Chapter Seventeen
At 5:00 a.m. the highway was nearly empty, and Kafisa, Halimah, and Laverne floated down I-95, heading south. Halimah navigated Kafisa’s money-green Range Rover, while Kafisa rode shotgun. Laverne followed them in another car, a Honda, with all their belongings. They had been planning their exit from New York for the past few days. Ever since C-Dub had informed Kalisa that her name had been mentioned in the case against Jazz, allegedly connecting her to drugs, she had been moving like a thief in the night throughout Brooklyn.
After all Kafisa had done for her, she still couldn’t believe Jazz had flipped on her. There was no way she was going to jail over somebody else’s stupidity. Nor was she going to let her girls go out like that, either. The more time she had had to think about it, the more she had realized that she needed to get the hell out of Brooklyn as fast as possible. She had even realized that no matter how long she stayed away, when and if she came back, there would be problems awaiting her. She had also made up her mind that if she was going to have to go to prison eventually, she had to have enough money put away to last her until she got out.
After speaking to and meeting with Francine recently, Kafisa’s confidence was at an all-time high. Francine had gotten the green light from her father to open up the drug pipeline for Kafisa, and Laverne had enough drugs stashed in the secret compartment Kafisa had installed in the whip she was driving behind the Range Rover to get a small country high, thanks to Francine Costillo.
Nearly eleven hours after they set out from Brooklyn, they pulled into the driveway of the best hotel in all of downtown Columbia, South Carolina, and checked in.
“Welcome to the South, ladies.” Kafisa smiled. She extended her arms and waved them around, as if she were introducing Halimah and Laverne to a new home.
Two valet attendants immediately rushed over to assist them.
“Welcome to the Hyatt. Y’all checking in?” asked the young African American valet attendant.
His strong Southern drawl made Laverne frown. Halimah held her laughter in when she heard the attendant’s Southern accent.
“Yes, we are,” Kafisa answered.
“Can I help you with your luggage, ma’am?” the young attendant asked. His coworker, a young Latino male, had already ripped parking receipts off his pad for the two vehicles. Cars were constantly pulling in, and he didn’t want to fall behind. He and his fellow attendant had been parking cars nonstop since their shift started.
“Nah, we good,” Laverne replied. “We got it.”
Kafisa looked at her, then at Halimah. She shrugged her shoulders and let out a light chuckle. She wondered why Laverne was being so dismissive to the valet attendant. She could tell Laverne was not used to Southern hospitality.
“Y’all ain’t from round here, are you?” the valet attendant questioned.
“Uh, no,” Laverne snapped. “That’s why the license plates say New York,” she remarked dryly, pointing to the front plate of the Honda and the back plate of Kafisa’s Range Rover at the same time.
Kafisa shook her head. She made a mental note to say something to Laverne about her rudeness. She knew that was credited to being not only from New York, but also from Brooklyn, New York. Where they came from, rude was accepted, but since Kafisa had gone to college in the South, she had grown accustomed to everybody waving and being genuinely nice. It was apparent that the valet attendant had not taken offense, nor had he been fazed by Laverne’s tone and choice of words.
He let out a loud laugh. “Oh, my bad,” he said, apologizing. “But I shoulda knew that, though, ’cause the ladies down here don’t act or look the way y’all do.”
Laverne didn’t know whether to take that as a compliment or as some shade.
“Good looking, brother,” Kafisa replied on behalf of the three of them. She pulled out a fifty-dollar bill. “You and your boy have dinner on us tonight.” Kafisa handed him the money.
“Appreciate you, ma’am,” the valet attendant said, thanking her right before making his way over to the car that had just pulled in.
“Yo, you need to chill the fuck out.” Kafisa directed her words to Laverne as soon as the valet attendant was out of earshot.
“What?” Laverne asked innocently.
“Bitch, you know what,” Halimah answered for Kafisa. “You know you ain’t have to talk to dude like that,” she said, reprimanding Laverne without any softness.
“He was in the way.” Laverne rolled her eyes, then smirked. “It smells like we’re in the country,” she continued. She stretched her back and her legs to loosen up her muscles. She had been feeling stiff ever since they hopped on the road.
“How the hell would you know how the South smells if you’ve never been here before?” Kafisa questioned.
Halimah chuckled.
“Anything that ain’t Brooklyn is the South to me, and it don’t smell nothing like Brooklyn. That’s what I know and am used to,” Laverne explained, applying her own logic.
“You sound real stupid.” Kafisa shook her head. “Since you said we don’t need no help with our luggage, how ’bout you go grab a cart and come get our Brooklyn bags and bring them in this country hotel?” Kafisa shot back in a mocking tone.
By now Halimah was doubled over in laughter. Even Laverne had to laugh at Kafisa’s sarcastic yet serious remark. “A’ight. You got that,” Laverne said, still laughing.
Minutes later Kafisa, Halimah, and Laverne were all checked in to the biggest three-bedroom, four-bathroom presidential suite the hotel had to offer. The sky-high ceilings were the first thing they noticed. All three of their bedrooms had hot tubs and walk-in showers. The living room area was big enough to host a party with eighty-plus people.
Halimah and Laverne had never stayed in anything of the suite’s magnitude, so they were immediately impressed. Kafisa, on the other hand, had been in rooms equally as upscale, and sometimes more so, than the one they now occupied. Her father had made sure she knew what the finer things in life were. When she dated Jameel, he had exhibited the same acquired taste and principles as her father, and he had never stayed in anything other than suites.
“This shit right here, nigga!” Halimah exclaimed, doing her best Katt Williams impression.
“For real,” Laverne said, joining in. “This some real boss shit right here.”
“Exactly,” Kafisa agreed. “And from here on out, that’s how it should be carried. We some boss bitches, and that’s how we comin’ down here.” Although she had given them the rundown back in BK, she reiterated to Halimah and Laverne why they were really down there. She wanted it to be clear that they weren’t down there for a vacation or to make friends. They were there to infiltrate, monopolize, take over, and get money.
Halimah and Laverne both nodded in agreement.
Just then Kafisa’s phone went off. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at it. She shook her head before answering. She answered yes a few times and then hung up the phone. Kafisa looked at both Halimah and Laverne. “My peoples just said she’ll be here in about an hour. That gives us enough time to change and get situated.”
The three of them began to go their separate ways.
Kafisa spun around. “Oh, Verne.”
Laverne stopped in her tracks. She turned to face Kafisa. “What’s up?”
“Make sure you secure the product before you get dressed,” Kafisa reminded her.
Laverne shook her head rapidly.
It had just dawned on Kafisa that they hadn’t brought in the fifty keys they had stashed in the Honda. She couldn’t afford any mishaps. Kafisa knew if anything happened to the bricks Francine had fronted her, both her freedom and her life would be in jeopardy. The last thing she needed was for something to go wrong before she was able to execute her plans. Despite her worrying, Kafisa was predicting a successful time in South Carolina.
Chapter Eighteen
Kafisa stood outside the hotel with Halimah and Laverne by her side, looking like pit bulls. “Fix yo�
�� faces, ’cause ain’t no shade surfacing up in here,” Kafisa said under her breath.
Together they watched as the 2008 Lexus with twenty-three-inch chrome rims pulled into the valet area. Halimah and Laverne glanced over at each other and snickered. The Chief Keef track abruptly ended as the four-door car came to a screeching halt. The driver’s door swung open, and out stepped Kafisa’s ex–college roommate.
“Hey, boo!” Nu-Nu chirped as she hopped out of her charcoal-gray Lexus, wearing an all-white bodysuit one size too small for her natural plus size.
“Wassup, Nu-Nu?” Kafisa smiled at her ex–college roommate.
The two exchanged hugs. You could tell by the hug it had been a long time since they had seen each other.
“Um, I’ve missed you! Your smell was always good,” Nu-Nu cooed. Her words were loud enough for only Kafisa to hear. Kafisa couldn’t help but laugh at Nu-Nu, who had wrapped her arms around her as tight as she could. She pressed her body up against Kafisa so hard that you would have thought the two were Siamese twins.
Halimah and Laverne stood in the background, watching the reunion.
“Girl, you lookin’ fabulous,” Nu-Nu complimented, releasing Kafisa from the long hug. She looked Kafisa up and down as she spoke.
Neither Halimah nor Laverne caught the look, but Kafisa did. Nu-Nu’s thoughts were written all in her eyes. She knew what they stemmed from. She wondered whether the issue would get in the way of the plans she had for her enterprise down there in the South. She wondered if it was a bad idea to look Nu-Nu up after Jameel had mentioned he knew what Nu-Nu was into. She brushed off the idea, just as she did Nu-Nu’s flirtatious behavior.
“So are you,” she said, returning the compliment. She then turned and introduced Halimah and Laverne.
“Hey, y’all.” Nu-Nu waved.
“Hey,” Halimah and Laverne sang in unison.
“Sooo, waassuuup?” Nu-Nu did her best Martin Lawrence impression, dragging her words out. “You missed me? I missed you,” she continued before Kafisa could answer. “I thought I’d never see you again. I mean, I’m happy to see you. It’s good to see you. Couldn’t believe it was you when you hit me. I’m glad Jameel gave you my number, with his crazy ass. But he gettin’ it, though, girl,” she said, rambling.
Halimah and Laverne looked at each other. It was apparent they were both thinking the same thing about Nu-Nu, based on their matching facial expressions.
Kafisa just let Nu-Nu ramble on. Still a chatterbox. Still a hotshot, she thought to herself. She couldn’t help but travel back in time to where it had all begun and the reason why Nu-Nu was acting the way she was.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Nu-Nu asked. The word nervous might as well have been written across her forehead, because it was the best way to describe her demeanor.
“Why not?” Kafisa asked, making herself the questioner. “If not with you, who else?”
Kafisa had been bi-curious ever since she had laid eyes on Nu-Nu’s track runner’s physique. Growing up in Brooklyn, she had been exposed to a lot, so she was no stranger to gay men and women. With what she had seen throughout her younger years, Kafisa wanted better and did not want to be just like her childhood friends, a statistic. She knew hard work and loyalty would get her out of the hood, and she applied those in her academics and found herself in college. Although this was her first time being on her own, she wasn’t a dummy, either. She had brains and beauty and used them every chance she could, especially tonight in her dorm room with her naive roommate. The two had been sharing living quarters for a year, and oftentimes her roommate would hint at an attraction, and finally, she was going to get her wish and feed her curiosity.
Kafisa lay across Nu-Nu’s bed, admiring her flawless body. Nu-Nu was a plain Jane, but she had a natural beauty about her. She didn’t require makeup or weaves. Her skin looked as smooth as butter, but it was often hidden behind her glasses and her long tresses, which were often pulled back in a messy bun or ponytail.
Kafisa removed Nu-Nu’s glasses and placed them on the nightstand. She began to touch her face. Startled by her touch, Nu-Nu began to tense up. Her facial expression was now a mix of nervousness and fear.
“You gotta relax and just let it happen,” Kafisa assured her, although she too was somewhat nervous. This was actually her first time with the same sex, or with any sex, for that matter. Still, she pretended to be experienced and maintained control. “I got you,” she whispered seductively.
Kafisa ran her finger across Nu-Nu’s lips. Nu-Nu sighed and closed her eyes. At that moment, Kafisa took the opportunity to kiss her. She cupped one of Nu-Nu’s mounds as she gently pressed her lips up against hers. She started out with small kisses, and this eventually led to her exploring Nu-Nu’s mouth with her curious tongue. At first Nu-Nu’s lips were tight, but as Kafisa massaged her right nipple and caressed her breast, she began to relax. Kafisa’s touch actually felt nice and soothing to her. She parted her mouth and embraced Kafisa’s lips and tongue. In no time she began to participate in the exchange.
As the two lay in the bed, kissing, Kafisa began to explore Nu-Nu’s body some more. She continued to gently rub Nu-Nu’s breasts. Her nipples hardened. Their kissing got more intense. Although this was her first time being with a woman, the way she was behaving, no one, including Nu-Nu, would have ever guessed.
“Take off your thong,” Kafisa said in between the kisses she planted on Nu-Nu’s neck.
Nu-Nu was turned on. Kafisa could tell she would do anything she told her to at that moment. Kafisa’s tongue trailed down Nu-Nu’s nakedness. Nu-Nu’s body tingled from Kafisa’s tongue against her skin. Kafisa continued to shock Nu-Nu’s body with her mouth, tongue, and hands. There wasn’t anything that Nu-Nu would not do to experience the sexual bliss that she was anticipating as she felt Kafisa travel down toward her love box.
The two were in a sexual trance. Nu-Nu felt an explosion of emotions, and out of nowhere, she turned into the aggressor. She grabbed the back of Kafisa’s head to bring her back up to her mouth and began to kiss her, but this time with such passion.
Kafisa was still fully clothed. “Hold up.” She pulled away from Nu-Nu. Kafisa slowly removed all her clothes. That only heightened Nu-Nu’s attraction to her. The two lay in the bed in the nude, exploring one another. Without hesitation Kafisa made her way back down between Nu-Nu’s inner thighs. Nu-Nu let out small moans of bliss as Kafisa placed her tongue on her rigid clitoris and took the flesh in her mouth. She began an intense rhythm of gyrating.
Nu-Nu’s legs spread for Kafisa, to take all of her in. Kafisa licked all over her love canal, always paying the most attention to her clit. She took it in her mouth and began to make love to it. Nu-Nu’s body shuddered, and her pelvis began to thrust hard. Nu-Nu did not want the feeling to end. She had become wetter than she had ever been in her life from what was being done to her by Kafisa.
Kafisa knew at that point that she had the power, and she was not going to stop until Nu-Nu climaxed. She too was heavily aroused and wet as she humped the bed. Kafisa anticipated the attention that her own body would receive. “Is it good?” she asked Nu-Nu.
Between heavy breaths, Nu-Nu uttered, “Yes.”
Her response let Kafisa know she had reached the point of no return. She devoured Nu-Nu’s pussy until she begged her to stop. Still, that wasn’t enough to make Kafisa end her tongue assault. It wasn’t until Nu-Nu had climaxed a few times that Kafisa let up. She swallowed all her nectar like a pro. That was the real reason why she had been interested in having a gay experience. She’d wanted to see what another pussy tasted like to compare it to her own.
After she had taken in all of Nu-Nu’s love juices, she proceeded to make her way back up to Nu-Nu’s mouth and began to kiss her again with passion. She wanted her to taste her own juices, which were all over Kafisa’s lips and tongue. Nu-Nu did not hesitate. They held each other in a tight embrace, kissing and grinding on one another.
Nu-Nu became aggressive once
again. She wanted to return the favor to Kafisa. She slithered her tongue down and past Kafisa’s breasts. She proceeded to travel downward toward Kafisa’s neatly shaven kitten. She reached the top of Kafisa’s kat and peered up at her. “I love you,” she cooed before continuing.
Kafisa smiled and replied, “I love you too.” She chalked Nu-Nu’s statement up to the heat of the moment.
Nu-Nu lit up like a Christmas tree. She placed wet kisses on Kafisa’s clitoris, then attacked her with her tongue. Nu-Nu played with her flesh with her tongue, flicking it back and forth, and consumed all of her in her mouth. Kafisa could not deny the feeling herself as she tried to hold back from reaching another orgasm. She couldn’t hold back for long. The feeling was so intense and so good that it was as if she were floating on a soft cloud.
After her body went limp, Kafisa stretched out on the bed. Nu-Nu curled up next to her. Kafisa could hear her sniffling.
She looked down at Nu-Nu. “What’s wrong?”
Nu-Nu shifted her body and propped her elbows up on Kafisa’s rib cage. “I love you, and I want us to be together.” Nu-Nu stared her dead in the eyes.
Her response was enough to make Kafisa regret what they had done. Soon after, Kafisa got a room change. After she returned from her mother’s funeral, she put distance between herself and Nu-Nu, blaming it on her grieving over her deceased mother, Camilla. After graduation Nu-Nu made one last attempt at confessing her undying love to Kafisa. It was the last time the two women had seen each other. Kafisa returned to New York, leaving Nu-Nu confused and brokenhearted.
It was now apparent to Kafisa that Nu-Nu still carried a torch for her. She knew she had to nip the shit in the bud before she could go any further.
Nu-Nu could tell Kafisa was reminiscing about their past history. She had been with only two men in her life, and Kafisa was her first sexual experience with a woman, but unlike with Kafisa, it wasn’t her last. She had always credited Kafisa for turning her out, but judging by her appearance, Nu-Nu knew that Kafisa was no longer about that life. Nu-Nu felt somewhat sad, because she had thought that she and Kafisa could possibly pick up where they had left off some years ago. She had always felt the safest with Kafisa and had once pictured her being a part of her future—until Kafisa had told her she had to return to Brooklyn and would not be coming back to the South anytime soon.
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