Street Fame (6 page)

*****

“Give me an apple martini,” Alicia told the young waitress. “Hennessey, straight,” Tommy ordered.
The waitress disappeared. Two minutes later, she returned with

the drinks, and took their orders.

Tommy ordered the New York strip, and Alicia had the broiled salmon.
He made eye contact with her. He knew she was special. For starters, he could get an erection just by looking at her. Also … Well … that was more than enough. He could look at her forever. She was a good girl, and he longed to have a woman like her.
He began to think about the other side of his life—the street life. He thought about the next trip to Miami. He thought about the adrenaline rush he got from counting money. He had plenty, but he didn’t have happiness. But he was happy for the moment.
“Tommy, what are you thinking about?”
He cut his steak in small portions, thinking about how he should answer her question. He sure as hell didn’t want her to know that he was thinking about the streets. He finally looked up at her and smiled. “I was just thinking about us.”
Alicia smiled. “What about us?”
“I think we have chemistry.”
“We do. But, Tommy, I told you I can’t see us being more than friends unless you stop hustling.”
“Why are you so set against dating hustlers?”
“Actually, Tommy, my father sold drugs for many years, and it afforded me many things like ballet lessons, private schools, expensive cars, and more.”
Tommy was amazed. He never imagined 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 stepdad. Thought about how he looked in the visitation room. Prison was a sad place, where people got old and sick. There was nothing to look forward to, and there was so much barbed wire. He knew that if he were ever locked up, he would go absolutely crazy.
“But like I was saying, Tommy, you’re playing a serious game, a game where you could lose your life. That’s what I mean by the Grim Reaper.”
“I got you.”
“No, I got
you
. Obviously my daughter likes you, if she wants me to help you get out of your situation.”
Tommy smiled then glanced at Alicia. He really felt love for her now.
“So, Tommy, if you could come out to California, I can show you what I got going on, and maybe you’ll see the light.”
“Cool. I would love to come out there. I’ve never been to Cali.” All of his teeth were exposed when he smiled. He knew at that moment he wanted Alicia to be his wife. He’d never met anyone who believed in him.

*****

When Tommy pulled up to Alicia’s apartment complex, the sun had gone down. The moon was full, and very few stars decorated the pitch black sky. He parked in front of her building and turned on the radio. Usher hummed in the background. “I hope you had a good time,” Tommy said.

“Actually, I did. It doesn’t take much for me.”

He turned and faced her. “I really like you.”
She smiled but didn’t say anything.
“I
really
like you.”
“So did you have a good time?” she asked.
“Yeah, of course I did, because I was with someone I wanted to

be with.”
“And who might that be?” she asked, then flung her hair over her
shoulder.
He didn’t answer; he just leaned toward her and gave her a small
peck on the lip. His erection was growing.
When he pulled away, her eyes were still closed, as if she were
expecting a long, passionate kiss. “I want you to go fishing with me,”
he said.
“Fishing?”
“Yes. It should be fun.”
“I’ve never been fishing before. I’ll have to think about it.” “What is it to think about? I have a boat. You will love it. Trust me.” “First of all, I just got my hair done. Second, I don’t want to be
smelling like fish.”
“You’re such a woman.”
“But that’s what you love, right?” Their eyes met.
His heart began to beat fast. His erection throbbed. He leaned
toward her and kissed her. Their lips locked and his tongue entered
her mouth.
He pulled away. “So, are you going to go with me or not?” She blushed, revealing deep dimples. “Only one condition.” “What’s that?”
“If you paint my fishing pole pink.”
“Pink? You’ve gotta be kidding.”
“I’m a girl, remember? I likely girly things.”
“You may be a girl, but in that gym you’re Iron Woman.” She laughed. “Yes, but still I’m a girl.”
“I’ll think about that pink fishing pole thing.”
“Okay… think about it. I have to be getting some sleep. I have an
accounting class in the morning.”
He pulled her toward him and gave her one more kiss. His penis
tried to break free.

Chapter 9
“H
ave either of you ever thought about investing in real estate?”
Tommy asked Twin and JoJo. They were at Twin’s apartment, sitting at his kitchen table.

“You mean like buying old houses and fixing them up?” JoJo asked.
Twin looked at Tommy. “Why you asking this shit?”
“I may know of an opportunity.”
“What kind?” JoJo asked.
“This broad I’ve been seeing… her daddy deals with real estate and shit, out in Cali, and I’m supposed to talk to him and see if we can clean up this dirty money.”
“Okay, we’re trying to be legit now?” Twin said. “We’re trying to get out of the drug game after we wash the money?”
Tommy hesitated. He didn’t really want to answer the question. He didn’t want Twin and JoJo to think he was getting soft. He wanted them to think that he would run the streets as long as they did.
“Nigga, this girl you met influencing the shit out of you. When are we going to see this broad?” Twin asked, laughing.
“Naw, nigga. Can’t nobody influence me. I’m just getting smart, that’s all.”
“Shit. Seems like you want to get all legit all of a sudden. You meet a broad and it’s
let’s try some real estate
shit. Nigga, do you know that no real business is gonna pay like this?” JoJo asked.
Tommy decided that there was no use in trying to show them another way.

*****

Mark found himself in a dark corner in the back of the Uptown Carousel.
A small busty black girl approached him. “You wanna dance?” “No, I’m fine.”
“Yes, you are.” She sat on Mark’s lap.
“Would you mind getting off me?”
She frowned. “So what are you in here for if you don’t want

entertainment?”
“Just to get a drink.”
“Nigga, you drinking water,” the woman said, glancing at the

bottled water in front of him.
“Listen, can you just leave me alone? I’m not bothering anybody.” “Oh… stuck-up-ass nigga. I bet you got a small dick, anyhow,”

the woman said as she walked away.
“Next entertainer up is Jennifer,” the DJ announced.
Pop That
Thang
by Christina Millian was played. When Jennifer walked on
stage, two black guys, two white guys, and a Hispanic—all with
money in their hands—surrounded the stage.
Jennifer walked to the edge and stood in front of the Mexican,
pulled her thong aside, and ordered him to give up the handful of
cash.
One of the black guys moved closer.
Jennifer walked seductively across the stage then looked back.
With her finger, she signaled for one of the guys to follow her. They
all scrambled and made their way to the other side of the stage,
where she got down on all fours. One by one they all relinquished
their cash.
Then another set of guys came up during the second song. By
the time she’d finished dancing the stage was covered with cash.
One of the bouncers brought a bag out to help her pick up all the
money.
As she left the stage, she walked by Mark’s table. “Hey, that was
quite a performance you put on up there,” Mark said.
“Oh, Mr. DEA, I didn’t know you were here.”
“Yeah, I’ve been here for a while.”
She slid into the booth beside him. “Will you buy me a drink?” she
asked.
“Jennifer, you just made at least three hundred dollars.” She frowned. “What is the world coming to when a guy can’t buy
a girl a drink?”
“No, it’s not like that at all. I was just kidding you.”
Jennifer smiled then flagged down the waitress and ordered a sex
on the beach.
“So what brings you here?” Jennifer asked.
“I don’t know. I guess I was kind of bored and didn’t have anything
else to do.”
She giggled. “You just don’t look like the type that would be hanging
at a titty bar.”
“Neither do you.”
She frowned. “Well, Mr. Federal Agent, my life hasn’t been all
peaches and cream.”
“Nobody’s life has. That’s only in the movies.”
The waitress placed Jennifer’s drink on the table.
Soldier
by
Destiny’s Child played in the background. Jennifer hummed along. “So you like street guys, huh?” Mark inquired.
“Not necessarily.”
“What kind of guys do you like?”
She sipped her drink, looked away for a moment, then said, “We
are a bit inquisitive, aren’t we?”
“Just conversation, that’s all.”
“I know. I’m just kidding with you, man. Don’t be so uptight.” She
reached across the table and loosened his collar. “Come on, man,
relax. I don’t like stiff guys.” She giggled. “I take that back. I like stiff
guys, but not guys that act stiff.”
“How did you and Twin meet?”
“We met in the mall. He walked up to me and told me to pick out
anything in the mall and he would buy it.”
Mark’s eyebrow’s rose. “So what did you do?”
“I went on a mini shopping spree. I spent maybe three or four
thousand dollars.”
“Does he make you happy?”
She looked away but didn’t answer.
“He doesn’t make you happy, does he?”
She drank the rest of her drink in one gulp. “You see, Mr. DEA, it
isn’t always 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.