Reaching for and pushing the call button for the nurse, she begged for more pain medication for her wounds when the dosage was really to help her drift away. She figured if she was asleep she wouldn’t have to cope. Once the male nurse administered her a Valium, she swallowed it then rested her head back comfortably on the pillow. Rissa knew she was about to return to la-la land, where life didn’t matter, in a few short minutes.
* * *
Dressed and waiting in the hallway for an attendant to wheel her downstairs to the waiting room of the hospital, six long days passed and the time had finally come for Rissa to be discharged. When she first woke up in the hospital after the incident, she’d wanted nothing more to go home. But after getting the visit from Nessa, she dreaded leaving the around-the-clock care facility. Rissa was homeless. She racked her brain, went through several panic attacks, but still didn’t come up with an address she could go to and call home. She wished more than ever that Bobby was alive.
“Are you ready, ma’am?” the attendant questioned, ready to wheel her from where she wished she could crash for at least a few more nights.
“I guess so,” Rissa muttered, hanging her head low. Regardless of what was ahead of her, she had to face it. Rissa was tired of that being the story of her life.
The two of them rode the elevator down together in complete silence, but the family on the elevator with them chattered about how happy they were for their loved one to be coming home. Rissa couldn’t catch a break. Their happiness made her sadder. Sniffing a few times, even wiping the one tear that broke free from her eye, Rissa held it together but asked the attendant to push her faster and by the window in a corner so she could get away. She wanted to be by herself but she didn’t. She wanted Bobby. She wanted her friends. For a moment, the young girl contemplated falling out and causing a scene so maybe, just maybe, they’d readmit her. Rissa was grasping at straws when, finally, a little luck came her way.
Wanda was waiting for her at the hospital exit. “Rissa, hey, guess who convinced their mother to let you stay with them until you’re strong enough to take care of yourself? Yup, me. That’s who,” Wanda bragged, making Rissa’s whole day.
Rissa was more than grateful. Had she been strong enough, she would’ve leaped from the wheelchair and tightly hugged her road dog for life. Wanda had just saved her life.
* * *
The road to recovery for Rissa was long and hard. She was forced to learn and accept a lot about herself. In addition to Rissa nursing her wounds, she had to recover from a bruised ego and a broken heart at the hands of Bobby’s mother as well. Rissa wasn’t permitted to attend Bobby’s homegoing all because of her. It hurt her beyond belief she wasn’t able to say good-bye. It confused as well as tore her up that Nessa could act out so viciously. Wanda and Chad were able to attend, sent with a few words from Rissa to whisper into his ear, only to find out their friend had been cremated. The last visual those in attendance had of Bobby was a blown-up picture that was front and center in the room.
With the only person in the world who cared about her dead and gone, Rissa felt alone. She didn’t have a choice but to grow up and accept her fate for what it was. She wasn’t a girl any longer. For the way she was about to be out for herself and acting out in her world, only God would understand.
CHAPTER NINE
Almost a year had passed since all the tragedy had taken place to and around Rissa. Not only had she gone through hell recovering, but she also had tried working a few jobs to make a few dollars to survive. But, unfortunately, none of the jobs worked out for longer than a month or so at a time, if that. Developing an “I don’t give a fuck” attitude, Rissa didn’t care about holding them down or being responsible.
Rissa was at her second job waiting tables at Bucharest Grill when she met a beautiful young woman named Kimmy. Kimmy was with a well-groomed businessman suited up in a tailored suit with expensive-looking shoes. Rissa thought he was attractive and, of course, made of money, but she tried keeping her eyes in her head. It was hard, though. The mystery man was fawning all over her. Though he was there with Kimmy, seeming to be on a date, he couldn’t stop watching Rissa. Seeing everything unfolding before her, Kimmy couldn’t care less. Her only concern was money.
Rissa stood inside the kitchen door in a daze, looking out into the dining room at the beautiful young Kimmy entertaining the older man. She wore a nice white blouse, blue jeans, and red bottom high heels. As her coworkers buzzed around the kitchen, in and out of the door, Rissa stood gazing into space with a million thoughts on her mind. He got to be paying her. She’s too fine for him not to be. He doesn’t look like any nigga she would fuck with on the daily if he weren’t cashing her out. I’ll bet a bitch’s last dollar on that. Curiosity had consumed Rissa with trying to figure out why a pretty girl like Kimmy was with the dude.
So caught up in her thoughts, Rissa hadn’t realized Kimmy had risen from the table and was headed toward the bathroom. A little voice in Rissa’s head told her to follow Kimmy. Pushing the kitchen door open with no regard, it swung into another coworker. “My bad,” she said, keeping it moving nonetheless.
“Whatever, newbie. You almost knocked my whole tray of food over. I suggest you watch where you’re going,” the coworker shouted to Rissa’s back.
Too focused on getting a private second with Kimmy, Rissa didn’t respond or even acknowledge her coworker’s advice.
“What am I thinking?” she muttered to herself, pushing the bathroom door open and entering.
Kimmy was in a stall on the phone with someone, talking about the date she was on. Rissa stood at the sink with her head cocked toward the conversation but pretending to wash her hands.
“Yeah, I got the money up front like always. He can’t keep his hands to himself. Yeah, I know it’s part of the service. He even offered to give me an extra thousand if I go back to his suite with him. I told him I’d have to clear it with you. I’m good with it if you are. That’s settled then. When I get to his room, I’ll call and give you the room number just in case something goes wrong.” Kimmy ended the call from rambling, wiped herself, then flushed the toilet and came out of the stall. It’s when she was in the mirror fixing her makeup that she noticed Rissa standing there and how pretty she was.
Looking Rissa over, she thought about how much of a finder’s fee she would get for introducing her to Madam Valerie.
Standing beside Kimmy, not knowing how to spark up the conversation without seeming like a pussy eater, she blurted out the first thing she thought of. “Hey, girl. I like your shoes,” she said coyly with a smile.
“Thank you. They might look good on a bitch foot, but my toes are damn near numb.” Kimmy returned the smile with a laugh.
Feeling a good vibe between them, Rissa couldn’t help herself from pushing forward with her real intentions. “Hey, can I ask you a question?” Hoping she wouldn’t be left hanging by the beautiful girl, she was relieved when Kimmy stopped and turned around to face her.
“Sure you can, sweetheart,” she answered, thinking she would be getting some extra cash to blow if Rissa asked for a taste of the good life. Being that Kimmy had been in the trickin’ business for a while, she could spot thirst more than a mile away. Not to jump the gun, Kimmy waited to hear the question.
Rissa, not being the shy type, got to the point without coming across as disrespectful. “I saw the guy you came with and he don’t seem like the typical type of nigga young girls our age deal with, unless there are benefits, if you know what I mean.” Throwing the question out there, she tilted her head to the side and waited for an answer.
Kimmy just looked Rissa up and down slowly thinking she could make a lot of money for herself if she played her hand right. “If you’re asking me whether he’s a sugar daddy, he’s not. He’s a client.” Kimmy wanted her to ask more questions so she baited her with short answers.
“What kind of client? What are you? I mean, what kind of job do you have where somebody your age has clients?”
Rissa asked.
“The type where I want for nothing. I eat, dress, and live a charmed life every day. And your name is?” Kimmy was sure and confident of herself.
“I’m Rissa. What’s your name?”
“You can call me Kimmy.”
“I heard you on the phone in there.” Rissa pointed to the toilet.
“So you were game tapping, huh?” Now Kimmy had her hand on her hip, teasing her hair with her free hand and smirking at Rissa.
“Well, you weren’t exactly whispering. And I wouldn’t say game tapping either. I’d say I was taking notes is all.”
Both girls laughed. Kimmy told Rissa she liked her and they would hook up and talk more if she really wanted to get up on the game. They exchanged phone numbers and Kimmy told Rissa to be looking for a phone call sometime the next day. With that, Kimmy went back out to her date and prepared her mind for whatever he was planning on doing to her in his suite.
Rissa went back to waiting tables while daydreaming about living a life where she didn’t have to struggle to survive. She was tired of walking on eggshells everywhere, scared she’d be asked to leave Wanda’s mother’s home for wearing out her welcome. “Shit, I can fuck with men. Especially if all I have to do is kick it with them. I need a come up like right now. I need my own crib, car, and some better gear.” Looking over at Kimmy’s table, she saw Kimmy and the dude getting ready to leave. They made eye contact and Kimmy’s lips moved. Rissa wasn’t sure what she said, but she guessed she was saying again that she’d call her. In response, she smiled while nodding and waved good-bye.
* * *
When Rissa got back to Wanda’s after her shift at work she told her all the gossip that went on among her coworkers, and they laughed and smoked weed for the longest. Then Rissa told Wanda about meeting Kimmy and what they had talked about. She even told her she would get the easy money if things turned out being on the up and up. Wanda told her that she was crazy and she asked Rissa what her mother would think if she were alive and knew what she was planning to do. Rissa got upset and told Wanda that she wasn’t and she had to do what she had to do. Wanda tried to talk her out of dealing with Kimmy, but in reality Rissa’s mind was already made up. Rissa knew her time had come and no one would talk her out of it.
The next afternoon around one, Rissa was still in bed with the covers over her head when Kimmy called her phone. She and Wanda had been up all night binge smoking weed and talking about the good and the bad things that could come from dealing with Kimmy. Wanda reminded her that there were crazy bastard killers with money, too, some who got off on taking pussy, beating on the girls, and some cases even ending up killing the girl. With all that being said, it didn’t change Rissa mind. She wasn’t scared at all. Since her mother died and she had been raped by her aunt’s husband, and then she saw Bobby murdered in front of her, all sense of fear was lost forever.
Rissa took the cover from over her head, grabbing her phone off the nightstand, and she looked at the incoming call. She didn’t recognize the number so she hesitated to answer it. Four rings in, she swiped the screen answering the call. “Hello,” she said tiredly, still feeling the effects of last night’s smoke fest.
“Girl, is you still in the bed? It’s almost one o’clock in the afternoon. I’ve been up and out in the streets, sold some conversation, and made a grand already.”
Rissa sat up, holding the phone to one ear while rubbing her eyes with the free hand. Her heart was beating fast and she was shocked that Kimmy had taken her seriously and was really hitting her up. “Kimmy? Is this Kimmy?”
“It’s the one and only. Who else got game to give a bitch? Girl, you not gonna get shit given to you but dick lying up in bed all day. So do you want dick or dough?”
“No, I’m up. I was on my way to get in the shower when the phone rang,” Rissa lied as she jumped out of bed half asleep, gathering things so she could get in the shower for real.
“Good. Now, meet at the Motor City Casino in forty-five minutes, unless you got to punch the clock,” Kimmy said with a chuckle, taking a jab at Rissa’s nine-to-five occupation.
“No, I’m off. I’ll be there in thirty minutes. See you when I get there,” Rissa replied as her heart raced. She was excited and anxious at the same time. Grabbing a rolled blunt from the night before Rissa headed to the bathroom to blaze up, shower, and hurry to get dressed.
CHAPTER TEN
Rissa got to the casino and purchased two meal tickets, then was seated, waiting for her newfound friend. She had a million and one questions that were running through her head. She wanted know just what type of johns or clients she might be dealing with, and how much she’d make off each guy she kept company with.
Rissa looked at the time on her phone, then texted Kimmy, telling her where to find her sitting. Kimmy texted back that she’d be there in two minutes. When Kimmy arrived at the table she and Rissa greeted each other with a hug. The two women then got down to business.
Kimmy asked Rissa what made her think she had what it took for this line of work. Rissa told her about her mother’s death and about Bobby being killed in front of her. She also told her about her aunt and her aunt’s husband being murdered before Bobby got killed. Rissa explained that she had no family and that she was staying with a girlfriend, and the friend’s brother and mother stayed there too.
Kimmy was moved by Rissa’s horrible story, which made her want to bring her into the fold even more. It was agreed that they would get started right away. Kimmy told her that she was about to change her world completely. Because she understood what she going through and she was a good people reader, the two of them clicked well together and seemed to really like each other. By the time they had finished eating and talking, Rissa had more than won Kimmy over. Kimmy asked Rissa if she had driven there. The answer was no; she had yet to be able to afford a car of her own.
Kimmy smiled. “Well, we’re about to go and get all your shit from over there and you’re moving in with me ASAP. I don’t got no nigga or nobody living with me and I got plenty of room. So you good.”
Rissa couldn’t believe it. Things were moving way too fast and sounding too good to be true.
* * *
Rissa was riding in the passenger seat of Kimmy’s BMW 745 on the way to Wanda’s house to get her belongings. She was in awe of the vehicle. She dreamed of owning her own one day. Kimmy smiled as she drove, looking over at Rissa from time to time while she talked to her. She told Rissa she could have her own BMW, or Benz as a matter of fact, if she played the game right and didn’t let the game play her. She assured her she would put her up on the do’s and don’ts that came with this line of work.
“Rule number one,” she told Rissa, “is don’t ever deal in feelings. Rule number two: this is a job. We sell fantasy. Rule number three is that for your body, and clearly your pussy if you choose to sell it, you get top dollar. If you choose not to you’ll make money, but not quick enough to stack up a nice chunk, and you won’t attract the real check writers.”
Rissa hung on every word Kimmy said. She soaked up as much as her brain could hold at the moment. She kept telling herself, I can do this, as they rode in the car.
When they reached Wanda’s house Rissa rushed inside while Kimmy waited in the car. Kimmy called Madam Valerie and told her the girl she had spoken to her about was in and that she would be staying with her so she could be broken in before she was introduced to her. Kimmy ended the call when Rissa and a female came out on the front porch arguing.
Wanda was pleading with her best friend not to go with Kimmy because she had a really bad feeling. Rissa told her she would be okay and not to worry; she could take care of herself. Kimmy popped the trunk when she saw Rissa walking to the rear of the BMW. Rissa put two garbage bags inside then waved good-bye to her homegirl. Wanda watched them drive off with that same bad feeling in her gut she had when Rissa first told her what she was thinking of doing.
* * *
Kimmy pulled into the parking ga
rage on Woodward where she owned a two-bedroom loft just minutes away from the new, up and coming part of Detroit. Kimmy drove into her own reserved parking spot then she and Rissa got out and went to the trunk and got her bags. They made small talk while Kimmy led the way to the elevator. When they got inside she pushed the button marked for the fifth floor.
Rissa and Kimmy rode the elevator in silence with wide grins on both their faces. When the elevator stopped, the bell chimed and the door opened. They walked a short distance to loft 501. Kimmy opened the door and they went inside and set the bags by the door.
Kimmy kicked off her heels and began to show Rissa around the loft. They stepped into the big, open living area with plush carpet, a huge wraparound sofa, and nice paintings hanging from the walls. Rissa looked to her right and saw the kitchen with marble countertops and state-of-the-art appliances. She ran her hand over the smooth surfaces, telling Kimmy that her place was gorgeous.
Kimmy took her in the room where she would be sleeping. Rissa was impressed even more. Kimmy told Rissa she could have anything she wanted in life; all she had to do was use the gift God had blessed her with to get it.
As the days passed, Kimmy and Rissa spent a lot of time together and got to know each other well. Kimmy treated Rissa like the little sister she always wanted. She even broke down explaining how she came to have all that she did. She told her how Madam Valerie took her in and gave her the true pussy game. She expressed that one day she would take the throne and be the new queen of Detroit because Madam Valerie was getting weak and old. Rissa asked Kimmy how was she able to do what she did so well.
“She blackmails them with mostly pictures of them with young girls or them in sex acts, even recorded calls. But, trust and believe, when the old bitch falls, I’ll be there to be next in line. And you gonna be sitting at my right hand making money too!”
Around the Way Girls 10 Page 18
