Hustling on the Down Low

by MT Pope

  “Monica?” Coach called out my name in a calm and concerned voice. It was like he could see through my mask.

  “She can have him.” Those were the first words that came out of my mouth. The woman’s face was blurred out. But it had them kissing, and it wasn’t innocent. There were no bedroom pictures, so I don’t know if they had sex or not, but I will never know who she is because of the hidden identity. I guess it was for her safety and not my sanity. Because every woman that I see from now on will be a suspect. It will be a never-ending whirlwind of suspects and bed hoppers.

  “You’re not thinking clearly. That is pain talking.”

  “Have you ever had someone you loved and dedicated your life to cheat on you?” I looked at him in anger. He didn’t say a thing, but I continued in a low but serious tone. “Fuck no, so don’t tell me what is talking until you have been there.”

  “First, he didn’t cheat on you. He cheated himself. You’re taking the victim seat when you are not. And second, you don’t know about me because I didn’t choose to share it. But I know pain. We are very close.” He was firm and comforting at the same time. I felt bad.

  “I’m sorry. You’re right.” I felt like shit twice over. He did me a favor—then I attacked him like it was his fault.

  “Don’t apologize. I totally understand.”

  “Can you keep this between us? Corey is in a good place, and I don’t want him to do something stupid to his father. I want to process this and handle this on my own.”

  “That’s something that you don’t have to worry about.”

  He offered to buy me dinner, but I wasn’t in the mood. I just wanted to go home. He walked me to my car but handed me two bottles of wine “to get me through the night.” I prayed that it would help with the pain that I was feeling. I would be seeing the bottom of the bottle from the top tonight for sure.

  Chapter 38

  Corey

  Two Birds

  We had just won another game, and I was amped up. My father wasn’t at the game like the last one, but he sent Dre as a replacement and my mother, who was rather distant. She’s been like that for a few weeks. I think it started when my father blacked out on her on the patio a couple of weeks ago. I know it changed her. Dre and I dropped my mother off and did what came natural to us, even though we had to be superdiscreet with what was going from an understanding to a relationship. Dre was older than me by some years. Yet, we still could relate. He was cool to be around, and he was laid-back too. He didn’t require much.

  “So, you are the son of a drug dealer. You want to be the heir to the throne?” Dre asked.

  I wondered where that question came from. It was out of the blue. We had just finished having sex and lay next to each other in silence. Once again, we had picked a motel that was miles away from where we lived or did business. We made sure we would mix up the locations that we went to and how long we stayed. Maybe it was the guilt of the situation. Him fucking his boss’s son was not on the list of things to do, yet, he still took the chance. It made me confident that he had some feelings vested.

  “I never really thought about it.” We didn’t look at each other when we talked. It was just words between two guys. “I was born into this. It wasn’t my choice.”

  “So what you gonna do, the basketball thing?”

  “I can say that I never really thought that far ahead.”

  “You need to be thinking about your future. You need to choose. Your father is getting ready to ask you. You need to have an answer and soon.” His voice was even-toned and serious.

  “I will.”

  “This is your life. Your decisions are not just for you. They are for others. Choose carefully. Neither choice is for the faint of heart, and both can take a toll on you. One is more physical, and the other is more mental.”

  “What would you do?” I asked.

  “I can’t give you any answers. Your life and my life are two different ones. Two different paths that happened to connect at one point and will travel until the time is up for our conjoined paths. Do what is pleasing to you and no one else. You only get to make this decision once.”

  “Okay,” I answered. There was some silence in the room for a few minutes as we just lay there. I was hoping that he would give me some help, but he didn’t. He was not going to help me, and I wasn’t the begging type. We both, almost at the same time, began to get dressed. Again, few words were spoken as we left the hotel and made our way back to our destinations.

  I walked in the house to some music playing and my mother sitting in the living room with a glass of wine in her hand. She had been doing this for the past few days, but I didn’t choose to address it until today.

  “Ma, are you okay?” I asked as I walked around the side of the couch and in front of where she was sitting. She had the wineglass in hand, and she swirled it.

  “Why do you ask that, Corey?” She looked like she was in another world as she talked.

  “Because all you do is drink wine and sit on this couch every time I come home.” I sat down next to her with most of my body positioned toward her.

  “I like wine. It keeps me stable. I love it, and it loves me.”

  I took the wine away from her and placed it on the coffee table close to us. “You don’t need any more of this.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong with you?” I asked.

  She turned her head toward me but said nothing. I could see tears forming in the corner of her eyes, but they wouldn’t fall. They only threatened to. My mother is a tough lady, and to see her here on the verge of tears was very disturbing to me. It had something to do with my father. I felt it, but she wasn’t going to say anything because she was loyal to this man, my father, no matter what. She was a ride-or-die chick. I didn’t know the hold that my father had on her, but it was a tight one. One could say it was unbreakable.

  “Corey, are you dating someone?” The question caught me off guard. This was supposed to be about her right now, but suddenly, the wind has shifted in my direction. I wasn’t ready for this.

  “Ummmm . . .” I didn’t know how to respond.

  “I know that you are. Basketball is only consuming part of your time. I know that you are having one of your father’s men to drive you to hook up with them. I understand. I’ve been there and done that. Just don’t give your heart and body to the wrong one. Make sure they are in it for the long haul. Don’t break their hearts either. Be a man about it and let them know if you are not happy.”

  I just nodded my head in agreement. I can say that I was truly confused now.

  “Did my father do something to you again? Because if he did, I will fucking kill him.” Anger rose in me with a fiery passion.

  “Your father isn’t responsible for this hurt. I am. I’m to blame for my pain right now. I’ll be all right, Corey. I know I will.”

  “You sure?” I didn’t believe her, and I was going to be doing some investigation soon enough. I’ve got to get to the bottom of this.

  “I have no doubt in my mind. Everything will all right.” She reached over to the coffee table and picked up her glass of wine and continued to sip as she did when I first arrived.

  Now I had an even bigger decision to make. Either pursue this negativity that I know my father is bringing my mother’s way or accept his offer to join him in the ranks. Shit, I’ll do both. Kill two birds with one stone.

  Chapter 39

  Clayton

  Shotgun

  I had everything set. I was going against everything that I would normally do. Being that I just got engaged a few weeks ago, this was something that I was surprised to be doing. I made a few calls over the last two weeks and got everything in order. I can say that I was very excited. I just hoped that everything would go as planned.

  His parents helped me get his friends and family to where we were headed.

  “I’m so glad that you could come with me. I’m sure this will be a night that you won’t forget.” I looked over at Anthony a
s I continued to drive toward our destination. I told him that we were going to some type of Policeman’s Ball so he could get dressed in his best for the day. Night weddings aren’t ideal, but I had to make it work. We hadn’t even worked out the details about living arrangements, but that wouldn’t be too hard. I didn’t own where I lived, so more than likely, I would share his home with him. It would be a bump up for me. He did have good taste in furniture and all of that. I was no slouch, but I knew when to concede in areas that I was indeed no competition.

  Anyway, I had the best wedding planner in Maryland do the wedding based off the color schemes of Anthony’s living room, and it was out of this world. He sent me pictures that blew my mind away. I was so excited and nervous at the same time. All this cost plenty of money, and a ton of favors was called in for the last-minute arrangements, but it all worked out.

  “I hope you can dance because I don’t want you stepping on my feet,” Anthony said, and then laughed.

  “I’m gay, so you know I’m naturally light on my feet,” I joked. He laughed. His laugh made me feel at ease. It made me feel like I was doing the right thing tonight.

  We finally pulled up to the address of the venue where the wedding was being held. It was not decorated on the outside for various reasons. Mainly, I didn’t want to give anything away.

  “You ready to go? This is the first time that I have a man to go to these things with.” I looked him in the eyes as I spoke. I was sincere as I spoke. He looked at me with an unwavering gaze. It made my heart melt. I was in love for sure. No one could tell me differently. I was missing my parents at this moment, but now, there was someone to fill the void. I would shower with love and spoil him for years to come. I was sure of it.

  I finally got out of the car and rushed around to the other side of the vehicle to help him out. I wanted him to feel special for eternity.

  We walked side by side up to the door; then I opened the door and let him enter first. There was a person there with a tuxedo on to greet us as if this was the real thing.

  “You ready?” I looked at him in the eyes once again.

  “I was made to flaunt. Let’s get this, baby.” He kissed me on the cheek. And then the doors were opened for us on cue.

  Applauds and whistles rang out as we walked in. The room was filled with red and white roses all over, and all 150 guests were dressed in red and white. Anthony was in a state of shock. He didn’t move but a few feet after we came through the door. There was a banner hanging over the center of the aisle that said. “Congratulations, Mr. and Mr. Moore.”

  “You did this?” he asked as tears freely ran down both his cheeks.

  “All for you, baby. I couldn’t wait another minute to be with you.”

  He moved in closer and kissed me on the lips. It was a long and passionate one. The applauds and whistling started up once again.

  I softly pulled away from him. “Baby, we have to go and get married now.”

  “Okay,” he said as he sniffed back some tears; then we walked down the aisle to the official that oversaw the service.

  We officially became one, and both Anthony and I cried ourselves crazy during the rest of the night. I guess it was the best day for both of us.

  Chapter 40

  Avery

  Associates

  “Monica, what are you doing right now?”

  “What am I doing?” she repeated my question back to me. It was a pet peeve of mine, and I knew that she comprehended quite well, but I ignored it and moved on. She was a part of my plan, and nothing she did could remove her from my grip.

  “I need you to get dressed and meet me at the address I will send you in a few minutes. This is a formal event, so dress to kill.” I didn’t let her respond before I hung up the phone. I knew that she would be there. She wasn’t doing anything anyway. Her husband was her life, and even with the information she had, she still wouldn’t leave him. She was what the streets called ride or die. She was in it for the long haul. It was an admirable quality for one to have. It was also a curse. You commonly lose your own life with loyalty to another, especially with a street hustler for a husband. It’s in the small print of the invisible contract.

  I was invited out to a wedding party by a friend. He was married a few days ago. It was a surprise wedding for his lover. The wedding banquet was being held days after it. It was unconventional but innovative at the same time. That’s why he was on my team.

  Monica pulled up to the destination, stepped out of the car, all decked out in a dress that seduced even my dick to stand up at attention. It was a come-hither dress. It was a fishing-for-attention dress. Meaning, she was fishing for some compliments and accolades. She was trying to fill a void. She was a knockout-gorgeous chick. Her husband was crazy to be ignoring her for these streets and the fame he was chasing. I watched as she checked herself in the car mirror quickly. I tapped my car horn, alerting her of my presence. I then exited my car and made my way to where she was standing.

  “You look very nice,” I said as I greeted her. She smiled. I know that she needed to hear that.

  “Thank you very much. You don’t look scruffy yourself.” She rubbed her hand across my chest. She didn’t know that she was trying to shake the wrong tree. She looked a bit drunk or high. Maybe it was the wine that I was giving her from time to time. She didn’t know it, but it was laced with the cough syrup that some of the kids were getting high with right now. And it was highly addictive. All it took was a syringe filled with the promethazine shot into the cork at the top of the bottle. With the cork already having holes in it, no one was the wiser. I said that I was going to ruin Leroy’s house from the inside out, and I meant it. I liked her, but she was a casualty of war or the game. It wasn’t a war because both sides should have a chance at winning. Leroy didn’t. He was too headstrong and self-centered. He was at a disadvantage because he didn’t know what I looked like because he had what I should look like already established in his mind. That is also the reason why he didn’t know that his son was gay. He had too much of the wrong evidence.

  Anyway, I took Monica’s hand into my own, and we walked into my friend Anthony’s home, where the event was taking place.

  Monica’s facial expression was one of awe as she stepped into the house of my friend and now his husband’s house. There was light jazz playing and many guests walking around with drinks in their hands. I didn’t know anyone there but Anthony and Monica, and that was the way it was going to stay. I was charming and secretive at the same time. It got me by all these years and has not yet failed me.

  “This place is beautiful. I mean, you can tell that this place has a woman’s touch.” I didn’t want to burst her bubble with her misinformation because she would soon find out on her own.

  There were quite a few gay men at this event, and she would soon see for herself.

  We made our way through a few rooms. There was one room with some art and statues in it and some people admiring the style. I personally didn’t care for it. Monica, on the other hand, paused and started to admire it as well. Then we passed by a room that looked like a small library with old-fashioned ladders that latched onto the bookshelves and could be used to explore the collection of books, no matter the height. After the small tour, we made it to the room where Anthony was sitting in a chair with a few people surrounding him. His husband Clayton was there as well with a bright smile on his face.

  “Clarence, so glad you could make it.” He stood up and gave me a tight hug around the neck. It was just a show. He was more of a business partner than a friend. He had a contract and a mutual understanding. The money I paid him for his work paid for all of this. “I’m pretty sure you remember Clayton,” he said as he turned toward Clayton, and then gently kissed him on the cheek with affection. This was an act on both Anthony and our parts. This was just formality.

  “Yes, and it is so nice to see him one more time.” I reached out toward him and shook his hand. Clayton was the detective that was looking for me and
Monica’s husband. He was clueless, to say the least, or he didn’t play his hand. I didn’t hate him or any of that. I hated when others were getting in my way. Knowingly and unknowingly. It was all going per plan anyway. Everybody had a part and was playing it well. Most didn’t even know they were being used. Namely, Monica and Clayton.

  “And who is this bombshell beauty beside you?” Anthony asked in curiosity. I thought about saying, the weak competition’s wife, but said, “Monica is a close friend of mine.”

  “Hello, Anthony, it’s so nice to meet you. And your house is quite beautiful,” she said as she stuck out her hand to greet him.

  “It’s nice to meet you as well, and thank you so much for the compliment. It took me forever to get this house to look the way I wanted it.”

  “I need the number of your decorator because she did a fabulous job with this place,” Monica gushed.

  “He’s standing right in front of you,” Anthony smiled, and then laughed. So did a few others that were around us.

  “Oh Lord, I didn’t mean to be offensive.” She looked at me with slight embarrassment on her face.

  “Don’t worry, honey. It was an honest mistake. I’m over it. I’m so glad to meet you, and I hope that you enjoy yourself in my humble abode.”

  “I will, and thank you so much for having me.”

  “I’ll talk to you later. We’re going to mingle a bit.” I winked at Anthony and gently ushered Monica away from that group of people. I wasn’t embarrassed by her or her statement, but I didn’t want her to dig a deeper ditch with her mouth. She had quite a bit in common with her husband for sure. Those assumptions will certainly get you in trouble.