Dollar Bill

by Joy

  “Ral talks about you twenty-four/seven. It’s good to meet you up close and personal. I’d expect to see some gleaming halo over your head, a beaming light behind you like you Jesus or some shit.” Kill Dog laughed.

  “Oh, yeah?” Dollar lightweight laughed.

  “Word. Ral’s my boy, with his crazy ass. That wigga would take candy from a baby and sell it to its mother if he had to. He’s good peoples though. Always got a mafucka’s back.”

  Kill Dogs words were starting to eat away at Dollar’s conscience. They only reminded Dollar of how loyal Ral was and had always been. But people changed. The game changed people.

  “Me and my girl had got into it and Ral was there to have my back,” Kill Dog continued. “Ma had just caught me getting down with a Chiquita from ’round the way.”

  As Kill Dog went on and on, Dollar saw firsthand how niggaz get to running their mouth off in the spot. This cat was telling all of his business.

  “Ral’s ass shows up out of nowhere with a mink. I shut my ho up with that coat. I ain’t even have the money on the spot to give Ral but he looked out. As a matter of fact I just paid his ass a couple three weeks ago. I hit him up with an extra two grand. Hell, ma is the mother of my four kids. She special like that. Ral saved my ass.”

  “Hold up,” Dollar stopped Kill Dog before he could continue gabbing. “Ral sold you a coat?”

  “Yeah, a mink,” Kill Dog said. “He was gon’ bring my dude Rob from LA up in here not too long ago to try to cop one. He said dude’s who sells them sister works up in here and shit, but them boys had drove up to Chi-Town and put in work and wasn’t trying to hang out. But they said the next time they roll through they gon’ check out this spot. I told them niggaz they didn’t know what they were missing. Don’t nobody roll through the interstate without jumpin’ off at the Chocolate Factory.”

  Dollar had left Kill Dog standing there talking to himself. One of the biggest mistakes Dollar could ever make was about to go down and he had to stop it.

  “Nigga, what the fuck you doing in here?” a dancer shouted as Dollar busted into the dressing room.

  “T, it’s a mistake. We gotta stop that shit!” Dollar shouted to Tommy.

  “Whoa, hold up,” Tommy said, confused. “What’s going on?”

  “Are you crazy busting up in here like that?” Bear asked Dollar as he snatched him up.

  “Man, get your motherfuckin’ hands off of me,” Dollar said, going for his piece.

  “Wait!” Tommy yelled. “Come on, Dollar. What’s wrong?” Tommy said as she peeled Bear’s hands off of Dollar.

  Dollar rambled on and on to Tommy about Ral having money because he’d sold the mink coat to Kill Dog. He told her about why them LA niggaz hadn’t shown up at the club that night they were supposed to rob him in the parking lot. Tommy wasn’t fully comprehending everything. All she knew is that a big mistake had been made. It was like a ghetto version of the sitcom Three’s Company. All the wrong conclusions had been jumped to.

  “Call Storm’s pager,” Tommy shouted as she began to tremble.

  Dollar searched his person for his cell phone and it was nowhere on him. “Fuck, I must have left my phone in the car.”

  Dollar and Tommy ran out to Dollar’s truck to retrieve his phone. Dollar dug through his pockets and glove box for Storm’s number.

  “Dammit, D, hurry the fuck up,” Tommy said. By this time, she was shaking and tears were running down her face.

  “I can’t find it,” Dollar said.

  “Your cell phone; is it stored in your cell phone? Numbers called, received calls or something?” Tommy screamed.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Dollar said. He felt around under the seat until he located his cell phone. “Found it.” He sat down in the driver seat and fumbled through the address book, but couldn’t recall what name he had stored the number in as. “Fuck,” Dollar said. “It’s not under Storm.”

  “Try M& M,” Tommy suggested, which Dollar did.

  “It’s not under that either.”

  “Hit hoes. You called them hit hoes. Try that.”

  Just as Tommy suggested, the phone number was stored under Hit Hoes. Dollar hit the quick dial button. The phone rang one time; no answer. The phone rang two times; no answer. The phone rang three times; no answer. The phone rang four times.

  “Hello,” a seductive voice answered.

  “Storm,” Dollar shouted.

  “No, this is Thunder. Just a moment and I’ll get her,” Thunder said.

  “No, wait a minute,” Dollar shouted, but Thunder had already put down the phone. Dollar could hear his heartbeat as he waited on the phone.

  “This is Storm,” she said into the receiver upon picking up the phone.

  “Baby girl, this is Dollar,” he said.

  “Hey, poppa, what’s—”

  “Have you done that shit yet?” Dollar said, cutting Storm off.

  “My feelings are hurt that you doubted my skills,” Storm said. “Don’t worry. That black suit won’t go to waste. It’s done.”

  Dollar removed the phone from his ear. He dropped his head and closed his eyes.

  “No, oh no,” Tommy whimpered.

  Dollar looked over at Tommy and D’ed up. He stuck out his chest, took a deep breath, and swallowed. He then put the phone back to his ear.

  “You still there?” Storm asked.

  “Yeah, I’m here,” Dollar replied.

  “Yeah, he’s gone off that ex. Thunder and me ’bout to finish this shit off. I told you that I would hit you up when the deed was done, so let me do my thang and I’ll call you back when—”

  “Whoa,” Dollar interrupted. “You mean he’s not gone gone?”

  “Didn’t I say not to worry? My girl and me gonna handle this. We ain’t amateurs,” Storm said.

  “No, no,” Dollar said. “There’s been a change in plans.”

  Storm paused. “Meaning what?” Storm huffed.

  “Meaning I don’t need M&M anymore,” Dollar said.

  There was silence on the phone. Dollar could hear some shuffling and could tell Storm must have been changing to a location where she could speak more freely.

  “Look, muthafucka,” Storm said. “I done already sucked Opey’s little-ass dick, so if you thinking you getting this money back then you got another think coming.”

  “Calm down, Pocahontas,” Dollar said. “You keep that shit and good looking out. We cool?”

  “Hell yeah, we cool. We always gon’ be cool as long as you don’t try to fuck up my money. My daughter’s tuition was due, so your shit was already spent.”

  “I hear you and it’s cool, ma. Like I already said, you keep that shit. But since you are keeping it, why don’t you go ahead and see to it that my man has a happy birthday after all. You feel me?” Dollar said.

  “That’s not a problem,” Storm said.

  “All right then, later.”

  “Hey, Dollar,” Storm said before ending the call.

  “Yeah!”

  “It was a pleasure doing business with you.”

  Delighted that Dollar was able to stop Storm from finishing Ral off, he replied, “The pleasure was all mine.”

  Dollar hung up his cell phone, took a deep breath, and planted his head against his steering wheel.

  “So, it’s all good?” Tommy asked as Dollar sat hunched over the steering wheel.

  “If you hadn’t figured out what Storm’s fucking number was stored under, then I don’t know,” Dollar said, becoming emotional. “I don’t know what would have happened.”

  “Jesus.” Tommy sighed. “I knew Ral wasn’t no rat. I knew it.”

  Dollar looked over at Tommy who was in a cold sweat. Dollar put his hand on her knee and said, “You did it again.”

  “What?” Tommy said.

  “You saved Ral. Once again, Tommy Gun to the rescue.”

  CHAPTER 24

  Strictly Business

  “Nice place you got here,” Hennessey said to Dollar as she walked
in his apartment dressed in a navy blue business suit with her butterscotch Coach briefcase in hand.

  “Thank you, Miss Lady,” Dollar replied. “This nice little place costs as much as a mansion it seems. It sucks up my entire paycheck, not to mention the extra fee for parking that’s tacked onto my rent.”

  “What exactly do you do, your job?” Hennessey asked.

  “Construction, pretty much,” Dollar replied.

  Hennessey couldn’t help but giggle. “Construction, huh?” Hennessey said, twitching up her lips.

  “No, I’m serious. I really do construction. I got the work boots to prove it.”

  “Construction,” Hennessey said, walking over to Dollar and grabbing hold of his hand. “With nails like these?”

  “I wear gloves.” He slid his hand away from hers. “You wanna see those, too?”

  “I’ll take your word for it.”

  “Hey, I’m a hardworking brotha. Otherwise, I’d be spending more time with you. Not just talking on the phone like we usually do.”

  “I like talking to you on the phone,” Hennessey said. “Besides, you know my job is always sending me out of town to seminars and stuff.”

  “And I like talking to you too, but I like seeing you in person more.”

  “Talking to you on the phone up until the wee hours of the night makes me feel like I’m in high school again,” Hennessey said, reminiscing back to those days.

  Being hypnotized by the scent of a woman, Dollar lifted Hennessey’s hand to his lips and planted a kiss on it. He then proceeded to kiss up her arm until he made his way to her lips. Dollar planted three soft kisses on her lips. Hennessey responded with a deep French kiss. The two kissed for what seemed like an eternity. Dollar ran his hands down Hennessey’s back until he reached her bottom. He then squeezed as if she were a package of Charmin.

  Hennessey could feel Dollar’s nature rising against her as he held her close. She had to remember that she was there on business, strictly business. She pulled Dollar’s hands from off of her butt and pushed away from him.

  “Let me grab the portfolios that Mr. Alleghany worked up for you,” Hennessey said as she pulled some folders out of her briefcase. “He apologizes for having to cancel his appointment with you that was scheduled for this morning, but his little girl took ill.”

  “Oh, no problem,” Dollar said. “I’d much rather go over it with you anyway.” That was the truth, well, the half-truth anyway. Dollar would rather not go over the portfolio at all, but if he had to, he’d much rather do it with Hennessey.

  Dollar couldn’t have cared less about some financial portfolio. When his personal banker had called him up yesterday to even make the appointment to go over the portfolio, Dollar didn’t want to waste his time—Mr. Alleghany’s or his own. But then he realized that going into the bank for a meeting meant he’d probably get to see Hennessey too, so he made the appointment. When Mr. Alleghany called early this morning to reschedule, Dollar told him he had a pretty tight schedule for the week and only had today open, which he followed up by asking since Hennessey was the one who referred Dollar to him in the first place, if he could just meet with her instead. Ask and you shall receive.

  “We have all night to look at those,” Dollar said regarding the portfolio, walking up behind Hennessey, pressing himself against her and kissing her on her neck.

  It was going to be hard for Hennessey not to fall into lust with Dollar. She had to admit it, he was the finest man she had ever worked with. But business was business and even though it was after work hours, this was supposed to be a business call. After allowing herself to get a little creamy in her panties from the kisses to the tender spot on her neck, Hennessey pulled away from Dollar.

  “Well, I really don’t have all night and Mr. Alleghany said you seemed very serious on the phone about wanting to make some long term investments to provide for a secure future.”

  “I am serious, but damn, you got a nigga all hot and bothered.”

  “Come on, Dollar. I’m serious. I’m sure there are some interesting business opportunities. You have no idea how much I’m going out of my way here. I really want to help you. I really do. Let me help you.”

  Hennessey’s sudden sincerity showed Dollar that she was all business. She spoke with such passion. Dollar excused himself and went into the bathroom and handled his business. There wasn’t any need in letting a woody go to waste.

  As Dollar cleaned himself up in the bathroom, he asked himself over and over why he thought for one minute Hennessey was going to give him any. “I told myself I wasn’t going to let these broads fuck up my head,” Dollar said to himself as he straightened himself out in the mirror, and then headed out of the bathroom to rejoin his guest.

  For the next hour or so, Hennessey followed Mr. Alleghany’s notes and schooled Dollar on some high-risk investments that could either earn him ten times his money or put him in the poorhouse. That would be the risk he would have to take. Big risks always came along with big money. CDs and bonds didn’t interest Dollar. The payoff wasn’t worth the wait.

  When Dollar realized that he only had $29,000 in his safe, he panicked. He told himself that he was going to live modest, but those “must-have” materialistic possessions had gotten the best of him. Lack of money to Dollar was what lack of crack was to a fiend. It made him nervous and jittery. It also made him anxious. He needed to flip his money. He was willing to take the high-risk investments Hennessey was suggesting to him. He was willing to risk every dime he had. But doing so meant he had to make a big move to back his shit up. If he was going to put all of his eggs in one basket and turn them over to Hennessey’s bank in hopes of becoming a rich man, he needed to keep a golden egg for himself.

  As Dollar listened to Hennessey go on and on about the type of investments her bank had made for people and how their investments had paid off, he realized that a bank mans a lot of money for a lot of people. When a person wants candy, where do they go? They go to a candy store. So when a person wants money, where do they go?

  By now Dollar wasn’t paying much attention to Hennessey’s words. Dollar was fixated on candy: green candy with dead presidents on them. She finally wrapped things up and got Dollar’s signature to move forward with the suggested investments.

  Dollar offered her a nightcap, which she accepted.

  Of course Dollar tried making moves on Hennessey, but she refused his advances by stating that she just wanted to cuddle. The two sat sipping on Alizé and watching television.

  “So what do you want with me?” Dollar couldn’t help but ask Hennessey.

  “Excuse me?” Hennessey replied.

  “I mean, look, I’m just a regular guy. I don’t have much to offer,” Dollar said.

  “I don’t want much,” Hennessey replied. “Besides, I just like being with you. You’re a good guy, Dollar.”

  “Ahmmm,” Dollar laughed in an “if only you knew” sort of tone.

  “You don’t think you’re a good guy?” Hennessey asked, taking a sip from her glass of Alizé. “Then tell me, what are you?”

  “I’m just a man, you know,” Dollar said, looking down at his glass of Alizé. “I mean, an everyday brotha out here trying to make it.”

  “Trying to make it how?” Hennessey began digging.

  The door was opening for Dollar to be able to tell Hennessey about the man he really was. How he had spent time in jail. But that would only make her skeptical of him, maybe even drive her away. Dollar didn’t want that. But what kind of future could they possibly have together? It would only be a matter of time before Hennessey found him out. Dollar couldn’t see her wanting to have anything to do with a man who robbed people for a living. It wasn’t as if robbing folks was something he was going to do for the rest of his life. He just needed to hit the jackpot and then everything would be good.

  Dollar looked over at Hennessey’s French manicured nails and sparkling tennis bracelet and knew that she would never give the real Dollar Bill the time of day
. So on that note, Dollar figured if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Telling Hennessey his business was futile at that point. There was still plenty of time for their relationship to move forward. By then, robbery would be a thing of the past for Dollar.

  As Dollar looked at Hennessey, he was convinced, now more than ever, that perhaps it was time for a change. Dollar wanted to get closer to Hennessey. It was hard to be real and open with her knowing that there was a side to him that he couldn’t share with her, and telling her the truth about him wasn’t the way to do it. He would just have to keep her at bay until he got his life straight.

  “It’s getting late,” Dollar said, looking down at his watch. “Don’t you have to work tomorrow?”

  “Yes, I do,” Hennessey said, setting her glass down on the living room table and standing up. “Besides, I know when I’m being told to go home.”

  “You don’t have to go home, but you have to get the hell up out of here.” Dollar laughed as he stood up with Hennessey.

  Dollar walked Hennessey down to her car and made sure she was safe and sound inside. “Thanks for walking me down,” Hennessey said, rolling down the window to her money green convertible Saab.

  “Anytime,” Dollar replied as he turned away and headed back up to his apartment.

  “Dollar,” Hennessey yelled, stopping Dollar in his tracks. “Can I tell you something?”

  “Anything.”

  “I’m kinda diggin’ you.” Hennessey blushed.

  “Oh yeah?” Dollar smiled. “Well, I’m kinda diggin’ you too.”

  Hennessey smiled, blew Dollar a kiss, and then drove off. This time Dollar did catch it, and placed it on his lips. “Now her right there,” Dollar said to himself. “She could have my baby. That’s baby mama material if I ever saw it.”

  As Dollar walked back up to his apartment, all he could envision was Hennessey’s smile. It warmed him. It comforted him the same way his mother’s smile used to comfort him.

  Dollar returned to his apartment. By that time it was after eleven and the evening news was on. Dollar walked over to the television to turn it off so that he could get ready for bed. Just then he heard the words from the anchorwoman.