Street Fame

by Elliott, K.

  “Nothing’s wrong. It’s just that I prefer a man.”

  “Well I prefer you.”

  Jennifer stood and put her panties back on. “That’s your problem. I like men and there is nothing you can do for me, dear.”

  “You know what? You’re a really selfish bitch,” Morgan said.

  “Whatever.”

  Morgan stood and put her clothes on. She left without saying a word.

  Jennifer was still horny. She called Twin but didn’t get an answer. She figured he was out in the street, hustling his drugs.

  After a few minutes of fantasizing, she grabbed her cell phone and called Mark.

  ***** At three o’clock in the morning, Jennifer lay in Mark’s bed. Neither said anything. Both had enjoyed the sexual experience, but there was nothing to talk about. She finally stood and said, “I have to be going. I got a man, you know?”

  Mark looked at the clock. “Yeah. I know.” She got dressed then looked in Mark’s eyes. “How do you feel about me?”

  “I like you. I like you a lot.”

  “All you can say is you like me a lot?”

  He stood and put on his boxers “What do you want me to say? You have a man.”

  “A man that I am betraying for you, so that you can eventually put him away. Then where does that leave me?”

  Mark turned his back to her. “I don’t understand what you want me to say.”

  “So, am I just your little sex toy, Agent Pratt? All you want me for is my tits and ass?”

  “No, Jennifer … I like you a lot. I want you to get out of the dancing business and make a new life for yourself.”

  “Well, I’m going to probably have to get out of the dancing business ‘cause once Twin and his boys go down, my ass is going to be wanted.”

  “Twin ain’t no fuckin mobster. These guys are punks.”

  She sat on the bed and put her stilettos on. Then she stood and walked toward the door.

  He jumped up, put his socks on and noticed a pill on the floor. He picked up the pill and, after examining it, he noticed a dolphin on it. “Jennifer, wait.” When he entered the living room, she was about to open the front door. “Still using X, huh?”

  “What the fuck do you think?”

  “I think you shouldn’t bring this shit to my house. Don’t you know I’m the DEA? You are showing me no respect.”

  “And you can just fuck me with no feelings … talking about respect.”

  “You have a boyfriend.”

  “Yeah, a boyfriend that I’ve been lying to and ratting on.”

  “So where’d you get the X?”

  “Mark, can you stop being a policeman and let’s talk?”

  “About what?”

  “Talk about us.”

  “What about us?”

  “Do you love me?”

  He didn’t say anything; he just looked at the pill.

  “Okay, that’s what I thought. I’ve gotta be going.”

  He ran to the door and blocked it. He wouldn’t let her leave. “You know I love you, but I’m not in love with you, okay? We’ve slept together twice. How can you love somebody like that?”

  “I don’t think you could see yourself with somebody like me … a little stripper girl, white trash … Probably afraid of what your friends would think—your dad and that gay-ass partner of yours.”

  “I don’t care what anybody says about me; I’m my own man.”

  “Don’t you see? After Twin is gone, I won’t have nobody, nobody to help me.”

  “Hey, I understand, but I need you to set some goals. And for God’s sake, leave these drugs alone.” He held up the pill.

  She reached for it but he wouldn’t give it to her. “Where did you get that from?”

  “You must have dropped it. Do you want to tell me where you got it from?”

  She looked away. “This is the new drug. They are dealing X now.”

  “Whoa!” Mark couldn’t believe it.

  She burst into tears.

  Mark held her, kissing her forehead, telling her it was going to be alright.

  Chapter 19

  The next day, Mark had sent her a text message and asked her to meet him at Dean & Deluca’s, downtown. He’d mentioned that he wanted to take her somewhere. They had a cup of coffee and then hopped into his car.

  He took her to the Adam’s Mark Hotel and they ended up in one of the conference rooms. A tall, attractive black woman with long, dark hair stood at the front of the room. A huge banner hung in the background. Dare to Dream: an empowerment seminar for women.

  “What the hell am I here for?” Jennifer asked.

  “Just to hear this woman’s story; it’s incredible.”

  After everyone was seated, the woman began. “Hello, everybody.

  My name is Dream Nelson and I have HIV. I just wanted to say that first.”

  A series of murmurs flowed from the crowd.

  Jennifer nudged Mark. “I’m still not understanding.” Jennifer couldn’t believe the woman had HIV. She looked so beautiful. Her skin was flawless; her teeth were straight; and she was dressed so well.

  Dream continued. “First of all, I want to say that I had a very privileged life growing up. Both my parents were educators, and I went to Catholic school all my life. In fact, I was a teacher as well.”

  Jennifer sighed as if bored.

  “But I had an attraction for bad boys, drug dealers in particular. I don’t know what it was, but living on the edge kind of gave me a rush; and my parents warned me to stay away from those bad boys. My friend Keisha warned me.” Dream pointed to Keisha, who held up a hand.

  “My last boyfriend had me trafficking drugs. And I know some of you are probably wondering how a woman so beautiful and intelligent could get caught up in something like that.” Dream Nelson paced a little, taking her eyes off the crowd briefly.

  “I had low self esteem. I didn’t value myself, and when a certain man came along and told me I was the greatest thing since sliced bread, I loved him, and I loved everything he represented. He showered me with gifts and gave me affection; took me on trips, bought me expensive bags and jewelry, and everything. I know there’s someone in this audience that knows this type of man. Dream looked at a couple of younger girls on the front row who were wearing flashy jewelry.

  “I got stopped in the airport and was strip searched. The police looked in my vagina for drugs. But did I leave him? No.”

  One lady in the back raised her hand and asked. “How did you get HIV?”

  “Good question,” Dream Nelson said. “I will get to that in a minute.”

  Jennifer watched Dream. She didn’t appear to be a drug user, so she figured she’d gotten HIV from a man, probably the drug dealer she was talking about.

  “I think too many women are out here suffering from esteem issues. Some of us want to gain weight. Others want to loose weight. Some seek plastic surgery. I’m here to tell you that you don’t need validation from a man, and to watch the company that you hang with because they can bring you down. The feds came to me about my boyfriend … you know, the drug-dealer, the one that told me I was the best thing since sliced bread … asked me to tell them what I knew about him … told me that they knew I was taking trips with him to California, and that it was just a matter of time before I went down with him unless I told.”

  A large black woman with a large mole on her jaw raised her hand and said, “I would have told them everything I knew.” She highfived her friend.

  “Most people would have told the feds,” Dream said. “Not me. I was in love. In love with a dealer, and I couldn’t see not being there for my man. He even murdered somebody, and I didn’t say anything about him. Had he lived, I could have gone down with him. But he was killed by the police in a shoot-out.”

  Her eyes were watery now. “Then came the shock that I’d tested positive for HIV.”

  An attractive woman on the front row came to her side and grabbed the microphone. “Hello, I’m Ms. Nelson’s
best friend, Keisha Ferguson. We’ve been best friends since we were ten years old.”

  The crowd applauded and Keisha continued. “We’re here to get women excited about living and being self-sufficient. I’m not saying you don’t need a man, but a man should never determine your selfworth.”

  Dream Nelson held up a paperback book then said, “Your Selfworth is the name of the book that my best friend and I co-authored, and it will give you lessons on esteem issues, the value of your body, why it’s best to make him wait for sex, and how sometimes we fix ourselves up to be characters for men.”

  Keisha laughed. “What she means by becoming a character is we sometimes overdo it with the colored contacts, fake nails, and long eyelashes just to be sexy for our man. Not saying we shouldn’t be sexy, because if you aren’t sexy another woman will be. But don’t become something you’re not just to please a man.” She paused. “Again, the title of the book is Your Self-worth and it’s going for fifteen dollars,” Keisha said. “Now Miss Nelson will answer some questions.”

  A redhead on the front row raised her hand. “Do you think you made a mess of your life?”

  Dream Nelson smiled. “I don’t think so. I’ve made some bad decisions, just like everybody else, but … I like what my life has become. I’m a bestselling author and lecturer, and a business woman; and I’m helping people all over the world. My books have sold over a million copies.”

  The fat woman on the front row asked, “Do you miss teaching?”

  “Yes and no. I miss the kids, but I’m still teaching in a sense; I’m teaching adults.”

  The fat woman’s friend asked, “Do you hate men?”

  Ms. Nelson laughed. “Absolutely not. I love men … I adore men. It’s just that I picked the wrong one and it cost me dearly.”

  Jennifer raised her hand and was recognized. “Ms. Nelson, first of all, I would like to say that you’re beautiful. You look like a fashion model or something. My question is this: How did you go from being a drug dealer’s girlfriend that was pampered and spoiled to being as successful as you are?”

  Dream Nelson blushed and said, “Thanks for the fashion model compliment. To answer your question, going from a drug dealer’s girlfriend to being a successful business woman was not easy. First of all, when I found out I had HIV, I tried to kill myself. I didn’t want to deal with life; I didn’t want to be here. After all, why me? But when I sat and reflected on all the decisions that I’d made in life, I had to ask myself, why not me? Yeah, my boyfriend Jamal is the reason that I got infected with the virus, but I’m a firm believer that we’re ninety percent responsible for what happens to us, and I take full responsibility for what happened to me. Having a great support group of friends and family and living a good, spiritual life will help you with anything. Happiness is not money or fame, but perception,” Dream Nelson said. “One more question then I will sign books.”

  A well-groomed black man in a business suit raised his hand.

  Ms. Nelson pointed to him and smiled.

  “Do you have a man in your life?”

  “Ladies and gentlemen, the man that asked the question is my fiancée of two years. He’s also a successful businessman. So you see, I’m very happy.”

  The crowd applauded.

  Dream walked to the back of the room and sat at a table. The book signing line formed quickly.

  Three hundred and twelve books were sold. She’d signed in Jennifer’s book, Get out of that situation ...You have to live. Love, Dream.”

  ***** Alicia opened the door and Tommy stood before her. She gave him a kiss and invited him in.

  When he sat down he looked a little troubled. “What’s worng?”

  “Well, I haven’t been totally honest with you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I have to tell you that I have a woman … and she’s living with me.”

  She frowned. “Tommy, what the hell is going on here?”

  He avoided her eyes. “I didn’t know what to tell you. All I know is that I want you, and I was willing to do whatever it takes to get you. I’m sorry I lied.”

  “So what’s up with this girl? Do you love her?”

  “I only care about her. We don’t even have sex.”

  “So why do you stay in that situation? Why be with someone that you don’t love?”

  “I don’t know. I think we just got comfortable with each other.”

  “So what are we going to do now?” She walked to him. “I was starting to like you.”

  “I like you, too. I mean, I want to be with you.”

  “So go get your stuff and move in with me.”

  He laughed but didn’t answer.

  She looked serious and said, “Hey … I want you to come live with me.”

  “I can’t do that. We barely know each other. How do you know if you can live with me?”

  “I don’t, but I do know that I don’t want you living with her.”

  Tommy was silent. He knew he had made a mistake telling her about his girlfriend, but he felt better. He was no longer hiding anything.

  “Tommy, do you love her?”

  “I already told you I’m not in love with her.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Nia.”

  “Is she pretty?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Does she look better than me?”

  “No.”

  “Why are you with her, Tommy? You said y’all don’t have sex.”

  Tommy turned and faced Alicia. He remembered the first day they’d met, how she’d played hard to get, her comment about not dating drug dealers, and how she was so confident and secure. How did she go from being so secure to being a very insecure woman? It didn’t make sense, but it had happened before. He had met women who said they didn’t want to be in a relationship and, as time went on, he had gotten to know them and taken them on dates and bought them jewelry. And the next thing he knew they either wanted to get married or didn’t want to let him out of their sight. They would call him every other hour and ask stupid questions: Where you been? Why didn’t you answer your cell phone?, Who is that female in the background?, Why can’t you spend more time with me? All of this because they’d enjoyed his company and money. He doubted very seriously if they wanted him for sex.

  “Hey, I’m going to handle the situation.”

  “How?”

  “I’m going to get my own place.”

  Alicia smiled. “That’s what I want to hear.”

  ***** Tommy had five hundred thousand dollars. He was halfway there. He agreed that Alicia’s father would fly into town, get the money, and put it in a safe place. He didn’t know why, but he trusted Don with his money. All he kept thinking about was the fact that he would own a high-rise building. He would be an investor in something legal. He could leave the game alone for sure. It was funny how he was thinking about retiring; he was making faster money than ever before with the pills. Everybody wanted X, and he’d become the city’s largest X dealer.

  He’d taken the money to Alicia’s house but was back at home by two in the morning.

  Nia had been out with her friends. She didn’t arrive until later in the morning.

  He heard her tiptoeing into the house. “Where the fuck have you been?” he asked

  “I was out with my friend Rasheeda.”

  “Til five in the morning?”

  “It is not five in the morning.”

  Tommy looked at the clock on the dresser. “Okay, it’s 4:30. What the fuck is the difference? The bottom line is that you’re being disrespectful.”

  “I’m disrespectful, nigga? You’re disrespectful. We get robbed, I get raped for your ass, and all you can think about is the fact that I like to party with my friends?”

  “All you think about doing is running the streets.”

  “You be at the clubs, too.”

  Tommy walked closer, rubbed his chin, and then pointed at her. “The difference between me and you is that I fuckin own this p
lace. You don’t pay shit, so you need to go home.”

  “Fuck you! I’ll go home and never come back to this fuckin place.”

  “Go home, then.”

  “You know what? I know that’s what you want, so I’m going to stay just ‘cause you want me to go.”

  Tommy went to the bedroom closet and started pulling out Nia’s clothes and throwing them all over the floor. “You’re going to leave here or I’m going to leave. It’s one or the other.”

  Nia ran over to Tommy and punched him in the face.

  “You better leave then, muthafucka.”

  “I will,” Tommy said.

  Chapter 20

  The next morning Nia called JoJo at 10:30 a.m. Agent Pratt and the transcriber listened.

  “The nigga left early this morning,” said Nia.

  “Where’d he go?” asked JoJo.

  “I don’t know, but I sure as hell hope he stays.”

  “What happened, baby?”

  “I don’t know. I came in and he just flipped.”

  “You think he knew we was together?”

  “No, but I know he kind of felt that I was with a man.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I didn’t get in until five in the morning. The man is not stupid.”

  “I know he ain’t stupid; that’s why I don’t like doing this behind his back.”

  “I know. We need to come out and let everybody know about our feelings for each other. We can’t go on like this.”

  “I can’t right now. We’re making money together and things are going so well.”

  “JoJo, I love you, and Tommy just ain’t doing it for me. I want you. I mean, every time I have to lay with him it just totally disgusts me. I don’t even want him to touch me.”

  “I promise it won’t be like this forever, baby. I have a plan.”

  “We’re going to live together one day?”

  “We will. I promise you. If things continue to go good I will be a millionaire in a few more months, and Tommy might be worth at least three.”

  “I don’t care about the money. I don’t want to be with him anymore. I want you.”

  “Well, why didn’t you leave?”