Against the Grain (13 page)

“I got you,” Kay said with a big-ass smile on his face.

“Now I’ve got to think of a way to tell Bug. She’s going to flip.”

“You know how she loves money,” Kay told him.

“Yeah, you’re right, I might have to take her out tonight, then fuck her real good before I tell her. Let me go to the bar and get me some Tanqueray gin. She likes that Alizé bullshit, so I’ll get her a bottle.”

“Well, you handle that and I’ll get back to you in a few days and let you know what’s up,” Kay said as he got up to leave. He gave Scatter a pound and they said their good-byes. Kay got in the truck. He looked at Dre. “It’s on.” Kay noticed the look on Dre’s face and he stopped smiling.

“What’s wrong?”

“Lil ‘C’ said to come get him because Sonia’s boyfriend pushed him down. I tried to talk to Sonia to see what happened but there was a lot of fussin’ going on. Then that nigga got on the phone talking shit and hung the phone up,” he told Kay.

“Let’s go, Duke.” When they stopped in front of Sonia’s building, Lil ‘C’ was sitting out front. Sonia was hanging out the window yelling something to him in Spanish. As Kay got out he looked up at her. She pulled her head back in the window. He walked over to his son.

“What happened?”

“Mommy’s boyfriend pushed me down.”

“Is he still upstairs?” Lil ‘C’ shook his head no. Kay headed for the front door of the building. Sonia met him at the door. One side of her face was red and swollen and it was obvious that she’d been crying.

“Before you go off, let me explain,” she said as she saw the hatred in Kay’s eyes.

“Magic and I got into it about that phone call the other night when you were here, and he slapped me. C-Allah tried to protect me by jumping on his back. When he spun around, he knocked ‘C’ down, that’s all. He didn’t mean it. I swear, Kay. You think I would have other men putting their hands on my son? My own father don’t put his hands on ‘C’ the wrong way. Your son just overreacted by calling you.”

Kay felt a little relaxed now. He looked at his son. “You aiight, champ?”

“Yeah, I’m aiight.”

“Go get in the truck with Dre.” Lil ‘C’ did as his father told him to, giving Dre and Duke pounds as he got in the car. Kay smiled at his son. The thought of him jumping on a grown man to protect his mother made him proud. He turned to face Sonia.

“I thought you cut that nigga off.”

“I did. He just popped up and asked if he could talk to me for a minute. When he finished talking, I told him that I was trying to work things out with you and he started flippin’ and shit. Where you been anyway? I haven’t seen you since the morning you left. And you haven’t returned any of my messages, but as soon as your son calls, you come running. What’s up with that, Kay?”

“I’ve been busy, that’s all. I’m trying to find a job.”

“Yeah right. Who do you think you’re talking to?”

“Nah, for real,” Kay said with a smile on his face.

“So you coming over tonight or what?” she asked.

“Yeah, go ahead and fix dinner, ‘C’ and I will be back in a little while,” he said as he walked to the truck.

“I ain’t playin’ with yo ass, Kay. You better come back. If you don’t, I’m going to bust the windows out this bitch. Watch me!” she yelled to his back, pointing at the Land Cruiser.

He didn’t respond. He just got in the truck and Big Duke pulled off. Kay knew that he had no intentions of going back. It was time for him to stress her out now.

•         •         •

Kay, Scatter, and Dre were all standing in front of his mother’s house waiting for Shu-Shu. They were going over a few details before Kay and Shu-Shu left for California. Dre had invested fifty grand. Some was used for the trip, but the majority of it was going to be used for stash houses, old cars to make moves in, glassine envelopes, quinine and morphine base to cut the dope with, beepers and cell phones, and workers. All of this would be handled by Dre and Scatter and ready when Kay returned.

Shu-Shu stepped out her front door, travel bags in hand, wearing a Chanel cream and brown zebra print dress with the split up to her waist. The dress was complemented by her cream-colored open-toe Prada heels. Her hands and feet were neatly French manicured and pedicured. She also wore a cream-colored Indian-designed choker to accent her cleavage and held a cream Prada bag. She definitely looked like a movie star and would fit right in once they got to L.A. She looked down the block at Kay, then back at her watch trying to let him know it was time to go.

“She’s Benz material,” Scatter said. “Every broad can’t sit in a Benz and look good. Shit! She’d make the car look better. I wish I’d had her in my stable back in my day.”

“It’s time to get this show on the road,” Kay slapped hands with everyone. Dre and Scatter got in the backseat of Kay’s truck. Big Duke was driving and P-Nut was in the passenger seat. The truck pulled off, and Kay walked in the other direction with his Nike carry-on bag over his shoulder. He put it down on the ground behind the car, then walked over and got Shu-Shu’s Fendi travel bags as she turned to lock the door. He opened the trunk to Dre’s Lex coupe and put the bags in. Then he walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for Shu-Shu’s fine ass. She got in and he shut the door. She leaned her seat back a little as Kay walked around to the driver’s side. As he got in he watched her put on a pair of brown Gucci shades and throw her right arm behind her headrest. Kay smiled at her. He started the car and put on the Versace shades that she bought him. He pushed in the CD. “HERE COMES THE BRAND NEW FLAVA IN YA EAR. TIME FOR NEW FLAVA IN YA EAR.”

“Oh that’s that new guy, Craig Mack. I like this song, baby,” she said. He turned it up for her as they drove off to the airport.

•         •         •

Once they landed at LAX, Shu-Shu rented a car using one of her credit cards. They got a suite at the Hotel Nikko in Beverly Hills. As soon as they settled into their suite, Shu-Shu stripped down to her cream-colored thong with matching bra. She hung up her dress and the two of them untaped the money from Shu-Shu’s body. A hundred and ten grand in one-hundred-dollar bills, ten-thousand-dollar stacks. When they were finished, she laid on the couch with the remote control.

“I just want to relax a little while after that long flight,” she said to Kay.

“You’re not hungry?” he asked her.

“Not really. I’ll order some room service after I take a nap and freshen up. Are you hungry?” She moved her leg suggestively and they smiled at each other.

“I’ll get that when I get back.”

“Where you going?”

“Downstairs to walk around a little; get some fresh air. I’ve never been to California before.”

“Just wake me up when you get back.”

“Oh I will, trust me,” he said with a smile before he walked out.

•         •         •

Mike’s cell phone rang five times before he reached over and picked it up from the nightstand.

“Hello. Who dis? Scoop, what’s up, nigga? I was just thinking about you. You got my fucking money? All of it? You’s a good man, Scoop. See, we didn’t even have to go through all the bullshit. It’s the principle, Scoop. You understand that, don’t you? You niggaz be bringin’ the weakest game to the strongest niggaz. If I let you play me, niggaz all over the city is going to think they can play me ’cause yo punk ass got away with it. We don’t want that, do we? That’s right. Yeah, they alright. She’s right here, hold on.” Mike handed Scoop’s girlfriend, Sabrina, the phone. She and Mike were both butt naked. Mike laid flat on his back with a pillow under his head, in the middle of the bed, while Sabrina was on her knees between his legs, sucking his dick.

“Hello. Hi, baby. Yeah, we’re okay. No he hasn’t touched me. When you coming to get us?” As Scoop talked to her and she listened, she would steal quick licks of Mike’s dick. She had the phone in one hand and the dick in the other.

“Yeah, I miss you. You need to hurry up and pay this man his money. Okay, I’ll see you in a little while then. I love you, too.” She handed the phone to Mike and went back to what she was doing.

“Yo, Scoop, I’m sending Gee over to pick that up. No funny stuff, aiight? As soon as he calls me and tells me he has every dime of my money, I’ll put your girl and the baby in a cab and send them home. But if all my money ain’t there, Scoop, you’re a dead man.” Mike pressed the end button on his cell phone.

“Yeah, we got his ass now. But I want more on him. We’ll just wait and let him step deeper into his own shit,” Agent White said to his partner, Agent Powell, as they both listened in on the phone call. Then Agent White turned to face Scoop.

“Here’s the money. You better hurry home for the pickup. Call me when your family is safe.”

•         •         •

It was their second day in California and Kay had planned a day just for his girl.

“Where we going?” Shu-Shu asked.

“Just hurry up, please. It’s a surprise.”

When she came out the bedroom, she wore a Tahari espresso/ blue shadow appliqué silk organza top with an espresso stretch georgette silk spandex skirt, and black Anne Klein raffia slides.

“Okay, I’m ready,” she said. She picked up her bag and they left. The valet brought the car around and opened the passenger door for Shu-Shu. He gave Kay the keys and winked. He’d told Kay the day before about Rodeo Drive. It was a shopper’s paradise if you could afford it. Once they got there, Shu-Shu’s face lit up like a child at Christmas.

“Today is your day. Whatever you want, it’s yours,” Kay told her as he parked in front of the Gucci store. She leaned over and kissed him on the lips.

“Remember that later on,” she said as she jumped out of the car and rushed inside the store. He joined her and they spent the whole day shopping. They hit every store on Rodeo Drive, buying each other clothes and accessories. One of Shu-Shu’s girlfriends in New York raved about Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles so she just had to try it. After shopping all day then driving around until they found Roscoe’s, the day wasn’t quite over. Kay made a quick phone call. When they got back to the hotel, Kay told her to leave the bags in the trunk, he would get them later. When they got to the door of their suite, Kay smiled at her before inserting the card into the lock.

“What are you up to?” she asked as she followed him into the room.

“Close your eyes,” he told her. Then he led her into the bathroom. “Don’t be peeping either.”

“I’m not.” She smiled.

“Whatever I do to you, promise me that you won’t open your eyes until I tell you to.”

“Okay, I promise.”

He started undressing her, peeling each piece of clothing off seductively, kissing her neck, shoulders, back, ears, eyelids, and down to her navel, then back up to her lips. She tried to pull him close to her, but he backed away. “Let me do this,” he said. He took off his shirt and lifted her in his arms. He sat her in the hot bath that was awaiting her. Kay had paid the bellboy to come in and set things up.

“Mmmm, this feels good,” she said.

“Just lay back and relax.” He reached over and picked up a glass pitcher of milk and started pouring it down her neck.

“Oooh, baby, that’s cold. What is that?”

“Open your eyes.”

When she opened her eyes, she smiled from ear to ear. The bathroom was laced with lit candles. She watched Kay pour the remainder of the milk in the water. Then he picked up some warm honey and began pouring it over her breasts. The honey ran down into the water and Shu-Shu rubbed it into her skin. Kay took a loofah and started washing her back in circular motions. Then he dipped the loofah into the bathwater and held it up so that the water would drain into her hair. He stood up and popped a bottle of Dom P. He poured her a glass and handed it to her.

“I’ll be right back,” he said.

Shu-Shu relaxed and sipped her champagne. Kay returned about ten minutes later with a bottle of jasmine bath oil in one hand and a lit blunt in the other. He poured half the bottle in the tub, then stripped and got in behind Shu-Shu. She leaned back on his chest.

“I could get used to this,” she said.

“Is that right? Well we take care of business in the morning, then we’re out of here. So make reservations for us to catch an evening flight out tomorrow.”

“Okay, baby.”

They stayed in the tub for a few more minutes before Kay wrapped a towel around his waist. Shu-Shu put on the hotel bathrobe. When she walked out of the bathroom Kay had candles lit all over the suite for her. There were no lights on in the whole suite. She looked down at her feet and there were rose petals all over the floor leading to the bedroom. She followed them as Kay walked behind her. There were scented candles all over the bedroom, too. The comforter on the bed was pulled back and there were rose petals all over the bed. Kay stepped up behind her and reached around to her front to untie her robe. He spun her around and kissed her. She lay on the bed. Kay was between her legs bumpin’ and grindin’. She reached down and took off his towel. Then he took off her robe and reached for the condoms on the nightstand. She stopped him by putting her hand on top of his hand. He looked in her eyes.

“Whatever I want, remember?” she said.

He kissed her and slid his dick up in her.

“Ssssss.”

•         •         •

That next morning Kay stood at the foot of the king-size bed recounting the $110,000. When Kay went for his walk the other day, he found an office supply store and bought a small safe for all the money. He stored the safe in the suite’s walk-in closet. When they left the room, he would cover the safe with their luggage. Shu-Shu stepped up to the bed and started putting the money in a black leather shoulder bag. Once the money was safely in the bag, they looked at each other. She liked how cute Kay looked in the outfit she picked out for him. He wore a light blue tie-dyed linen Ralph Lauren shirt. The top three buttons were undone, exposing a little of his chest. He also had on a pair of white linen Ralph Lauren pants. He had one pants leg rolled up just above the ankle, showing off his crisp white Reebok Classics with no socks.

Shu-Shu had picked out a pair of Salvatore Ferragamo black leather slides for him, but he refused to wear them. He said they looked like girl shoes. Since she’d already gotten him to agree to the outfit, she figured she would compromise, so he wore the sneakers. As she looked at him, the Reeboks didn’t look all that bad. Especially the way he rocked them. They gave the whole outfit the street appeal. It didn’t look too soft and she liked that thug shit. She wore a white wrap shirt and pale blue stretch spandex pants, with a Kate Spade multi-stripe bucket bag, and the matching cotton slides. She took a deep breath.