by L. E. Newell
He eyed the both of them very suspiciously for a few seconds before he started twisting his neck in short circles, enjoying the crackling sensation of the tension release. He straightened up and went to sit beside Mercedes. Damn, this little thang reminds me of a delicate China doll. He placed his arm around her shoulder. He blinked several times, fighting off the hypnotic effect of her dark almond-shaped eyes as she looked dreamily into his. “You comfortable with your routine, cutie pie?”
She hunched her little shoulders, smiled demurely and said, “Uh-huh, but I wish I was getting more tips from the guys, though.”
Her sweet voice sent shivers down his spine. He quickly smiled back at her. “You do, do you?” Boy, I sure wouldn’t mind sliding up in her little fine ass right now.
Mercedes started fidgeting slightly because of the wicked glitter in his eyes and smiled innocently into his face.
He reached into his coat pocket to get a slim cherry blend cigar, took his time lighting it and blew some halos. Crossing and then uncrossing his legs, he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Tell you what, little princess; I want you to start working on the pole…I mean really work the pole, like you fucking it.” His eyes twinkled into an empty stare as he added, “Oh yeah, baby.” He started nodding his head as his lips turned down like he was on a heroin high. “Oh yeah, fuck that pole like you riding the best dick in the world. I betcha them sex-deprived muthafuckas will make it rain green up in that bitch if they see that there.” He was secretly wishing that he could be that pole.
She squinted at the wall for several seconds before she angled her head sideways with an ever-widening smile. She began waggling her legs as she nodded, then mumbled, “I think I can do that.”
“You think you can?” He frowned at her.
She opened her mouth into a sexy “O” and licked her pouty lips before she batted her lashes. “Yeah, I can do that, uh-huh, I’m gonna do that.” She squirmed around on the bed and started bouncing up and down.
He smiled and used his elbows to prop himself up. “That’s my girl.” He stood over her thinking all kinds of freaky thoughts and gently squeezed her chin. Then he looked over to Bertha. “Damn, redbone, you really geeking, ain’tcha?”
Bertha was peeking through the curtains with a stern look. “Hell naw, man. I ain’t geeking, like yo ass. I’m just making sure that everything’s clear out there. Hell, them niggas didn’t roll up on you; they rolled up on me and shortie girl there.”
“So whatcha trying to say?” Black Don growled as he walked toward her.
She wasn’t daunted at all now by his menacing stare and walked around him, mumbling.
He got pissed, feeling like she was straight up disrespecting him, especially in front of this little honey he was trying to impress with his gorilla. He growled angrily as he followed her sassy strutting ass. “What the fuck you say, bitch?” She continued on to the back of the room and started brushing her hair in the mirror.
He mumbled under his breath, “This big bitch ain’t fronting on me for the sake of this little ho, I know.” He hissed between clenched teeth as he started toward her with his fists balled up at his sides. His paranoid anger got the best of him and he raised his hand to give her a hard backhand slap.
He froze in midswing as his eyes registered on the gleaming switchblade that had magically appeared in her hand. Her hissing lips were just as menacing as she growled, “Nigga, your ass must think that I’m one of them scary-ass bitches that be bowing down to your ass.”
As he stood there shocked, she flipped the blade from one hand to the other like a real pro and sneered, “Go ahead, muthafucka, which side of your black ugly-ass face do you want me to start on? Don’t make me a bit of difference, yo.”
With her having the ups, he knew that it was best to chill, for the moment anyway. So he threw his hands up and backed away to give her some space. Still he had to save at least a little face and played it cool by pinching his nose. “Okay, redbone, I’ll give you this one, but don’t be making no habit of drawing no weapon on me.”
She was psyched for battle if that was the way he wanted to carry it. She had enough of that bullying shit from her days of whoring for Rainbow; she wasn’t about to bow down for him. “Yeah, whatever, nigga. All I wanted to do was let you know that these niggas around this bitch was starting to disrespect your turf, so your ass needs to tighten up your game around here.”
Realizing that she indeed had a point, he started massaging his brow and sat down on the bed. He leaned against the headboard to regain his composure before he sat up straight. “I thought you said that you didn’t know the niggas that jacked you.”
She squinted at him, trying to figure out how serious he was before responding, “I don’t know who they were.”
He tilted his head back and started at her for a moment. “So what in the fuck are you talking about then?”
She refused to turn away from his stare, knowing that is what he expected her to do. “I’m talking about other folk slanging out of this hotel. And I hate to say it but their stuff is better than the stuff you gave us, and the package is bigger, too.”
That certainly got his attention as he stood back up. “Who? Where?”
She leaned her ample hips up against the wall and folded her arms. “Somebody is fronting some butch bitch and a black Amazon down there in the last room.” She leaned forward and stared him directly in the eyes defiantly. “And that little butch bitch has the kind of look that’ll make a nigga back the hell up if they ain’t ready for some physical contact, if you know what I mean. In other words, the little bitch is ready to solve problems if they come up; you feeling me on this. That goes to show you that there’s some serious competition going on around this joint. Whoever is backing these hoes, I think you need to hang around and check this shit out, man. That’s all I’m saying.”
He looked down at his watch before he set her with a cold icy stare. “Check this here out, redbone; you and shorty go on ahead to the club and I’ll check on this little problem here.” He turned away and walked out of the room.
He sat in the car, pondering what to do, until he saw Bertha and Mercedes leave the room a few minutes afterward, get into Bertha’s red Mustang and split the scene.
His first thought was to follow them and see how that big bitch acted when he got the ups of her, but he quickly changed his mind. Checking out the competition was much more important. So he sat and watched the comings and goings of the traffic in the room they’d told him about. After it stopped raining, he didn’t want to be sitting in the car looking all conspicuous, so he eased out of the car to go check out the competition.
The noon-day traffic on I-20 was bumper to bumper as Beverly contemplated getting off at the East Lake exit even though she preferred not driving through her old neighborhood. While she maneuvered through the cars munching on a Wendy’s egg and sausage biscuit and sipping gingerly on her steaming hot cup of cappuccino, a bolt of nostalgia hit her. She pulled over to the emergency median and sped to the exit ramp.
She was soon caught up reliving memories as she cruised past some of her old stomping grounds. The corner store where she used to lean against the old red oil pump with her sidekick Yolanda watching the old heads of the neighborhood schooling young lookers on and trash-talking to her three amigos in the fine art of playing checkers. Now it was a rundown, rusty, old building run by a Vietnamese family. She found herself wondering about the former owner, sweet old Mr. Mack.
She cruised by the old huckleberry tree when it dawned on her that her old kindergarten used to be there. Now it was an empty lot. Oh, how the times had changed. She found herself really longing for those days.
The nostalgia gave her the impulse to go by Mrs. Dobbs’ house, Johnny’s mother. He was the oldest of the three. Once she stepped on the porch of the old yellow house, she started getting warm thoughts of all the evenings she’d spent after school swinging on the porch, waiting for Mrs. Dobbs, her favorite baby sitter,
to come home. She loved the hours they had spent sweet-talking all the potted plants hanging on ropes from the roof. They’d even sing to them to help make them grow and stay beautiful.
The door was suddenly snatched open by Johnny aka Rainbow. He had always been the instigator and pretty boy of the crew. Even though she had recently seen him, she was still somewhat taken aback since she hadn’t expected to be there.
Clearing her throat, she blinked several times before she was able to gather herself to speak. “Hello there, Johnny. I really didn’t expect to see you here. Is your mother here?”
It took him a moment or two to get over the initial shock of seeing the chief of police at his mother’s door. Naturally his first thoughts were those of suspicion, followed by tension; especially since he had talked to her the other day. He stood at the door silently, wondering what she wanted.
He finally spoke up, “How ya doing, Bevy? The last person I expected was you so soon,” addressing her with the pet name they had given her years ago.
She scrunched up her face and blinked several times. “Trying to look out for our lovely city.”
He returned the scrunch and blink as he responded in a low voice, “Well, I guess that takes up a lot or most of your time, huh?”
He glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone was within ear-shot. Massaging the week-old stubble on his chin, he said, “Why is it that you haven’t been to see my moms in almost two years? You too ashamed to be seen in your old neighborhood since you done become the top cop?”
She despised his attitude and responded in kind, “Nigga, please, I stop by here to see Mama Dobbs at least once or twice a month. We just don’t report it to your ass.” She placed a hand on her hip wondering what suddenly had brought about this snappy attitude of his. She stared at him with an impish grin and was a little bit surprised that she was blushing. He always did have that effect on her. She was stuck between wanting to smack him upside the head with whatever she could get her hands on and hugging him.
She certainly didn’t have to remind him that they were on the opposite sides of the law. She just couldn’t hang around the hood like she used to.
The only way she could continually look out for them was to stay away; she could show her appreciation for all the years they’d looked out for her.
After airing out those thoughts, Beverly looked at him sweetly and asked, “Do I really have to stand in the door and wonder why you haven’t invited me in? Or do I have to push your ass out of my way and holla at my mama?” She didn’t even wait for a response and barged right past him.
Johnny cocked his head to the side, as he was forced to lean against the door to let her pass. Absorbing the impact of her sharp elbow, he rolled his eyes, smacked himself upside the head and growled at her departing figure, “Still a bully, huh, Miss Thang?”
She whirled around in the middle of the room and sat down sassily on the brown leather couch. All he could do was shake his head and smile as he closed the door and followed her to the couch. He sat down lazily beside her and propped his Gucci-clad feet on the coffee table adorned with delicate figurines.
Before he could even get off a satisfying aah, she reached over and pushed his feet off of the table, catching him in the process of folding his hands behind his head. Caught completely by surprise, he sprung up awkwardly and gritted. “Girl, what the fu—?”
She didn’t give him the chance to finish before she was frowning all up in his face, “Man, respect your mama’s valuables, dang.”
Raising his eyebrows menacingly, he jerked his head back and teased, “Dang.” He whistled to stifle a laugh and repeated, “Dang,” shaking his head.
“That’s right, dang,” she said and pushed his shoulder playfully. “Ugh, you make me so sick.”
He straightened up and did a fake shiver. “Well, I’ll be damned. The big tough cop’s still got a little Bevy left in her after all.”
“Aw, shut the hell up,” she said as she leaned toward him and changed to a more serious tone. “I wasn’t planning on seeing you here. I didn’t even think about dropping by to see Mama until I got caught up in a traffic jam at the East Lake exit.” She sat back and took a deep breath before she continued, “Baby boy, uh Rainbow, uh Lah, or whoever you are calling yourself these days, your business has found its way to my office which ain’t good at all, player.”
“What…” he started to say something but the look on her face stopped him. She knew him too well to even attempt to deny anything to her. She wouldn’t turn on him unless her back was totally against the wall. Hell, he really doubted that she’d do it even then; they went too far back to even consider it. He leaned forward to place his hands on his knees and stared straight ahead. In his peripheral vision, he saw that she had begun to run her tongue across her lips. Aw aw, that there was one of those looks she used to have when she was deciding whether to let him copy off of her test when they were in high school. The end result was that he’d usually have to do her a lot of favors in return.
She noticed that look about him as the very same thought ran through her mind. Knowing him so well, she smiled shyly and took a deep breath. “Now you know that I’d do just about anything I could to keep your ass out of jail—hell, to keep all of ya’ll out of jail.”
He put a hand on her knee and started to speak before she put her hand on top of his and added, “Hold on, wait a minute. Let me finish. But ain’t much I could even do if some of Atlanta’s or Decatur’s finest jam ya’ll on something first.”
The sincerity in her eyes had him feeling bad about what he and Sparkle were about to do. With his mind suddenly turned to Sparkle, he looked down at his watch wondering why his boy hadn’t called him yet. He knew them bitches wouldn’t dare disrespect that he’d told them to wake him in time to meet him downtown.
On second thought, he silently prayed that he wouldn’t pick now to contact him, not with Beverly breathing fire down his neck. Damn, as if he had felt it coming, his cell started ringing on the coffee table. He cocked a wary eye in her direction only to see that her eyes were arched at him as well. Nonchalantly, he reached over to pick it up to check the number. And as he dreaded, it was Debra’s number; Sparkle was checking up on his whereabouts. He immediately thought, Damn, this nigga’s got some bad timing, and stood up.
“Excuse me for a second, Bevy. I’ve got to make this here return call and I’m not quite sure you’d appreciate my talking business right in your face. You feel me?” His face was wrapped in a phony smile as he headed for the kitchen. Boy, was he ever grateful that she had enough respect for him that she didn’t say anything.
Johnny waited until he crossed the sill to the kitchen before he spoke into the phone, “Yeah, my nigga, you ready? Good, good, good. Hey, do you have a dark blue suit jacket? Well, see if you can get one from that nigga and then meet me at the entrance to Underground at quarter to twelve. You with that?” He held the phone pressed to his thigh and looked around the corner to see what she was doing. She was busy pushing stuff around in her purse.
He shook his head and mouthed lightly, “Women,” and put the phone back up to his mouth and said, “Ya feeling them damn butterflies, ain’tcha? Hell, me too. Shit, it’s been a minute since we’ve had the chance to do this together and, shit, I’m hoping that you still got it, dog… Okayeeee, you right. I wouldn’t even be doing this if I didn’t really think you still had it, so there, feel better, damn…. Man, big boy and me split up at the Wendy’s around eight o’clock. Yeah, the one on East Lake. Why you ask? Yeah, okay anyway, he said something about going to pick up a package down there in Florida. Uh-huh, I gave him both of our cell numbers; said he’d holla when he hit land again. Come on, man, of course I got his, too. You’ll get it when we hook up. Bet, in a few then…Hey and cherish the butterflies. Right, I’m out.”
When he came back out of the kitchen, she was patting the sofa next to her. He glanced at the old grandfather clock on the far wall beside the television and prayed that she would leave
soon.
Beverly sighed deeply and with the same sincere look that she had earlier before they were interrupted by the phone call, she said, “Johnny, my army of soldiers have no idea that I love you like a brother—hell, more than a brother—but baby, the best that I can do is to let ya’ll know when ya’ll activities are getting some serious airtime. So please be careful and check and then recheck yourself.”
Man, how can I get rid of her without that super cop mind of hers going haywire, he thought.
“Well, it’s evident that your mama ain’t home yet or we’d have heard her by now.”
He smiled gratefully when she got up and patted him on the shoulder. He immediately rose to his feet and escorted her to the door, kissing her lightly on the cheek as she departed.
He closed the door and slipped to the curtain to peek out of the crack as she pulled into the street and sped away. Once the car had disappeared around the corner several blocks away, he slipped out of the door and jogged across the street to his car and headed downtown. The butterflies had started.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Playas on the Scheme
Stacy felt like he had just conquered the world after finally getting to use the things his uncle had taught him correctly; especially after all those times he’d been cleaned out at Al’s poker games.
While he was busy separating the fives, tens and twenties, one of Al’s girls stuck her head in the door and said, “Hey, Stacy, your uncle’s on the phone.” She paused to run her tongue over her juicy red lips. “He says that he got to holla atcha like right now.”
She held her head slightly down and forward with her hands on her hips as she waited for him to respond.
He acknowledged her with a nod, ran his eyes up and down her body, pausing at the puffy “V” between her flush thighs as his smile rose to reach his eyes. She shifted her weight to the other leg, being visibly moved by his intense stare. He made a mental note to get at her whenever the opportunity presented itself. Now wasn’t the time, nor was this the place.