Heartless

by Al-Saadiq Banks

  “Not on the phone, I can’t,” Wendy says sadly. “Just come straight here. Without her!”

  35

  Hours Later

  Storm sits in the driver’s seat of her car, parked in Tops Diner’s parking lot. Toy felt this was the best meeting spot, far enough away for them to meet safely. She drove straight here to meet Storm, barely stopping at the red lights. Toy is worried for her longtime friend. She’s in the dark about any trouble that Storm could be in.

  Storm didn’t tell her that the police have been looking for her. She trusts Toy more than anybody else in her life but still she decided not to tell her. She knows in situations like this you can’t trust your own mama because even she will bring you in. Storm never even told her about the robbery that all this is behind. She only believes that the only people who should know your business are the people you are partaking in that particular business with. Toy knows none of the things that Storm has involved herself in unless she too was involved in some type of way.

  “They had your mugshot and everything, she said,” Toy advises.

  “That’s crazy,” Storm sighs, as the only thing she can say. She can’t think of how they possibly knew to go there.

  “They even took a copy of the lease with them. Now they got my name on file. Now they gonna be looking for me.”

  “That ain’t nothing though. Me and you have no criminal history together so that won’t affect you,” Storm says with no real concern of that.

  “So, you can’t think of nothing that they could be looking for you for?”

  Storm shakes her head slowly as if she’s really thinking. “Nah, nothing.” Storm’s phone rings and when she looks at the display she sees Mr. Antonelli’s number. Curiosity makes her want to answer. She wonders if he has some more news about the detectives. She’s considering answering but doesn’t because he could easily be calling to get her to turn herself in. That is what every call to her has been about. She’s been telling him that she has some things to handle before turning herself in, but she’s already worn that excuse out which is why she hasn’t answered his calls in days. She wonders if maybe not answering is not a good idea because he may have some pertinent information

  “Well, they not playing. Whatever it is has to be serious. She said they was trying to take her down to the precinct for a lie detector test.”

  “That was bullshit. They were just trying to scare her up.” Storm starts to think harder. She wonders what exactly Wendy may have told them out of fear. She wonders if maybe she gave her up and that is why they didn’t take her. “Yo, you think she gave me up?”

  “Nah, I don’t think so. She was too scared for you. I can tell her concern was genuine.”

  “But you know she still salty with me about what happened, All-Star weekend. I don’t trust no emotional bitch. I need to talk to her myself, so I can look in her eyes.”

  “You can’t go to the house though. They may be watching.”

  “Nah I ain’t going nowhere near there. Get her on the phone so we can meet. I don’t want to call her from my phone. I don’t trust it.”

  Toy gets to dialing. “And don’t tell her that I’m coming. Tell her you want to meet with her.”

  “OK,” Toy says as she listens to the phone ring.

  “I’m telling you ahead of time though,” Storm whispers. “If I get the slightest feeling that she said anything, she done. I ain’t gon’ hesitate to blow her brains out.”

  Toy looks over at Storm shocked at what she’s just said. She wants to hang up the phone, but it’s too late.

  “Hello?” Wendy says.

  Storm looks at Toy with threatening eyes. “Tell her to meet you at McDonald’s on Bergen Street.” She takes the gun from her pocket and places it on her lap. “Tell her you will be there in ten minutes.”

  Toy is speechless and in disbelief.

  36

  Akron, Ohio

  Days Later

  Not two weeks have gone by and Storm and Money Sal from All-Star weekend have reunited. He stays beating her phone line up almost all day every day, especially the past few days. She even gave in a little and reciprocated the energy. She hasn’t called him as much as he called but she has indicated that she’s interested.

  From the time she landed in Jersey he had been desperately trying to fly her into his city to meet with him. She held off for as long as she could before giving into his request. The moment she did, he made the arrangements for her first-class flight. He wouldn’t have it any other way, he believes she’s worthy of.

  With the detectives on her heels back in Newark, this was the perfect opportunity to get away to clear her head and strategize her next move. During the meeting the other day with Wendy, Storm couldn’t find any reason to think that she had given them any information. Wendy even cried and told her that she loves her which was shocking to Storm and Toy. She’s just as worried about Storm as Toy is. Both of them are still very much in the dark about it all.

  Storm arrived in Ohio a few hours ago, and Money Sal was there to welcome her with open arms. After lunch, he had a full itinerary laid out which consisted of all the things that she loves to do — shopping, the spa, a movie, and lots of weed smoking in between. This is by far one of the best dates that she’s ever had. It’s not just the things they did that makes it the best date, it’s his overall company. He’s so cool that she would enjoy herself with him, even if they were doing nothing at all.

  She isn’t shocked by any of this because she felt his energy back in Florida. The resistance that she put up had everything to do with her not being in touch with her true emotions. It’s easier for her to deal with a man that she doesn’t like than it is for her to deal with a man that she does like. Any time she has met someone she liked she would end the relationship for the smallest thing just to have an escape. It’s been easier that way and she could protect her heart and her feelings.

  In no way has she fallen for Money Sal, but his charm is winning her over. She’s never been charmed by a man like this, except by Mr. Antonelli, but he doesn’t count because she still considers him business. Well, at least that is what she tells herself. Because he’s business, she denies any feelings she may have for him.

  After all the money this man has spent and the hospitality that he’s shown her, she felt that he deserved the opportunity to cash in. It wasn’t all about the dollar amount spent though. A great deal of why they’ve ended up in his bed has to do with she couldn’t wait to give him some. The anticipation was at an all time high for her.

  Storm lie back in the enormous bed inside of his spacious loft. She stares up at the high ceilings gasping for air as he licks her body in its entirety. She fights hard to restrain her urge to orgasm, but it’s bubbling inside of her. Their chemistry is so strong that she could cum just staring into his eyes.

  They indulge in a passionate kiss while he grinds away at her. He fumbles for her breast and her nipples harden at the thought of his lips touching them. She arches her back, poking her breasts up at him and he drops his head in between them. He squeezes them together before sliding his tongue between them. He licks like a frisky puppy, not missing a spot. The feeling of his hot breath on her breasts makes her pussy pulsate.

  He drags his tongue down the path to her navel. He french kisses her navel while pinching her hardened nipples. He plants soft wet kisses over her abdomen and down to the sexy V line of her pelvis. He nibbles gently on her side, dripping saliva from his mouth like a thirsty dog. Surprisingly his spit turns her on, which is strange for her because she hates the thought of a person’s spit on her.

  His tongue slides over her abdomen to her treasure. She looks down and becomes seasick as her eyes roll over the waves that flow over the top of his head. She can’t keep her hands off of him. She rubs his hair and the ripples of his deep waves gets her more excited. Her kitten throbs violently.

  H
e lifts his head and takes a long look at the beauty of her kitten before introducing his mouth to it. Just when she thinks he’s about to go in for the kill, he detours and begins kissing on her thighs. This is forbidden land for her, one of the only spots that makes her weak. She wiggles away from him, trying to keep him from hitting her spot but to no avail.

  “No,” she moans as she grabs his head and tries to force him away. Her rebuttal drives him wild. He snaps his neck and frees his head from her grip. He sucks on her inner thigh, right on the bullseye.

  A violent orgasm brews inside of her and she fights like hell to keep it from exploding. She grips the pillow with one hand while waving the other in the air, looking for something to grab. The lamp is the closest thing in her reach. She snatches it from the nightstand by the base and flings it. It breaks into pieces after crashing into the wall. He’s so caught up in pleasuring her that he pays it no mind. He continues on teasing and licking and sucking at her spot. “No, no, stop,” she begs. Suddenly her body tenses up and with no further warning, it happens… Her levee breaks.

  She blasts off and her juices splash onto his chest. She sits back, mouth wide open in shock. She stares at him with embarrassment on her face. She can’t believe it happened. He jumps back in awe. He looks down at her juices that are plastered all over him.

  “What the fuck?” he asks in rage.

  “Sorry,” she says being the only word that she can come up with.

  “Fuck yo!” he says as he snatches the sheet from the bed and wipes himself dry. He looks around at the puddle on the floor and on his bed and he gets even more enraged and disgusted.

  Now she’s beyond embarrassed. She wishes she could just disappear right now. The vibe has been destroyed. Reacting in this manner makes her even more embarrassed and has her feeling like the freak of nature that she’s always felt when it comes to her sexual response. The man slams the sheets onto the floor and stomps out of the room, leaving her there to sulk in embarrassment.

  * * *

  An hour later, Storm lie back, wrapped up in the sheets feeling horrible while the man lie on the opposite side of the bed. He lie hanging off the edge as if he doesn’t want her near him. He doesn’t know exactly what to say. They haven’t said a word to each other since he stomped out of the room. His silence is because he feels bad about how he reacted and made her feel.

  “I apologize for the way I acted,” he says as he turns to face her.

  “It’s cool,” she lies.

  “Nah, I’m sorry. I just never experienced nothing like that, ever. I mean like, I heard about squirters but never had one. That’s like some weird shit that I wasn’t ready for.”

  “I said it’s cool,” she says with evident anger.

  “Like, you should’ve warned me, so I could be ready. That shit… I mean that almost went in my mouth.”

  As much as he’s trying to make things better he’s really making her feel worse as if he’s disgusted by her. “I said, it’s cool. Just leave it alone,” she says sternly.

  He can sense that she’s getting angered. “Damn, I just wasn’t ready.”

  Storm turns around facing the wall. “Don’t worry. It will never happen again. Never!”

  37

  The Next Morning

  Twenty minutes ago, Storm was left sleeping in the bed while Money Sal made a breakfast run. Away from home and uncomfortable had her sleeping light. She woke up soon as he closed the door behind him. The moment his car pulled out of the parking space she got to nosing around. She’s curious as to who he is and what he’s about. She’s sure she will find some clue.

  The first thing she checked was his medicine cabinet to see if he had any prescription drugs. That could mean he had or has an STD, even though she should’ve checked for that before. Doesn’t matter at this point anyway because after the scene that took place last night she’s positive there will never be any sexual relations between them. Last night he didn’t make any attempt to touch her sexually after their episode. He did try to cuddle with her, but she charged that off as him trying to butter her up after how he treated her.

  She could see the sincerity in his eyes when he apologized but that didn’t make up for the embarrassment she felt. The squirting is the reason she has never fully embraced her sexuality. She always fears men will react the way he did and that is why she has only limited sexual experiences. When she does indulge in sex, she doesn’t let herself get turned on enough to squirt, except with the old man. With anyone else she has managed to turn herself off. With Money Sal it was different, and she couldn’t control it. He has the power to turn her on without even trying.

  Storm’s nose tingles as she slides the mattress over. She knows what this tingling is when she feels it. She looks in between the mattresses and finds nothing… But the tingling gets more intense. She sniffs the air like a bloodhound.

  Her eyes land onto his dirty clothes hamper and her heart races with anxiety. She turns it over, emptying all the clothes onto the floor. The tingling becomes more intense and the adrenaline intensifies. A plastic bag reveals itself underneath the dirty clothes and she picks it up quickly.

  To no surprise she feels stacks of money inside the bag. Her senses have never failed her. She opens the bag and finds what was expected. She can tell by how the money is stacked that it’s drug money. She figured he was a drug dealer even though he never admitted it or made any reference to what he did for a living. Game recognizes game so she already knew. She also figured that he must be heavy in it since he kept his business so secret. Through her experiences, she’s learned, it’s the ones who are barely making money who talk about it the most.

  She flips through the stacks and finds all twenties in what she estimates to be a thousand dollars a stack, with about thirty stacks. Her heart bangs in her chest as many ideas run through her mind. She quickly runs over to the dresser and grabs her clothes. She gets dressed hurriedly as she watches out of the window to make sure he’s not pulling up.

  While getting dressed, she thinks of an escape plan. She steps into her sandals while dialing four-one-one for a cab company number. She quickly realizes that she doesn’t even have a clue of where she is right now. She runs out of the room and grabs her shopping bags and luggage from the living room floor on her way out. She exits the loft and slams the door behind her. No clue of her destination but she does know that she has enough money in hand to make it back home from anywhere in the world.

  * * *

  Forty minutes later, the man steps into his bedroom, bags of breakfast in hand. He was expecting to find her still sleeping so the empty bed surprises him. He assumes she must be in the bathroom. “Storm!” he yells as he places the bags on the nightstand. “Yo, Storm!”

  * * *

  Storm stands at the ticket booth, giving the agent an extremely hard time. She has disguised herself by discarding of the black wig she was wearing. Her natural hair stands up in a nappy afro. Her eyes are covered by huge sunglasses. Her insecurities are not even on her mind. “Listen, I understand your policy but I have a family emergency. I need to be on the next flight,” she says with attitude.

  “I’m sorry about your emergency, but the next flight is filled already,” the woman says politely.

  “I need to speak to a fucking manager!”

  * * *

  As the man makes his way toward the bathroom, the turned over dirty clothes hamper catches his attention. He double-takes before stopping in his tracks. He leans over and starts fumbling through the clothes with no sign of the shopping bag. His heart rate speeds up. He tosses the clothes to the side and still no sign of the bag.

  “Yo, Storm!” he shouts again. He runs to the bathroom and throws the door open and is not shocked to find it empty. He then runs to the living room and notices that all her bags are gone. He puts it together quickly. “That bitch got me.” He feels like a total sucker right now. �
�Fuck!” he says.

  He wonders where she has gone to but figures she couldn’t have gotten far. She told him she knew no one in Ohio, but he wonders if that’s the truth. He dials her phone, knowing damn well she won’t answer. Straight to voice mail, just as he figured. He paces around for minutes before coming up with the idea of going to the airport. He set the return flight so he knows her flight isn’t until tomorrow night. He races out of the house and jumps in his car. He speeds off, hoping to catch her.

  * * *

  Storm plops into the aisle seat of the plane. This isn’t equivalent to the comfort or style that she flew here in but it has to do. The manager couldn’t change her flight so she took a loss in a sense. He explained to her that he had seats on this JetBlue flight and she accepted. She had no problem taking the loss on the flight because she gained over thirty large so it all pans out.

  The plane ascends into the air and she feels a sense of relief. She looks at the purse that is on her lap and a smile spreads across her face knowing it’s thirty-thousand dollars heavier. She can’t help but to think about how all this has turned out. It seems to always go this way when she finds someone that she halfway likes.

  She will never realize that most of the time she looks for something wrong and that is why she finds it. The entire time she was there enjoying his company she kept telling herself that eventually he would do something that would turn her off. She never imagined that it would be the other way around. It was her that turned him off but that was the perfect reason for her to escape before her feelings got involved.

  38

  Newark International Airport

  Hours Later

  Storm packs her bags into the trunk of her car, gets in and pulls out of the parking garage. Her mind is clouded with many thoughts. While in Ohio she didn’t have the luxury of thinking of a plan because he kept her mind consumed. Now she’s here right back in the middle of the madness, not knowing her next move.