by Mz. Robinson
“Goodnight,” he said, then opened the door and stepped out into the night air.
“’Night,” I said lowly before he closed the door behind him.
Chapter 3
It was the first Saturday I’d had off in months, and I wasn’t sure when I’d have another one again, so I planned to live it up a little and enjoy myself with my one and only friend. As an adult, I kept a small circle of friends and only spent time with a select few, mostly my girlfriend, Shaundra, and a male friend by the name of Alvin Staten.
Alvin had recently caught a possession charge and would be spending the next three years in County, so we hadn’t been hanging out much as of late. While my father was still living, he’d warned me that Alvin was on a one-way bus to nowhere, and although I’d defended my friend right up to the day of my daddy’s death, it didn’t take long for me to realize that my father knew best.
Shaundra and I met a year earlier, at a job fair held at the Von Braun Center. She was working in the booth for Verizon Wireless at the time, since she was a floor supervisor in their call center. In the beginning, the two of us conversed about the positions they had open and their benefits, but somewhere throughout the course of those dull career conversations, I noticed a physical attraction to her. When she finally asked for my number and asked if I’d like to hang out sometime, I knew the attraction was mutual.
That night, we went to a local club, Fatty’s, on the south side of the city, a real hip-hop, hood place, complete with half-dressed females, shaking their asses like they were getting paid, and saggy-pants-wearing, draw’s-showing brothers who looked like they wanted nothing more than to get laid. The club was completely outside my element, but I had a good time and was in good company.
After we left Fatty’s, we went back to Shaundra’s place and had several drinks. The alcohol loosened us up a lot and led to the two of us getting to know each other on a much more intimate level, and we’d been best friends and occasional lovers ever since.
Now, the two of us were set to attend an exclusive, all-white party hosted by the 103.1 deejay, Jo-Ski Love. It was to be held at Crossroads, a nightclub downtown. Shaundra had managed to score VIP passes to the event from Blair, and naturally, I was all for it.
Earlier in the day, I’d thought about calling Gator to let him know I’d had a good time on our date, but I’d decided against it. A small part of me hoped he’d call me instead. When he didn’t, I concluded that after actually spending time with me, he’d discovered he wasn’t as interested as he originally thought he was.
When Shaundra and I arrived at Crossroads, the first thing we did was hit the dance floor. We moved and dropped like one unit. Once we were satisfied and damn near perspiring, we exited the floor and made our way upstairs to the VIP lounge, on the second floor. It was enclosed in plexiglass, offering a view down into the rest of the club. Those unfortunate souls not lucky enough to be invited into the lounge could easily look up and see what they were missing. One long, velvet-covered sectional couch wrapped around the wall, and large speakers were in every corner. It was also equipped with a fully stocked bar.
Shaundra and I sat there watching the crowd, enjoying our vodka and pineapple juice and listening to Jackie Chain, performing on the stage below. To my delight, with the exception of the waitress and a security guard, there were only four other people in the lounge, despite the fact that the bottom floor was packed with men and women sporting their best white attire. I had chosen a short, body-hugging, one-shoulder dress and red stilettos, and my hair was done up in a weave that stopped just past my shoulders. Shaundra’s lace corset dress stopped several inches above her knees and flattered her petite frame. Her low-cut, natural hair was adorned with brown highlights that complemented her bronze skin.
An hour and a half after our arrival, she received a text from her friend who’d scored our passes. “He’s on his way up,” she said, flashing her eyes at me. “Trust me, baby, you’re gonna love him.”
I really didn’t care if I liked the man or not. My only concern was having a good time.
A few seconds later, a tall man with deep, dark chocolate skin entered the lounge. He was dressed in a white linen shirt and matching slacks, with white, gold-tipped shoes on his feet. His bald head glistened under the dim lights as he stepped over to the booth. “Hello, ladies,” he said in a sultry, baritone voice. “I’m happy the two of you could make it.” He looked from Shaundra to me, with an expression of admiration stamped on his face.
“Blair, this is my girl, Diamond,” Shaundra introduced.
“It’s nice to meet you, Diamond.”
“Likewise,” I said politely. I nonchalantly scanned my eyes over the man’s physique and silently decided that Shaundra had done quite well. Not only was he fine, but it was obvious he had some pull at the club. The only thing better than a man who could make things happen is a sexy man who could make things happen.
“Mind if I join you?” Blair asked.
“Not at all.” Shaundra grinned and slid to her left on the couch, allowing room for Blair to sit between us.
“So…what’s on the agenda tonight?” Blair asked, rubbing his hand over Shaundra’s thigh.
In that moment, I realized I didn’t have a clue what Shaundra had agreed to in exchange for our entrance in the event. I was so happy to have those tickets that I hadn’t thought about what they might cost. I loved my friend, but when it came to men, she didn’t always use her best judgment, or her basic instincts, and she was known for getting caught up in bullshit.
“We’ll see,” she said, batting her eyelashes.
Speak for yourself, I thought. My plan was to sip, shake my ass, and go home alone.
“Hopefully, I’ll be able to influence your decision,” Blair said, looking at me.
“Humph,” I mumbled, then took a sip from my glass.
Twenty minutes later, my mind was made up. Blair had influenced my decision; I’d decided to leave. The man had been working my nerves, rambling about his career in the music industry and constantly name-dropping. It took every ounce of my willpower not to tell him that I didn’t give two sweaty fucks about the artists he claimed he knew. Shaundra, on the other hand, soaked up his bullshit like toilet paper on a wet ass. I picked up my glass, tossed the liquid back, and puckered as it went down my throat, burning all the way. It was my third straight shot since Blair had joined us in the lounge, and I was starting to feel a buzz.
“You okay, boo?” Shaundra asked, looking past Blair and at me.
“I’m good.” I sighed. “Bored as shit, but good.”
“What’s wrong, sexy?” Blair asked, slipping his arm around my waist. “Tell Daddy what you need.”
Daddy? I laughed hysterically, drawing unwanted attention to myself and realizing I’d gone past buzzed and was walking the drunken trenches.
The music changed, and Twista’s “Get it Wet” came blaring through the speakers. Blair looked at me, then leaned over and whispered something in Shaundra’s ear. I watched as the two of them went back and forth for a brief moment, and then Shaundra looked at me and gave me a sweet smile.
“Let’s go to the ladies’ room,” she suggested, extending her hand to me.
I grabbed her hand with one hand and my clutch with the other and allowed her to pull me to my feet. She held my hand tightly and led me out through the crowd to the ladies’ room. Inside the restroom, she informed me that Blair wanted us to join him for a “private party” at the Embassy Suites. She put emphasis on the word “private,” clearly indicating the man wanted to fuck.
“No deal,” I said, shaking my head.
“Diamond, I’m sort of diggin’ him, baby,” she whined.
“Then you go right ahead,” I suggested. “Just drop me off at the crib first.” I wanted no parts of Blair, but I wasn’t about to discourage Shaundra from getting what she wanted after I was home safe.
“I want you to come too,” she purred. “Please?”
“No,” I said, st
aring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I brushed a loose strand of hair back in place with my fingers, then redirected my attention to Shaundra.
She looked disappointed and defeated. “Please, boo?” she begged again. “He’s good people, Diamond. Trust me. Just come with us, and I’ll take care of the rest. Please say you’ll come.”
After she continued begging for several seconds, I finally agreed. If nothing else, I’d at least get a decent meal out of Blair in exchange for my company and for having to put up with all his bullshit. Besides, if I didn’t go with her, she would have gone alone, and I knew I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone with that man.
We returned to the lounge, and Shaundra announced to Blair that we would be joining him at the hotel. We waited for him to take care of the tab, and then the three of us departed the club together.
Outside of Crossroads, there was a full moon overhead, casting a strange, silvery-blue glow in the night sky. Although there were several people standing outside the front of the club, there were only a few vehicles maneuvering down the street.
“Where you parked?” Blair asked Shaundra.
“At the old bank, a couple streets over.”
“I’m across the street in the garage,” he said. “I’ll drive you to your car.”
“Sounds good,” I said, relieved that I wouldn’t have to walk on my drunken legs in those stilettos.
Shaundra cut her eyes in my direction. I knew she was expecting me to turn down the man’s offer, but it was the best offer Blair had made all night. We would have had to walk at least two blocks to get to her car, and there was no way in hell I was going to put any more strain on my already aching feet. My heels were sexy, but cheap; a bad combination for twerking in the club and then having to walk.
We followed Blair across the street, to the second level of the parking garage. He pulled a set of keys from his pocket, then hit the disarm button on the key fob, unlocking the doors to a black Mercedes C-250 luxury sedan parked in the spot marked “B-4.”
“Ooh! This is nice,” Shaundra said, climbing in on the front passenger side.
I agreed with her but chose not to express it; instead, I settled in the seat behind her, relaxing against the cool leather.
“Thanks,” Blair said with a proud grin. He then shut each of our doors, strolled around to the driver side, and slipped behind the wheel. He revved up the engine, cranked up the radio, put it in reverse, and backed out of the parking space.
The bass coming from the speakers tickled my back, and Tupac’s “Ghetto Gospel” brought back memories of my father. My daddy, Oscar, was a God-fearing, God-serving man, but he loved Pac and Biggie with a passion. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for me to climb in the cab of his F-150 and find either of them in the deck. The memories of the times we’d shared brought a smile to my face and made me laugh.
Suddenly, the sound of tires screeching, followed by Blair abruptly cutting his wheel to the right and laying on his horn, jolted me out of my walk down memory lane. “Stupid-ass motherfucker!” he yelled out the window. “Watch where you going in that raggedy piece of shit!”
I looked out the front windshield at the car that had zoomed by us, almost sideswiping Blair’s vehicle in the process. The driver proceeded on, like nothing had happened, and stopped at the entrance gate of the parking facility. We watched as the driver briefly exchanged words with the silver-haired man in the booth, then sped out of the parking lot.
“Dumbass,” Blair grumbled, pulling up to the booth. “What’s up, man?” he said to the guard.
“Ya’ll all right in here?” the man asked, peering inside the car. “Looked like you almost had a fender bender back there.”
“Yes, sir,” I said respectfully.
“Nah, that bitch almost made me bust his head,” Blair corrected.
“Hmm. Well, I’m glad it didn’t lead to that.” The old man laughed. “We don’t want no trouble.”
“I feel ya. Baby, reach in the glove department and hand me that ticket,” Blair instructed Shaundra.
Obeying his request, Shaundra opened the glove compartment and removed the ticket I assumed had been assigned to Blair when he’d originally parked his car in the garage.
The roaring sound of a car approaching pulled my attention back to the windshield. A rusty, green 1972 Chevy Monte Carlo with dark-tinted windows came to a screeching halt in front of the entrance, the same car that had exited the garage moments earlier. In an instant, the back door swung open.
“Oh? This nigga want it?” Blair said, sucking his teeth. “His ass gon’ get it real—”
“C’mon, son,” the booth attendant said gently. “Trouble is easy to get into but hard to get out of.”
I watched the car, waiting for the people inside to make their next move, hoping things were not going to get out of hand. I hated when grown men acted like children, and it happened far too often.
“Naw, fuck that,” Blair said. He threw his hands up, providing the unknown parties in the car an open invitation to a confrontation. “What’s up?” he taunted.
The sound of a cocking gun sent my heart racing, and fear penetrated me to my core. I looked out the window at the old man, staring at the barrel of the sawed-off shotgun he was holding in his hands with a white-knuckled grip.
“What the—”
The clap of gunfire pierced the air as Blair’s words and life were cut short by the bullet that penetrated his forehead. The echo of Shaundra’s petrifying screams danced in my ringing ears, and my heart pounded in the cavity of my chest, like a beast trying to free itself from a cage. I heard the gun pump again. Another shot rang out, and Shaundra’s body fell against the passenger side door.
The old man looked at me with eyes clear as rain and aimed the gun at me. Silent tears poured from my eyes as I gasped, awaiting the cold darkness that I was sure would accompany death. That moment, however, did not come. I wasn’t sure what happened, but the gun must have jammed, because the man stared at me briefly before running and jumping in the awaiting Chevy.
* * * * *
I pushed through the glass double-doors of the North Precinct, still in a daze from the events I had witnessed hours earlier. The sound of the gun and my friend’s cries floated in my head like a balloon being carried in the wind. I stood in the parking lot, staring down at my dress, at the crimson stains that were subtle reminders of the horror my eyes had beheld.
After the Chevy drove off, I had sat there, frozen in place, staring out the window. I didn’t know how many seconds had passed until one of the pedestrians from the street rushed over to offer their assistance. I remembered stepping out of the car onto the concrete, then opening Shaundra’s door. She’d fallen into my arms like a shattered porcelain doll, blood gushing from the lethal wound in her neck. I’d begged and pleaded with her to breathe, but she was already gone. I’d sat on the cold concrete, holding her in my arms, until the man who came to offer his assistance and pulled me away, screaming as loud as my lungs would allow.
When the police had arrived I told them what had happened, what I’d seen and heard, and then I’d willingly traveled with two uniformed female officers to the station. Three grueling hours later, I was free to go.
One of the officers offered to take me home and provide security for the night, but I declined, advising her that I would call my brother and stay at his place. I hadn’t talked to Randall since the day I’d refused to lend him money, but I hoped he would come through for me now, when I needed him the most. I dug inside my bag and removed my cell phone. My hands shook uncontrollably while I dialed Randall’s number, and the phone rang four times before his voicemail came on. “Randall, call me…please,” I begged, and my tears begin to surface again.
I ended the call and tried calling again, but it went straight to voicemail. I didn’t want to call a cab, not only because of how much it would cost, but also because I didn’t want to go home and be alone. What if the man comes back to finish what he started? T
o make sure there are no witnesses? He didn’t know me personally, and even the officers agreed that Shaundra and I were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught in the middle of a plot that was clearly set for Blair long before that night, but that didn’t make it any easier to cope with.
I began to call my mother, but quickly stopped dialing, knowing she’d be far too worried. Besides that, I didn’t want another me-and-your-daddy-told-you-so lecture about my drinking and partying.
I scrolled through my text messages, in a panic and feeling like I needed to call someone, and I just so happened to spot Gator’s number. I pressed the call button and waited, practically holding my breath.
“Hello?”
“Hey. It’s Diamond. I’m sorry for calling so late, but—”
“I know who you are,” he said, “and you’re fine…in every conceivable way.”
“Thanks. Um, I hate to ask you this,” I said, running my fingers through my hair, “but something bad happened.” I went on to tell him all the gory details of what had taken place, my voice shaking all the while. It was no easy task to talk through the lump in my throat and all the tears streaming down my face.
“I’m on my way,” he said without hesitation.
It took Gator less than thirty minutes to arrive at the station. The moment he stepped out of his car, he took one look at me and pulled me into his arms, allowing me to saturate his silk shirt with my tears. His arms felt like a steel blanket around me, secure and strong. I didn’t want him to let me go; if given the choice at that moment, I would have allowed him to hold me forever.
After a few wordless moments of him comforting me, the two of us got in his car and left. I gazed out the window, focusing on nothing in particular as the streetlights zoomed by in a foggy blur. I kept seeing Blair’s and Shaundra’s dead bodies flashing through my head, haunting me repeatedly.
“Where would you like me to take you?” Gator questioned gently. “Your mom’s? Or, if you’d prefer, I can put you up in a nice hotel.”
