2BookBoxSet

by Nicety

  Chapter 6

  Fool’s Gold

  Quetta sat at the beige-folding table waiting for her lawyer to say something to the two self-serving detectives sitting before them. It was nerve wrecking that she was sitting in this predicament in the first place when she wasn’t the one who committed the crime. They had interrogated the shit out of her until they were blue in the face prompting her to invoke her right to remain silent. Her patience was wearing thin and the lawyer her mother hired didn’t really seem to care or know what the hell he was doing. Quetta took one of her lawyer's cigs out of the pack and lit it with his lighter.

  “So does your client want to give a statement?” One of the detectives said breaking the silence and sliding the ashtray across the table towards her.

  “Uh, she does.” He said nudging her to speak.

  “Like I told y’all before, I didn’t do it. Her name is Goddess Young and she was in that apartment where she had lived for the last two and a half years. I got her the apartment. The damn leasing office ain’t got no record of her being there because she was subletting it from one of my boys. I’m telling the truth.” Quetta said taking a puff of her cigarette and flicking the ashes on the floor.

  “So, can you just tell us why you did it?” The other detective asked scribbling something on his notepad.

  “I didn’t do it!” She exclaimed slamming her fist on the table violently.

  “Okay, you can talk without screaming. Calm down.” Her lawyer suggested, fiddling with his thick bifocal glasses and running his fingers through his dirty blond hair.

  “She hit him with the stun gun because we caught him abusing my son. Ask my son, he’ll tell you what happened.” She said taking a long drag of her cigarette.

  “Uh, we did. The girls said something to that nature but they didn’t really see the abuse with their own eyes. The boy isn’t speaking at all an what we did get out of him was nothing pertaining to abuse.” The first detective explained.

  “Oh my God! I didn’t kill him for no reason. You have to find her. Her name is Goddess Young, dammit! Look the bitch up.” She snapped looking into the mirror on the adjacent wall.

  “My client is proclaiming her innocence and has told you everything she knows on the matter. I suggest you all start looking for the right killer.” Her lawyer stood up stating.

  “Well we have enough reasonable doubt to charge your client and she can just fight this out in court.” The first detective snickered.

  “We’ll see you there, gentlemen.” Her lawyer nodded proudly as he escorted Quetta out of the interrogation room and into the neighboring conference room.

  Once they were securely inside he slammed his briefcase down on the table and stood squaring her off angrily. “Dammit, you can’t expect me to win this case without the real information, Quetta. Now tell me what really happened.”

  “If you are going to be my lawyer then you are going to have to start believing me around here. I ain’t got nothing else left to say today. Do your fucking investigation.” She said throwing her cigarette on the floor and stomping it out.

  The lawyer banged on the double glass paned window on the door for the guard to let him out. He left her standing there angry with her arms folded. She began to wonder if she would ever get out of there seeing as though nobody believed her. The guard came in to escort her back to her dreary county cell.

  “Hey, can I go to the phone room? I made no calls today.” She asked hoping he would oblige.

  “Make it quick.” He replied escorting her to the room down the hall.

  She hurried over to the phone on the corner wall in the room trying to drown out the loud noise of talking echoing throughout the huge room. It was a large squared room with six phones on each wall and they were all occupied except the really nasty looking one in the corner that she would call her own.

  “Hey ma. I ain’t got much time on here but thanks for accepting this collect call.” Quetta said fiddling with the phone cord.

  “Yeah well don’t make it a habit cause between taking care of your bratty kids, paying my shit and your lawyer, I ain’t trying to run up my got damn phone bill without being able to pay for it.” Her mother responded.

  “Ugh, let me speak to my kids.”

  “Hey ma. How are you?” Tara said snatching the phone and taking a muff in the head from her grandmother.

  “Never you mind about me. I need your help baby and I’m asking you cause I know your sister ain’t gonna be able to handle this like you can. You’re all I got baby and I need you right now.” Quetta explained to her daughter.

  “Anything momma. What you need?” Tara asked.

  “I need you to find that bitch, Goddess!” She said through her teeth angrily thinking of her. “I don’t know if I’m getting out of here baby. You hold it down for your sister and brother. I’m counting on you. Find that bitch!”

  “I gotchu momma. Love you.” Tara replied remaining strong refusing to let any tears fall from her eyes.

  ****

  Goddess stepped into the Chase Bank eager and as happy as could be. She wore her raisin colored Ralph Lauren ruched jersey sheath dress accompanied with her black Nicole Miller double-breasted coat and matching Michael Kors mae boot and satchel. She decided to wear her hair down to accentuate her dark eye makeup. She looked like she had just stepped out of a Ebony magazine but she knew that if she looked like money in a city like this she would definitely get money. She walked right up to the service desk seeking out the manager.

  “Hello, I’m Goddess Young here to see Cole Loving.” She said flipping her hair in the direction of all the men standing around in their well fitting business suits.

  “Ah, yes. He’s been expecting you. Have a seat and I will get him for you.” The receptionist rose and walked to the middle of the bank to one of the gentlemen.

  She pointed over to Goddess who refused to sit down. She would rather stand as to seem strong and show that she was far from lazy. It was difficult to see which one he actually was as she discreetly kept one eye out for him. Goddess blotted her lips to freshen her MAC lip-gloss making sure it was nice and shiny as her heart nearly dropped at the fine piece of genitals walking her way. She stuck her hands in her pocket to wipe the nervous sweat off of them before returning them to completely dry off in the air.

  “Hello, Ms. Young. I’m Mr. Cole Loving. How are you today?” He spoke reaching out his hand to her.

  “I’m blessed, sir. Thank you for asking.” She responded trying to sound confident yet humble.

  “I hear that. Uh, follow me to my office, please.”

  He began to walk away with her following right behind checking out his nice firm backside. She loved a man with a great physique and who worked out regularly but she felt a bit guilty for even looking at him. Spliff was dead yet her love for him lived on, which made her feel like a cheater. Still she couldn’t get past the butterflies she was already feeling for her hopefully soon to be boss. They walked to a door where he punched in a code then walked down a long well lit narrow hallway to the third door on their left. His office was a decent size but he only had the standard computer, L-shaped desk, and chair with no windows.

  “Have a seat there and we can get started.” He instructed as he sat at his desk. “Now I’ve got to admit when you called me this morning griping about a job, I was very impressed. I normally don’t like phone calls about application statuses but there was something about your professional demeanor that captivated me.”

  Cole went through the resume she handed to him and was beyond impressed. He wondered why a woman of her poise and expertise was without a job, but given the way the economy was it wasn't unlikely. She had everything to offer a great employer but she just wasn’t applying herself and had not been since the death of her husband. He provided everything she needed which made her lazy and emotionally incompetent. But Cole didn’t know that side of her. All he saw was a well educated beautiful woman with great leg
s in and a perfect smile.

  His smile was just as entrancing. She wanted to leap her thick waist across the desk and push his face right in between her warm opening. As she went on with her usual professional spiel, her sweet scent engulfed his nose leaving him to fall asleep in her eyes and desire her lips. He had not heard a word she said.

  “So, here I am.” Goddess finished. “Listen. I could really use this job and if you hire me I swear I will work so hard you wouldn’t even need to hire anyone else. I’m a one woman team and can multitask my butt off.”

  “Oh yeah?” Cole smirked leaning back in his oversized office chair. "Funny thing is I've been all over the career site and I gotta tell ya, I can't find your application anywhere."

  "No? I'm sure it's in there somewhere. I would gladly fill out another if you want." Goddess replied with nervousness in her voice.

  Well I don't think that will be necessary. I've already made my decision." He spat shooting her a sly smirk.

  "You have? So...what's the verdict?" She asked trying not to lower her eyes in shame.

  “Hmmm…alright.”

  “Alright?”

  “Yes. Alright, you’re hired. Training begins Monday promptly at 9am sharp. Don’t be late.” He stood reaching out his hand to her. "But no more lies. Okay?"

  “Oh my God! You don’t know how much this means to me! I promise you won’t regret this! I promise!” She said standing to return the handshake.

  “You’re more than welcome.” Cole replied as he watched her ass cheeks dance on out of his office.

  As Goddess headed down the hallway, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride within. She had finally accomplished the impossible and found a well paying job. Even though she had to scheme to get it, it wasn't just any job to her. It was her first step to securing her freedom.

  She checked her bus pass realizing she had just enough time to get home and tell Venus the good news. It was a long shot but she had hoped that it would be enough for her to let her stay. Even though she hated taking the bus she was no stranger to it at all and it was much more livelier in the city. Besides her new job wasn’t as far away from her grandmother’s house, which made it all the more wild with short bus rides.

  “Hello, I’m home!” Goddess yelled removing her boots and coat at the door.

  She peeked her head into the empty living room as she hung her coat up then walked around through the dining room and into the kitchen realizing she was still alone. She popped open the fridge grabbing a fruit punch flavored Juicy Juice box out then headed up the stairs to her room. At the stairs, she couldn’t help but hear the loud noises bumping against the wall. The noise was undoubtedly coming from her grandmother’s room as she curiously put her ear to the door to listen to the passion eroding from within.

  She chuckled as she crept to her room tipping on every toe she had. Her grandmother’s door suddenly flew open and out came Truth. There was only the silhouette of him at first as he stood in the doorway's darkness, leering out at her. He looked like a giant standing there motionless with only little movement happening behind him. The sound of her grandmother out of breath and seemingly satisfied from her faint moans grossed her out as she turned back around continuing to her room.

  As she closed the door her curiosity wouldn’t allow her not to look out at him once more. Truth walked out headed to the bathroom as naked as the day he was born, revealing a very tight muscular ass and long lean dick that seemed to beat each of his legs as he swayed.

  “Ugh!” Goddess shrieked as she slammed the door, leaning back against it. “But, damn.” She licked her lips.

  ****

  “So when do you start work?” Venus asked tossing the eggs roughly with the spatula.

  “I start training Monday morning.” Goddess replied with a smirk on her face.

  “Well it’s gonna be mighty hard for you to commute all the way from Atlanta to up here to go to work everyday. Don’t you think?”

  “Huh?”

  “Goddess, I know what you trying to do and it ain’t gon’ work. I got my own thing going on here and I’m not up for taking in nobody and their problems.”

  “Damn, Grams. I finally got a job and you gonna force me to give it up? I wasn’t doing anything in the south and I came up here and scooped a job like that.” Goddess snapped her fingers. “I’m trying to do better for myself.”

  “If you hadn’t have gotten involved with that hoodlum you wouldn’t even be in this predict—“

  “You can’t keep punishing me for marrying Spliff. I loved him and he treated me like a queen. He didn’t put a gun to my head to do what I did with him. I did that shit on my own.” Goddess rolled her eyes focusing in on the wooden breakfast nook.

  “Ugh…Goddess, me and your mother had such high expectations for you and when you disappointed us you only showed us that you didn’t want to do anything with your life.”

  “I’m trying to redeem myself, Grams. Ever heard of second chances?” Goddess took the plate of eggs Venus handed her.

  “Mmmm. Babe that shit smells good. Thank you baby.” Truth walked in the kitchen kissing Venus softly on the lips.

  He was fully clothed this time but Goddess couldn’t bring herself to look up from her plate. She wanted to give them as much privacy as she could even though they were standing right in front of her. Besides it was hard for her to face him when all she could see was his dick swinging from left to right.

  Venus looked over at her noticing her grimacing demeanor. She wasn’t used to having people around and really didn’t know if it was wise to have her granddaughter around her young dip. Truth walked around the island in the middle of the room and headed for the nook, taking a seat.

  “Good morning.” He said staring Goddess in her face pleasantly.

  “Truth this is my granddaughter, Goddess, that I had been telling you about. Goddess, this is my man, Truth.” Venus introduced the two with a side eye.

  “Good morning.” Goddess responded never taking her eyes off of her plate.

  “Well anyway, I guess you can stay, Goddess. I’ll leave a key on the front table for you. But the first time you lose your mind, you’re out of here on the first thing smoking. You got me?” Venus said as she made her way to the nook with her breakfast in tow.

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “Alright now. Secondly, don’t be all up in my business and I won’t be all up in yours. We are both grown women and we will act as such.”

  Inside, Goddess wanted to laugh at her attempt to bust her out in front of her little so-called man. She knew she was trying to throw her the subtle hint to keep her mitts off of her man. That was not the problem for her. It had been hours ago but she couldn't shake the vivid silhouette of his piece out her head. It was the only thing keeping her from looking him in his face.

  She quickly scarfed down her eggs then rose from the table to rinse her plate off in the sink. Venus kept her eye on Truth the whole time peeping to see if he would cut his eye to get a look at Goddess’ backside. He never flinched an inch. He wasn’t as stupid as she had led him out to be even though her intuition told her he was already sleeping with other women.

  “Is the funeral in the morning or the afternoon tomorrow?” Goddess asked turning the faucet off.

  “Morning. 10am.” Venus mumbled between bites.

  “I’m going with you, babe.” Truth said reaching over to caress Venus’ hand.

  She snatched away throwing it under the table in hiding. Goddess chuckled a bit inside at the display, as she made her way back upstairs to hop in the shower. Truth was distraught by Venus' total disregard for his affection. He was tired of her treating him like he didn’t matter and like she didn’t love him.

  She knew he was always down for her regardless of anything. Though she continued to act like they were strictly friends, unwilling to open her heart up to be crushed again. Venus had been married twice before and if it weren’t for her last husband dying o
f a heart attack she would have divorced his ass just like her first one. None of her husbands knew how to keep their Johnsons to themselves. Her heart was a cold empty shell of emotionless turmoil. It was almost impossible to warm.

  “Babe, why you keep pulling away from me? Is it cause I’m young? I mean damn I fuck you like crazy. I’m always here. What the fuck do you want from me?” Truth snapped. “Most females would kill for a nigga like me.”

  “I just don’t like to get to close alright. Men really know how to hurt you.” Venus replied.

  "You making it seem like I don't pamper you. Don't I treat you like a queen?"

  "The best in the world." She answered raising her head looking up into his big brown eyes.

  "Then trust me when I say I'm not gone hurt you woman. Okay?" Truth winked his eye.

  "I can't make no promises...but I'll try." Venus returned her hand close to his on the table allowing him to gently rub her soft skin.

  Chapter 7

  Never can say Goodbye

  Venus could smell the fresh pine of the coffin as she sat in the front beau of the church with Truth by her side consoling her. She had always been very close to her daughter and now that she was gone all she could think about was when it would be her day to join her. Venus knew that one day her fascination with the street life of abusing drugs would ultimately lead to her demise. But when she was murdered she felt it wasn’t fair. She felt that God didn’t give her enough time to change her life or her ways and for that she despised him.

  The preacher spoke on but Venus' ears were deaf. She couldn't focus on the dozens of mourners at the funeral or the grotesque flowers posted on the side of her daughter’s casket that the church so eloquently insisted they provide. Her eyes were fixated on the coffin of her beautiful brutally murdered child. Out of her peripheral vision, she waited to see if Goddess would break down and burst into tears. It annoyed her a bit that she didn’t.