“Yes Dee, they the same ones, yo.”
“Oh Uncle E. should have never hired them. I’ll have to let him know,” Deedee said.
“Right away, right away, yo.”
The nurse walked into the room and immediately turned the music down. She fussed with the curtains and then stopped to check on Coco.
“Okay, we need time to remove the bandages, so there’ll be no visitors until after six,” she said before leaving.
“Thank you nurse,” Coco said.
“Oh that’s great,” Deedee said, immediately forgetting about the news of Kim and Tina.
“It’s about time,” Josephine said. “I might just bring you a blunt.”
“Nah, I’ll be real high when they take these off, yo. I’ve bee waiting a long time to hear those words. You can’t believe how happy I’ll be. I ain’t gonna need no weed.”
“You sure? Shoot. I’m asking as if I know where to get it. Last week Showbiz and Silky Black had the studio reeking of some good shit. I caught a buzz soon as I walked in. Eric smelled that shit too,” Josephine said with a chuckle.
“Silky Black and Showbiz are fine. Just tell him to get rid of the two hoochies. They’re no good, yo.”
“Coco, you sure you ain’t hating? I spoke to Kim and Tina, they say—”
“Jo, I don’t give a fuck wha them bitches say. They’re no fucking good.”
“You’re right, Coco. I’ll get my uncle to fire them immediately.”
Josephine and Deedee walked to the elevator without a word spoken between them. While waiting silently for the elevator, Deedee suddenly walked back to the nurse’s station. The elevator came and Josephine got inside with a mocking glare at Deedee.
CHAPTER 21
It was after five in the evening when Josephine arrived at the hotel. She tried to call Eric with no luck reaching him. Josephine was curious as to why he was in the Hamptons when he should be at work. It didn’t make sense to her.
She soon met her mother in the lobby of the W Hotel. They planned on having an early dinner together. Josephine wanted to give her mother the reason why she couldn’t leave New York.
Sitting silently at dining table, Josephine waited until they were finished eating before saying anything.
“You said you had something important to tell me. Well, what is it? We’ve got to leave tomorrow,” her mother said.
“I’m not going back with you, mother. I have to stay here,” Josephine said solemnly. She could feel her mother’s cold stare ripping her apart.
“Why, Josephine?”
“Well because… because, I’m pregnant mother,” she said, rushing the words.
Josephine momentary looked at her mother and their eyes met briefly. She saw the woman’s head drop in agony.
“You’ll have to have an abortion. I simply can’t allow that. What about college? Your father and I both agreed for you to go Clark—”
“My father and you decided when? This is part of your court order, mother? I gotta live my life.”
“You’re pregnant and only seventeen and—”
“I’m eighteen, mother. Eighteen and legal,” Josephine confirmed with attitude.
“Yes, you grew up fast, I guess.”
“I was busy growing up while you were busy divorcing my father.”
“You’re still only a teenager.”
“And what exactly does that mean?
“That means I’m still your mother, and I’m in charge of you.”
“Didn’t you tell me you started doing drugs and dating dad when you were a teen? Look at how your life turned out.”
“Meaning what? Your father and I—”
“It means nothing is guaranteed in life except death, mother,” Josephine deadpanned.
“You don’t care about anyone but you.”
“Who do you care about, mother?” Josephine asked and grabbed her handbag.
“Why—”
“You’re not gonna stop me. I really don’t wanna make a scene…”
“Who’s the person that got you pregnant? Can I meet him?”
“He doesn’t know anything yet, mother,” Josephine said, looking away and staring off in space. “He’ll find out soon,” she continued with determination.
“I’ll have to let your father know about this.”
“That’s fine. You can tell dad anything you want to.”
“So this is what it’s come down to? After all we’ve done for you? You turned into some damn unfavorable statistic. Is this the way you reward our sacrifices, Josephine? You’re destroying your life, throwing away your future on some street hustler, I bet. All you want is to be somebody’s baby mother? What about college? Career? Marriage?”
Josephine got up and walked away from the table. Her mother ran after her and quickly caught up.
“Don’t you walk away from me when I’m talking to you. I’m still your mother, Josephine. You better show me some respect,” she said too loudly. The heads of other diners turned to stare at the two.
“Oh, respect huh? You talk it but you’ve got to earn it mother. You’re ready to plumb the depths of my soul, put me on a guilt trip. But I’m not taking it, mother. I’m old enough to do what I wanna. And this is where I get off,” Josephine said and strutted away.
“Lemme get the bill, please,” her mother impatiently said to the waiter, who was trying to keep them quiet.
“Just sign here. It’ll be added to your tab,” he said, shooing her out as soon as she signed the guest tab.
“Josephine! Josephine!” she cried, running from the dining area.
Josephine couldn’t hear her mother. She really didn’t care. Josephine was already in a cab headed back to the hospital to see Coco. Shortly before seven, she arrived and hurried to the elevator. Josephine’s heels clicked loudly as she strutted down the hospital’s hallway. She went inside the private room and closed the door. Deedee was sitting next to Coco’s bed. They were laughing when Josephine entered. Then there was a pause filled with anxiety. Josephine stood at the door and stared at Deedee and Coco. It was Coco who said something first..
“Are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna come over here and give me a hug? I can see you, yo.”
Josephine ran with arms outstretched to the bed. Coco got up and they embraced as Deedee watched with tears in her eyes. She joined them and they all started laughing, pointing at each other. It was a joyous moment. Coco had regained her sight and would leave the hospital soon.
“This calls for a lil’ sump’n, sump’n,” Josephine suggested.
“Whatcha got in mind, yo?” Coco asked.
“Well, this moment calls for a bud,” Josephine said, pulling out a rolled blunt.
“Uh uh. You can’t, crazy ass dame. This still a hospital, yo!”
“So who cares? It ain’t like we burning down the place. We just gonna spark a lil’ sump’n, sump’n.”
“You got a point there, yo.”
“I ‘m not down,” Deedee said.
“All we gotta do is light a cigarette just in case,” Josephine cautioned.
“Hmm, good planning, yo.”
“Y’all are both crazy,” Deedee said, watching Josephine lighting the blunt and cigarette.
She puffed, puffed and passed the blunt to Coco. Deedee watched Coco taking the blunt and putting it between her lips. She inhaled so hard that for a moment her eyes rolled back into her head and she appeared stunned.
“Coco, are you okay?” Deedee asked as Coco tried to pass her the steaming blunt. “I don’t want that shit,” Deedee hissed.
Coco took another puff and whirled to hand it to Josephine. She seemed unbalanced.
“That shit got some kick to it. Where’d you cop that, yo?” Coco asked stumbling and falling as she turned.
“Are you alright Coco?” Deedee asked, rushing to help her up.
“I’m good. Just haven’t smoked in a minute, that’s all, yo.” Coco sat woozily on the bed as if dazed by the effect of smoking t
he blunt. She rocked back and forth.
“Coco, you want anymore?” Josephine asked. Coco wagged her finger waving her off. “I better clip this,” Josephine said, putting out the blunt. It was then the door opened and the nurse walked in.
“What’re you girls doing in here?” she thundered. “Smoking? I’m gonna have to suspend your visiting privileges. There’s absolutely no smoking anywhere in this hospital. Have you lost your minds?” she asked, picking up the smoldering cigarette and smelling it. She hurried to the bathroom and flushed it down the tiolet. “I think your visiting hours are over,” she said to Deedee and Josephine.
Meanwhile, Coco sat on the bed with her vision completely blurred by the effects of marijuana. She started seeing black dots. Soon the dots became connected and the whole place went dark.
Josephine hurried out the hospital and jumped into a cab headed cross-town. She wanted to see Eric. Now she could face him. The cab pulled to a stop and Josephine paid and jumped out.
“Keep the change,” she shouted, jumping from the cab and running inside the posh apartment building.
Josephine hurried to the floor and rang the doorbell, then waited with the side of her head pressed against the door. Her heart lifted when she heard the faint sounds coming from inside the apartment. Then she felt it sink deep into the pit of her stomach when she heard voices. The door opened.
“Hey, what’re you doing here?”
It was Tina. Josephine was dumbfounded and opened her mouth but couldn’t think of anything intelligent to say. Tina was clad in only bra and thong.
“Why you opening the door?” she heard Kim asking. Josephine saw she was also undressed down to her skivvies. Josephine was in total shock when she saw the man in the background. He said nothing, but what was there to say? She shook her head and took off running and screaming through the apartment, smashing television screens. Josephine went into the bathroom and scrawled on the bathroom mirrors. Then she left as Kim and Tina watched in horror.
“Bastard! You fucking bastard!” Josephine shouted running downstairs and out to the street. Stopping short of being hit by a bus, the emotional teen slowed her roll, walking while sobbing.
“He’s doing both of them,” she whispered to no one. “Are you okay?”
Josephine turned her head to see the silver Monte Carlo, windows down, decelerating to a crawl next her. She had seen his face before but couldn’t care less.
“Is everything alright?” the man asked again.
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m fine, thank you,” Josephine answered hurriedly. Picking up her pace, she tried hiding the tears stinging her face.
“Can I give you a ride somewhere?”
“No, I’ll be alright,” Josephine said and continued to walk.
“It’s all good. I’m a detective.” He smiled.
Josephine slowed her pace and stopped. She glanced inside the car and saw the detective’s smiling face.
“Here’s a Kleenex for those tears,” he offered.
Josephine thought about it for a moment and then accepted the offer. She got inside the car and the detective drove off.
“My name is Detective Kowalski,” he said with a wry smile.
“Oh, I know you,” Josephine started. “I remember you from that night outside the club…”
“You were coming from Eric Ascot, huh…?”
“That sex-starved bastard!”
“Oh?”
CHAPTER 22
The next morning, Eric sat inside his Hampton mansion thinking about his next move. He never got a response from the text message he had sent to Sophia and was about to call her when he saw Deedee’s cellphone number flash up on his screen. Eric answered.
“Hi sweetheart,” he said, then listened for a minute. “Fire them because of Coco’s junior high school beef? Oh they tried to shoot you, huh? Are you sure? Alright we’ll see. I’ll see them later and find out. Okay sweetheart. Okay I’ll be careful.” Eric hung up and called his double in the studio from his home phone. “Hey I need you to do me a big favor today. I want you to monitor our receptionists. You were at my place with them last night? I told you not to take them there. Which car are you driving? Park the Rolls and pick up the Maybach. It’s in a parking lot on Fifty-seventh and Park,” he said. “And one more thing, remember what—”
His cellphone was buzzing. Eric thought it was Sophia. “Hi,” he said, picking up the incoming call without looking at the number. Josephine was on the other end ranting and raving. Eric listened for a sec. Then he put her on speakerphone. He returned to the conversation with his double. Josephine’s voice could be heard revealing her most intimate desires.
“I love you Eric and showed you nothing but love. But I see now it was just sex to you. I’m just another notch under your belt. If you didn’t want me, why did you do it? You’re the older one here. You should think for both of us. I’m pregnant and that’s it. I came to tell you that last night but you had other plans. And you don’t have to lie because I saw you and those two ho’s. All they do is tell lies and cover for you the way I used to. ‘Mr. Ascot is not here,’” Josephine chided. Eric chuckled at the effectiveness of his deception. “Eric you lied to me. They told me you’re at the studio and your niece said you were in the Hamptons.”
“Why are you trying to find me, Josephine?”
“I love you and everything is going wrong in my life and I don’t wanna lose you but last night when I saw you with them I ran outside and that detective ah…Kowalski, he just happened to be driving by and well he gave me a ride and we talked and he asked me questions about you and what I know about your connection with Lil’ Long—”
“What you told the cops?” Eric asked, grabbing the phone and clutching it to his face. It was as if he had his hands around Josephine’s neck. If he squeezed any tighter, the phone would’ve snapped like a twig. “What da fuck you told the police about me? You stupid little bitch!”
“But Eric I didn’t know anything was gonna happen. He just asked about Lil’ Long. I wasn’t here for that shit. That’s hearsay, that’s nothing in the court of law. Eric, I think I’m pregnant. We could have a little you. That makes you feel all warm inside, right Daddy? You can worry about paying your baby-mother’s doctor’s bills instead of your ex.”
“Listen you stupid little girl. If you’re pregnant, I’ll pay for the abortion, but I don’t want you around me anymore. I want you to stay away from me and my family. I don’t want you calling my office, home or cellphone and I’m gonna get a court order against you.”
“What? After all I’ve done. I don’t want an abortion. Furthermore, I told ‘em nothing. The police knew everything. C’mon Eric. You’re acting like it was my fault. It was between you and Busta and Coco and Deedee and Lil’ Long and his peeps. I wasn’t there. What do I know?”
“I don’t care. I’m gonna take out an order of protection against you.”
“Yeah, run to the court, like a big bitch,” Josephine said, going ballistica. “Who do you think they’re gonna believe, you or me? You’re a suspect in three murders. I’m a teenager who just graduated high school and you’re having a sexual relationship with me, Mr. Big Shot. Who do you think they’re gonna believe, huh?”
“You’re crazy. You fucking need help. Get it soon.”
“You’re the one who’s gonna need fucking help. Yeah, you done fucked up and they might be on their way any minute now to arrest your ass. And I hope you rot in jail, muthafucka… Eric, Eric I didn’t mean that. It’s just that seeing you with them two ho’s last night was just too much…”
“I told you it wasn’t me—” Eric quietly chuckled at how she fell for his deception.
“Eric please, don’t lie to me anymore. We’ve both made mistakes and we gotta work it out. Be there for me and I’ll never again talk to the police about anything else,” Josephine pleaded.
“Nah can do. I ain’t fucking with you, bird-head. You’re a serious risk. Fuck that! For all I know, you might start wearing a wi
re. Not that I got nothing to hide. I just want you to stay away from me, that’s all.”
The cellphone went dead in Josephine’s hand. She clutched it closer to her ear.
“Hello, hello,” she repeated.
Josephine redialed to no avail. Each attempted ring went to Eric’s voicemail. After her sixth try, ended in frustration, Josephine vomited abuses at Eric through his voicemail.
“You fucking bastard. You will pay!”she screamed. Minutes later she called back screaming into her cellphone. “You’re such a fucking liar. You were with them ho’s, but Eric, I love you. I don’t care about any bitches. Honey, I think it’s all these fractured relationships I’ve been dealing with. Darling, I can forgive you and we can move on. Let’s work this out, Eric. Please don’t leave me alone. Don’t do this to me. Call me.”
Josephine threw the cellphone on the sofa just as her mother walked out of the bedroom. She packed a few things while Josephine seemed lost in her thoughts.
“Honey, you better start packing or we’re gonna miss our flight,” she said in a hurried tone.
Josephine remained quiet and suddenly raced off to the bathroom. The door slammed shut. She quickly showered, slipped on black jeans and a clingy beige top. Josephine sat at the mirror slowly applying make-up. She ignored the knocking on the bathroom door. Thirty minutes later, Josephine faced her mother’s inquiring stare.
“I’m not going with you, mother. I gotta stay in the city and settle some unfinished business,” Josephine uttered almost inaudibly.
“Josephine, I want you to leave with me. I’ll make everything like it used to be,” her mother pleaded.
“I can’t go mother. I’ll join you soon,” Josephine said, heaving her weekend Coach Bag onto her shoulder.
“Josephine, please wait…” her mother pleaded.
The teenage girl was already out the door, running to the elevator. She sighed and entered. Exiting the hotel, she found a cab and headed to the recording studio.
Josephine waited for a few minutes downstairs, trying to regain her composure before going upstairs to the recording studio. She fussed with her hair and got on the elevator. Josephine hopped off with her heart beat rapidly increasing. She saw Tina and Kim as soon as she walked in. They stared at her in bewilderment and both sighed when she spoke.
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