As the limo coasted away from the airport, Brad let down the window to sniff the air that was a mixture of sweetness and gasoline. He couldn’t believe how breathtaking the city was, and the people were some of the most exotic-looking people he’d ever seen. Using his smartphone, he took photos of the high mountains, the sky blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and of some of the landscape areas that were unique in their own way. He posted the pictures to Facebook, and as they neared the city, he posted more pictures of buildings and sandy white beaches, where he hoped to chill.
Tyler and Stan had their windows lowered too. They were yelling at fine women walking down the street, telling them how sexy they were. “Aye, let’s hook up tonight, a’ight?” Tyler said to one woman who ignored him. “Damn, baby, it’s like that? Okay. That’s cool.”
Everyone laughed as the women kept brushing them off, but they did not give up. They tossed back champagne in the limo, and Swag lifted his glass so they could toast.
“Here’s to having a lot of fun, meeting a slew of beautiful women, and soon having a lot of dough in our pockets,” Swag said.
They clinked their glasses together, definitely drinking to that.
When they arrived to the exclusive apartment building where they’d be staying, Swag instructed the gang to follow his lead and not to make asses of themselves. They removed their luggage from the limo, and while carrying the luggage in their hands and on their shoulders, they walked inside the expensive place that was fit for the cover of a magazine. Ceiling fans hung from the high ceilings, palms trees were visible in large ceramic vases, clean white sectionals were here and there, and stone wall accents surrounded glass elevators.
The people surrounding them had nothing but money. It breezed through the air, along with plenty of heads that were held high. Some of the people looked at the young men with snootiness and fakeness in their eyes. They smiled but surely didn’t want to. None of the fellas tripped. They started to feel hyped about being in Rio, and as they made their way to the elevator, their eyes continued to wander, especially Brad, whose eyes were glued to a wall-to-wall fish tank that sat in the middle of the floor.
“This is . . . I mean, wow. I ain’t never seen nothing like this before,” Brad said.
“Me either,” Travis countered while looking around as well. “I could stay here for the rest of my life.”
Tyler agreed as they got on the elevator, taking it to the thirteenth floor. The elevator opened, and Swag led the way to the room they were staying in. They couldn’t wait to go inside. The second he opened the door, they all rushed in, with the exception of Brad. He’d seen a beautiful woman coming out of her room. She had his full attention.
Her skin was a creamy mocha chocolate, and she had mesmerizing, almond-shaped brown eyes. Her cheekbones were high, and her shoulder-length hair was in a ponytail. She wore a white dress shirt, black pants, and black work shoes. The fact that she didn’t have on any makeup made her even more attractive.
She walked by Brad, slightly glancing at him. He turned around and was completely under her spell. She pushed the down button on the elevator, but as she waited for it to open, she pivoted to look at Brad again.
Damn, I can’t believe God made a woman that damn fine, he thought. And she’s looking at me like I can get it.
Their eyes stayed locked together until Tyler rushed out of the room and grabbed Brad’s arm. “Come on, B! Man, what’s up? You need to come in here now and see this place!”
Not wanting to break the woman’s spell, Brad slowly turned his head to look at Tyler. “Wha . . . What did you say? I didn’t hear you.”
“I said come inside. You been out in the hallway for a minute.”
“I know,” Brad said before turning his head to see if the woman was still there. She was gone. “Damn.”
“Damn what?” Tyler asked.
“Nothing. Nothing at all.”
Brad went inside the apartment, still thinking about the woman he had just seen. His thoughts, however, quickly shifted to the apartment he stood in. He was completely blown away by how the place looked. He felt like a celebrity in a celebrity’s crib. Huge windows surrounded the place, and views of Rio could be seen for miles and miles. The contemporary furniture was made of brown wicker, and the hardwood floors looked as if glass was on top of them. The open space had a chef’s kitchen, and a living room and sitting room with a mini bar. The fellas were already getting their drink on, and Swag invited Brad to join them.
“B, put yo’ shit in the bedroom and come get a drink. Bedrooms are down the curved hallway over there to the left.”
Brad slowly walked down the hallway, admiring the exquisite paintings on the walls. He entered the first bedroom he saw. It was decked out with black and white décor and more contemporary furniture. A double-sided fireplace sat in front of a king-sized bed that had numerous pillows stacked on top of it. Yet again, the windows surrounding the room provided a beautiful view of the city, as well as of the Atlantic Ocean.
“Damn, if this is how a drug trafficker lives, I’ma have to come here more often.”
He put down his bags then checked out the unbelievable bathroom with a circular shower. It was big enough to fit ten people inside, and the tub with columns beside it was even bigger. All Brad could do was shake his head before joining his friends again. They were still tossing back drinks while Jay-Z’s latest hit blasted through the speakers.
“Brad, come over here, man,” Swag yelled. “So, what do you think? Are you with me on this or not?”
After seeing all of this, Brad was unquestionably with Swag. He nodded and smiled. “Yes, I’m with you. All the way, cuz. All the way.”
Swag picked up five bottles of Moët from the bar, and then he reached for five wineglasses. He filled them to the top, and everyone grabbed one for themselves.
“Come on. Let’s go out on the patio,” he suggested.
They trailed behind him, and as they stepped on the patio that stretched around the entire apartment, they examined the view. The ocean was mind-blowing, and they could see the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking the city. The soothing breeze was just right, and none of them could think of another place they would rather be right now.
“Hold your glasses up!” Swag shouted.
They all did.
“To Rio!” Swag shouted again.
They yelled in unison. “To Rio!”
* * *
After a few hours had gone by, the fellas were comfortable in the apartment. Stan was in his room, asleep. Tyler was drinking liquor non-stop, while Brad, Swag, and Travis were trying to decide where to go that night.
“Let’s just go to the beach,” Travis said while lying on the sofa with his shirt off. All he had on was a pair of jean shorts and a cap on his head. “I hear them Brazilian chicks be havin’ all they ass and titties out while on the beach. I definitely want to see what’s up with that.”
“I don’t mind the beach,” Brad said, looking over at Swag. “But I wanna go to a club. Cuz, do you know a club or something we can kick it at?”
“As a matter of fact, I—” A knock on the door cut Swag off. “What the hell?” Swag was shirtless too, showing off his perfectly sculpted Adonis chest. He was a regular at the gym, keeping it together. Plus, he was inked to the nines with tattoos. He had a tribal tattoo on his upper chest. On his right arm, he had one of Li’l Swag when he was first born. On his left arm was a tattoo of Namond at his current age. One on his back depicted praying hands. The words on top read: Fear No Man But God.
He got up and opened the door. Armand was on the other side.
“I kind of figured that was you,” Swag said, smiling. “Come right in.”
They pounded before Armand entered the apartment. He was wearing a tropical shirt, tan khaki shorts, and flip flops. He was also followed by Sandino, who always had a straight mean mug on his face.
“What’s popping, San?”
Swag held his hand out, but like always, Sandino left him hanging. Swag
laughed it off then turned to Armand, who was more pleasurable. He shook hands with the others, asking if everything was good.
“Not good, but great,” Tyler said, full of alcohol.
Travis agreed. He, too, was tipsy.
“Man, this is a nice crib you got,” Brad said to Armand.
Armand loved when people paid him compliments about the structure and the décor of his apartment. Armand smiled at Brad. “Thanks. I’m glad you like it. With the kind of money you’re going to make, you may have you one like it real soon, big guy.” Armand turned to Swag. “By the way, I need to talk to you about something important. Do you mind taking a quick ride with me?”
Swag shrugged his shoulders then laid his drink on the table. “Sure. But do you mind if Brad come too?”
“No problem. The more the merrier.”
Brad was excited about spending more time with his future boss. He hurried to change into his khaki shorts and colorful flowered shirt that was missing a few buttons. His trimmed beard was perfectly fine, but since his hair hadn’t been brushed, he put on a tan cap to cover it up. With clean white tennis shoes on, he left the apartment to meet Swag, who now had on a red tank top to show his muscular arms, and Armand at the elevator. They seemed to be involved in a deep conversation, but as Brad approached, they went silent.
“Ready?” Armand said as the elevator opened.
Brad nodded. “Ready as I’m ever going to be.”
Several minutes later, they arrived at Diamond’s Bakery Boutique. It was such a beautiful day outside, and with the sun shining bright, a soothing breeze kept rolling in. Armand, Brad, and Swag sat on the front patio while Sandino stood guard with his arms across his chest.
“Before we get started, gentlemen, let’s get something to snack on.” Armand looked over at a waitress in a white and black uniform. Her back was turned; hair was in a sleek ponytail. “Yo, waitress!” He snapped his fingers and yelled “Come here!”
The waitress immediately turned around and rushed their way. Brad was in a complete spell again. It was the same woman from the apartment building. She looked even better up close. She flashed a smile at everyone at the table, but her eyes locked on Brad for just a few seconds. He was overjoyed.
Damn. Even her teeth are beautiful.
“Hello. Welcome to Diamond’s Bakery Boutique. What can I get for you gentlemen today?”
From her accent, Brad could tell she wasn’t from Brazil.
Before anyone spoke up, Armand gave a quick introduction while squeezing the waitress’s ass cheek. “Guys, this is the owner of Diamond’s Bakery Boutique, my girl Diamond. Diamond, this is my friend Swag.”
“Hello,” Swag said. “I think I’ve met you before, but I can never be too sure.”
Diamond nodded.
“And this is Brad.” Armand pointed to him.
“Hi,” Diamond said, waving and blushing.
Brad was so lost in her beauty that he struggled to get out a simple word like, “Hello.”
Armand cleared his throat. “Diamond, get us some pão de queijo and lemonade.”
“Sure. I’ll be right back.”
Before she walked away, Armand playfully smacked her ass. She didn’t flinch, just kept it moving.
“You know you got good taste when it comes to women,” Swag said to Armand.
“Yeah, but you have to watch that one. She cost me plenty to get.” Armand pulled out a Cuban cigar. Brad wasn’t sure what that meant, but he was sure that whatever Armand was involved in, it was illegal. He kept his mouth shut and just listened in.
“Armand, what do you want to talk about?” Swag asked. He could tell that Brad was uncomfortable about what Armand had said.
Armand lit his cigar then took a long drag before blowing smoke in Brad’s face.
Normally, Brad wouldn’t take that kind of disrespect, but he had to remember that he wasn’t in St. Louis anymore, and from what he heard about drug lords in foreign countries, they were not to be messed with.
Swag, on the other hand, was proud of his cousin for not even flinching. He took a deep breath, thinking, Brad passed the test.
Armand thought the same thing too. He smiled at Brad then looked at Swag. “Swag, you know the procedure, so just lay low for a few days. You and your boys have a good time, go shopping, relax on the beach, sex a slut or two, do whatever you want, and I’ll be in touch in the next few days.”
“Okay, but what else did you want to holla at me about?”
Armand reached in a bag he was carrying then pulled out a stack of cash. He eased it over to Swag, whose eyes had grown wide.
“What’s this for?”
“For you and your friends to have a good time. I didn’t have much to talk to you about. I just wanted to give you that. Enjoy, and ring me if you require anything else.”
Swag looked over at Brad, who appeared just as shocked as he was.
Armand looked about and saw another limo pulling up, knowing it was his time to leave. “Look, guys, I have to get out of here. I have another appointment.” Armand stood. “The other limo will take you two back to the apartment. Enjoy your pão de queijo and lemonade,” Armand said. “Swag, please walk me to my limo.”
Both Swag and Brad slowly got up from the table. Armand gave both the guys a pound. Just before Armand left, Brad felt a hand on his ass. He quickly swung around.
Armand stood, smiling, whispering in his ear. “Damn, big boy, you have a nice ass. If you ever have a desire to make me feel good, just let me know.”
Brad’s face was twisted as he sat back down in his chair. His frown was clearly visible. He wasn’t sure what that was all about. Swag didn’t seem to appreciate Armand’s words either, but he didn’t say anything as he walked Armand to his car.
In moments, when Swag came back, the cousins laughed at the whole “Armand smacking Brad’s ass” situation.
“I can’t believe he did that shit to you too!” Swag shook his head in disbelief.
“He slapped you on yo’ ass too?”
“Yeah, but I just told him I don’t go that route.”
“If he do that shit again, I will speak up. I let him slide just because,” said Brad, still looking disgusted and starting to shake. “Ugh!”
“I feel you. We definitely don’t want to mess things up. I can’t wait to spend all this cash. We need to get with the fellas and discuss everything we gon’ do,” said Swag, placing all the cash in his pockets.
Just then, Diamond came back with a tray with their cheese rolls and lemonade. “Here you go, gentleman. Anything else I can get you?”
Swag bit into a roll, looking up at Diamond. “Nah, that’s cool, ma. We got it from here.”
Diamond nodded. “Okay. Be back to check on you both.”
“Whateva,” Swag said, taking a sip of his lemonade and waving her off.
Diamond looked over at Brad with a slight smile before walking off.
Brad looked at her from the back. For a small-frame woman, like my boy Sir Mix-a-Lot used to rap, baby got back. Brad picked up a roll, taking a bit and licking his lips. He continued to look at Diamond, who was assisting a customer and taking another employee to clean up a mess on the inside of the bakery.
Swag knew from the look in his cousin’s eyes that he wanted this girl, but Diamond was a no-no. Swag snapped his finger in Brad’s face.
Brad once again was broken out of Diamond’s spell. He looked at Swag, pissed. “What?”
“Yo, man, eat yo’ cheddar biscuit or roll or whatever this bread is!” Swag shook his head, taking another bite.
* * *
During their time at Diamond’s Bakery, Brad and Swag had three baskets of pão de queijo and five of the most delicious cupcakes they’d ever had. Brad knew his belly was full, but his mind was only halfway full of Diamond. He had to get to know this chick. She was a true vision and a rare beauty. To him, she was a puzzle that just had to be solved, and Brad was up for the chase for his diamond in the rough.
; Swag cleared his throat as he got up, patting his six-pack abs. “A’ight, cuz. I’ma take a piss ’cause that lemonade is running through a brotha.” Swag then let out a big belch that had everyone in the bakery looking their way.
“Excuse me, everyone!” shouted Swag, laughing. “Them baked goods just hit the spot!”
Brad laughed, shaking his head. “Dude, you sick.”
Everyone in the bakery looked at Swag with disgust, almost losing their appetites. Some mumbled under their breath, saying, “These black Americans.”
“A’ight, cuzzo, I’ma hit this restroom and then we out,” said Swag, rubbing his stomach again.
“Cool,” said Brad, taking one last bite.
Swag walked out, shouting, “Where the bathroom?” and laughing, knowing he was drawing attention and getting under the customers’ skin.
Brad shook his head, still laughing. “That fool.” He took a sip of his lemonade.
Within moments, Diamond switched her fine ass back over to Brad’s table.
She tapped Brad on his shoulder. Brad turned and smiled from ear to ear. It was Brad’s plan to just keep looking at his mystery lady.
“What’s up, ma,” he said, putting on his player smile.
“Sir, are you and your cousin done with your lemonade and meal?” Diamond asked, holding a bin to carry away their dishes.
“Yeah,” said Brad, real suave.
Diamond twisted her lips, knowing what he was doing, but she couldn’t show she was enjoying it. “Can I remove your dishes. Please?”
Brad sat back in his chair and tried to bring out his inner swagger. “Of course, ma. Go right ahead.”
Diamond began to place each dish in the tub carefully. She made sure not to look Brad’s way. But Brad wanted to break the ice and try to get to know Diamond.
“Diamond, this is truly a nice place you have. And the pa—de Qu—whatever they were, along with the cupcakes and lemonade, were off the chain.”
Diamond took a quick look at Brad and continued to put dishes and trash in the tub. “Thanks.”
Brad smiled at her. “I haven’t had lemonade that good since my grandma passed.” Just thinking about Mama Carter made him even more confident to talk to Diamond.
Beating the Odds Page 5
