The House that Hustle Built, Part 1

by Nisa Santiago

  He had Pearla’s attention the minute he backed up to her in his nice-looking car. He continued to compliment her, making her smile and feel like she was the prettiest woman on earth. They exchanged numbers, and he drove off. It felt good to be noticed and wanted, especially from a man of his style and status. He wasn’t Cash, but, damn it, he came close.

  Pearla knew she was definitely going to call him and see what he was about. They started to hang out, getting to know each other. He was a beautiful man with a warm personality. It was hard to believe he was a notorious drug dealer with a violent reputation.

  Walking closer to Hassan leaning on his car, she heard him say, “You are so beautiful.”

  She smiled. “Thank you.”

  “I mean it. You are breathtaking, Pearla.”

  “You trying to get some pussy tonight.”

  Hassan chuckled at her brash reply. “I’m just speaking the truth. But if it’s helping, then hey, who wouldn’t want to taste some of that honey?”

  “And my honey is good.”

  Hassan escorted Pearla to the passenger side of his Audi and politely opened her door, allowing her to climb into the vehicle, for everyone hugging the block on a sunny, spring evening to see. She was being treated like Cinderella on her way to the royal ball. For her, it definitely felt good to shine around the haters.

  Hassan climbed into his car, and they rode off. He was whisking Pearla away to a blissful evening. First, it would be dinner at his cousin’s extravagant restaurant in Long Island—Blue Outlet, a posh and expensive place frequented by some of New York’s elite. Hassan could afford it. After dinner, they would go for drinks and then a movie.

  Three hours into her evening with Hassan, Pearla was feeling right, like she was on cloud nine. Everything was going smoothly. Touring Long Island with Hassan was fun. Cruising around in his Audi A7 made her feel like a queen.

  She sat back against the plush leather seats, crossed her legs, and smiled his way. It was obvious she was flirting with him. She wasn’t fiending for dick, but she ate up the attention he was giving her. Hassan had that Adonis look about him, a pretty boy thug. Besides, she had to do something to take her mind off Cash. It was hard not to think about him. He’d left something behind on her—a magnetic attraction—though he had pissed her off.

  They rode around Long Island, the sun a memory until the next day’s dawn. It was a warm evening, so they drove with the windows down, music playing, and the wind blowing through her hair, the traffic flowing like champagne on New Year’s Eve.

  “You okay, beautiful?”

  “I’m fine,” Pearla replied with a calm, easygoing tone.

  She threw another smile his way, and he threw one back.

  Hassan glanced down at her legs. “I hope you’re having a good time with me.”

  “I’m having a wonderful time, Hassan. I haven’t been out on a date this fun in a long while.”

  “You and me both. I know when we first met a few weeks ago, I’d been really busy. This game has me moving around like a chicken with its head cut off.”

  “Believe me, I understand. I get my hustle on too.”

  “You look like a shorty that gets that money. When I saw you getting into your Benz, looking so pretty, I had to stop and get your attention.”

  “Well, I’m glad you did.”

  Hassan nodded and grinned.

  They were on their way to the movies at Sunrise Cinemas. It had been ages since Pearla had gone to the movies. Her lifestyle kept her busy like rush-hour traffic.

  Driving down Sunrise Highway, Hassan smoothly placed his hand against her thigh. Pearla didn’t push it away. His touch was sensual, and she knew he probably was looking for some pussy tonight, but her mind wasn’t on sex. She saw him as another bridge to cross, a connect for some business opportunity; knowing him could benefit her in the future. If she fucked him, then it would be on her terms and when she wanted it.

  “You have some really soft skin.”

  “Thank you.”

  As long as he kept his touch respectful, then she wouldn’t have a problem with him. Pearla didn’t want her pussy fingered and she didn’t want to be fondled. She wanted their night out to remain casual.

  Hassan pulled into the parking lot of Sunrise Multiplex Cinemas. He killed the ignition to the Audi and said, “We’re here.”

  The parking lot was packed with cars. The theater had a crowd that night. The castle white building was showing over twelve movies, but Pearla was interested in seeing one film. She was into romantic comedies. When she had time to watch movies, she preferred to see a film that would make her laugh and smile. She had so much drama in her own life that she didn’t want to view it on the big screen too.

  Hassan stepped out of the car and hurried around to the passenger side to open Pearla’s door.

  Pearla got out with her smile. “Thank you.”

  The two walked arm in arm toward the theater. There was a small line at the ticket window. It moved though, and they didn’t have to wait too long. They looked like they were overdressed for the movies, and they received fleeting looks from other casually dressed couples in the place.

  The gripe Pearla had was going through the metal detectors. “Who puts metal detectors in a fuckin’ movie theater?”

  She didn’t know if she was about to watch a movie or get on an airplane. She had to walk through it while placing her belongings in a plastic tub and then have a security guard wave a wand around her like she was on Rikers Island.

  After it was all done, they walked into the lobby, which was flooded with people. The concession stand had another long line, and the video games were all occupied. If it weren’t for Hassan, Pearla would have gone home, but he was paying for it all, and she didn’t want to be rude. It was another fifteen minutes before their film started.

  Hassan suggested they get some popcorn and some drinks. He stood on the long concession line, while Pearla just stood around being observant.

  Pearla thought about her new hustle with Chica. Maribel was down. Now she needed a half-dozen girls or more to really benefit from the marriage scam. She was smart enough to know, if executed correctly, they could make some real money from these men who were desperate to stay in the country, and it could balloon into something bigger.

  She’d immediately started working with Maribel and Fallou, her husband-to-be. He was black like tar, tall and lean with nappy black hair, and teeth white as snow. He was a nice guy. Fallou wanted to become a doctor and was intelligent and ambitious enough to make it happen.

  Pearla read Fallou like a book. He didn’t come to America broke. He came to the States to pay for an education.

  Pearla needed to make the introduction. She needed to make it feel like it was a real marriage, especially when immigration came sniffing around asking questions. There was no room for errors. A mistake could have Fallou deported and Pearla and everyone else investigated and looking at jail time. With the wheels turning on that scheme, Pearla needed some time for herself.

  “From Brooklyn to Long Island, I see you everywhere just like me,” she heard him say from behind.

  Hearing his voice, Pearla spun around and couldn’t believe her eyes. Cash was at the movie theater too, and, of course, he wasn’t alone. He was with a shapely brown-skinned woman with a long weave and hazel contacts. She was under his arm, looking like a simple bitch, her big tits squeezed into her tight shirt.

  “What you doing way out here?” she asked.

  “I’m everywhere. You ain’t know?”

  “I see.”

  Seeing Cash again a few weeks after their first date was an overwhelming feeling. It came so unexpected.

  “Oh, I’m being rude,” Cash said. “Pearla, this is Mia; Mia, Pearla.”

  Pearla looked Mia up and down, sizing the bitch up. Cash definitely liked them thick and stupid. Mia
looked like the typical gold-digging bitch ready to spread her legs tonight because some nigga took her to a dinner and a movie.

  “Nice to meet you,” she said dryly.

  The two ladies greeted each other rather tamely. It was obvious that they both liked the same thing and weren’t interested in becoming friends.

  Cash stared at Pearla, in awe at how good she looked tonight.

  With Mia nestled underneath Cash’s arms, the two of them looking like a lovely couple, Pearla felt like an oddball suddenly. She was sinking fast in quicksand without any support to pull her out. Where is Hassan?

  “So, you here alone?” Cash asked.

  She was about to say no, but then she didn’t have to answer his question. On cue, Hassan came walking up to everyone holding a large bag of buttered popcorn and two large drinks in his hands. He saw Pearla engaged in conversation and decided to make himself known. When he saw Cash, the two locked eyes like two rival pit bulls in the ring.

  “You here wit’ this nigga?” Cash growled, contempt in his voice.

  “You got a problem, nigga?” Hassan retorted.

  “I thought you had better taste than trash, Pearla.”

  Hassan told him, “You better watch your mouth, Cash.”

  Unbeknownst to Pearla, Cash and Hassan had been rivals since grade school. Back in the days, the girls either went for Cash or Hassan—two pretty boys who were also thugs, every hood rat’s dream. As the years moved on, Hassan became a boss in the drug game, moving heavy weight and making money like a kingpin and locking down his name on the streets, while Cash became a low-level car thief.

  Cash instantly became jealous that Hassan was with Pearla. The only thing he could think about was his rival fucking Pearla. He was consumed with thinking Hassan was going to succeed where he’d failed.

  Hassan said to Pearla, “You ready to go inside, baby? The movie is about to start.”

  Pearla smiled. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Mika—”

  “Mia,” Cash’s date corrected her, rolling her eyes and craning her neck.

  “Oh, okay.”

  Pearla spun around and walked next to her date.

  Cash watched them intently. Seeing Pearla again, especially with Hassan, appeared to spark new interest inside of him.

  Pearla was enjoying the movie with Hassan. They were munching on popcorn and laughing, his arm around her in the dark. But from time to time, she thought about Cash. It was a funny thing running into him in Long Island. She wondered if it was fate. Was it meant to be between him and her? What were the chances of them going to the same theater in Long Island, miles away from Brooklyn?

  She sighed.

  “Everything okay?” Hassan whispered into her ear.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  Eleven

  Cash parked the Chrysler 300 on the block and stepped out in his long khaki shorts, wife-beater, and fresh white Nikes. It was a sun-drenched day, and he felt good. His date with Mia last night ended with a long blowjob in the front seat of the stolen Chrysler and coming in her mouth. She didn’t hesitate to swallow his come. As he was getting his dick sucked, Pearla was heavily on his mind. He wanted to see her again.

  He walked toward the liquor store and saw his pops dancing for two young girls. Like always, he was entertaining, making the girls smile and laugh. It felt like a hundred degrees outside, but Ray-Ray didn’t care. His dancing and joking around for some spare change was how he made his living. He was clad in a white T-shirt that was too big for his small frame and faded blue jeans that were so filthy they looked black. The red and white sneakers he had on looked a hundred years old.

  The girls handed Ray-Ray a few dollars, and he was grateful. “Thank you, my queens,” he said, politely opening the door to the liquor store like he was paid to be a doorman, and the girls walked inside.

  “Careful, Pop. You might find you a girlfriend if you keep being so charming,” Cash said to his father. “You know you too old for them young things; they might give you a heart attack.”

  Ray-Ray was all smiles when he saw his son. “Boy, I taught you how to pimp.”

  The two shared a good laugh.

  “What brings you my way?” Ray-Ray asked.

  “You know I gotta come check on my favorite person in the world.”

  “So now I’m your favorite person in the world. You sure it wasn’t some girl last night?”

  “She was okay.”

  “Okay, boy, I still see you smiling from last night. She must have had some of that good, good shit.”

  Cash could only smile. Being around his father always brought him in a good mood. He reached into his pocket and put a hundred-dollar bill in his father’s hand. “That’s fo’ you, Pop.”

  Ray-Ray displayed his toothless smile. “You always know how to take care of your old man.”

  Cash liked looking out for his father. All his life Ray-Ray had it hard, and if he could make it easier for him, he did whatever he could. Cash knew the money would go to booze or drugs, since drinking, getting high, and making people laugh made Ray-Ray happy.

  Cash spent the next hour and a half with his father. Then he said, “Pop, I’m gonna check you later. Gotta make moves.”

  “Make moves and be safe out there, son.”

  “Always am, Pop.”

  He walked back to the stolen Chrysler and drove away. The minute he started driving, he picked up his cell phone and decided to dial Pearla’s number. Since last night, she had been on his mind, and he wasn’t about to give up on some new pussy.

  Her phone rang several times. Then her angelic voice came through. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Pearla.”

  Pearla was speechless for a minute. “Hey, Cash. What’s the reason for this sudden call?” she asked unenthusiastically.

  “I’ve been thinkin’ ’bout you.”

  “Oh, you have, huh?”

  “Yeah, I didn’t like the way our last date ended, and I was wondering, can you give a nigga a second chance? You know, start over and do it right.”

  “I actually did have a good time, Cash, until that bitch came on the scene and got stupid.”

  “Well, you ain’t got to worry about her anymore. I’m done wit’ that bitch.”

  “So I’m supposed to take her sloppy seconds?”

  Cash chuckled at her sudden comment. “Oh, it’s like that, love? You think I’m sloppy?”

  “When I fuck with a nigga, I fuck with him, Cash. I don’t like sharing. I’m too good of a bitch to share my nigga with the next bitch,” she said seriously.

  “I feel you, ma. I know where you comin’ from.”

  “Do you?”

  She was teasing him, fucking with his head—mind games 101. If he thought he was going to call her and ask her out again and she was supposed to jump like the ground was hot, he had another thing coming. Though she really liked Cash and wanted to be with him, she had to let him know it wasn’t going to work like that—that she wasn’t the average bitch to play with.

  “Yeah. When I saw you last night, I was like, ‘Damn! I fucked up on that.’ I shoulda came correct wit’ you,” he said.

  Yeah, you did. “I’m over it,” she said dryly.

  “But I do like you, Pearla. You been heavy on my mind since the block party,” he lied.

  Pearla was listening to him trying to explain his way into her panties. She knew the deal. He saw her out with Hassan looking like a superstar, and now he wanted to call and butter her up. He probably thought they’d fucked and wanted to have a whose-dick-is-bigger contest.

  But hearing Cash try to work his way back into her life was pleasing. She felt wanted. She already had it in her head that she was going to say yes and give him a second chance.

  “So what you doin’ today, love?” Cash asked her.

  Pearla had plenty to do tod
ay, but she said, “Nothing much.”

  “So let’s hook up and get into something.”

  Pearla knew what he wanted to get into. It was definitely her. She entertained the idea. She was quiet over the phone. “What do you want to get into?”

  “Let’s go out to eat and chill.”

  “That sounds cool.”

  “So what time you want me to come get you?” he asked.

  “Oh, so you’re driving now?”

  “You know what I drive, ma.”

  “Something stolen, right?”

  “It’s the only way I can get around.”

  Pearla felt Cash sometimes could be small-minded and unambitious. Riding around in stolen cars and selling them to a chop shop for pennies was stupid in her eyes. He probably could do more, but it wasn’t her business to get into at the moment.

  “I’ll drive, Cash.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. I’ll pick you up in an hour.”

  “A’ight, I’ll be ready.”

  ***

  Cash and Pearla walked into the Olive Garden, off the Conduit Parkway in Gateway shopping center. The restaurant wasn’t crowded, and the two were already laughing and smiling, almost looking like the perfect couple.

  Pearla, once again, tried to impress Cash by wearing a pink strapless dress, showing off her long legs in wedge heels. She looked like a Barbie doll. The outfit definitely caught his eyes. He couldn’t stop looking at her.

  Cash wore his Nike Air, blue jeans, a plain white T, and a black-on-black Yankee cap sitting ace-deuce on his head, the brim stopping just short of his sunglasses.

  The two walked into the restaurant and were quickly seated. They snacked on appetizers and talked. It felt like they had the place to themselves. She couldn’t stop laughing. Cash’s humorous personality made her feel like she had front row seats at Def Comedy Jam.

  “I know you missed me,” he joked.

  “You missed me more, because you called first.”

  “Hey, usually I’m the one receiving the calls.”

  “Because you cocky, that’s why.”