Symphony laid sprawled across Mitch’s chest with his arm wrapped around her, holding her in place. She listened to the beat of his heart and the light snore that escaped his lips. After the energy she just burned, a nap would have done her some good, but she wouldn’t allow herself to fall asleep. She had already found herself being vulnerable to Mitch she wasn’t ready for what would happen if she fell asleep and was awakened abruptly because of her nightmares. Questions would follow that she wasn’t prepared to answer. He slept, and she relaxed to the soothing sound coming from inside his chest cavity.
His phone rang, interrupting her peace. She thought about allowing it to roll over to voicemail, but she knew how she would feel if someone purposely made her miss a phone call, and decided to wake him.
“Mitch, Mitch, your phone,” she muttered while shaking him.
He eased out of his sleep state and stretched his arms above his head.
“What happened,” He looked down at her.
The ringing had ceased, but she let him know anyway.
“Your phone. It was ringing.”
Sym shifted over, removing herself from his chest. Mitch slid out of bed and headed towards the living room where his phone was. He picked up his shorts, took the phone out of his pocket and saw that it was a missed call and text message from Niem. He didn’t text back. Instead, he went to check the message while walking back into his room with his dick swinging.
Bro, we at the spot You still coming?
“Symphony, you still want to go to Starlets?”
She thought about saying no. Here she found herself in the same position she was in with Mitch a year ago afraid of what it meant. She wanted to go back to her usual cold self and push him away again. In fact, that’s exactly what she planned on doing. But that night she was going to enjoy it.
“Yea, we can still go,” She answered.
Mitch quickly shot Niem a text back.
Yea, we about to pull up in a little while.
He dropped his phone on the bottom of his bed and moved around to the side where Sym, was laying.
“Come jump in the shower with me.”
She reached her arms out for him to pick her up, expecting him not to. She was pleasantly surprised when he lifted her up and tossed her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing.
“You better not drop me,” she scolded him.
He jerked as if he was about to drop her and laugh.
“That’s not funny, Mitch.”
He shh’d her with a kiss before placing her on the edge of the sink and turning on the shower. After taking a quick shower together, Symphony slipped back into her clothes while Mitch dressed in a similar, but different fit from the one he wore earlier in the day and they were on their way.
__
It was a typical night in the famous Strip Club. The spot was wall to wall packed, and the vibe was on ten. It did help that Fabolous and a few other artists were in the spot that night. Symphony tailed behind Mitch as he navigated through the crowd to the section his friends had.
“Finally, you decide to show up nigga,” Niem greeted Mitch with a dap before looking around him at Sym.
“Oh, she is a joint,” Niem voiced to Nino, who apparently had a lot to say about the chick Mitch had accompany him to Summer Jam. “What up shorty? I’m Niem.”
“Symphony.” Sym reached out to shake his hand, but he pulled her in for a hug.
“Nice to meet you,” he whispered in her ear before releasing her. “What you drinking?”
Sym shrugged her shoulders. She was with whatever bottles they had ordered or planned to order. “Come on, don’t be shy. What you want to drink?”
“Patron,” she shouted above the music.
“My type of girl,” he joked.
Mitch wrapped his arm around Symphony’s waist and ushered her over to the couch in their section, where they took a seat side by side. He put one foot up on the table in front him and kicked back while rolling a blunt. Sym bobbed her head to the music until Niem passed her the bottle of Patron he ordered just for her.
“That’s all you, Symphony,” he coerced her to face the bottle. Well, he insinuated it, and the rest was all Sym. She removed the cork-like top from the bottle and took a sip.
“Enough class for wine, but still handle patron?” Mitch joked.
Symphony laughed at the Fab bar he spit and nodded, “Basically.”
One of the bottle girls made her way to their section and handed Mitch the bottle of Hennessey that Niem let her know was for him. Sym stuffed a few singles in the waistline of her shorts and slapped her ass causing the guys to laugh.
“What? A fat ass is a fat ass,” she giggled.
Hey, when in a strip club do as the strip club goers do.
__
“What?” Rory roared after hearing what his boy just said in his ear.
“Yea, I saw the nigga Niem by the bar. You know wherever that nigga at the other two ain’t far behind,” he said in reference to Nino and Mitch.
Word had got back to Rory about his boys being bodied. No, he didn’t have concrete proof on who handled the hit, but he had a very good idea. Niem and Nino were the only two who he had beef with at the moment and the only two who had anything to prove and gain by taking out members of his team. Rory didn’t know Mitch. Most people didn’t. He moved in silence, and the only time one got to know him was minutes before he took their life. What they did know, however, was that he ran with Niem and Nino, which made him collateral damage.
Rory was with his girlfriend but opted to completely ignore her while divulging in the details of his beef with Niem and Nino to his homeboy. She stood off to the side and pretended to busy herself with tossing dollars at the chicks who sauntered by and sipping from her drink, but she was listening intently and hanging on to every word Rory was saying.
“So, how you want to handle this?” Rory’s boy Karon asked.
“What you mean? I’ma see them, niggas. Fuck all that. Nigga’s not going to come at me and expect me to take that shit lying down.” Rory was a hot-headed young boy who believed that not only was he untouchable but that he had the power to end any nigga who stepped in his path. That may have proven to be true in previous incidents he’s found himself in, but fucking with Niem and Nino was a different level. A level Rory probably wasn’t ready to tackle, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try,
“You strapped?” Rory questioned his boy.
“Always my nigga.”
Rory patted his waistline to let his homeboy know that was indeed packing as well.
“It’s whatever. We see this niggas and shit go left, we ready,” he boasted before taking another gulp from the bottle of Hennessey that was in his right hand. He averted his attention to his shorty, who seemed to be occupied with the Stripper that was making her ass clap in her face. She applauded the stripper by stuffing her thong and bra.
“I see you enjoying yourself,”
She slapped the Strippers ass cheeks, causing them to jiggle and blew Rory a kiss before mouthing, you good?
“Always,” Rory assured her.
The night was young and while seeing Niem, Nino, and whoever else was at the forefront of his thoughts he didn’t let them thoughts get in the way of enjoying his night. It was the fact that when he would see them again and when he did… it was on, on sight.
__
The let out after an event at Starlets was just as lit as the inside of the club. The parking lot would usually be popping with party goers for at least an hour after the club let out. That night was no different.
“Yo, Mitch!” Niem called out to get Mitch’s attention. Mitch was off to the side of the building leaning against it with Symphony wrapped in his arms. She was drunk but was keeping her composure.
“What’s good?” He answered.
“Rory and a few of his niggas was in the spot. I got a feeling we going to run into them niggas in the lot. You got that thing on you?”
Mitch sucked
his teeth. Not because he was ill prepared but because he wasn’t here for the bullshit that night. Especially not while he had Sym with him.
“Do me a favor, take my keys and wait for me in the car,” she spoke into Sym’s ear.
“What happened?” Mitch didn’t know that side of Symphony. The side that would have made him place a gun in her hand and allow her to stand by his side. He didn’t know the girl he was parading around as if he knew.
“Nothing,” he lied. As if she wasn’t standing right there when Niem said what he said. “Just don’t want to have you standing around while I got chop it up with some niggas. I won’t be long.”
She could sense that he was lying, but it wasn’t her place to question him. Whatever it was he needed to handle she respected that he cared enough to send her away from it.
“Okay,” she slurred while taking the keys from his hand.
She turned and headed in the direction Niem, Nino, and Mitch was going in, but she was ahead of them, so no one knew they were together.
“What’s good, boy?” Niem spoke with his hand resting on his waist where his piece was easily assessable.
Rory looked up from where he was leaning against his car, kicking it with a chick that wasn’t the shorty he had in the club with him.
“Ya’ll nigga’s really got balls.” Rory stepped forward removing his strap from his hip.
Niem and Nino did the same.
Mitch stood off to the side ready to let loose if it came to it. He always played the background, being sure never to bring any attention to himself. Because he was always low with his shit, he was able to survive as long as he did. He was further enough away, where you wouldn’t put it together that he was with Niem and Nino but close enough to boy any cat that tried them.
Mitch had a feeling that tonight would be nothing but words and threats being tossed around because the parking lot was hot. Any one of them would have been a fool to let off with all them witnesses around.
“I guess you got the message,” Niem stated.
Nino added, “That was fair warning. Next time it won’t be so subtle. It was little niggas that you probably already replaced. Your mom’s and grand moms ain’t replaceable.”
“Nigga, did you just…” Rory cocked back on the hammer but was stopped in his tracks by the flash of the familiar red and blue lights. He tucked his gun behind him and took a step back. “It definitely won’t end here. I’ma see ya’ll niggas.”
“And when you do, we’ll be ready,” Nino spat before tucking his gun back in his jeans and taking steps in the other direction without turning his back to Rory. Niem did the same thing.
The cops usually arrived after a club let out to ensure what was about to happen didn’t happen. Tonight they showed up in the nick of time.
From behind the tints of Mitch’s car, Symphony watched the entire situation unfold. She was turned on by how Mitch stood off to the side, just ready to pop like a boss. But at the same time, she was concerned with how careless it was for Mitch and them to approach the guy in the first place. She handed shit differently. As Mitch made his way to the car, Symphony made a mental note to fall back from him. After the stunt, him and his boys pulled in the parking lot, a lot of backlash was going to follow. She had enough on her plate and had her own shit going on; she wasn’t about to get wrapped up in his too.
“Meet me at my crib,” Mitch yelled out to Niem and Nino before climbing into the passenger seat of his car since Symphony was in the driver’s seat.
“You good to drive?” He questioned, completely ignoring the fact that she may or may not have seen what went on a few minutes prior.
“I mean. I guess I’m in a better position to drive than you are.” Sym wasn’t one to condone drinking and driving but that night she had to go with the one who was less fucked up and that was her. Not only did Mitch have way too much to drink, he smoked, and he was visibly upset. Three strikes against whether or not she allowed him behind the wheel so she had to trust herself to get them home in one piece.
The ride was eerily silent. Symphony remained focused on the road, and Mitch zoned out to his own thoughts. When she pulled up to her building, the both of them got out of the car. Her to go home and him to get behind the wheel.
“Mitch, you good?” She inquired. He only had a few blocks to get home, but a lot could happen in such little time.
“I’m straight, Sym. I’ll hit your jack when I get in.”
She nodded and thanked him once again for the night before retreating to her building and up to her apartment.
__
After finding parking, Mitch had to walk two blocks over to his building where Niem and Nino were out front waiting on him.
“Damn nigga, I thought you were buried in the pussy. What took you so long?” Niem barked.
“Fuck up, nigga. Come on.” He waved for them to follow him and they did.
On the ride up to his place, Niem and Nino were hype. They got in a screaming match about how they were going to get at Rory. Mitch remained quiet and thought the both of them had a lot to learn when it came to the murder game. Especially if they didn’t want to spend the rest of their lives behind bars because of a hit gone wrong.
“Can both of ya’ll shut the fuck up? At least, until we get in my crib,” Mitch huffed.
They lowered their voices, but it didn’t stop them from popping shit to each other. Once they made it into Mitch’s apartment, he headed straight for his weed stash, then to the living room to roll a few blunts.
“A nigga hungry,” Nino announced.
“The chicken spot open but they don’t deliver. Matter fact, it should be some leftover pizza in the fridge.”
“I’m ‘bout to heat that shit up. Ya’ll want parts?” Nino asked.
“Definitely do.” Niem jumped in.
Mitch raised his finger signaling that he wanted parts too.
“So, ya’ll know this nigga going to come at ya’ll with all he got, right?” Mitch questioned.
Niem nodded as he rolled a blunt of his own. “That nigga don’t pump no fear in me,” he added.
“He don’t gotta pump fear in you to end your life. Ya’ll niggas gotta be smart about this shit moving forward. Let’s keep in mind, ya’ll live in the same hood as this nigga. Your mother, Nino’s mom and daughter, everyone ya’ll know for that matter.” Mitch was the level headed one while being hotheaded at the same time. It was a weird combination, but it seemed to work perfectly for himself and those around him.
“That’s what we got you for,” Nino spoke while sitting the box of pizza on the coffee table and taking a seat beside Niem.
Mitch ignored him and grabbed a slice of pizza before sparking his blunt. The three of them sat around shooting the breeze about everything, eating pizza, and getting high. Before either of them knew it, the sun was peaking over the horizon. Mitch left his niggas to make due with the couch and headed for his bed to crash.
Chapter Seven
The waiting room at Brooklyn Plaza Medical Center was emptier than Symphony thought it would be. She wasn’t complaining, though. Even though she had an appointment it was a possibility that she would have spent more time at the doctor’s office, then she wanted to, but it didn’t look as if that would be the case.
“Symphony, where is your family?”
Laverne’s question took Sym by surprise, and she didn’t attempt to hide her reaction in the least bit. She wasn’t used to people questioning her on her life. It was normally easy for her to shut down questions without caring how she came across but she didn’t want to come across rude to Laverne. At the end of the day, she was McKenzie’s caretaker when Sym wasn’t around. She didn’t want to give her any reason to mistreat Kenzie behind her back. There were too many stories on the news with child care providers, step-parents, and even in some cases, parents were abusing and killing kids. Symphony would have hated to have to kill the woman, but she wouldn’t hesitate if she fucked with her child.
“What do y
ou mean? You’ve met Kory and Nadja, my best friend.”
Laverne smirked, “Yes, I mean your parents. McKenzie’s father. I don’t mean to pry; I just wanted to know why you did it all alone. Since we’ve met, I’ve watched you go above and beyond for your job and your daughter. Everyone needs help at one point or another.”
“I have you,” Sym, patted Laverne’s leg and gave her a warm smile.
There was no way Symphony could tell Laverne that instead of spending her days working for an accounting firm, she spent them committing, Murder, Blackmail, or whatever else she was paid to do. There was no way Symphony could explain to her that she chose to separate herself from everyone who loved her and would be there to help her with McKenzie because she felt she wasn’t worthy of love or help. Symphony felt as if she was cursed and the people she allowed to be in her life only suffered because of it. There were days where she didn’t even want Kory and Nadja around because her fear of losing them. However, those were two people who she knew without a shadow of a doubt she couldn’t live without. The two of them knew her front and back and never second guessed standing in her corner. For that, she would always have them around and have their backs.
Nadja and Sym had been best friends since grade school. They met one-day Symphony was left at school because her parents didn’t communicate who would be picking her up that day. After having the principal contacted Sym’s mom, Nadja’s mother gave her a drive home. Somewhere between the conversation shared between the two during the ride to Symphony’s house, a friendship was formed.
Nadja’s plans after high school included going away to college to study Veterinary Science, with the hopes of one day opening her own office. Plans changed, when Symphony’s life started spiraling out of control. Being the friend that she was, Nadja was there to hold Symphony’s hand every step of the way. Not literally, but in the sense of toting a pistol in case Sym ran out of bullets, Nadja had her. So, Laverne was wrong. Symphony had the people she needed.
Street Symphony: A Tainted Love Story Page 5