Uptown Thief

by Aya De León

  “To Columbia’s Mailman School graduating its first former escort and grand larceny conspirator with a master’s in public health!” Marisol said.

  “Cheers!” Tyesha, Kim, Jody, and Eva said and drank their champagne.

  “To Marisol,” Tyesha said. “For helping a bunch of young hoes retire before the age of thirty!”

  “L’chaim,” Eva said as they all drank again.

  “To Jeremy VanDyke, for being such a committed philanthropist!” Jody said.

  “Fuck, yeah!” Kim said.

  “To Tyesha, the new associate director at the clinic!” Eva toasted.

  “Salud!” Marisol said.

  “Okay, Kim,” Tyesha said. “What’s your toast?”

  “To all the hoes everywhere.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” Marisol said as they all laughed and drained their glasses.

  * * *

  After everyone had left, Marisol picked the champagne flutes off the table and walked upstairs to her apartment. She kicked off her brown suede stiletto pumps, and was surprised to see Raul sitting at the counter of her kitchenette reading the paper.

  “How was graduation?” he asked, standing up and pulling her into a kiss.

  “Good,” she said.

  It had been great to see Tyesha walk across the stage. However, when Marisol had agreed to go, she had expected it to be on campus at Columbia, not further uptown at The Armory, a track and field center in Washington Heights. On the way back, the taxi drove past one of the bars she used to frequent. It was unsettling to see her old hunting ground during the day.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d still be here,” she said.

  “It’s cool, though, right?” Raul asked.

  “More than cool,” she said, kissing him again.

  He pulled back from the kiss and held her by her waist. “So, I got two pieces of news while you were gone.”

  “Good news?” she asked.

  “I think so,” he said. “First is cop news. Looks like they’ve linked the pimp to the VanDyke job and maybe even that string of robberies uptown.”

  “Really,” she said. “You wouldn’t have thought that Jerry would be smart enough to pull those off.”

  “You can’t argue with evidence,” Raul said. “They found bills from the VanDyke robbery in his safe, and the Ivy Alpha ring of one of the uptown victims. But they didn’t find the big money. So they’re looking for an accomplice.”

  “Seems like your boys at Central Robbery got it wrapped up pretty tight.” Marisol smiled. “What’s the other news?”

  “My folks are in town,” he said. “So my aunt is having a family get-together thing in the Bronx.”

  “A thing?” Marisol asked. “You want me to meet your family?”

  “Meet my family?” Raul said. “You know them already.”

  “From high school,” Marisol said. “How do I explain what I’ve been doing since?”

  “Just say what you do now,” Raul said. “Nobody’s gonna scrutinize the gaps in your résumé.”

  “I don’t know,” Marisol said.

  “Come on,” Raul said. “This is what girlfriends and boyfriends do. They go to each other’s annoying family things and they make the best of them.”

  Marisol laughed out loud. “You make it sound so tempting.”

  “Come on,” he said. “My sister will be so happy to see you.”

  Marisol nodded slowly. “I need to show you something first.”

  She walked around closing all the window shades.

  “Oh,” Raul said, raising his eyebrows. “I might like this.”

  “Maybe not,” Marisol said.

  “Does it involve nudity?” he asked.

  “In a way,” she said.

  “I’m flexible,” Raul said. “I’ll work around a bra. I can keep the jeans on, baby. What do you need?”

  “A crowbar,” Marisol said, rummaging through her closet.

  “Whoa,” Raul said. “I’m not that flexible.”

  “It’s not about sex,” Marisol said.

  “Then what’s it about?” he asked.

  Marisol pushed the two tall bar stools aside and slid the flat end of the crowbar behind the plywood in the kitchenette island.

  “Can I help?” Raul asked, as she pushed and the wood of the board squeaked against the nails.

  “Nope,” Marisol said, leaning down in her burnt orange silk dress, her cleavage nearly spilling out of the surplice front. “I got it.” She pushed the board free. It swung open like a drawbridge, and she caught it squarely in her other hand.

  Raul’s gasp was just audible as the plywood swung out of the way of the naked stacks of bills.

  “Holy shit,” he whispered.

  Marisol laid the crowbar down on top of the plywood. “If you’re really trying to be my man, and you wanna take me to visit your family, I want you to know exactly who you’re fucking with.”

  Carefully, Raul walked around the plywood. He squatted down to get a closer look.

  “From VanDyke?” Raul asked.

  “Mostly,” she said.

  Raul hovered there, staring at the money. “How much did you take him for?”

  “Eight mil,” Marisol said. “Give or take.”

  “Did you fuck him?” Raul asked without taking his eyes from the cash.

  “Yep.” Marisol stood her ground. “Are you having second thoughts?”

  “Did you enjoy it?” he asked.

  Marisol laughed. “No,” she said. “I pretended to. Like I pretended to be terrified when my team came and held us up at gunpoint.”

  “Who were the guys?” Raul asked.

  “No guys,” Marisol said. “Women in bodysuits.”

  Raul set aside the crowbar and stood up. He lifted the board and rested it against the counter, leaving a slightly open gap. He started to unbutton his shirt.

  “Come here, you genius,” he said. “VanDyke? Eight mil? Your team dressed as men? I told you smart women turn me on. Coño, we might not make it to visit my family today.”

  “What?” Marisol asked. “Now that you know every single one of my secrets? You’re definitely taking me to visit your family.”

  “Okay,” he said. “But don’t tell them what we’re about to do.”

  He slipped the strap of the dress off her shoulder.

  “You never got to be a stickup kid,” Marisol said, peeling off his shirt. “You’ll just have to settle for being an accomplice after the fact.”

  “I accept,” he said.

  “Bueno,” she said, leading him over to the bed. “Why don’t you come here and let me jump you into the gang?”

  Raul laughed as he unbuckled his jeans.

  They made love again in the bedroom alcove. The edges of the bills danced in and out of sight as the two of them laughed and rolled and tangled on the bed.

  A READING GROUP GUIDE

  UPTOWN THIEF

  Aya de León

  ABOUT THIS GUIDE

  The suggested questions are included to

  enhance your group’s reading of

  Aya de León’s Uptown Thief.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. The entire adventure begins when Marisol and her team are furious to learn that a corrupt corporate CEO has won a humanitarian award when he’s also a sex trafficker. Can you identify any instances in your life or in the current news where corrupt individuals or groups are being rewarded or singled out for praise, when they actually deserve legal or ethical consequences?

  2. Marisol operates both in and outside of the law. What are some of the laws that she breaks? How does she justify her illegal behavior? Do you agree that her actions are justified?

  3. Advocates for safe and healthy working conditions for sex workers often use the slogan “sex work is work.” As with any job, different individuals have different relationships to the work: Some love it, some hate it, and for some, it’s just a job. What are some of the different relationships that the sex worker characters have w
ith their work?

  4. The sale of sex operates on a spectrum from those who do so voluntarily to those who are trafficked or coerced. Advocates for decriminalization of commercial sex between consenting adults are careful to separate sex trafficking from sex work. Can you identify the following in the book: In which instances do we see women choosing sex work from a variety of options? In which instances do we see women choosing sex work from a very limited set of options (sometimes known as “survival sex work”)? In which instances do we see women threatened, pressured, forced, or coerced to sell sex?

  5. Throughout the book, there are many different types of sex that Marisol and others have. What are some of the different types of sex that you see? What are each of the people hoping to get out of those sexual encounters? How do those goals or intentions change for Marisol throughout the book?

  6. Marisol has trust issues. Whom does she trust at the beginning of the book? How is that different by the end of the book? Who takes advantage of her trust during the book? During her life before the book? Who in the book has to earn her trust? What is it about Marisol and Raul’s previous connection that allows them to get past some of their defense mechanisms?

  7. Women are conditioned to compete for male attention and favor. Who are some women in the book who attempt to succeed at other women’s expense? Do their plans work out?

  8. Marisol hates cops. Is her attitude justified?

  9. Marisol’s life is a complicated mix of risk and protection. What are some ways she engages in risky behavior, and what are some ways she engages in protective behavior?

  10. Marisol is bold and courageous and brings out those traits in people around her. If you had someone like Marisol in your life, what might be some areas in which you would accept her encouragement to be bold? Where do you wish you had more courage?

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  Love & Revenge series,

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  On sale in September 2016!

  1

  The Sky is Crying

  Rashad Eason reached across the desk and handed the woman a fifteen-hundred-dollar cashier’s check. She had pasty, pimpled white skin, a buzz haircut, and a thick mustache. She was very unattractive. To Rashad, she resembled a proud lesbian but that didn’t matter. He had extensively researched Lily Tangaro online. He admired her track record and needed a competent person to do the job.

  “You think you can get me everything I want?” he asked.

  Lily examined the check, then reclined in her leather swivel chair. “You’re serious about this, aren’t you?” she said.

  “More serious than a triple bypass.”

  “But it hasn’t been that long since you physically separated from your wife.”

  “I know that. But if I don’t do something fast, I may change my mind.”

  “I see.” She paused. “We always recommend that the plaintiff think about the decision for six months.”

  “I can’t wait that long. Thinking about this for six months would kill me.”

  She nodded and secured the retainer payment inside a classified file folder. “Sign these documents and we will get started on your case right away.”

  Rashad eagerly reviewed several papers that Lily gave to him. He took a blue pen and scribbled his name and the date. Then he stood and shook her hand.

  “Thank you, Ms. Tangaro.”

  “Call me, Lily.”

  “Will do, Lily. And my son, Myles, really thanks you.”

  “Seriously? He’s only six—”

  “He’s seven. Myles knows what’s up. He’s seen a lot, unfortunately. And this is why I gotta do this. It may be the only way I get to spend quality time with him. Plus, I don’t want my son around his crazy mama any longer than he needs to be.”

  “Totally understandable. We’ll be in touch.”

  “No doubt, Lily. I appreciate this.”

  Rashad drove away from his new attorney’s office feeling more hopeful than he had in weeks.

  It was a rainy Friday in Houston; the day after Thanksgiving. Rashad was lucky that Lily had agreed to meet him briefly in her office to sign his paperwork.

  Light drops of water drizzled from the sky. Rainy days made Rashad feel depressed. But he had to shake it off and keep it moving. It was time to go see Myles. And spending time with his son was one of the few things he could be happy about these days.

  When Rashad arrived at the designated pick-up spot, which was in front of Mama Flora’s house, he let the car idle next to the curb. Technically, she could be considered his grandmother-in-law. Mama Flora was his wife’s maternal grandmother, and the woman that raised Kiara. She was sensible and didn’t stand for drama. Rashad and Kiara both agreed that exchanging Myles for visits at Flora’s place would be the best option.

  Rashad impatiently drummed his hands on the steering wheel. He listened to raindrops splatter on the ground. Minutes later, Kiara drove up and parked directly behind him. He observed her through the rearview mirror.

  “Damn, I can barely see her but the woman still looks good,” he admitted to himself. He hadn’t laid eyes on Kiara in weeks. And after all they had been through, she still tugged at his heart.

  He saw her mouth moving and assumed she was talking to their son. After a while, both Kiara and Myles emerged from the car. Wearing white gym shoes, the little boy ran behind the car then raced ahead of her. He fled into the street instead of staying on the sidewalk. Soon he tugged at his father’s locked door handle and yelled.

  “Hurry up, Daddy. I’m famished.”

  Rashad laughed and popped the locks. He got out of the car and scooped Myles off his feet and hugged him tight.

  “Really Myles? You’re famished? Where’d you learn that word?”

  “The Food Network.”

  Rashad chuckled as he set him back down.

  “Oh, so I don’t get a ‘hey, Daddy, how you doing? I miss you. I love you, man’?”

  “Hey, Daddy, I missed you. Can we go to Steak and Shake for dinner?”

  “Myles,” Kiara interrupted as she hurriedly approached them wearing a short, purple long-sleeve dress and four-inch wedge heel sandals. “I told you about running in the street. Are you crazy? Do you wanna get hit by a car? It’s raining and that makes it harder for drivers to slow down in this weather.”

  Kiara eased up next to Myles. She thumped him on his forehead.

  “Ouch, Mommy.”

  “Don’t do that,” Rashad scolded. “My little man misses me, that’s all. It’s been a minute.”

  “Whatever Rashad,” she spat at him. “None of that matters. He knows better than to do something reckless like running in the street. He doesn’t listen.”

  “I do listen, Mommy.” Myles mostly ignored his mother as he happily gave his father a few daps. The little boy always seemed calm and sure of himself when he was in Rashad’s presence.

  “You’re a chip off the old block, son,” his father said. He knew the danger of Myles not looking where he was going but Rashad didn’t notice any cars coming down the street. He could tell how much his boy deeply missed him and that made him feel good.

  “Damn, I’ve been dying to hang out with my little man. Has he gotten taller? What the hell you been feeding him?”

  “That’s a stupid question and you know how I feel about those.”

  “I was just joking, Kiara. Lighten up.”

  “Ain’t got time for jokes.”

  Suddenly the air grew tense. Rashad felt himself getting agitated.

  “Look, this is the holiday season. People are supposed to be merry. But you act like you on something. You been drinking? Can’t you ever be happy and just chill?”

  “Lord Jesus. More stupid ass questions. Don’t start.”

  Kiara gave Rashad a sober look as she handed him Myles’s backpack.

  “Lucky for you, Mama Flora is away from her house right now. At the last second, she had something to take care of and she had to leave. So we bot
h have to be mature enough to handle this without her.”

  “That’s cool. I got no problem with that.”

  “Anyway, all his things are in there: two pair of pants, some shirts, underwear, pajamas, favorite electric toothbrush, all that.”

  “Hmm, seeing this makes me realize I gotta stock up on some stuff for him to keep at . . .”

  He wanted to say he had to buy clothes for Myles to keep at his other place, a home he started sharing with his pregnant lover, Nicole Greene. Weeks ago, when his wife forced him to leave the house because she got sick of Rashad’s lies, Nicole instantly suggested that he come stay with her. On that short of a notice, he had nowhere else to go. So he took her up on her offer. And now he was adjusting to his ‘new normal.’

  Rashad mentally switched gears as he gazed at Myles.

  “Damn shame we couldn’t eat turkey and dressing together, and watch the Lions and Cowboys game. That’s what I did with my dad every Thanksgiving when he was still alive. I was always with my daddy on that holiday. Sitting up in that cold ass living room. Eating good food and talking smack. I wish we could have done that, Myles.”

  Rashad stared at his son but he was talking to Kiara.

  “Um,” she responded. “We had the whole day already planned so he wouldn’t have had a chance to come by anyway. We went to the parade downtown. We ate a wonderful dinner. And then we drove down to see the Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens. Myles ended up having a real good time with us, didn’t you?”

  “Uh huh,” he said.

  “Cool,” was Rashad’s clipped response. “I’m glad for you.”

  He acted like he was unbothered. But Rashad hated that Kiara stopped him from spending time with his child two holidays in a row. She got to pick his costume and take Myles trick or treating. And she got to eat turkey with him too. What gave her the right? Just because she made him leave the house, does that mean she could enforce all her own rules as well?

  Rashad fought to hide his anger as he leered at Kiara on the sly. She was holding one of those huge pink and black golf umbrellas in her hand. Even on a dreary looking afternoon, somehow this woman managed to appear elegant and beautiful. Her eyes were full of spunk and passion. It seemed she didn’t have a care in the world.