Slices

by Tamara Black

  NINE

  Tony

  After my shift at Pizza Pizza, I went home to fire up my vaporizer. One of the only good things about dealing weed illegally in Colorado was that I always had something to smoke myself. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to smoke as much as I desired. Maybe that’s a good thing, I thought to myself as I sat on the couch and stared at the pyramid contraption on my coffee table in front of me. As soon as it heated up, I grabbed the tube coming out of the side and put it into my mouth.

  I inhaled deeply. After I had a decent sized hit, I put my thumb over the tube. A few seconds later, I exhaled. This is good shit, I noted as my body relaxed. All the stress from my day still existed around me, but I could navigate it better when high on weed. I picked up the remote control and turned on my stereo. The new Kid Cudi poured out of my speakers, filling the room with strange post-punk ramblings.

  Cudi’s music improved considerably the higher I became. After five or six hits, I turned the vaporizer off and sat back, sinking into my aging couch. My mind wandered to thoughts of Tanesha. She turned me on physically and mentally. If she did the same spiritually, I could see myself falling for her. The idea did not turn me off, which seemed strange, even under the influence of the high-grade marijuana.

  Before I could drift off to sleep, someone knocked on my front door. Shit, I thought, knowing it could only be one person. I stood up, hearing someone turn the key in the lock. It swung open and Bullet stomped in, a mean I-don’t-give-a-fuck look in his eyes. I took a step back, pointlessly looking for a weapon when it would take an AK-47 with five clips to take him down most likely. He stopped right in front of me and grabbed my shirt, pulling me close.

  “You’re shorting customers. Where the fuck is the extra money?”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked, truly fearful for my life.

  “Don’t play with me.”

  “I pinch a gram here and there, but that’s just for me.”

  “We heard you’ve been selling on your own.”

  Fuck, I thought. How did they find out?

  “Just a little, man. I need money for rent and shit. My car died. I told you…”

  “No excuses,” he barked, his breath hitting me like a cloud of noxious fumes. “You will have it tomorrow, or you will pay.”

  He let me go and turned, not worried about me in the slightest. While I had a hard body and knew how to fight, he was in another league entirely.

  “By the way,” he said without turning around. “We’re adding another thousand to your debt because of this transgression. Don’t fuck up again.”

  I watched as he walked through my open doorway, not bothering to close it. With a sigh, I headed over and closed it before any neighbors noticed.

  After checking to make sure it wasn’t after ten in the evening, when she went to sleep, I called Tanesha. She answered right away.

  “Hey, you,” she said, her voice sexy as ever.

  “Hey, Tanesha. Can you bring that duffel bag over to me?”

  Silence followed.

  “Um, I have the children tonight. I can’t really leave. Can I bring it to work tomorrow or something?”

  “I really need it tonight. Could I come over?”

  “Um…”

  “Okay, great. I’ll be right over.”

  I disconnected the call before she could protest or say no.

  On the drive to her apartment building, a million scenarios ran through my mind, but I didn’t think she would fuck me over with the money. The thought of her made me think about Bullet. Is he following me? I made three left turns, two right ones, and went way out of my way while driving to her. Once I was certain no one had followed me, I parked a block away and walked the rest of the way to her front door.

  She answered after one soft knock.

  “What are you doing here?” she hissed. “The kids are asleep. This is not cool.”

  “I need that money, Tanesha. It’s an emergency.”

  “You told me shit like this wasn’t going to happen.”

  “Can I come in?” I glanced left and right.

  “Get in here,” she said in a pissed yet quiet tone.

  I stepped into her living room. She stared into my eyes.

  “Do you have it?” I asked.

  “Do you have anything to say for yourself? Like apologizing for coming over unannounced, maybe?”

  “I told you I was coming over and that it’s an emergency. Why are you fighting me on this?”

  She took a deep breath. Her bravado broke down, switched into sadness in a heartbeat. A tear ran down her cheek.

  “What is it?” I asked, putting my hand on the small of her back. “Are you okay?”

  “I lost it,” she sobbed.

  “Lost what?”

  Wait, she doesn’t mean…

  “The money,” she said softly.

  “You’re joking, right? Please tell me you’re just kidding, Tanesha.”

  She looked down to the floor, avoiding my gaze.

  “Shit,” I hissed as loud as I dared.

  “Don’t hit me,” she begged.

  “What? Why would I hit you?”

  “Just go, please.” Her sobs intensified.

  “Are you coming into work tomorrow, at least? Or do I need to cover your shift?”

  “Of course I’m coming in. I’ll explain tomorrow, okay. I’m sorry, Tony. I’m so, so sorry.”

  “You sound like my mother,” I said with disgust before opening the door and leaving without looking back.

  Instead of going back home, I drove to the local pool hall where the biggest small dealer in Denver hung out most of the time. Luckily, Louie was playing when I arrived. I convinced him to go out back in the alley with me for a smoke.

  “How you been?” he asked, slicking back his gelled hair with his hand.

  “Not great, man. I need a favor.”

  “Now you come running to me,” he snorted. “I remember when you told me to fuck off because you were exclusively working with the CWM.”

  “Something came up, and I need some money on the side, man. Can you help me out or not?”

  “It’s going to cost you.”

  “I figured as much. Can I pay in pizza?”

  “You know it, brother. How much you need?”

  “Can you do a quarter-pound?”

  “This better never come back to me.”

  “It won’t. You know me.”

  “I do,” he said, nodding his head. “Pull your car around, pop the trunk, and I’ll put it in for you. Where’s the cash?”

  “I need you to front it for me.”

  “Even more money for me.”

  He cackled with glee at the exorbitant fees he could charge me.

  TEN

  Tony

  After I pulled away from my last illegal delivery of the night, I noticed a car that had been following me most of the evening. Who the fuck is this? I wondered, glancing in my rearview mirror. Bullet? Someone else? I had no answers as I drove toward my apartment. When I realized the dark, four-door sedan was following me, I continued past my apartment and headed downtown.

  I made a right-hand turn. They made a right-hand turn. I went left. They went left. As an underground weed dealer, I usually had no need for a handgun. Even if I had one, I probably wouldn’t carry it with me because they brought with them many more years in prison. This has got to stop, I told myself, pulling over into the parking lot of an abandoned warehouse. The car followed me.

  Even worse, red and blue lights in the front began flashing. Fuck. An undercover? I’m screwed. My mind went a million miles a minute, thinking everything through. Wait, I don’t have anything on me except for the money, I reasoned as the driver’s side door of the car opened. A tall black man wearing jeans and a white button-up shirt got out and stepped toward my car. I thought about just punching the gas and running, but he probably had my plate number already.

  “Let’s see your hands,” he called.

&nbs
p; I put them on the steering wheel. He walked up.

  “Lower the window, asshole.”

  “You told me to keep my hands up,” I said, pressing the button to roll the window down.

  “Turn the car off and get out slowly.”

  With a heavy sigh, I complied.

  “Can I ask what this is about, officer?”

  “You tell me, Tony.”

  How the hell does he know my name?

  I stared into his eyes, looking for answers.

  “Well, what do you have to say for yourself?”

  “Do I know you? How do you know my name?”

  He shook his head and laughed.

  “You’re not that bright, are you?”

  “What the hell is going on here?” I demanded. “Am I under arrest for something?”

  “Do you want to be?”

  “Look, I just want to go home.”

  “Your home or Tanesha’s apartment?”

  I cocked my head to the side. “What? Who are you?”

  “She hasn’t told you about me, huh?”

  “No.”

  “I’m Andre, her brother.”

  My stomach did a flip. I felt sick.

  “And you’re a cop?”

  “Yep. And it appears…” He glanced inside my car. “You’re a low level pot dealer.”

  “You don’t understand…”

  “Stop,” he said, holding up his hand. “This is how it’s going to go down.”

  He stepped directly in front of me, his face less than a foot from mine.

  “You’re going to stop seeing Tanesha. Whether you keep slinging weed or not is up to you, but I’d advise against it.”

  I studied his face intently, trying to judge his motivation.

  “That’s not going to happen. I care about your sister a lot.”

  He snorted. “I bet you do.”

  “I’m serious, man. She means a lot to me. Whatever you think I’m doing, you don’t know the whole story.”

  “I know more than you think,” he said.

  We stared each other down, neither of us backing away.

  “Look, Tanesha isn’t involved with this in any way. I’m just trying to help pay off my mother’s gambling debt.”

  His face changed, almost unnoticeable. What’s he hiding from me? I wondered.

  “Consider this your first warning,” he said, finally stepping back.

  “First warning?” I asked.

  He walked back over to his car without saying another word. I watched as he got in and drove away, leaving me alone in the parking lot of the abandoned warehouse. A streetlight flickered a few feet away, going out.

  I got back in my car and headed straight to Tanesha’s apartment. We had a lot to talk about, it seemed.

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  Tanesha answered the door on my second knock.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “Can I come in?”

  “The kids are asleep. Be quiet.”

  I stepped in. She looked beautiful in sweatpants and a white tee-shirt.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “I just met your brother.”

  She rolled her eyes then sighed.

  “Yeah, I didn’t tell you about him yet because…”

  I put a finger on her lips. “Shhh. It’s okay. I told him I care about you a lot.”

  “You’re not still mad at me about the money?”

  “A little, but you were honest with me about it.”

  A micro-expression I didn’t recognize flashed over her facial features.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Hmm?”

  “That face you made.”

  “What face?”

  “Maybe it’s just me.”

  “I think so. We both have a lot on our minds. Maybe this isn’t the time…”

  I kissed her before she could finish speaking. She did not complain. After what her brother had talked to me about, I thought it was the perfect time for us to take our relationship to that next level. Her soft, wet lips pressed against mine.

  “Are you sure?” she asked, breathless.

  “Sure?”

  “You feel something between us too, right?”

  “I do.”

  With that, I lifted my hand to her chest and grabbed a breast, kissing her again at the same time.

  “Let’s do this right,” she said.

  We walked side by side, holding hands, into her bedroom. I glanced around quickly, noting how everything had its own place. Tanesha put her arms around my waist and ran her hands up and down my back. I began unbuttoning my shirt. She moved her hands around front, rubbing my hard chest and abs.

  “You’re too dressed,” I said, lifting her tee-shirt.

  She raised her arms, and I pulled it off. I stared at her perfectly shaped breasts. Unable to resist, I bent my head and took a nipple into my mouth while teasing the other with my hand. A moan escaped her – so quiet and sexy.

  I stood up and looked deep into her eyes.

  “What did my brother say to you?” she asked.

  “He followed me after one of my special deliveries and pulled me over downtown.”

  “Did he rough you up?”

  “He didn’t try, but I doubt he could.”

  “You don’t know, Andre very well.”

  “Not yet, but you need to meet my family too.”

  “Oh, we’re at that part of our relationship now?”

  I nodded. “With both of us half-undressed in your bedroom, I’d say so.”

  She smiled and reached for the waist of my pants. We kissed again as she unbuttoned them. My jeans fell to the floor. After pulling down my boxer-briefs, she wrapped her cool fingers around my cock and gave it a playful tug.

  “Your fingers are cold,” I said.

  “You want me to stop?”

  I shook my head then planted a wet kiss on her lips. She pushed her tongue into my mouth and rolled it around, turning me on even more. I felt her bare breasts pressing against my chest. Everywhere our skin touched caused electricity to run through my body.

  Blood pumped to my nether regions as I pulled down her sweat pants and panties in one fluid motion. “Oh,” she exclaimed as I picked her up and carried her to the bed. After gently sitting her on the edge, I got down on my knees in front of her.

  Our eyes locked for a moment. She spread her legs and I buried my head between them, tasting her most tender flesh. I felt her fingers running through my hair as I explored every inch of her pussy with my tongue and lips. I kissed the hood of her clitoris gently.

  She moaned, leaning back on the bed while I got to work eating her out. As I sucked and licked her lips, I tentatively stuck two digits into her tight, wet hole. Juices were already flowing, but they increased as I pushed my fingers in and out, wiggling them around.

  “Fuck me,” she whispered.

  I stood. She scooted back on the bed as I climbed in between her legs. Dick in hand, I guided the tip to her entrance. Before sticking it in, I rubbed her pussy with my thick, bulbous head. Unable to resist and longer, I thrust deeply into her.

  “Yes,” she said into my ear.

  After a few strokes, I held myself up with my arms and looked into her beautiful green eyes. She lifted her hips with each thrust. Our bodies quickly found our natural rhythm as we made quick, mad love for the first time.

  She reached up and ran her hands over my chest as I pushed in and out of her.

  “Do you want to switch?” she asked, breathing heavy.

  “Sure.”

  I pulled out and got on my back next to her. She climbed on top of me, lowering herself onto my dick slowly. As every single inch plunged into her, feelings of pleasure raced through my entire body. After putting her hands on my chest for balance, she began rocking her hips, grinding into me.

  Sweet scents of love filled the air. Her smell intoxicated me. I grabbed her breasts as they swung down, so perfect. My palms pressed against her hard ni
pples as the friction build up between my legs. She lowered the top half of her body down, those beautiful, brown globes pressing against my chest.

  “Yes,” she whispered into my ear.

  I increased the tempo of my thrusts, never able to get enough as I slid toward an orgasm. She whimpered in pleasure, straining to not scream out as she came on top of me. As her body shook in ecstasy, I continued fucking her.

  My cock throbbed, and I came as her pussy squeezed my thick rod. She kissed me quickly before rolling off me. I took my condom off quickly and set it aside as she snuggled against me. Her breath slowly returned to normal.

  “Did that just happen?” she asked.

  “It did. And it was wonderful.”

  She giggled.

  “Careful, now. You’re going to turn me on again.”

  I leaned over and kissed her on her full, wet lips.

  “What did my brother say to you, anyway?” she asked.

  I sighed as I crashed back into reality.

  “He said it was a first warning. Did you tell him what I do?”

  “No, I wouldn’t do that to you,” she said, hitting me on the arm.

  “I didn’t think so, but none of this makes any sense.”

  “You should talk to him again tomorrow. Things are different now. We can do it together.”

  “I can’t ask you to…”

  “Shhh,” she interrupted with a shush. “You didn’t ask me anything. When I’m with someone, I’m with them one hundred percent.”

  “I love you,” I whispered.

  Did I just say that out loud?

  “I love you too, Tony. I do.” She got up and out of bed. “But we have a lot to talk about tomorrow. Let’s just enjoy tonight, okay?”

  I nodded as she crept to the bathroom down the hall. After a few minutes, I followed, wrapped in the top sheet from her bed. She smiled as I passed her in the hallway.

  Back in bed with her, cuddling under the covers, a sense of peace and calm came over me, unlike anything I could get from smoking weed. I liked it.

  ELEVEN