When A Hood Legend Claims It All

by Belleza

  “I was trying to surprise you, but I ain’t about to do shit with you when you had a bunch of bitches around you,” she stomped off and went to the back of the apartment where I heard a door slam shut. I prayed it was the spare bedroom because as pleasant as she thought this surprise was I didn’t want to be around her. I took a beer out of the fridge and went to my room to rub one off as I thought about Amena.

  Mar

  “Would you like anything else?”

  “Oh my God,” Amena grumbled at the cashier that looked at me and asked me the same shit for the third time as we both placed our orders. She was on my dick so hard she barely got our orders correct and it did nothing but annoy me because a nigga was starving.

  The clueless cashier was too hypnotized by me that she ain’t hear or see Amena grilling her.

  “Nah, that’s it,” I responded digging into my pocket and pulling out my roll of money. I flipped through it until I got to the smaller bills and handed her two twenties. “Keep the change.”

  Her eyes lit up and a smile spread wide across her face making Amena sigh loudly. I bust out laughing as I pulled her down the end of the counter to pick up our food.

  “You gotta chill with all that.”

  “Chill with what? How many times was she going to ask if that was all, as if you were going to add a dick suck to the order?”

  I laughed harder and her frown deepened.

  “I’m glad you find it amusing. What if I was ya girl? Bitches are mad disrespectful these days. Oh wait, maybe I should just punch her in her face and stomp her into the ground,” she threw in there to bring up last night.

  After the meeting I crashed at her crib so we could spend time with each other. I know she was pissed about last night and even though I was as well, I couldn’t be mad at her forever.

  “For one, I wouldn’t have you out here throwing hands with no broad and two, you ain’t my girl, so she good. Suppose I did want my dick sucked? You done fucked it all up for me.”

  Amena rolled her eyes. “God save me.”

  She had to have been the biggest blocker I knew, but I was sure it was only because she knew I ain’t play that shit when it came to her.

  By now I was use to every trick in the book women would pull for some attention or dick. Even with me being able to have any woman I wanted, I was very selective on who I even entertained. A bunch of smiling, eye batting or even dropping down to ya knees wasn’t the way to go.

  Once our order was called, I grabbed our tray and followed Amena to a table in the crowded mall. Cherry Hill was usually more chill but for it to be damn near ninety degrees on a spring day everyone was out.

  What was suppose to be a quick trip turned into an entire shopping spree. Amena had a nigga going in and out a bunch of stores carrying her bags like a butler. She was beyond spoiled and honestly the shit made me feel good. We went from losing a father and mother to living better than we ever had. It gave me a sense of accomplishment that I could fill shoes I thought would never be able to fill.

  After finishing up our food, Amena actually said she was done so we were finally heading out of the mall.

  “Where are we headed now?” I asked after sending a reply back to Wesley after he confirmed our delivery was on the way.

  “I want to go get my nails done.” She wagged her fingers in her face showing me the claws she called nails. “I broke it trying to get you off me.”

  “Fine, but what’s up with you and the guy from the club. You know him?”

  “No Amare,” he huffed. “I was there because I wanted to have some fun and he bought me a drink. That’s it.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her and she rolled hers making me want to grip her little ass up. It was crazy how she reminded me so much of our egg donor. They both had round faces, dainty nose and pouty lips. Growing up everyone told Amena she looked like a dark china doll.

  “You know you can’t run my life. I’m not a child anymore.”

  “I’m not trying to run your life. All I’m trying to do is protect you. Niggas will go through you to line me up, or try to hurt you to hurt me. You think I want that shit on my conscious knowing that I could’ve prevented it?”

  “Every guy that comes within two feet of me is not out to get you. It’s becoming annoying,” she snapped.

  “Well we can’t do shit about it now. This is our life. It has been for a while and I’d think you would’ve gotten use to this shit. I’m not letting up on you. You can be sixty years old and I’m pulling up in my wheel chair on any nigga that get close to you.”

  This time she burst out laughing and it made me feel better that she was no longer angry. “I owe you for lying too. What’s up with you and Jake anyway? I’m sure your man wouldn’t like the fact that you were up in the club so cozy with some random dude.”

  “Jake and I are over. He’s the only boyfriend you would accept and he turns out to be just as bad as everyone else. I caught him with another girl on his campus with his tongue down her throat.”

  “Was he performing CPR?”

  Amena balled up her fist and hit me on my shoulder. “I can’t stand you sometimes.”

  “Nah, sis you love me and I love your ass too. You got ya whole life ahead of you and if you gotta wait to find the right guy that I approve of then so be it.”

  “Amare!” a sultry voice sung out loud causing Amena to screw her face up. I turned to see who she was mugging now and was surprised to see Natalia sauntering our way with a Zara shopping bag in her hand. It was a nice ass day so it shouldn’t have been shocking to see her out and about with her thick ass body on display. She was rocking a white cut off tank that had her pierced nipples poking through the thin fabric and shorts I was sure barely covered her ass. She was bad as fuck and had me rocked up thinking about all the nasty shit she did for me whenever I fell through.

  “Out of all the hoes we can run into, it had to be this one,” she sighed mugging Natalia who did a good job at ignoring her.

  “Play nice,” I warned her playfully and she sucked her teeth.

  “Never will I be fake.” My sister despised Natalia and I’m sure the feeling was mutual. The difference was Natalia knew not to speak or act on it.

  “I thought you were busy.”

  “As you can see, he is,” Amena snapped crossing her arms over her chest.

  Natalia looked at Amena blankly, before she directed her attention back on me.

  “I am busy.”

  “For how long though? I miss you and was hoping you can stop by tonight,” she all but whined.

  “Disgusting,” Amena mumbled walking off.

  I shook my head and then glared at Natalia who had the audacity to roll her eyes at my sister. She changed her face immediately when she saw me staring at her.

  “Sorry, but how much can I take? She’s been coming at me since I’ve walked up.”

  “Nobody told you to bring your ass this way. I will hit you up if I decide to come over.”

  I turned to follow Amena’s path but she grabbed my wrist stopping me. “Wait, can I get a definite answer?”

  “You’ll get the definite answer if I hit you up,” I shot back in the nicest way possible.

  By time I caught up with Amena bratty ass, Natalia sent a video of her playing in her pussy as if it was going to sway me to show up. The shit was tempting, but I wasn’t pressed for something I knew I could get anytime whether it be from her or another woman. I didn’t bother responding, but she knew I saw it because my read receipts were on.

  “I can’t stand that bitch.”

  “That’s understandable.”

  “Why do you even bother with that whore? I rather you screw any bitch than her. She did you so dirty by counting you out when she thought you ain’t have shit. If she couldn’t accept you at your lowest, she doesn’t deserve you while you’re at the top. Even if she’s just laying on her back.”

  Amena hit the nail on the head with that one. Natalia and I use to be tight as fuck back in the da
y. Since she was around when all that crazy shit happened with my parents I thought she was rocking with me, but the moment I thought about taking her serious she gave me every reason not to.

  Her betrayal fucked with me just a little bit because it was like bad luck was hitting me back to back from the closest people around me. I fell back from her and focused on my grind and now she was constantly asking for us to get serious. I fucked from time to time, but that was it. I had nothing else to offer her. In her mind, the more we had sex the closer she was too me when it didn’t make her no special than the next bitch I gave dick to.

  “I don’t even know why you worry about that girl.”

  “I don’t even know why you fuck that girl. Y’all niggas kill me. The women y’all say y’all don’t want your girl or sister to be is the same women y’all screwing. Make it make sense.” she quipped causing me to shake my head and drag my hands down my face. When Amena was riled up it was difficult to calm her down.

  “Listen, a man can have sex with fifty different woman and not feel a thing for none of them, so being a notch on someone’s belt doesn’t make you a prize. Women like Natalia are only good for one thing, and they’re not getting wifed up.”

  “But y’all cheat on us for them bitches.”

  “Who the hell is cheating? Natalia ain’t my girl or nothing close to it. I’m just setting straight facts. You want a nigga to respect you? Respect yaself. You want a nigga to love you, love yaself. Parading around like Natalia ain’t going to get you nowhere but waiting around on a text message to get slayed.”

  “I bet,” was all Amena said before she pulled her phone out of her bag.

  She knew I was right and I shut her shit down quick. I wasn’t setting the best example by treating women the way I did, but I made it clear that she was above and beyond any of them to settle for anything less than what she deserved.

  CoCo

  “Waiting on someone?”

  My Assistant, Sharita stood in front of me with her arms crossed over her chest and a goofy smile plastered on her face.

  I would be smiling too if my stomach wasn’t in knots thinking about the Police or even the Feds running up in my shop.

  Sighing, I ran my hands through my hair and finally gave Rita my undivided attention. Pitt wasn’t answering any questions I had as far as when he turned my shop into a stash spot and when he had the time to bring shit there. My first instinct was to question my employees, but that would only draw attention to something I wanted to get rid of ASAP.

  Polish Me Pretty was my pride and joy. After graduating from high school I enrolled in a Beauty Academy and obtained my Certification from the school and passed my state test with flying colors. Unlike high school I actually applied myself because I knew for a fact this was what I wanted to do especially since Pitt paid my tuition full in cash. There was no way I was going to waste my time or his money.

  I had many options to choose from in Cosmetology to venture into but I took a leap of faith and focused on nail care. The Asians dominated the business making bank in our own hood. It was a risk I was taking but almost eight years later it was all worth it. At first it was strictly about manicures and pedicures, but Polish Me Pretty became a one stop shop now that I opened up the doors for other professionals to make money. Pitt gave me the idea to always go big, so ladies were able to come and get manicures, pedicures, their hair done, waxing and massages.

  My team consisted of three great stylist, one masseuse, a lash and eyebrow tech and four young ladies that handled nail care. We were so busy most days I often had to jump in and help out so customers were able to get serviced.

  The way business was rolling I definitely needed another space. My dream was to have a shop in every section of Philadelphia to make it easier on the clientele with travel time and booking.

  My modern space of 1,000 hundred square feet was an oasis for women to relax and sip on wine as they got pampered. The more I thought about how far I’ve come, the more I got sick thinking about having to start all over.

  I waved Rita to the back where my office was located and shut the door behind her to make sure no one overheard us.

  “I found coke in the shop and confronted Pitt about it yesterday,” I explained shaking my head. “Now I feel like the Police gonna kick down the doors and ransack this place at any moment.”

  After plopping down on the black plush couch in my spacious office, I looked up at Sharita who had yet to respond.

  “What?” I quizzed with raised eyebrows

  “You didn’t know?”

  “Are you kidding me?! Is there something I need to know? Of course I didn’t have a clue this crap was going on or for how long,” I protested.

  Taking a seat next to me, Sharita took my hand in hers and looked me square in my face. “I didn’t mean to offend you Co, but this shit doesn’t surprise me at all. You’re my girl and I promise to always keep it real with you. You know what Pitt does for a living and when I realized you were with him I kinda felt like this was a front for his business. That’s why I’m not shocked and asking if you were aware.”

  My mouth dropped from her statement. Rita’s been working for me for the past five years and over the years she was like a sister. There were so many stories she told me about the life she lived before she started working for me which is why I was shocked to hear that she thought I would conduct a shaky business that could land her right back in jail.

  “Wow, I can’t believe you think I would deliberately put you let alone anyone else in a predicament to get locked up.”

  “Listen, CoCo, I’m a grown ass woman. It was a thought but if I truly believed that was the case I could’ve walked but I’m here with you,” she assured me.

  Leaning back onto the couch I closed my eyes and massaged my temples still trying to come to terms with this reality.

  Why didn’t I see this coming?!

  “So what am I supposed to do? Had I known Pitt expected any of this out of me I could’ve done things differently. The way he’s talking, it feels like I owe him.”

  Rita laughed. “See… here’s the thing. I wanted to respect him because he’s your man but ain’t no real nigga gonna put a bitch he loves life in jeopardy, period. You’re not obligated to do this shit for him. Take it from me. I’ve been there and done that and being labeled a ride or die ain’t worth ya life going down the drain or spent behind bars. At the end of the day when shit hit the fan and you’re in a jumpsuit with your hands cuffed in front of you where do you think Pitt will be? If he ain’t getting sentenced with you, he’s sure enough moving onto the next bitch planting his seed so his money can grow.”

  Rita’s words hit me like a ton of bricks. Seven years was a long time to string someone along. Pitt never asked me to do a thing concerning his illegal activities, but that was the thing. He ain’t have to ask because he’d forced it all on me without my knowledge.

  Sensing my worry and anger, Rita pulled me into a hug that was much needed. It had a tear escape my eye that I quickly wiped away.

  Sharita was street savvy and mature way beyond her years. She served seven years for a charge she took for a man she was so in love with. He promised her that he was going to hold her down but went ghost before she got transferred to her permanent institution. The stories she told me she faced behind bars was terrifying. It amazed me how she didn’t look like what she has been through because Sharita was absolutely beautiful with a perfect personality to match. She stood about 5’5 and had a petite hourglass body that looked like she did squats and sit ups all day. When she first started working she had dark shoulder length hair, but then cut it saying she needed a change. Now she had short, honey blonde hair and it complimented her smooth amber colored skin perfectly. Had she not shared her story I wouldn’t have guessed she ran in gangs, sold drugs, robbed, and was in a ton of fights.

  “I don’t want you to be sad but stand your ground. Don’t let anyone make you do something you don’t want to do,” she coached releasin
g me and holding me by my shoulders so she can look me in my face. “I don’t care how much money he spends on you. You can’t wear Balenciaga’s and ten karat diamonds in jail.”

  I burst out laughing thinking about being drowned in a jumpsuit with some expensive ass shoes. I’m sure someone could pull it off, but she was right, all those finer things wasn’t worth my freedom.

  “He told me to give him a few days, but I can’t go another minute thinking that my floors are stuffed with drugs.”

  “Do what’s best for you. No nigga is worth your freedom or business,” Rita added giving me another hug.

  “What would I do without you?”

  We both got up and headed to the door of my office.

  “Everything, because you’re freaking amazing. I don’t know what I would do without you. I could be miserable ringing up double cheeseburgers at McDonald’s down the street with my record.”

  I waved her off. “I ain’t trying to hear all that, Rita.”

  “Oh yeah! Before I forget” she chimed. “There’s a friend of mine that invited me to his party. I don’t want to go alone so do you mind coming along with me? You can be my date and I will buy you a few drinks.”

  I laughed. “You go on dates with ya man, not ya friend.”

  “And there’s an unspoken rule that if you’re lonely like me, your friend automatically takes that spot. I ain’t trying to bump coochies or anything. Just grab a few drinks and vibe out. Please!” she begged making a super sad face that I couldn’t help but laugh and reluctantly agree. I wasn’t doing shit and Pitt probably wouldn’t be home. I needed the time and space to have fun and clear my mind.

  Opening my door, we stopped in our tracks when we noticed my best friend just standing there like a deer caught in headlights. My eyebrows snapped together wondering if she overheard anything. As of late Trina been acting weird as shit, so I kept my distance. I use to try my best to pull her out of her shitty attitude, but I’ve noticed it was only draining me of my good spirits. Now I learned to simply let her be.