by Zach Tate
Renee swallowed hard, and then fanned herself. “You act like you know me. Who do you think you are to analyze me?”
“That was your last question,” I said, stating the facts.
“Damn,” she whimpered, knowing that I hustled her for control.
I turned up the charm a bit further. “I’m your answer, Renee; the flip side to the Ying and Yang.” I lowered my voice and in a seductive plea I whispered, “Now come over here and uncuff me so that I can be what you need me to be.”
Renee rose out of the chair like a cobra leaving a basket. When she stepped in front of me, she had the handcuff key in her hand. Her hairy belly button was inches away from my face. Feeling the cuffs leave my wrists, I leaned forward on my knees and planted my lips against her flat stomach. I made circles on her stomach with my tongue, and her hands fell to the back of my head in surrender.
I rose from my kneeling position holding the cuffs in my left hand. Our eyes met when I stood in front of her. Our tongues locked, intensifying the heat between us. Her hands explored my body as my right hand rubbed her stomach. I could feel her passion beginning to boil. She relaxed, and as soon I felt her body going limp with pleasure, I put the cuffs on her wrist.
“What are you doing?” she asked, breathing rapidly.
I quickly spun, pulled her other arm around, cuffed her other wrist, and dropped her in the chair. I stood behind her, slipped the handcuff keys in her hands, and bent down to put my lips to her ear.
“Drop the keys and that tells me you want me. Hand them back and I’ll let you go.”
The keys dropped instantly. She leaned her head back to look at me. I leaned closer, slipping my tongue into her mouth. As we kissed, with my body against the back of the chair, she reached her cuffed hands through the small space in the chair and held onto my manhood.
“Mmmmm,” she moaned when she felt my member, and my tongue sliding down the side of her neck.
I walked around the chair, kneeled before her, kissed her stomach, and then freed her breasts. My tongue did a dance on her firm nipples. As I tasted one nipple, I fed her the other.
“Save me! Save me,” she whispered passionately.
I had to do my best in securing that officer of the law in my family. I scooped both of my hands under her full rear. I stood, lifting her out of the seat. Her legs wrapped around my waist, and she leaned her head against my shoulder. Quickly I moved her over to the barstool. With her back against the bar and her feet on my chest, she looked up at me and seductively said, “Take me right here.”
With no hesitation, I pulled her shirt down until it stopped at the handcuffs. I pulled her shorts off. Sucking on her bottom lip, she said, “Condoms—in the bedroom. Drawer to your left. Hurry up, I’ve never been this wet before.”
I made a world record of getting to her drawer and back. As I slipped the condom on, she giggled at herself. “I’m such a damn freak.”
Her wetness accepted all that I had to offer. I held both of her legs in my arms, lovingly pumping away as we kissed. I was focused, and understood my mission—enjoying the pleasure was not a part of the game. I had a job to do. At that moment, it was to send her where she had never been before.
“Oh-oh-yes! Yes-yes—uhh—I’m cumming,” she half whispered.
I dropped down and tasted her soaking clitoris. When my tongued tickled her power button, Renee almost bounced from the stool to the countertop. “Oh God!” I twirled my tongue slower. “Oh Jesus, Joseph and Mary!” she screamed. Loud enough for someone to hear her across the East River.
I maneuvered her small body. Flipping her soft knees onto the stool, and leaning her breasts against the bar. I plunged my manhood deep inside of her. “Mmmmm!” she gasped, using her cuffed hands to hold me back. I forced myself deeper. In a shallow pant, she warned, “Please—take it slow.”
My shaft snaked its way in slow circles until I was deep inside of her. Again, she came in delight.
“Okay—okay—okay, give it all to me,” she demanded. I followed my orders, thrusting deeper until her satisfaction caused me to lose control.
By the time I was limp, we headed for the bedroom. Her mirrored walls and canopy bed were enough props to add to our sex show. I stood her up, looked at her luscious body, and couldn’t help myself from satisfying all of her senses until she was exhausted.
An hour later, Renee called in sick, stripped her clothes off, and joined me in the shower. My erection poked her as she lathered my body. Her wet skin and her innocent eyes had me mesmerized. I bent to kiss her while lovingly placing one hand on her firm breasts. I then reached my other hand around her back and between her legs. Her trimmed patch invited my finger. She started stroking me, and I reciprocated by fingering her.
Her wetness was so inviting that I couldn’t take it anymore. I leaned her small frame over and entered her from behind. Then I thought of Suki.
While my hands were on the back of Renee’s thighs, I scooped her up, immediately causing her to rest her feet on the shower handles. “Wow!” she said, impressed with the new position. Instantly her hands reached up to hold my neck for leverage, and then she slowly bounced on my wet shaft.
While we were one, Renee’s long hair was all over me. The shower cascaded onto our passion. I didn’t move until I felt her shudder. When I was certain she couldn’t take it anymore, I went for seconds. Then Cashmere rang the doorbell.
“You are incredible!” she said as I hurried to get dressed.
Her eyes were closing, so I told her, “I’ll call you later.”
Renee smiled like she won a silent victory. “That was wonderful. Just don’t forget that you owe me a date,” she said, following me out of the bedroom.
I kissed her on the forehead, threw on my coat, and left her standing at the front door. I hit the cobbled street hoping that I had an officer of the law down with my team.
$$$
In the car, I gave Cashmere a play by play on what went down with Renee and he schooled me on how to keep balance in my home. When I got to the suite, Red was tidying the place up with one of her negligees on. When she saw me walk through the door she said, “Hey, sugar,” she planted a big kiss on me.
“You’re back early,” I said, trying to avoid her hands, which were removing my clothes.
“I couldn’t stay away from my man. The whole time that I was gone, I kept thinking that Roxy and Joy were sneaking back here, getting all of my stuff since they knew I was gone.” Red dropped my pants and underwear. When my erection flew out, she squatted down and put her mouth on me. In an instant, she spit in her hand and complained. “Damn, sugar. You could have warned me that I was going to taste latex.”
I was busted. But was I really?
It was clear to the both us that I was having sex with Roxy and Joy. Since Red made it clear that she had no problem with sharing in the past, I wondered how she would handle it with only us sharing the suite.
“So who was she?” Red asked, coming from the bathroom and wiping toothpaste from the side of her mouth.
I stood, going limp, with my pants at my knees. My mind was spinning. Crissy would have gone for a knife and broke dishes. But I wasn’t dealing with Crissy. Roxy would have shrugged and asked me how much money the other woman made. But Red? I loved Red more than she would ever know, and knew that she loved me the best way she could. My mind went to Cashmere and all his rhetoric. With nothing else to say, I answered, “A cop.”
She frowned and then nodded. “Well, at least you protected yourself.” Red walked over, grabbed me by the cock. I shuffled, trying to avoid tripping over my pant legs. “A cop, huh?” she said flatly. Then she looked at me with a pained expression. “What are you gonna do with me, Johnny Hustle?”
The woman had my manhood in her hand, so I told her the truth. “Love you. Then hustle hard so we can retire with Roxy and our family somewhere far away.”
Red smirked, then nodded. “I knew what I was getting into when I came into the family.” She shrugged her
shoulders again. “Okay, a cop? That can work to our benefit. To hell with it. The more women, the more cash, just keep that ring on your finger, Johnny Hustle.” She sighed while leading me to the bed. Then she said more to herself. “A man is gonna be a man. Since you’re my man, I guess this means I have to do most of the work tonight?” Red pushed me onto the bed.
I should have been happy, but I was scared to death. I couldn’t stop thinking about how well Red and Roxy accepted the man that I had become.
$$$
Red rested her head on my chest after we made love. “Sugar, I have something to tell you.” My eyes locked onto hers, bracing myself for the storm to come. “When I was leaving the airport, I saw Green Eyes doing the panhandle hustle.”
“Panhandle hustle?” I asked, slightly leaning up and wondering why I never heard of it.
“Sure, it’s a hustle where he goes to the airport wearing a suit that cost a few grand. He hustles businessmen and women by telling them that he lost his money. Since it’s obvious that he’s not a bum, he asked them if they could loan him a few dollars so that he can get back on a plane to Cali.” She started laughing, and then continued. “One time Green Eyes got his bluff called; the vic purchased his first class ticket, and he had to hustle his way back from California.”
We both laughed at that one. Then she said, “Anyway, he told me that Money Russ was calling you out. Said you challenged him. He’s been asking where you been. I was furious when I heard it. In defending my man, I told Green Eyes, and every other hustler I saw on the way in here, that you were ready because I had your back.”
I sat up in shock and rolled her off of me and said, “You did what?”
“Look sugar, it’s simple. But we have to follow the tradition of doing petty crimes. It’s pretty foolish if you ask me, doing petty crimes for the crown, or that a woman can’t compete. But the bigger cons take up too much time, and there’s not too many ways to run a con on a con man.” Her tone showed she disapproved. “It’s a three day process. Nine times out of ten, he’s going to send his subjects at you to do some petty nickel and dime stings. You already mastered most of them. If you get past them, then he’ll challenge you to something on the short con side. Just to save face with the petty hustlers who look up to him. Then he’s probably going to put a major wager on the competition. That’s what separates a real challenger from any ‘ole body. If you beat money Russ, you’ll be king until the following year. When we hold your birthday parties, we rake in close to a quarter million in one night. Plus, when the challenge comes to you, they’ll have to get through me first, and we both know that won’t happen.”
I kissed her on the lips and said, “Then you challenge him.”
We laughed at the joke, but I wished Red could have understood at the time that I was dead serious. I didn’t know what to do about the challenge. I had never been challenged. The only thing that was left for me to do was to wait for the call to come my way.
$$$
Gloria brought breakfast up at six o’clock the next morning. Under the cart was a black Nike duffel bag. “Honey, have I got news for you. We have a problem,” she announced. Clearly shaken up, she sat on living room sofa. “We have problems,” she stated again, hands shaking as she tried to light a cigarette.
“Calm down, calm down,” I told her. Then I pointed to the cigarette. “You know I don’t play that. The ugliest thing in the world is a woman that smokes.” She put the cancer stick away. “Now tell me, what’s the problem?” I asked, thinking of Cashmere’s advice on making sense out of nonsense.
She got up from the sofa, opened the bag, and then poured stacks of money wrapped in rubber bands on the dining table. In a panic stricken voice she said, “That’s two hundred and fifty thousand. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I didn’t ask for all this money. I just ask for a little bit to get by, and now the workers from the GHI building, The New York Times, and every damn body and they mama is sending me money they trying to invest. I got my whole family trying to count money, and I’m getting death threats and all kinds of people hating me for no reason. The next payment is gonna be a million dollars. What the hell am I supposed to do with that kind of money? Honey, I’m afraid, and I knew God was gonna punish me.”
You would think that some people had worse problems? But it was more common to find people that were afraid of having money, than those who knew what to do with it once they got it. Thank God I knew what to do with it.
I put my warm palms on the sides of her face. “Gloria relax.” I inhaled and exhaled for her to follow me. “Take the money. Continue to pay the first set of investors, and then bring the rest of the money here.”
Red walked in and was amused at me calming Gloria down. I winked at her and then looked at Gloria. “If you have any problems, Red has a big gun. She’ll save you, Gloria. If you’re afraid of handling the money, do all of it in the hotel and Red will protect you, okay?” She nodded calmly. “Now tell the maitre‘d that I have something for Arnold Bond. I need him to send someone from the head office to pick it up, or for a messenger to deliver it.”
“Okay, honey. Boy am I glad that I stopped in to see you.” She wiped the sweat from her brow, exhaled and said, “I feel much better now.” I walked to the door and made sure she could get used to handling large sums of cash.
“Sugar, what are we suppose to do with all of this?” Red asked, putting the stacks into the bag.”
“Put a hundred thousand to the side and hand me the rest in another bag. I can’t believe I make the kind of money I do.”
Red walked over, kissed me on the head, and said, “Sugar, now you know why I’m a better thief than actor.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
Things were really moving; I had to make sure that I was on my job in every aspect from that point forward.
$$$
I threw on the all leather outfit that Renee bought for me and headed out the door.
“Proverb, what’s the word?” I stated while entering the store with the duffel bag full of cash on my back.
“The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. What up, home slice? You up early.” He was staring into his loupe to check the authenticity of the heavy diamond covered watch in his hands.
“What’s that?” I asked, leaning my face over to stop the diamonds from blinding me.
“Cartier. You like this, homeboy?” Proverb asked while ending his inspection.
“Brother, that looks like it cost more than I can afford.”
He slid the diamond-encrusted watch across the glass counter and said, “Keep it. It’s slum, but it’ll fool some jewelers like it fooled you.”
I slid the bag of cash over to Proverb and slapped the fake watch on my wrist. I couldn’t believe it was a fake, but back then, there was so much more about hustling that I still hadn’t learned.
“Still no sign of PeeWee?” he asked, filled with concern.
“Nope. A hustler got hustled, I’m glad me and you is square though.”
Proverb smiled. “Yeah—fo’ sure, but never forget that nobody can be trusted and the best hustlers get hustled. Charge it to the game.”
I thought of PeeWee and said, “Yep.” I then accepted the gift, and headed out to the Deuce.
“Yo—yo-yo,” I heard someone say behind me. When I cautiously looked behind me, it was the one person on crutches that I did not want to see. “Phil got bills and he trying to make a mill. What up, baby?”
I had gold plates on me and I had to get to the bank quick. I tried to make small talk when I asked, “What happened to you?”
He looked down at his crutches and puffed on his cigar. In a sympathetic voice he said, “Yo Gee, for real-fo’real. I got shot in the ass twice. Not once baby, but twice. One in each but-tock.” His eyes opened as if he were reliving the events. “Yo—some brolic kid with gold fangs came in the park with this other kid, and they started busting at me. I know it was dem kids that I chased off, but
you know what was bugged out? The kid aimed right at my ass, Gee. Something up wit dat, Gee; I think the dude was like a homo serial killer that didn’t want my ass to work no more, Gee.” He then pounded on his chest and said, “But the god made it, Gee, and I still got that dope out there, but I don’t be telling nobody. For real-fo’real. Keep it on the hush-hush tip baby.”
Why I stopped for Phil I didn’t know, but I was grateful that Webb didn’t kill him. Before I had a chance to say anything, he started all over again.
“Yo Gee, I’m taking down seven crackers right now on the driver’s license tip. Here they come. If you want to get down, come on.”
I watched as Phil made ten privileged White kids who wanted fake driver’s license hand over $200 apiece. He handed them permit application forms from the DMV, and then walked them into the photo ID shop in the middle of the block. Once there, the kids paid for their pictures to be taken. Phil walked out with the pictures, the cash, and the application, while the kids stood in front of the movies for him to come back. As I walked away, I shook my head thinking how those marks would be there all night while Phil partied with their cash.
$$$
On my way back to the hotel, I was walking up the Deuce and Cashmere was circling the early Mid-town traffic. I ducked down for him to see me, and when our eyes met, he waved me over like he was looking for me. I raced over to the Benz, jumped in, and he said, “I’m heading back to Cali and wanted to hang with my man before it’s all over. Want to head uptown to Pan-Pan’s for breakfast, you with it?” I thought of all the times we had together and really didn’t want them to end, so I rode with my man uptown. I checked the time, and when Cashmere saw my arm glistening, he said, “Damn. Bling—bling—bling. You frostier than a hoe on her wedding day.”