Heaven and Earth

by J. M. Benjamin

  “What is it?”

  Chill called out his cell phone number as Heaven keyed it in. “Do you prefer Calvin or Chill?” she asked, not bothering to look up.

  “Whatever one is gonna make you remember to call me,” he replied smoothly.

  Nice comeback, she thought. She smiled and locked him in as Chill. “Got you,” she said, returning her phone back to her hip. A little disappointed that she hadn’t called his phone right then and there, Chill extended his hand for a second time. “Enjoy the rest of your night.”

  “You too,” she replied. Heaven then made an about-face and exited the bar area.

  “Where you from?” Chill shouted over the music, forgetting to ask.

  “Exit 9,” Heaven turned back around and replied with a smile, then faded into the crowd. A puzzled look appeared across Chill’s face. How could she be from New Brunswick where he was from, and he never has seen her before? He made it his business to know all of the best-bred and finest females in the surrounding towns of Exit 9. He was positive she was from somewhere in Essex or Union county, but to be from Middlesex County threw him for a loop. There was no doubt in his mind that prior to the mall encounter he had never crossed paths with her. As Chill stood at the bar in deep thought, out of thin air, the name of the female who he had just been conversing with appeared to him like the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. Chill didn’t know the face but definitely knew the name and reputation behind it. He couldn’t help but hold his head and chuckle.

  Everyone was harmonizing the Happy Birthday song to Le Le as best they could while she stood in tears when Heaven reentered the room. All partygoers held up their preferred drinks as they sang while Monty held up his with one hand and Le Le’s intoxicated body with the other. Judging by the off tempo sound of the singers, it was apparent to Heaven that mostly all in attendance had their share of alcohol.

  The cake had been cut, and people resumed what they were doing previously. The VIP room was in full mingling mood. The night was winding down. It was after three in the morning by the time Heaven let her crew know she was ready to head back up to her neck of the woods. She had stayed longer than she had anticipated, and now it was time to bring the evening to an end. She signaled to Shell and Sonya who were engaging in a conversation with Le Le. She sided on, letting Mia know they were leaving on their way out seeing her engrossed in what seemed to be an intimate conversation with the hostess Ingrid from earlier at the entrance of the VIP room. Both Shell and Sonya caught the hand motion. They gave good-bye hugs to Le Le and hand waves to Monty and his crew before making their way over to Heaven. Le Le followed them over to where Heaven now stood.

  “It was good seeing you, Heaven. Thanks for coming out. Glad to see you home,” Le Le said as she hugged her.

  “Anytime, baby girl,” Heaven replied.

  “Monty told me to tell you it was nice meeting you too.” Then there was a brief pause, “And he told me to let you know that he got his ear to the streets,” she added.

  “Tell him I said the same and thanks.” Heaven looked past Le Le over to Monty who was holding up his drink and gave a respectful nod as she did the same. She knew his message was in regards to the incident that had occurred with her and Earth. All night she’d been getting an earful of the same statements and comments and was appreciative, but nonetheless, she would have preferred something a lot more solid. The rest of Monty’s crew threw either their drinks or hands in the air at Heaven to say their good-byes, while Monty’s cousin Murda gave his signature salute. Heaven nodded to them all.

  “Y’all call me and let me know you made it back safe,” Le Le said, bringing Heaven’s attention back to the small circle they had formed.

  “We will, mamá,” Shell spoke for them. Again, they all hugged, then Heaven led the pack as they made their way out of the VIP room. Heaven received the same treatment exiting as she had when she’d first entered the room and handled it the same. She playfully bumped Mia from behind on the way out. Mia spun around, ready for confrontation, thinking someone intentionally tried to disrespect her. She smirked when she saw her boss standing there. “Make sure you hit me up later,” Heaven heard Mia tell the Hispanic hostess before she walked off.

  Atlantic City appears to be the city that never sleeps, thought Heaven seeing bodies continue to pour into the club as they reached outside. “I’ll drive,” she stated seeing both Shell and Sonya slightly stagger as they made their way to the valet. She refused to put her life in the hands of an intoxicated driver, no matter who it was, and Mia was not an experienced enough driver to be driving on the highway. Sonya started to protest until she nearly tripped over what she noticed to be her own foot. As she looked down, she couldn’t help but chuckle to herself and passed the keys to Heaven.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Heaven navigated her way home down the deserted Parkway with Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt album drowning out the snores of her three comrades. Heaven replayed the evening back in her mind. So many faces in one place it made it difficult for her to scrutinize them all; yet, she had been able to, at least those who filled the VIP section of the club. Nevertheless, none seemed to stand out or reveal they were who she was looking for. She had hoped somebody would make a false move and draw suspicion on themselves, but that was not the case. The only two people that actually stood out was Le Le’s boyfriend’s cousin Murda, who Heaven was sure she didn’t know, and the caramel brother named Chill, who she had gotten acquainted with at the bar. She excused her thoughts of the young hustler Murda and unwillingly entertained thoughts of Chill. In the midst of it all, he had contributed to what little of a good time she had. The conversation between the two hadn’t been major, but his company was a breath of fresh air, she thought.

  She had been on edge since the first day she was released from the hospital and hadn’t taken out any real time for herself. She had been feeling guilty ever since that day and continued to question why Earth’s life had been taken and hers spared. She promised herself that she wouldn’t stop or rest until her sister in crime was able to rest in peace and dedicated all of her time and energy into following through. Heaven knew had the shoe been on the other foot, and it was Earth who survived, she would carry it no differently. For the first time in her life since the death of her parents, Heaven never felt so much pressure on her shoulders. The game was really beginning to take its toll on her. On the surface, she maintained her boss demeanor in order to run her operation, but on the inside, she was stressed.

  The more she began to think, the more the idea to give up the game became appealing to her. She’d thought about getting out once she avenged her partner’s death when she was laid up in the hospital, and now the thought resurfaced. The fact of the matter was, though she was doing a good job, she could not function on full throttle without her other half. Anger overcame her as the truth weighed heavy on her mental. Those who were responsible would pay and pay dearly, Heaven told herself.

  Seeing the overhead sign reading Exit 9 two miles, Heaven’s thoughts switched back to the guy named Chill she’d met at the 40/40 Club. Although he’d asked where she was from, she had never asked where he was from. If he was from New Brunswick, she’d have no way of knowing because she didn’t get out much. Based on how most dudes from her hometown moved, she was sure he wasn’t from Exit 9. He didn’t even appear to be from NJ, she concluded. He had more of a New Yorker-type of style, she thought. Everything about him was natural, cool, and smooth she remembered as she revisited their conversation at the bar. He was definitely someone Heaven felt she wouldn’t mind talking to or seeing again. With that being her thought, as she approached Exit 9, Heaven decided to give him a call.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Le Le’s sleep was broken by the sound of a rattling noise. As she rolled over, she immediately held her hand up to cover her eyes from the sun that beamed on her face through the window of the bedroom suite. What little rays that seeped through triggered off the throbbing she now felt coming from her
forehead. She had a splitting headache that had Advil written all over it. She knew it was credited to all of the alcohol she consumed the previous night, and now she was paying for it.

  “Where are you going?” she managed to ask Monty despite the sharp pain continuously jolting through her head just as he was fastening his belt buckle.

  Monty ignored her question. Le Le knew why. She knew he’d still be upset with her in the morning. The entire ride back to the casino’s hotel and all the way up until the time they made it to their room, Monty was cursing her out and occasionally yoking her up each time he felt she wasn’t listening. But the alcohol had gotten the best of her, and she was too far gone and feeling too good to care or hear what he was saying to her. His words were like that of the teacher on the Charlie Brown cartoon each time she tried to focus on what he was saying. She knew it had something to do with her drinking, but everything Monty said was inaudible.

  “You heard me, where you going?” she repeated. Her words were slightly slurred.

  “Take ya drunken ass back to sleep,” he spit, not bothering to look up, slipping into his high-top navy-blue and gray Pradas.

  “You still mad about last night?” she questioned. Monty’s words had stung. “It was my birthday. I was just having a good time,” she reasoned. Monty was not trying to hear her. He started to ignore her again but figured now was a better time than any, especially since it was evident that she hadn’t remembered nothing he’d said to her last night.

  “Ya drunk ass don’t even remember shit,” he barked.

  “What I do?” she interrupted while trying to rewind the tapes of her party. In an instant, she began to sober up, and her headache suddenly ceased as she sat up in the bed.

  She now wondered what she had possibly done that had Monty so upset, but the liquor had erased her memory for the most part.

  “Just shut the fuck up, a’ight?” he cursed, irritated by her innocent role. “You don’t fuckin’ get it; it’s not—”

  “Get what?” she interrupted him again in a whining manner.

  “You interrupt me one more time,” he threatened, moving in closer to the queen-sized bed. “See, that’s your problem. You talk too fuckin’ much. You don’t know when to keep ya mouth shut. It’s not what you did but what you probably said.”

  Le Le was tempted to ask Monty who he was referring to that she may have said something to and about what but thought better of it. Instead, she sat there and said nothing as he went on. “I told ya ass not to go over there, but you wanted to be all up under that ma’fuckin’ broad ass like you owe her something, or she ya ma’fuckin’ man or something. Then you get over there, and I see you start runnin’ off at the mouth and start cryin’ and shit. That’s when I came over there and got ya ass. On top of that, you were too fuckin’ ripped to remember what you said to that ma’fucka.” Monty shook his head in disgust.

  At first, Le Le still had no idea what Monty was talking about, but as he continued, his words became loud and clear. And the memory of Heaven and her old crew attending her birthday party crept its way through the fog that was now hindering her memory. At the same time, Le Le also remembered how emotional she had gotten when she saw Heaven. The only thing she couldn’t remember was the incident Monty was talking about. She remembered getting up greeting Heaven, Shell, Sonya, and meeting Mia, but she had no recollection of a one-on-one with her and Heaven at the 40/40. She understood why Monty was fuming the way he was now. At that moment, Le Le regretted drinking the night prior. The last thing she wanted was to jeopardize Monty, or her, for that matter, because of a slipup. She tried her hardest to focus as she racked her brain to recall her and Heaven’s conversion, but to no avail. One thing Le Le was certain of was that there was no way she could have confessed to anything in front of Heaven and still be breathing, especially anything involving Earth. She had known the two long enough to know that one would lay their life on the line for the other as well as kill for each other. Again, regret swept through her body, only this time, it was about the alcohol.

  Le Le had come to terms with her decision to set Heaven and Earth up when Monty convinced her to. It was a difficult decision for her to make back then because she had so much love for Heaven. Heaven was the one, above all, who was always there for her during the time Monty was in prison. No matter what, Heaven had always had her back, but it was Le Le’s hatred toward Earth and her love that she had for Monty that overpowered her love for Heaven and made it easier for her to agree to betray her old bosses. Now, after seeing Heaven and her old team, she knew the damage had been done, and there was no turning back. She knew that she had chosen sides and was all in. The only thing she could do now was hope that she had chosen the right side and the strongest side, for her sake.

  Le Le now turned her attention to Monty. She knew she had to say something to calm him down. Both, the expression on his face and the look in his eyes spelled murder. She knew he was a stone-cold killer. He had been one since she’d met him, but she was not afraid of him, nor did she think he would try to hurt her. However, for an instant, Le Le wished she had brought along her baby 9—just in case she was wrong.

  “Baby, come here,” she cooed as she crawled her way to the edge of the bed panther like. Monty didn’t make a move. Le Le reached out to him and pulled him closer to her by his button up. She looked up at him. “I didn’t say anything out of the ordinary to her,” she started. “It doesn’t matter how much I had to drink.”

  “You don’t know that,” Monty replied dryly as he attempted to pull away from her, but her grip was too tight.

  “Yes, I do,” she answered. “There’s no way that I would ever betray you for her or anybody else,” she emphasized.

  “I know that,” he said calming. “But that alcohol had you loose last night, so there’s no telling what you could’ve said to trigger something off in that broad’s head. You said it yourself that she’s a smart chick, so to be on the safe side now, I probably gotta have her and her whole crew wiped the fuck out,” Monty stated.

  “Well, do what you gotta do,” Le Le retorted seductively while unfastening his belt.

  “Chill.” Monty made a failed attempt to push her hand away. All in one motion, Le Le had his jeans unbuttoned and his partial hardness through the slit of his boxers. Monty started to protest again, but the warmth of Le Le’s hand wrapped around his dick caused him to side against it. Last night he was too mad to sex his girl although the liquor had him horny. Le Le took him into her mouth and sucked him to a full erection.

  “Shit,” Monty moaned, placing one hand on her head and the other on his hip. Le Le grabbed hold of Monty’s manhood and licked around the helmet, then up and down the spine of his shaft. She then pulled his boxers down below his waist to expose the full length of his manhood and licked his sack. She knew that drove him crazy. Le Le sucked on Monty’s testicles until she could feel his knees weaken. She then glided her tongue back to the head of his member and put him back into her mouth. Le Le began her expertise by deep throating Monty’s pulsating dick.

  “Yeah,” he encouraged, now placing both hands on each side of her shoulders. The sounds of the slurping as Le Le performed fellatio turned Monty on. He began to sex her mouth as his thrust matched the rhythm of her lips. He wanted to replace her mouth with her pussy, but it felt too good to stop her. He could feel himself building up each time the head of his dick touched the back of her throat, and her tongue touched the bottom of his length. Le Le discontinued the deep throat session and focused on the top of him. She sucked vigorously as she jerked the rest of him with her hand. Monty’s eyes were closed, and his head was thrown back enjoying the pleasure Le Le was displaying. Images of him pounding her from the back flashed in his mind as that familiar sensation began to emerge.

  “Right there,” he whispered just enough for Le Le to hear. Le Le worked her lips, tongue, throat, and hand even more at the sound of Monty’s request. His nails began to dig into her shoulders as the inevitable took contro
l over his body. “Aagh,” he blurted out as juices exploded and sprayed the inside of Le Le’s mouth. Le Le continued sucking until she emptied Monty’s sex pistol. She swallowed every ounce of him until there was none left. Even when he had gone limp, she still continued to taste Monty’s dick. She knew how sensitive it became after he orgasmed. She looked up and saw a look of satisfaction on his face. His words confirmed what she already knew. “Damn, you the best,” he said.

  Le Le smiled. “I aim to please.” She slid back onto the bed and parted her legs so he could see the juices dripping from between her inner thighs. Her pussy hairs glistened from her own climax.

  “My turn,” she said, now rubbing her clit with two fingers. “Umm, I taste good too,” she added, putting her two fingers into her mouth. “Don’t you wanna taste?”

  Monty’s dick began to throb, but prior to her waking, he had other plans, and he refused to change them.

  “Later,” he answered. “I gotta go get this money.”

  Even if she’d wanted to, the disappointment on Le Le’s face could not be hidden. Monty expected as much. He knew how turned on his girl became after performing oral sex on him. Any other time he would oblige her and bring her to three or four orgasms, and the two would lay exhausted, but business before pleasure he told himself. This was not the first time he had to step out in that type of situation, and he was sure it wouldn’t be his last. He knew Le Le knew this as well.

  “I got you,” he promised, pulling up his pants and refastening his belt.

  “You better.” She tried to hide her disappointment.

  Monty walked over to the bed and kissed her on the lips. “You already know,” he said, then snatched up his cell phone from the nightstand.

  “I’ll just start until you come back to finish.”

  “Do that,” he replied right before he exited the suite.

  Le Le banged her fist on the bed in frustration as the door closed behind him.