Hood Tales, Volume 1

by C. N. Phillips

  “I thought,” Ava whispered, still clenching Glizzy’s arm, “you said that there was a bathroom in here?”

  “It’s in the closet,” he said, grinning down at her. “Are you going to give me my arm back?”

  “Oh!” Ava let him go instantly. “I’m sorry. It’s just that . . . Wow. This is where I’ll be staying? I thought I would just have a regular old room.”

  “Nah.” Glizzy shook his head. “My dad wouldn’t do you like that. He treats everyone who enters his home like family.”

  Sauntering into the room, Ava began making her way around it. That was the second time in one day that she heard something nice about King Dex, but she knew better than to believe it. “Your father sounds like a good man.”

  Glizzy watched her and put his hands in his pockets. She was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. His eyes traveled from her hair all the way to her hips as they switched when she walked. Ever since that night at the club, he hadn’t been able to even look at a woman the same because he was so focused on finding his Cinderella. However, there he was seemingly intrigued by a woman who had barely said four sentences to him.

  “That just depends on who’s saying it,” he answered with a shrug. “To some he has been a blessing, but to others he has been a monster. But, with most humans, in order to see that monster come out, you have to do something. I would give you an example, but you’re a cleaner, so I’m sure you’ve seen some of his handiwork.”

  “How do you know that I am a cleaner?”

  “I make it my business to know a little something about everyone around me. I knew that King Dex was hiring an in-house cleaner. I just didn’t know that you would be so beautiful.”

  “You have such a way with the ladies, don’t you?”

  “I do, but that was both a compliment and a question. How did a woman as beautiful as you end up in a profession so dirty?”

  “The money is good,” Ava said simply, batting her long lashes slightly. “Plus, I’ve never been afraid to get my hands a little dirty. We live in a world where shit goes bump in the night quite often, and somebody needs to be there to clean up the mess.”

  She felt like she sounded believable only because, prior to her starting the job, she’d gone on a few other cleaning jobs with her crew. In a matter of weeks, she’d gone from a waitress at a restaurant to a woman who knew how to dispose of dead bodies. Working with Vy and the others made her feel as if she’d been working as a cleaner for years, and being used to the sight of blood was becoming second nature to her.

  Glizzy stared at her for a few more moments before he reached for the door handle to shut it and give her some privacy. “It was nice to meet you, Ava.”

  “You too, Glizzy,” Ava told him. Before he could shut the door all the way, she called out to him. “Wait! I didn’t know that I would be staying here, so I didn’t bring any clothes. Whitney said that you might be able to take me by a few stores later?”

  “Yeah, that’s cool. Let me go handle some business and we can go in a few hours.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem,” he said and glanced at her one last time. “Are you sure I don’t know you from somewhere?”

  “Maybe.” Ava caught herself before she said too much. “Maybe from another lifetime. You know they say energies always recognize each other, even in other lives.”

  Glizzy eyed her for a few more moments, and for a second, she felt like he didn’t believe a word she had said. Finally, a small smirk came across his face.

  “Okay, Erykah Badu. Be ready when I come back.”

  With that, he was gone.

  * * *

  Being in Glizzy’s all-black Jeep Wrangler alone with him made Ava nervous. He told her he was taking her to the Oakview mall, and the whole ride she took notice of him stealing glances at her.

  “I can see you staring at me, you know.”

  “My bad, it’s just . . . Never mind. You know where you want to shop? I don’t think Forever 21 is in this mall.”

  “Forever 21?”

  “Yeah.” He looked at her. “You too good for normal stores? Or is my dad paying that well these days?”

  “Nah, I shop there. You just don’t look like you would step foot in a store like that.”

  “Why? Because I’m rich?”

  “No. I mean, yeah.”

  “Ma, to me clothes are clothes. I have expensive tastes with a few pieces, like Ralph Lauren.” He jokingly rubbed his hand from his chest to his stomach, showcasing the jacket of the Ralph Lauren sweat suit he was wearing. “But that’s just some nigga shit. Niggas love Polo, and I fit the bill for that. But real shit, if I like it, I buy it. Whether it’s five bucks or a thousand.”

  “I hear you. I’m going to be shopping on a budget today. I’m trying to save for a place.”

  “Well, then, today is your lucky day. Don’t worry about spending anything. It’s on me,” he said when they pulled up in Dillard’s parking lot.

  “You don’t have to do that, Glizzy.”

  “I know, but I want to.”

  He got out of the car first and then came to open her door. He helped her out of the car, and the two of them walked in the mall side by side together. It was as if everybody knew who Glizzy was, the way eyes instantly fell on the two of them. Some people looked at him with adoration and made sure to speak as he passed, while others stared with contempt. She even got a few hateful stares from women when they saw that Ava was with him. It was the oddest thing ever for Ava to experience, and she wondered how Glizzy felt about it.

  “Damn, you’re a star,” she said after a group of kids asked to have a picture with him.

  “A prince,” he corrected with a wink. “It has its ups and downs.”

  “I’m surprised you don’t have security with you.”

  “Look behind you.”

  Ava did as he instructed, and he didn’t even have to tell her what to look for. Her eyes instantly lay on two big, burly men, dressed casually, walking behind them. They kept their distance, but they were still in range to hop into action if need be.

  “That’s you?”

  “Yeah,” Glizzy answered. “I can handle myself. I fear no nigga. But my pops ain’t for none of that. You want to go in here?”

  They were outside of Victoria’s Secret, and Ava’s entire face lit up. It had been so long since she was able to feel the fabric of Vicky’s Secret on her body, and she was tired of Hanes. Glizzy saw the happy glint in her eyes and laughed—Not at her, but at how simple she was to please. When they entered, he took three bags from one of the employees and gave them to Ava.

  “Get whatever you want,” he said and turned back to the brown-skinned employee. From his pocket, he pulled out a crisp hundred-dollar bill and pointed at Ava. “See to it that she doesn’t have to search for anyone when she needs help with something.”

  “No problem, Glizzy.” The young girl batted her eyelashes at him and headed toward Ava. “Hi, ma’am, I’m Destiny. Is there anything I can help you find?”

  They spent almost an hour in the store alone and left with two big bags filled to the top. Ava tried to carry them, but Glizzy wouldn’t let her. By the end of the day, Ava had all of the things that she needed and more than enough stuff that she didn’t need.

  “You spent like three thousand dollars on me today,” Ava said, looking at all of her bags in the back seat. “Did you even get yourself anything?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What?” Ava asked, scanning the bags for something of his.

  “The smile on your face.”

  Ava pursed her lips to hide the grin forcing its way up, and she playfully nudged him. “Shut up.” She rolled her eyes and had to turn away because she couldn’t stop smiling.

  “I’m for real, though,” Glizzy told her. “It’s refreshing to be with someone who appreciates the little things. These girls out here don’t see me as shit but a walking dollar sign. They are never interested in knowing me for me.”

 
; “Who are you?”

  “I’m just a nigga who wants to enjoy life. Straight up. I wanna love and be loved back.”

  His answer was so simple but said so many different things to her. She understood exactly what he meant.

  “Because, with all that, everything else should fall rightfully in place.” She spoke her thoughts out loud.

  The smile was gone from her face, but when Glizzy averted his eyes from the road to steal a glance at her, he saw that the smile was still in her eyes. He had just met her, but he felt like he’d known her for a while. That whole day he’d laughed more than he had that entire month. He was allowed to let go and act his age for once. In the life that he lived, there was little to no room for fun, because fun always got interrupted by business. Earlier he told her that today was her lucky day, but in all actuality, it was his. He was able to mix business with a dab of innocent pleasure.

  “Exactly,” he finally said. “You asked me who I am; now it’s my turn to ask, who are you?”

  “Me? I’m just a girl still trying to find her way. I don’t know what I want, and I like it.”

  “I get it, no expectations.”

  “Right,” Ava said and then looked at the palms of her hands. “My life has been filled with so many disappointments already. But I recently figured out that I have control of what disappoints me, so I try to position everything accordingly.”

  “I feel that,” Glizzy said.

  “So, besides the fact that you feel that women are gold-diggers, why are you single?”

  “Because I haven’t found the right woman yet,” he told her.

  “So, nobody has caught your eye?” she pressed a little too eagerly. He was quiet for a second, but then he chuckled to himself. “What?”

  “This is going to sound crazy,” he started, “but a little while ago, I met this girl. She was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life. She was just different from all these other women. I could tell just by the way she presented herself. But that was the first and last time I saw her.”

  “Sounds like love at first sight,” Ava joked, but his response shocked her.

  “Yeah. Maybe.”

  “She didn’t tell you her name?”

  They stopped at a red light, and instantly Ava regretted pressing the subject. Glizzy turned to face her, and he stared into her eyes intently. His gaze was so powerful that she almost looked away from him.

  “Cinderella. She told me her name was Cinderella.”

  Ava faked a laugh and a bewildered expression. “Cinderella? She couldn’t come up with something more creative?”

  Glizzy didn’t say anything; he was too busy studying her face, almost like he was looking for a lie. Ava held her breath, certain that she’d been found out, but when the light turned green and his eyes were back on the road, she let it out.

  “Right.” Glizzy shook his head. “And I hate that all these girls are into wearing wigs and shit. I don’t know if I would even recognize her if I were as close to her as I am to you right now.”

  “You’d know,” Ava told him and could have kicked herself again.

  “How so?”

  “Because, if what you feel is real, it will be reciprocated to you. She won’t be able to stay away.”

  “I’m counting on it. That’s why I’m throwing this ball. I hope she comes out, just so I don’t have that ‘what if’ shit over me forever.” He changed the subject suddenly. “Passing all these restaurants has me a little hungry. You gon’ let me wine and dine you before we head back to the house?”

  “You say that like this is a date.”

  “It can’t be?” Glizzy asked with a sneaky smile.

  As much as Ava would have loved to sit across from him and allow him to pick her mind, she feared too much would come out of her mouth, especially if wine was involved. She could picture it: “I’m the girl you met that night, but I’m also only here so that I can kill your father because he killed my mother.” What a disaster that would be. So, she declined his offer as politely as she could.

  “I’m not really hungry. You’ve spent so much money on me already. I don’t want you to waste more on a meal. Plus, Whitney seems like the type to throw down in the kitchen. I’m sure I’ll grab a bite later on.”

  “True that,” Glizzy said, although she could hear the disappointment in his voice. “No worries. I’m sure I’ma see you around.”

  “Yeah, since I’m your employee,” Ava reminded him.

  “You’re King Dex’s employee.”

  “Same thing.”

  The rest of the ride back out to the house was made without them talking. Glizzy turned on some music while Ava’s hand itched. She couldn’t wait to get back so she could call Vy and tell her about the day’s events. Phase one, “Infiltrate the Home,” was complete.

  Chapter 9

  Ava didn’t know how it happened. She tried her hardest to keep things strictly professional while she was inside King Dex’s home, but no matter what, she couldn’t deny her attraction to Glizzy. Since she’d been there, not a day went by that she didn’t see or speak to him. She was honestly starting to think that he sought her out, which she didn’t mind. She tried to keep her eyes on the prize, but whenever she saw King Dex, even in his house, he had a guard with him. The day that Whitney assigned her to his room, she knew that wouldn’t be a good idea.

  “I have the pool, the basement, and the wine cellar today, Whit,” she tried to reason. “Plus, I thought you enjoyed cleaning your little Glizzy’s room.”

  The two of them were in the main kitchen at the time, sorting through the silverware for the ball that upcoming weekend. There was still a lot of work to be done, but they were making very good time. They were both dressed in jeans and matching long-sleeved T-shirts, with white Nike Roshes on their feet.

  “I do,” Whitney said and then gave her a knowing glance. “But something tells me that you would too.”

  Ava turned her head away and began to roll a set of silverware into a gold napkin. “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about,” she said.

  “You don’t have a clue, my pretty brown ass,” Whitney said, placing her hand on her hip. “I see the way he looks at you, but more importantly I see the way you look at him. I was born at night, but not last night! You two like each other, and if you’re going to see him, I’d rather you be working when you do it, not sneaking off and leaving me to peel a hundred potatoes by myself!”

  Ava’s eyes widened, and she bit her lips. It was no use; the giggle snuck its way through. She knew what day Whitney was speaking of, and by the time Ava showed her face to help, Whitney was already done—and in a sour mood, too.

  “I said I was sorry, Whit! Plus, I’m still kind of new. In the real world, I would still be in training right about now.”

  “Well, this ain’t a corporate job now, is it?” Whitney asked and swatted the young girl playfully on her arm. “Now, I want you to go up to th—”

  “You two ladies are doing a spectacular job!”

  The voice boomed loudly, but not in volume. Ava felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and, she swallowed hard, almost scared to look up. She tried to even her breathing and focus on the silverware that she had in her hand, but even her hands had started shaking.

  “Dex! Don’t be frightening us like that now!” Whitney chastised King Dex like he was her son. “And why do you bring this big, burly man everywhere you go, even in your own house?”

  “Because, Whit,” King Dex said, leaning in and kissing her on the cheek, “you never know where an enemy is lurking.”

  “Well, ain’t no enemies in this house now. And you know how I feel about y’all having those guns around me.”

  Ava continued to work on the task at hand as they went back and forth. She felt the temperature in the room change, but she didn’t know if it was her fear or his aura. When he finally spoke to her, she almost jumped out of her shoes.

  “You must be the new maid we hired,” he said
and held his hand out for Ava to shake it.

  Ava stared at it for a few seconds before placing a meek hand inside of it. When she finally looked into his face, she was taken aback. He was just an older version of his son. It was almost as if he himself had spit Glizzy out. She wondered what she would do in the moment when she faced him face to face. Would she yell? Would she call him a murderer and shoot him right in the throat? She thought that he would look like an evil monster, but there he was standing in front of her, casually wearing a pair of workout shorts and a T-shirt that showed off every muscle on his upper body. He looked . . . normal. Ava forced a smile on her face.

  He killed your mother. He has to die.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the big chef’s knife that Whitney had used to cut an apple a little bit earlier. All Ava had to do was grab it and slit his throat; however, the iron grip that he had on her hand told her that she wouldn’t be able to move fast enough.

  “How have you liked working for Maid for You?” he asked, calling his cleaning service by its business name.

  “It’s a job,” Ava responded, releasing his hand. “Some of the jobs are dirtier than others, and I feel that we should be compensated more. Especially since we are one of the best cleaning teams.”

  “You work with Vy, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Yeah, they are one of my more thorough teams. Roscoe!” King Dex spoke to the big, burly man in the suit standing at the entrance to the kitchen.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Make a note to be sure that Vy’s cleaning team receives two thousand dollars more a job, no matter how dirty.”

  “Of course, sir.” Roscoe nodded.

  “How does that sound?” King Dex turned back to Ava.

  “The others will be happy.”

  “Why are you in such a good mood today, King?” Whitney asked, crossing her arms.

  “I’m not,” King Dex told her, going in the fridge. “I just got off the phone with Dorian, and it has come to my attention that I am at a loss of fifty thousand dollars.”

  Whitney shook her head. “I told your ass not to trust those damn crackheads,” Whitney said. “I knew Dumphy’s mama, and she wasn’t shit either! I don’t know why you would trust him.”