by Saundra
“Hear him say what exactly? I don’t need to hear nothin’ about doing anything that involves me dealing with some nigga. ’Cause you know that’s what it’s about.” She sighed. “I’ve been thinkin’ a lot, and this might be time to just find a regular job. Just like the old days.”
I had to give her a double take because I was not trying to hear that shit. That was not about to happen with me. “Now you trippin’. I ain’t gettin’ no regular job, because I ain’t no regular bitch,” I added. “So we can talk about something else, try again. By the way, what are you cookin’ in there? It smells hella good and I’m hungry.”
“I just finished frying some cabbage and fish. I just slid some homemade sweet cornbread muffins into the oven. Your greedy self can eat in about fifteen minutes.” The doorbell rang just as she stood to go back into the kitchen. “I’ll get it,” she volunteered then walked over and opened the door. I could not see Isis’s face, but I could tell by the way she gave them that extra double jointed stance that this was not good.
Kirk stood in the doorway with both his hands in his pants pocket. “Hey y’all?” He had a huge grin on his face, his white teeth glistening. “Are you going to invite me in?” He eyed Isis. She turned around to look at me and roll her eyes. I knew she wouldn’t be happy. Stepping to the side so that Kirk could enter, she shut the door behind him.
“Umm, umm, it smells good up here. Wish my house smelled like this.” Kirk rubbed his six-pack.
“It ain’t math or science. It’s called cooking, Kirk.” Isis was sarcastic. “Did you invite him?” she fired at me like he was not standing right next to her.
I decided not to reply; it would only make her angrier. I could only hope she didn’t stay mad long. But this meeting was a must. I had no choice but to hear Kirk out. So when he had called, I told him to come on over while she was home. It was now or never.
“Listen, I know what happened on the last gig was fucked up. More than fucked up. But I really need to speak with you two.” I glared at Isis to see her reaction. It was just like I thought: that stubbornness was plastered to her face like cement.
“Isis, please, just hear him out,” I begged. My eyeballs bulged out at Kirk. That look meant hurry up and say whatever the hell it was he had to say. This would probably be his only chance.
With an unsure facial expression, Kirk spoke fast. “I got something new for you. This play is not dangerous at all. And you will make more money than you have ever made.” I noticed Isis roll her eyes at the mention of money. He should have known by now that money was not the selling point for Isis. I can’t say that she didn’t like money, but it definitely didn’t move her. I would have to talk to him about his strategy next time. But I was different; money was like music to my ears, and my eyes shone like diamonds were in the pupils. I scooted to the edge of the couch because I didn’t want to miss anything he had to say. Before he could say anything else, Isis jumped in.
“What else different this time, Kirk? Besides money; that’s always the main factor in a scheme.”
“You got a point. But this is no contact. You will be working from home from your computer.”
“Computer,” I repeated. Now I was confused. “What we doing with computers?”
“Money transfers. All you gotta do is change some numbers on rich people’s accounts that I will give to you. Then you would just hit the send button to make the transfer that sends the money into another account. Some unknown person will go to the bank and withdraw the money. It’s quick, easy, and untraceable to us. Easiest money you will ever make.” With that he rested his case, but I couldn’t believe my ears.
“Kirk, I can’t front; that sounds easy as shit.” Grinning, I looked at Isis. This was a play she could not refuse. No danger and a flow of cash. But that was not the feeling I got from just looking at her face.
“So that’s it, huh . . . more fuckin’ stealing.” I couldn’t believe my ears; she still was not happy. “And not no petty shit, either, but federal prison time.” I swear she thought everything through to the point of negativity. Damn.
Now I was getting pissed. Why was she constantly going to the worst assumption? We hadn’t even got started yet and already she had us in prison locked in a cell and all. “Fuck all that, Isis. As usual, you are thinkin’ way too much.”
“Isis, this ain’t like that. This is untraceable, and the people that we are gettin’ this money from are billionaires. They’ll probably never know it’s gone. This will be like taking chump change from them.” Kirk tried to reason with her, but Isis folded her arms and shook her head with the look of disappointment all over her face. She was not making this easy. I dropped my head and waited for what she would throw at him next. Because I knew Isis, and she was not finished.
“Do you have any jobs that are legit? Something that won’t get us locked up or fucked up?” she asked her question over-the-top with the dramatics. We both knew fast money didn’t come from honesty. Kirk looked at me then back to her. He didn’t answer the question. I didn’t blame him. About to give up myself, I shrugged my shoulders. “Thought so.” She rested her case then headed toward the kitchen.
“You knew this wasn’t going to be easy,” I whispered to him. Signaling for him to hold on, I decided to give it one more try. Walking to the kitchen, I took a deep breath.
“Come on, Isis. What’s up? This is what we need. We couldn’t ask for a better play.”
“Aye, doing this makes me no different than Felicia, and I’m not her; fuck that.” Now I realized that was what this was all about. Isis always battled with comparing herself to Felicia, fearing she would turn out just like her. There was no explaining to her that she was not her mother, the same way I was not Jackie.
“Why are you making this about Felicia? This is not the same thing.”
“Don’t try and bullshit me, Secret. I think you and I both know this ain’t no different. Hell, it’s ten times worse, to be honest. Takin’ people’s hard-earned money. What does that make us? Saints?”
“Listen, I know it sounds bad but these motherfuckers got enough to share with people like us. Damn, Isis. Sometimes we gotta think about ourselves. It doesn’t make us bad people. We were dealt a bad hand a long time ago. Who felt bad for us?” I fought back the tears that threatened to fall. Thinking about our lives often made me sad, but I brushed it off, only because I was determined not to allow my past to ruin me. “But this is a good opportunity for us, and if the money is as good as Kirk says it is, maybe, just maybe, we can cash out and stop doing it for good.” Tears were running down Isis’s face. I had struck a nerve talking about our lives. It was usually a soft spot for all three of us.
Pulling the oven mitten off her right hand, Isis said, “Fuck that. I don’t need it. And this reverse psychology bullcrap does not work. I can always go back to my old job. This shit is for the birds.” With that she walked out of the kitchen, leaving me dumbfounded. She wasn’t even willing to give it a try.
Chapter 25
Isis
I have to be the first to admit I could be stubborn as constipation. Sometimes I could be swayed and sometimes not. It really just depended on the situation. But to be honest, some of the things Secret had said about our lives, us being dealt a bad deal coming up, hit home. Yeah, my emotions showed, but at that moment I wasn’t ready to surrender. Yes, Kirk’s offer was a once-in-a-lifetime thing; even I knew that. However, I was serious about one thing: the last thing I wanted to become was a thief and end up like Felicia. Then again, Secret had made another great point. If we made enough money, maybe would could get out the life for good. And that was what got my attention. I would love to be set for life. No more dirty work. Hell, no more work period, unless it was for myself. That I could get with that was worth considering.
So that was the reason that a few days later I agreed to do the job. Kirk had summoned us out to his crib first thing this morning for “training,” as he called it. I was game because I was ready to get this show on
the road. And hopefully over with.
“Damn, Kirk, these are Apple,” I sang at the sight of the brand-new laptops Kirk had given us right out of the box. They were both silver.
“I know, right.” Secret’s eyes shone as she play-typed on the keys. “I swear these keys feel like butter. Make me feel like a career woman.”
“But you’re not,” I joked.
“Ha ha, whatever.” She played at being offended with a smile.
“Aye, nothing but the best for my two favorite ladies,” Kirk gloated; he loved to see the smiles on our faces. “Now we’re going to load these laptops up, and I’m going to train you myself.”
I was surprised to learn that Kirk would be the one training us. And two hours later he had done just that. I was impressed at how precise the process was and at how fast it would be to transfer thousands of dollars into an untraceable bank account. “Now you will both be doing several switches a day. I will assign them to you most times the day before. But in some cases it might be the same day that I call you that the switch has to be made.”
“So we just sit at home, wait for the call, pull out our laptops, and make the transfer right from there?” I asked. “Almost like working at a call center, huh?”
“Yep, that easy, except for the money factor. All paydays are fat.” He chuckled. I was convinced he loved money just as much or more than Secret did.
“Aye that’s dope,” Secret said, still fake-typing on her computer. Maybe if this didn’t work out she could apply for a typing job. She would kill me for even thinking it, so I kept it to myself.
“But there is one small thing that’s very important.” Secret and I both glared at him. What was he going to say this time? “These computers are not to be used for anything else, no searching or browsing of any kind. These transfers must be the only activity on them. This is very important.”
“That’s cool. But will the people who pick up the transfer know who we are? Will anyone on the other end have any contact with us?” He had repeatedly told us that everything was untraceable, but I had to be sure from all aspects.
“No, there will be no contact. They won’t know anything about you. And there will never be any contact. You two are invisible in this. I am, too, for the most part. Just think of them as the people on the other end.” I liked the sound of that. This information made me feel more secure. The last thing I needed was some unknown crook knowing my identity. Secret seemed pleased as well.
“Here is your first real assignment.” He passed us both a sheet of paper with an account number on it. “And remember, as soon as you hit those numbers, this sheet of paper goes into the shredders I gave you.”
“You want us to do this right now?” Secret was surprised.
“Ain’t no time better than the present. Besides, you go live tomorrow. And we got some catching up to do.”
“Nigga, you always got a surprise up yo sleeve.” Secret sighed. “A’ight, here goes nothing.” She took a deep breath. I watched her start typing in her numbers. Bracing myself, I followed suit. There was no turning back. A few minutes later when I hit the button to transfer, the pit of my stomach tingled. Just like that, we each had transferred eighty thousand dollars into an unknown account out in the universe.
“That took what? Five minutes.” I was in awe.
“It’s quick just like that.” Kirk snapped his fingers. “Depending on demands, you might do about five of those a day, sometimes more. Some days none at all.”
“Shit, if that’s all it is then let the games begin. ’Cause I’m ready to cash out,” Secret chanted.
“And, baby girl, you just did; when you fucking with Kirk that’s just what it is.” He stepped over to his desk. My jaw loosened and my mouth dropped wide open, as he handed Secret and me ten thousand dollars apiece.
“Now that’s what’s up,” Secret said. “Get money,” she sang. “And we gon’ get stacks like this for each transfer we send, regardless of how many we do in a day?” I was glad she asked that question, because it was on the tip of my tongue.
“Damn right; for each transaction there’s a payout. Your life about to change, boss style.” He pounded his left hand into his right palm, and a smirk appeared on his face.
“Wow,” was all I could say. The money was good. And I was sold; he didn’t need to say any more. I was just not happy about the situation. I wished my life was different. Possibly a little more honesty would be nice.
“Shit, I can’t wait to get started tomorrow.” Secret was super amped up. When it came to money, I didn’t know her limit. In a way it was scary.
“And I got you. Now you two get home, get some rest, I’ll hit you up tomorrow. And take these with you.” To our surprise he pointed to two boxes on the floor; they were identical to the boxes he had handed us earlier that housed the Apple computers.
“You want us to take those to work on instead?” I asked, confused.
“Nope, those belong to you. Think of it as a bonus. The first one I gave you is for work. But this one is for searching, browsing, or whatever you want to do.”
“See, Isis, I told you he had a heart of gold. My nigga, Kirk,” Secret said.
“This was nice of you, Kirk,” I had to admit. If only he could find us legit work, I would be so happy I might date him myself. Okay, I really wouldn’t, but I would be happy.
Kirk loaded our cars up with the laptops and we balled out toward the crib. I hadn’t been as hype as Secret while at Kirk’s so I hoped I didn’t seem ungrateful, but I had to see where this led. I hoped for good things, but I was learning in the life of schemes you never knew what card you might be dealt. So far our cards were not aces.
Chapter 26
Secret
“Secret, can I please have this Christian Louis Vuitton bag? I promise I won’t ask for anything else today. This will be it.” Penny batted her innocent eyes at me. I had to admit the bag was all that. It was a calfskin tote. Looking at the tag, I saw it read twenty-four hundred dollars. I eyed her as she continued to pout.
“Yes, you can have it.” I gave in. Now I would sit back and wait to see what she pouted for next. The girl was spoiled, and honestly, I enjoyed cashing out on her. I wanted her to have everything I never did growing up.
“Thanks, sis. I’m going rock this. Let me get the saleslady to take the lock off this.” Penny scurried off to go find the saleslady. Isis, Penny, and I were out at Nordstrom doing some shopping. It had been a couple of months since we started the account transfer scheme. And business was great. Shopping had become second nature to us; all we did is spend, spend, spend, and it never was a problem. Our pockets were laced, so why not. And Penny, for one, was enjoying it. She seized the moment and got every little thing her heart desired.
Penny came back with the saleslady and pointed out the Louis that she so desired. With a big smile she skipped over to Isis. “Isis, can I please have that cross-shoulder Burberry purse? Please.” See, the girl played us both to get what she wanted, and we fell for it every time.
“Wait, and I already know, you promise not to ask for anything else?” Isis mocked her.
“See what had . . . happened was . . .” She laughed.
“I swear you spoiled.” Isis grinned. “Yes, you can have it.”
“Thanks, Isis.” Penny waved the saleslady over to grab it also.
“What we gon’ do with this shopping monster we done created?”
“Good question. Maybe we could ship her off somewhere,” Isis joked around.
Another hour and ten thousand dollars later we were done shopping. And Isis and I both were tipsy. The more you shop, the more wine they bring out. It might as well have been an open bar. I’m sure it was part of the plot to get your money, because when you’re tipsy, everything in the store is a must-have. Needless to say, I for one hoped they kept serving liquor, because as long as I had money, I would be in here getting tipsy and tossing cash in the air like I didn’t really care.
* * *
I r
olled over in my new king-size bed. It felt so good and plush. I absolutely loved having a bed so big that I could roll left to right more than four times and not be worried that I might hit the floor. Pushing my Martha Stewart chateau quilt back, I sat up and stretched. Sleeping under that quilt felt like sleeping under a cloud. I couldn’t help but smile as I looked around my big new room. The natural light that came through my bedroom window was rejuvenating. Each morning I woke refreshed and feeling accomplished. Two weeks prior, Penny and I had moved into a brand-new condo just as we had planned. Isis now lived across the way in her own condo. She decided that she wanted her own space, and though Penny and I protested, in the end we gave her our blessings. Climbing out of bed, I made my way to the bathroom so that I could brush away my morning breath and wash my face. My stomach started to growl as a whiff of the bacon that Penny must have been cooking traveled up my nose.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Penny greeted me as I walked into the kitchen. She was fully dressed, so I knew she was about to leave. “Or should I say afternoon.”
“Wait, it’s afternoon? What time is it?” I realized I had never even looked at the time when I rolled out of bed. I just assumed it was early morning.
“It’s twelve o’clock. I was about to come check up on you.”
“Dang, I must have been sleeping good, I’m tellin’ you it’s that Martha Stewart rockin’ me to sleep like a baby. I’m in love with that set.”
“I feel you. That Nautica comforter set is doing the same thing to me. The sheets are mesmerizing.”
“That reminds me: I really wanted to take you out to look at some drapes for your room today. I told you I found this place where I can get them custom made. But you need to pick out your own fabric. That way I don’t have to hear your mouth if you don’t like it.”
“Not today, Secret,” she whined. “I’m about to hit the streets in my new car.” She referred to her brand-new candy apple red Lexus, which I had copped for her the day before. “I still can’t believe it belongs to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you, sissy.” She rushed over and squeezed me tight. “I love you so much. You are the best sister in the entire world.”
