“Damn, I see you been taking care of yourself,” Earth complimented. “How’s the baby?”
“He’s good, with his bad ass.”
“That’s what’s up. Who you here with?” Earth asked, now moving closer to Melissa. Surprisingly, Earth could smell the familiar White Diamond fragrance that she used to love on Melissa emanating off her body.
“Me and a couple of my girlfriends, and, no, not like that,” Melissa added before Earth had the chance to comment.
“I wasn’t gonna say nothin’,” Earth smiled.
“Yeah, right,” Melissa smiled back. “Who are you here with?”
“My peoples.”
“Anybody I have to worry about?” Melissa asked seductively.
“Nah.”
“Good.”
“What’s up? What’chu drinkin’?” Earth offered.
“Vodka and orange juice.”
“A’ight. Yo, let me get a Vodka and orange juice,” Earth ordered, getting the female bartender’s attention.
Once the drink arrived, Earth passed it to Melissa.
“Thank you.”
“You can thank me later,” Earth slyly remarked.
“E, you still crazy,” Melissa smiled through her drink.
The two of them began to chat, making small talk. Earth hadn’t talked to a female so flirtatious since she and Keya had been messing around, and she enjoyed how the conversation was going between them. She was positive that before the night was over, she and Melissa would find themselves in bed together. She envisioned Melissa’s juicy lips between her inner thighs and her own mouth reciprocating head between Melissa’s. The thought had Earth on fire, and she was ready to make her move.
“So what’s up? You rode up here with your girls?”
“No. I drove my own car. I met them here,” Melissa answered, already knowing where Earth’s line of questioning was going.
“So what’s up with me and you for the night?” Earth asked confidently.
Melissa smiled. “That could be arranged,” she answered.
“There it is, then; let’s get up outta here.”
“Okay, but give me a minute. Let me go tell my girlfriends I’m leaving,” Melissa shot back.
“I’ll be right here.”
Earth watched as Melissa sashayed her way through the crowd and licked her lips. She hadn’t been with anyone since Keya and was in dire need of a tune-up. While Earth waited for Melissa, she scanned the crowded room in search of Heaven. It just dawned on her that Heaven had been in the bathroom for a long time. Cursing herself for losing focus and not being more on point, Earth rose up off the barstool. Just as she was about to go on a search for her partner, she saw Heaven in what seemed like a deep conversation off to the far right with someone she recognized from being from the Ville in New Brunswick. It was apparent that Heaven was in no danger Earth concluded, especially since she was talking to one of the biggest cowards in New Brunswick, according to her. She wondered what the two were talking about, but saw no sense in intruding. Although Earth got along with a few dudes from Henry Street where the guy named Rock was from, she didn’t particularly care for him. When it had spread that someone from Plainfield, a female at that, was getting money in the Exit 9 town, he had been one of the main ones talking about banning her from the town. It wasn’t until they had found the main instigator in Joyce Kilmer Park with a shot to the head and his male member stuffed in his mouth that he left well enough alone. Since then, Earth waited for the day he’d give her a reason to end his life.
Earth scanned the dance floor for Le Le, Shell, or Sonya to tell one of them to let Heaven know that she was leaving. As she looked, she couldn’t locate any of her workers. She did locate someone else, though, and the sight of that person caused her blood pressure to reach a volcanic level. Without even thinking or batting an eye, Earth flew off the stool and proceeded to push her way through the partygoers until she was in range of what disturbed her and made her react the way she had.
“What the fuck you doin’?” Earth roared, snatching Keya by the arm.
Keya had been so caught up in grinding her ass into Mustafa’s dick to the sounds of “Blow the Whistle” that she hadn’t seen Earth roll up on her. She was totally caught by surprise.
“Get ya hands off me,” Keya yelled, pulling away from Earth. By now, the dance floor had magically parted like the Red Sea. It was evident what was going on, and for those who recognized all parties, none of them wanted any part of the possibilities.
“Yo, who the fuck is this dyke-looking bitch?” Mustafa asked heatedly. He was upset behind the fact that Earth had just interrupted his groove. His girl Keya had him harder than a ton of bricks until the unknown female showed up.
“She’s nobody, babe,” Keya said holding Mustafa back, standing in between him and Earth.
“You wasn’t saying that when I was eating ya pussy,” Earth blurted out.
“Fuck you!” Keya screamed, spitting in Earth’s face.
“Crack!”
As before, Earth immediately counteracted off the disrespect by Keya and threw a right hook, sending her straight to floor.
“You stupid bitch,” Mustafa barked just as he launched at Earth.
“Crack!”
“You the stupid bitch!” Sonya yelled.
Before Mustafa could throw a punch, Sonya had clonked him in the back of the head with the Rosé bottle she had been sipping on. By then, the bouncers were making their way through the crowd, only to find Keya getting up off the floor in a daze and Mustafa lying unconscious with blood spilling out of the back of his head. Earth and the rest of her squad had already dispersed.
“Shell, Heaven was over by the bathroom talking to that nigga Rock from the Ville. Go get her and tell her we’ll be out front,” Earth instructed Shell.
“Okay.”
As they were making their way toward the exit, Earth saw Melissa approaching. “E, what’s up? Is everything all right?” Melissa asked noticing the look on Earth’s face change. From afar, she had noticed some commotion on the dance floor. Melissa remembered how bad of a temper Earth had back in the day and wondered if she had anything to do with the sudden interruption in the club.
“Everything’s good. Go pull your car out front. I’ll meet you out there,” Earth coolly replied.
Le Le and Sonja looked at each other, but neither said a word. It was no secret to them how Earth got down, so the situation was evident. The exchanges in glances were due to the beauty of Melissa.
“Tell Heaven I’ll holla at her later and fill her in on everything,” Earth told Le Le once they had reached the front of the club.
As soon as she walked outside, Earth heard the horn honking. She made her way over to Melissa’s white 5 series BMW and hopped in.
A few minutes later, Keya helped Mustafa into his emerald-green Escalade and pulled off.
“Babe, you gonna be okay?” Keya asked.
“What the fuck you think?” Mustafa shot back from the passenger seat while compressing a towel to the back of his head.
“Don’t yell at me, Mu,” Keya whined.
“What? I’m sitting here with my ma’fuckin’ head busted open over some dyke shit, and you talking about don’t yell at you? You buggin’ the fuck out. Just get me to the hospital, yo, so I can get my shit stitched up. Then I want you to tell me everything you know about that bitch you used to fuck with,” he commanded.
Keya drove in silence, but she’d heard loud and clear what Mustafa had just said to her. She intended to drive him to the nearest hospital, just as she intends to tell him all he needed to know. She knew he had status in his hometown of Elizabeth and was someone not to be taken lightly. Keya sensed an opportunity. The time had finally come to get her revenge for what Earth had done to her nearly a month ago. As she drove, the only thing on her mind was how payback was a bitch.
Chapter Eleven
“Yo,” an out of breath Earth answered.
“Yeah, it’s me. Wha
t’s wrong with you? You fuckin’ or something?” Heaven asked.
“No, bitch, I couldn’t find my phone,” Earth snapped, looking around realizing that Melissa was gone. The two of them had endured a wild and enjoyable evening last night, and Earth was looking forward to a repeat occurrence this morning.
“Anyway, where you at?”
“I’m outside, you ready?”
“Almost, I’ll be out in a sec.”
“A’ight.”
Moments later, Earth came out of the house toting a Nike gym bag and jumped in Heaven’s X5 BMW truck.
“What’s good?” Earth greeted.
“You tell me,” Heaven replied, pulling off.
“Man, last night was crazy,” Earth sighed.
“I heard. What the hell happened with you and Keya?”
“Fuck that bitch,” Earth answered dryly.
“So what happened?”
“Nothing really. She tried to style in front of some dude, so I knocked her dumb ass out. And then he tried to play super-save-a-ho, and Sonya clonked his silly ass with a bottle.”
Heaven stared at her partner for a brief moment.
“I thought you didn’t fuck with Keya anymore.”
“I don’t.”
“So why were you so worried about who she was with or what she was doing, then?” Heaven questioned. “Besides, it looked to me like you were doing you anyway.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I saw you with that light-skinned chick all night. Who was that?”
“Who? Melissa? Oh, that wasn’t about nothing. We grew up together,” Earth replied.
“She’s from Plainfield too,” she added, trying to downplay her booty call last night.
“Uh-huh,” Heaven grunted, not buying Earth’s story.
“Uh-huh what? What about you?” Earth asked, still derailing Heaven’s question.
“Me what?”
“I seen Rock all up in ya face. What was that about?”
“Oh shit!” Heaven exclaimed. “I’m glad you reminded me. I knew there was something I had to tell you.”
“What?” Heaven’s tone alarmed Earth.
“Did you hear about some joker from South Trenton that’s been going around robbing and shit?”
“Nah, why would I, and what happened?”
“Nothing yet, but last night, Rock comes up to me and asks could he holla at me on the one-on-one for a minute. At first, I’m like, what the fuck this clown wanna talk to me about, ’cause you know we don’t really fuck with them jokers from Henry Street like that, but I guess he peeps my vibe or something ’cause he says it’s important, and it’s ’bout me and you. So anyway, we slide off to the side, and he starts asking me have we been having any problems around the way, and the first thing that came to mind is all the shit we been getting into lately, but still I play the role and tell him no. That’s when he goes into it about the cat from South Trenton doing stickups, saying that he heard from his man that heard from another dude that overheard that kid talking about running down on some bitches that supposed to be doing their numbers out in New Brunswick, and when he heard it, we were the first ones to come to his mind. I mean, I know we ain’t the only bitches getting doe out here but better safe than sorry, feel me?” Heaven ended.
“Yeah, I feel you,” Earth replied.
She had listened attentively as Heaven had run down the story told to her by Rock.
“You didn’t get a name?”
“Rock said he didn’t know it.”
“That ma’fucka knew,” Earth retorted. “I bet you if you would’ve told him he was gonna get some ass, he would’ve remembered.”
“Where’d that come from?” Heaven asked, surprised by Earth’s statement.
“Com’on, sis, I’m saying, why else would a nigga tell you all that? It ain’t like you and him cool or nothin’. I mean, that’s good looking on our part that he slipped you all that, but I’m sure that he did that on the strength of thinking he was gonna get some pussy for that.”
“Well, he didn’t, and he ain’t, so fuck ’em,” Heaven spat with attitude.
“I know that. Don’t take it out on me,” Earth joked seeing how upset her statement had made Heaven.
“Whatever, E.”
“Yeah, anyway, so how you wanna handle this shit, just in case he was talking about us?” Earth asked, changing the subject.
“First, we gotta find out who he is. Then we’ll take it from there,” Heaven answered.
“I’m with that. Damn, we stay in some shit.”
“I know, right?” Heaven agreed.
“I don’t know how we able to eat with all this beefin’ shit that been poppin’ up. I think ma’fuckas can’t accept the fact that some females outdoing their low-budget asses,” Earth stated.
“Maybe,” was all Heaven said.
“That has to be it. But fuck ’em. What they gonna do? Either tell on us or try to lay us down.”
“E, don’t talk like that,” Heaven said in a serious tone.
“It is what it is, but anyway, what’s up with them bitches around the way?” Earth asked, again changing the subject.
“Everything’s good. They’re good. I left Sonya in charge and gave her the burner. I told her to call one of us if anything goes wrong and hold Le Le and Shell down while they’re out moving the rest of the work. We had a little over a half of bird left, so I just bagged all of it up when I got in from Dolce’s ’cause I knew we had a lot to do this morning.”
“That’s what’s up. Hopefully, Le Le stupid ass can stay the fuck outta some shit while we gone.”
“E, why you so hard on Le Le? Leave her alone,” Heaven said in Le Le’s defense.
“Yeah, I’ma leave her alone, all right. Alone in the ma’fuckin’ dirt somewhere she keep doing dumb shit to bring heat down on us.”
“What about the shit Sonya pulled last month?” Heaven reminded her.
“At least Le Le’s situation was handled off the block.”
“Yeah, but Sonya’s a trooper. She handles her B-I when she gets into something. That nigga we pushed from Remsen should have never left the block when he smacked her up and robbed her. It was guns around there, and Le Le scary ass could’ve got to one in time,” Earth stated.
“Then the bitch got the nerve to act like she wanted to put some work in when we went around there. She would’ve fucked around and got all our asses murdered,” she added.
“All I’m saying is to ease up on her, sis. She’s a good worker, and she’s loyal to us. And we both know that good help is hard to find nowadays. We lose her and it forces us back on the block. And I know you’re not tryin’a catch another case,” Heaven pointed out.
“If it’s in the script, then there’s not shit I can do about it,” Earth replied, not wanting to give Le Le any type of credit. In all reality, Earth knew just as well as Heaven had, that she did not want to return to jail under any circumstances.
Just then, Earth’s thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of rap artist Lil’ Kim’s lyrics. She increased the volume of Heaven’s stereo.
“This bitch Kim is gangsta,” Earth said in admiration as she nodded her head to the flow of the song.
“Yeah, she definitely stood up,” agreed Heaven.
“Out of all them ma’fuckas, she the only one who held it down. Niggas ain’t shit,” Earth chimed in disgust.
“For real, they were supposed to have been her manz and ’em. And she took care of them dudes when Big died.”
“She’s that queen bitch for real, for real,” Earth announced. “That’s the type of bitches we need on our team—straight riders,” she ended.
“I feel you, but we got some riders, tho,” Heaven said in her team’s defense.
“I’m not saying we don’t; I’m just saying technically, we don’t know if Shell and them built for that jail shit because they never did bids before. We know what it’s like, so we know what we’re up against. It ain’t about nothing to us if we had
to go lay down for a minute,” Earth explained in regards to her and Heaven’s past incarceration.
“I mean, Shell and Sonya, if it came down to it, I could see them wearing their weight, but Le Le’s scary ass, I could see her folding if they came at her with some football numbers. That’s just how I feel. And on the real,” Earth continued, “we know better than to be fucking with anybody that never tasted prison life before. We’ve just been lucky, that’s all.”
“Maybe,” was the only response Heaven could conjure up. But she knew that Earth was 100 percent right.
“I got a couple of chicks in mind to put on the team, tho; I just gotta fill ’em out a little more.”
“Yeah, we could use a few more,” Heaven agreed.
“I got us. Did you call the connect and put the order in already?” Earth asked, changing the subject.
“Yeah, I told him we wanted four large pies with extra sauce instead of the three we usually get,” Heaven replied in regards to the four kilos of coke she and Earth intended to buy from their New York connect.
“That’s what’s up.”
As they jumped onto the highway, Heaven popped in one of her favorite artist’s CDs and turned the volume up to the maximum. The X5 sounded like a club as she and Earth cruised down Route 78 East listening to Young Jeezy’s new CD, heading for the George Washington Bridge to meet with their Dominican connect uptown.
* * *
Meanwhile, back in New Brunswick, Blaze sat in the stolen black Buick trying to look inconspicuous while observing the massive drug flow on Seamen Street. He had been scoping out the block for three consecutive days now, in hopes to get a tail on the two chicks named Heaven and Earth he was squatting on but to no avail. Out of spite and frustration of not getting any closer to the duo he had been turned on to, Blaze was tempted to run up on the three females he’d been watching all morning clock a few Gs and lay them all down but thought better of it, because that would be too easy. Besides, why settle for the small fish when there were bigger fish he could catch? Blaze reasoned with himself.
Heaven and Earth Page 6
