Since she’d been seeing Cass, her relationship with Heaven increased. She always saw her when she came to the restaurant, and Cass encouraged their growing friendship. It began as just conversations on the phone but soon grew to much more than that. Then, Heaven began to invite her out to parties and plan spa days, courtesy of Cass. She remembered the first time they went to the spa.
“Girl, you crazy! I think you done had too much champagne ...” Serenity laughed.
“What? Don’t you think you should get what you paid for? Shit, as much as I come here, they should know better,” Heaven said between sips from her glass.
“But, Heaven, it wasn’t like you couldn’t have the massage. It just wouldn’t be the person you want. It wouldn’t of killed you to compromise,” she said.
“Well, I can’t be relaxed when heavy, rough hands are rubbing me all over.” Heaven didn’t realize what she said.
“Yeah, I guess you right.” Serenity looked at her face, then continued, “But sometimes those heavy hands can be just what you need.” Her eyes met with Heaven’s. Heaven was gorgeous; her skin was flawless, and her body was to die for. Serenity couldn’t remember seeing a woman who even came close to her type of beauty. She felt starstruck for a moment, but was just as impressed when Heaven seemed equally intrigued.
“Not for me. I like a soft touch,” Heaven took her fingers and gently moved them up and down the middle of Serenity’s back.
A door opening shook Serenity out of her trip down memory lane. I’m gonna have to tell her, she admitted in her head. She set the phone on the night table and quickly pretended she was asleep. She could hear his footsteps as he entered. Five minutes later she felt his warm skin spoon her body. She drifted off to sleep.
Serenity woke up to sunlight hitting her eyes. She didn’t feel Cass’s body next to her. She turned to find him sprawled out beside her, snoring loudly. She moved off the bed slowly, reducing the chances of him waking up. She grabbed her phone, then her clothes off the floor, and quietly headed into the bathroom.
Serenity wanted to get dressed and leave. She wanted to talk to Heaven. She felt she had to explain. She walked out of the bathroom fully clothed and could still hear Cass’s loud snores. She decided on not waking him and left the bedroom. As she headed downstairs for her shoes, she dialed a cab number and requested a driver. She put her shoes on and left through the front door. While she waited for the cab outside she called Heaven.
“Hey,” Heaven answered.
“You at the restaurant yet? I gotta talk to you,” Serenity said trying not to beg.
“Yeah, I’m here alone. Come on, ’cause Rico and the rest of the staff will be here in an hour. Bye.” Heaven hung up the phone, annoyed.
I wonder if she gonna tell me about her and Cass. I know it ain’t none of my business ’cause she don’t want to fuck up her wants either, Heaven thought sitting at her desk. She had the face of a jealous lover and didn’t like it. A short time later she was disturbed by the ringing of her phone.
“Can you let me in? I’m at the back exit close to your office.” Serenity listened for an answer.
“Yeah, I’m coming.” Heaven hung up the phone and proceeded to go let Serenity in.
Serenity’s face had the look of shame on it. She walked past Heaven once she opened the door and walked into her office.
Heaven followed behind her watching her ass in her tight, stonewashed jeans. She said nothing until she sat behind her desk. “So, what brings you by so early?”
“Um, I ... I need to tell you something.”
“Can you stop delaying and just tell me. You know I don’t like to play games,” Heaven quickly reminded her.
“I slept with Cass last night.” Serenity waited for a response.
“So, what does that have to do with me? I’m not Cass’s wife. I’m his sister. Why should that bother me?” Heaven asked the question, hiding the green in her eyes.
“I know but”—Serenity got closer to Heaven—“I ... I don’t want to stop what we just began.”
“Well, I think ... We don’t have to stop,” Heaven said, surprising herself with her words.
Serenity was thrown aback by Heaven’s selfish words. She paused and admitted that having her cake with ice cream wouldn’t be so bad. “So—”
Heaven put her fingers on Serenity’s lips to stop her from talking. She kissed her passionately. Their tongues intertwined like two slippery snakes searching for prey. Heaven rubbed her pussy through her jeans.
Serenity let out a soft moan.
Heaven continued to play with her tongue and slid her free hand under Serenity’s shirt. Her fingers eased Serenity’s bra up to expose her firm nipples. Serenity felt Heaven’s fingers pinching her nipple lightly, not causing any pain. Serenity’s clit became hard, and her nipples were stiff. They continued to tantalize each other, not paying any mind to their soundings.
It was almost eight when Rico unlocked the back door to begin his long day’s work. He opened the door and started to walk down the hallway. Then he thought his hearing was playing tricks with him, so he stopped and stood still. He could hear someone moaning. He quietly crept down the short hallway and stopped in front of Heaven’s office.
The moaning didn’t stop. It was obvious where it was coming from. He turned around and headed back to the exit. Rico didn’t want Cass to walk in on them. Shit, I can’t have him fuckin’ up my easy money, he thought as he turned around quietly. He reached the exit and opened the door, then slammed it shut. He started singing loudly and even did a little two-step by the door. He entered, making sure his noise could be heard behind closed doors.
Heaven abruptly stopped, hearing the loud soprano-like voice entering through the back door. She motioned to Serenity to be still and not say a word. Heaven waited. She could hear Rico’s voice trailing into the main dining area.
“Serenity—”
“I’m leavin’. I’ll sneak out the back,” Serenity interrupted with a whisper.
Heaven watched as Serenity got dressed and snuck out of the office to the back entrance. What is it about that chick? Her touch is so addictive. There’s no way I want to stop this. I guess Cass may have some competition without even knowin’ it. Her thoughts flooded her mind.
Cass was awakened by his iPhone ringing. “Hello,” he answered with a groggy, deep voice.
Shawn P sat on the balcony of his hotel room. He contemplated how he would talk to Cass. I’ma just tell him a story. He don’t know all of it ain’t true. ’Cause I know one thing for sure; all this back and forth is putting a dent in my pocket. I can’t delay this shit no more. It’s time to spin the wheels.
“Yo, Cass, what up?”
“Yo, what up, my dude? Everything good? You usually don’t call a nigga this fuckin’ early,” Cass answered.
“You got time today? I need to holla at you for a minute. Can you swing by my hotel?” Shawn P put concern in his voice.
“A’ight, no doubt. I’ma be on my way in about twenty.” Cass hung up the phone, apprehensive about their meeting.
He walked into his closet, only to be interrupted by another call. He looked at the caller ID and grinned. “Hey, baby, why you left like that?”
“I didn’t mean to, but my sister needed the car early this morning,” she lied. “I could come back later,” she suggested.
Cass didn’t want her to be too comfortable so he declined the offer. “Actually, it’s a big day today. I got another celebrity dinner party to get ready for. I need a shape-up, and I gotta go pick up my suit from the cleaners, and I got meeting in twenty ...” he said.
“Oh, I see. You get the cookie, then don’t wanna stick around for the fortune,” she joked.
“What? You must be smokin’ fuckin’ crack. Who wouldn’t want you around them?”
“I’m only joking. Damn, almost sounds like you defensive about somethin’. Are you?” she asked a little puzzled.
“Nope, not at all,” he said reassuring her.
&nb
sp; “All right, well, get back to doin’ whatever you was doin’. I’ll talk to you later, baby.” She hung the phone up.
Cass touched the word END on the screen of his phone.
“Yo, man, what’s good?” Shawn P said holding out his hand to greet Cass. “Come in. You want somethin’ to drink?”
“Nah, man, I’m good. Just a bit anxious on what you hollerin’ ’bout.” Cass got right down to business.
“I hear you. Well, I ain’t no bitch... .” Shawn P started. “And, what I mean by that is I ain’t one to believe all the chatter in the air. But I thought you should be told about what a little bird told me. Um, you been checkin’ some girl named Serenity, right?” Shawn asked, sipping from a water bottle.
“Yeah, don’t tell me you fucked her?” Cass didn’t want a reply.
“Nah, ain’t nothin’ like that, fam. I was at a stripper function the other night, and her name came up. When it did, my ears perked up ’cause I heard you mention her name before. Well, niggas got to talkin’ and drinkin’, and they said she involved with some murder out in D.C. But you and I both know to find a ride-or-die chick these days is hard. That intrigued me, so I asked a few questions. Come to find out, she set some niggas up and took they stash,” Shawn explained. “Her payday turned out to be close to half a mil’ out on the street.”
“Word ... Why you tellin’ me this?” Cass questioned.
“’Cause, I look out for my fam. And, I know your ear ain’t really to the ground no more in the drug game. I know you tryin’ to go legit now, even though you still dabblin’ in some other shit too.”
“Yo, Shawn, how you know it’s the same chick?” Cass asked, skeptical about the story.
“’Cause they described her to me. I saw her that night I came when Eminem showed up,” Shawn said. “But listen, that ain’t the only reason I wanted to talk to you.” Shawn continued, “I wanted to see if you would be down with somethin’ ... She got a price on her head.”
“A price on her head?” Cass asked not believing what he was hearing.
“Yeah, two hundred k.”
“And what you want me—” Cass stood up.
“Cass, sit down. I have an offer for you.” He waited for Cass to return to his seat. “You ain’t pullin’ no trigger. That ain’t in you no more. But since you already close to her, it would be an easy setup and an easier payday.”
“Oh, man, I see ...” Cass leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. “Hold on, Shawn. You say it’s the same chick, and she got a contract out on her. My question to you is, why you need me? You know where she at, and I’m sure you got soldiers on standby. I may not be in that game no more, but I got sense.”
“That’s why I wanted to offer you an opportunity. You a businessman. Think about it,” Shawn said calmly.
“Easy money, huh?” Cass repeated.
“If you ain’t tryin’ to get a piece of that two hundred, then I suggest you don’t get too close to her ’cause a nigga goin’ have to get at her.” Shawn stood up.
“How long do I have ’til before you put your soldiers on the job?” Cass asked.
“You got a couple of days.” Shawn picked up a blunt off the coffee table and lit it.
“Yeah, a’ight. You’ll hear from me,” Cass said walking toward the door.
“A’ight.” Shawn held out his hand to give him some dap, then opened the door.
Cass walked to the elevators and pushed the down button. His mind was consumed with thoughts. This can’t be the same chick. But why do I even care? If she could set up some next dude, what makes me think she ain’t tryin’ to set my ass up? At least, that nigga got some respect by askin’ me. After all, he is in my city. Cass got back into his car and headed home.
Chapter 15
Carmen’s thought of having a happy reunion with her older cousin was a slim chance. When she decided on surprising her cousin in Detroit, she thought it would be all good. Upon her arrival, she was hit with the hard truth.
When she arrived at the house in the wee hours that morning and knocked on the front door, Lele didn’t answer. Her boyfriend Devon opened the door instead.
“Who the fuck is you?” Devon spat out.
Carmen looked at the number on the house, then the paper with the address on it before answering. “Um, I’m Carmen, Lele’s cousin. You must be her boyfriend. Is she here?”
“That bitch is gone, and she ain’t comin’ back,” he said with an angry slur.
“Okay, well, I tried to call her before I came down here, but my calls kept going to voice mail. My phone went dead, so I don’t know if she called me back or not. Do you know where she went?” Carmen’s voice was shaky.
“I ain’t her fuckin’ keeper,” Devon’s voice was loud.
“Sorry, I don’t—”
“You don’t mean to be fuckin’ botherin’ me! Get the fuck off my porch!” Devon slammed the door in her face.
Carmen sucked her teeth. She didn’t know her surroundings and was now stuck. Lele was the only person she knew in Detroit. But she was nowhere to be found. She couldn’t understand why she hadn’t picked up her phone. Carmen’s surprise visit was a total mistake. She should have stayed her ass in Maryland.
It was clear that Devon wasn’t going to help her. She was stranded by her own selfish intentions; surprising Lele was supposed to be her escape. Carmen stood on the porch not knowing what to do. She looked at the piece of paper in her hand and turned it over. Cass. He didn’t seem like the type that could hurt a fly. I got no other choice, she thought. Carmen started walking, hoping she could find somewhere to use the phone.
“I’m sorry, did I wake you,” a young female voice spoke.
“Who is this?” an aggravated voice replied.
“Carmen. Remember, you told me to call you so you could know I’m safe,” she said with an attitude.
Cass quickly answered, “Right, so you good?” He spoke in a low voice, almost whispering. He walked to the bathroom and peeked in to find Serenity nowhere in sight. He slowly walked out to the hallway with the phone to his ear. After his meeting with Shawn P, he came home and fell asleep, not knowing if Serenity had returned.
“Can you hold on a minute?” He didn’t wait for a reply, but stood completely still and listened for any sounds downstairs. There were none. He put the phone back to his ear. “Yeah, so you good?”
“Yeah,” Carmen said, trying to hide her disappointed feeling since arriving in Detroit.
“Sounds like you having a blast,” he said.
“Look, I just wanted to call you and let you know I was safe. That’s all, so I’ll let you go,” Carmen’s voice sounded more than annoyed by his sarcasm.
“I’m just kidding. Sounds like you need a friend. Why don’t we meet up?” Cass asked, hoping for a positive response.
“I don’t know. My situation is a little bleak right now. I just walked damn near a mile to find this pay phone,” she admitted.
“What you mean?” Cass asked, now concerned about his future prospect.
“Well, when I got to my cousin’s house, come to find out her boyfriend kicked her ass out. And now, I have no a clue about where she’s at,” Carmen added.
“Damn, Carmen, sorry to hear that,” Cass said. “So, where you at?”
“I’m at some bookstore called Urban Knowledge. The manager was nice enough to let me use the phone. Ummm, I don’t mean to get you involved, but do you think you—”
“Say no more. I know where you at. I know the manager. She’s real sweet. Tell her you’re a friend of mine. She’ll hook you up. You can stay there until I come to pick you up. Don’t worry, everything will work out. We’ll find your cousin,” Cass promised.
“Cass, you just don’t know how grateful I am. Trust me, once we find my cousin, I’m outta your hair,” Carmen said, relieved.
“Listen, I know how shit can be. Besides, I was hoping you would call. Just sit tight and I’ll be there in a while. See you soon.” Cass hung up the phone.
&
nbsp; He walked back into his bedroom and glanced at the time. It was after nine in the morning. He was tired and felt like he just went to sleep. He entered his master bath for a shower to shake the sleepiness away.
“Need a ride?” a familiar voice filled the bookstore.
Cass’s eyes penetrated Carmen and instantly made her secure. She blushed from his eagerness to help her. He wore Burberry cargo shorts with Burberry canvas kicks and a white V-neck T-shirt that fit his defined chest well. On his left wrist was a Rolex and a diamond stud pierced his right ear. He was handsome, and any woman would play damsel in distress for his rescue. She had to admit his kind heart made him that much more attractive.
“I sure do!” She picked up her bag and thanked the manager, then headed out of the bookstore.
Cass slipped the manager a fifty-dollar bill and followed behind Carmen. They stepped out of the store and walked to his car.
“I was hoping to see you again. I didn’t think you was gonna call me. I’m glad it was sooner than later,” Cass smiled, opening the passenger-side door for her.
“Thank you.” Carmen blushed. It felt like her high school days. When she got in, she saw the custom leather seats and the fully loaded dash. She couldn’t help but think that she picked a winner.
Cass closed the door and went around to the driver’s side, then got in. “Where you think she’s at?”
“Who?” Carmen asked, contemplating on how she could stay in his presence.
“Ummm, your cousin ...”
“Oh, I’m sorry. My mind is so crazy right now. I came down here to surprise her, and she ain’t nowhere to be found. My phone is dead. My money is nearly damn gone. I don’t know what my cousin is into. I don’t know if she hurt, dead, all right ... nothing!” Carmen tried to hold back her tears.
Life After Sadie Page 10