Chapter Two:
Too Close For Comfort
***Raheim***
Bang, Bang, Bang
The only person stupid enough to bang on my door at 12 noon on a Wednesday was my baby brother Amir. I decided to take my time until I heard the banging persist. I knew something had to be up. I swung the door open ready to snap until I saw how panicked he looked.
“Rah? You’re alive”
“Yeah nigga and so is you! What the hell is your problem?”
“I just heard on the street that a crazy dude killed you” he was serious as hell and that’s what made it so funny. He pushed past me and flopped on my couch.
“The sad part is that you’re just hearing about it and who the fuck told you that?” My little brother is just as pretty as I am if not prettier. His body is built like a brick wall. He works out religiously and acts all health conscious. He’s trying to be an actor or a reality TV star but he’s a nerd and I do mean a real nerd the kind that reads dictionaries for fun. Can quote Shakespeare or tell you why the sky is blue. He’s in college trying to be a meteorologist or some shit.
“You really should try to stop cursing”
“Aww nigga don’t come over here in my muthafucking house telling me shit and tell those niggas on the street to get there shit right. I didn’t get my ass whipped but I kicked a niggas ass”
I watched my brother’s face cringe with each foul word and I enjoyed it. He always thought I was beneath him because my mom’s treated him better than me and he goes to church three days a week.
“So Aunt Sadie says ya mom been writing?” I refused to claim her as my mother because moms don’t hate a kid because their pops ain’t shit.
“Yeah, well she’s been writing you too. You should hear her out. She really is sorry,” he tried to look all sincere like he really did believe her.
“Sorry for what? For kicking me out at eleven years old? Or sorry for blasting my dad’s chest wide the fuck open? I’m sure she is sorry. She can’t be nothing else but sorry” I threw those words at him like lava being thrown out of a mountain. His nose started flaring like he might say something. I didn’t want to upset him but he was upsetting me.
“Look, what you chose to do is your business but I would rather forget about her. She hurt me real bad man and it’s cool that you want to reconnect but the only mom I have is Sadie Wilson” I put my hand to my heart. Though Felicia wrapped my hand last weekend it still felt sore it wasn’t broken because my fingers moved. She’s been dodging my calls lately but she’d come around she always did. I glanced at my watch letting him know his time is short. In about 1 hour my phone would be blowing up with my Wednesday girl she gets off work at 1pm today. I had her change her schedule to fit mine. She said she had a surprise for me. I bet it was Michael Jordan’s white autographed NC Tarheel’s throwback jersey that cost $1,505. I didn’t ask her for it merely suggested but she’s been pulling double shifts for the past three weeks now.
“I’m about to pull out you need a ride somewhere?” I was trying hard not to be rude but if he wanted to sit and talk about his mom I wasn’t in the mood.
“I’m going to see her next Wednesday” I froze what the hell was he trying to pull?
“Ok that’s cool”
“I told her your coming too.” I flipped. This little nigga came to test me.
“Amir, get the fuck out right now. I’m not going anywhere and I’m not sending her shit. Get your dumb ass out of my house” He wasn’t budging which meant he was set on getting his ass beat. He stood up from the couch and reached into his back pocket pulling out three envelopes and dropped them on the coffee table.
“I’m praying for you Rah, I’m praying God will soften your heart” He was laying it on thick but I didn’t feel like feeling guilty.
“Don’t waste your time but pray that God will keep me off your ass, now get the hell out” I wanted to throw those letters out with him but I swear I wanted to know what they said more.
Right then I hated Amir for coming here and for telling her that I was coming to see her.
I forced myself to walk into the bathroom to take a quick shower. Just like clockwork my phone started ringing and if I didn’t answer on the first try she would be acting crazy.
“Baby?” I could hear her talking but my mind was still on Amir and those letters.
“Yeah, who dis?” I asked rudely.
“You don’t know me now?” She sounded like she wanted to play but I wasn’t in the mood.
“Look don’t call here with the fucking games, who the fuck is this?” See this is where my old man went wrong and it cost him his life. He needed to know when to be smooth and when to put a broad in check.
“Sheila, what’s your problem?” She sounded more hurt than angry.
“Aww baby I’m sorry. My brother just gave me bad news you forgive me?” I tried to sound as sincere as I could and it worked.
“I forgive you, you ready to see me?” She sounded excited so I knew something good was coming.
“I’m always ready to see you”
“Good meet me at my house in about an hour” she hung up before I could respond but I’m on it. In the shower I tried to wash away my brother’s words but I couldn’t, I couldn’t stop thinking about the letters on my coffee table. Why did he choose today to drop some ole crazy shit on me? I quickly threw on my clothes before grabbing the letters and stuffing them in my back pocket. I convinced myself that they really didn’t matter.
Five hours and a new pair of Sean John sunglasses, fresh pair of white Jordan’s and my new Michael Jordan throwback jersey later I felt like a million bucks. Sheila held out on her gift giving until after she laid it on me, black stilettos and all. I kissed her on the forehead before promising to call later tonight. I liked Sheila but she reminded me of a puppy always looking for approval and as jacked up as I am I couldn’t see myself completely ruining her life too. The bulge of the letters forced me to remember what I really didn’t care to that my egg donor was trying to reach out. I drove around looking for a place to park until I found a quiet spot at Fairmount Park. It was nothing but a grassy area. There were no benches or picnic tables so I sat in my car and pulled out the first envelope. It had my name on it but Amir’s address.
Dear Raheim,
I know this letter is about 15 years to late but I’m sorry.
Sorry that I was caught up in my world, that I wasn’t
enough for you and your brother. I’m not gonna
ask you to forgive me, not even forget but just hear my side...
As much as I wanted to be pissed, to feed her trifling ass letters to the birds I kept reading. She went on to explain how my pops promised to take care of us. That he said he was coming to take me and Amir shopping and when he didn’t show up she was so pissed that he kept promising us shit that when she saw my face and couldn’t stop seeing his she was scared she might hurt me. That was the day she kicked me out. She wanted me back but Aunt Sadie wasn’t tryna hear that shit and the night she shot him was right after he promised to take me to church.
When she called my aunt’s house and my aunt Sadie said he never came home that was the last straw. She took her father’s shotgun out of his gun case and went looking for him. When she saw his silver Volvo parked in front of her rival’s house the same Volvo that she co-signed for she shot the door down. They had the music so loud they didn’t hear it. When she kicked the bedroom door in all she could see was the Italian broad riding him into the sunset. She said that didn’t make her pull the trigger. It was after my pops spotted her and started laughing like he knew she was a punk. That set her off before she knew it her finger pressed the trigger and the impact blasted his chest wide open. The Italian broad was all out of laughs by then. She started scrambling to get away. My mom didn’t want to kill her just make her pay so she blew both her legs off leaving her in a wheelchair for life. I didn’t want to cry but the tears slid down my face involuntarily. I never thought to look at things through my mom’s eyes. My father was an ass but it still didn’t change what happened there were plenty of single mom’s in the world that didn’t kill their baby daddies but then again there were a lot that had. I decided I had enough emotion for the day so I put the letters away and sat for a while. I would never understand that kind of love that would make a man and woman go that crazy. I knew one thing was for sure I would never be like either of them. I was satisfied being in love with myself.
My phone started to ring. The number on the caller ID said it was my old Tuesday Kelly. I didn’t come to see her yesterday or for the last few weeks before that and she’s been blowing my phone up ever since. I answered on the fourth ring.
“Yeah?”
“Raheim?” She sounded shocked that I answered.
“Yessss, who’s this?” I knew that would piss her off.
“It’s Kelly why you didn’t come over yesterday?” She was suppressing her irritation.
“Because I was busy, why you miss me?
“You know I do” her voice softened a bit.
“Oh ok, why you calling me anyway? You told me not to come back remember?”
“Raheim stop playing”
“That’s just it baby girl. I’m not playing. You have too many damn mood swings and I don’t have time for that shit. Why you not at work anyway?”
“Because I wanted to make up from last week”
“So you call out of work?” That alone was enough for a cut. I didn’t roll with slackers you were either up on your game or you weren’t. That reminded me of today’s engagement in Atlantic City. I had two of the finest chic’s working on my business.
“Kelly I’m gonna put it to you like this. I liked you, a lot but I don’t think I can provide you with what you’re looking for”
“Don’t try to feed me with the bullshit Raheim. You probably fuckin somebody right now. One of these days your damn dick gonna fall off!” I couldn’t help but laugh. I swear the redbones are the craziest.
“Time is money so later”
“Wait” she screamed before I could flip my phone shut.
“I don’t care what you say you’re mine. I love you boo and I’m sorry for acting a little off but I have a lot of shit going on right now. Stuff you don’t even know about. Let me prove it to you just come over and I’ll do it to you better than anybody else. You know you want it”
“I’m gonna pass. Take care of yourself Kelly” I flipped my phone shut I’m convinced that her ass is bipolar. I would need to run home for a quick shower and change of clothes. I had to meet up with Alexis and Maya at the Trump Taj Mahal by 10pm. These broads were the best in the business. I met Maya first about two years ago when I was on one of my regular trips to AC. It was cold as hell and I was donning my waist length black and white chinchilla jacket, True Religion jeans and my new black leather Timberlands. I had just come in and sat at the bar when I was approached by Maya a tall, curly head slender honey. She wasn’t my initial type but she had on a slinky black dress with 4-inch heels so I made an exception. She stroked my jacket a few times and I knew she was gaming when she started whispering that sexy shit in my ear. I stood up and walked away, I never let any broad think I was pressed save that for the tricks or the bum dudes. Like I expected she was walking behind me.
“Oh, I’m sorry that wasn’t an invitation.” I left her standing there speechless. She spotted me again at the high roller machines and outright asked.
“Are you gay?” It was hard not to laugh. It was so easy to knock a woman off her square.
“No, I’m just not into prostitutes” ‘I knew my words would sting and I intended for them to. After several minutes of silence she started to cry not actual boo hooing but a few tears.
“You’re an asshole”
“Actually I’m not, what I said was true I’m not into prostitutes and I know a woman as fine as you don’t need to be hustling these streets.”
“Who are you Jesus’ side kick?” She snapped back with a signature don’t judge me stare.
“No far from it. All I’m saying is that while you’re out here taking the streets money is being lost.”
“I don’t want a pimp. The only person getting paid from my pussy is me” I didn’t want to tell her that what she was getting was far less than what was taken from her.
“Fair enough but I’m not a pimp just a dude who gone take you upscale.” That was the beginning of a beautiful working relationship. I turned her on to my corporate connects who was willing to pay $5,000 a week to see her pretty ass. These dudes weren’t bum dudes either I’m talking suckas who made six figure incomes and rode around in Ferrari’s and Rolls Royce’s. Took vacations in the Hamptons. I met these connects through a few of my female associates and I presented the deal they didn’t want to refuse.
Eventually Maya recruited her girl Alexis and they gave me 25% at the end of every week. I took these broads from $1,200 a week to $40,000. My profit is $20,000 a week off of their combined $80,000. Shit couldn’t be sweeter. They both knew somebody who wanted to be down but I was only interested in them for now. Too many broads get on board and the heat might come down on me. I let the two girls I had before them go when they started complaining about my cut. Life is too short for the bullshit.
***Janet Starz***
It was twenty minutes before head count and I just came back to my cell. There was no mail waiting for me yet again. I was expecting to hear back from Amir by now. I gave him the letters I wanted him to give to Raheim over a week ago and I still didn’t know if he did it or not. I knew if I could get Raheim on my side he could pay a few top-notch lawyers to look over my case. A few of the girls in the same block told me that his paper is stacked long. I wasn’t impatient I could wait. It’s just that it was taking longer than I expected. I had a visit later with my mom and my aunt. My dad disowned me the night Carlos was killed. He claimed I deserved what Carlos did nagging him the way I did. What type of shit was that to say? I only nagged because my sons were going without and I would be damned if I was gonna allow that nigga to live it up while we were struggling. I took a minute to look at the picture of Amir taped to the gray concrete wall above my metal desk. He was all grown up and fine as hell, a model type. I couldn’t allow myself to feel too many emotions or it would make me go crazy.
My roomie was having one of her down days so I tried to stay out of her way. I fought back the urge to feel sorry for myself. My mom hated seeing me look sad so I put on my happy face and pretended shit was good but the reality is I’m 45 years old in prison for life with a son who hates me and the only man I ever loved dead by my hand. I watched the C.O walk with her clipboard checking off names until she reached our cell. We both gave a quick here to get it over with. I took this time to clean up for my visit slicking my hair back with water as neatly as I could. I stood over the metal sink trying to be as quiet as possible. Pretending I couldn’t hear Carla sniffling into her pillow. I needed my eyebrows done which made me remember how fly I was on the streets.
That’s how Carlos kept me until I got pregnant. I was the envy of every race of woman. He was sexy as hell. His tall athletic frame forced you to look up at him and his strong arms fit perfectly around my waist. He was so gorgeous I found it hard to resist and then harder to let go. I knew he was all wrong for me but I didn’t care especially after my sons got here and his pretty ass thought it was too easy to walk away. His attitude drove me crazy riding around in the car with my name on it with that bitch Gianni. The sight of the two of them naked and laughing at me like I was a joke tipped me completely over the edge. I wanted to kill her too but I wanted her to suffer more. Out of everything that happened that night the only thing I don’t regret was blowing Gianni’s legs off. She would always remember not to mess with what was mine and that was well worth my ride in hell.
***Raheim Starz***
It was no trouble getting to my regal suite at the Trump Taj Mahal. Mr. Trump knew how to do it big. The large marble foyer greeted me when I slid my key card in the door. The cream walls were enhanced by gold awnings and baseboards. A quiet fire blazed in the fireplace letting me know the girls were already here. Although I couldn’t see them the pieces of their clothing coming from the direction of the bedroom told me where they were. The sliding doors were open in the bedroom so I took a walk to the doorway only to find Maya and Alexis lying on the perfectly made king size bed naked. Alexis’ slightly darker skin shimmered with body glitter as she lie on her back legs spread wide while Maya lay at Alexis’s side stroking her tits as a way to entice me. See, though I am a freak I am a businessman first. I have never slept or intend to give it to either of them no matter how much my dick may jump.
“Are we having a party I didn’t know about?” I dropped my key card on the table beside the door. Alexis deliberately slid a finger in her pussy making it shiny with her juices and used it to call me closer. I chose to use restraint instead and walked out of the room to the bar. I remembered one of the lessons my boy Dre taught me he said that a true playa learns how to control his dick. Though a woman’s pussy is powerful it ain’t shit without a man’s dick.
“Get dressed both of you” I gave them time to meet me in the living room wrapped up in their robes before I opened a bottle of Moet.
“We have a few things to go over. I have two new clients who want in which will bring you both up to $45,000 apiece. The question is can either of you handle it?” Maya’s face look interested. She was hooked to the money but Alexis looked like the business was starting to get to her.
“I’m in, who couldn’t use another five grand? Long as he’s not like crazy ass Mr. Torini I can’t take another one of his crazy ass humiliation games” Maya commented making Alexis laugh and add her two cents.
“Or Mr. Boyer’s weird ass diaper changes. All the money these dudes make just to be into some weird freak shit” The two girls started laughing but I didn’t see shit funny. The weird freak shit is what took them from being common street whores to upscale escorts.
“I didn’t know there was a problem. How about we find two new chicks from the streets who would appreciate the hands that feed them” They both stopped laughing.
“Damn Raheim you need to stop being so uptight” Maya rolled her eyes at me.
“I understand these dudes are really fucked up in the head. Too much power and it starts messing with you but you agreed to the shit. Now Alexis if you want a tradeoff let me know now. We can drop old dude and start with my new connect, same money” I watched her expression thinking it over. She was pretty, a little weathered but still pretty. I tried not to wonder why she was on the streets, what or who led her there because like I always say business is business.
“I’ll keep Mr. Boyer” She didn’t think I knew about the big tips he left her for a job well done. I wanted to ask her what she was complaining for then but I downed a glass of Moet instead.