her shoulder. Still she hadn’t looked my way.
“Hold up, Shawty,” I called out again. This time my voice was more authoritative. “I need to rap to you!”
She turned around saw it was me and smiled. I knew she had been tryin’ to holla at me ever since I showed up at the club…but I brushed her off. It wasn’t ‘bout sex wit’ me even though I would’ve fucked her a long time ago. Shawty was bad as shit. I was on a mission and needed things to be done in my time. And now it was time. She stopped in her tracks and walked toward me. I did the same.
“I saw what happened back there and I’m sorry. That’s fucked up how she or he did you. You aight?”
“I’m good. Them bitches got me fucked up though,” she said loudly as if she wanted them to come out again so she could fight. “I’m from the south and we don’t play that bullshit. It’s cool though,” she shrugged her shoulders tryin’ to be tough, while she tried to get a look at the cut on her face in the store window. “I don’t need that spot no more anyway. I’m just mad cuz she got me for my rent money!”
“I feel you. But since you leavin’ here anyway, might as well make some dough first.” Silence.
“Make some dough wit’ who?”
“Me?”
She laughed and said, “Where your stripper outfit at? In your back pocket?”
“Don’t get smacked, Shawty,” I frowned. I had to put her in her place.
She cleared her throat and said, “Well how you gonna make money wit’ me then? Cuz in case you ain’t noticed, I’m a dancer. And I do ‘aight by myself.”
“For starters…I’ll pay you. There’s more than one way to make cash. You ain’t always gotta dance on stage. I’ll give you more than you was gettin’ paid in there for one night.”
“For doin’ what? I don’t want or need no pimp.”
“I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout trickin’,” I assured her.
“Well what I gotta do and how much you gonna give me?”
“It depends on how much you willin’ to help me. Can we go somewhere and talk privately?” She looked me over tryin’ to detect any sign of me being crazy. She couldn’t see it even though it was there. I smiled and grabbed her hand. She smiled back. “Come on. Just gimme a few minutes of your time baby girl. If you ain’t feelin’ it, you can say no and be on your way. Deal?”
She shook my hand. We stepped off. Together. We went to a small lounge a few blocks down that served food. I told her what I needed and what I was willin’ to pay. She looked scared at first but later agreed.
“Are you sure this’ll work?” She pushed her food aside. Her appetite was lost. “I heard stories from the other strippers ‘bout how dangerous they are.”
“I ain’t gonna let nothin’ happen to you,” I said, lookin’ into her eyes. “Trust me.”
She smiled again and I knew I had her. Finally I would be able to get her to do what I needed. What was fucked up was that some of the money I would pay her wit’ would be her own. I paid Jelly, her so-called friend, to clip her money while she was on stage. Jewels ain’t have nothin’ to do wit’ that shit. So what it may’ve been wrong. I needed this chick’s help. Luckily for me it ain’t cost much.
Monday, 8:15 pm
****
Sometimes havin’ family can make you soft, and I’m as hard as they come.
-Jarvis
The night air was cool as they walked up to Jarvis’s sister’s home. At first he was going to drop Kenosha off but she refused saying she’d rather stay by his side. And because he knew that she was aware that nothing positive would happen if she stayed, that made him like her even more. The small green house in Queens looked peaceful under the night sky, but Jarvis was no fool. There was nothing close to peace inside. Still, he entered using his spare key and Kenosha stayed close on his heels.
The door creaked as Jarvis pushed it open. The television was on low yet he could hear Mary J. Blige’s melodic voice coming from its speakers.
“Hold up, Shawty,” I called out again. This time my voice was more authoritative. “I need to rap to you!”
She turned around saw it was me and smiled. I knew she had been tryin’ to holla at me ever since I showed up at the club…but I brushed her off. It wasn’t ‘bout sex wit’ me even though I would’ve fucked her a long time ago. Shawty was bad as shit. I was on a mission and needed things to be done in my time. And now it was time. She stopped in her tracks and walked toward me. I did the same.
“I saw what happened back there and I’m sorry. That’s fucked up how she or he did you. You aight?”
“I’m good. Them bitches got me fucked up though,” she said loudly as if she wanted them to come out again so she could fight. “I’m from the south and we don’t play that bullshit. It’s cool though,” she shrugged her shoulders tryin’ to be tough, while she tried to get a look at the cut on her face in the store window. “I don’t need that spot no more anyway. I’m just mad cuz she got me for my rent money!”
“I feel you. But since you leavin’ here anyway, might as well make some dough first.” Silence.
“Make some dough wit’ who?”
“Me?”
She laughed and said, “Where your stripper outfit at? In your back pocket?”
“Don’t get smacked, Shawty,” I frowned. I had to put her in her place.
She cleared her throat and said, “Well how you gonna make money wit’ me then? Cuz in case you ain’t noticed, I’m a dancer. And I do ‘aight by myself.”
“For starters…I’ll pay you. There’s more than one way to make cash. You ain’t always gotta dance on stage. I’ll give you more than you was gettin’ paid in there for one night.”
“For doin’ what? I don’t want or need no pimp.”
“I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout trickin’,” I assured her.
“Well what I gotta do and how much you gonna give me?”
“It depends on how much you willin’ to help me. Can we go somewhere and talk privately?” She looked me over tryin’ to detect any sign of me being crazy. She couldn’t see it even though it was there. I smiled and grabbed her hand. She smiled back. “Come on. Just gimme a few minutes of your time baby girl. If you ain’t feelin’ it, you can say no and be on your way. Deal?”
She shook my hand. We stepped off. Together. We went to a small lounge a few blocks down that served food. I told her what I needed and what I was willin’ to pay. She looked scared at first but later agreed.
“Are you sure this’ll work?” She pushed her food aside. Her appetite was lost. “I heard stories from the other strippers ‘bout how dangerous they are.”
“I ain’t gonna let nothin’ happen to you,” I said, lookin’ into her eyes. “Trust me.”
She smiled again and I knew I had her. Finally I would be able to get her to do what I needed. What was fucked up was that some of the money I would pay her wit’ would be her own. I paid Jelly, her so-called friend, to clip her money while she was on stage. Jewels ain’t have nothin’ to do wit’ that shit. So what it may’ve been wrong. I needed this chick’s help. Luckily for me it ain’t cost much.
Monday, 8:15 pm
****
Sometimes havin’ family can make you soft, and I’m as hard as they come.
-Jarvis
The night air was cool as they walked up to Jarvis’s sister’s home. At first he was going to drop Kenosha off but she refused saying she’d rather stay by his side. And because he knew that she was aware that nothing positive would happen if she stayed, that made him like her even more. The small green house in Queens looked peaceful under the night sky, but Jarvis was no fool. There was nothing close to peace inside. Still, he entered using his spare key and Kenosha stayed close on his heels.
The door creaked as Jarvis pushed it open. The television was on low yet he could hear Mary J. Blige’s melodic voice coming from its speakers.
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