Hated by Many, Loved by None

by Shan

  "So you and Tomeka been friends as long as you and Honey, too?" Imran asked, breaking the ice.

  "Yeah. We all went to the same elementary school and been together ever since. Those are my girls. Ride or die," I said with a smile.

  "That's what's up. So, Honey. You trust her?"

  "What kinda question is that? Told you. That's my girl. Ride or die."

  "So, if you get the meet with your old man’s connect, you're gonna take her with you?"

  I paused before I answered because I hadn't even thought about that. I was sure she was gonna want to be with me if I was able to make that meet happen. I mean, this was supposed to be about me and her, and Imran was only helping out. He'd already been paid with the key I gave him, and I wasn't looking to give him anything more than the small percentage fee that was promised.

  "Why? I know you don't think I'm bringing you along," I said with attitude.

  "Look, I have a nice lil’ hook up that I've been using for the past few years. Things have been good, but I won't lie and say that they can't get better. I haven't seen product like what your old man had on the streets in years, so, yes, I want to get my hands on more."

  "Yeah, I knew that one lil’ bird wouldn't be enough. That's why you brought me to Cheddar’s. Being all nice, giving me those bedroom eyes. You were hoping I'd give you the drop on old man's connect." I folded my arms over my chest and rolled my eyes. "Nah, not happening."

  "So, do tell me how you're gonna work this out? I'm quite sure, if he deals with you, you're gonna have to come with some paper on the table, and this little chump change you made over the last week ain't gonna cut it. And what about Honey? Is she going to put up any bread to help you out?"

  "She better. She knows that, in order for us to make more cake, we need more flour." I frowned.

  "But, if she doesn't, then what?"

  "I'll get what I can afford.”

  "It doesn't work like that. I'm not sure how your old man did things, but I'm quite sure, whoever this dude is, he doesn't accept less than a certain amount, and, even if you don't have enough money, he's most likely gonna want you to take some on consignment, just to see if he can deal with you in the future. Do you and Honey even have what it takes to move…let's say…. ten birds a month? Maybe even twenty?" Imran asked as his eyes narrowed on the center of my face.

  "I'm sure we can do it," I said confidently.

  Imran laughed, "Hell! It took you more than a week to move five. Y'all don't know what y’all are doing and really need to let me handle things. Real talk."

  That time, I laughed, "Nigga, I don't even know you. We talking about me and my girl’s livelihood. Can't just drop that shit off in a fool’s lap I don't know."

  "You right, but I'm just saying, a chick as bad as you should be out shopping, getting her hair and nails done, not burning up the tips of her fingers."

  I looked down at my fingers and then quickly crossed my arms over my chest. I wasn't trying to hear shit that Imran had to say because it wasn't going to happen. First of all, I was all the way wrong for taking Quin's shit and offing it like it was mine, and I would be even more wrong if I gave his connect away for the next nigga to come up. The keys could be replaced, but my life couldn't be if I fell for Imran's trap. I knew I had to soak up whatever I could from Imran and get rid of his ass ASAP. He was beginning to be a problem.

  55

  Honey

  8

  Honey

  I rushed into the hospital on a mission to get to Tomeka’s room as soon as possible. I’d received several messages from Jahzara telling me that she’d been hurt and that I needed to get to the hospital right away.

  A thousand different possibilities of what could be wrong swirled around in my head as I walked through the halls to get to where Tomeka was located. I knew that she and DeMarcus had their problems. I knew that he would lose control sometimes and hit on her, but not to the point to where she needed to be hospitalized. I wondered if somebody had mugged her in the parking lot of her complex or if she’d gotten into a car accident on her way home. Tomeka and Jahzara were the closest I would get to having sisters. I don’t know what I will do if I lose one of them, I thought.

  “What the hell is going on?” I asked as I rounded the corner.

  There was a crowd of police officers, some dressed in uniform and others dressed in cheap suits and worn out shoes. The closer I got to the crowd, the quicker I noticed that they were standing outside of Tomeka's room.

  "Excuse me. Can someone tell me what's going on?" I asked, but no one paid me any mind. It wasn't until I tried to go into the room that I was stopped by a heavyset white cop. He placed his hands up and pointed for me to move in the other direction, but I refused. I peeked around him and saw that Tomeka was cuffed to her bed and was in a heated argument with another officer dressed in a suit.

  "Look! I need to get in there! That's my friend! Why did you arrest her?" I asked furiously.

  "Ma'am, I need you to step back!" the officer yelled.

  "No, you need to tell me what is going on! Why are you arresting her? ¡Me diga algo!" I demanded with a stomp of my foot.

  "Ma'am, who are you?" one of the plain clothes officers asked as he came over to me.

  "I'm her best friend. What is going on?" I asked.

  "I’m Detective Fellers, and, right now, we're investigating the attempted murder of DeMarcus Grace. Do you know anything about what happened in Ms. Childs’ apartment earlier this evening?"

  Detective Fellers had a note pad and pen ready, but I was frozen with shock.

  "Attempt…attempted murder, you said?"

  "Yes, DeMarcus was stabbed eight times and is currently fighting for his life in the trauma unit downstairs. This could easily go from attempted murder to homicide, so we need answers."

  "Look, I don't know what's going on. I was called by a mutual friend and told that Tomeka had been hurt. I don't know anything about murder or none of that. Estoy tan confundido," I hissed.

  "Who is this mutual friend?"

  "Just a mutual friend…I don't understand…I'm…"

  I was so confused, but, just as I was about to have a nervous breakdown, Jahzara and Imran walked up. The frown that crossed my face was one that couldn't be stopped upon seeing the two of them together. Imran had already showed us everything that we needed to know, so, as far as I was concerned, he should've been out of the picture by now. This isn't the time to speak on it, but I will be sure to bring that shit to the table later, I thought.

  “Hey, Honey! What's going on?" Jahzara asked.

  She came and stood next to me, and Detective Fellers looked her body over lustfully before licking his lips and finally bringing his attention to her face. I knew that he recognized her from her nights at Wet Dreams. It disgusted me every time we were in public and niggas got to cackling and calling her by her stage name. I know she had to survive since Quin got locked up and left her with nothing but bills, but taking her clothes off for money should've been her last choice. I tried not to judge my friends because none of us were perfect, but I never approved of the ass shaking and whatever else she may have been doing to get money.

  Although I slept with my little friend for cash, it was different because he was the only one, and we’d been doing this for a while. I’m sure Jahzara had been with plenty of other men, probably every night of the week. Everybody knows that, these days, strippers don’t make no damn money. To be honest, I wasn't surprised at all that Quin wanted a divorce. Jahzara was far from dumb and could've gotten a regular job.

  "I'm Detective Fellers, and I was just speaking to your friend here about the attempted murder of DeMarcus Grace. Do you have—"

  "Attempted murder? So, you’re telling me the muthafucka isn't dead?" Jahzara blurted out, causing everyone to stare in our direction. I held my head down and shook it shamefully.

  I elbowed her. "Jahzara?"

  "What? Did you see what he did to her damn face? He broke her damn rib and damaged her eye
. I don't have any sympathy for him." Jahzara crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the detective.

  "What do you know about what happened earlier this evening?" the detective asked.

  "Nothing," Jahzara stated flatly. "All I know is that he beat my friend's ass, so what you gonna do about that?"

  "She's currently under arrest until we can figure—”

  "Under arrest? What did you arrest her for? All she did was defend herself! He should be arrested and not her! I swear, I hate you fuckin' pigs!" Jahzara screamed. She turned around and tried to get into Tomeka's room just as I had but was stopped just the same. "Let me in!"

  "She's currently a prisoner of the Dallas Police Department. No visitors," the detective stated.

  "Don't worry, Tomeka! I'm gonna get you a lawyer! Don't say anything!"

  Jahzara walked away, and both Imran and I chased behind her. I looked over my shoulder and frowned at Imran, wishing this fool would just go away. He was acting like a little puppy that didn't want to leave its owner's side.

  "Jahzara! Hold up! I need to talk to you," I said, grabbing her by her arm. "Alone."

  "I'll be in the car." Imran walked away, leaving the two of us alone. I waited until he was out of earshot before I spoke.

  "Why the hell is he still around?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

  "What do you mean? Because he is helping us, " Jahzara answered, feigning ignorance.

  "He’s taught us everything that he can teach us. Now, get rid of his ass."

  "Soon enough, Honey. Where the hell is Cedric?"

  "Cedric doesn't have anything to do with this. I'm—"

  "Cedric has a lot to do with it ‘cause, soon as y'all have problems and go on a break, that's when you start sticking your nose up in me and Meka’s shit."

  "I'm trying to look out for you, Jah. It's something about Imran I don't trust. Like the fact, he always walking around here looking busted and disgusted. If he is this so-called balling d-boy, then why the hell he don't look or smell like money?"

  "Look, Honey. Let me worry about him, okay? I got this under control. He's not gonna be around for too much longer." Jahzara rolled her eyes at me and proceeded to leave the hospital.

  *****

  "Hey, wake up. Can you hear me?" I asked, looking around cautiously. "Baby, wake up."

  I leaned over and kissed DeMarcus on his cheek and allowed a single tear to slide down my face. He looked…dead. If it hadn't been for the many monitors that were hooked up to him, breathing for him, then I would've thought just that. Couldn't believe that he and Tomeka's fights had come to this. Him, sitting here fighting for his life, and Tomeka, on the verge of being shipped off for attempted murder.

  DeMarcus had to be the guy that Cedric saw me with ‘cause he was the only other guy I'd been seeing for the past year. I never meant to sleep with one of my best friends’ men, but it sort of just happened. A break between Cedric and me led me to Tomeka's couch, which led me to their bed one night when Tomeka was working late. A one-time mistake led to many steamy encounters between us.

  Things had gotten to the point where I was in love with DeMarcus and with my high school sweetheart Cedric. In a fantasy world, I would be able to keep them both, but I knew that wouldn’t be possible. If I had to choose, I would more than likely choose the one person that I couldn’t have—DeMarcus. I loved him dearly. He’d always helped me out when Cedric and I were struggling. I always told Cedric that the money had come from Avon orders, but I hadn’t sold any Avon in months.

  I grabbed hold of DeMarcus’ hand, kissed it, and said a silent prayer for him. I hated to leave his side, but I knew, if someone caught me in here, then there would be a whole lot of bullshit to come with it. I definitely wasn’t trying to answer any questions from the cops, and I damn sure didn’t need Tomeka finding out about this. If she could do this to him, then I could only imagine what she would do to me if she ever found out. With one last kiss on the cheek, I exited DeMarcus’ room and made my way out of the hospital.

  67

  9 Jahzara

  9

  Jahzara

  Last night had really caused me to come home and break down. I'd been doing so well, holding things together, that I guess, hearing that Tomeka was going to be arrested for attempted murder really did it for me. Everything from my husband wanting to divorce me, me having to steal from him, and becoming a drug dealer, to this.

  Tomeka was going to need a lawyer, and a damn good one. I knew it was going to take a substantial amount of money to be able to do so, and, being that she was my girl…like my sister, I had no problem doing that for her. If I couldn't get the connect to give me anymore drugs to sell, then I was more than willing to go back to Wet Dreams. The owner had been hitting me up like crazy, begging me to come back, but that was my last option.

  "Damn! I really fell asleep over here," Imran said as he stood over me.

  "Shit! You scared the hell out of me. You shouldn't walk up on people like that, you know?"

  "Yeah. Well, I thought I heard crying from the other room, and I wanted to be sure that it wasn't you, but I see that it is."

  Imran's hands caressed my shoulders, but, once again, I jumped at his touch. I tried to move from the window pane where I was sitting, but he wouldn't allow me to.

  "Just relax. I won't do anything you don't want me to do."

  He placed one hand on each shoulder and attempted to massage the stress away. I could feel the tenseness, and, in the beginning, I refused to relax, but it wasn't long before I let my guard down and laid my head against Imran's chest.

  The feeling was so good that I didn't even protest when Imran slid his hand down my shirt and fingered my nipples. My back arched, and my mouth dropped open slightly. I had men touching me all the time up in the club, but this touch was different. This touch had my clit swelling, and my juices flowing.

  "Look at you," Imran said.

  My eyes popped open. Looking over at the goofy smile Imran wore caused me to be embarrassed. I wondered if he could tell that it had been almost four years since I’d had some dick. Is it written all over my face, or is it in the way I almost came from the negro simply twirling my nipples in his fingers? I thought.

  "I’m sorry. We should get some work done," I said bashfully.

  Imran walked over to me and slowly got down on his knees. My heart began to race erratically, causing my body to get super-hot. He pushed my legs open and gently kissed my inner thighs. I closed my eyes and relaxed until an image of my husband Quin popped in my head. I jolted my eyes back open quickly, looked around the room, and began to breathe heavily.

  "You okay? You want me to stop?" Imran asked with a concerned expression on his face.

  "I don't know if this is a good idea, Imran. We barely know each other and— "

  "It's cool," he said, placing another kiss between my thighs. "I'll stop if that's what…" Another kiss. "…you really want."

  Imran slid both his hands around my waist, placed his hands around the tiny boy shorts I wore, and slid them off. Another grin crossed his face as he eyed my dripping pussy. I guess he knew, like I knew, that, although my mouth was saying one thing, my body was saying something completely different. The moment Imran dipped his tongue into my wetness, I grabbed hold of whatever I could to keep myself from falling off the window pane.

  Imran did laps around my pussy with his tongue, causing me to gush even more. I placed my legs over Imran's shoulders and began to grind my hips in a slow motion. Feeling him lick and suck my clitoris made me tremble and moan in pleasure.

  "Ohhhhh! Imran! Oh, my goddd!" I yelled.

  Imran suddenly lifted me up from the window and stood straight up with my legs still wrapped around him. He gently pushed me forward, so that I was now hanging upside down.

  "Please don't let…ohhhh…mmmhhhh!" I moaned.

  Tears dropped from my eyes as all the blood rushed to my head. Imran was taking me higher than I'd ever been before, making me want to scre
am, but I held my composure. My pussy muscles clenched tighter and tighter the closer I came to cumming all inside of Imran's mouth. Knowing I couldn't push him away, I prepared myself to let it rain. More tears flooded my eyes as the waves of ecstasy saturated his lips and dripped down his chin.

  "Ahhh! Okay! Okay! Put me down!" I screamed no longer able to take the pressure.

  Imran brought me over to the bed and gently laid me across it. He spread my legs open and filled the space between them. Our lips locked, and, once again, my breathing went out of control. If his damn head game was that good, I could only imagine how the dick was.

  "I really, really like you, Jah," Imran said, before covering my lips with his. I felt the tip of his dick penetrate my opening, and I brought my hands up to stop him.

  "Condom, Imran."

  He went into the shorts he slid off and pulled a rubber out of his pocket. I watched as he slid the condom over his dick, while I attempted to swallow the lump that had formed in my throat. I didn't know which part was worse— the fact that he had length or the fact that he also had width.

  Shouldn't nobody have that much dick, I thought before Imran made his way back between my legs. He brought my left nipple into his mouth as he slowly slid himself inside of me. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and closed my eyes.

  *****

  I jerked upward and jumped out of the bed like the house had been on fire. The sounds of She Got a Donk blared through the room, and the irritating noise of my phone vibrating against the wooden dresser caused me to frown. I made my way over to the phone and quickly answered without even looking at the ID.

  "Hello," I said dryly.

  "Aye, who this? Somebody called me from here a few times last night," the caller said.

  I pulled the phone away from my ear and glanced at the number, realizing it was Quin's connect. I quickly put my ear back to the phone.

  "Yeah, umm my name is Jah--Jahzara and you might not remember me, but I met you a few times through my husband Quin," I said nervously.