  Desember pushed a tear away. This was her first time hearing the intimate details. Her mother was in such a rush to get her out of North Carolina to safety, she really didn’t have time to go into everything in depth. “How come my mother still kept the secret once Des was out of prison?”

  “I’ve said enough. I think you should take that one up with Angie.”

  “Well, the test will be here the day after tomorrow,” Desember said, softly. “After we get the samples, it says, the results will be back in a week.”

  Stunned by the story Joyce had just told, Des tried to stay composed. “Regardless of what the DNA test says, you can stay here as long as you want. And if it turns out you are truly my daughter … then I got a lot of time to make up for, don’t I?”

  Desember had heard that bullshit before. She’d heard it many times before. Same story, different nigga—or should she say “different daddy”? There were tons of false promises that the other men accused of being, or pretending to be, her daddy, had made to Desember, so she didn’t respond to his comment. Only time would tell.

  Lunch with the Girls

  In downtown Richmond, a small crowd had begun to gather at the Sugar Hill Café soul food eatery. It was the ideal spot for a quick meal with a home-cooked flavor. Sitting in one of the four large booths positioned in front of the window views of 2nd Street, Yarni checked e-mails from her cell phone. She was the first to arrive for the girls’ lunch get-together. She’d thrown it together at the last minute for Bambi, Lava and herself to get to know Desember better and at the same time introduce her to a couple of key people in Yarni’s life.

  Besides, Bambi had called so many times, asking hundreds of questions about Desember, it was impossible for Yarni to get any work done. Actually, Bambi was the one who suggested introducing Desember to Lava, and Yarni thought it was a good idea. Lava was only about two or three years older than Desember, so they should have a few things in common.

  When Bambi pulled up she parked directly in front of the restaurant. She waved to Yarni, hit the button to lock the doors on her car, and then rushed to the entrance. They had different mothers, but besides one being a few shades of chocolate lighter than the oth
er—Yarni more of a caramel color to Bambi’s Hershey’s chocolate skin tone—the half-sisters could’ve passed for twins.

  Both were into fashion heavily, but Bambi was a true fashionista. This afternoon she wore skinny jeans tucked in the top of brown thigh-high stiletto boots, a cowl-neck wool sweater, and a waist-length leather jacket that matched her footwear. She blew through the door like a gust of fashionably fresh air. Quite a few sets of eyes followed as she made her way to the booth.

  After a quick hug Bambi joined her sister in the booth. “So where’s Des’s grown daughter?” Bambi asked, not wasting any time.

  Yarni got the waitress’s attention before responding to Bambi. “Yo’ ass is terrible,” she admonished. “First of all, Soledad O’Brien, you got your reports wrong. Until it’s confirmed by the paternity test, my naive sister, for now Desember is Des’s alleged daughter, at best. And if you must know everything,” she shared, “since I was coming from the office, I asked Lava to pick her up. They should be here any minute.”

  The waitress showed up like an exclamation to a point well made.

  “Hi, I’m Cathy, your waitress today. Are you ready to order now?” the waitress asked, obviously in a hurry to get their order.

  “Just drinks for now. We’re waiting on two more people to join our party,” Yarni told the waitress.

  Cathy pulled out her pen. “Not a problem. What would you like to drink?”

  Bambi ordered an apple martini and Yarni a grape-ade with a lime wedge.

  Bambi turned her nose up at her sister. “You ain’t drinking with me?” she asked, though she knew Yarni never drank alcohol during working hours. Yarni shot her a look, and then Bambi said, trying to mock her sister, “A clear head makes a clear decision. I know the speech.”

  As soon as Cathy was out of earshot, Bambi was back at it. “Do she look like Des?”

  “Yes,” Yarni hated to admit. “To be honest the girl looks just like him. I wanted to hate the lil heifer, but my conscience wouldn’t go along with my heart.”

  “Damn, girl. If it makes you feel any better, I bet her mama’s a dog.” They burst into laughter. “A real pitbull,” Bambi added, trying to mimic the expression of a menacing canine. Not even close.

  Yarni knew Bambi was just trying to make her laugh to lighten the mood. And it was working—sort of. “Girl, have I told you lately how glad I am you’re my sister?”

  “Not lately, but don’t worry—you can show me, because Christmas is coming soon.”

  They spent the next few minutes talking about Bambi and her husband, Lynx. Now that the focus was on her, Bambi came clean. They were far from broke but the recession had put a major dagger through her once lucrative party-planning business.

  “People just ain’t splurging like they used to,” she said. “And mu’fuckers getting sheisty.”

  Yarni concurred. “Tell me about it,” she said, thinking about the church robbery. Then suddenly something jarred her memory.

  Yarni snapped her fingers, realizing the girl she’d talked with prior to church the morning of the robbery was with one of the robbers. “The stripper chick.” Why hadn’t she thought about that before? Had she been that devastated and afraid for her family’s life that she’d forgotten all about something that significant?

  Bambi was puzzled. “What stripper?” she asked visibly confused.

  The scene ran through Yarni’s head as clear as a YouTube clip. The first time the girl came to the church, Sister Mary was saying she’d heard that girl worked at that new high-dollar strip club.

  “What girl is that?” Yarni asked, making polite conversation with the old-timer. Sister Mary was like Pearl from the old sitcom 227. She didn’t miss a beat when it came to who was doing what. Pointing to a pretty young lady wearing a tight dress, Sister Mary gave up the business.

  “Roxanne is her name,” Sister Mary said.

  “There they go.” Bambi gestured toward the front door when she saw Lava and the guest of honor come through it.

  Yarni’s thoughts traveled back to the present as they made their way over to the booth, trying to conceal conspiratorial smiles. Lava and Desember seemed to be getting along well, Yarni thought. Maybe a bit too well.

  As soon as the girls reached the table Desember immediately started talking about the invitation she had gotten. Lava had invited Desember to a big party. After only being in the city for a couple of days, Desember wasn’t sure how her “supposed” dad was going to react. She didn’t want to ruffle any feathers, but Lava made the party sound irresistible.

  Yarni introduced Desember and Bambi. “I love it down in N.C.,” Bambi said when she found out Desember was from North Carolina. “I put a few nice events together down there.”

  Lava and Desember talked to Bambi for a split second and then went back to the party chitchat. It was no secret both girls were excited about the upcoming event.

  They all ordered: Yarni, spaghetti and meatballs; Bambi, fried fish and shrimp; Lava, baked chicken; and Desember, the smothered pork chops. Five minutes or so after two of the entrees arrived at the table, Yarni got an urgent e-mail. Cathy had apologized on behalf of the cook for the extra time it was taking to complete the order.

  “Damn, y’all!” She’d forgotten all about the meeting with the superintendent of the school board. Thank God for Layla. Yarni had almost blown a half-million-dollar account. “Sorry, girls, but I gotta go.” She plucked a hundred dollar bill from her purse and laid it on the table. “This is for the food. Lunch is on me. Call me later, sis. You two too,” she said to Desember and Lava, “and try not to have too much fun.”

  “Aren’t you at least going to get your food wrapped up to go?” Desember asked.

  “Don’t have time.” Food was the last thing on Yarni’s mind right now. Another round of good-byes and she was out the door.

  Bambi looked at her watch, then placed three twenties of her own on the table. “I might as well take off too. I have millions of things to get done. Nice meeting you, Desember. Welcome to the family.” She popped a shrimp in her mouth and was ghost.

  When Cathy returned with the other two meals and the check, she asked, “Are they returning?” Her eyes were bouncing back and forth from where Yarni and Bambi had been sitting.

  Desember took one look at her newly arrived meal and gasped. “I can’t eat this,” she complained. “It has onions on it.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Cathy sucked her teeth. “It’s smothered with onions and gravy, the way you ordered it,” she snidely added.

  Desember’s face was as tight as a Naomi Campbell weave. “The menu ain’t say nothing about no damn onions. You can take that shit right back where you got it from.”

  Cathy didn’t verbalize her displeasure, but it was obvious in her body language. She jerked the plate from the table, almost spilling it on Desember, and stomped off to the kitchen.

  Lava dropped her fork in the center of her dish. “Let’s get out of here, girl.”

  Desember didn’t budge. “I’m not giving this bitch no hundred sixty dollars for some food nobody ate.”

  “You must’d misunderstood me, cuz. I said let’s go, not let’s pay.”

  Desember found an ink pen in her purse and for kicks they scribbled a note on a five-dollar bill. Courtesy of Lava.

  The waitress was headed back to the table with the plate of food she had spit in, when she realized that the two girls were settling into a pearl white Lexus, giggling.

  She was pissed because the four arrogant women had taken up the booth space for almost an hour. Too bad, she’d been looking forward to serving the loudmouth one pork chops with no onions but warm spit mixed in the gravy. When Cathy picked up the five-dollar bill she noticed the writing on it.

  The script read:

  You eat it,

  And next time have

  Better manners!

  Beyatch!

  Fantasy Island

  The evening had dragged along like a snail hungover on an extra-salty margar
ita. Yarni just hadn’t been able to get the girl—Roxanne—out of her head since lunch. So much so, she called Bambi and convinced her to meet at the Fantasy Island strip club at nine.

  “And why are we here again?” Bambi asked when they hooked up in the parking lot of the club.

  “Because I think one of the chicks who works here might know something about what went down at the church. I saw her with one of the robbers right before church service that day.”

  “Stop me if I’m wrong, but didn’t them boys have machine guns? Why don’t you let Des and dem deal with this?” Bambi asked.

  “Because I don’t know if she really knew what was going on, that’s why. And if I tell Des, it may not matter—her ass will be grass.”

  “Oh okay, so we here because you feel some type of compassion for this girl?”

  “Yeah, basically.” Yarni thought about it. “But I do feel sorta bad also for not mentioning this to Des.”

  “You better than me, girl. But I guess, as crazy as it sounds, we are doing the right thing. I just hope this chick appreciates the favor you doing for her.” Bambi knew the girl probably wouldn’t understand that they were actually preserving her life by not first telling the boys what they knew, but she was only there to watch her sister’s back.

  The sisters entered Fantasy Island, for the first time.

  The Fantasy Island Gentlemen’s Club was where the upscale and wealthy went to unwind. It was a private club and management was very selective about the people they let in. The cover charge for men to get in was $250 with a kickback of $50 in drink coupons. However, female customers paid $350 without the kickback.

  “As much as it costs to get up in this bitch, we better find out something,” Bambi bitched.

  “It’s a gamble, I know.” Yarni wasn’t even sure if the girl really worked here. But she was willing to bet her money on Sister Mary’s word. She just hoped that the mystery girl would be cooperative when they found her.