Relapse: A Novel by Nikki Turner Page B

only was Don’s nose wide open for what was between Kim’s legs, it was open for the magic powder as well. The funny part was that after a month and a half, Kim was out ofhis life but the heroin wasn’t. Though he just about broke his neck to keep the drugs under wraps, since his newfound stardom, the money and the ready availability of the drug caused his use to escalate. He could never share all of the details of his drug use with Beijing. Most of the time he stayed in denial about it, but Beijing wasn’t slow. She knew what was going on with him. She constantly reminded him of the rehab programs that she had researched for him, and he knew that it would make her happy if he pulled it together. He wanted to do whatever he could to make her happy, but something about that dope had a greater hold on him.
    Don saw Beijing making her way back over to the car. “So, I got the dough, and Wild-Bill said he’s only two minutes away.”
    He motioned for Beijing to look. “There he is.”
    Beijing redirected her attention to Bill. “You are late. I’m docking your pay.” She wasn’t intimidated by the big, burly dark-skinned licensed security guy. “It doesn’t make any sense, all those people in there and the people in the front of the club and I got the world’s hottest rapper out in the car, with no hired protection.”
    “Sorry, I had to stop and get something to eat.”
    “Nigga …” She playfully bopped him upside the head, and then said in a firm tone, “The next time you show up late and have me waiting on you, you are not going to have a job and you can take that to the bank.”
    “B, I apologize.”
    “Yeah, aight, but I still mean what I say.” Then she turned back to Don and said, “They got a lil dressing room for you to chill in until it’s time for you to go on. So, let’s go in.”
    “Aight baby, you da boss.” Don smiled because it turned him on how Beijing handled her business with him on the front line and behind the bedroom door as well.
    They entered through the back door of the club, and Beijing led them past the half-naked women running to their workstations. Before going to iron out details with the DJ, Beijing got Donsettled in the back room, which had dancers’ outfits and shoes piled in a corner. Don couldn’t really enjoy his spliff from shooing off the strippers wanting to get to know him better, get his autograph or number, or give him some head. They had swarmed around him like gravy on a biscuit.
    He calmly and kindly rejected all the half-dressed women. “Baby, it ain’t that type of party. I got a girl, I’m cool,” he said in between pulling on the blunt.
    “Damn, leave the nigga alone. I swear, y’all bitches got a club full of paying motherfuckers, let the man finish his blunt so he can help us all get dis paper. Plus he don’t want no stinky, drunk Ecstasy-taking broads, no way,” one girl said.
    The other girls sucked their teeth at her outspoken comment while Don gave the dazzling beauty a smile and said, “Good looking.”
    “I dance before you go on,” she said. She was dressed in all-blue patent leather. She had on a thong and a bra that looked like a turtleneck with a bunch of splits in it. “Since I’m the feature dancer and rake in the most money here,” she boasted, “they want me to open up for you.”
    “That’s what’s up,” he said not really caring one way or the other. He was zoned out in his own world.
    “This is actually my dressing room that you’re using.”
    “Sorry for the inconvenience,” he said, “but I ’preciate the courtesy all the same, ya heard.” The headline stripper left to finish getting ready to do her set about five minutes before Beijing came in.
    “Coming to the stage is the dazzling Dazzle,” they heard the DJ call over the speaker.
    “Aight,” Beijing told Don. “Showtime after the next song.” He blew his smoke in the other direction, away from Beijing.
    “Cool, baby.”
    He put out the blunt,