by Deja King
The loud ringing of his cell phone woke Genesis up. He had fallen asleep with it right next to him in anticipation that Talisa would call, but that never happened. "Hello," he groaned half asleep. "You an early bird. I can't believe you still sleep," CoCo huffed in the phone. Genesis eyed the clock on the nightstand. "It's only nine o'clock here, but I do need to get up." "Oh, my fault. I thought you would've left Cali by now since you already had that meeting." "Yeah, I was gonna chill here for a little while, you know, relax." "You get in some relaxation, that's a first. It's always about business for you. But Arnez did tell me he saw you chillin' at this party in LA, so maybe you are loosening up some." Hearing CoCo mention Arnez's name made Genesis fully wake up quickly. "I did run into Arnez the other night. He suggested we hook up and discuss some business. I told him I would get his number from you. When did you speak to him?" Genesis kept his voice in an even tone and casual so CoCo wouldn't know he was searching for answers. "He actually stopped by last night. He said him and Talisa had come from the airport a few hours earlier." "Oh." So she went back to Atlanta wit'that dude. What the fuck is going on wit'this chick? "So what's up? Are you coming to Atlanta before going back to Philly? I really wanted us to sit down and talk. There's a lot of shit going on." "I'm coming. I'm about to call the airline and get the first available flight." "Damn, you must really miss me. I knew for sure you were going to postpone the visit." "CoCo, I got you. You need me, I'll be there."
Genesis arrived in Atlanta with one purpose on his mind-finding Talisa. He did want to get the inside scoop on what was going on with CoCo, but Talisa was at the top of his agenda. As he made his way through the airport towards the car rental spot his phone started ringing. He looked down wishing it was Talisa, but it was Denise. She had been blowing up his phone since last night and he was now officially annoyed the fuck off.
"I can't believe this nigga ain't picking up my calls!" Denise screamed at the phone then slammed it shut. Right when she was about to toss it across the room in frustration it started going off. Maybe this Genesis calling me back, igniting herself with hope until recognizing the number. "Hey Monica." "Damn, that's the type of greeting you give your best friend?" "I'm a little annoyed that's all. What's going on?" "I'm headed over to the Pier to have lunch and drinks. Come meet me over there." "Girl, I ain't in the mood. I'll see you when you get home." "Come on, getting out will do you some good. Ain't no fun being stuck up in the house annoyed. Some good food and a drink make everything better." Denise glanced at herself in the mirror and she was already dressed. Hanging out with Monica would help her to stop stressing over Genesis for at least a couple of hours. "A'ight, I'm on my way." When Denise hung up with Monica she tried calling Genesis one more time hoping to strike up some luck, but once again came up short.
Genesis parked his rental in the parking garage of the condominium complex CoCo and Chanel lived at on Peachtree Street. Her spot was the ultimate in high-rise living and reminded Genesis of floating in the sky every time he would visit her place. He was so enamored with the breathtaking rooftop, two bedroom, two and a half bathroom penthouse that it was the inspiration for purchasing his crib in Philly. "Genesis, you made it!" CoCo said, opening the door and beaming, happy to see her business associate and someone she considered a friend, which was rare in her occupation. "What's going on, lovely?" he said, giving her a hug and kiss on the cheek. "When I spoke to you earlier, I meant to thank for the beautiful flowers you sent. That touched me," she said, closing the door behind them. "It was the least I could do. I can't believe Chuck is gone. He was a good dude and he always looked out for you and Chanel." "He was. Do you know he died saving my life?" "What? You didn't tell me that." "That's why I wanted to speak to you in person and tell you what the hell was going on. Follow me into the kitchen. I was about to make me something to eat." Genesis trailed behind CoCo on the custom made walnut floor, and his eyes instantly shifted to the bird's eye maple cabinets because it accented the complete Viking kitchen perfectly. It also included a motorized flat screen wireless TV that emerged with a push of a button. "So yeah, we were at the Compound for a birthday party and out of nowhere this dude pulled out his piece and tried to take me out. If Chuck hadn't jumped in front of me I would be the one six feet under right now." CoCo got choked up thinking about it. "Did you see who it was?" "No, his hat was pulled down too low over his face. He had the shit set up tight because that nigga came in and disappeared out like a ghost." "Where was Chanel? She ill wit' her shit. She didn't have nothin' for that nigga?" "If she had been there, I'm sure she would've. We got to the party first and were waiting on her to come when the shit went down. Chuck died in my arms, Genesis. I ain't gonna ever forget that shit." "I know, it'll be okay." Genesis held CoCo closely as she disclosed a vulnerable side to herself to him for the first time. "That's the thing. I don't know if it's going to be okay." "Why not?" CoCo freed herself from Genesis and opened the refrigerator door, fidgeting with the food nervously. "I didn't want to tell you before because we were just getting to know each other." "Tell me what? And stop messing wit' that food. You making me uneasy." Sorry." "Don't be sorry. Tell me what's going on." "That night at the party, whoever did that shit was aiming for me. This makes the second time in the last few months that someone has tried to kill me. And it ain't no coincidence." "What, you know who it is?" "I'm not sure. But you know that connect you met with in LA? A lot of niggas want to get at dude because his product is prime and he get it for dirt cheap so you can't beat his prices. But Quentin don't fuck wit' too many cats, that's why I never introduced you to him. But, umm, under the circumstances, I didn't have a choice. Plus, I trust you enough that you wouldn't try to cut me out once you build your own link with him." "How were you able to connect wit' dude?" "My father." "I didn't know your father was in the business." "He was. He died a few years ago. He rolled with some major players and Quentin Jacobs was one of them. On the strength of my father he has looked out for me and my sister-product wise-lovely." Genesis nodded his head taking all the fresh info in. "What does your relationship with Quentin have to do with somebody tryna kill you?" "About six months ago I got a call from someone wanting to discuss business with me. I set up a meeting and me, Chanel, Chuck and another one of my guards were all there. Two young niggas showed up saying that they were representing for their boss who wanted to stay anonymous." "He wanted to do some business wit' you and use them as the go between?" "No, the Mr. Anonymous not only wanted a direct linkage to my connect, but he also wanted me to not fuck wit' him no more." "I'm lost. You mean stop getting your drugs from Quentin but let him get them?" "Exactly. I thought the shit was a joke and we all laughed our asses off. But the two men were very serious. They said the price that I was able to give niggas on the streets was fucking up their boss's operation. So after I finished laughing I told them cats to get the fuck out and tell their boss to kiss my ass." "And you have no idea who their boss is?" "No, and never did I think he would come at me like this-hard... blazing." "Well, you need to find them niggas who came to see you and torture they ass until they give up their boss." "I've been on it and so has Chanel, but like the dude who killed Chuck, them niggas are ghost too." "Can'tno nigga get ghostunless they're dead. Not finding them just mean that you looking in the wrong place." "True, but Genesis, I'm scared. I'm tryna be strong because I don't want Chanel to wig out and start killing every suspect nigga that cross my path. But this is the part of the game I prayed I would be able to avoid." "We'll figure it out." "We have to because I don't want to die."
When Denise arrived at the restaurant on the Pier, Monica was already sitting down munching on appetizers and sipping on a margarita. "Hey girl! I was beginning to think you had changed your mind and wasn't coming," Monica said, standing up and giving Denise a hug. "Nah, you were right, I needed to get out of that damn apartment. Chilling outside on the pier and having some drinks was the perfect idea. Excuse me, can I get a Long Island ice tea?" Denise said, waving down the waitress. "A Long Island this early in the
day! You really must be annoyed." "And it's about to get worse." Denise rolled her eyes pissed that her nerves was about to get further worked. "Hey ladies, I see the party has already started without me." Tonya sat down at the table. "Why didn't you tell me she was coming?" Denise glared at Monica not even giving Tonya any rhythm. "I wasn't sure if you were going to show up and I didn't want to drink alone." Denise smacked her lips over the whole entire set. "Denise, no need to be rude, it ain't my fault that there is trouble in paradise. I'm sure it ain't even that time of the month, but you over there feeling pain worse than menstrual cramps due to your boo. Have a few more drinks. I'm sure it will numb the sting." Monica leaned back in her chair sizing up both of their body language before digging in. "Okay, what the fuck is going on?" "Nothing," Denise cut in trying to dead the conversation before it had a chance to start brewing. "Oh, Denise didn't tell you why her trip to LA got cut short." Monica twisted her neck so hard it damn near snapped when she turned towards Denise to get the lowdown. "There ain't nothing to tell. Genesis was flooded with business and was too occupied so I decided to come back home. End of story." "That's the story you running with, Denise? Monica, are you riding with her version or do you want the raw and uncensored one?" "Tonya, why don't you shut your miserable ass up? You mad `cause Genesis took me on a fly trip to LA and Deuce left your ass here." "Well, my man brought his ass back home to me last night after realizing the grass definitely ain't greener on the West Coast. What's Genesis's excuse for shipping yo' ass back here and he staying in LA?" "I already told you, although I don't owe you no fuckin' reason." "No offense, Denise, but I want one," Monica chimed in. "I already gave it to you. Tonya bitter ass want to hear herself make idle chatter. She ain't got shit to tell you." "I supposed that means you already know the reason Genesis was so quick to put you on a plane was so he could spend time with his real boo, which clearly ain't you." Monica spit out her drink, caught off guard by the bulletin report Tonya shared. "You a lie!" Denise yelled. "By your reaction, that would make Genesis the lie. I guess all that sucking and fucking you was bragging about a few weeks ago is no longer doing the trick," Tonya mocked. As if on cue the waitress came up with Denise's drink, but instead of it ending up going down her mouth it was used to give Tonya an unsuspecting shower. "Take that, you lying bitch!" The waitress ducked away quickly, not wanting to get caught in the middle of whatever drama that was sure to go down. Monica was speechless as Tonya's black eyeliner and mascara smeared down her face and her Farrah Fawcett flipped hairdo went to a wet doggy shag. "Bitch, I'ma kick yo' ass like a bad habit!" Tonya lunged across the table, knocking over the ketchup bottle, plate of appetizers and other condiments. Luckily for Monica, she was quick enough to move her Margarita out of the line of fire before the chaos broke loose. Tonya gripped Denise's neck so tightly that when she fell back in her chair hitting the wood flooring, Tonya fell right along with her. Denise jerked her body erratically and so determined to get out of Tonya's clutches that it sent the ladies tumbling violently down the stairs. Denise's petite frame was about to fly away like a piece of paper in the strong wind when they reached the bottom. But Tonya made sure that wasn't going to happen when she reached over and seized the top crop of her hair, putting Denise in a headlock. "Yo' little bitty ass always poppin' so much shit like can't nobody fuck you up!" Tonya said tightening her grip. "Tonya, let her go! They about to call the police on the both of you." But Tonya was so furious over the drink episode she wouldn't budge. Denise was flinging her arms trying to keep hope alive, but Tonya's stocky ass was strong and her lock was firm. Monica had no choice but to start grabbing on Tonya's arm, trying to make her let go of Denise's neck. "Tonya, stop playin' and let go of Denise's neck!" "Ain't nobody playin' wit this cunt!" Tonya released her hold on Denise and let her fall to the cement. "Are you okay?" Monica asked, helping Denise up. She nodded her head "yes" although her outer form was edging towards broken down. Both of them had minor cuts and bruises after taking equally dramatic tumbles. The people on the pier who had gathered around to get an up-close view of the girls gone wild brawl were now dispersing, getting back to their own business. While Monica dusted her friend off, Tonya used the opportunity to get her shit and break out in case the police had been called. Monica paid the bill and tried to calm Denise down. Denise wasn't sure what had her more heated; the scuffle with Tonya or finding out that Genesis was open off the next bitch.
Genesis sat outside drinking a Corona and taking in the stunning 360-degree panoramic view from the sweeping wrap-around terrace. There were four unique soaring turrets that provided dramatic views of downtown Atlanta to the south, Stone Mountain to the east, and Buckhead just to the north. The relaxing vision soothed his senses and made him hunger for Talisa. He figured with the alone time he had while CoCo was taking a shower he should try to reach out to Talisa again. The phone rang several times with no answer, but Genesis was relieved the shit was no longer going straight to voice mail. When he was about to hang up there was a breakthrough. "Hi," Talisa said, softly. "You finally turned your phone back on. What the fuck is up wit' you, Talisa?" "Genesis, I'm sorry." "I don't want to hear no motherfuckin' sorry. You had me waiting for your call all night. And I find out you un brought yo' ass back to Atlanta. What type of shit is this? I thought we were done playin' games." "We are." "I can't tell." "I do want to be with you Genesis. I was going to call you in a few days and try to come to Philly and see you." "You can come see me right now." "I can't come to Philly tonight." "I'm not in Philly, I'm in Atlanta. Now are you going to see me or not?" There was a long pause filled with silence. "Answer me, Talisa." "Not tonight, Genesis. In a couple of days I'll come to Philly...I promise." "I'm fed up wit' your promises. Either I see you tonight or I'm done for good this time." "Fine. Tell me where to meet you." "I'm at the Four Seasons." "Okay, I'm on my way. I'll be there in a half hour." "Don't bullshit me, Talisa." "I'm not. I'll be there. Bye." Genesis hung up not knowing what to make of this shit. But he knew all this back and forth had to come to an end tonight. He wasn't into juvenile games and wasn't going to play them with Talisa even if that meant walking away for good. "Are you hanging out with me tonight or what?" CoCo walked out on the terrace with a silk nightie and matching mid-thigh robe. "Maybe another time. I can't tonight." "I understand. When are you going back to Philly?" "Probably tomorrow but it all depends." "You will call me before you leave, right?" "No doubt, and CoCo, don't worry. Everything will be okay. We will get to the bottom of this bullshit and figure out who is after you and is responsible for killing Chuck." "Thank you." "No problem. I'll call you tomorrow." CoCo walked Genesis to the door and it hit her that she would be sad when he left. And it wasn't the "I miss my friend" sad, it was "damn, I wish I could fall asleep in my bed with that fine motherfucker beside me holding on tight". She couldn't help but wonder if maybe there was a chance that she and Genesis could take it beyond a friendship and become intimate. As far as she knew he wasn't seriously involved with anyone, and she assumed he was over his infatuation with Talisa since he hadn't mentioned her in months. At that moment she decided it couldn't hurt to try and ignite a potentially seductive flame. "Hey, sis!" Chanel said coming through the front door and snapping CoCo out of her daydreaming. "Chanel, you scared the shit out of me! I didn't even hear the door open." "You can lighten up, it's only me." Chanel walked into the living room and slid off her stilettos, relaxing on the couch. "I ran into Genesis when I was getting off the elevator." "Yeah, I needed to discuss a few things with him." "Business things?" "Some business. What happened with Chuck, and that someone is trying to kill me." "Why would you tell Genesis that?" "Because it's true and he needs to know." "Why?" "Chanel, we do business together and we're friends." "Friends! When did you start becoming friends with business associates? That was on your top five not-to-do rules." "It's different with Genesis." Chanel went over to the bar and poured some Hennessey in two glasses. She walked over to CoCo and handed her a glass and then sat back down, crossing her sculpted mochachocolate colored leg
s. "Coco, I know you ain't put your guard down and got hot for that nigga, Genesis," Chanel said in her true icecold composure. "Girl, stop trippin'." "Don't run that shit wit' me. I'm your sister, your twin sister. That shit all in your face, the way you say his name, you feeling that dude." "And what if I am?" "Cut the shit out now. We do business wit' dude, that's it, nothing else." "It doesn't have to be that way. My relationship with Genesis is different than with the other people we deal with in this business. We care about each other." "Do you hear what the fuck you saying? We deal with killers, drug dealers, niggas that would take out their own mother if the price was right." Chanel leaned her body out to directly face CoCo, stressing her point. "I know what type of people we deal with, but Genesis ain't like them." "Maybe it's time for you to get out the game," Chanel suggested, matter-of-factly. "Where the fuck did that come from?" CoCo stood up on the defensive. "I know you've been stressed, and Chuck's death hit you hard. Now you talking about starting a relationship wit' a nigga we work with. Maybe you ain't cut out for this business no more and you need to venture off into something else." "Then who would run our shit?" "I can maintain it. You know I love having my hands all up in the gritty shit." "But you don't even like to talk to people when we negotiating business. All you wanna do is be the enforcer." "Listen, if I have to step up to the plate to keep shit in order, then that's what I'll do. And if that means communicating wit' niggas, then that's what I'll do. I can play any position, but right now we talking about you. You seem to be getting soft and that's not good." "You acting like I'm in a full-fledged relationship wit' Genesis. Ain't nothing even went down between us." "But the fact you would even consider it lets me know you slippin'. You know I'm right. A few years ago this would've never crossed your mind no matter how fine the nigga was." CoCo stood in front of the soaring glass window staring out at the gorgeous sunset at dusk. She wasn't sure how to take the logic her sister was spitting at her. Was she slipping and did she need to step away from the street life once and for all? If so, would Genesis be willing to do the same with her? She doubted it. He seemed to love the allure of the game and making money way too much. But then again, you never know.