about happiness; it’s about what you know.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I know you don’t understand, and that’s what I mean by stiff.
You’re a square. You’re not a bad guy; you’ve never had rough times.” “I beg to differ.”
“Listen to your grammar. Nobody in my circle would say that.” “Okay. Your point is?”
The waitress put two more drinks on the table—another sex on
the beach and another bottled water.
“My point is that you had your parents growing up. They lived with
you. My daddy molested me.”
Mark didn’t know what to say at first. Finally, he uttered, “Sorry.” “Twin never knew his father, and his mother sold ass to support
him and his brother.”
“Okay, I think I know what you’re getting at,” Mark said as he
thought about his parents. He’d known all the time that he was
fortunate to have such loving parents.
“My point is people have wounds, Agent Pratt, wounds from
childhood that are hard to cover up. People are hurting, and we mask
our hurt with material stuff like designer clothes, cars, and plastic
surgery.”
“I think I see where you’re going.”
“See … drug dealers and strippers are two of a kind, and they go
together like peanut butter and jelly.”
“But you are such a sweet girl. I just hate for you to be in this
situation.”
“And what situation is that?”
“Dancing for a living and dating a hustler.”
“You can’t save the world, agent.” She stood from the table. “I’m a
big girl. I can handle myself.” She walked away.
Mark stared at her ass. He’d gotten an erection.
*****
“What the fuck is this lipstick doing on your collar, Motherfucker?”
Nia pressed as she presented the shirt to Tommy.
“I don’t know shit. I was drunk last night. I don’t know how I got
home.”
She walked over to the bed and looked at Tommy with suspicion
but didn’t say a word.
“Listen, Nia, why don’t you just get the fuck out of my face before
I hurt you.”
Nia threw the shirt at Tommy. “You ain’t gonna do a goddamn
thing. If you hit me, my brother will be over here so fast to whip your
fat ass you won’t know what hit you.”
“And I promise you that nigga will get a free ride to the morgue.
So if you want to spare your mama a funeral, you won’t call that
coward-ass nigga.”
Nia picked up a pillow and hit Tommy with it. “You fat bastard. I
know you’re cheating on me.”
“I told you, I was drunk. I can’t remember what happened last
night. How did I get home, anyway?”
“Nigga, you drove home,” Nia said furiously.
Tommy’s cell phone rang. He grabbed his pants that were on the
floor and pulled the phone from a pocket. “Hello.”
“Tommy, this is Hector, Manny’s brother.”
“What’s up, Hector?”
“The police got Manny.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. I’ll tell you about it when you come down. Maybe we’ll
have drinks, okay?”
So many questions ran through Tommy’s head. He wondered
how Manny had gotten busted. He wanted to know what he’d gotten
busted with. And there was the ultimate question: Was he cooperating
with the police? Tommy got up and put his pants on. He started to
pace.
“Where are you going?”
Tommy held his hand up to Nia’s face. “Not now, Nia. I have other
shit to worry about.”
Nia saw that he was serious. “What happened, Tommy?” “Manny, my supplier, has been busted.”
“So what do you have to do with that?”
“Nothing. I’m concerned, that’s all.”
Their eyes met and held. Nobody said anything. He thought about
Alicia and her father. He knew he had to make the trip to California.
He had to find a better way.
*****
After Tommy left, Nia walked into the kitchen, picked up the cordless telephone, and called JoJo.
“I need to see you,” she said.
“Why?”
She giggled a little. “I need to see my friend.”
“Oh, you want to see Monster, huh?”
“Nigga, you ain’t holding like that,” she laughed. “But, yeah, I do need some dick.”
“Where is Fatboy?”
“He
“I don’t understand.”
“I know you don’t understand, and that’s what I mean by stiff.
You’re a square. You’re not a bad guy; you’ve never had rough times.” “I beg to differ.”
“Listen to your grammar. Nobody in my circle would say that.” “Okay. Your point is?”
The waitress put two more drinks on the table—another sex on
the beach and another bottled water.
“My point is that you had your parents growing up. They lived with
you. My daddy molested me.”
Mark didn’t know what to say at first. Finally, he uttered, “Sorry.” “Twin never knew his father, and his mother sold ass to support
him and his brother.”
“Okay, I think I know what you’re getting at,” Mark said as he
thought about his parents. He’d known all the time that he was
fortunate to have such loving parents.
“My point is people have wounds, Agent Pratt, wounds from
childhood that are hard to cover up. People are hurting, and we mask
our hurt with material stuff like designer clothes, cars, and plastic
surgery.”
“I think I see where you’re going.”
“See … drug dealers and strippers are two of a kind, and they go
together like peanut butter and jelly.”
“But you are such a sweet girl. I just hate for you to be in this
situation.”
“And what situation is that?”
“Dancing for a living and dating a hustler.”
“You can’t save the world, agent.” She stood from the table. “I’m a
big girl. I can handle myself.” She walked away.
Mark stared at her ass. He’d gotten an erection.
*****
“What the fuck is this lipstick doing on your collar, Motherfucker?”
Nia pressed as she presented the shirt to Tommy.
“I don’t know shit. I was drunk last night. I don’t know how I got
home.”
She walked over to the bed and looked at Tommy with suspicion
but didn’t say a word.
“Listen, Nia, why don’t you just get the fuck out of my face before
I hurt you.”
Nia threw the shirt at Tommy. “You ain’t gonna do a goddamn
thing. If you hit me, my brother will be over here so fast to whip your
fat ass you won’t know what hit you.”
“And I promise you that nigga will get a free ride to the morgue.
So if you want to spare your mama a funeral, you won’t call that
coward-ass nigga.”
Nia picked up a pillow and hit Tommy with it. “You fat bastard. I
know you’re cheating on me.”
“I told you, I was drunk. I can’t remember what happened last
night. How did I get home, anyway?”
“Nigga, you drove home,” Nia said furiously.
Tommy’s cell phone rang. He grabbed his pants that were on the
floor and pulled the phone from a pocket. “Hello.”
“Tommy, this is Hector, Manny’s brother.”
“What’s up, Hector?”
“The police got Manny.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. I’ll tell you about it when you come down. Maybe we’ll
have drinks, okay?”
So many questions ran through Tommy’s head. He wondered
how Manny had gotten busted. He wanted to know what he’d gotten
busted with. And there was the ultimate question: Was he cooperating
with the police? Tommy got up and put his pants on. He started to
pace.
“Where are you going?”
Tommy held his hand up to Nia’s face. “Not now, Nia. I have other
shit to worry about.”
Nia saw that he was serious. “What happened, Tommy?” “Manny, my supplier, has been busted.”
“So what do you have to do with that?”
“Nothing. I’m concerned, that’s all.”
Their eyes met and held. Nobody said anything. He thought about
Alicia and her father. He knew he had to make the trip to California.
He had to find a better way.
*****
After Tommy left, Nia walked into the kitchen, picked up the cordless telephone, and called JoJo.
“I need to see you,” she said.
“Why?”
She giggled a little. “I need to see my friend.”
“Oh, you want to see Monster, huh?”
“Nigga, you ain’t holding like that,” she laughed. “But, yeah, I do need some dick.”
“Where is Fatboy?”
“He
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