At the age of two, Nina became the custodial child of her grandmother after her nineteen-year-old mother was killed by her boyfriend. Nina spent the next fifteen years of her life in a constant search for peace. Her teenage body developed faster than her maturity level. As a result, she was ill-equipped to handle the barrage of propositions she received from boys her age, young men that stalked her, and many of the men in her neighborhood who were old enough to be her father.
The verbal harassment she endured during her walk from school to her home was so vile it would have made the most sanctified woman go postal. Getting her butt rubbed and fondled by the sordid men in her community was an unwelcomed but integral part of her travels.
Even if Nina did manage to avoid the scum that dwelled throughout the streets within her ZIP code, she was usually met at her front door by yet another dark secret. Nina’s perverted thirty-six-year-old, registered sex-offender uncle lived with them. He honed his molestation skills by sexually abusing her two and sometimes three times a week.
Nina graduated high school on a sunny Friday afternoon, and less than twenty-four hours later, her clothes were packed and she was gone. She was no longer a boarder in her grandmother’s tiny project apartment. She became a tenant of the streets.
That entire summer was spent in transient mode as she lived with various friends until she and her boyfriend, Flip, were able to secure a small one-bedroom apartment.
Flip was just another wannabe drug dealer. He was tall and lanky, and had little to no education. But he had a genuine respect for Nina and eyes that made her weak in the knees whenever he stared at her. He protected her from the scum of the streets as much as he could. He pampered her hood style by making sure he sold enough rocks to guarantee that her hair and nails were always done.
After two months of sleeping on a borrowed mattress and sitting on a hand-me-down sofa, Flip took Nina to the discount furniture store and let her choose her own particle-board, gold-trimmed, five-piece, black lacquer bedroom set. In Nina’s eyes, Flip was ballin’.
For his generosity, Nina gave Flip a seven-pound, two-ounce, beautiful baby girl that he insisted be named Precious. Their dream of one day becoming a prosperous family and moving into a house in the suburbs appeared clear and attainable. The thought of being able to walk down streets littered with manicured front lawns instead of empty liquor bottles was a great motivator for both of them. The young couple eagerly put their dreams on the backburner while they stockpiled their cash and made their plans.
Unfortunately, Flip’s untimely death changed everything. Without his support, Nina felt lost. He didn’t have a duffle bag full of money stashed under the bed like the drug dealers on television. She had no insurance policy to help pay for his funeral or bereavement counseling. She had no family to rely on; only a few people she called friends, and little to no hope.
As she left another interview for a minimum wage job—an interview that she had to once again bring Precious along on because she didn’t have a babysitter—she walked past a construction site pushing her daughter in her stroller. Despite her determination to ignore the lustful stares, Nina heard one of the workers yell, “Girl, you’re so fine I’d give you my check on payday if you’d give me a lap dance.”
That idiot’s comments garnered laughter from his idiotic peers, but Nina’s curiosity was piqued by the suggestion. She always knew that she had the type of beautiful looks and shapely figure that drove men wild. As much as she wanted to live a regular life while working a regular 9-to-5 job, the realization that she was a card-carrying member of the underclass forced her to consider all of her options, including giving lap dances for cash.
Idle thoughts of earning extra money shaking her posterior led to her dropping Precious off at the next-door neighbor’s house while she interviewed with the owner of the Wet Dreams strip club.
Donnie, the new club manager, gave her the inaugural tour. It wasn’t long before Nina was feeling sick to her stomach. Nina held her breath and said a silent prayer as she braved the cigarette smoke that lingered in the air. She could feel her ass being groped as she strolled past the myriad of hands belonging to the perverts, deadbeats, and jobless patrons that sat around languorously in a strip club at eleven o’clock on a Wednesday morning.
“Baby, you’re gonna have to get used to that in here. If you can’t handle a little touchy-feely, you need to let me know now,” said Donnie as he gnawed on a nasty-looking cigar and opened the door to the dressing room.
“I can handle it,” Nina replied as she fought back tears.
And handle it she did. By the end of her first week of work, Nina’s physical features catapulted her to the top of the stripper heap. Many of her coworkers envied her ability to mesmerize the clients with little to no effort. It wasn’t long before she became a big fish in a very small pond.
Nina eventually earned enough money to move into a decent apartment in eastern New Orleans. The roaches were smaller than the ones that walked and flew around daily in her first apartment. The mice were a welcomed change from the rats she was once accustomed to and had to chase from out of Precious’ crib. Most importantly, the stray bullets that were launched from the barrels of automatic handguns being held by niggas with poor aim seemed to be a thing of the past.
But make no mistake about it; the violence of the rough New Orleans streets is hard to escape. Nina still looked over her shoulders multiple times before she got into and out of her oil-leaking, engine-stalling, fan-belt-breaking 2000 Ford Explorer.
Seven years and countless lap dances later, Nina was a veteran of the game. Unfortunately, she developed many of the bad habits that seem to accompany the lifestyle. Her pre-dance ritual now consisted of a shot of tequila and an occasional snort of cocaine.
On a cool autumn evening, she gave a world-class performance that would forever change her life. The recipient of this award-winning performance was a Wet Dreams regular named Larry. At least once a month he came into the club with at least ten twenty-dollar bills neatly folded and bound by a monogrammed money clip.
Unlike nearly every man, and woman, that Nina performed for, Larry never asked her for a little extracurricular activity. She wouldn’t have complied anyway. Regardless of her financial needs, Nina never stooped to that low level. In the world of strippers, Larry was considered a gentleman because of his self-control. Compared to ninety percent of the uncouth patrons that came through the doors, Larry was a sophisticated voyeur.
Eventually, Nina got to know Larry so well that she looked forward to his visits. His proclivity to pay her more than the average customer didn’t hurt either. Larry would occasionally send a bouquet of roses to the club with a note. The note was never aggressive or perverted, just a kind word and a gentle reminder that she should be careful of her surroundings.
One day, Larry called Nina at the club after he finished a business meeting and asked Nina out on a date. She usually declined these types of offers from her clients vociferously, but his offer came at a time when she desired a change. After a few seconds of holding the phone, Nina softly replied, “I’d like that. Come and get me.” That one date led to a second, and two months later, they could be seen together a few times a week.
Despite Nina’s rough childhood and young adult life, her sensitivity mitigated her lack of etiquette and ghetto ways. Larry was able to see past the rough exterior and latch on to the soul of a woman in need of change. He was touched when he witnessed Nina’s devotion to her daughter, Precious, and her willingness to properly manage what little worldly possessions she had.
A few months after Larry foiled Big Red’s brazen attempt to forcibly make Nina perform oral sex, she accompanied him to his former wife’s gravesite. She held him as he cried while watching Chrissy caress her mother’s tombstone. Nina’s kindness on that day was all Larry needed to see. The next day, Larry decided to ask Nina to marry him.
Based on the types of guys Nina had dated since Flip’s death, there was no way anyone would
have predicted she and Larry would ever become a couple, let alone get married. As a matter of fact, her willingness to take the time to remember his name shocked many of her coworkers.
Larry Dennison simply did not look like Nina’s type. He’d spent his entire life battling his image. At the age of forty, he stood a mere 5’7” tall and weighed 230 pounds. His hairline had started its gradual recession prior to his senior year in high school. Style was a word associated with many of his classmates, but never used in the same sentence with his name.
While growing up in San Jose, California, he was that obscure kid whom no one noticed. He was the kid that was embarrassed at the fact that he made straight A’s in school. In his feeble attempt to carry favor with the popular kids in school, he deliberately sat in front of cheerleaders and jocks so that they could cheat off of his paper.
After graduating at the top of his high school class, he decided to abandon the city of San Jose and its predominantly Hispanic population, and ventured south to attend a historically black college. His goal was to connect with his culture and get as far away from the west coast as possible. His quest brought him to Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
While attending Dillard University, his social standing was further damaged by the braces on his crooked teeth and his meager wardrobe. In short, Larry was a social pariah.
Larry graduated with ease and went on to earn a MBA and law degree from Harvard, all in relative anonymity. After completing his studies, Larry segued into the fast-paced sports arena and became a successful sports agent. By living vicariously through his clients, he was able to live out his fantasies of popularity and athleticism, all while earning a small fortune in commission.
By the time Larry turned thirty-two, he was known for his ability to sign NFL ballplayers to large contracts. But with his impeccable reputation and resume perched on the tip of his tongue, ready to be touted should an opportunity to impress presents itself, Larry still couldn’t get the groupies at the parties to hold a five-minute conversation with him. If the conversation did exceed the five-minute mark, it was usually because the woman was trying to talk him into introducing her to one of his millionaire clients.
The only thing that kept Larry from drowning in his den of bachelor misery was the realization that Chrissy needed him to be strong. His obsession with being a good father enabled him to ignore the loneliness that accompanied him in bed every night. Chrissy was Larry’s angel, his sole reason for living.
She was also his only connection to the happiest time in his life. When he looked into Chrissy’s eyes, he saw her mother, his former wife, Deidra. She was the only woman who ever loved him unconditionally. Larry met Deidra while in college. After receiving a “B” on a statistics exam, Larry responded to a tutor ad on a school news board. It was the first and only time in his college career that he had to be tutored on any topic.
When Larry walked into the study hall and saw Deidra waiting to teach him a thing or two about statistics, he was immediately smitten with her beauty and intellect. Much to Larry’s surprise, Deidra felt the same way about him.
The truth of the matter was that Larry knew that his feelings for Nina weren’t as strong as the feelings he felt for Deidra. However, prior to meeting Nina, Larry felt dead and yearned to live life. Nina came along and resuscitated him emotionally. No one, especially Barbara, really understood his unwavering attraction to a woman that clearly didn’t feel the same way about him.
After spending a few moments in the bathroom to clear his thoughts, Larry walked out and sat next to his sister.
“Barb, I know you mean well,” Larry said as he grabbed his sister’s hand. “But I need your support. Trust me on this. Chrissy and I are going to be fine.”
“I want to support you, but something about this just doesn’t sit well within my spirit, Larry. I give you my word that I will back your decision and not interfere, but I’m telling you right now, I’m gonna watch her like a hawk. I’m not gonna say anything, but I will be watching her. If she disrespects you or does anything to hurt my niece, I will become her worst enemy.”
Larry took his finger and wiped the tear that formed in the corner of his sister’s eye. He knew deep down she meant well, and because of that, he couldn’t do anything but nod his head in agreement.
Together they knelt down and prayed. Barbara prayed out loud for God to bless her family and her brother’s marriage. She also silently prayed that God would reveal any underlying motives Nina might have.
CHAPTER TWO
Since their wedding day, Larry spared no expense to make his new wife and stepdaughter comfortable. He took her on a cruise to Jamaica for their honeymoon and then flew her to New York to see the stage play The Color Purple. When they finally returned from their honeymoon, Larry packed up his new family and moved them out to the West Coast.
Larry purchased a beautiful and spacious 5,000-square-foot home in the hills of Monterey, California. The house was equipped with a swimming pool, a whirlpool Jacuzzi, and a huge backyard.
Knowing Nina’s lust for the finer things in life, Larry made sure her dream car, a 2007 black Range Rover, with its tan leather interior, and chrome twenty-inch rims, sat at the edge of the driveway, waiting to greet his new bride.
“Larry, is that what I think it is?”
“Yeah, baby, that’s your dream car. I hope it has everything in it you want.”
Nina screamed as she jumped out of the limousine that transported them from the airport. She jumped inside of the Range Rover wearing a smile that was so huge it gave Larry chills.
“I love it!” she screamed.
Larry chuckled as he watched his new bride climb throughout the car and play with the buttons on the dashboard.
“Come on, sweetheart, the surprises don’t end here,” Larry said as he escorted Nina and their kids into the house. “Welcome to our home.”
Nina looked like a first-time visitor to Las Vegas as she stood at the base of the driveway staring up at the beautiful home. Her eyes grew wider as she walked through the doorway and stared in amazement at the ceilings and floors of her new MTV Cribs-style home.
“Well, do you like it?” Larry asked, as he searched for some type of feedback.
“Larry, it’s beautiful,” Nina replied as she grabbed his face and softly kissed his lips.
“Come on, baby; I want to show you around.”
Larry took his time taking Nina into every room. First, he showed her the huge kitchen with its granite countertops, huge center island, and stainless steel appliances. Nina was impressed, but she wasn’t ecstatic about the subtle suggestion that she would be expected to cook. Nina could barely boil water, and had no intention of learning to enhance her culinary skills. She told Larry this when they got engaged, but he secretly hoped she’d change her thinking. His first wife was an awesome cook, but he would soon find out that Nina could do wonders with a credit card, but spent very little time handling pots and pans.
Larry took Nina into the huge master bedroom on the first floor. The king-size sleigh bed looked like a twin bed in the massive room. A sofa and coffee table aligned one wall and a dining table with two chairs occupied the other wall. The room was almost the size of the one-bedroom apartment Nina had just moved out of in New Orleans.
Connected to the master bedroom was the master bath. The huge bathtub was larger than her old bed and the shower with multiple showerheads looked like something out of a magazine. The walk-in closet had enough space to accommodate every piece of clothing she’d ever owned in her life. Nina was at a loss for words.
Larry took Nina and the kids upstairs and showed them the huge media room with its 60-inch plasma television mounted on the wall, pool table, and theater seating.
“You know we’re going to have to host a few parties as I court prospective clients,” Larry said.
“I know, that should be fun,” Nina replied with excitement. She was eager to meet and mingle with Larry’s celebrity associates.
“Okay, girls, now it’s time to check out your room,” Larry said.
Precious started cheering and jumping with excitement as she anxiously awaited her stepfather’s presentation.
Larry took them down the hall, opened the door, and smiled with pride. The shock on the faces of the women in his life was all he needed to see. Even Chrissy, who rarely showed any excitement, smiled with glee.
The room was adorned with a mural of both girls on the walls and toys galore. Positioned on each side of the room were two large queen-size beds. On one bed, there was a pillow with the name Chrissy embroidered on it and on the other bed the name Precious was embroidered on a pillow.
Precious immediately ran into the room and started playing with the life-size dollhouse. Chrissy gravitated toward the teddy bears that sat in the corner.
“The girls seem to like the room, baby; what about you?”
Nina mustered up a slight smile, but was visibly disturbed.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
“Nothing’s wrong. This room is beautiful, but I just figured the girls would have their own bedrooms.”
“I thought about converting one of the guest rooms into Chrissy’s room, but I decided not to.”
“Why not?”
“I figured this would be a great opportunity for the girls to bond. They can play together and become closer. Besides, I don’t like the idea of Chrissy sleeping in one of the other rooms alone because those rooms are too far down the hall. I’m accustomed to having her near me. Since you and I will be on the first floor, putting Precious and Chrissy in the same room for a while seemed like a logical solution. After all, they’re only eight years old. By the looks of it, they couldn’t care less. I think they will enjoy being roommates, at least for now.”
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