by Zach Tate
I didn’t know what was going on, but for some strange reason, she and Roxy were acting like they were really in love with me.
Red walked out of the door, and I was grateful to be all alone. Not a minute passed before there came a knock. I was sure it was Red, but when I opened it, PeeWee stood there with a long leather trench coat, a Kangol hat on his head.
“I need ten grand if you want to be in,” he stated, adjusting his tie.
“Man, say hello when you step into my place,” I said after we shook hands and hugged.
“Brother, I don’t have the time. This sting fell into my lap and—” He stopped talking and looked around the suite. “You got a nice place here. Anyway, if you in, I have to go get my money together, and we have to be at the place by noon. Ten will get you forty in a day, you in?”
I calculated the money that I had in the house from Roxy and Joy—I was short. I didn’t want to take him with me to see Proverb so I said, “I’m in, I want to know the sting first? If I like it, I’ll meet you at the Hilton.”
“I need to know you all the way in before I tell you. It’s an old Rolex hustle, that’s all I have to say. I could have put the twenty up myself, but my money’s tied up right now. Are you in or what?”
It was only $10,000 so I said, “I’m in.”
We walked out of the suite together and went our separate ways. I stopped by Proverb’s, took out a loan, and headed for the Hilton.
I called PeeWee from the lobby and he came down with a small bag in his hands. I expected to catch a taxi when we stepped out of the Hilton, but PeeWee picked up his pace and led me down Sixth Avenue like we were in a rush. When we reached 46th Street in the Diamond District, he made a left and walked to the end of the block. He walked into the same store Red took me to. I was silent, but I wanted to know what was going down.
A short, balding, Jewish man called us to a back office. When we got there, I saw what I believed to be six gold and diamond encrusted Rolex watches lying on the table.
PeeWee said, “I need that cash, bro.”
I handed him the money. He pulled out his roll and handed it to the man. The jeweler then removed a small velvet bag, and joined two other men at a workbench, and poured out hundreds of miniature diamonds. The men examined the watches and pulled them apart. Once the work started, PeeWee walked me outside and pulled out two slim Cohiba cigars. I never smoked one before, but I tried it and liked it.
While we were waiting outside the door, I said, “You got my dough, so what’s the sting?”
“Diamondairs.”
“What? Diamond hairs?” I asked.
“No fool. Diamondairs. Those are rocks from the early Seventies man. Way before your time. This guy Max Weinstein was a genius. He couldn’t afford to buy real expensive diamonds, so he made his own and sold them to people who wanted something nice, but couldn’t afford it. Sort of like that Cubic Zirconia nonsense.”
I interrupted. “So what’s that got to do with us?”
“Bro, for a smart man you need to listen more. Max is gone, God bless his soul. My man in there found a bunch of these rocks, and we gonna do a switch-a-roo as soon as they done polishing them up. If Max was around today with these rappers, he’d make a killing. Don’t matter much no how, because his two boys up in Hollywood doing that Miramax thing. What a family. Boys named the company after they mama Mira, and they dad Max.”
I scratched my head and refused to be called dumb again. Once again, with another hustler, I kept my mouth shut.
By noon, the men in the shop called us inside. When they laid the watches on the table, I saw six, diamond encrusted, Presidential Rolexes. They were covered with diamonds. They looked so good, I wanted one for myself.
The balding man handed PeeWee a velvet bag. I walked over to the office door and looked into the front of the store. A woman who looked exactly like Red stood with her back to me. I knew it was impossible for someone to have the same body and clothes. Instead of interfering with what she did, I walked outside and lit another cigar. When she stepped out the store, and I asked, “I thought you had a job?”
Red’s eyes were on fire. “I’ll see you later, you know I don’t talk about the job, sugar, so be nice.” She blew me a kiss and waved for a taxi.
PeeWee exploded out of the store so fast I thought he robbed the place. “We need a cab right now.” He paused, staring at Red and then said, “Damn, that woman looked like I seen her somewhere before?”
We took a taxi across town and exited at 43rd Street on Eleventh Avenue. I wondered if PeeWee was going to do something with the prostitutes. We were right down the block from the girls, but then he stood across the street from the UPS building. A sea of employees was exiting the building for lunch. When he made eye contact with a short rodent looking White man, we stepped into the Midtown dinner to heat up.
We sat at a booth and ordered coffee, but PeeWee told me to make sure my hands didn’t touch anything. The rodent looking man squeezed his way into the booth next to me. He slid a small brown bag to PeeWee, and PeeWee slid him the black velvet bag. We all stood after the transaction. PeeWee dropped a few bills on the table for the coffee before he and I left the man to go his separate way.
We walked back to the corner of 42nd Street where, of course, PeeWee had no problem catching a taxi. He ordered the immigrant driver to take us back to Sixth Avenue. That time, we walked into a different jewelry store. With no questions asked, we were buzzed through a bulletproof door and allowed to walk upstairs.
What looked exactly like the watches we had earlier came rolling out of the bag onto the table. The young Israeli jeweler put his loupe on to test the authenticity of the diamonds. When he finished his test, he reached under the table for two, blue, air sealed plastic bags and gave them to PeeWee. PeeWee handed one to me.
I was going across town, and PeeWee was headed for the Hilton. I stopped him on the sidewalk and said, “Okay, I didn’t ask any questions. Now tell me what happened?”
PeeWee annoyingly exhaled. “My man in UPS been clocking the delivery charter for Tourneau Corner. The jewelry store on 34th and Seventh? He made a few phone calls, sat for a few months, and we switched the real Rolexes for the fakes that you and me paid to get made. They worth thirty large apiece, but everybody got to come out happy. My man repackages them, and the store never finds out. Unless, for some reason the customer comes back complaining, but most of dem rich jokers will keep it on they wrist and save themselves the embarrassment.” He lit another cigar. “Now, I got to go. Have a Merry Christmas.”
I should have been to the point where nothing surprised me in Times Square, but I wasn’t. I headed over to see Marcy and Elexus. I had a lot of stealing I needed them to do.
$$$
I had been back at the suite for an hour when someone knocked on the door and opened it at the same time. When I came out of the bedroom, I found the maitre‘d. He stood there immaculately dressed in his suit. I cut my eyes at the strings of hair used to cover his bald spot, and then focused on his clean face. Confronted by the stern look etched into his face, I braced myself for drama.
“Mr. Hustle, how have you been?” I nodded and he continued. “You have had a pretty virtuous stay since you’ve been a passable resident here at the Marriott Marquise.” He cleared his throat, twisted his mouth, and said, “Your stay has been quite intriguing. I came to personally inform you that business has been prolific since you have arrived. On behalf of myself and the staff, you are being upgraded to a three bedroom presidential suite.” Again I was surprised, but he wasn’t finished. He pulled out a small card and a check. “I do a little more than run this hotel, and we are having a major share holders meeting on New Years Eve. We would like you and your guests to attend the meeting. My boss is intrigued by your presence.” He slid the check over. “This is for the pharmaceutical endeavors your capital has made possible. You can claim it on your taxes as a consultant fee to the Marriott; you have to fill in the proper name, of course. I think you
will find the amount sufficient? I would like to provide compensation bi-weekly, if it is feasible? I would also like for you to approve of expanding to the Wall Street crowd at the new Marriott Financial Center Hotel. With your permission, I will triple your investments.”
What was I supposed to do? The man handed me a $20,000 check. He told me I dealt drugs with him, but I never touched, saw, paid for, or used the drugs? You damn right, I did what any hustler would do. I moved into the Presidential suite and deposited the check in the bank.
$$$
Later that day, I was getting used to the larger space in the new suite when Red came in and placed three large on my table. “That’s your cut for today, please don’t ask me about the job until I’m done.”
I thought about the Christmas gifts I wanted to give out and asked, “Are you saving, or bringing it all to me?”
In a sexy manner, Red put her hand on her hip. “Honey, I love you. I’m not getting in your way, and I don’t plan on leaving unless you disrespect me. Like Roxy, I don’t care about other women you have, as long they know who’s in charge. The only way you’ll lose me is if you put your hands on me.” She paused and pointed to the ceiling. “But. As God is my witness, I will never give all of my money to a man and leave myself stranded. You gave me a new life, and you keep me happy. Money is a small thing compared to that.” She walked over and kissed me, and then looked around the place. “They told me downstairs that we moved, but this is really nice. You see? You take care of me without knowing it. But, I have to hurry and move all of my stuff in the big room before Joy come in here with her loud self, taking up space.” She ran to move clothes in and out of the other rooms. I headed for the master bedroom so I could catch a TV show. Suddenly, Red stopped short, put her hands inside her crotch, and with a big smile, said, “Hey, sugar, when I’m done moving this stuff, I want you to come and move this stuff.”
I think she fell in love that day, but with Red, anything is possible.
$$$
When we finished making love, our hot exhausted bodies laid on top of the wet satin sheets. I dozed off to the sounds of Red whispering, “I love you—I love you—I love you,” over and over again. It was clear that she had been properly satisfied, so I was off to sleep until I heard a pounding on the front door. We both jumped up, but instead of expecting me to jump up and get dressed, Red left the bed in a dash and opened the door in her nakedness.
“They told me we moved. I ain’t know what suite so I had to bang on the door,” Roxy said excitedly. She nodded to Joy. “This bitch done loss her mind,” she announced, walking over to me and putting her head against my chest.
I looked over to Joy and saw that her right hand was bleeding inside of her cheap yellow coat. She held a small pool of blood, careful not to make stains in the carpet. Red closed the door and cupped her hands under the dripping blood. Together, she and Joy walked into the hall bathroom.
“What the hell happened, Roxy?” I asked.
“You ain’t never gonna believe this, baby. We in trouble now.” She replied, slipping out of her heels and rubbing her feet while sitting on the couch.
I said, “Try me.”
She wiped her face. “That chick in there is lunching. I went to turn a trick around by the park on the Ave, right? When I come back, Joy got all them young girls handing they money over. Talking ‘bout, ‘Get Johnny money right 'cause you don’t want him coming down here.’ This chili lame ass pimp got all up in Joy’s face, talking ‘bout she ain’t nothing and her man ain’t nobody. So she told him to stay right there while she called you down. This lame go and get in his beat up Caddy and pull off, scared—to—death.”
I was about to speak and she said, “Baby, wait,” and continued. “So I figure everything cool and his girls is gonna come over to our side right? Wrong. Joy the lunch box in there, decides she wanna smoke a joint, and she tells all the pimps they better leave cause you coming. So now all the girls is on some independent women stuff for my man. And I like that, but then Antoinette jumps up in Joy’s face and screamed, ‘Johnny Hustle is a simp, he ain’t no pimp’ and she spit on Joy.” Roxy moved closer to me. With her eyes popping out, she whispered, “Now check this out, baby. Your sick ass lunch box in there pulls out her dagger and starts stabbing Antoinette and screaming, ‘Don’t you talk about my daddy like that.’” Roxy fanned her face, forgetting it was dead of winter, and said, “The chick disturbed. I’ll do whatever you say, but I ain’t messing with her tonight. That’s your problem—if it’s okay?”
It took a minute to understand exactly what happened. When it all came together, I asked, “So what happened to the girl? Where is she?”
Roxy snapped her head to me. Her eyes grew to the size of saucers when she asked, “Oh, I left that out? That bitch is dead. They took her in the ambulance. Lunch box in there made the strip hot. Baby, you should know I wasn’t leaving all that money behind unless I ain’t had no choice. The poe-lease—is everywhere. Whatever you do, I’m staying in the room with you tonight, lunch box need to go hide in the basement.”
I wanted to pick up the phone and call Cashmere. Instead, I called the head of security and told him that if someone was looking for me to give me a call first. In the event Vance and Jackson came snooping around, I was going to bounce Joy to another room before they got there.
While walking with a bundle of cash in her bandaged hand, Joy said, “Daddy, I’m sorry. I ain’t mean no harm. It’s just that I can’t sit ‘round and listen to anyone down you, or insult you, or talk about doing anything to a hair on your soul. I reckon she had it coming a long-long, long time ago.”
It was true. Joy was disturbed. I knew it from the day she walked into my bedroom, but she was right, she didn’t mean any harm. Without me she was hopeless. That night, I told Red to handle her, and like a big sister, she comforted Joy the entire time. I then called Proverb to find out if Antoinette died. In ten minutes, he called back to tell me that she was alive and in critical condition, but it didn’t look like she was going to make it. The blade just missed her jugular vein. I slept with Roxy that night, christening my new bed with the woman who put my small family together.
$$$
Roxy, Joy, and I stayed in the suite for five days while Red went to her job. I made Roxy remove her contacts and dye her hair back to the original dark color, and she still looked as beautiful as ever. I didn’t allow them to leave the room unless they were going to run the steps or utilize the hotel gym. Due to stress and working out, Joy lost twenty pounds. With the amount of rest she got, and the strict diet Red and Roxy had her on, she blossomed into a new woman.
I took Roxy out on Christmas Eve, leaving Joy in the suite. While Roxy waited outside the hotel, I had a brief talk with the maitre‘d about arrangements for that night, and Christmas day.
Roxy was dressed to call attention, but it was hard for anyone to recognize her. She had on her beige Liz Claiborne turtleneck, beige stretch corduroys, and her beige and chocolate multi-print, Louis Vuitton high-heeled boots. Covering her luscious body was her chocolate, full length, satin HOBO trench coat. Roxy shined.
“Proverb, what’s the word?” I asked, stepping through his door.
“Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. What up homeboy?”
“Just came to take care of some business,” I stated as he handed me a large envelope and $5,000 in cash.
I turned to Roxy when I stepped out of the store. “Take me to the two girls who were on the Ave sending their money to me.”
With no fear in her heart, she led me down 43rd Street past the Carter. As we walked hand-in-hand like a genuine couple, I felt a massive hand snatch away the cash and push me away. Roxy turned. In an instant, I saw a massive black hand pin her against the wall, knocking the wind out of her. Instantly, sunrays gleamed off her ice pick. When I looked around, the gorilla-Black Justice was cutting the corner on 43rd Street.
“What the fuck?” Roxy asked, stomping her foot and trying to catch her breath.
She tried to run after Justice, but I caught her and barked, “Calm down! The robber just got robbed that all. Relax, I’m gonna take care of this. Nothing gonna stop my Christmas spirit.”
Don’t get mad, get even. Yoda’s advice dropped into my mind and instantly calmed my temper. I walked over to Proverb, withdrew another $5,000, along with two rolls of quarters worth $10.00 each. I dropped the loose change into my coat and walked down the Deuce with Roxy in tow.
Phill with bills was bouncing my way with his long trench coat on. “What’s up John-kneee Hustle?”
“You see Black Just?” I asked in a panic.
His eyes were glued onto Roxy. “Yeah, baby, just copped about a thousand vials of Crack from Big June and them boys from uptown. Probably up in the Holland smoking. Top floor, but you ain’t heard it from me.”
I didn’t even take the time to thank him. I had a new mission that I needed completed.
Roxy and I walked down to the Holland. Buffy and Tweety were outside advertising their product. I pulled the two girl’s aside. “I need you two to do something for me.”
The young women nodded, and we walked into the dim, half-abandoned, lobby of the ruined welfare hotel. I nodded to Roxy, pulled out the cash, and gave them $2,500 each.
“This is your Christmas present. Right now, I need you to work your way up into Black Just’s room. Give him whatever he wants, and put him to sleep. Call down here when you’re done, and leave the room door open.” The young women smiled at each other and raced to what was left of the check-in counter, asking for Justice’s room.
Patiently, I waited while watching Roxy pick up a trick. A half-hour later, puffy-cheeked Tweety’s oriental eyes smiled at me when she came down the stairs. She was sucking a pink lollypop when she said, “Johnny, Buffy’s up there waiting for you. You got to hurry up. Room eleven ninety nine.”
