Working Girls (7 page)

“What's good with you?” Rome said, greeting his right-hand man, Red. The two exchanged a brotherly hug and a handshake.

He and Red had been getting money and putting in work together for over ten years, since they were both thirteen years old. Red had earned his name not from his light-skinned complexion but from how red he turned whenever he got mad and was about to seriously hurt somebody.

“How the money looking out there today?” Rome asked.

“Nigga, it's slow as fuck ever since I handled that Arab shit,” Red replied. “And da boys is running wild out there, yo. I was about to take it in early, but I had to see what was good with you,” he added.

“Okay. I feel you.” Rome nodded. “And I appreciate you takin' care of that for me,” Rome said, thanking him.

“Come on, bruh. You know I got your back always,” Red replied.

“No doubt, baby boy.” Rome flashed his signature grin. “But I'ma still lay low at the chick crib for a few more days. No need to make it any hotter than it already is. Plus, I still wanna see if them fuck boys figure out anything,” he remarked.

“Yeah, I been keepin' my ear to the streets to see if Los and Buster up on anything. So far nothing,” Red reported. “But what's up with you and ole girl?” Red wanted to know.

Rome's facial expression became stoic. “Absolutely nothing, my dude. That's the furthest thing from my mind.” He left it at that.

“I feel you, but let me tell you about this fuck shit that kicked off after I took care of the Arab,” his partner said. “While you all up in uppity land, at the little classy chick's condo.”

“Go 'head and tell me.” Rome chuckled.

“Check this. It was me, Kev, Reel, and Deuce. We went to check out these chicks out East. You know me being who I be, I had the strap on extra. We sitting in this bitch's crib, getting fucked up, and her nigga walked in showing time, so Reel, punk ass, is trying to cop a plea on some ole sucka shit to this bitch-ass nigga, while me, Kev, and Deuce's ass is going at it with dude's boys. Yo, I was so fucked up. Ole boy almost got the one up, but before I knew it, I felt for his strap, and there it was, right where Daddy had it. I think I blew half that nigga's head off. When his boys heard the nine pop, they hauled ass for the door, and I was trying to finish every last one of them pussies.”

“No doubt.” Rome nodded. “But what was that nigga doing?”

“That bitch-ass nigga still had his tail between his legs.”

“I told you not to fuck with that nigga. I told you he was bitch, man. The only reason niggas show him any type of love is that they know what you would do to them over your team.”

“Nigga, whatever.”

“That's real, my nigga. They don't know like I know that you're the glue that holds all that shit together.”

“Appreciate it.” He gave Rome dap again. “But on some real, what's up with that new connect? Last time we met up, you didn't put much out there. Besides, there was other pressing business to handle.”

A huge grin appeared across Rome's face. “We good with that,” he informed him.

“Yeah? What's the numbers looking like?”

“Right now he chargin' me twenty a brick, but it's gonna change as we grow and build a relationship with ole boy. That's still hella better than the twenty-six we was paying, and it's a better quality, straight from Chi-Town.”

“Word? That's what's up! If it's as raw as you saying, I'ma cook the fuck outta that shit. Been waiting for this.” He rubbed his hands together.

“Yeah, we about to be all the way good,” Rome confirmed. “I'ma shoot back through later and drop the first two joints off for you to chef up. I just came to grab the bread so I can hit this African motherfucka off so he don't be deep in our pockets. And check you and bring you up to speed on my end. Couldn't tell that shit over the jack, ya dig?”

“I already know, bruh.” Red handed him a Polo Sport bag full of cash. “That's sixty-two in there.”

“A'ight. After I get at dude, I'll hit you in the a.m.”

“Bet.”

Rome and Red gave each other parting fist bumps. Rome looked at his watch. He had just about figured out Jewels's schedule and movements. He did his best to stay out of her way and to be seen or heard as little as possible. He knew she would not be home for another two hours at least. He wanted to be back at her crib and in the bedroom before she returned.

“Be safe, my boy.” Rome hiked the Polo bag over his shoulder.

“You too, bruh,” Red returned.

Then Rome exited the way he had entered.

 

To the average chick, turning twenty-five had some meaning, but to Jewels, it was just another day and another reason to get money. For as long as she could remember, ever since she had started escorting, she had worked on and through her birthday. For some reason, she made the most money and got the best gifts on that day, and today would be no different.

Kareem had arranged for a limo to pick her up and bring her to his hotel. But first, he had surprised her with a shopping spree for her birthday. She was surprised because he had been a little tight pocket lately, and ever since he had canceled on her that day, she had not been so sure about continuing to deal with him as regularly as she used to. But he had made up for it in a major way, thought Jewels.

It had been a couple of days that Rome had been at her crib, and things had been smooth sailing. At first she had been a little skeptical about leaving him alone at her place, but her fear and concern had been put at ease when she'd gotten back from the mall with Sassy and had found her place intact, with nothing out of place. She had thought it would be difficult having him there, but it had wound up being some of the easiest money she had ever made. It had taken a lot for her to give him her pass code to the front gate and a spare key to get back in, but he had reminded her of their agreement. She had given in, with the intent of changing both the code and the locks once he was gone. But, with all that had happened, it felt kind of good to have a man around the house. She had never gotten the full scoop on who the fat white trick really was. For all she knew, he could've been in the Mafia or something and they were out there, trying to track her down. At least with Rome there, she knew she had a fighting chance if that was the case.

At times, it is if he isn't even here,
thought Jewels. As far as she knew, he had left the house only twice in the three days he had been there. Where he went was of no concern to her. The fact that he could go unnoticed and unheard added to Jewels's comfort level. He was unnoticed at all times.

Rome was in the shower when Jewels was heading out. For some reason, she felt the need to tell him she was leaving, but she shook it off. As she made her way to the front door, she noticed the dozens of balloons that partially covered her living-room ceiling, and the card that was wrapped up in the dangling strings.

She stared at them oddly. He must've accepted them while I was in the shower, she thought to herself, believing that Kareem had sent the balloons, along with the card, for her birthday.
This nigga be OD'ing!
She laughed as she thought of Kareem as she walked over to retrieve the card. Once she had grabbed the envelope, she squeezed it to see if any money was in it. She smiled when she felt the bulge at the crease in the card inside the envelope.

She unraveled the card and made a beeline to the awaiting limo. Once she was secure inside the car, Jewels tore open the envelope. Surprised would be an understatement. Five one-hundred-dollar bills fell out of the card when she opened it. But that wasn't what surprised her. The person from whom the card—and, apparently, the balloons—had come was not who she had expected. She couldn't believe it. The words on the card made her smile.

Overheard today was your born day and just wanted to give you a token of my appreciation and say thank you. I know it's not much, but you can never have too much. A little something to enjoy your special day
.

Jewels was speechless. She hadn't even realized that she was still smiling until the driver said, “Maybe this can add to your smile.”

When she raised her head, the driver handed her a much thicker envelope, which read FROM ME TO YOU. Kareem had also gotten her a birthday card. His contained a larger amount of money than the one she had just opened from Rome. Still, she couldn't stop thinking about the fact that she had received a card and money from Rome at all.

* * *

It took her less than an hour to blow the five grand Kareem had given her in the card to spend. A pair of Vera Wangs and a MK bag later, she exited the mall and headed back to the awaiting limo. Kareem had already hinted that he was horny and that he wanted to fuck, so she knew she had to put in work as soon as she walked through the door for the five-thousand-dollar birthday present and whatever else he was going to give her afterward.

“What the hell happened to your face?” was the question Jewels was met with, delivered by a voice with a deep African accent, when she entered the plush hotel room of Kareem Musa. No amount of makeup could hide the bruises now. In a few days they had turned purplish, which made it more difficult to cover them up. This was the first time he had seen her since he canceled their appointment and she was attacked. She let out a gust of hot air and rolled her eyes as she walked past him.

“It's your fucking fault,” she wanted to blurt out. Instead, she remained silent and decided to make him pay for her pain and suffering.

“Tell me. And look at me,” he insisted as he shut the door behind her.

Jewels could hear the concern in his tone. When she turned to face him, the look on his face confirmed it.

“You really wanna know?” Her tone was dry.

“Yes. That is why I asked. Now tell me, please.” He had moved in and grabbed her gently by the sides of her arms. She was tempted to pull away. She hated when he acted like he was her man and got all mushy on her. She didn't show it, though. She stayed in character.

“Your replacement.” She stared him square in the eyes. She could see them fill with surprise. She knew he knew what she had meant. She watched as his eyes softened.

“What do you mean?” He wanted to know what had happened.

Jewels took a deep breath. “When you canceled on me, I had to take another client. I couldn't afford to miss an entire day. So, I went out on a date.”

She smiled on the inside as Kareem's jaw tightened while he listened.

“He was supposed to be some respectable, rich white man, but he was a fucking pig and a monster!” Jewels's voice increased in volume in between her sniffles. “He beat me like I was nothing!” she cried out.

“I'm sorry.” Kareem wrapped his arms around her. “What was his name?” he asked.

The question caught Jewels by surprise. She shook her head on his chest. “Just let it go. I don't even want to think about it,” she offered, instead of giving him a name.

And it was the truth. She did not want to talk about the dead fat white man. She wondered what Kareem would have done had she given him a name. As far as she was concerned, he was a square and was not about that street life. She knew his rules didn't apply to her world.

“Okay, my love.” Kareem grabbed her by the hand and escorted her to the bedroom. He wasted no time sexing her. She hadn't been in the room for three minutes before he had his dick out, a condom on, had her bent over, with her pants down to her ankles, and was ramming himself deep inside of her.

Damn. This nigga wasn't lying. He horny as shit,
she thought as he pounded away.

Kareem gripped her hips and thrust himself repeatedly into her wet box. She looked back at him and started throwing it back. That was all it took for Kareem to explode. He doubled over, out of breath, and rested his midsection on her back.

“I need that!” he announced with his deep, thick African accent.

Jewels flashed a fake smile.

He raised himself from on top of her and escorted her to the king-size bed. Jewels noticed his dick was still semierect. He was the only man she knew who could nut and have his dick spring back into action if it received a certain kind of attention. Jewels knew that was why he was guiding her to the bed. She pushed him onto the bed and attacked the helmet of his dick with a vengeance. Seconds later, Kareem was back pounding on top of Jewels, who was now lying on her back. Nearly an hour went by. Jewels woke up to the hotel room phone ringing, but the person had the wrong number. She hadn't even realized she had dozed off. Kareem was nowhere in sight. She looked over and saw a note lying next to her, on the pillow.

Meet me downstairs at five,
it read.

She looked down at her watch. With forty-five minutes to spare, she got up, hopped in the shower, and quickly got dressed. She threw on a long white Chanel T-shirt and some black leggings. She slipped into some black-and-white Chanel flat sandals, grabbed her clutch, and walked out of the room. She called Kareem to check his whereabouts, and he told her to meet him in the lobby in fifteen minutes.

She went down to the lobby and milled around, but Kareem did not appear. She looked down at her watch and noticed that it had been thirty minutes since Kareem had told her to meet him downstairs.
Where in the hell is he?
she thought.
I know he not on his bullshit again.
Just then a text came through from him, apologizing for not being able to make it when he had said he would. He said that his meeting was being held over, and told her to grab his American Express card out of his luggage and go have fun. She was pissed until she read the second part of that text. A huge smile appeared on her face. She responded by saying, It's okay, baby. Just call me when you are ready.

She went back up to the room and grabbed his card and then went back down to the lobby and waited for the driver in the lounge area of the hotel. She ordered a glass of white zinfandel, then pulled out her cell and searched for Sassy's number. She grimaced when Sassy's phone went to voice mail for the umpteenth time.
What the fuck is up with this bitch?
thought Jewels as she drank her white wine in one gulp. She ordered another. When she looked back up, there was another glass of wine on the bar in front of her.

When she looked around, she saw an Asian-looking man sitting at the end of the bar, nodding his head at her. She looked at him, smiled, and he smiled back. Jewels gave him a quick look over. He wasn't one of those little, short, thin-haired Asian men; he was fine. He looked like he had a little black in him. He looked like he had money, because he was nicely polished. He finished his drink, walked over to her, and asked her name. He introduced himself as Patrick.

Patrick?
she thought. She was expecting to hear Chung Fu, Li Ho Ma, or some shit like that. Her phone started to vibrate. She looked down and saw it was the driver, letting her know that he was out front. She grabbed her bag off the bar, finished off her drink, gave a polite head nod, and began to leave. He insisted that she take his number and asked her if he could see her again, when she had more time.

“Not making any promises,” she replied.

Jewels strolled away as if she was the shit. There was no doubt in her mind that he was watching her ass in those leggings. She stuck her ass out and swung it from left to right as she headed for the hotel lobby's exit.

Outside, she stepped into the black Maybach that awaited her. She felt like a million bucks in the beautiful luxury car.
This how you spend your birthday,
she thought and smiled on the inside.
Shopping sprees and big tips,
she told herself. She was living the lavish life, and this was all she wanted. Just as she finished balling out in downtown St. Louis, Kareem texted her. He was ready for her to return to the hotel room.

When she reached the room, she had to keep her composure. Kareem had it all laid out for her. She was met with a trail of rose petals that began at the suite's entrance. There were birthday balloons with her name on them everywhere. They covered the entire ceiling of the suite. He had a chef in the room, who was cooking shrimp fettuccini, crab legs, T-bone steaks, and chef salad. He knew that she loved seafood and steaks. He had two candles burning on the nicely set table and some Maxwell playing in the background. He had gone all out. Jewels was used to the royal treatment, but Kareem had her really feeling like a queen.

He had a sexy black dress lying across the back of a chair. He instructed her to put it on. She could not believe her eyes. No man had ever treated her so nice before. She had to get her composure together, because she did not want to seem as if she wasn't used to this. And she definitely didn't want to give Kareem the impression that this moved him out of the client zone into a more personal one. She made her way to the bathroom to change into the dress that he had bought for her. Afterward, they slow danced around the hotel suite and then sat down to eat dinner.

Later he excused himself from the table and asked her to go freshen up and join him in the master suite. Jewels strolled to the master suite like she was walking on clouds, because that was how she felt when she opened the door. She was surprised to see Kareem lying buck naked in the bed with two other women, one white, the other Latina. He wanted a threesome, hell, a foursome.

His dime, his time,
thought Jewels as she entered the room.
Besides, after all this shit, he deserves whatever,
she concluded.

She knew Kareem was trying to read her face and was seeking approval. She flashed him an approving smile, agreeing to join him and the two chicks lying beside him.

Jewels stripped down to her birthday suit and made her way to the bed. She crawled over to Kareem like a tiger. She slithered up his large, masculine legs until she reached his dick, which stood straight up. Jewels began to lick his dick up and down, while the two women were engrossed in a lip lock. She started to suck on his balls while stroking his dick.

“Yes,” he cooed.

Jewels rose up and sat her ass firmly on top of the head of his dick and slowly rubbed it across her hole until it was juicy wet. She then turned around and dropped down on his dick until it felt like a hand in a glove. She started riding his dick from the front, and he loved it. They both exploded at the same time.