Nina stood there, speechless, with her back against the door. Val glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes seemed glazed, the look on her face was distant, and her reaction was slow and zombie-like. The residue on the tip of her nose provided evidence of where that missing half-line of cocaine now resided.
Sharrard smiled at Nina and then patted the bed, trying to entice her to come over. Nina’s nipples were standing at full attention by this point. Sharrard tried to entice her once again as he winked and used his index finger to gesture for her to come over.
Nina appeared to be coming under some type of trance as she took a step toward the bed and stopped. Sharrard stood up as he witnessed his spell start to entrap another female victim. Even as he stood up, Val didn’t move. Her lips were latched onto his penis so hard that a vein started to protrude from her forehead.
Sharrard noticed how Nina ignored her opportunity to leave. He took that as a sign that she wanted in on the action. To make her feel welcome, he decided to give her the show she’d obviously come in there to see.
Sharrard turned sideways so that Nina could get a better view of what he was working with. He grabbed the back of Val’s head and started stroking her mouth like it was a vagina.
Nina was totally turned on by the size of Sharrard’s penis and the definition in his thighs and butt cheeks. At this point, she was standing close enough to Sharrard that he was able to reach out and grab her hand. Nina didn’t pull away. She didn’t move any closer, but she didn’t pull away. He took her index finger into his mouth and started sucking. He then took his right hand and started rubbing her breast while he sucked her finger and rammed his rock hard penis into Val’s mouth.
Nina’s eyes closed and opened slowly like a person on the verge of falling asleep. Her body’s desire for good sex was starting to supersede her need to be cautious. She placed her hand on top of Sharrard’s and guided it around her nipple. As a fire began to burn in her loins and her toes started to curl inside of her pumps, there was a knock at the door.
“Nina, are you in there?” asked the male voice.
Nina’s eyes opened, and she was suddenly aware of her surroundings and the predicament she was in.
“Nah, she ain’t in here,” Sharrard replied.
A few seconds later, the knob on the door started to turn. Nina saw it turning and quickly stepped back and hid in the corner behind the door. She stood in that corner and held her breath like a white lady hiding from a serial killer in a poorly directed, low-budget horror movie.
Larry opened the door and stood in the doorway.
“Wuz up, dog?” Sharrard asked as he helped Val to her feet. “You wreckin’ my flow.”
“My bad, man. I’m lookin’ for my wife.”
“Well, she ain’t in here, playa.”
“My bad,” Larry replied as he glanced at Val as she tried to look the other way, clearly embarrassed by the scene.
Larry stepped out of the doorway and closed the door. He walked back down the stairs and joined the party. Nina exhaled once the door closed. Cognizant that Larry could have been standing on the other side of the door listening, the three of them stood in the room for nearly ten seconds without making a sound.
“Well, since we’re all here, we might as well get this shit on and poppin! He’s gone now, baby girl; let’s do this.”
Nina looked at Sharrard and then at Val. Her hands started trembling and her knees started shaking. She adjusted her dress and left the room in a hurry.
No one saw Nina leave the room. Well, one person did. Maria had been standing in Precious’ bedroom with the door cracked, listening to everything. She’d watched Nina go into the guest room. She’d watched Larry knock on the door looking for her. She’d heard Sharrard tell him that Nina wasn’t in there and then she saw Nina run out.
Nina made it to the stairs and then looked back. Her eyes focused on Maria peeking out of the door like an eagle hovering fifty feet in the sky, zeroing in on his helpless prey. Maria slammed the bedroom door shut. Her heart fluttered as reality set in; she’d seen too much. Her days in the Dennison household were numbered and she knew it.
TWO WEEKS LATER
“COME ON, VAL; WE HAVE TO MAKE IT to San Francisco in less than two hours,” Nina screamed as she threw her makeup bag in the backseat of her truck.
“I’m comin’! I’m comin’; damn!”
“Girl, you don’t understand. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for Precious. This is one of the reasons I was so excited about moving to California.”
“Nina, stop being so damn dramatic. This is California. If Precious doesn’t make it to this audition on time, there’ll be another one next weekend.”
“That may be true, but I want her to make it to this one. I love Old Navy clothing. Not only is this a nationwide campaign, but the children that are chosen get a year’s supply of clothes.”
Val didn’t bother to respond. She stared out of the window at the ocean as they rode north on Highway 1. The sight of the ocean waves and the hang gliders hovering over the Pacific Ocean had her awestruck.
As they skirted past Santa Cruz and onto Highway 17 where the road cuts through the mountainside, Val started to compare the beautiful landscaping to what she’d grown accustomed to in New Orleans. She pondered her life and the stagnation that awaited her upon her return.
With each passing second, Val’s mood started to reflect the growing resentment she was feeling toward Nina’s new standard of living. Nina had a millionaire husband, while she was stuck with Tyrone and his long dick, but short finances. Soon her thoughts drifted toward her sexual encounter with the new multi-millionaire Sharrard Hogan.
“Has Larry said anything about Sharrard?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know, anything.”
“He hasn’t said anything about him since Sharrard signed his contract last weekend. Girl, Larry got him a five-year contract worth thirty million dollars. He got ten million of that in a signing bonus.”
“Ummm . . . that’s nice.”
“It damn sure is, and I can see your eyes twinkling over there. Have you heard from Sharrard since the party? I know y’all didn’t talk much that night because you had your mouth full,” Nina said with a chuckle.
“Aww, bitch, stop frontin’. If your man had knocked on that door a few seconds later, he would’ve seen you pushing me off Sharrard’s dick so you could have a turn.”
“Val, watch your damn mouth! Precious can hear you.”
“No, she can’t. She’s asleep.”
The two of them sat quietly for the next five minutes. Val’s temperature was coming to a boil as she thought about the life she could have with Sharrard, and then compared it to her current life back in New Orleans with Tyrone. Eventually her curiosity got the best of her, so she asked once again about Sharrard’s contract.
“How much was Larry’s cut?” Val asked.
“Larry’s cut of what?”
“Sharrard’s contract!”
“He didn’t tell me, but I’ve been on the Internet doing some research. Larry’s fee was somewhere in the ballpark of one million dollars after the firm got its cut and after taxes.”
“Damn! I didn’t know Larry was ballin’ like that.”
“Yeah, child, we’re ballin’ like that. Sharrard is his biggest client, but he ain’t Larry’s only client. He’s been quiet about his exact net worth, but he’s worth a few million. He even invested in some of those new Vitamin Water drinks. I’ve been playin’ it cool, but I’m going start snooping harder in a few months. I’m tryin’ to wait until we’ve been married for a little while. What’s his is mine.”
“I ain’t tryin’ to get too far into your business, but did he make you sign a prenup?”
“Yes, you are tryin’ to get in my business, but that’s all right, you my girl. Yes, he did make me sign a prenup.”
“Why did you sign it? As much as that nigga was sweatin’ you, he would’ve married you with or without a pre
nup. I wouldn’t have signed it.”
“The prenup I signed doesn’t give me any child support; after all, Precious isn’t his biological daughter, and I didn’t feel right about stickin’ him up for money based on that. But it guarantees me a hundred thousand in cash if our marriage lasts at least one year and two hundred fifty thousand in cash if we last at least two years.”
“That ain’t shit if he’s worth as much money as you said! What if y’all last more than two years?”
Nina smiled and looked at Val. “If we last more than two years, he has to tear up the prenup, and I get half of everything he owns.”
“Bullshit!”
“I ain’t lying. He even put it in writing in the contract. Trust me, since he got all that money for Sharrard, his phone has been ringing off the hook. It seems like every free agent in the league is tryin’ to get Larry to be their agent. That means that in two years, his net worth is going to be double what it is now.”
“That nigga might have some book smarts, but he ain’t got an ounce of game,” Val concluded.
“Why do you say that? You just said that you wouldn’t sign a prenup, so apparently you don’t agree with them anyway.”
“Oh, don’t get it twisted; anyone with a lot to lose should have a prenup drawn up to protect their money. If I had a lot of money I would get one, but that doesn’t mean I would ever sign one if somebody gave it to me.”
“Now you understand why I have to play my cards right for the time being.”
Val rolled her eyes in disgust at Nina. She’d been hangin’ out with Nina in California for a little more than two weeks, and was beginning to grow tired of Nina’s constant bragging. Val knew that Nina was enjoying flaunting her good fortune.
Val and Nina were good friends, but there was always a competitive undercurrent between them. When they were both strippers Nina would get more aggressive on stage and during lap dances if she noticed that Val had earned more money. When local rappers asked Val to be in their videos, Nina deliberately showed up on the set looking sexier to steal the attention.
Trying to compete with Nina’s bank account was futile so Val conceded this round of sparring, but she was determined to win the next.
Val took a glance at Precious and Chrissy in the backseat and then smirked before she commented, “You mean, what’s his is yours and Chrissy’s.”
Nina sat there, silent. She tried to pretend she didn’t hear Val’s comments, but the frown lines that streaked across her forehead like lightning across the sky were a clear giveaway that Val had struck a nerve.
“Yep, you know Larry’s going to take care of baby girl back there in the backseat before he takes care of anyone,” Val replied and then looked over the headrest and waved at Chrissy.
Chrissy was totally oblivious to the innuendo that had spewed from Val’s mouth and bounced around the car like a rubber ball, occasionally popping Nina upside the head.
“By the way, why is Chrissy with us? Why didn’t you leave her with Maria? As a matter of fact, where is Maria? I haven’t seen her around the house in a few days.”
“You haven’t seen her because I sent her home for the weekend,” Nina barked.
“Why’d you send home?”
“I sent her home because I’m going to fire her ass next week.”
“I thought you liked Maria?”
“She’s starting to get sloppy. We pay her good money to take care of Chrissy and she isn’t doing enough to earn it.”
“What did Larry have to say?”
“He doesn’t know.”
“Ouch. Don’t you think you should tell him that you’re going to fire the woman he handpicked to watch his handicapped daughter?”
“Val, I don’t need you tell me how to run my household!”
“Excuse the hell out of me,” Val replied in a flippant tone. “I’m gonna make sure I got a lot of popcorn because I’m gonna get a kick out of watching you try to take care of that child until you hire a new nanny.”
Nina was silent for a few moments. She tried to focus as she crossed three lanes trying to get off Highway 17 and onto Highway 101 heading toward San Francisco. It didn’t take long for Nina to learn that aggression can be an asset on the fast-paced California highways.
The skies turned dark and storm clouds swooped in from over the ocean as the ladies sped toward their destination. It didn’t rain often in this part of California, but when it did rain, it usually came hard and swift.
“I haven’t started looking for a new nanny yet.”
“Why not? You need to look for one or get prepared to have some long days ahead.”
“Actually, I’m kind of glad you brought that up. Do you remember our discussion when I first picked you up from the airport?”
“What discussion?”
“You and I talked about you coming here to be a nanny for us. You said you had experience with autistic children.”
“Nina, stop trippin’!”
“I’m not trippin’. I know you are tired of dancing in that sleazy ass strip club.”
“Oh, now it’s sleazy? You weren’t sayin’ that shit when you were making your ass clap on that pole.”
“Whatever. All I’m saying is that you can live here with us for free, and we will pay you more money than you’re earning now.”
Val pondered the proposition. The more she thought about it, the more intriguing the offer sounded. Nina could see she had Val’s mental wheels turning so she decided to sweeten the pot to seal the deal.
“I doubt you’ll be working for us very long.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Girl, with your looks and that body, you’ll probably hook up with one of Larry’s millionaire friends within the first two or three months. The next thing you know, you’ll be giving parties and shit at your own mansion.”
The glossy look in Val’s eyes told Nina all she needed to know; the thought of wealth had Val hooked.
“What about Larry?”
“What about him! Girl, he’ll be home in two days; I’ll make sure I give him a little coochie before I tell him. Trust me, after I whip it on him, he’ll agree to do whatever I tell him to.”
“We’ll see,” Val replied in a dry tone.
“Is it a deal?”
“More money than you’re payin’ Maria?”
“Yep!”
“Are you gonna help me land Mr. Sharrard Hogan?”
“I’ll arrange another dinner party to get the two of you together again.”
“Then we’ve got a deal.”
“My girl!” Nina said with a huge conquering smile.
THE AUDITIONS WERE BEING HELD in a slender three-story loft house nestled on the corner of Lombard and Van Ness in the heart of San Francisco. Nina had only been in that area of the city once so she was struggling to identify the landmarks.
The front of the loft looked like all of the other homes that seemed to fit together like Lego blocks along the steep San Francisco streets. If it weren’t for the line that snaked from the entrance, down the street, and then around the corner, there would have been no way of knowing where the auditions were being held.
“Are there any black people in San Francisco?” Val asked sarcastically.
“What? Of course there are black folk here.”
“I’m serious. I haven’t seen a black person yet. All I see around here are Asians and white folk walking these big-ass dogs.”
“Yeah, they do like their dogs out here in California. These people treat their dogs better than they treat other humans.”
“They all look dirty.”
“What?”
“These white folk, they all got this grunge look about ’em.”
“Girl, that’s their style out here. That’s one of the first things I noticed when we moved. Where we’re from, black folk get dressed up to go to the corner store. But these white folk out here don’t care about all that. All they do is walk their dogs, ride their bikes, jog all over the damn place, d
rink Starbucks coffee, and spend the trust funds their parents left for them.”
“Shit, I’m lookin’ in the wrong direction,” said Val. “I need to try to catch me one of these white boys with a trust fund. If he doesn’t have a trust fund, he may at least have a six-figure income.”
“What would you do with a man with a six-figure income?”
“I’d cook for him every day and let him get some of this sweet ass whenever he wanted it. Girl, I can’t even lie; at this point, I’ll just take a man with a five-figure income.”
“What would you do with a man who had a seven-figure income?” Nina asked, her subtle way of bragging about her husband’s income.
“Girl, please! If I had a man with a seven-figure income, I’d let him fuck me in the ear.”
“Yo ass is crazy!”
“Shiiiit! You can call me crazy all you want, but I’d keep a tube of KY Jelly next to my ear and be ready to use it if that nigga bringin’ home seven figures.”
“What the . . .” Nina blurted out as they pulled up to the audition site and she saw the long line outside.
“Girl, it is two o’clock and you’d be lucky if Precious gets to audition before five.”
“Bullshit!” Nina said with much attitude.
She parked the car, grabbed her makeup kit, and snatched Precious out of the seat. Val hopped out of the car and closed the door.
“Do you have to slam my damn door like that?!” Nina shouted.
“My bad, Nina, damn!” Val replied as she rolled her eyes at Nina. “Wait a second. I’m tryin’ to get Chrissy together.”
“Girl, I ain’t got time to wait on you and Chrissy’s slow asses. I gotta get my baby to the front of this long-ass line!”
Nina didn’t bother to look in Val’s direction as she spoke. She gripped Precious’ tiny hand and walked toward the front of the line with an angry expression plastered on her face. She looked as mad as a black woman who’d just found out her husband had left her for a white woman.
The looks she received from the other mothers were deadly, but they didn’t deter Nina from marching to the front of the line and approaching a thin-framed Hispanic male.
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