Dirty Laundry

by Cherie Briggins

  He looked over at Bug. “And stop bothering my help, lil nigga. Act like your ass have never seen a beautiful lady. Come on Choice.”

  “A’ight then, Bug, you going to Mimi’s party tonight?”

  “Yeah, me and my niggas going to be up in there.”

  “A’ight well, I’ll see you later.”

  “A’ight then, baby,” Choice heard Bug say as she went in the store.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The bodega was a regular corner store in the hood. They sold chicken dinners, fish dinners, hoagie sandwiches, and chitterling dinners. You name it, they sold it. Choice sat behind the bulletproof glass eating fish and cole slaw and reading Sister to Sister while Mr. Charlie sat in the back doing paper work. It was busy and she was tired, but Choice sucked the shit up because she had to pay Granny her money for the week. Some dude tapped on the glass to get her attention.

  “Yo, let me get some swishers, please.”

  “Aye Supreme! Grab me a grape soda.” She heard someone call as another guy walked into the store.

  Choice looked out the window as she got up to grab the swishers. The same truck from last night was parked in front of the store. She knew it couldn’t be Petey because he would have said something, so it had to be his cousin.

  “Is that all for you?” Choice asked as she looked up.

  Her voice got caught in her throat. It was the dude from last night. The dude she was just waiting on was standing beside him in a heated conversation with somebody on the phone.

  “Yeah Ma,” he said in a New York accent, not even bothering to look up.

  But it was cool. Choice took that moment to really check him out. He was every bit of 6’3” with a muscular build. He was rocking a white v-neck t-shirt, cargo shorts, the new Derrick Rose sneakers on his feet, and a fitted red NY hat pulled low over his eyes.

  The dude she was ringing up took his swishers and soda and went outside; still yelling at whoever he was on the phone with. He pulled his hat up and finally looked at her. He had dark piercing eyes, the kind that could look right through you. She could tell he didn’t play games and he was a very serious person. For some reason Choice wanted to get to know him. He made her feel like she could tell him all her secrets and she didn’t even know him.

  He had a smooth butterscotch complexion, not one blemish or scratch, nice full lips, a mole under his left eye that looked like a tear and a little mole on the side of his nose with a nice shaped goatee that connected to his side burns.

  Damn, Choice wanted him. She was surprised because she never wanted anybody. He had her full attention and he didn’t even know it.

  “You know what; let me get a pack of Tylenol.”

  Choice turned around to get the Tylenol and she could feel his eyes on her backside. It wasn’t anything new. Every guy Choice came in contact with usually took a glimpse or two. But for some reason this one made her nervous, in a good way.

  “Will that be all for you?

  “Yeah, that’s it.”

  “Okay, that’s goin’ to be seven twenty-two.”

  He peeled off a fifty and handed it to her.

  “Your change is forty-two dollars and seventy-eight cents.”

  He took his change and walked out the door. She went to the window to watch him walk to his truck.

  “Looks like that young man got your attention,” Mr. Charlie said as he walked into the room making his presence known.

  Choice smiled because he was right. “And what makes you think he has my attention?”

  “Look at you,” he pointed to her. “Choice, you looking out the window at the young man. Something I never seen you do.”

  “Okay Mr. Charlie, you got me.”

  “You know he been coming in for a couple of weeks now. But hey, you been here long enough. Go enjoy yourself, and here’s your pay for the day.”

  He handed her some cash. Choice looked down at her hand in surprise.

  “Mr. Charlie, this is two hundred dollars.”

  He smiled. “It’s a graduation gift. I’m proud of you. Call me tomorrow and let me know if you want to come in,” he said as he walked back to his office. “I got Vinnie to make you and your sister some chicken dinners.”

  When Choice made it home, nobody was there. She put the chicken dinners up and went to jump in the shower. Ashley called to see if they were still going to Mimi’s party. Choice told her that she needed an hour to get ready and would meet her there.

  Choice decided to wear a coral short sleeve belted romper that dipped low in the front and back and taupe wedge ankle booties. She checked her appearance one last time in the full-length mirror leaning up against the wall in her room before grabbing her keys and leaving.

  ****

  “Girl, this my muthafuckin song,” Ashley yelled.

  Mimi’s party was turned out. There had to be at least forty to fifty people cramped up in this little ass apartment in the Pork-N-Bean’s projects. Ashley and Choice had been at the party for two hours and had been dancing the entire time. Choice looked up, saw Petey walking towards them, and smiled. He wrapped his arms around Ashley like he always did.

  “Petey, I know it’s you boy,” Ashley grinned.

  “I’m going to go get me something to drink. It’s hot as hell in here,” Choice said to Ashley.

  It was just too damn hot. She could feel her baby hairs sticking to her forehead. When she got to the cooler, she grabbed a Smirnoff. Choice felt somebody tug on her arm. It was Bug. He was saying something, but she couldn’t hear so they went outside where Choice bumped into her girl, Blue.

  Blue and Choice had a couple of classes together in the tenth grade until she dropped out of school to become a stripper.

  “Choice!” Blue said in a high-pitched voice as they both hugged each other. “Wassup, Bug?”

  “Shit, I’m trying to get high,” Bug said as he started to roll up. “Y’all down?”

  “Hell yeah,” Blue said. “Hope that shit some fire.”

  “You talking to Bug. If I’m smoking, it’s some fire.”

  “Yeah okay,” Blue said as she rolled her eyes.

  Choice sipped on her Smirnoff as she carefully watched Bug roll up the weed. If she was going to smoke, Choice had to see the blunt being rolled. She was funny like that. To this day, muthafuckas be walking around crazy because they smoked some shit that was laced. It wouldn’t be her ass.

  They started a puff puff past motion. Choice felt the affect’s immediately because she rarely smoked.

  “This shit good ass fuck, Bug,” Choice said as she choked on it.

  “Yeah it’s the best, Bug.”

  “I told yo ass, Blue! And you doubting me. I got the shit from a nigga named Bear,” Bug said.

  “You have to give me his number.”

  “Fuck that, there the nigga go right there. Aye Bear!” Bug waved him over.

  “What’s up, little nigga?” Bear said as he walked up.

  “I want you to meet my people,” Bug said. “This is Blue, and this is Choice.”

  He looked back from Choice to Blue like he was trying to choose. When he looked back at Choice, his eyes stayed on her a little too long for her comfort. He was starting to freak her the hell out.

  Bear was a husky, chunky dude with a bald head. He was so black, he was the color of midnight. He also had a bad acne problem with a couple of white heads that looked like they were ready to be popped.

  “Nigga, let me holla at you,” Bear said as he tugged on Bug’s arm. They walked a few feet away, but not far enough that the girls couldn’t hear their conversation.

  “Nigga don’t ever introduce me to no bitches. I don’t know them. They could be the fuckin’ cops.”

  “But they’re not. They’re my people. They’re straight,” Bug said trying to defuse the situation.

  “Listen to what the fuck you just said. They’re yo people, not mine. And they straight in your book. I don’t know them hoes.”

  “Whatever nigga, you trippin,�
� Bug said as he walked back towards the girls.

  “Nah, you trippin. This is a warning. Next time, I ain’t gonna be so nice.”

  Bear followed behind Bug, right back to where they’d left Choice and Blue.

  “How y’all doing?” Bear asked like he wasn’t just calling them hoes. “You one bad beautiful bitch,” Bear said to Choice.

  Choice screwed up her face. “Nigga, you a bitch. Don’t be calling me no bitch!”

  “You got her fucked up,” Blue said.

  “My bad,” Bear said with a chuckle. “I meant, lady, you’re gorgeous. And that body! Boy oh boy!”

  “Boy. Fuck---”

  Before Choice could finish her sentence, somebody started shooting. Blue and Choice took off running. Choice’s heart was pounding so fast in her chest she thought it was going to burst.

  “Choice, come on! Get in!” Blue yelled for Choice to jump in what she assumed to be Blue’s Nissan Altima.

  When they got a few streets over, Blue pulled into a McDonald’s parking lot.

  “Girl, that shit was crazy back there.”

  Choice heart was still pounding hard ass fuck. She blamed half of it on the weed. She was never smoking again. Choice couldn’t think straight. She pulled her phone out and dialed Ashley’s number. Choice knew if Ashley was with Petey, then she was straight. Ashley’s phone rang a couple of times then went to voicemail.

  “Damn! I hope Ashley is okay. She ain’t answering her phone.” Choice looked at Blue but she was staring straight ahead in a daze.

  Choice’s phone rang. It was Petey so she answered.

  “Y’all straight?” Choice asked.

  “Choice, it’s Ash. We’re good.”

  Choice sighed. “Bitch, you had me worried!”

  Ashley giggled. “Don’t be. I’m sorry boo. Where you at?”

  “Sitting here in the McDonald’s parking lot with Blue. I’m about to go in here and get me something to eat since I know my right hand straight.”

  Ashley was the one person she knew she could trust, and Choice didn’t have too many of those. Fuck blood, they were thicker than that. Choice and Ashley’s shit was filled with love, trust and loyalty. Choice took her hair down and ran her fingers through it. This was something she always did when she got stressed.

  She finished talking to Ashley while she and Blue stood in the line at McDonald’s.

  “Alright Ash, you and Petey have fun. I’m going to call you tomorrow.”

  “Damn, I can’t believe it’s two thirty in the morning and all these muthafuckas up in here,” Blue said as she stood in line tapping her heel against the floor.

  “I can,” Choice said as she looked over at Blue. “It’s the last day of school. Summer’s here, baby. You already know how it goes down in the summer.”

  They got their food and sat down in a booth.

  “Girl, that weed was bomb, but that nigga was hella rude,” Blue said as she sipped on her Pepsi.

  Choice shook her head up and down as she chewed on her burger. “Yeah, that nigga was hella disrespectful with his ugly ass.”

  They both busted out laughing until Choice looked up and saw the dude from the store.

  Blue turned around. “Who you looking at?”

  “The dude in the line with the black Polo on.”

  “Girl, that’s Petey’s people. He’s a cutie and he’s getting money. He’s from New York. He’s been in Miami for a couple of months now. Is this the first time you’ve seen him?”

  “How do you know all of this about him?” Choice asked Blue.

  “Like I said, he’s been here for a couple of months. Plus, I’m always over on 12th Court and in the strip clubs so I see him all the time,” Blue said as she looked over at Choice.

  “What’s the nigga name then?”

  “I think they call him Supreme.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Supreme stood in line with Keisha, a chick he fucked with regularly. She begged him to pull over so she could get something to eat, something he regretted doing. There were too many people in there for him.

  “Damn Keish, you couldn’t wait to you got home to eat?”

  “Really Supreme? You want to fuck, but you can’t buy a bitch a burger.”

  “Just remember that you said it, not me. And you need to calm the fuck down with all that yelling.”

  “But I’m not yelling,” Keisha said with her pretty face twisted in a scowl.

  “Whatever girl. You heard what the fuck I just said. And if you not trying to get fucked, all you got to do is say the word.”

  There were plenty more that were willing to do the same thing as Keisha and he didn’t have to buy them burgers.

  Supreme could feel someone staring at him. He looked around and spotted the girl from the store earlier that day. She was the prettiest girl he’d ever seen. She was beautiful, but she looked a little too young for him. Supreme felt the vibration from his phone in his pocket so he answered.

  “Pay for your food. I’m going outside.” Supreme tossed a twenty onto the counter and started walking out of the restaurant.

  “Yo Bear, what’s good?” Supreme asked, never breaking eye contact with the girl.

  Supreme stole one more peek at her before walking out. He sat in his Avalanche talking to Bear while he waited for Keisha.

  “Yeah man, shit ain’t go like I thought it would.”

  Supreme sighed. This wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “What happened?”

  “We had Spliff, but I left the nigga, Rosco, for a second and shit just got fucked up.”

  “Where did you see him?” Supreme asked.

  “Some little project party in the Beans.”

  Keisha tapped on the window.

  “Look, meet me at Da Cage in an hour,” Supreme said then hung up. He unlocked the door so Keisha could get in.

  “Baby, I got you something to eat.” Keisha grinned as she held up the bag.

  “When have you ever seen me eat McDonald’s?”

  Keisha shrugged her shoulders. “Never.”

  “That’s because I don’t. But thanks anyway,” Supreme said, smiling at her. “Take it home to Jada,” Supreme said, referring to Keisha’s child.

  “So where we going now?” Keisha asked.

  “You want to go to the Radisson or the Sheraton?” Supreme asked. “I have to meet up with Bear in like an hour.

  “You should already know I want to go to the Radisson,” Keisha said while sipping on her tea. “When are you going to let me come to your place? I mean, we’ve been fucking around for a little over two months now.”

  “I don’t trust too many people, Ma. Very few know where I lay my head.” Supreme said as he pulled out the parking lot.

  He turned up the Rick Ross CD he was listening to, letting Keisha know that the conversation was over.

  ****

  When Supreme pulled up to Da Cage, there were several cars parked out front. Da Cage was an old warehouse where they fought dogs. This was one of Supreme’s hustles, something he loved and could make money off of, and he made lots of it.

  Miami was a goldmine for fighting dogs. It was an underground business, and the shit was booming. Men flew out to have their dogs fight at Da Cage once a month. Supreme would throw underground dogfights, and he would make fifty to a hundred grand. Dogfights just did it for Supreme, but it wasn’t his first love. Selling weight was.

  Supreme could look at a brick and tell how much he could get out of it. He was like a mad scientist when it came to cooking, bagging, and cutting the weight up. Supreme had people who did that part of the job for him, but Supreme still loved to get his hands dirty. He got a rush from it. Supreme took his business very serious. He was the boss, the king of Miami.

  Miami was his playground and he refused to fail. He knew a lot of niggas doing life up in Sing Sing because they didn’t want to get their hands dirty. They sat back and let the little niggas run their operation, which ended up being their downfall.

  When Suprem
e walked in Da Cage, all he heard was howling and barking. His nigga, Mark, was seated at the bar talking to Symphony, the bartender.

  “What’s good nigga?” They gave each other a fist pound.

  “Ain’t shit,” Supreme said. “Fuck you sipping on?”

  “Cranberry juice. You know there’s no alcohol for me when I’m working. I need to be focused.” Mark said.

  That was one thing he liked about Mark. When it was time to party Mark would party, but when it came to work, Mark was all about work.

  “What’s good Supreme?” Symphony asked as she wiped the counter off. She poured Supreme a drink and handed it to him.

  “Wassup, Symp?”

  “London said she’s been trying to reach you.”

  “Oh yeah?” Supreme had gotten her phone calls. He was just too busy to call London back. “But I don’t need you relaying messages, Ma. I got it. My phone works. I’ll make sure to stop by her spot.”

  “Okay, because she said lil Quan needed some wipes.”

  Supreme shook his head because London was forever saying lil Quan was his, but she refused to take a DNA test. The little nigga didn’t look shit like him. Supreme always wore protection. All the chicks he fucked with could tell you that.

  “I’m pretty sure she doesn’t need wipes,” Supreme said as he took a sip of cranberry juice.

  The only thing London wanted was dick, and that Supreme couldn’t deliver. He was tired as hell, plus Supreme just got done fucking Keisha so he was good.

  “I’m going to stop by tomorrow sometime.”

  “You want me to let her know?”

  Supreme knew she was going to tell her whether he said so or not. Just then, loud ass Bear came walking towards him and Mark with a drink in his hand.

  “What’s up my nigga?” Bear said giving Supreme dap.

  “You straight?” Supreme asked him.

  Bear’s eyes were bloodshot red, indicating he was fucked up.

  “Hell yeah, I’m good. We had a good day’s work today so a nigga felt like a drink.”

  “A good day’s work?” Supreme repeated then chuckled. “Okay, so what happened tonight? Why y’all ain’t get at dude?”