Wild Cherry (7 page)

“Other than you being a female and Terry having been a male, what's so different about it, Gina?” He put his hands on his hips. “Big sis, since Mommy died last winter, we're all we have left. My heart couldn't take it if you left me. If Jackie was to one day kill you, as sure as my asshole points to the ground, I'd be spending my last days in somebody's penitentiary because he'd be going to sleep shortly after you did. Don't do that to us, baby, or to him.”

I knew without looking into his tearful eyes that Randy was dead serious. He was a homosexual, but still a man, a man who loved his big sister and was willing to give his own life to protect her.

“Randy, it's gonna be okay, I promise.” I kissed him on the cheek.

“If you say so, then I'll take your word for it, but if anything happens, you know I'm just a phone call away.” He tapped the hot pink Razr clipped to his side. “All you gotta do is give me the nod, and I'll cut his dick off and stick it on a barbecue spit.” He waved his hands like he was cutting something. This got me to laugh, something that I hadn't done all day.

“I know, baby brother, and thanks.” The front door opened as more girls came in. I was in the process of pointing them to the dressing room when a voice that I hadn't heard in years called out to me.

SEVEN

Princess

Bitch, I don't know why you always gotta take forever and a day when it comes to something I wanna do,” Tashee was saying for at least the fourth or fifth time that night.

“Tashee, you didn't get to my hotel until ten to eleven!” I reminded her.

“Yeah, but what if I had been there on time, and we needed to bust a move for some high stakes? Time is money, baby.” This coming from a girl who had been a week and a half late for her own birth. She couldn't have been serious.

“Tashee, your ass is fried. This shit tonight ain't gonna be much more than another day at the office.”

Tashee cut her eyes at me. “Umm-hmm.” She leaned over and sniffed me.

“Bitch, what the fuck is you doing?” I swatted her away.

“Princess, I know you, and it couldn't have been anything but money or dick to keep you this long, so which one was it?”

I cut my eyes back at her. “Both,” I blurted out, suppressing my giggle. I went on to give Tashee the short version of George and Melanie while she drove up to Harlem. Of course, her hating ass added her two cents about how I could've capitalized on the situation by robbing the couple, but that was where the difference between her and me became apparent. Tashee was a greedy bitch, and I wasn't.

For the rest of the ride we drank Cook's, smoked haze, and shot the shit. When we got off the West Side Highway and touched Harlem, I immediately tensed. I knew Slim was out there somewhere, looking for a chunk of my ass, but I couldn't let my worry make me slip. I was about to go into a den of drunken and horny wolves, strip naked, and still try to get out in one piece; being off point wasn't even an option. The parking gods had smiled on us, because we were able to find a spot a half a block away. My eyes swept the streets and darkened corners not only for Slim, but for any fool who felt like getting disrespectful that night. Slim had caught me off guard, but right then my hand was securely wrapped around the box cutter in my bag. Let the games begin, muthafuckas.

Tashee and me strode to the front of the joint like our names were on the marquee. She knew the Puerto Rican cat at the door, so we didn't have any static getting in. There was a bearded cat wearing a kufi checking the guys, and a butch-looking chick in fatigues had to frisk us. If you asked me, she took a little too much pleasure in her job, but I just smiled and let her do her thing. That hard-mugged bitch was way too gruesome for me to even think about bedding, but it was always good to get a security connect in places like that. After she got her free feels, she stepped aside to let Tashee and me in.

From the door, I could tell that the crowd was way light. The bar was damn near empty, and the dudes that were tipping the young bitches who were onstage looked like short-money niggaz. I glared over at Tashee, and she gave me the signal that everything was cool. Cool was an understatement; that spot was ice cold. Rolling my eyes at Tashee, I walked over to the girl who was playing hostess for the evening. She was a sexy red-bone with a very familiar face. As I stared at her, the pieces began to fall into place, and I was taken back to Friday-night fish fries at my parents' house with my sister and her best friend. “Gina?”

EIGHT

Gina

I couldn't believe my eyes. She had way more body than I remembered, but it was her. It was the same little girl who used to try and follow me and my best friend, Audrey, when we were up to no good. From the way she had filled out, I imagined that it was her who was getting followed these days.

“Princess!” I squealed like a schoolgirl who hadn't seen her best friend all summer. I was two or three years her senior, but next to Randy, Princess and Audrey were the closest things to family I had left. “Girl, what's your little ass doing in here?” I held her at arm's length so I could get a good look at her. Princess had not only grown up, she'd grown out. She had a body so tight that after a while I felt bad about looking at her. I wasn't into girls—those two incidents in college didn't count, because we were drunk—but I was big enough to give another female her props. Princess had grown up to be a dime.

She shrugged, but maintained the familiar smile. “Trying to get a dollar.”

“You're lying, when did your young ass start shaking it!” Randy butted in. At first Princess just stared at him, trying to figure out his angle, but then the tinge of recognition came over her.

“Randy?” Seeing my brother in his getup made her eyes damn near pop out of their sockets. “Look at you!” She hugged him. “You look so … so…”

“Gay?” He filled in the blanks. “No need to be shy about it, girl. I can finally say out loud what people have been saying behind my back for years. I'm gay and loving it.” Randy did a crazy twirl. People were looking at him like he was crazy, but he didn't care. “So you came to get ya paper on, huh?”

“Yeah, I hear this spot is a good place for a girl to come up,” Princess said.

“Or be brought down,” I mumbled. “Wow, little Princess is all grown up and doing some very grown things.”

“You're one to talk. I know you ain't in here because you like the food.”

I know she didn't mean anything by the statement, but it still struck a nerve. Self-consciously, I tugged at the bottom of my mini skirt. I wondered who else thought I was there as a part of the entertainment. “Oh, I'm not dancing, hon, just playing hostess for the night,” I informed her.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to imply—”

“It's okay,” I cut her off. “If the shoe was on the other foot, I could've easily made the same mistake.”

“Damn, shorty, you should think about it because you're fine as hell,” the girl who had come in with Princess said. We hadn't even been introduced, and I already didn't like her.

“Tashee, why don't you have some fucking class—every bitch you meet ain't as hot in the ass as you!” Princess barked at her.

“My fault, Princess, I didn't know you were claiming her.”

I looked from Princess back to her rude-ass friend. “Nobody is claiming anybody. Not only am I strictly dickly, but I'm also happily married.” I wiggled my left ring finger so they could get a good look at the rock.

“Wow, congratulations, Gina. When did you jump the broom?” Princess grabbed my hand and examined my ring.

Without being rude about it, I took my hand back. “Feels like a lifetime ago. My husband is actually the owner of this place.”

“I hear that, G.” Princess gave me a high five. “So you must be living ghetto fabulous off this place?”

I looked around modestly. “Not really. This place is new, but Jackie's real job is as a literary agent.”

“A what?” the girl named Tashee asked.

I hated holding conversations with people whom you had to translate for. “A literary agent. He matches authors and their works with publishing houses and handles their affairs.”

“Aw shit, a paper pimp.” Tashee grinned.

Clearly tired of her friend embarrassing her, Princess interjected. “Well, he sounds like a wonderful guy, and I can't wait to meet him tonight, but right now we gotta get ready to do our thing.” She tugged at Tashee's sleeve.

I hugged the little girl I used to know and took in her scent. She smelled like weed and alcohol, but the sweetness lingered beneath. “It was so good to see you, Princess. Maybe later on we can get some drinks and I can introduce you to Jackie. He's not here right now, but I'm sure he'll be in soon.”

“Sooner than you think,” I heard Randy mumble behind me. I was about to ask him what he'd said, when I heard a commotion at the front door. Big José was parting the crowd, with three or four girls behind him. Bringing up the rear was my husband Jackie, with some chick I didn't know and that bitch Kim hanging from his arms.

NINE

Princess

From the tension that hung in the air and the look on Gina's face, I knew something was out of order. Security was ushering in a dark-skinned cat dressed in a three-piece suit. Two small boulders dangled from his ears, reflecting rainbows on the sides of his face whenever he moved his head. At first I thought he was just some cat coming to trick a few dollars and get his stunt on like the rest, but from the embarrassed look on Gina's face, it had to be her husband.

Jackie ambled into the spot with an expression that said he knew he was the shit. The two dolled-up broads on his arm had the nerve to throw their noses in the air and look at Gina sideways. I gave her the eye to let her know that I was with her if she wanted to beat their asses and his, but she wouldn't meet my gaze. I knew then that she was, as I had been, a prisoner of her own heart. I watched the girl who had been so very much like family to me try and raise her head and keep some shred of her dignity, but it was a hard fight.

“Hey, baby,” she greeted that piece of shit. She went to kiss him on the lips, but he gave her his cheek. It took everything I had to keep from dipping in my bag and coming across that man's face. Tashee must've been feeling it, too, because I saw her Gemstar glistening between her teeth. Reluctantly I gave her the signal, and the razor disappeared back into her mouth.

“What's up, girl?” Jackie ran his hands down her sides and slapped her on the ass in front of everybody. Her face turned beet-red, but she took it like a champ. “You look good than a muthafucka tonight.”

“Thanks, baby.” She mustered a smile, but I wasn't fooled. Jackie was a snake, and he smelled of it.

“What's up, Jackie?” Randy spoke up. From the look in his eyes, I could tell he didn't care for Mr. Jackie either.

“How are we supposed to sell liquor if there ain't nobody manning the bar to serve the customers?” was Jackie's reply.

“Sasha will be okay for a few minutes while I talk to my sister,” Randy said.

“More like gossiping,” Jackie said. “I don't pay Sasha to run the bar—that's your job.”

“It's okay, Jackie. He just came over to talk to me for a few,” Gina interjected. When I saw the way he looked at her, I knew he was about to clown, so I tried to bow out before the bullshit popped.

“Gina, I'm about to get outta here. Are you good?” I asked her. Without even looking in his direction, I could feel Jackie's eyes undressing me.

“Yeah, thanks, Princess.” Gina hugged me. When she held me, she held me close. Not like the embrace of a lover, but that of someone who really needed a hug. If you asked me, I couldn't tell you if it was more for my benefit or hers.

“And who is this?” Jackie asked. He didn't even have the common decency to hide the lust in his eyes as he looked me up and down like his wife wasn't even standing there. Slim wasn't the most loyal nigga, but even his balls weren't that big.

“Jackie, this is an old friend of mine. Princess, this is my husband, Jackie.” Gina made the introductions like the good little wife, while his mistresses eyed me with contempt. I returned their glares with equal venom, because unlike Gina, I was well skilled in disorderly conduct.

“Princess—” The way he said my name made my skin crawl, but I kept it easy for the sake of my friend. “—what's good with you, ma?”

“Not a damn thing,” I said very seriously. “Gina”—I gave Jackie my back, which probably only made it worse—“after I get dressed, I'll come back over and give you my number. Randy—” I gave him another hug, more out of assurance that he had an ally than from necessity. “—I'll see you in a few because I can already tell I'm gonna need a stiff drink.”

“We've got the stiffest in town.” Jackie tried to get fly.

I peeped Tashee about to say something crazy, so I cut it short. “It was nice meeting you, Jackie,” I said, leading Tashee by the hand into the club. As an afterthought, I looked back at the girls Jackie had come in with, who were still staring at us, and capped, “Bum-ass bitches.”

*   *   *

By the time I'd donned my heels and thong, the place had started to fill up. The part-time hustlers had pretty much ran through their paper, making way for the cats that were a little more 'bout it, but there still wasn't a Willy in sight except for Jackie, and he was off-limits. I did a lot of foul shit in my day, but Gina was like family.

I watched my long-lost homegirl for a good part of the night while she put up the farce of the happy housewife/business partner. She greeted the guests with smiles and settled disputes between the girls before they could escalate. For all outward appearances, she seemed focused, but I knew that inside, her heart was crumbling. I could never grasp why men never cherished the good women in their lives, but Jackie was twice as stupid as the rest of them. From what I remembered of Gina, she was smart, motivated, and about getting ahead in life, not to mention that she was a cutie. Gina had always been more developed than most of the girls in our neighborhood, but adulthood had done her some serious justice. She was fly in her skirt and suit jacket, showing enough skin to make the mind wonder without looking trashy. When she walked across the room, all the guys and some of the girls admired the way the mini hugged her perfectly curved hips. I could only imagine how sweet she tasted.