Chapter 13

I stood at the balcony overlooking the lounge. We’d been open for about an hour now and business was booming. It was packed inside and the line to get in was wrapped around the building. That’s the type of shit I liked to see. More customers meant more money and I could never make too much of that.

I heard the clicking of heels behind me, yet I kept my eyes trained on my patrons. Leann came to a stop next to me. She leaned against that railing, staring a hole in the side of my face.

“Can I help you?” I asked, never averting my gaze.

“You can explain to me why you fired Dani.”

“Dani didn’t know her place. I don’t need anybody working here that feels the need to question how I move.”

“You’re showing favoritism to Salima.”

“Is that why you were questioning her about whether she was fucking me?”

“It absolutely was.”

Unlike Dani, LeAnn didn’t back down. She wasn’t afraid of me by any means.

“And before you start that cocky nigga on a power trip shit, you aren’t gonna fire me. I’ll show up to work the next day and you better fucking pay me.”

I chuckled. “You really think you run some shit, don’t you? Why are you worried about me and Salima?”

“Because she may talk like she’s about that life, but she isn’t. Didn’t she already try to go to the cops on you? As your friend?—”

“Friend?”

“Yes friend, Deuce. You don’t like to claim those, but you and I are friends. And as your friend, I’m not trying to see you with anybody that can fuck up your freedom down the line. If push comes to shove, and it’s between you and her, she’s gonna choose her.”

“It ain’t gon’ come to that.”

“How do you know that? Is your name Raven? Can you see the fucking future now?”

I smirked as I finally looked over at her. “It’s nice to know you care about a nigga, LeAnn. But I’m straight. I’ve always got me.”

She raised her palms. “Have it your way.”

I chuckled as I playfully pushed her. “You know she asked me if I fucked you or wanted to fuck you.”

Leann scoffed. “Did you tell her that I’m gay and wouldn’t touch your community penis with a ten-foot pole?”

“Nah. Told her I didn’t want to mess up a business relationship.”

Leann punched me in the chest. “See! That’s that messy shit! You play too much.”

“I told her the truth, though.”

“You left room for interpretation. You know bitches make up shit in their heads. Anyway! You need to replace, Dani. You can’t be out here firing my staff over your little girlfriend.”

“You’re staff? I’m the owner.”

“And I’m the house manager. You may sign the checks, but I make sure this ship runs as smooth as possible. Get me another girl.”

She mushed my head before turning and walking away.

“I hope Kina gives you some of that lambskin act right so you can stop coming in here so damn grumpy.”

“Kiss my ass, Deuce!”

I chuckled to myself as she headed downstairs. Focusing my attention back on the floor, I located Salima. She was in the VIP section with a group of women that looked to be a bachelorette party. They were lit as hell and had managed to pull her in with them. The one with the bride sash had her pouring liquor down her throat while the others cheered heron.

When she’d had enough, she waved her hands. Salima smiled as she dabbed her face with a paper towel. The bride pulled her in for a hug before tucking a wad of bills into her bra. Salima thanked them and waved goodbye before moving to the next section. I continued to watch her, thinking to myself that my mama would like her.

I didn’t make it a habit of introducing women to her. It would only get her hopes up that I was going to leave this lifestyle and settle down. That was nowhere in the cards. However, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to give her something as close to a daughter-in-law as she would get.

She and Salima would get along. She could have her lunch dates or somebody to go get her hair and nails done with. I mean, she had friends and my sisters visited her often, but she wanted that special mother-daughter relationship. Of course, she loved me, but I knew she desired a daughter too. She wasn’t down to let my Pops baby mama her again either.

I couldn’t blame her. I loved my father, but the nigga knew nothing about wrapping it up and he didn’t believe in being a one woman man. I wasn’t trying to be him. If I ever had kids, they would all be by the same woman. I fucked off a little bit, but I wasn’t no friendly dick ass nigga.

Shaking the thoughts from my head, I pulled out my phone to call Jaeda. I need an update on my next target.

“Yes, Deuce?” she answered with a sigh.

“Why you sound like you tired of me already?”

“Cause I am. What do you want? I’m busy.”

“Busy doing what?”

“None of your business.”

“You are my business.”

“Stanley, I’m grown.”

“That means you doing some shit you ain’t got no business doing. Is a nigga involved?”

“What! No!”

Her voice was high pitched, and that was a telltale sign she was lying to me. Jaeda was a beautiful girl, but she was mostly shy. Her nerdy ass could barely take a compliment from a man. The crazy thing is, she was a savage in every other aspect. Baby girl was smart as fuck. She graduated high school at fifteen. Because she had so many credits already, she entered college as a junior and graduated at seventeen. Today, at twenty-four she had double master’s degrees and several cetifications. She was a shooter, and she had hands on her. But when it came to men, she was so closed off.

Mia told me she was trying online dating, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that shit. I knew she could handle herself, and she’d do her research before she met anybody, but still. She was my little sister.

“You lying,” I accused.

“Deuce, what the fuck do you want?”

“Calm yo’ ass down. I just need to know about the next person on my list.”

“If you checked your email, you would see that I sent you the files for the next five people. Can I help you with anything else?”

I frowned. “You real snappy tonight. Do I need to come over there?”

“No.”

“For real, Jae. What’s wrong with you?”

She sighed heavily. “I had a date tonight, and he stood me up. Is something wrong with me, Deuce?”

“Hell no, ain’t shit wrong with you. Fuck that nigga.”

“It’s always fuck that nigga, Deuce. Either I’m too shy or when a man finds out who my family is, they run for the fucking hills. I’m tired of being lonely.”

“Sounds like you just want some dick,” I mumbled.

“This is why I don’t talk to y’all about my love life. Everybody doesn’t think with their private parts.”

“I’m sorry okay? Look, Jae. You are a catch. One of these days, you’ll meet somebody worthy of you and you won’t have to change a thing about yourself to do that. You’re the prize. Somebody will figure out what they have when they get you. I believe that.”

She sighed. “Thanks, Deuce.”

“I got you, baby. I’ma see you at dinner tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“Aye.”

“What?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

I disconnected the call and slipped my phone back into my pocket just as I heard more footsteps behind me.

“Why are you hiding out up here?” Maceo asked, strolling over to where I stood.

“I’m not hiding. I’m observing.”

“Must be watching Salima’s ass.” He shook his head. “Come to our section. She’s working it. That way you can look at her up close and personal witcho’ thirsty ass.”

I grinned. “Fuck you.”

I didn’t bother to defend my thirstiness to him. Maybe I was a little thirsty. Salima enticed me. If he wanted to call it thirsty… so be it.

I t was closing time.

The lounge had cleared out. The staff was leaving and the cleaning crew had rolled in. I stood against the bar, eating an order of infused honey lemon pepper wings and waiting for Salima to grab her things so we could head out. I’d been waiting about five minutes when I saw her walking toward me. A few of the girls were behind her rolling their eyes and whispering. I felt like I was going to have to further make examples out of a few of them.

Salima giggled as she approached me. “You’re smacking like it’s good.”

I wiped my mouth. “Good as fuck.”

She shook her head. “Let me get one.”

“Who said I liked you enough to share my food?”

She kissed her teeth as she bumped me out of the way and stole a flat from my basket. I watched as she placed the whole thing in her mouth. A few seconds later, she pulled out nothing but a clean bone.

Fuck! The act had me thinking of all the ways she could suck my dick clean just like that.

“You keep teasing me like that and you gon’ know something,” I warned her, wiping my hands.

She giggled. “I’m ready to go.”

“Let’s roll.”

Pushing off from the bar, I placed a hand on the small of her back and led her toward the door.

“Have a good night, ladies,” I said to the girls in passing.

They all murmured various goodbyes and kept walking.

“They’ve been talking shit all night,” Salima said. “I don’t like drama, but I can’ promise my fist won’t go in one of those bitches mouths.”

I chuckled. “Calm down, killa. You don’t have to see them for two days.”

“I guess.”

We made it outside, and I opened the passenger door for her to get into my car. She smirked as she climbed in but didn’t say anything. Anytime I’d opened her door this past week, she always had some slick shit to say. I guess it was becoming sort of a routine at this point.

As I was climbing into the driver’s side, LeAnn exited the building and headed to the car parked next to us. Her girlfriend exited the vehicle and rounded the car to greet her. Salima’s mouth dropped when they shared a kiss. She slapped my arm.

“You didn’t tell me she had a girlfriend!” she exclaimed.

“You didn’t ask.”

“So! I asked you if you fucked her. You could have told me she was gay.”

“That ain’t my business. Just like Julian ain’t my business. This is work and both of them are great at their jobs.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Stanley.”

“You trying to get yolked up again, ain’t you?”

She smirked. “Keep your hands on the wheel.”

I shook my hand as I backed out of the parking space and made my way out of the lot. She sat in the passenger seat, counting up her tips for the night.

“How much did you clear?” I asked.

“About fifteen hundred. You know, women tip very well when they’re drunk. I had at least five of them hit on me tonight. One even asked to take me home.”

I laughed. “That’s wild.”

“It was fun, though. If I keep making tips like this, maybe I’ll get that new car sooner rather than later.”

“Maybe.”

I smirked to myself. I had my boy deliver her car while we were at work. Unfortunately, by Monday morning it would be gone. Her Infinity was parked in my garage, waiting to be delivered.

We pulled up to a stoplight, and I lifted my armrest. Pulling out an envelope, I counted out fifteen hundred in cash and handed to her.

“What is that for?”

“To match your tips.”

“I don’t need your money, Stanley.”

“Why are you so damn stubborn?”

“Because you aren’t my man and I don’t need you to take care of me. Look, I appreciate all you’ve been doing, but you can’t buy me. I’m not one of those women LeAnn says you trick off on.”

I laughed as I pulled off from the light. “Tricks get paid to stay in their place with me.”

“So what do you call yourself doing with me?”

“Investing.”

She raised an eyebrow. “In?”

“Making sure you’re straight. I know shit’s been rough. I know you gave up alot to move back home and take care of your moms. I didn’t make shit any easier with fucking up your money at Aura. I’m sure the money I gave you was spent on bills, cause you don’t seem like the type to do bald head ho shit with your funds.”

“I don’t.”

“I just don’t want you to worry about shit. We’re friends, right?”

“I thought you didn’t have friends.”

“I don’t. I wanna be your friend, though.”

“I can’t stand you most of the time.”

I shrugged. “Who likes their friends all the time?”

“I love Shar. Ain’t ever been no beef between us.”

“Sure, you love her. But you can’t say she doesn’t get on your nerves sometimes.”

She was quiet for a moment. “She can be a little extra. But that’s what I love about her. My bitch is ten toes down behind me. If I’d called her tonight to jump those hos at work, she would have shown up in sweats, sneakers, and her hair tied up, ready to go.”

I chuckled. “I know y’all are hell together.”

“Always.”

“Just pretend I’m Shar and take this money. Think of it as you being just a little closer to getting that new car to replace that raggedy shit you drive.”

She slapped my arm. “Don’t talk about my baby like that. She’s served me well. Since you wanna talk so much shit, don’t even look in my direction when I’m driving around in my brand-new car. If you don’t fully want me when I’m broke and busted, you don’t deserve me when I come up.”

She playfully snatched the money from my hand and stuffed it into her wallet as we stopped at another light. Much to my surprise, she grabbed my chin and turned my head to face her. She then leaned across the seat and dropped a kiss so nasty on my lips that it had my dick bricking up in my slacks.

She moaned into my mouth as she pulled away from me.

“Thank you… friend.”

Shit.

I watched as she settled back into her seat like she didn’t just fuck me up with that kiss. She sat there, playing on her phone like it was the most normal thing. It wasn’t until the car behind me blew their horn did I realize the light had turned green.

I pulled off and the rest of the ride to her house was taken in silence, aside from the radio playing. She reached over and turned it down as we turned into her neighborhood. A minute or so later, I was pulling up to the curb in front of her house. There in the driveway was her car.

“It’s back!” she exclaimed.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s back. But for how long?”

“Don’t be a Negative Nancy! I happy she’s home.”

“I guess woman.”

Getting out of the car, I rounded the passenger side to let her out.

She smiled and took my outstretched hand to help her. Again, she surprised me by continuing to hold it as we walked up to her front door.

“Thank you for picking me up and bringing me home,” she said softly.

“You’re welcome. You got plans tomorrow?”

“It’s Sunday so I’ll probably hang with Shar for a little bit then have dinner and a movie night with my mom. You?”

“Sunday is family day. That means dinner at the big house with my grandparents, and I’ll probably stop and grab a plate from my mama.”

She giggled. “The big house? You live on a plantation or something?”

“It’s a multi-acre compound. Most of our family lives there. Me and my siblings all have our own plots of land. The big house is where meetings, dinners, and celebrations go down.”

“Wow. That’s so… normal.”

“What were you expecting?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I misjudged you.”

“Ya’ think? If you’re nice to me, maybe I’ll take you out there one of these days.”

“If I’m nice. You’re at my house. You’ve been in my house, uninvited I might add. But you have stipulations on me coming over.”

“I’m not your man, remember?”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Stanley.”

I reached out and brushed a stray hair from her face. My finger trailed her jaw, then down between her breast before wrapping around her throat. She moaned softly as I brought my face to hers.

“Again… what did I tell you about that shit?” I asked, peering down at her.

Her face held a smirk and shit bit her lip. “What are you gonna do to stop me?”

“Oh, it’s plenty I could?—”

The sound of the locks disengaging made me drop my hand. The door opened and Mrs. Navarro stood in her robe and bonnet with her arms crossed.

“Sir. That car is loud as hell. I don’t know where you live, but around here, people are trying to sleep this time of night.”

“My apologies, ma’am,” I said, my hand over my heart.

“Mmm hmm. Thank you for bringing my baby home, but it’s late and ain’t nothing open this time of night but gas stations, Waffle House, and legs.”

“Mama!” Salima exclaimed.

I chuckled. “It’s okay,” I assured her. “I’m gonna win you over, Mrs. Navarro.”

“I’m sure you’re just as charming as your daddy.”

“Oh, so you know my father?”

Her eyes passed over me. “I do and I knew your face was familiar. I’m sure the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.”

“Mother,” Salima said firmly.

“Say goodnight to your friend, Salima.”

Salima rolled her eyes and sighed. “Good night, Deuce. Thank you again for the ride. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“I have business to take care of Monday, but I’ll make sure I see you. Goodnight.” I leaned in and kissed her cheek, before turning to her mother. “Goodnight, Mrs. Navarro.”

“Goodnight, Stanley.”

I bowed slightly before turning on my heels and heading back to my car. I smirked to myself. I could clearly see where Salima got her attitude from. Mrs. Navarro would be a tougher nut to crack than her daughter. It would take more than my charm to win her over.

Luckily, I was always up for a challenge.