“I don’t know his name,” Aphtan admitted. “But he helped me out earlier at the mall when I got caught.”
“You got caught earlier, bitch, and you didn’t tell me?” Mila changed the subject.
“It was nothing to tell. I got caught, he paid for the clothes, and they let me go.” Aphtan shrugged one of her shoulders.
“Let’s go, then.” Mila grabbed her hand and led them through the crowd.
Aphtan went willingly. She had never been into a VIP section before. She had been going to clubs since she was sixteen, and not once had she seen how it looked in VIP with her own eyes. Having men gawk over her was normal, but to have a man invite her to VIP was a different level.
She looked at the women that were dancing around the rope that separated the rest of the club from the VIP and wondered if what the man had said was true about how she looked. The women around the entrance were the hottest of the hot. They were the women that got into VIP every week, yet she was passing them up to go in without even trying.
The man securing the VIP lifted the rope when they got close enough. Aphtan looked back as the rope was put back into place within a second. She sniffed as the smell changed while they walked up the stairs. The lighting was different, and the music that played in the room was different as well.
“Which one was it?” Mila asked as she eyed the room.
“Him.” Aphtan nodded toward the man as he engaged in conversation with other men in suits.
“The one with the maroon gaiters on?” Mila’s eyes opened with excitement.
“Yes,” Aphtan answered and then waved at the man. “That’s him.”
“Aphtan, do you not remember who the fuck that is?” Mila grabbed her and turned her around with her. “That’s Scooter.”
“Who?” Aphtan held her hands out in front of her.
“He used to work for your father. He used to be around a lot when we were growing up, but he disappeared after your old man got locked up. He is the youngest nigga with the most power in the drug game since your father.” Mila licked her lips. “Introduce me to him, Aphtan. This is a different level, girl. This is the big leagues. That nigga comes to Pearl Tongue and spends a hundred stacks like it’s nothing. He’s that nigga right now.”
Aphtan thought back to when she was a kid as memories of Scooter came back to her like a Frisbee thrown into the sky. He looked different as a grown man. She hadn’t seen him in years. There was no wonder she didn’t recognize him. He grew up to look how she expected him to. He was dapper and intelligent. A younger version of her father.
“I’m glad you accepted my invitation.” Scooter approached them, interrupting their conversation.
Mila turned around first. “It was our pleasure.”
“What she said.” Aphtan turned around to face him.
“Come take a seat with us.” He grabbed Aphtan’s hand and led her. “If you want something to eat or drink, just say it.”
“I am a little parched,” Mila chimed in.
“And you are?” Scooter looked at her with squinted eyes.
“I’m Aphtan’s best friend, Mila.”
“Nice to meet you.” Scooter nodded at her as they all sat on the plush, long, white couch. “Aphtan, do you want something to drink also?”
“A Coke is fine.” She crossed her legs.
“I want something a little bit stronger than that.” Mila crossed her legs the same way.
“Something like what?” Scooter signaled for the waitress to come over.
“Whatever is in your glass that you’re drinking.” Mila smiled.
“Two Hennessys straight up and a Coke,” Scooter told the waitress.
“I’m confused.” Aphtan looked at him. “If you have someone to go get your drinks, why were you downstairs?”
“It’s simple.” He stood up as a group of men walked toward them. “Sometimes I like to see the surroundings with my own eyes.”
“Scooter, how you living, baby?” one of the men asked as he shook his hand.
“I’m good, Levi. How are you living?” Scooter stepped back to look at the man. “I see that’s a high thread count on that suit, my nigga.”
“I’m trying.” Levi looked past him at Mila. “Don’t you work at Pearl Tongue?”
“That’s her business,” Aphtan answered for her. “We’re not at Pearl Tongue, so whether she works there or not doesn’t matter at this moment.”
“My bad, damn.” Levi held his hands up. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“It’s cool.” Scooter looked at Aphtan with a smirk. “It’s all love.”
“I’ll get at you a little later, cousin.” Levi shook his hand as his eyes stayed on Mila.
“Bet,” Scooter said as the waitress set the drinks on the table in front of the couch.
“What a fucking creep.” Aphtan grabbed the Coke and sipped it.
“He didn’t mean any harm.” Scooter passed Mila her drink after sitting down. “I’m always in Pearl Tongue, and I thought you looked familiar as well.”
Mila took the Hennessy to the head. “I definitely see you in there a lot.”
“A lot?” Aphtan laughed. “So you love the strippers, huh?”
“What man doesn’t like the strip club?” He leaned back into the couch. “Besides, I don’t have someone who looks like you waiting for me at home.”
“That’s shocking.” Aphtan set her glass down. “I can’t believe a man like you is single.”
“I never said I was single, Aphtan.” He smiled. “You have to pay closer attention to what I say.”
“I do?” Aphtan rolled her eyes slowly.
“Yes, you do. I said, I don’t have someone who looks like you. I have someone there. She’s just not you, Aphtan,” he confessed.
“Why would she ever let you leave the house by yourself?”
“Let?” He looked at her with a serious face. “Nobody can let me do anything. I do what I want, when I want. I’m a grown ass man.”
“I’ll be right back.” Mila stood up and walked toward Levi.
“I see someone has a fan.” Scooter pulled a blunt out of his pocket and lit it. “Do you smoke?”
Aphtan reached over, grabbed the blunt from his lips, and hit it. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“You’re not as innocent as your face says.” He grabbed her thigh, his eyes playing tag with hers. “You grew up to look exactly how I thought you would.”
“Now you want to admit that we know each other.” She exhaled.
“You finally figured it out?” He grabbed the blunt back from her.
“With Mila’s help, I did. I haven’t seen you since I was ten years old. It seems like when my father went to jail, everybody disappeared.”
“That’s the game.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Loyalty is rare in these streets.”
“I see.” She leaned back into the couch. “Whatever happened to that one girl I had a fight with back then?”
“The one who checked you for crushing on me.” He laughed.
“No, the one I beat up for thinking that I was crushing on you.” She laughed, too.
“I don’t know.” He held his hands up and puffed from the blunt, holding it with his mouth. “She around, I guess.”
Time flew as they sat and conversed. Countless people came in and out of the VIP section; however, all they saw was each other. Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into hours. Before they realized it, the club was closing, and all of the lights turned on in an instant. They stood up to leave as everyone else did the same.
“Here.” Mila handed her keys to Aphtan after she approached her and Scooter. “Drive my car home. I have a ride home.” She looked back at Levi.
“Mila, you’re drunk.” Aphtan grabbed her arm. “Do you really think you need to leave with a nigga that we don’t know?”
“He’s good people,” Scooter assured.
“It’s cool,” Mila slurred. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Be care
ful, Mila.” Aphtan released her grip on her and watched her walk into Levi’s arm. “He better be good people.” She looked at Scooter with a raised eyebrow. “Or that’s your ass along with his.”
“So you threatening me,” he asked as they made their way down the stairs.
“It’s a promise. She’s like blood to me.”
“I promise you, he’s cool, Aphtan.”
The crowd split and made a walkway whenever they saw Scooter coming. Aphtan grinned at the pull that he had. She had never talked to a man with so much power. Hell, she had never talked to a man, period. Every guy she had ever talked to was a boy. This was all new to her. It intrigued her, and that was a first.
Her focus had always been on school. For as long as she could remember that was the only thing that mattered. It had always been her main priority. She saw too many girls with potential who gave it all up for a man, and all they got out of it was a baby and no future. She refused to be one of those girls.
“How can I get in touch with you whenever I want to hear your voice?” he asked as they walked through the entrance, the night air brushing against the skin that showed on their bodies.
“I thought you had someone at home who has a voice that you should love to hear.” Aphtan folded her arms together. “Besides, I don’t have a phone.”
“Mind your business.” He waved at one of his men as they continued to walk. “You have on a two-thousand-dollar dress, but no phone?”
“Don’t forget that you paid for this two-thousand-dollar dress,” she said as her teeth chattered.
“It was a good decision. Especially since I get to see how it looks on you.”
“What kind of game are you playing with me?” Aphtan hit the button on the key ring to unlock the door to Mila’s Lexus.
“No game.” He looked at the car. “Whose whip is that?”
“Mila’s,” she answered before walking to the door of the car.
Scooter put his hand out to grab a phone from his man who had walked up on them. “This is so I can reach you.” He handed her the phone. “It’s brand new. Just cut it on and use it.”
“I can’t accept this.” Aphtan reached for the door.
“Yes, you can.” He reached quicker to open the door for her. “My future wife doesn’t open doors when I’m around.”
“Now I’m your future wife?” Aphtan sat down in the seat. “That’s funny, because you never even told me your name. All of these years and all I know you by is Scooter.”
“You know my name.” He smiled. “Everyone knows my name.”
“I want you to tell me.” She started the car.
“Christopher Wayne Dixon.”
“I got it.” Aphtan waved the phone at him before closing the door.
“You better use it, girl,” he called out as she pulled off.
Aphtan tossed the phone onto the passenger seat when she came to the red light at the end of the street. She cut on the heat and let the radiant feeling warm her body. She looked through the rearview mirror and saw Scooter crossing the street to go back inside the club. Familiar with his line of work, she could only assume that he had some unfinished business to take care of in the club.
At the change of the light, she accelerated, half her focus still on the man in the rearview mirror. She reached over with a free hand and powered the phone on, as the night she had just had felt like a dream. She had bagged the hottest nigga in the whole city. That night, he only had eyes for her, and it made her feel special.
The sound of the phone ringing startled her. She grabbed it and looked at the number that was flashing on the screen. It was local. Without a doubt it was Scooter calling. Aphtan pulled over to a corner store and parked. She hit the button to answer as she laid her head back on the headrest.
“What took you so long to answer?”
“What took you so long to call?” She looked through Mila’s purse, which was on the floor, for some money.
“That had to be one, two minutes, tops,” he bellowed through the receiver.
“One or two minutes too late,” she teased as she got out of the car.
“I want to see you.”
“When?” She went inside of the store.
“Is tomorrow good for you?”
“I have some studying to do.” She pointed out the pack of cigarillos she wanted to the clerk.
“You really are as innocent as you look.”
“I’m just trying to get out the hood.” Aphtan nodded her head at the clerk and handed him the money as he held up a box.
“I feel you.”
“After I get done, I can call you. We can set something up.”
“Whew,” he sighed. “I thought you were going to blow a nigga off.”
“I should.” She grabbed the box and change from the clerk. “But I’m interested.”
“Aphtan,” a voice called out as she walked out of the store.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Aphtan whispered into the phone as she saw Cole waving from afar and walking toward her. “Is that cool?”
“Yeah, that’s cool.” He hung up the phone.
“Damn, you are wearing that dress.” Cole walked up on her. “Where are you coming from looking like that?”
“Jaguar,” she said coldly.
“Me, too.” He leaned on Mila’s car. “I didn’t see you in there.”
“You weren’t looking hard enough.” Aphtan opened up the door to the car.
“This you?” he asked as he pushed himself off of the car.
“No, this is Mila.” She started the car.
“When we gone make that happen?” He fixed the fitted cap on his head.
“Make what happen?” Aphtan put her seat belt on.
“Us getting to know each other.” He pulled at his beard.
“I don’t know.”
“Hand me your phone.” He reached out until she put the phone that Scooter had given her not even ten minutes prior in his hand. “I’m putting my number in here. Use it.” He handed her back the phone.
“I’ll think about it.” She closed the door.
“That’s all I can ask for, beautiful.”
Aphtan reversed, zoomed through the parking lot, and headed home. She couldn’t believe that she had two guys sweating her. She was always approached, just never like this. She didn’t know what to expect. She didn’t know which one of them to talk to. What was certain was that she couldn’t wait to wake up and use both of the numbers that had been given to her. She wanted to get to know both of them, no matter the cost.
CHAPTER 10
It wasn’t completely dark in the dingy hotel room; it was that in between day and night dimness when Mila awakened. The light from sunrise gleamed gently through the outdated orange curtains. They were embellished boldly with a garish yellow pattern. It reminded her of the summer dresses she wore to church as a little girl. They were hideous.
Time moved slowly as she took in every detail of the hotel room while the hangover headache hit her full force. The cheap off-white ceiling tiles made of polystyrene; the damp coming in through the sky light; the various mismatched furnishings; and the smell of tacky sweet peach air freshener. There wasn’t a stir, just the murmur of the television from the room below.
Mila crawled to the end of the bed to put some clothes on as she looked at a sleeping Levi underneath the covers. She was cold, her hairs stood on end, as a draft seeped in through the skylight. The smell of his cologne still clung to her body as she put her panties on. The scent made her stomach even more upset.
“Did he use a rubber?” she asked herself aloud as she slid the dress up her shivering frame.
She tiptoed over to the window and peeped through the curtains, letting a glimmer of light shine through the room. The view was raw and beautiful. She could see the city’s high-rises, a concrete jungle, but the morning sky contrasted with it. The bright orange, pink, and indigo colors ran through the clouds like a painting.
She slid the patio door open
after much difficulty. The handle was rusty and stiff to move. The hinges complained as they let out a screech when she finally got the door free. She walked carefully on the balcony, minding the shattered glass, trying to be as quiet as possible. She breathed in the cold morning air and took in the extraordinary view. The scene was beautiful, yet chaotic at the same time. Although there was an air of ugliness about the hotel, her view told a different story.
Mila had never seen that side of the city. She was from the slums. She couldn’t remember staying at a hotel room that didn’t come with bedbugs and roaches. Although the room wasn’t as nice as she wanted it to be, it was nicer than the many she had seen before. For that, she was humbled.
The silence was broken by yawning from inside of the room. Mila smiled, knowing that she would be accompanied by Levi at any moment. She faced the door that led to the patio and waited for it to open. When the other side faded with darkness, she knew the door was about to open.
“Did I wake you?” She walked up to him as he stood in the door way fully naked.
“I can’t sleep if you’re not next to me.” He leaned down to give her a kiss.
She smiled as she closed her eyes.
“Are you okay?” He wrapped his arms around her.
“I have a horrible headache.”
“It’s that dark liquor.” He kissed her forehead. “You weren’t playing last night.” He laughed.
“I need some medicine.” She put her head against his chest. “Can you go get me some?”
“I got you.” He smacked her on the booty before walking through the door.
“Thank you.” She walked in after him. “Did we use a condom last night?”
“Nope.” He put on a shirt.
“Fuck.” She sat on the edge of the bed.
“It’s cool. I’ll grab one of them morning-after pills.”
“Good thinking.” She lay back onto the sheets.
“Do you need anything else?” He walked to the door to leave.
“No, I’m good.” She heard the door close behind him.
Memories of trips to the abortion clinic and health department had Mila on edge. She didn’t have any more names to make up to use at the clinics. She rubbed her stomach and prayed that whatever pill Levi brought back would work. She didn’t want any kids, mainly with a dude that she didn’t know.
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