The Mike Black Saga; MOB

by Glenn, Roy

  “That’s what I got in mind,” Travis said as Freeze walked away.

  It was a little before 2:00 when Ronnie got to Cynt’s. He wandered around the club looking for Travis and finally found him sitting in the back corner with Mystique. She was burning up his ear when Ronnie came toward them. Once Mystique turned and saw Ronnie coming, she stood up and slapped the shit out of Travis. “You ain’t shit,” Mystique said and walked away.

  Ronnie came to the table laughing his ass off. “What’s happenin’, player? Havin’ some problems with your people today?”

  “Something like that,” Travis said, rubbing his face. “I told Mystique that I didn’t want to see her anymore.”

  “I guess that wasn’t what she wanted to hear.”

  “I guess not. Like you said, she gets real funky when you tell her no,” Travis said and laughed a little. “So, what’s up with you?”

  “I’m cool,” Ronnie said as Jackie joined them at the table. “What’s up, Jackie? You’re just in time. Travis was just about to tell me the deal.”

  “Well, let’s hear it. How bad are we?” Jackie asked.

  “We aren’t bad at all. Cops aren’t looking for us, and since we didn’t leave them any, they have no clues that will lead them to us,” Travis said confidently.

  “What about the parking lot footage they were showing every day on the news?” Jackie asked.

  “Consider that your fifteen minutes of fame,” Travis said. “There’s nothing on that tape to lead them to us.”

  “What about while you were doing surveillance? Won’t that lead them to you?” Jackie asked.

  “Jackie, I’m tellin’ you, they got nothing they can use, and more to the point, they don’t have anything that points to me. I even sold the Thunderbird in Miami while I was down there. I’m tellin’ you, we’re good on this,” Travis said. He looked at Ronnie, who was surprisingly calm and quiet. “You don’t have any questions, Ron?”

  “Nope. Jackie got all the questions now. You answered all my questions when you came back to the city and told me it was all good. You woulda stayed your ass in the Caymans if there was any problems at all.”

  “You’re right. I probably would have. The Caymans is nice.”

  “Oh, so you woulda left us to twist in the wind for it?” Jackie asked.

  “Hell no. I knew you were talkin’ to Freeze. He woulda gave you the heads up if it wasn’t all good.”

  “That is something I do have a problem with,” Ronnie said. “Why we gotta give that nigga so much money?”

  “Ronnie, how you think I got to the Caymans? What did you think, I walked up to the counter at Miami International Airport with a bag full of money? I flew down there on a charter plane. Freeze put me on to a guy named Pete. He flew me in and out of there, no customs, nothing like that.

  “How you think I know that the cops ain’t got nothing on us? Freeze got that handled. He got an in to the cops. Like I told you when we started, we give Freeze that money for his protection and services,” Travis explained as Wanda came down the steps and walked across the floor. “And we pay for the legal services of that fine-ass muthafucka there,” he said and pointed at Wanda.

  “God damn that woman is so fine,” Jackie said.

  “I see all that,” Ronnie said, seeming to ignore Jackie’s observation about Wanda. “But I still think we give that nigga too much of our money, so forgive me if I bitch a little. We gave that nigga damn near fifty grand of our money. And while we’re talkin’ about money, why you feel the need to run to the Caymans to get rid of your money? Why didn’t you just let the white boy handle it like he always does?”

  “I didn’t feel comfortable giving him that much money,” Travis said. “I didn’t want him to make no connection to the job. Y’all all right with your money?”

  “I just feed it to him a little at a time. He didn’t make no connection. He thinks we’re big time drug dealers anyway,” Ronnie said.

  “Why does he think that?”

  “Boy is a fiend for X. Every time I see him, I give him enough Ecstasy to freak half the women in New York.”

  “So, what next, Travis?” Jackie asked.

  “Best thing we can do for the next couple of months is keep a very low profile.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Over the next couple of months, all three kept as low a profile as they could. Thinking that it would improve his chances of getting with Jackie, Freeze was instrumental in getting her a few modeling jobs. But she was gambling more now than she usually did, so she was spending the money as quickly as she made it. Ronnie started working on making his next fortune from home as a day trader.

  Travis got called for a contract programmer job, and went to work three days a week. The contract was in Long Island and the building was next to a bank. Although the idea of getting out still had a haunting pull on him, Travis couldn’t resist the temptation of planning their next job—if there was to be a next job.

  From his office window, Travis could watch the comings and goings without even trying. He opened an account at the bank to deposit his checks. While he was in the bank conducting business, he observed the layout of the bank and studied their procedures.

  Travis spent most of his time, though, getting to know Me’shelle, and he was loving every minute of it. Their time together had been like one long conversation. It was an old fashioned courtship. They spent a lot of time together, slowly getting to know one another. They talked a lot, went to the movies, to concerts, to plays and they danced. They both loved to dance.

  During this courtship, Me’shelle learned something about herself: “I love to eat out.” In fact, she loved to go out period. While she was with Trent, they never went anywhere. He was a homebody. She finally concluded he was just too cheap to want to go anywhere. Trent would show up at Me’shelle’s house in time for dinner, which she would always have to cook, with a couple of movies and some microwave popcorn.

  “You know what I wanna try?” Me’shelle asked.

  “What’s that?”

  “Jerk chicken.”

  “You’ve never had Caribbean food?”

  “Nope. I’ve got a rich southern heritage. That’s where my family’s from. My aunt cooks southern food. But I’ve heard so much about Caribbean, I just have to try it.”

  “That’s cool. I know a little place on Sixteenth Street called Maroons. You’ll love it. They serve both southern and Caribbean food. I always have Aunt Sarah’s stewed oxtails.”

  “You go there a lot?”

  “Not really, but it is one of my favorites,” Travis replied.

  They had their first fight at Foley’s restaurant on Seventh Avenue. It all began one day when Mystique showed up at Travis’s house unannounced and uninvited, while they were on their way out.

  When Travis came out of the house, Mystique was coming up the walkway. He froze in his tracks.

  “Travis, you and I need to talk, baby,” Mystique said and put her hands on his chest. “I’m sorry that I slapped you. I really miss you.”

  “I told you it’s over between us,” Travis said.

  “I just want things to get back to the way they were,” she said. That was when Me’shelle walked out the door. “Who the fuck is this bitch?”

  Me’shelle didn’t like being called a bitch, but she kept her cool and let Travis handle his business.

  “This is Me’shelle,” Travis said.

  “So, is this the bitch you dumped me for, Travis?”

  I ain’t gonna be too many more bitches, Me’shelle thought.

  “This cidity bitch!”

  “That’s it,” Me’shelle said as she stepped toward Mystique. Travis tried to step in between them, but he was too slow. Before he knew it, Me’shelle was all up in Mystique’s grill. “Who the fuck are you callin’ a bitch?” Me’shelle said. “I only see one bitch here, and it damn sure ain’t me, bitch.”

  Mystique rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. “Don’t you know I will kick y
our ass, bitch?” she threatened.

  Me’shelle started taking off her earrings. “Well, come on wit’ it then!” she challenged. Travis grabbed Mystique and carried her away from Me’shelle. “No, let the bitch go, Travis!” she shouted, but that wasn’t about to happen.

  It took about ten minutes for Travis to convince Mystique to leave, but to Me’shelle it seemed longer. She watched them talk from the window to observe their body language. When he came inside, he had to convince Me’shelle that they should still go to Foley’s for dinner. Me’shelle was mad as hell, but what she was more was hungry, so she agreed to go.

  She wasn’t even all that mad at Travis, although she let him think that she was. She was mad at Mystique and madder at herself. They said little if anything on the drive downtown. Me’shelle simply looked out the window.

  When they got to the restaurant and were seated, the waiter came to take their order. Me’shelle had barely looked at the menu. “For starters, how about some Boston Clam Chowder, with chunky potatoes and frizzled onions?” the waiter asked.

  “That sounds good to me,” Travis told him.

  “And for the lady?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “Me’shelle?” Travis said.

  “That’s fine,” she said. By this time she had moved beyond Mystique and was trippin’ on how quickly she snapped and was ready to go at it ghetto style. I can’t believe you took off your earrings and was ready to fight that woman. She looked at Travis; he had a look on his face that was concern and sadness at the same time.

  “Are you ready to order your entrée, or do you need more time?”

  “Give us a minute, would you, please?” Me’shelle said. Once the waiter left, she turned Travis. “We need to talk about this.”

  “Yes, we do.”

  “So, who was that woman?”

  “She’s the woman I told you about.”

  “The one with the good sex. Are you still seeing her?”

  “No. I haven’t seen her in two months. I’ve been with you every day for the last month and a half.”

  “Yeah, but you still could be seeing her. You go home every night.”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “So, are you still sleeping with her?”

  “I told you, Me’shelle. No, I’m not seeing her, sleeping with her; I ain’t doin’ nothing with her. If I wanted to see her, I would. And I wouldn’t be spending all my time with you. All I want to do is be with you, Me’shelle,” Travis said as he reached for her hand.

  The waiter returned and they paused the discussion long enough to order. “I’ll have the Seafood Castellane pasta, but hold the roasted tomatoes,” Travis said. Me’shelle ordered the grilled Red Snapper with roasted sweet potato cakes.

  By the time their food arrived, they were still at it. “Well, tell me this then: When did she slap you?”

  “The day I told her that it was over,” Travis answered.

  “Come on, now. You said you haven’t seen her in two months. You’re gonna sit there and tell me that it took her all that time to finally show up to talk about it?”

  “I guess so. She’s been callin’ every day, but I don’t answer the phone when she calls, and I don’t call her back.”

  “Wait a minute. I’m at your house practically every day. Has she called while I was there?”

  “Yes, but I turned the ringer off.” Travis smiled. “So we wouldn’t be disturbed.”

  “How many other women call you?”

  “None. I’m only interested in being with you, Me’shelle. Please believe that.” Travis paused. “But it hasn’t been easy.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I want to make love to you, Me’shelle.”

  “I want you, too, but I told you I didn’t want to rush into that with you.” Me’shelle took a deep breath.

  Travis loved it when she did that. The sound she made, the way her breasts would rise each time, excited him. “I love it when you do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “When you breathe like that. It does something to me every time.” Travis smiled.

  Me’shelle took another deep breath. “Stop it, Travis.” She paused. “I won’t make you wait too much longer. I promise. But this feels so right between us, and I just want to be sure.”

  “I can understand that. ’Cause it feels right to me too.”

  Me’shelle smiled at Travis.

  “What?”

  “Our first fight.”

  “I think we came through it all right. Neither of us got up and left the other one sitting here. But I’ll tell you one thing.”

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “There’s a whole other side to you. I got to start checkin’ you out a little bit closer.”

  Me’shelle smiled. “What are you talkin’ about, Travis?” she asked, but she knew what was coming.

  “Well, come on wit’ it then. No, let the bitch go.”

  “Okay, so I went ghetto style on her. I can go for mine when I have to. Don’t let these manicured nails and this nice dress fool you. I’m still a Bronx girl from around the way.”

  The following week, Travis and Me’shelle planned to go to Cabana Carioca, a Brazilian restaurant on West 45th Street. They were on their way out the door when his phone rang.

  “Hello,” Travis answered.

  “Travis, this Ron, man. Look, I need a big favor.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I need you to do something for me.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’m at the train station at Two-fifth Street. I get off the train and all my windows is busted out and all my tires are slashed.”

  “Oh, shit! Which woman did you piss off?”

  “I’m pretty sure it was this bitch named Pauleen. I know she’s the one who did it, ’cause we was on the phone arguing before the train pulled up here.”

  “Do I know this woman?”

  “You know Pauleen, Travis. I know you know her. Don’t you remember? You introduced me to her one night at some club we were at.”

  “You ain’t talkin’ about Freeze’s girl Pauleen.”

  “That’s her.”

  “You’re fuckin’ Freeze’s girl? Have you lost your fuckin’ mind, Ronnie? How long has this been goin’ on?”

  “About a year,” Ronnie replied.

  “You’re kiddin’. Does Freeze know about it? What the fuck am I sayin’? Freeze knows everything,” Travis said, realizing that was probably why Freeze didn’t like Ronnie. It also explained his constant threats to kill him. Just business my ass. “Okay, Ron, I’ll be down there to get you.”

  “No, no, Travis, that ain’t what I need. Don’t your boy Freeze have his hooks into a body shop?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And I know they got to have a tow truck. So, call your boy get me the hook-up,” Ronnie said.

  “You’re fucking his girl and now you want him to hook you up on the repairs?”

  “Yeah. When you really sit and think about it, it’s only fair. It’s his girl that caused the damage. She’s on his card; he should cover the whole bill. But I know that ain’t happenin’, so the hook-up will satisfy me.”

  “You’re crazy, but I’ll get it done for you,” Travis said.

  “Thanks, Travis. You da man,” Ronnie said and hung up.

  Travis called Freeze and got the hook-up on the repairs for Ronnie. He did, however, leave out the part about him being responsible for the damage because it was Pauleen who did it. Travis called Ronnie back and told him to ask for David. “And tell him Freeze told you to call.”

  Afterwards, while he went on his dinner date with Me’shelle. She asked questions about what she had just heard.

  “Why you want to know so much?” Travis asked.

  “’Cause there’s a whole other side to you, Travis. I gotta start askin’ some questions.”

  Me’shelle had questions for Travis the whole night. Travis was all right with it because they were all q
uestions he could answer honestly, without giving up more information than he was willing.

  While they munched on Clams Bulhao Pato appetizers, Me’shelle asked about Freeze.

  “Freeze is a guy I went to junior high school with. He’s a very dangerous man, but I do things for him and he looks out for me when I need things,” Travis answered.

  After the appetizers, Me’shelle ordered the Mariscada, a seafood combination in red sauce. Travis had the broiled filet of salmon. Over dinner, Me’shelle wanted to know who his friends were. “Are all of your friend like—what’s his name? Ronnie?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean do they all mess around with your other dangerous friends’ women, who bust out windows and slash tires?”

  “No. My only other close friend is Jackie. She’s nothing like Ronnie.”

  “She?”

  “Yeah, Jackie is a woman.”

  “Should I be jealous of your friendship with her?”

  “No, you have no worries there. For one, me, her, and Ronnie grew up together, and two, Jackie gets more pussy than I do. Excuse my French.”

  “She’s gay?”

  “She doesn’t like to be labeled, but yes, she is at best bisexual.”

  “You and her ever do it?”

  “Not since we were experimenting kids,” Travis answered, knowing there was a little more to that story. He didn’t think Me’shelle needed or would really want to hear all the details.

  “What’s she like?”

  “She carries it like a lady, if that what you were asking. If you didn’t know she was into women, you’d never guess by looking at her. But if you’re asking what type of person she is, she’s the exact opposite of Ronnie. Right now, Ronnie’s working on making a fortune as a day trader—very high-energy position for a very high-energy guy. Even though Jackie is working now as a model, she’s a chemist. She prefers to work alone in a very quiet kinda atmosphere.”

  “And you’re somewhere in the middle. But I like that about you, Travis. I think it’s very sexy.”

  “Do you really?”

  “Yes. I think you’re a very sexy man.” Before Travis could bite on that hook line, Me’shelle asked, “So, tell me, Mr. Burns. How are we going to spend the rest of the night?”