Brianna stepped off of the elevator to her new condo. Walking in the room where the love of her life had been murdered, and where she’d been left for dead had only heightened the emotional roller coaster she’d been on since Tre’s death. She liked her new place equip with floor to ceiling windows, hardwood floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a view that could kill. Plus, there was a 24 hour front desk concierge that offered the extra layer of security that she needed. There was a mirror directly in front of the elevator doors. Brianna looked at herself and smiled with pride. She was, after all, more than her stepfather ever said she would be. As she turned the corner, she noticed a male figure standing in the front of her place with his ear cuffing the door. She started to panic almost immediately. Brianna slowly backed away towards the elevator. She pressed the down button rapidly. The numbers lit up while the elevator slowly made it’s way back to her. As the elevator paused on a lower floor, Brianna heard footsteps. She kicked herself for wanting to be on the top floor. She bowed her head and allowed her hair to cover her face.
“Brianna?” a familiar voice inquired.
She looked up and into the smiling face of Hakeem.
She smile, “Hey.”
“Hey, you leaving back out? I was just coming by to check on you.”
“Oh, I ahhh…” she shook her head, “No, I thought I left something in the car. It can stay.”
Hakeem walked close to her and reached his arms out for a hug. Brianna wrapped her arms around his torso. He looked at her and shook his head, then repositioned her arms around his neck. He moved close to her body, wrapping his arms around her petite waist and squeezed tight.
She had been affectingly deprived. Brianna felt herself nearly collapse into his arms. If felt good to be embraced, so good that she leaned in closer. Right when she started feeling comfortable, Hakeem loosened his grip.
“I was just coming to check on you. Hoping you’d be up for a movie night.”
The pair walked to Brianna’s condo. She noticed that by the door, Hakeem had left a couple DVD’s, a box of microwaveable popcorn, and a variety of chocolate candy bars.
“Oh, wow. This is a nice surprise.” Brianna unlocked the door and welcomed Hakeem in. “I’d love a movie night. Have a seat, let me get comfortable.”
“Aiight, cool. I’ll set up the movie in here.”
Brianna went into her room to change into something comfortable. She traded out her black patent leather Louboutin pumps for fuzzy white slippers, her jeans and Bebe blouse for her Victoria Secret Pink sweat pants and tee. She pulled her hair back into a low ponytail, and headed back to the living room.
“Thanks again for coming by. How’s your day been?”
“It’s been ok. How about you?”
“No complaints. I’m coming from a meeting so it’ll be nice to relax.”
“A meeting, huh?”
“Yeah, a meeting… well more like an interview.”
“Oh yeah? You tryna get a 9 to 5? I thought for sure Tre woulda had you set tight.”
“Yeah, but I still gotta stay afloat once that runs out. I can’t live forever off of what he left me.”
“So how’d the interview go?”
“Pretty good. I got the job,” she smiled.
“Congratulations!”
“Thanks! What movies did you pick up?” she asked trying to change the subject.
“I got some old school stuff…”
Hakeem had always had a crush on Brianna. From the day that he and Tre had met her in the mall he had taken notice of her. He found it appealing that a girl as attractive as her seemed to not even realize it. Since high school Hakeem and Tre had developed a recycling system with the girls they dated and slept with. Once one was finished, the other would swoop in to play the knight in shining armor and pick up where the other had left off. It worked like a charm every time. For years Hakeem had been waiting on the sidelines for Tre to be done with Brianna so he could take his turn, but as each year passed it became apparent that she was different. And Brianna never really seemed to notice him anyway. In Hakeem’s mind she was the female version of Petey. When Petey was killed, he was back to being Tre’s sidekick, but that only lasted for a short time once things got serious with Brianna. It was always all about Tre.
One night Tre took his whole crew to VIP at On the Roxx to celebrate Brianna’s birthday. One of Tre’s partners Fresh had thrown a huge party for her. Hakeem thought that it was the best he’d ever seen her look. She wore a fitted black romper that accentuated her every curve. Her hair draped her shoulders in big curls that danced as she moved to the music. The only other woman in the room that even came close to competing with her was her little sister, Charisse, who wore a fitted pink dress and her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Tre had introduced the two, but Hakeem was mesmerized by Brianna. When she excused herself to go to the restroom Tre caught Hakeem checking Brianna out. Tre sat back and watched his best friend practically raping her with his eyes. Tre made a mental note of this; he knew Hakeem had a liking for her. So he made sure from that point on to not tell him about his and Brianna relationship. He could hear the words of Petey speaking to him “Don’t ever trust any man alone with your woman, not even me!”
Tre walked up on Hakeem from behind and said, “Nigga what the fuck are you lookin at?”
Hakeem was startled, “Oh it’s like that? You trippin over this broad. A nigga can’t even look at her without you actin’ like a bitch? You should be flattered!”
“Who the fuck is you talkin' to like that?”
Hakeem turned and faced him, “What you mean who am I talkin' to? You nigga!”
Tre balled up his fist, but held his composure. “You bitch ass nigga, you better keep your eyes on your on shit and stay off mine!”
“Word?” Hakeem shook his head and laughed it off, “I hear you nigga.”
From that point on Hakeem was real careful about how he looked at Brianna.
Brianna and Hakeem sat on opposite ends of the sofa while Coming to America played. Brianna sat with her knees curled up underneath her. She could feel him staring at her. She looked at him and asked, “What’s up? Why you lookin at me like that?”
He shook his head, “My bad. I’m just worried about you. You’ve been through a lot lately.”
“I’ll be aiight.”
“I know you will,” he said while scooting over closer to her. “We fam, you don’t have sit allllll the way over there like we’re strangers,” he laughed.
Once Hakeem’s body was flush up against Brianna’s he put his arm around her.
“You know, Tre always told me that if anything ever happened to him to look out for you. And that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. You can feel comfortable with me.”
Brianna sat speechless with her eyes glued to the television screen. Even though she didn’t affirm it to him, it felt good to know that she wasn’t alone, and that she had someone to lean on. She allowed the tension to leave her shoulder, and she relaxed into his arms.
Brianna’s eyes slowly crept open early the next morning. She lay on her side on the sofa. She looked down and saw an arm draped over her. She looked ahead and saw several pieces of jewelry that were not her own sitting on the coffee table. When she turned her head to the side she had to brush away the dreads that had settled on her cheek. There she was being spooned by her dead boyfriend’s best friend. Surprisingly it felt good to not sleep alone. Even though this body was unfamiliar to her, and nothing like that of Tre’s, it still felt comforting. Brianna sat up and stretched; with a glance over her shoulder she noticed that Hakeem was also awake.
“Good Morning,” he said.
“Good Morning,” she responded.
And awkward silence lingered between them. Brianna stood up and busied herself by straightening up the living room.
Hakeem broke the silence, “Movie night was cool, maybe we can do it again sometime?”
Brianna nodded.
“I’ma
get up outta here. Gotta meeting with my attorney.”
“Is everything ok?”
“Yeah, it’s cool. I just beat this case, but got some follow-up details to attend to.”
Hakeem took a minute to replace his necklace, watch, and rings. Then he reached out for a goodbye hug. On his way out he said, “You know I got you right?”
“Yeah.”
“For real. I got you. You need anything, I’m the one you should call first.” He reiterated.
“Thanks,” she smiled and locked the door behind him.
After Hakeem left, Brianna got on the phone immediately. It was time to get back to business.
“Hey Jason. I got some more work for ya.”
“Aiight shorty. When can I expect you?’
“I’m finna hit the road shortly. I’ll call you when I’m there.”
Brianna pulled the Hertz rental car into her storage unit. Thanks to Carlos she had been schooled with key information to make these trips as safe as possible. After shutting the storage door, she hit the trunk symbol on the key pad. She removed the spare tire and placed a pen in the vale stem to release the air. The tire was about half empty, when she began to place the drugs inside.
‘Ok that was easy enough’ she thought to herself, as she replaced the tire and shut the trunk. She put in her favorite Beyonce CD and was ready to ride.
Brianna had driven this route so many times with Tre. She knew the process by heart. She didn’t think that Tre ever realized how much attention she was paying. Until now, she hadn’t even realized it herself. She had picked up where he left off seamlessly thus far. She remembered the rules of the game. The goal was to drive amongst everyone else without looking at all suspicious. No flashy car or clothes. Just a regular girl going on a regular trip. She dressed accordingly. Jeans, basic tee, and sneakers. Brianna left her hair hanging at her shoulders and put on a pair of shades. On the road again.
The Ritz-Carlton in downtown Atlanta always welcomed Brianna with open arms and comfortable beds. Instead of the suite that she and Tre usually booked, a simple room with a King sized bed was more than enough for a solo Brianna. More often than not Brianna’s days were filled with silence. She thought back on her night with Hakeem and smiled. It felt natural to spend time with him alone, even though they hadn’t been close before Tre’s passing. Tre had always seemed to be annoyed or frustrated with Hakeem for one thing or another. Brianna often wondered why they were best friends at all. They were so different. Tre was cool, calm, and collected in the way he ran his business and personal life. Hakeem, or Havoc as his friends called him, on the other hand made a splash everywhere he went. Brianna laughed to herself thinking about how he’d showed up at events wearing a Gucci hat, matching shorts, belt, and shoes. He’d have the loudest music blaring from whatever flamboyant car he was driving at the time.
After settling in Brianna got to work and called Jason, “Meet me at the spot in fifteen.”
“Aiight.”
Brianna drove about 15 minutes to Lennox Mall. She pulled up and placed the rental car were it would be easily noticed. As she was walking in the mall, two guys were coming out the door. A short dark skin one grabbed her arm.
“What’s Up Shorty? What you doing shopping by yourself?”
Brianna nicely grabbed his hand to release hers. “I’m not, I’m meeting my boyfriend for lunch.”
“Well you let that nigga know he lucky and here my card if he act up.”
“Well thank you and I will keep the card.” She plastered a fake smile on her face. There was a time when Brianna would have cursed him out for putting his hands on her. But she knew this was not the time to draw any attention. So diplomacy was the best option. She continued on through the door and made her way to the food court where Jason was already seated.
“What up Bri? You want anything to eat or drink?
“No I’m good, I just ate.”
“I feel you, well the car is a red mustang, and it’s parked on the second level about six rows down.”
“Boy what did I tell you about these sports cars, you going to make me get a ticket on the way back.” Brianna said with a slight laugh.
“Well what you got a nigga in today?”
“A white Chevy Malibu, you can’t miss it, it’s on the front row in the deck.”
When Brianna got into the Mustang she realized she had left her CD in the other car. “O well I will have to stop at Best Buy and grab me another one on the way back. When she arrived back at the hotel, Brianna started to undress so she could relax. Her phone began to ring as she was preparing to take a shower. She looked at the caller ID and saw it was Jason.
“I know I left my CD in the car, you can give it to one of your hoodrats,” Brianna said while laughing.
“Na that’s not why I’m hitting you Bri. You just put to much sugar in my coffee. I can’t drank all that shorty!”
Brianna caught on immediately, she knew he was telling her he couldn’t move all the dope she had giving him.
“For real? Well how much do you generally like?”
“I can take six cubes for now. Get at me in a few weeks about more.”
Brianna was left with over half of the product that she was expected to sell to pay off her debt. She didn’t even know who else she could sell to. It seemed like all of Tre’s other connects had found other ways to get their good because she hadn’t received any other calls.
Without any options, Brianna drove back to her hotel suite and ordered room service for one. She knew that it was time for her to expand her budding business and start to generate some contacts of her own. She just had to find out how.
Chapter 7
Perfect Timing
Brianna fished for her blackberry in her Dolce & Gabbana handbag. She pulled it out to reveal a caller id picture of herself asleep in Hakeem’s arms. He had the biggest grin on his face. She shook her head and smiled.
“Hey silly!” she said.
“What’s good?”
“I see you took the liberty of making some changes to my phone.”
He laughed, “Yeah. You don’t mind do you?”
“Nah, how are you today? How’d things go with your attorney?”
“Truthfully, not so good.” He explained, “My money is looking tight right now and that’s exactly what I need to stay out of prison. Since Tre passed, I haven’t been eating like normal so…”
“I hadn’t even thought about that.” She said more to herself than to him. It was like a light bulb had gone off in her head. “I don’t’ know why I didn’t think of that before.”
“Huh? What’s up?”
“I think I can help you with your problem, and you can help me with a problem I have.”
“Okay… how so? Did Tre leave some food you need to get rid of?”
“Ummm, not quite. Meet me for lunch. I need to fill you in on some things.”
Hakeem and Brianna met at Chima’s in downtown Charlotte. As they began looking over the choices of Brazilin foods. Brianna started to explain the steps she had taken since Tre’s death.
“That interview I was telling you about the other day was actually a meeting with Carlos, Tre’s connect. Right now I only have one person picking up work from me, but I’ve got a lot left. So basically, I’m the new Tre… you need work and I’ve got it.”
Hakeem smiled. This was just what he needed to put himself back in the game. On top of that partnering with Brianna would work to his advantage. She could keep the connect with Carlos, but he’d play the main man in the streets. While Brianna would actually be the true Tre replacement, no one in the streets would really know that. In the streets he’d be the main man taking over Tre’s position.
He sat back in his chair and nodded, “Aiight, I’m down.”
Buzz.. Buzz...her sister’s number and picture displayed on the screen of her phone. Charisse was the only person from her family that she had kept in contact with since she moved out. She had never been close with her brother; h
e had copied after his father in the way he treated his older sister. Brianna didn’t know if she would ever forgive her mother for allowing her to be treated so badly all those years. But she was grateful that she at least had Charisse.
“What’s up?” Brianna asked with an attitude.
“What’s your problem,” Charisse retorted.
“I ain’t heard from you since Tre died. What’s up with that?”
Charisse exhaled, “Girl, you don’t even know. A lot’s been going on over here.”
“So that means you can’t call and check on your sister?”
“My bad. I’m sorry. We need to talk. Can I come over?”
“Yeah, but I moved. I’ll text you the address.”
An hour later, Charisse was knocking on the door. She strolled in looking like she had just had a hard day’s work, and Brianna knew that couldn’t be the case. As the true first baby girl of Herman, Charisse had rarely lifted a finger growing up. She was doted on like a princess with no regard or concern for the effect this imbalance of treatment would have on Brianna. Charisse was kind enough to share nearly all of her goodies with her older sister; everything except clothes and shoes. It only took one time for the girls to learn that wasn’t a good idea. When their father saw Brianna in one of the outfits he’d purchased for Charisse he made her undress immediately.
He’d said, “Since you wanna wear other people’s clothes we’ll be getting yours from the Goodwill from now on.”
To take it a step further he went to the Goodwill himself to pick out the items, making sure to get things that were out of style and tacky. He came home with bags and bags of the ugliest clothes Brianna had ever seen. It was her first year of junior high school and that shabby gear earned her the nickname Bri-tacky. That nickname followed her through her senior year, even after he’d allowed her mother to resume her shopping at regular stores.
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