by MìChaune
Everything 9ine just laid out sounded like mumbo jumbo. Buy this, buy that. She thought she was in a time warp and went back to the days when all he, Ten, and Zay did was ask for things and triple-teamed her to work her nerves. “Now is not a good time to talk about this,” she finally answered after making him wait a few moments. Leshaun still struggled to process what he said.
Buy this, buy that.
“A’ight, Ma, I can tell you and Dad got into it again. Is he where you at or are you beefing over the phone?” 9ine tried to get her to Facetime.
Leshaun shook her head to herself. Wasn’t trying to face him, even over the phone. “We within a few miles from one another, but nowhere near Asheville.” She told the truth, hoping to ease his mind.
Even in his twenties, 9ine acted like a little boy who hated to see his parents fight. Prince was the only father he knew and, even when they were at odds, 9ine always respected the fact that Prince didn’t have to step up and be “daddy” to him too. And Prince never took his issues with Leshaun out on him.
“A’ight, I hope you feel better and that you and Dad stop beefing.” 9ine had no idea how big this beef between Leshaun and Prince had just become.
“We’ll be all right.” Leshaun hoped she hadn’t given 9ine any false hope.
“Let me see if I can go get this money real quick.” 9ine tried to put a smile on her face the best way he knew how. Knowing him, 9ine legit may have had something lined up for him to get into. And if Kofi and Zay were nearby, there was a good chance the three of them were dishing out mayhem and heartbreak together.
“Go get it,” she encouraged him as she hung up the phone.
9ine eased her mind and, after an hour, she realized Prince wasn’t coming back. She sat back on the bed and put the gun under the pillow. Then she got under the covers, slid down in the bed until she got comfortable, and closed her eyes until her soul allowed her to rest.
Chapter Fourteen
Once Leshaun stepped foot back into Asheville, she knew she was going to have to make peace with Tiana’s murder. The one she committed. It wasn’t a regular mistake she could undo with an “I’m sorry, ” and she couldn’t get with Tiana’s father or any other man, get knocked up, and then push Tiana out of her pussy.
Sorry just didn’t work like that.
Tiana was more than one of her little hoes. Next to Gogo, Tiana knew just about everything. And, despite opening her legs for any man or woman who had the time or the price, she had a good heart and things she cared for. Tiana gave money to random people who said they were homeless. Whether she believed them was another question. After she wore an outfit a few times, she donated it to Goodwill or gave it to another woman who could push it a few miles.
Tiana didn’t have a lot of money, but the bitch thought she was rich. And though she didn’t have Gamble money on the legal or illegal scale, Tiana wasn’t a wasteful person, and she really put the “You can’t take it with you so enjoy it now” mantra to heart.
“Leshaun, are you okay?” Gogo stepped out of a chocolate-colored 2012 Acura TL Leshaun knew belonged to whoever was paying good money to trick on her.
“I’m fine.” Leshaun still sat on the hood of a modest silver 2012 Ford Taurus The BB&T bank branch Leshaun instructed Gogo to meet her at was only a block from Haywood Road in West Asheville. She spent the past fifteen minutes watching young white people jog in bikini tops and yoga pants and men flex in running shorts. Dogs put in more work than some of their owners as they dragged them with their leashes. The smells from the Italian restaurant on one block and the authentic Mexican restaurant in the shopping center near it competed for her attention.
Gogo smacked her lips and rolled her eyes. “You not allowed to murder no more bitches.”
“Damn, Cookie.” Leshaun referenced her favorite character from Empire.
“I was Gogo before there were Lyons,” Gogo retorted as Leshaun got off the hood. “I feel good about his mood, though.”
“Well, aren’t you generous?”
“You know,” Leshaun replied, opening the door for Gogo, “I can’t fix what I did, but I feel like maybe some good karma will come out of this.”
“Do you have the money to fix your hotel yet?” Gogo stopped and crossed her arms.
“No, but I will.” Leshaun kept walking until she found a vacant chair in the lobby. She took a seat and then pulled out her phone and checked Zay’s, Kofi’s, and 9ine’s Instagrams. She was pleased to see that the boys were up to mischief and that the female followers were impressed with the latest pics.
“So how long do you think Tiana’s story will receive media coverage?” Gogo asked as she looked over Leshaun’s shoulder.
“I’m not sure but, right now, I just want to focus on setting up this charity in her honor. I know I can’t bring her back, but this is the least I can do,” Leshaun replied. “Plus, I’ve heard good things about Merri Baker, and I can’t wait for her help with this.”
“Leshaun Gamble.”
Leshaun was surprised to see a tall, middle-aged black woman coming out of the account manager’s office.
“I’m ready for you.”
“Remind me to set appointments more often,” Leshaun told Gogo as they got up from the couch.
Leshaun and Gogo followed the woman from the lobby to a large office all the way down the end of the hall. Glass windows reached from the top of the ceiling to the bottom of the floor. The white blinds looked homelier. Inside of the office, she could see Merri Baker’s accomplishments. Degrees from Clemson University and South Carolina State University adorned her walls, and professionally dressed black figures marched and played on the edge of her desk.
“So, Ms. Gamble, I understand you want to set up an account for a DBA?” Merri asked.
Leshaun told Merri it was a business because she didn’t have all her paperwork together. She knew it would take about ten days from the date she filed the paperwork for the business to be incorporated. She knew it would be another thirty days before her 501c3 status would be approved, allowing her to legally take donations.
“Yes. I want it to be Leshaun Gamble doing business as Outta Tiana’s Purse until my paperwork comes back and my incorporation is legal. I want to sell some old clothes and other things to get the money for the business and establish a good habit of separating business from personal.”
“I have a better idea.” Merri leaned forward on her desk. “Have you filled out your paperwork yet?
“No.” Leshaun was confused, not sure what was going on.
“I love meeting and interacting with women who want to own their own businesses,” Merri bragged.
Leshaun didn’t take offense to the fact that Merri didn’t know who she was or the kind of business she ran.
“And this is what I’m going to suggest you do. I like that name, Outta Tiana’s Purse. And I’m gonna walk you through the process now. Just go to the state Web site, and see if the name is available. If it is, take about five, ten minutes to fill out the paperwork and then go to irs.gov and get an Employer Identification Number. Then, once you get the number, I can help you set up a bank account that you don’t have to change.”
Merri’s suggestion made sense; and, within a matter of minutes, Leshaun had taken a hold of an iPad that Merri slid her way, filled out the paperwork, and had a printed copy of her EIN to use to open the account. Merri handed her starter checks, and Leshaun passed her $250 to open the account.
“I think you shouldn’t do a nonprofit organization, and I’m gonna tell you why.” Gogo couldn’t hold her tongue any longer, and once they were out of BB&T, she spoke her piece. “Don’t raise the money. Use Outta Tiana’s Purse as shell company instead. Merri was right: that name is catchy, and I’d want to buy some shit outta Tiana’s purse too. What you do is build on the idea 9ine called you with last night and make it work. Either you start looking to acquire another hotel, or you buy some bed and breakfasts. Even though Montford Avenue is an ideal spot, I’d venture out and
renovate some of the larger properties in West Asheville. With all these little thrift stores around here, rent a small storefront and sell used clothes and shit. After all, Tiana loved wearing something once or twice and then giving it away.”
Gogo got Leshaun’s mind spinning. “I knew there was a reason I like you.”
“Damn right. If you do it as a nonprofit, and then say you doing it in her honor, her family can challenge you and have you wrapped up in court. Do it as a thrift shop instead. You know 9ine and Zay can boost some stuff and with all the women who give them shit . . . Girl, sell it,” Gogo suggested.
“You are so right,” Leshaun admitted. “I can profit, and then write off the money I give to Goodwill, Red Cross, and them churches. Plus, folks will be more willing to spend a little more money if we can prove that we give the money to a good cause.”
It was settled. Plans to make Outta Tiana’s Purse a nonprofit were scratched. But Leshaun would take some of the concepts she thought of and apply them to a for-profit venture.
* * *
“Ummm,” Leshaun moaned under Zay as his thickheaded dick plunged in and out of her wetness. “Pussy good ain’t it?” she breathed as she clutched his bare ass.
Zay kept stroking between her soft thighs, slapping his balls on the back of her ass. The tiny room smelled of sex, condoms, and weed. Leshaun stayed true to the deal and gave Zay extra lessons on how to work the goods. She ran her hustle on Zay by making him kick the fee for the room. His first nut flooded into the condom with Leshaun bouncing on his dick backward. She sorta felt sorry for him, so she gave him a second shot at the pussy. Her breathing sped up as Zay grunted above her.
“Yes!” she shouted. “You better tear dis pussy up! Ummm, almost there! Almost there!”
Zay couldn’t last the limit that Leshaun needed. He stiffened and filled the second condom with her ankles up on his shoulder. The dick was rated sufficient in Leshaun’s view, and a deal was a deal. She stood in the shower after he left. Life for Leshaun, she lived it to the fullest. There stood no regret over her head and yet she felt numb at the idea of fucking Zay. Her actions, she would keep them secret.
After the shower, she wrapped a towel around her thick frame and sat at the foot of the bed. She yawned and glanced at the two ounces of Fireball on the dresser. She grinned with Zay on her mental. Just as she reached for her iPhone, a knock rapped on the door.
“Who is it?” she shouted.
“It’s me, Prince.”
Leshaun jumped off the bed to answer the door. A part of her didn’t want to answer the door since they hadn’t spoken in two days. “You came back for more?” She pulled him inside.
“Damn, girl, chill,” Prince replied as he tracked Leshaun’s ass across the room. The shape of it was still prominent under the towel. “I come in peace. If I wanted to fuck you up, I’d have gotten at you and Zay while y’all was hot and heavy a few minutes ago.”
“You got my money?” she asked when she picked up the two ounces off the dresser.
Prince dug in his front pocket and pulled out a thick roll of money. He peeled off $700 and handed it to Leshaun. “This your new hustle?”
She grinned. “Maybe.”
They made the exchange and tried to ignore the sexual tension between them.
“What’s up with the room?” He invited himself to sit on the edge of the bed.
Leshaun took the towel off and reached for a clean pair of panties. “Why you so nosy?”
Prince stared at her nude frame. “Why you putting those on?”
“’Cause I’m ’bout to go home.” Leshaun’s attitude reeked in her response.
“Word!” He looked stunned. “You saying I can’t get no pussy?”
“Not tonight, buddy.” She shimmied the panties up her wide hips and over her ass. Her teasing moves caused her bare breasts to jiggle and sway.
“You on some bullshit.” He nodded as she turned and picked up her bra.
“Go fuck your girl.” She laughed. “I know my pussy good. But damn . . .”
“I’ma remember this when you want me to lick that ass and pussy.”
“Ha!” She turned back around with the bra draped over her shoulder. “If I tell you to break me off with some head, yo’ ass gon’ do it. And you know why?”
“Why?” He grinned with his dick rocked up.
“’Cause you love how sweet I taste.”
Prince sighed and thought of another side chic he could call for some pussy tonight. He enjoyed pussy, but he was never pressed for it. “When are you gonna come through with some new wheels for me?”
“I’m working on something now,” she told him as she stuffed her large melons in the bra.
“Was that ten stacks enough for you?”
She nodded and felt a twinge of guilt about being dishonest with Gogo. The $1,000 Leshaun kept to herself, and now the deed of fucking Zay had her feeling like shit.
“Did you catch up with Lysa and Janae?” Prince asked as his hopes for some pussy faded.
“I been caught up with them. I just haven’t made my move yet.”
Prince stood. “Well, I guess I better hit the road.”
Leshaun nodded, looking like an urban model in the bra and panties. After Prince left, she finished getting dressed and finally checked her iPhone for any calls or messages she missed.
“What the fuck!” she exclaimed after she viewed the text from Gogo. She figured Gogo was under some serious stress to up and drive all the way to Asheville. On her way out the door, she noticed a shiny object partially hidden under the bed sheets: Prince’s smartphone.
Chapter Fifteen
Leshaun wasn’t expecting the phone to be ringing at 1:45 in the morning. Immediately, her senses became alert as she wondered which one of her whores ran into some trouble, or worse, if one of her “sons” had been arrested.
She was back in Asheville. If she could have, Leshaun would’ve stayed in Birhmingham and never come back. She could, but Leshaun didn’t want to. One, she’d never forgive herself if something happened to 9ine, Zay, or Ten while she was gone. Two, Leshaun didn’t run from responsibility. Most of the issues involving the patrons of her hotel had been settled. Monies were refunded and most of the $500 Visa gift cards she ordered for the patrons had been distributed. The employees of Price Street Hotel were still being paid and enjoying their “unplanned time off.” Her whores stayed busy and found new homes in other motels across the county and in the neighboring county.
For her part, she enjoyed a suite in the Grand Bohemian, across from the McDonald’s that featured a grand piano. Normally, Leshaun didn’t do fast food, but listening to classical music while eating her fish sandwich combo surprisingly put her at east. Despite the luxury and accomodations, she hated being in a room she wasn’t familiar with. In her master suite, she made it a point to make sure her .45 and other weapons were well hidden. An assortment of switchblades and pocket knives were strategically placed around the bed and on the dresser. Even the metallic pink flathead screwdriver she depended on to fix everything was sharp enough to be deadly.
The .45 wasn’t enough protection in her eyes.
Glancing at the screen, she noticed the number was private. That pissed her off because she hated when people called from a blocked phone.
“Hey, baby.” She recognized Prince’s voice.
“What the hell?” Leshaun almost snapped. “Do you know what time it is?”
“It’s time for me to see you,” Prince replied, and the confidence oozed from his voice. “Where you at?”
“Where Sarah at?” Leshaun copped an attitude as she slipped the Under Armour tennis shoes off her feet. She lifted her feet off the floor and made herself comfortable on the king-sized bed. “You should be calling her at two o’clock in the morning.”
“Babe, don’t do me like that.” The frustration in Prince’s voice turned her on. She could picture Prince chilling in his car, leaning back in his cinnamon-colored Acura TL. The amplification of
his voice gave his position away. “I was thinking about you.”
“Nigga, please.” Leshaun put the phone on speaker and placed it on the bed. She lifted up her Golden State Warriors T-shirt and flung it to the floor. The room lacked a dresser and a mirror, so she couldn’t see her reflection. “Sarah told you no, and you couldn’t pick up a young thing, so you decided to fuck with me.” The bullshit Prince was feeding her was old. Leshaun knew this was a booty call and while she didn’t mind some dick, especially his dick, she demanded Prince treated her with more respect.
“Come on, ma,” Prince pleaded. “Do we have to go through this shit every time I want to see you?”
“No, because I’m going to stop picking up my phone. Callin’ me from private numbers and shit.” Leshaun let her body sink into the bed. She pulled up the cream-colored satin sheets she bought and washed earlier today and was pleased at how soft the threads felt on her body.
“A’ight, okay,” Prince grunted, his anger not well hidden. “I’m gonna remember this shit when you try to lift another credit card number from my place of business.”
“Fuck you, Prince,” Leshaun let out in frustration.
“I want you to,” Prince fired back. “Just let me know where you stay and you can fuck me all you want.”
Chapter Sixteen
Despite having all the information on Sheila Goldfied’s Discover card, she couldn’t do much with the information just yet. Leshaun needed to figure out where the chick lived and, if she could get it, the last four numbers of her social.
“I see a bitch still know how to work.” Gogo entered the room loud as hell, like she didn’t have the sense God gave her. Leshaun looked her younger sister up and down. Her Kool-Aid red dyed hair bounced as she made her way into the Grand Bohemian room. Her strapless blue evening dress surely turned heads along with the red, white, and blue earrings patronizing this “great” country. Gogo pulled red laptop bag off her shoulder and let it drop on the king-sized bed. “I was able to get the laptop and a few other shit from your room while you were out of town.”