Alicia being from a family involved with crime or anything remotely illegal. He thought her father might have been some big-time executive or attorney, someone who couldn’t possibly understand the plight of the poor and underprivileged. “Just out of curiosity, what made your dad stop hustling?”
“His best friend got caught. The feds gave him life and charged him as a kingpin. My mom begged him to stop because she didn’t want to lose him to the system.”
“So his best friend didn’t rat him out?”
“No. They were like brothers. Daddy still takes good care of him. He sends him money, visits him once a month, and takes care of his wife and kids.”
“What a story.” Tommy sipped his Hennessey .
“Tommy, what’s even more amazing … Daddy hasn’t sold drugs in eight years, but he’s made close to ten million dollars in the last three years.”
Tommy’s eyebrows rose. “Doing what?”
“Real estate investing. He’s invested in commercial real estate.”
“I wish I could do something like that.”
“Tommy...” Alicia lowered her voice. “Take a look around. What do you see?”
Tommy scanned the restaurant. He shrugged. “People, I guess.”
“Tommy, most of these people in here have money. And guess what … a lot of them didn’t get it honestly.”
“You know I always think that anyway, Alicia. I just thought that was my twisted mind.”
Alicia sipped her martini. “Let me tell you something. Everybody that has money didn’t get it being honest. Most people steal somehow or another.”
Tommy couldn’t believe they shared an ideology. She appeared to be so naive. “How do you think these people got their money?”
“That, I don’t know. Drugs, maybe, or some kind of white-collar crime ... My understanding is that very few get it honestly.”
“Your point is…?” Tommy said, then leaned closer, placing his forearms on the table. “I thought you were against hustling.”
“My point is…make your money and get out.”
“Like your daddy did?”
“Exactly.”
Her smiled was innocent. Her eyes seemed to being saying she had ideas that could take him to the top—unlike Nia, who could never tell him anything. Nia was against him selling drugs most of the time, but when it came to her wants, they had to be fulfilled at all cost.
“I don’t know real estate.”
“Tommy, you can learn anything, and you can do anything you put your mind to. You think my daddy knew the real estate game?”
Tommy was silent for a moment, absorbing it all. He knew he was very capable of learning, but the drug money came so easy.
“Tommy, you can do anything. I haven’t known you but for a couple of weeks, and you appear to be a very intelligent man.”
“Alicia, do you think your dad can teach me how to make money with real estate?”
“I don’t know, but we can ask him. I’ll call him,” Alicia said, then dug into her purse and pulled out her cell phone.
“Daddy!” she said. Her face lit up.
Tommy looked on with envy. He’d never known his dad—only his stepdad, who was serving a lengthy sentence.
Alicia said, “Dad, I’m with my friend here, Tommy, and he does the same thing you used to do and he was wondering if you could help him invest his money in real estate.” She listened for a few seconds then passed Tommy the phone.
The man on the other end of the phone said, “Tommy.”
“Yes. I mean ... Yes, sir.”
“Forget that sir shit. You can call me Don.”
Tommy relaxed and laughed.
“Tommy, I hear you are playing a dangerous game.” “I guess you can say that,” Tommy said, then looked at Alicia.
“Tommy, I ain’t knocking your life, but you have to be prepared when the Grim Reaper comes.”
“The Grim Reaper? What do you mean?”
“The police. Man, I hope you ain’t that naïve.”
“I just had never heard them referred to as the Grim Reaper.”
“Tommy, I’m from the old school, man, but you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” At that moment Tommy thought about
“His best friend got caught. The feds gave him life and charged him as a kingpin. My mom begged him to stop because she didn’t want to lose him to the system.”
“So his best friend didn’t rat him out?”
“No. They were like brothers. Daddy still takes good care of him. He sends him money, visits him once a month, and takes care of his wife and kids.”
“What a story.” Tommy sipped his Hennessey .
“Tommy, what’s even more amazing … Daddy hasn’t sold drugs in eight years, but he’s made close to ten million dollars in the last three years.”
Tommy’s eyebrows rose. “Doing what?”
“Real estate investing. He’s invested in commercial real estate.”
“I wish I could do something like that.”
“Tommy...” Alicia lowered her voice. “Take a look around. What do you see?”
Tommy scanned the restaurant. He shrugged. “People, I guess.”
“Tommy, most of these people in here have money. And guess what … a lot of them didn’t get it honestly.”
“You know I always think that anyway, Alicia. I just thought that was my twisted mind.”
Alicia sipped her martini. “Let me tell you something. Everybody that has money didn’t get it being honest. Most people steal somehow or another.”
Tommy couldn’t believe they shared an ideology. She appeared to be so naive. “How do you think these people got their money?”
“That, I don’t know. Drugs, maybe, or some kind of white-collar crime ... My understanding is that very few get it honestly.”
“Your point is…?” Tommy said, then leaned closer, placing his forearms on the table. “I thought you were against hustling.”
“My point is…make your money and get out.”
“Like your daddy did?”
“Exactly.”
Her smiled was innocent. Her eyes seemed to being saying she had ideas that could take him to the top—unlike Nia, who could never tell him anything. Nia was against him selling drugs most of the time, but when it came to her wants, they had to be fulfilled at all cost.
“I don’t know real estate.”
“Tommy, you can learn anything, and you can do anything you put your mind to. You think my daddy knew the real estate game?”
Tommy was silent for a moment, absorbing it all. He knew he was very capable of learning, but the drug money came so easy.
“Tommy, you can do anything. I haven’t known you but for a couple of weeks, and you appear to be a very intelligent man.”
“Alicia, do you think your dad can teach me how to make money with real estate?”
“I don’t know, but we can ask him. I’ll call him,” Alicia said, then dug into her purse and pulled out her cell phone.
“Daddy!” she said. Her face lit up.
Tommy looked on with envy. He’d never known his dad—only his stepdad, who was serving a lengthy sentence.
Alicia said, “Dad, I’m with my friend here, Tommy, and he does the same thing you used to do and he was wondering if you could help him invest his money in real estate.” She listened for a few seconds then passed Tommy the phone.
The man on the other end of the phone said, “Tommy.”
“Yes. I mean ... Yes, sir.”
“Forget that sir shit. You can call me Don.”
Tommy relaxed and laughed.
“Tommy, I hear you are playing a dangerous game.” “I guess you can say that,” Tommy said, then looked at Alicia.
“Tommy, I ain’t knocking your life, but you have to be prepared when the Grim Reaper comes.”
“The Grim Reaper? What do you mean?”
“The police. Man, I hope you ain’t that naïve.”
“I just had never heard them referred to as the Grim Reaper.”
“Tommy, I’m from the old school, man, but you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” At that moment Tommy thought about
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