by Jacob Spears
Damn! Jenny thought. “Wow!”
“Yeah, right!” China agreed.
“How did all this happen?”
“He came home late the other night smelling like another woman. I went to pack my shit and told Tracy to come with me. She tried interrupting our argument.”
“And Smooth slapped the shit out of her!” Jenny filled in the sentence.
“Yeah! How’d you know?” China asked, surprised.
“Because I would have slapped her ass too if she got in the way of a long-term relationship.”
“Anyways, I ended up slapping the hell out of her because all day she was ranting on about Smooth, which I could understand. But when she wished death on him, I slapped the shit out of her!”
“Damn!” Jenny replied.
“Y’all just slapping Ms. Tracy all over the place.”
“You just agreed she deserved it,” China reminded her.
“Yeah, she did,” Jenny said as she began eating her chicken sandwich before it got cold.
Pop!
Jenny opened a can of Coke and took a sip.
“So, where’s Smooth?”
“I don’t know. Probably trying to pay for a $2.3 million mansion,” China said.
“Damn, girl. Don’t you think we all need to be in the mansion?”
“It’s not that, baby. Smooth don’t have no job or career to account for a $2.3 million home. The feds would come snooping as soon as we lay our heads on the pillows,” China explained.
“You have a point. So it’s over, huh?”
“I don’t know, Jenny. I can’t stop thinking about him. Then yesterday he tried giving me the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen, and I turned him down,” China explained, with tears forming in the wells of her eyes.
Before they could fall, Jenny grabbed China’s hand.
“Baby, please don’t let the world beat you when you know you have a shining prize just waiting to be let out. I’m here, and I’m not going nowhere.”
“I know, Jenny,” China sobbed. “It’s just, I miss him already. I picked her over him. He came home smelling like another woman, but I knew he was handling his business with his cook girl.”
“Do you think they have something going on?” Jenny asked.
“I don’t know,” China said, wiping her eyes and face with a napkin. “I never asked.”
“Then ask her, baby! Go to her place and ask her to be a woman about things,” Jenny suggested.
“Why would I step to another bitch? I’m supposed to check his ass, Jenny.”
“You still would want to know about her to kill your curiosity, baby,” Jenny said.
She’s right, China thought.
“Do you want him back, China?”
“I don’t know, Jenny.”
“What about Tracy?”
“I don’t think the three of us would ever work again.”
“Well, what’s not for him is not for you, China. Y’all been together too long. Yeah, he’s deep in the streets and is for his homeboys. When he’s around, does he treat you like a queen?” Jenny asked.
“Yes, he does,” China said.
“When y’all go places, does he treat you like a queen in public?” Jenny said. “Baby, I read a book by Trayvon D. Jackson. That man spits the truth in his book True Love Dies Once. He explains how a man gone will always be a man in the streets but a king at home. A king doesn’t move without his queen. Smooth came back with that diamond and proved that to you. He loves you, China, and you gotta see that. I read your letters, and I know that you’re worried about his safety. He understands that, but you got to understand that there’s nowhere safe in this world, baby. Let a man be a man, boo,” Jenny explained.
“What’s the name of that book again?” China asked.
“True Love Dies Once by Trayvon D. Jackson,” Jenny replied.
“I love you, girl. You’ve helped me. I think I got to go get our man back, baby.”
“Go get him, baby, and just stick it out with him. Tell him how you feel about him coming in late. I know you, China. I know you blew up on him as soon as he stepped through the front door,” Jenny said.
“You know I did,” China replied, causing Jenny to laugh.
“Come, we have to take some pictures,” China said as they stood from the table.
Together, she and Jenny took ten pictures and then went outside to get some fresh air. They enjoyed the sun as they walked around the visitors’ track holding hands. China felt better, and she realized that coming to see Jenny was what she really needed. She was someone to pour her heart out to, who would understand her and correctly guide her.
* * *
Smooth and Amanda were enjoying each other’s company at Da Silvano Italian restaurant on 6th Avenue in New York. They were on the roof that overlooked the city, feasting on mushroom risotto, whole grilled fish, and linguine with clams while enjoying a bottle of Bartenura Moscato.
“This fish is delicious. What made you bring me here?” Amanda asked, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
“I wanted to make my baby happy tonight.”
“Oh yeah,” Amanda said as she fed Smooth some of her fish after seeing that he had smashed his.
“Why does yours have a special spice to it?” Smooth said as he savored the taste of the fish.
“Because mine has extra sauce.”
“Hot sauce?” Smooth questioned as his mouth began to burn.
He grabbed his Moscato and downed the whole glass.
“It’s not that hot, boy.”
“Shit! Where the hell are your taste buds?” Smooth asked as he pulled on his tie, pretending to die, which caused her to erupt in laughter.
“Boy, you’re silly!” Amanda exclaimed.
“We’re in New York. Maybe I could land a script if the right people see me.”
“You have the right people right in front of you, baby,” Amanda said as she slid her foot between Smooth’s legs and pressed down on his dick.
“You want to make our own movie right here?”
“No, Smooth. Let’s behave,” Amanda said, snatching her foot back and slipping it back in her high heel.
“I really appreciate you bringing me here with you to New York. It’s really good to get out of the apartment once in a while,” Amanda said seductively while twirling her straw in her glass.
“Maybe we could do this more often,” Smooth suggested.
“It’d be nice, as long as I’m with you, baby.”
Damn, she sounds like China. I miss her, Smooth thought.
Amanda could sense the hurt coming on. She was a victim of a first love gone bad herself, and it was hard for her to get over her ex back in high school, who she had been with since middle school.
“I know it’s hard, Smooth. But like I told you, I have patience for you,” Amanda said.
“Thank you,” Smooth said before he grabbed her hand.
“Take this dance with me, baby,” Smooth said as he stood up and walked Amanda to the dance floor, where Italian music was playing and a few older couples were slowly dancing.
“Do you know what you’re doing, boy?”
“When I’m in bed, I know what I’m doing, right?” Smooth asked.
“Yes, you do, baby.”
“So why would I go wrong now?”
“No reason, baby,” Amanda replied as she slowly and softly kissed Smooth. “I can’t get enough of you, baby.”
“And I can’t get enough of you either, beautiful,” Smooth answered.
“After this dance, can we go back to the room for the rest of the night?”
“Of course we can, baby,” Smooth said.
“I think I’d love a chocolate dessert.”
“And I’ll take the caramel,” Smooth added, squeezing Amanda’s ass.
* * *
“Are you coming back before one o’clock, baby?” Tina asked Ham, who was lacing on his shoes and getting ready to go out into the night to hustle and find somewhere to smoke his crack.
“Yeah, I’ma be back. If you’re asleep, I’ll wake you up for some of that good pussy, baby.”
“We’ll see when you get back, baby,” she said as she kissed him deeply.
Ham laid her back on the bed and started sucking on her neck. Tina was in a silk gown and wanted Ham to make love to her.
“Give it to me before you leave, daddy!” Tina purred.
“I can’t.” Ham jumped up before he got himself trapped.
I need a hit before I go crazy! he thought as he put on his jacket and shoved his 9mm into the waist of his pants.
“You better be back before 1:00 a.m. or yo ass going in the dog house. I’m not playing!” Tina said as she covered up under the blanket and turned her back to Ham.
“Baby, don’t act like that. I said I’ll be back. Now lose the attitude,” Ham said as he stormed out of the room and apartment altogether.
When Tina heard the door slam, she got out of bed and walked to the bathroom, went underneath the sink, and grabbed her pouch. She was sexually frustrated, so she took two hits from her crack pipe.
“That’ll do me fine until he brings his ass back,” Tina said.
* * *
When Ham walked out of his apartment, he immediately pulled out his crack-weed blunt and took three long drags. He was walking down Magnolia Avenue, when he saw the two bubble headlights.
Oh, shit, po-po! Ham thought as he tossed the blunt on the ground.
The police put on their lights and whipped in front of him. He tried to run through a yard, but he was taken down by the fastest police officer on the force, nicknamed “Running Man.”
“Where do you think you’re going, Hamilton?” Running Man asked Ham while pulling his arm back.
Three other officers jumped onto Ham’s back and began punching him in the head. Running Man was the sergeant and had a gang of officers ready to take down people like Ham.
“Stop resisting, sir. Stop resisting!” all three officers screamed while punching Ham in the head.
“I’m not resisting, man!” Ham hollered. “Awww, shit, man! That’s my wrist. I’m not resisting,” Ham cried out in pain when Running Man bent it back.
Running Man cuffed him and then yanked Ham up from the ground and slammed him onto the back of the police car. More police pulled up to the scene to assist. Running Man frisked Ham and found the 9mm and two ounces of crack.
“Hamilton, you’re still out on bond from the first possession. Now you’re in illegal possession of a firearm and too much crack to be smoking. So who are you selling for?” Running Man asked. “You threw down a crack blunt. Damn, Hamilton! I never thought you’d get turned out,” Running Man said to Ham.
“Sergeant, I think he knows who he’s selling for,” an officer said.
Fuck! I’m done! Ham thought.
“We’ll find out when we get to the station. We always give everyone an opportunity to come clean and help themselves out,” Running Man said to Ham as he placed him into the backseat of the Martin County squad car.
Damn, I can’t believe I’m leaving Tina out here again. I should have never left so fast, and I should have made love to her. Then I wouldn’t be in this shit! Man, I can’t go to prison. Hell no! Ham thought while looking at all the officers standing in front of the police car talking with each other.
When Running Man got into the car, Ham thought of a way out.
“Hey, Running Man.”
“What do you want, Hamilton? It’s not looking good for you at all, so please tell me a new song.”
“Man, I can’t go to prison.”
“Well that’s not your decision. It’s the judge who’s going to give you thirty-five years for these charges tonight,” Running Man said as he typed in Ham’s charges on his laptop.
“Man, listen. I smoke that shit.”
“Okay, we’ll see how stupid that looks to a judge.”
“You got the blunt to prove it,” Ham said.
“What blunt?”
“The one I threw on the ground,” Ham replied.
“We never found no blunt, Hamilton,” Running Man said, with a smile on his face.
“Y’all bitches dirty. You know the judge would see that I smoke and give me a lesser sentence. That shit ain’t right!” Ham screamed, and then began kicking the window.
Running Man hopped out of the front seat and opened the back door. He then shot Ham with his Taser gun on a high setting.
“I bet that calms his ass down,” Running Man said as he laughed with his fellow officers.
Everything was a blur to Ham. He only saw one face, and it belonged to the only one who could help him regain his freedom: Smooth.
* * *
Banga and his bitch, Quinny, were having a good time at Club Sugar Daddy’s in Martin County, which had just opened two months prior. Everyone on the Treasure Coast came to get their club on. The club didn’t close until 6:00 a.m. Banga was wasted and ready to get Quinny home so he could fuck the shit out of her.
“Baby, you think it’s time for us to go? You about to fall over,” Quinny shouted over the Rich Homie Quan song crunking the club.
Banga looked at the time on his watch and saw that it was 2:48 a.m.
“Yeah, let’s get out of here. Daddy’s ready to put this good dick on you.”
“Oh yeah. Well, let’s go!” Quinny said as she slowly led Banga through the crowd the best she could without him falling on anyone.
“Damn, baby. You don’t need to get fucked up like this no more,” Quinny said to him, when they made it outside to the parking lot.
When they got to the car, Quinny helped Banga inside on the passenger side, fastened his seat belt, and then gave him a kiss on his lips. Neither one of them saw the threat approaching. When Quinny backed out to close the door, two shots pierced through the back of her head and sent blood and brains onto Banga and the car.
“What the fuck!”
When Banga looked up, he only saw a masked man with golds in this mouth.
“We told you to take that shit back to Miami, nigga!”
Before Banga could reach for his TEC-9 underneath the seat, he was hit with a storm of bullets to his torso and face. The assassin then fled from the club on foot. Banga was dead from the first shot to his face.
21
On Monday afternoon, China left Lowell Correctional Institution, trying every couple of hours to reach Smooth. Jenny had encouraged her to call him and let him back into her life. She was eager and dying just to hear his voice. But he was sending her calls to voicemail.
Shit, what am I supposed to expect? China thought as she traveled I-95 south on her way back to Miami. She even tried calling Tracy, who was also sending her messages directly to voicemail.
“Fuck her!” China said.
She had her mind made up. She was definitely leaving Tracy and going to try to work things out with Smooth. She couldn’t leave him for anyone in the world. Jenny had told her the truth: Tracy was only concerned about stealing her from Smooth. If she had any love for Smooth, then she wouldn’t let China leave Smooth. Tracy’s intentions became transparent when Jenny explained to her how Tracy’s hatred had built up.
“She don’t love Smooth, so she won’t love you,” Jenny explained to China during visitation.
China’s heart was for Smooth, and she was heading back to town to let Tracy know face-to-face that they were done. She grabbed all her clothes and then waited for Smooth to return to their apartment. China picked up her iPhone again and dialed Smooth’s number, once again to no avail. He didn’t answer, and it sent her directly to voicemail.
Don’t worry, baby. I know I fucked up. But I will fix it, baby. I promise, China thought as she put her Mercedes on cruise control.
She wanted Smooth to hold her and make love to her like never before.
“I love you, Smooth,” China said as she turned the Beyoncé song up and thought about their future. She vowed to never let anyone get between them again.
* * *
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Smooth saw China persistently calling him, but he ignored all her calls. After seeing Jefe for re-up, he was back on the road.
Now she wants to talk. Well not on my time, baby. I tried to talk before, and you turned me down, Smooth thought as he coasted along I-95 heading back to Martin County.
Amanda was asleep in the passenger seat after driving halfway.
Smooth had been trying Banga’s phone to get him prepared so when he came to Martin they could quickly handle business. Smooth looked over at Amanda and caught her staring at him.
“I thought you were asleep,” Smooth said.
“You thought right. I just had a dream about you.”
“Tell me about it,” Smooth inquired.
“We were standing at the altar, hand in hand, and you put a big diamond on my finger and made me number one,” she explained.
“Do you believe in dreams?” Smooth asked.
“I believe in reality. Dreams are signs and sometimes misleading,” Amanda said.
“Wow!”
“What?” Amanda asked.
“That was deep,” Smooth said.
Amanda unfastened her seat belt and then ducked down and crawled over to Smooth. She unfastened his belt, unzipped his jeans, and then pulled out his cock. She stroked him slowly until he was fully erect, and then she took his cock into her mouth.
“Damn, baby!” Smooth moaned.
“This my dick?” Amanda asked.
Smooth looked down at her and then back at the road. He saw that she was sucking his cock while tears were falling from her eyes. “Is it mine?” Amanda asked again, stroking Smooth slowly.
“Yes, baby. It’s yours!” he told her as he exploded.
Amanda let him shoot his load down her throat. She cleaned him up, zipped his jeans back up, and then got back into her seat and closed her eyes for another catnap. She had him, but his heart and mind were still on China.
Smooth’s phone rang again. When he looked at the number again, he saw that it was a call from the Martin County Jail.
“Who the hell is this? Please don’t tell me that Banga’s locked up, man,” Smooth said as he answered the call.
