by Shontaiye
The four quickly walked the two blocks to Noah’s Range Rover before they realized that they hadn’t all come together.
“Noah, I gotta get the car,” Shaleea said with a light slur.
“Yo! You not driving no fucking where. You drunk,” he responded.
“I’m not drunk but I don’t feel like arguing, so whatever,” she said waving Noah off with her hand. “Mann can drop off Naomi in the Camaro.”
“Yeah that’ll work. Mann can you drop off Naomi and just bring the car to the crib? I can take you home or you can just sleep in the guest room.” Noah waited for Mann to respond.
“I can do that. Come on shorty,” he said, waving his hand for her to follow.
The two began to walk off, with Naomi leading the way to where the car was located. Once they left, Noah was free to blast Shaleea for how she acted in the club.
“Yo! Why the fuck you acting stupid in the club. Shaking ya ass all over the place and letting niggas feel you up!” he barked, while turning on the AC in the humid car.
“Noah please don’t start babe. Wasn’t nobody feeling me up, and in a club people do dance. All I was doing was dancing.”
“I don’t wanna hear that shit Leea. Every time you start drinking you start showing ya ass. You gon make me start fuckin you up. Real shit!” Noah exclaimed.
“Aight Noah. I’m not tryin to argue. I’m sorry. Please don’t ruin our night, ok babe.” Shaleea looked at Noah with pleading eyes and gently rubbed his thigh.
“Whatever yo. You not fuckin sorry and ya ass still drunk now,” Noah said, with frustration. To him, talking to a drunk person was like talking to a brick wall.
Shaleea sucked her teeth and sat back in her seat. Her head was starting to throb and Noah wasn’t making it any better with his bitchin. He could be real stubborn at times and she didn’t feel like dealing with it. She looked out the window and decided she would remain silent for the rest of the ride.
When they pulled up to their house, Noah finally decided to speak.
“Shaleea?” Noah spoke.
“Huh?” she asked.
“Don’t do that shit no more. “
“Do what?” she asked, playing dumb.
“Don’t be letting niggas in ya face. Tell them you got a man or sumn and walk off. I don’t wanna see no niggas in ya face,” he said with authority.
Shaleea agreed. There was no sense in arguing with him. It was funny to her that the situation was extremely minor but he was getting bent up out of shape about it. He could never take what he dished. God-forbid if she ever cheated…
NINE
Mann
Across town Mann and Naomi sat silently while Mann whipped through deserted Broad Street in Shaleea’s metallic gray Chevy Camaro. Monica sang softly threw the speakers while they both sat uncomfortably in one another’s presence. Sensing Mann’s uneasiness, Naomi decided to make small talk.
“So Mann, all I hear is good things about you from Shaleea. Can you tell me a little about yourself?” Naomi asked, shifting her body to the left to make eye contact with Mann.
“Aint really much to know,” he began. “I grew up in Philly with my grandmother. My mom was fucked up in the streets and because of that I was often looking for love in the wrong places, mainly the streets. I hustled all over PA, and ended up locked up in Pittsburgh where I met Noah. That’s my nigga. I fucks with him. I look up to him as far as how he provide for his family and how he conduct business.”
“So what are you looking for in this life?” Naomi asked.
She was hoping he would tell her if he was seeking a relationship or if he was ready to settle down. Mann was sexy and had a roughness to him that she loved. His paper wasn’t long like Noah’s but she figured since he hung around him he definitely was about getting money and he had potential.
“I want security. My primary focus right now is to stack my money up and establish some legitimate businesses. I have too much on my plate right now to get super serious, so I try to stay on a friendship level with the females I deal with. I don’t want no wife and kids until I can provide for them 100% the way I want to.”
“That’s cool. At least you honest,” Naomi responded, her ego and hopes a little deflated. “Take my number though, I wouldn’t mind being your friend and keeping you company sometimes,” she added.
“Yeah definitely,” Mann said. His mouth had responded, however, his heart wasn’t in agreement.
The conversation ended with Mann pulling up to Naomi’s Northeast apartment. He felt a little bad because he knew she was interested in him and he could detect the disappointment in her voice when he told her he wasn’t looking for anything serious. He waited for her to walk to her door and go inside before he pulled off to head to Noah’s place on the other side of the city.
Mann had intentionally explained his position very clearly to Naomi so she wouldn’t be misled. It wasn’t that he wasn’t attracted to her, because he did find her cute, plus she was thick just the way he liked his women. She just wasn’t what he was presently looking for. He needed someone who was strong, sexy and independent. Someone wittier and smarter to guide him. Someone like Shaleea, Mann thought.
Truth was, Mann had a massive crush on Shaleea. He hoped he could find someone very much close to her as an individual. She was loving, caring, and very genuine. She always showed him nothing but love, always offering him something to eat, and the guest room when he was tired.
She was a wonderful mother and everything he didn’t have when he was younger. He sometimes caught himself staring at her, watching her when she moved, and hanging on to every word she spoke to him, when she did talk to him. Noah was lucky and sometimes he felt like he didn’t deserve Shaleea. She had a passionate love and adoration in her eyes when she looked at Noah that Mann envied.
He knew in his heart that she would take Noah butt naked and broke, yet still love him with the same intensity. He desperately wanted someone like that and found himself longing for Shaleea while hoping he found someone like her to take away the thoughts. He couldn’t help it.
While Noah was his nigga, the streets made Mann envious and larcenous. Since he was a buck he had to think quickly and outsmart niggas to stay ahead. He stayed around Noah because it was beneficial to him. Noah was business minded and although he wasn’t Bill Gates smart, he had a smart bitch around to help him think. Noah’s money and Shaleea’s intelligence, as well as her drive, would help eventually take Noah all the way to the top; legally.
Noah was also generous and was investing cash for Mann to move large amounts of weed through the city. When Mann came home he was fucked up financially but knew Noah would look out. As a man, Mann didn’t want any handouts. Instead he planned to earn his money and looked to Noah as an investor. Mann knew a Jamaican cat from New York, who moved major work and had access to enough weed to supply all of Philadelphia. All he needed was the cash.
After pitching his idea to Noah, he didn’t hesitate to help him out. Mann was his homey and he wanted to see him on top. It also didn’t hurt that he would also get a cut in addition to getting the money back that he put out. Although Noah now was a legitimate business man, there still was no money like fast drug money.
Once Mann flipped the work a couple times, he had enough money to pay Noah back and buy his own shit. However, instead of Mann going solo he asked Noah to partner with him and buy double the drugs. It would mean bigger profit for the both of them. With more profit coming in, Mann could stack more money quicker and wouldn’t have to hustle as long. Noah wouldn’t have to ever touch any drugs, and Mann would handle distributing the work. So far they were doing well. They were moving 100 pounds a month.
Mann’s thoughts drifted back to Shaleea again, but he quickly did his best to dismiss them. Things were going well for him and getting better by the day. He wanted to keep it that way.
<><><>
The ride to Noah’s went quickly with Mann deep in thought. He pulled the Camaro into its parking spot with
in the two-car garage, and walked to the front door. He knocked lightly and after a minute or two, Shaleea came to the door wearing a tank top and shorts. Her clothing appeared stuck to her curvy body and Mann had to look away to keep from staring. Those thick thighs and ass seemed like they were calling to him. There was no doubt in his mind, she was still buzzed from earlier. He had no idea why she would come to the door with that shit on.
“Hey Mann, thanks for bringing the car and taking Naomi home. I appreciate it.” She smiled, and tapped his arm softly.
“It’s no problem, where’s Noah?” Mann asked, feeling a little uneasy by her touch. He could see why Noah got mad earlier. He had never seen Shaleea drink, but she was overly friendly when she had a few drinks in her. It definitely came across as sexual, especially to a grown ass, heterosexual man. He was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable, but in a way, he couldn’t help but enjoy the feeling. Not hearing Mann’s question, Shaleea drunkenly made small talk.
“So Mann, how did you like Naomi. She’s pretty right. Got a good job, know how to take care of a man,” Shaleea said, winking at Mann, hoping he liked Naomi. The wink caused Mann to look away briefly. Even that was getting his dick rock hard.
“She was cool. Not really my type. Truthfully I aint thinking bout no females right now. I’m trying to get my paper right.”
Shaleea smacked her teeth playfully. “So you mean to tell me you don’t want nobody for real in ya life right now. That’s crazy. I know you get lonely. Relationships are beautiful if you’re with the right person,” she said, grinning.
She didn’t want to get deep on Mann, but he seemed like he wasn’t being totally honest. She sensed he was missing something, or unhappy in some kind of way.
Man grew uncomfortable by the conversation. “I’m good. Real shit. When the time comes, I’ll be ready. I just need the right person to come along and make it happen. When it happens, I’ll know it, and all the shit I said will pretty much go out the window.”
“Well, I can’t wait for that to happen Mann,” Shaleea said, still smiling. “You seem like a good dude and you deserve to have someone wonderful in your life to experience that feeling that love brings.” She smiled and touched his arm again.
“Yeah, you right,” Mann said, consciously keeping his mind focused on the message and not her body language. He was incredibly attracted to her, but played if off very well. Only problem was his dick wasn’t cooperating and was getting harder by the minute.
“Well goodnight Mann,” Shaleea said, walking off. “You’re more than welcome to sleep in the guest room. Or if you want, you can wait for Noah while I wake him up to take you home.”
“Nah, I’m good ma. I’ll call a cab.”
“Ok.” Shaleea smiled drunkenly again for the last time, and walked off.
Mann turned to keep from staring at her as she walked off. She has such an old soul. Damn, he thought. Mann was a street nigga and didn’t play fair, even when it came to women. If Noah was any other nigga, she’d be up for the taking. Or if the opportunity ever presented itself.
TEN
Noah
Noah gripped the leather steering wheel of his Range Rover, making a right turn onto Erie Avenue off Broad Street. He parked his truck on a well-lit street about two blocks from his destination, and began the quick walk to the Clock Bar where he was meeting Hakim. As he walked down Erie Avenue he noticed not much had changed in the neighborhood. Cans and trash still littered the streets of the densely populated area. The Chinese store was still frequented by bored adolescents killing time with purchases of water ice, bags of chips and chicken wings.
As he made his way across the busy intersecting streets, he saw Hakim standing outside conversing with a hood-rat. He shook his head and smiled as he approached his dear friend.
“Sup Bull,” Noah stated, while nodding his head at the female.
“Sup Noah,” Hakim said, greeting his friend back.
“Aint shit. Ready to talk some business,” he said, giving Hakim the cue to wrap it up.
“Yo, sis, I’m gonna holla at my man. I’m gon call you in a few,” Hakim assured the hood-rat, whose name was actually Kiesha. She agreed and walked off grinning from ear to ear, happy that she had caught the attention of the smooth talking dude driving a Cadillac.
“Shorty, thick as shit right?” Hakim asked, turning back to Noah.
“Nigga! That dirty ass hood bitch?” Noah asked, laughing out loud. He couldn’t believe Hakim was being serious.
“Yeah she thick, but these bitches come with too many problems, especially the ones who living fucked up. All they want is ya bread dog.”
“I don’t give a fuck. I ain’t breaking off no real bread. I’ll toss her a couple dollars if she sucking on this dick properly.”
Noah and Hakim exploded into a fit of laughter. Hakim was known for his crude and blunt remarks. He spoke the truth no matter how fucked up it sounded.
“Aight nigga, let’s talk some business,” Noah stated, leading the way into the lightly occupied bar.
Noah and Hakim sat in the Clock Bar for an hour immersed in conversation about their joint venture, The Crab Dungeon. About two years back, Noah and Hakim started a mobile seafood truck business. It too was also located in North Philly, smack dab in the hood, near the projects.
Many years back after Hakim had gotten out of jail for a shooting, he worked on a seafood truck. He learned to cook seafood, what was in demand, how to deal with vendors, as well as pricing structure; the complete ins and outs of the business. However, he wasn’t happy. While he didn’t mind the work, it wasn’t paying the bills; unless however, you owned your own truck. Still, during his time on the truck he had learned the seafood industry was profitable in the hood since a lot of families received food stamps and could use them to purchase seafood.
He eventually quit the truck and focused his time on robbing with Noah. He vowed to start his own truck when he was financially stable. Although he got sidetracked he never forgot the skills he learned in the seafood industry. Noah too, had picked up a little knowledge as well, since he used to often visit Hakim while he was working on the truck. Once the both of them had enough money at their disposal to relax they came together and opened up a truck of their own to start earning legitimate funds.
Noah once again was more of a silent investor in this endeavor as well. However, Hakim was very hands on, hiring individuals to run the trucks under his light supervision. He trained his truck manager so there was nothing for him to do except approve, make final decisions, and pick up his money. This worked well for the both of them and so far they had two trucks. It was modest money compared to what the laundromats were doing, however, it was legitimate money, and that made them both proud.
Although Hakim appeared financially stable, the truth was he spent money as quick as he received it. Although he had saved, he didn’t save as much as Noah had during their years of ATM jacking. Hakim was very materialistic and regularly spent large amounts of cash on his family, hoes, and unnecessary luxuries. Because of this, he constantly needed to find a way to have more money coming in. This kept him heavily involved in the drug game. Drugs were what actually got him locked up in the first place. Beefing with niggas over blocks years ago caused him to have to end up killing someone.
Nevertheless, Hakim had the gift of gab and had managed to secure a Spanish connect that would front him large amounts of cocaine. Hakim dealt with many mid-level dealers and had a steady stream of clientele who bought weight. He was well-known down North Philly, and had a strong reputation.
Noah’s cut from the seafood truck was a lot smaller than Hakim’s since he essentially did nothing, however he was cool with that. It was Hakim’s knowledge and expertise that was actually growing their endeavor. Besides, he trusted Hakim and felt the arrangement was fair.
The duo met once a week to go over figures and whatever changes or developments they were working on. It was beneficial to the both of them and Noah was happy to do bus
iness with his friend.
<><><>
Noah walked into the dimly lit lobby of the Ramada Inn, located in the far Northeast section of Philadelphia. He took the elevator to the second floor where Eve was staying and knocked on her door. She immediately opened it, since she had been eagerly awaiting his arrival. He greeted her with a smile and a kiss on the cheek before he headed to the bed to make himself comfortable. It was only around 8pm so he figured he had a little time to burn before he had to leave. He usually tried to make it home before 12am on weeknights. He didn’t want to cause any suspicions with Shaleea. He did his dirt, but he wasn’t trying to fuck up his “happy home.”
He set his alarm clock for 10:45 so he wouldn’t have to rush. He figured he would take a 15 minute shower, throw his clothes back on, and be home by 11:45. He usually kept some unscented soap stashed in his truck, since he wasn’t going to play himself by going home smelling like he just took a fresh shower, and he sure as hell wasn’t coming home being disrespectful smelling like sex.
Instead he would come home clean with no scent and eventually take an additional shower like he did every other night. His goal when he fucked around was to never break his routine. Shaleea was very intelligent and unconsciously analyzed everything. She never missed a thing, and if he broke his routine she would damn sure catch it.
Noah and Eve smoked a couple blunts while conversing about Eve’s childhood in Haiti and her life in New York. She told him how she never knew too much about her father and how her mother used her body in Haiti to provide for them. Of course, she didn’t tell him that she would eventually go on to do the same. She didn’t want him to see her in that light since it would probably hurt her chances of being with him for real. No…she figured she would be able to cut that lifestyle altogether once she got in good enough with him.
