by Tanya Ridley
“Damn niggah, why you have to be an asshole and beat up my girl like that. I would’ve definitely given you some ass wit’ that big dick. What a shame,” Mya said.
He gave her a slight grin. We made Sky lock his fingers behind his head and walk backwards butt-naked out onto the balcony.
“Yo, y’all bitches are definitely gonna see me again, this shit ain’t over,” he threatened.
Before we closed the terrace doors, I glared at him one last time. I was still pissed that his punk ass had hit me. A part of me wanted Mya to shoot him, but I knew the gunshots would’ve definitely gotten us unwanted attention.
“Niggah, get on your fuckin’ knees,” I demanded.
As he followed my orders, I kicked him between his legs. When he fell over in pain, I dug the tip of my heel down into his balls. He cried out and balled up into a fetal position holding onto his nuts for dear life. I closed the glass doors and locked him outside to drown out the sounds.
We took everything he had, from money, jewelry and drugs. We even walked out of his suite with all his clothes, which left Sky with nothing but the skin he came to town with.
Fuck him, I thought as I wheeled his luggage down the hall.
Shortly after, we were back in the truck and drove off with another successful score under our belt. As we drove down 85 South, I looked at my face in the small mirror in the sun visor. “That mutha-fucka!” I muttered, staring at my black eye.
“See, that’s why I told you to never let those niggah’s get too close, Diamond,” Mya replied. “Don’t you remember anything I taught you?”
“Yeah I know I fucked up. I think when his fine ass opened the door, it threw me off my game.”
Mya shook her head. “I don’t care how good the marks look. You’re there to do a job, so you have to stay focused at all times.”
“I shoulda shot him,” I replied.
“You’re not at that point yet,” she responded. “I think you fucked him up pretty good though. He’ll probably never forget your ass, especially when he goes to pee and his balls ache.”
“I shoulda shot him,” I repeated, staring at my eye.
Mya laughed. “You can’t get caught up like that anymore.”
“Oh trust me, it won’t happen again. You can be sure about that shit,” I guaranteed.
Mya laughed again and then pressed down on the accelerator. She was soon doing over ninety miles on the expressway. The girl was always a speed demon behind the wheel.
Twenty minutes later, Mya pulled up at my crib. I stayed in the hood, Bank Head Projects to be exact. It was a very rough neighborhood, but I was comfortable. I’d been living there for three years, and everyone knew me. Bank Head wasn’t much of a step up from me and Mya’s old neighborhood Kimberly Court, but it was where I called home for now.
“I got you home in one piece,” Mya said, nodding to a Jay-Z song.
Thank goodness. I don’t know who gave your ass a fuckin’ license,” I said laughing. “So, what’s going on for tomorrow?”
“You know me, I gotta check out this niggah,” she said.
“Business or pleasure?” I asked, knowing her M.O.
“He’s cute, and got a big dick, so mostly pleasure. Shit, I need some right now, but I can hold off ‘till tomorrow.”
I let out a small laugh. Mya loved dick just as much as she loved the thrill of the game and the money we made. “You want me to keep the goods, or are you gonna stash everything at your place?” I asked.
“Nah, you take that shit because you know me. I might get into somethin’ tonight and if I do, I don’t want nobody all in my fuckin’ business, so it’s better at your spot.”
“Cool, come by tomorrow afternoon so we can split everything.”
“Ayyite bet. You go and take care of that eye; before you start lookin’ like Tyson hit you. You need a patch over that shit?” she joked.
“You’re a real comedian,” I replied smiling.
I got out of the truck and pulled out the black suitcase from the back seat. We’d taken two suitcases from Sky, but the second one was only filled with his clothes, so we quickly tossed that shit out the window on the way to my house.
As I walked toward my building, Mya made a quick u-turn, and honked the horn, speeding off like a mad woman. All I could do was shake my head. She’s gonna kill somebody one day.
Once I was inside my apartment, I placed the luggage in the coat closet and walked in my bedroom with anticipation. I couldn’t wait to take a nice hot bath and relax. It had been a rough night for me. I hated my place, and was glad that I would have to move soon. In my new line of work, it wasn’t good to stay in the same place for too long. I was told by Mya that I couldn’t stay in one spot longer than two months, so no one would know where I lived. In order to be successful at this game I had to follow her rules, so how I’d just fucked up with Sky was unacceptable.
I didn’t want to come home one night and find a crew of niggahs sitting up in my living room, so I was saving enough money to get me a place somewhere in Buckhead or Midtown. I had plans for the future, because I knew robbing and hustling niggahs wasn’t gonna last forever. I loved doing hair, and wanted to open my own salon one day, and even a small part of me thought about having a family. But that was one dream I kept to myself.
In my bedroom, I took off my clothes and put on my sexy pink Victoria’s Secret robe. I loved the way the fabric felt against my nude skin. As I prepared my bath, I turned on the stereo and placed an old school R. Kelly CD in the drive. I pressed the button to play one of my favorite tracks. I loved the way R. Kelly’s sexy and masculine voice serenaded me when I was alone. When my bath was ready and the bubbles were almost overflowing, I dropped my robe to the tiled floor and slowly got in. Lying gently in the tub, I turned to my left and stared at my reflection in the mirror that was parallel to the tub.
Looking at my black eye made me furious again. I could’ve murdered Sky for what he’d done to me. I closed my eyes, and let Mr. Kelly’s smooth voice take over for the night. I loved R. Kelly to death because he looked just like my first boyfriend. He was a hustler, and the twenty five year old man who took my virginity at the age of sixteen. His dick game was serious, and when he fucked me, he would play his R. Kelly tape throughout the night. He was a beast when it came to fuckin’. He knew my spots and always put me in a zone when we fucked. He always penetrated my pussy deep and made my walls swell with each thrust. I loved the way he did things; he was smooth and rough at the same time.
Hearing R. Kelly sing ‘It Seems Like You’re Ready’ was making me horny. Masturbating always seemed to calm me down, and after tonight pleasing myself was definitely needed. I started playing with my kitty in the tub and twenty minutes later, I let out a serious orgasm.
Chapter 2
Diamond
I woke up the next morning to a loud knock at my front door. It had been weeks since I’d gotten a good eight hours of sleep, and now someone was depriving me of that again once again.
“What the fuck!” I said, opening my eyes. I turned over and stared at the clock on my dresser. It was only eight fifteen.
As the knocking continued, it became even louder, which immediately made me nervous. I sat up in the bed and looked around my room before tossing my duvet comforter aside. I know it’s not Mya because her ass doesn’t even get up before noon, I thought. Damn, what if it’s Sky? Maybe he found out where I live. I opened my dresser near the bed and retrieved my .380. I wasn’t taking any chances. I quickly put on my pink robe and slowly made my way toward the door with my gun in hand.
“Diamond, I know you’re in there…c’mon, you told me to come through around eight,” I heard a woman shout from outside. “Diamond, I need my hair done before noon,” she continued.
Oh shit. It was Alaina. I’d completely forgotten about doing her hair. So much had been going on over the past few weeks, I was losing track of all my hair appointments.
I stashed the gun inside one of my dying plants and quickly opened t
he door. I apologized to Alaina as she came rushing into my place with a red scarf tied around her head.
“Damn Diamond, don’t be doin’ that shit to me. You got me all nervous thinkin’ your ass wasn’t home. Shoot, you know I gotta be at work by one.”
“I’m sorry, I overslept. I forgot all about your appointment,” I replied.
“That’s cool; you still got me though, right?” Alaina asked, looking at me with a nervous expression.
“Yeah, I got you. Just let me get set up in the kitchen and throw on some clothes.”
“You an angel, Diamond,” Alaina said, following me.
“Shit, I’m sorry about the mess,” I said, removing all the hair magazines that were lying on the kitchen table. “I shoulda cleaned up last night, but, I had a late night.”
Alaina laughed. “Girl, I don’t care about that. Shit, I might be havin’ one of those tonight.”
“What you got planned?” I was curious because Alaina was known for her crazy rendezvous.
“After work, I’m going to the Bank Roll concert, and see my boo Lil’ Moe perform.” She did a little dance with her shoulders.
“Alaina, why do you like that scrawny, lookin’ mutha-fucka?” I asked.
“Please, Lil’ Moe is sexy as hell. He’s a thug the way I like them, and got it goin’ on. You know I met him at Club 112 last month and fucked him in the V.I.P. Girl, he could work some pussy,” she informed with a huge smile across her face.
I looked at her in shock. I’d heard rumors about Alaina being a hard core groupie, but I didn’t think she would go that hard. “Me personally, I like ‘em hefty. I need something to grab onto when he’s putting it down in the bedroom.”
She laughed as she untied the scarf from around her head. “Shit all that money that niggah’s makin’, he’s finer than a mutha-fucka right about now.”
I had to laugh. Alaina was crazy. I pulled my hair in my face to make sure it was covering my black eye, so she wouldn’t start asking me a thousand questions about what happened. But she was so concerned about getting her hair done and talking about Lil’ Moe, that she probably wouldn’t have noticed my eye anyway.
“Let me get this kitchen cleaned up so I can get started,” I replied, cutting the conversation short. Once Alaina started running her mouth there was no way to stop her.
I washed the dishes, and put a few plates away, before I was ready to have Alaina looking like a million bucks. I did hair in my kitchen while I was still attending Arnold Patrick’s beauty school. I had over two dozen clients that came to me for everything from weaves, to perms and braids. I had hoped to be out of school within the next three months, so I could get a game plan together and finally pursue the profession that I really loved.
“Diamond when is your last month at school, cause I heard you’re takin’ all the clients from the salon up the street,” Alaina asked.
“Why? What do I have to do with the clients up the street?”
“Because everybody around the way is sayin’ you’re gettin’ a salon soon, that’s why. Girl, you know you’re like the best in Atlanta. And you know, Tonia is pissed, because you’re takin’ all the clientele out of her shop.”
“Fuck that bitch! If she brings me any problems, I gonna definitely fuck her up. She acts likes she’s the only fuckin’ person in Atlanta that can do hair.” Tonia had always been my competition, and since she was probably talking shit about me, now I was really gonna make it a point to take all of her clients. “It won’t be long before I can leave this damn kitchen and get my shop, but I gotta save some money so I can have the best salon Buckhead has ever seen.”
“Well, when you do that, let a sistah in, so I can quit my bullshit job and get down wit’ you. Cuz I know you’re about to blow up doin’ hair, girl,” she responded.
“Thanks, you know I got you,” I replied with a smile. “Now what style are you getting today?”
“I need a perm around these edges and some spirals so my hair will have time to fall before I go to the concert,” she said, looking at herself in the mirror.
“No problem.” I sat Alaina in the kitchen chair and began messing around with her hair.
“Damn, Alaina, I gotta get outta this little ass place before I lose my mind. I’m so tired of all these fuckin’ roaches that are coming in from next door,” I said, applying the chemical to her hair. “Plus these grimy, broke ass niggahs that are always outside my building trying to holla at me every night is really getting on my nerves.”
“I hear you girl, shit where I’m at ain’t any better. My fuckin’ neighbor’s dog be barkin’ all damn night. Then tell me why my landlord tried to push up on me the other day, wit’ his bald fat ass. That niggah only got about four teeth in his mouth,” she said, pointing to her own teeth. “That’s why you need to hurry up and open up this shop and put me down.”
“Don’t worry, Alaina, I’m on my grind. Give me a few months and I’ll be good. I’m getting the fuck outta here.” I looked around at my apartment that could use a lot of attention. The only thing that I enjoyed looking at was the nice Italian leather sofa and dinning room set that I’d just purchased from the Z Gallerie furniture store.
“Diamond, I think you have a nice place. Shit, I wish I could have somethin’ like this. I’m tryin’ to move me and my kids from Garden Walk Blvd. It’s changed since the Freaknik days.”
“Yeah that’s why I’m trying to take my ass to Buckhead,” I replied, focusing on Alaina’s hair a bit more. “Let me wash out this perm before we talk too much and all your shit falls out.”
“Please don’t do that. I’m already two strands away from being bald-headed,” she joked.
“After I put you under the dryer, I’m gonna jump in the shower. If it cuts off turn it back on for twenty more minutes.”
After putting Alaina under the dryer, I raced back to my small cramped bedroom where I had no business having a king size bed. I could barely move around, but I had to stay fly. I jumped in the shower, and gave myself what my Aunt Faye called a hoe bath, which meant to hit all the right places quick and fast. I let out a huge sigh as I began to think about my family, who I missed being around especially my brother. I’d always looked up and cherished my older brother growing up since I never had anyone else to call father. Becoming a hustler at the age of sixteen, my brother spoiled me with all the finer things in life and treated me like a princess. He always said his plans were to get me and our mother out the hood, but those plans were cut short when he got caught selling drugs and received a fifteen year sentence. After my brother went to prison, my mother and I began to struggle and our relationship became extremely distant.
However, after receiving the news that another inmate had killed my brother during a fight in the yard our world turned upside down. My mother turned into a cold heartless person, who didn’t seem to care about life anymore. Instead of the tragedy bringing us together it drove us further apart. After his death, she had to take on two jobs to make ends meet, so things really took a turn for the worst. We argued everyday about the smallest things, and I would definitely get upset when she wouldn’t spoil me like my brother used to do. This situation continued until I was eighteen and began sneaking out the house at night to work at Body Tap, a well known strip club.
In my eye, I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I just needed money to keep up with Mya, who always rocked the latest gear and even had her own apartment. I managed to keep up my routine for about a month before my mother found out, and kicked me out the house. I ended up having to move in with Mya, and since that day, my mother has never asked me to come back home and has refused to talk to me, which hurts like hell. I made plenty of money dancing nude and enticing the endless ballers that populated the club, but soon I grew tired of dancing and having men ogle over me. After striping for almost a year, I managed to save enough money to quit and move into my own spot. Now three years and several bullshit jobs later, I’m still on the grind and trying my best to finally be able to make my mo
ther proud.
A tear rushed down my cheek as I thought about my mother and how I had disappointed her. I was starting to get depressed and wanted to crawl back in bed, but I thought about Alaina, so I quickly got myself together and jumped out the shower. Several moments later, I returned to the kitchen wearing my favorite white terrycloth Juicy sweat suit. I had to be comfortable while I worked my magic.
“Damn, I thought you weren’t comin’ back!” Alaina yelled from under the dryer.
“Shut up, before I send your ass to Tonia’s shop,” I said jokingly.
I finished Alaina’s hair by twelve. I took my time and made sure she was looking like a diva when she stepped out my door. She gave me my fee, plus a five dollar tip and thanked me for hooking her up. I admired my work by taking pictures from my digital camera for my portfolio. I had to make sure none of my master pieces went unnoticed.
When Alaina left, I opened my closet and pulled out the suitcase Mya and I had stolen from Sky and rolled it to my room. I sat on the edge of the bed, dumped all the contents out and looked at the items from our recent score. It had cost me a black eye, but now it seemed to be well worth it.
Staring at the jewelry, drugs and the large bundle of cash rolled tightly in a rubber band, I imitated the same dance that I had seen Alaina do earlier. Between all the items, it had to total over fifty grand. “Sky, you definitely got taste,” I said, picking up the diamond encrusted bracelet. If Mya and I kept racking in this amount of money, I’d have more than enough to open up a salon. I could finally live like a diva and get out of this hell hole I was in. As I inspected the package filled with white powder, I realized that it was at least half of a kilo. We had definitely hit the jackpot because that amount of cocaine was big chips for sure.
Suddenly, I heard a knock at my door. “Shit, who is it now. I don’t have another appointment,” I said, throwing the contents back into the suitcase and quickly placing it in my bedroom closet.
The knocking continued and the person at my door seemed relentless. “Diamond, open the door. Why you got me out here waitin’ in the damn sun?” I heard Mya shout.