A Dollar and A Dream

by Carl Weber, La Jill Hunt, Angel Hunter; Dwayne S. Joseph

  “Freddie, whatcha want, man?”

  “I need to borrow two dollars until the day after tomorrow.” He almost fell over.

  “You need what?” I looked at him like he was crazy.

  “I need to borrow two dollars until tomorrow. So I can play Lotto. Ain’t you heard? The jackpot’s fifty million.”

  “Yeah, I heard, but I ain’t givin’ you shit.” I stepped out of my car.

  “Come on, Paul,” he whined, “with the numbers I got, I can’t miss. Matter of fact, if I win I’ll split it with you.” He spread his hands apart as if to say, How can you beat that?

  “Yeah, right.” I laughed at him pityingly.

  “What? Don’t you trust me?”

  “Hell no, I don’t trust your drunk ass! Only thing I trust you to do is go down to the Quick-Mart and buy a forty so your drunk ass can get drunker.”

  “Damn, Paul, why you bein’ so cheap? All I wanna do is buy a couple’a lottery tickets. If I wanted money for a forty, I woulda told you it was for a forty.” He had the nerve to have an attitude.

  “Well, why don’t you get a job? Then you won’t have to ask me for shit.” I hit the alarm on my Maxima and headed towards my building.

  “Fuck you, Paul, you cheap bastard. I should fuck up your car.”

  I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around. He was mumbling and probably didn’t think I’d heard him, but I did.

  “What’d you say?”

  “Nothin’.” He tried to look innocent.

  “Fuck with my car if you want to, Freddie. But I’ma tell you what. If you do, you better hit that damn lottery. ’Cause after the ass-whipping I’m gonna give you, you’re gonna need every dime to pay for your hospital bills. Now get away from my fucking car.”

  “Man, fuck you and your car,” he muttered as he walked off.

  Any other time I probably would’ve given Freddie the two dollars, but I was still pissed off about spending my money on this sister Jade I’d gone out with last night.

  I’d taken her to Red Lobster and a movie, which was not my norm. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a pretty boy or anything. Shit, matter of fact some might call me a little overweight. But in a town that’s got a ratio of ten women to every one man, a brother with a good job and his own place has got it made, and I was that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. At least I was to everyone but Kerri.

  I opened the main door to my building, noticing the 987 and shaking my head. We live at 5987 Easy Street, but the 5 had fallen off before I moved in and none of my fellow tenants or my landlord had found the need to fix it. Our landlord, well, she didn’t fix nothin’, ’cause she was in financial straits. Funny thing was that for the most part it was a fairly decent spot to live. Not located in the best neighborhood, but it was clean and the rent was cheap. The building had four apartments. Kerri and I lived in the second-floor apartments, and Rodney, this thug-ass brother I suspected of selling drugs, lived under Kerri. My landlord Katrice and her husband Jordan lived in the apartment on the bottom floor under me.

  As I walked into the building Rodney was walking in also. He was probably coming home from a long day at the corner selling drugs. We exchanged pleasantries and I eyed the dude as he walked into his apartment. He acted tough, but the truth was he was soft as butter and one of these days I was gonna turn him in to the police.

  I could smell the strong scent of incense coming from Kerri’s apartment, which basically told me she had company. I’d been seeing her with this older dude for the past couple of months. I guess he’d spent enough so that she felt obligated to finally give the old bastard some. Lucky for him. At least somebody was getting some tonight, ’cause I sure as hell wasn’t.

  3

  Kerri

  I walked into the bathroom and the first thing I heard was some fool yelling outside my window like it was twelve in the afternoon, instead of twelve midnight. I peeked out my window and no surprise, it was Paul, yelling at poor Freddie the wino. Paul had been trying to get in my drawers ever since I moved in. Up ’til now I hadn’t even given him a sniff. But as broke as I was, it might just be worth giving him some if I could get him to pay some of my back rent—so Katrice would get off my back.

  Jesus Christ, what the hell was I thinking about? I couldn’t believe I actually gave that shit some thought. It wasn’t like I didn’t already have enough male problems as it was, including the one laid up in my bed. Okay, let me stop exaggerating. Charlie wasn’t that bad if you liked guys almost twice your age with receding hairlines. The only problem was he was always pushing me to get married. Then again, what should I have expected from a guy who was gonna end up paying this month’s rent? You see, Charlie didn’t know it, but he was more like my ATM machine than my boyfriend, and it was time for a withdrawal. Especially after I came home to find a note tacked on my door from my landlord. It read:

  Kerri,

  I know times are hard but they are for everyone. You’re three months behind in your rent. Pay up by Monday or you have to get out!

  Katrice

  Well, I certainly didn’t have the money to pay up but I knew who did. I’d picked up the phone and called Charlie right away.

  “Hey, handsome, what time do you get off? I got something I wanna give you.” I gave him my sexiest voice so he’d know what I was talking about.

  “My shift ends at eleven.” I could hear a lot of noise in the background, so I knew he couldn’t talk long.

  “I need for you to come over on your way home. What I’ve got for you, you’ve gotta have hot,” I teased.

  “What is it?”

  “You sure are full of questions, aren’t you? But if you must know, it’s warm, wet, and waiting for you,” I purred.

  “Daaamn. I’ll be there by eleven-fifteen, not a second later,” he promised as he hung up the phone.

  I set up the living room with candles, to set the mood. I took a bath and covered myself with the warm vanilla sugar spray I copped from Bath and Body Works. A little Luther on the stereo, my shimmering fine ass barely covered by a red satin robe, a bottle of Chianti chilling in the fridge, and by ten minutes after eleven, everything was ready.

  “Hi, baby.” I opened the door and greeted him before he had a chance to knock.

  “Hey, yourself. So what do you have for me?” He smiled as he looked me up and down. I grabbed him by the tie and pulled him into my small living room, kissing him before I pushed him down on the sofa.

  “So, how was work?”

  “Work was work. Now, what you got for me?” He smiled, letting me know he knew exactly what I had for him.

  “I’ll tell you in a minute. Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

  I went into the kitchen and poured him a glass of wine. Before I could turn around, I felt him behind me, reaching under my robe, caressing my ass.

  “Damn, you smell good.”

  “I taste better,” I said as I turned around and gave him a glass. He took a swallow and then kissed me full on my mouth. This was another thing I liked about Charlie. He was a take-charge kind of guy. I kissed him back and tugged at his shirt and tie until they finally came off. I was reaching for his belt when he lifted me off the floor and put me on the kitchen table. I don’t know who took my robe off, me or him, but by the time I lay back, I was butt-ass naked and his face was between my legs. He licked and ate my pussy like I was a hot fudge sundae and he had just quit Weight Watchers. He moaned as he did it, and that turned me on even more. When I came, he dove in even farther.

  “Mmmmm, God, this is so good,” I moaned.

  “Mmmmm, mmmm!” he agreed. He stopped long enough to carry me into my cramped bedroom and remove the rest of his clothes. Charlie wasn’t the finest man in the world, but his cut body and big dick got me wet again.

  It was me who took charge this time, laying him on his back so I could take him into my mouth. I had already decided I had to work his ass over really good because I was already three months behind on my rent and had a cutoff notice
from the electric and gas company. I needed at least seven hundred dollars.

  I ran my tongue along the bottom side of his penis, and then caressed his balls in my mouth. I felt his body tense up as my tongue worked its magic. I don’t particularly like giving head, but with the mantra “Get the money, get the money” chanting in my head, I had a nice little rhythm going. It must have been working, because Charlie was panting and squirming, gripping the sheets. I felt him tap my shoulder, which was the signal that he was about to come. I eased my entire body on top of his and rode with the same rhythm I sucked. Get the money, get the money.

  “Ride it, girl,” he growled, and slapped my ass.

  “Give it to me, then,” I challenged. I leaned back slightly, rocking my pelvis into his.

  “Oh God,” he moaned. This got ’em every time. Work it, Kerri. Get the money. Get the money. I looked into his eyes and nodded.

  “Come for me,” I commanded. “Now!” I rocked faster and faster, driving him into a state of ecstasy. He cried out and I fell on his chest. I knew without a doubt that the money was in the bag. All I had to do was ask for it.

  “God, Kerri. That shit is the bomb.”

  “I know.” I climbed off of him and went into the bathroom to clean myself up. When I came out of the bathroom with a washcloth for him, he looked like he was knocked the fuck out. I walked back into the living room, catching a glimpse of the bills piled up on the coffee table, and remembered my plan. I climbed back into bed and lay next to Charlie’s still body, wrapping my arms around him. He turned and pulled me closer to him, kissing my forehead.

  “You feel so good,” he mumbled.

  “Only because that’s how you make me feel.” I snuggled closer to his warm body, deciding to make my move while he was still relaxed. “Charlie?”

  “Yeah?” he answered.

  “I need a favor.” I began to lick his chest and nibble at his nipples.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Can I borrow some money?”

  He looked down at me. “So all this was so I could give you some money, huh?”

  “No! What? You think I’m some kind of ’ho? I sleep with you ’cause I care about you, not for money! I can’t believe you, Charlie!” I sat up in the bed with a pout.

  “No, baby. I was just playin’. I know you ain’t like that. How much money you need, huh?”

  “A thousand dollars for my rent.” I added an extra three hundred for his last disrespectful comment.

  “Damn, Kerri. What you need that much for?” He rubbed his hand between my neck and shoulders; he knew that was my spot. His lips picked up where his hands left off, and I could feel him getting hard again.

  “I got to catch up on some bills, that’s all. I’m behind in my rent. Can I borrow it, please?” I wanted him to answer me before we got started again. His answer would actually determine how good round two was.

  “When you need it, Kerri?”

  “Tonight.” I could see that his round two was looking better and better.

  “All right. I’ll go to the ATM at the Quick-Mart and bring it back. I can get five hundred off each one of my cards,” he whispered into my ear. That being said, I turned my back to him and tilted my head so he could lick the back of my shoulders. He smiled because he knew what we were about to do. Like I said, Charlie was a take-charge nigga, so no doubt doggy style was his favorite. After he hit it from the back, we took a shower and he got dressed.

  “You still gonna give me the money?” I asked sheepishly.

  “Yeah, gonna go get it right now.”

  “When you come back, are you gonna stay?” I asked as I walked him to the door.

  “Nah, Boo. I got some stuff I need to take care of in the morning and I need to be on my side of town,” he said as he kissed me. “Look, I’ll be right back.”

  Although I had never actually been to his place, I knew Charlie lived clean across town. He rarely, if ever, spent the night, but I did always offer as a courtesy.

  Beep, beep, beep! Something was beeping and I didn’t know what the hell it was until I followed the sound and found Charlie’s cell phone lying on the sofa. I reached to get it. What the fuck? Why would he care? That nigga wanted to marry me. I wondered who the hell was calling him this late at night.

  “Hello?” It sounded like a question more than a greeting.

  “Who is this? And where is Charlie?” an angry female shouted into my ear.

  “Who the fuck is this?” It was my turn to be angry now.

  “I’m his wife, bitch. Put his ass on the phone!”

  “Look, ain’t no Charlie here!” I screamed back at her.

  “This is his cell phone, ain’t it? I know his ass has been creepin’, and obviously it’s with you! Who is this, anyway?”

  “Like I said, ain’t no Charlie here!” I said, and hung up the phone. Instantly it began to ring again. I picked it up and turned it off.

  Married! I couldn’t believe this shit! I’d been fucking this nigga for over six months and he had a wife. Well, this shit was about to stop right now. And besides, I didn’t do married men. My father cheated on my mother and it caused hell to break loose in our family. I vowed then that I would never have an affair, or be a part of an affair.

  I sat on the sofa, steaming as I waited for Charlie’s married ass to get back. I was gonna cuss him out from here all the way home to his rude-ass wife. I heard a car pull up and made sure it was him. I gave him time to knock and open the door.

  “Man, can you believe there was a long-ass line at the Quick-Mart at this time of night? Everybody trying to buy a lottery ticket. I bought us a couple, baby.” He put the tickets on the coffee table.

  I didn’t answer him. I just stared and looked down at his hands. There was no ring.

  “Where is it?” I asked him.

  “Damn, it’s in my pocket.”

  “Not the money, you bastard. Your ring! Your fucking wedding ring!”

  “Wh-wha wedding ring?” He began to stutter. “What’s wrong, baby? What are you talking about?”

  I handed him his phone. “Your wife called while you were gone. You fucking bastard, you’re married. You were married the whole fucking time we’ve been together. And I thought you wanted to marry me.” I was screaming as memories of my mother’s pain came flooding back to me. “How you gon’ disrespect me like that? How you gon’ disrespect her like that? You are a trifling bastard, just like all the rest of them. Get the fuck out of my house!”

  “Wait, Kerri. Let me explain.” He reached for me, but I backed away before he could touch me.

  “Get the fuck outta my house before I call the cops. Now!” The threat of me calling the cops must’ve worked, because the next thing I knew, he hauled ass and the door closed behind him. Shit, all that and I still didn’t get the damn money! Just a couple of damn lottery tickets.

  4

  Rodney

  “Goddamn it! Where the fuck is it? It’s gotta be around here somewhere! I just had that shit!” I screamed, grabbing my head with both hands and pulling on the little bit of hair I had in frustration. I pulled both the cushions off my couch and threw them out of the way, desperately searching the seams of the couch and love seat for the brown envelope I’d lost. I found nothing but some loose change.

  I was in trouble, big trouble, fifteen thousand dollars’ worth of trouble, and the only person I had to blame was myself. If I had taken my ass over to Big Red’s and dropped off the money like I was supposed to, instead of shooting craps down in the basement with that nigga Jordan, I’d be all right now. But Jordan was such a loser I couldn’t resist the opportunity to take his money. Now I had eight hundred dollars of his money, but I was missing fifteen grand of Big Red’s money. A position I did not wanna be in, because that shit could get me killed.

  There was a knock on the door and I almost peed on myself. Could that be Big Red wondering where I was with his money? Or worse, his enforcer Bubba, the brother with no neck? God, should I open
the door or should I pretend like I wasn’t home? Shit, it didn’t matter. If he wanted to kill me, he was gonna find me no matter what. Besides, where the fuck was I going with only eight hundred dollars in my pocket? I decided to answer the door. If it was Big Red, maybe I could reason with him.

  “Who is it?” I yelled from where I was standing.

  “It’s Katrice.”

  I let out a long and thankful sigh as I walked to the door. “Hold on a sec, Trice. I’ll be right there.”

  I didn’t want her to see how trashed my apartment was, so I opened the door and stepped out in the hallway.

  “Hey, Katrice, what’s up?” I glanced over at the front door nervously as we talked, praying Red and Bubba wouldn’t bust in the building while I was talking to my landlord.

  “Look, I know you still have ’til Sunday, but I was hoping you could pay your rent a few days early so I could pay the mortgage before the first?”

  “Oh shit. Didn’t Jordan tell you?”

  “Tell me what?”

  “I’m paid up for the next two months.”

  “What? No, you’re not,” Katrice snapped. But something in her eyes said she already knew the rest of what I was about to tell her.

  “Yes, I am. And I got the receipts to prove it.” I went in my pocket and handed her the rent receipts Jordan had given me after I’d whipped his ass in craps. Even after that fool lost his entire paycheck to me, he still wanted to play double or nothing for my rent money.

  “That motherfucker,” she cursed. It looked like she was trying to hold back tears. “You beat his ass gambling, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah, he ain’t got no luck with dice.”

  “Tell me something, Rodney. How much cash did you take from him?”