Relapse: A Novel

by Nikki Turner

She quickly went up to his room, and was directed by one of the girls to the bathroom. She entered and he stood there hung like a horse, holding his wrinkled-up penis in his hand and pants down to his ankles. Her first instinct was to flee the room but she remained calm.

  Beijing was shocked at two facts: The myth about white boys having little dicks wasn’t true, and he wasn’t shy at all. “My dick feels like it’s spitting hot coals when I piss. I think I contracted a bad case of the clap.”

  Never heard of a good case, she wanted to say, but he continued to speak. “I was told that whatever I needed, you could get it at the drop of a dime. I need this shit fixed by the next time I take a fucking leak.” He looked her in the eyes and swallowed. “Discreetly of course.”

  Beijing nodded. “Yes, of course. I understand completely.”

  Within the hour, Beijing had not only arranged for a doctor to set up shop in the penthouse to administer penicillin shots to Cameron and all his girls and write a few prescriptions for the antibiotic, but she’d provided condoms to them as well. Since then Beijing had been his favorite host.

  “Cameron, I need a favor.” She cut to the chase because she could hear in the background that wherever he was, the party was about to get going. “I need you to get your people to open up the amusement park for three of my guests.”

  “Beijing, anything for you. Take this number. I’ll call Chris, the general manager, and tell him to make it happen for you.”

  “Thank you so much, Cam. I owe you.”

  “You damn right you do, and you can pay up tonight because I am actually at my buddy’s house in Charlotte.”

  She was almost afraid to ask, but he told her, “I want you to turn me on to one of those beautiful black women, like in those rap videos. The ones with the big butts.” He made the request like he was ordering up a sandwich from a deli.

  Beijing moved the phone away from her ear. She could not believe what she was being asked, but she wasn’t surprised.

  Only a person with more money than he could spend could be so insensitive, Beijing thought, but she said, “Careful not to bite off more than you can chew.”

  He laughed. “I got a big appetite.”

  “Okay, let me call you back, I have just the girl in mind.”

  Beijing searched for Dazzle’s number and gave her a ring. Dazzle answered on the first ring, no hello, just a simple, “Is this my favorite manager with a gig for me?”

  Beijing smiled at her salutation. “Indeed it is, and actually I need a favor for a favor.”

  “Sure, what type of job?” Dazzle asked.

  “Basically, I have this filthy fucking rich white client who wants a shot of black pussy,” she said, holding her breath hoping that Dazzle didn’t mind sexing up a white boy.

  “Okay, not a problem at all. Never did a pink dick before but hell, dick is dick. When? Where? And I guess he’ll let me know how much, huh?”

  “Right away, and the place is to be determined.”

  “Well, get me details.”

  “And there’s one small problem.”

  “What? Don’t tell me there’s two of them?”

  Beijing laughed at how free-spirited Dazzle was, talking about engaging in sex with a complete stranger like she was planning on hanging out with an old friend. “There is no budget … but hold on, I’m going to pay you out of my own pocket, so we’ll have to meet up afterward.”

  “Okay,” Dazzle said with no hesitation. “But Beijing, don’t worry about it. If the dude ain’t paying you, then I don’t want you to have to pay me out of your own pocket. I got you on the strength.”

  “Good looking out but I want you to do a good job because he’s one of my clients who is doing me a favor.”

  “I got you. I’m going to turn him out so that he understands that once he go black, he ain’t never going back.”

  They shared a laugh and a few more minor details.

  Beijing hung up the phone with Dazzle and began trying to think of situations where she could help the woman make money and elevate her career. Then she called and got all the particulars from Chris. He confirmed that he would open up the park for her.

  Beijing gave Mr. Bitz back the good news. He was pleased once again with her services and reminded her that if there was anything she ever needed, she should call him.

  Damn the power of pussy! Every badass bitch need a good ho on her team. She sat in amazement at what she had pulled off in a matter of minutes.

  Before she could pat herself on the back, the phone rang again. This time it was Lootchee.

  “Is this my knockout speaking?”

  “It is, it is me,” she said in an upbeat and confident cadence.

  “So, tell me about Beijing Lee?”

  She thought for a few beats before answering. “Well,” she said, “I enjoy traveling. I speak a few different languages, love to read novels and biographies, like walks on the beach, good food, and some people say I am generous to a fault, but I don’t think so.” She paused to catch her breath. “I’m a people person. But enough about me, tell me something about you?”

  “What’s there to tell? I would much rather hear about Beijing.”

  “Nope. That’s not going to work. Tell me at least three things about you.”

  “Okay,” he said reluctantly. “I own a chain of Laundromats. I love sports …”

  “That’s two,” she said.

  “And I would like to get to know you better.” And that was the truth. If the photos she’d sent were anywhere close to being accurate, the woman was gorgeous and just the way he liked them: dark smooth skin, long hair, and sexy with dreams and aspirations.

  “What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you?” she asked. They both shared a funny story, falling into wild laughter.

  It didn’t take long for Beijing to bring Lootchee out of his comfort zone and loosen him up.

  Lootchee looked at his watch; it was three twenty-five in the morning, and they’d been talking on the phone for hours. “Damn, time flies. This is a record for me.”

  “What is?”

  “Being on the phone with someone, hell anyone, this long. It seems like I just picked up the phone ten minutes ago.”

  Lootchee continued, “I want to see you in person. Make the reservations and hop on the plane to Dallas. I’ll take care of all the expenses.”

  That caught her off guard. She had to admit that she was enjoying the conversation and was looking forward to meeting him maybe one day soon—but not this soon. “That sounds very thoughtful and sweet of you, but—”

  “No buts,” he cut in. “Be spontaneous and just do it.”

  She said, “I have to be honest with you, Lootchee.”

  “Please do.”

  “I’m uncomfortable getting on an aircraft to go see a strange man in a strange city.”

  “Ain’t nothing strange about me, girl, but this lil bit of change I got?”

  She laughed at his cockiness.

  “I do feel like I know you well already. People I have known for years ain’t ever got this much time from me over the horn.”

  “Talking on the phone and talking about coming to Texas are two completely different things,” Beijing reasoned. “But the feeling is mutual.”

  “I’ll let it go for now, but I got one question.” He asked, “how in the hell you manage to get better tickets than me at the fight?”

  “Darling, I have connections in high places,” she said in a very provocative way. She knew she had captivated him when he chuckled a bit before speaking to her.

  “I believe you.” Then he came back with, “It takes one to know one.”

  “That’s for sure.”

  “But for real, your man was one of the boxers or something?” He drew his conclusion but she knew by the way he said it that he wanted her to explain how and where she’d gotten the tickets. “Because besides the press you had the best seats in the house. You can tell me who that someone in a real high place is who admires you.
”

  Is he trying to figure out if I have a man? “If I told you I’d have to kill you.”

  “Okay, I like your style.”

  And I like yours too. “All right, all right, all right, I got the tickets through work.”

  “Where the hell do you work? For the boxing commissioner or something? I’m curious to know what you do for a living.”

  “I’m the best concierge you’ll ever meet.”

  “The average concierge doesn’t get tickets like that.”

  “You better bet that I’m not your average concierge,” she said with great confidence. “Some call me a concierge-at-large, while others call me a VIP hotel host. I work at the Tabby and I make a lot of things happen for a lot of ‘important’ people, with no questions asked and no explanations needed.”

  “My kind of girl,” he assured her. She didn’t need any assurance; she knew that she was the best at what she did. “Well, in my parts they’d call you a whale wrangler, bringing all the big money whales into the hotel, making sure they come back time and time again.”

  She laughed at how Lootchee defined her job.

  “I gotcha and I like a resourceful woman.”

  Beijing smiled. She knew the combination of her playful wit and seductive tone of voice demanded his utmost attention.

  They continued to talk through that night, and the next. They talked about where they wanted to go with their lives and all the things that they had in common and all the things that they didn’t have in common.

  “Who’s the closest person to you?” he asked that second night.

  “My cousin Seville hands-down is my very best friend. She’s in Germany right now and won’t be back for another eight months. We talk all the time, but it just isn’t the same.” She sighed.

  “Maybe you can go and see her,” he suggested.

  “I would love to, but I work too much,” she admitted. “But even if I could get a couple of days off, who flies to Germany for a two-day visit? I’m actually counting down the days until she comes back.”

  “Well, when she returns be sure to introduce us.”

  “I will,” she agreed.

  “What about the rest of your family and friends?” he questioned.

  “You don’t want to know about my dysfunctional family.”

  “Aren’t they all?”

  “Some more than others,” she said, sighing again.

  “Tell me more. I want to know who my future in-laws may be,” he joked.

  Beijing obliged. “Well, my father and stepmother, Greta, raised me. My father, God bless him, is a workaholic, but he loves me. He has been everything I could have wanted or needed in a father.” Beijing said.

  “Okay.”

  “Greta and I are really close, and though my daddy loves me, she was the one who really raised me, who really took the time out.”

  “Where’s your real momma?” he asked.

  “She’s around, trying to make it, but she sometimes has a hard time. She gets sick on and off.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “But for the most part, she’s alive and kicking it, and yup, a mess, but most of the time in a good way.” She decided to change the subject. Lord knows she didn’t want to have to tell him that her mother was mentally ill, among other things, and have him come to the conclusion that the fruit maybe didn’t fall far from the tree. “What about your parents?”

  A few beats went by before he gave a deep sigh. “I don’t really like to talk about it. They are no longer with me anymore.”

  “Both of them?” she asked.

  “Both of them,” he echoed. The tone in his voice told her it was an extremely touchy subject and to move on.

  The next night Beijing realized that during all of their hours of conversation, she never asked him an important question, so she called him.

  “Hey you.” They had last spoken less than an hour ago.

  “Hey baby.”

  “Real quick, I have a question.”

  “Shoot,” he said, “I don’t have anything to hide.”

  “When’s your birthday?”

  “Funny you should ask.” She could hear him smiling. “It’s today!”

  “Then give me your address. Birthdays are important to me.”

  “No need to send me anything. I have all the creature comforts a man could want. Maybe even enough for ten men, baby, so don’t spend your hard-earned money on me.”

  “I have to get you something for your birthday and I don’t mind spending my hard-earned money on something worthy of it,” Beijing insisted.

  “Well if you must insist … I’m having a big birthday party on Friday night. I would love for you to be my date.”

  “I’m there,” she said a little too fast. What the hell am I thinking? she asked herself. She took her foot out of her mouth then asked, “What’s the dress code?”

  “I just need you to make motherfuckers and they two-bit bitches envy me when they lay eyes on you.”

  “And I can do that.”

  CHAPTER 10

  To Die and Go to Hell For

  After Beijing accepted Lootchee’s invitation to fly out to Texas for his party, she spent the rest of the week making sure that her appearance would be perfect. She consumed not only her life but the lives of Seville and Rayna with all the particulars of what she was going to wear.

  Though it was only 1 PM in Charlotte, it was already 7 PM in Germany when Beijing called her cousin for help. “Girl, you need to virtually help me out!” Beijing told Seville. Beijing was standing in front of her closet with her open suitcases on the bed, feeling like she would never be ready.

  “Don’t tell me I got to be the hoochie for another queer celebrity,” Seville said. “’Course that was a nice tip Mr. Wiz gave me. Takes a gay man to know that diamonds really are a girl’s best friend.”

  “No, I need you to help me get fabulous, gorgeous, and beautiful for a trip to Texas. Rayna’s going to meet me at the mall. I really don’t have anything to wear.”

  “First of all, you are already beautiful, and next, you can’t fool me, you have plenty to wear. You just want something new.”

  “You gonna have to stay up and help me get it together.”

  “You know I got your back. You just have to really describe everything with detail so I can try to picture it.”

  “I’m going to have you on the phone the entire time and I will have Rayna take pics of stuff and send them over the phone.”

  “Okay, but you better keep Rayna away from the chocolate store!”

  “Girl, that cold Germany weather got you being cold as ice.”

  Beijing and Rayna were like the Barbarians descending on Rome when they went through that mall. They hit Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, and Saks as well as all the specialty shops.

  “Do you really need six more pairs of shoes?” Rayna asked as Beijing sent the salesgirl back for another pair of stilettos.

  “A woman needs sixty pairs of shoes at least,” Seville said. “You just jealous ’cause that no’-count man of yours ain’t flying you to Texas. By the way, how come we’ve never met him? What’s his name? Tray? Troy?” Beijing laughed it off, but didn’t repeat that comment to Rayna—she had been playing mockingbird.

  “Should I get these shoes?” Beijing described the shoes to Seville over the phone.

  “No,” Rayna said.

  “Yes, definitely,” Seville contradicted.

  “You two are no help at all. Aren’t you excited for me?”

  “Oh baby, we are so excited for you.” Rayna hugged Beijing.

  “Yes, we are. Come on, get those shoes and get back to the room so we can get you packed. I got a feeling I’m going to be up all night.”

  Beijing laughed. She felt so lucky. She may not have a sister she could count on, considering Paris, but Seville and Rayna were better than sisters. And now she was going to see this delicious, sexy man. Rayna carried her bags for her like she was a princess as they headed out of t
he store and off to grab a bite to eat.

  They all planned out every detail of every single outfit from the time she walked off the big bird until the time she would leave Texas. Neither of them minded at all; in fact they were excited that their friend was moving on to a new chapter in her life.

  After the wardrobe was mapped out, Beijing turned her attention to her hair, her nails, and all the beautification one person could do including some new makeup, a manicure, and a pedicure.

  Home Sweet Home. She entered her suite after another long day of shopping, carrying packages in both hands. Beijing’s suite looked like a fashionista’s heaven. Shopping bags from her numerous trips to the mall occupied every available space. Damn, this shit is like a job in itself, she thought to herself, exhausted but satisfied that when everything came together she would be hotter than a July picnic in Alabama.

  Before packing she decided to take a nice long soak in a tub full of sweet-smelling bubbles. Ooooh, that feels so nice, she thought as she slid into the warm water. She loved a good bath and the way the bath oil made her skin feel silky and smooth. There is nothing in the world that Calgon can’t fix, she thought as she relaxed.

  Which was of course the precise moment her cell phone went off.

  I am not getting out of this tub, she thought, letting the phone sing away in the other room. She lifted some bubbles to her face and blew. Then across the room the cell phone started singing again.

  Can’t I get any peace? At all? Leave me alone.

  But there was something about that cell phone ringing that got under her skin and caused a bad feeling to come over Beijing. She raised her tired naked body from the tub, beads of water and suds racing down her smooth skin. Not bothering to grab a towel, she padded into the bedroom, leaving a water trail behind. She realized who it was and shook her head because she knew it was gonna be bad news. It was her mother, Willabee.

  “What is it, Momma?” Beijing asked.

  “Don’t you ‘What is it, Momma,’ me,” Willabee said. “I am calling about yo’ niece.” She went on, “The person you say you love so much. The little girl who you claim you bust your ass for so she can go to college and have a life better than your life, even though yo’ life don’t seem so bad to me. But that’s not what I’m calling about to discuss this go-’round.”