by Nikki Turner
“It’s not that. I like sex just as much as the rest of you, but I want to know that it’s not just about the sex. I want a guy to respect me,” she told them.
“Girl they can respect me, but if the sex ain’t poppin’ then I’m not going to respect them and the shit will be over. Done. Dead. Finished,” Ginger explained complete with finger snaps.
“Aweee, somebody really likes this guy,” Bunny teased Simone. “And if that’s the case you don’t have to fuck him, but you do have to make sure he wants to fuck you and that’s not going to happen in that outfit.” The sisters wore her down and finally convinced her to change her outfit to a fitted black wrap dress that was both classy and sexy. She had an hour to kill before Chase picked her her up so they went over their plans for tomorrow and gave Simone some dating tips too. When the doorbell rang, they all felt ready for the next day and Simone was ready for her date.
“Hello,” Simone blushed as she answered the door to Chase who looked damn fine in a pair of dark jeans and a light blue button down shirt open at the neck. She tried to hurry out before the girls embarrassed her but that didn’t happen.
“Don’t do nothing I wouldn’t do,” Ginger joked batting her eyelashes and acting a fool. After lots of funny remarks she managed to get them out of there and into his car.
“Have fun you crazy kids,” Bunny teased them as they got into the car. As soon as they were gone, the sisters got to talking.
“Damn he was fine as hell,” Ginger exclaimed. “I would have let him arrest me just so he could pat me down.”
“You better leave your sister’s man alone,” Bunny laughed.
“I’m happy for her,” Tallhya added. “Lucky bitch!” They all started laughing and even though Bunny’s man had been killed and Tallhya’s had left her they really wanted their sister to find love and to be happy.
“Your sisters really love you,” Chase said as he glanced to look at Simone.
“Yeah, they especially love embarrassing me.”
“I wish I had siblings. Being an only child, I never had moments like that. I wish I had older or younger siblings. You’re really lucky to have each other.”
“It’s definitely never boring,” she confessed as he pulled away from the curb. Then unexpectedly, Chase turned toward Simone, grabbed her hand and kissed it. This was a first for Simone and she blushed like a little schoolgirl. As he began to drive them to a hip Gastro pub downtown, Simone did not let go of his hand until they reached their destination. After he parked, he insisted she stay in her seat as he came around and opened the car do for her. Simon had always treated his daughter like a princess, opening her door, expecting her to sit before he had been seated along with great table manners and he always told Simone that if she ever found a man that treated her the same to make sure she hold on him because good men are hard to come by.
“Can we grab a booth?” Chase asked the hostess before they took a seat. Simone liked the way he took charge as he sat down beside her. Damn, she wanted to grab him and make out right there, but she didn’t. She kept it clean at least for now.
“So, now I want to hear more about you?” she asked staring into his eyes.
“Then you’re going to have to stop looking at me like that because I can’t even think. And you have to stop biting your bottom lip like that,” he demanded before leaning in and kissing her. Simone felt herself gasp as his lips touched hers. The electricity between them cause the two to pull back and stare at each other a full minute before they could recover.
“Wow,” she exclaimed touching her lips where his had just been.
“Wow, is right. Damn woman, what are you trying to do to me? I’m trying to be all PG, first date and that kiss took me sailing right passed rated R.” She lowered her eyes afraid he’d see that they were in the same place. Chase placed his hand on her chin and brought her to his eye level. “I like you Simone Banks. I really, really like you. Now if I wanted to get laid that’s easy. Way too easy and I’m not trying to sound conceited, but it’s true. I want to get to know you first and foremost. And whether we wind up in bed today, next week or next month it doesn’t matter because I’m still going to want to get to know you. So we can take this as slow as you like or as fast, but I’m on this ride with you.” His words rang true to her, but they were also scary. Her whole life Simone had been waiting for a man to be real, honest and to not try and play her. Basically she had been looking for a man that reminded her of her father, but those kinds of men didn’t come around every day.
“I hear you,” she answered knowing that she couldn’t hide the vulnerability in her eyes. She wanted so desperately to believe him and to trust him, but she’d been burned more than once by a brother who came on hard, got what he wanted and was out.
“I’m not asking you to just to believe me. Not some surface bullshit, but deep down at the core. Look, I know how this sounds and I’m the one saying it. What I do for a living requires me to take everything I hear and weight it, but to never just trust it until I’ve ruled out all other possibilities. Well, I’m telling you that what I’m saying to you I haven’t said to a woman since I was in college and I fell in love freshman year. The relationship lasted three years, but it wasn’t forever so we moved on and we’re still friends.” He leaned in and kissed her again causing her to get wet in between her legs. She felt so exposed that when she glanced up there were tears glistening in her eyes.
“I . . . I just don’t know . . .” she stopped herself getting tongue-tied.
“Yes, you do” he started and they both froze to allow the waiter to deliver their food although at the moment neither felt any hunger.
“Thank you,” they both said to the waiter when he finished.
“If that kiss didn’t mean anything to you I need to know now.”
“Of course it did, but this is crazy we just met each other,” she began. “You don’t just go from having going out for coffee to having dinner and talking about serious commitments in just a few days. Yes, I have feelings for you that I can not explain considering we barely know each other and the circumstances from which we met, but this is crazy. It’s love craziness,” Simone told him as she shook her head.
“And what’s wrong with crazy love,” he demanded staring into her eyes and making her feel so weak and desperate for him. What the hell had happened to her? Simone had never allowed herself to go there with a guy, not this quick, and probably not ever. God, this man was sexy. Before she should stop herself, her emotions took over and she leaned in and kissed him. She stopped caring if this were real or not and decided that either this would be the biggest heartbreak or that she had finally gotten her love story.
“You think we should eat dinner?” he laughed when they pulled apart.
“Probably,” she answered grinning from ear to ear.
“So what made you become a bank teller?” he asked.
“Desperation. If it were up to me I’d probably be one of those perpetual students always traveling, taking classes, and learning new things, but my circumstances had changed and I needed to get a job. I don’t think taking that kind of job is fueled by some kind of romantic longing. It was pure necessity on my part, but I’ve met some interesting people since I started so it hasn’t all been bad.” She laughed flirting with him.
“And she flirts,” he teased her. “When I first met you I thought you were one of those women that needs a man to make at least six figures to get your attention.”
“Really? Maybe I am?” she couldn’t help joking with him. “I need to see your Dunn & Bradstreet rating, your tax returns for the last five years, and I need to go to your house to make sure you’re not living with some woman.”
“Check!” Chase held up his hand dramatically to flag down the waiter who came running.
“Yes?”
“We need to get the check ASAP.” The waiter raced off to handle this request.
“You’re kidding right?” Simone asked curious about this.
�
�No. I want you to see where I live. Let’s go,” he said taking her hand.
“Wait. Wait. I believe you.”
“So you don’t want to see my house?” he asked challenging her.
“Oh, I’m going to see your house just not tonight.” Simone had a big day tomorrow and if all went well then she and the detective would have plenty of opportunity to get to know each other.
“So you’re chickening out?” he laughed.
“No, I’m not. As a matter of fact the next time we see each other I’m going to your house.”
“Tomorrow? What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked her waiting for Simone to wriggle out of it, but she wasn’t trying to do that at all.
“Working and then I’m going to your house,” she said matter of fact. He leaned in and kissed her, the both of them getting turned on. “Yes. I’m definitely coming to your house.”
-36-
All day Simone had to stop herself from watching the clock, remembering that everything that she did was filmed. She knew that she would probably look suspicious if anyone studied the tapes, but that didn’t stop her. The bank manager had been particularly pleased with his job at heightening the security as the day wore on without incidence. Everything had been going exactly as it should thanks in part to all the new measures he’d put into place. Yes, this was about to be another great day, he thought as he saw Detective Dugan enter the bank at 5:12 p.m. It certainly helped moral that the Richmond Police Department were making extra rounds into the bank these days.
“How’s it going?” Chase surprised Simone when he appeared at her window. She almost had a heart attack and not because she was excited to see him which would have been the case at any other time except right now she was freaking the fuck out about how close this visit was.
“Great,” she answered. “To what do I owe this visit or were you here for another reason?” She tried to fix her face so the smile wouldn’t come off as fake. Don’t look at the clock, she told herself knowing that it was ticking down to the moment she and her sisters had worked on for the past week.
“No, I came to tell you that I had a great time last night. I didn’t want to be rude and text you. I’ve always felt texts are so impersonal. Plus we said we’d see each other today and I wasn’t sure if you’d remember,” he said. Boy did this brother do all kinds of things to her Simone thought just watching his juicy lips moving.
“Sure. I remembered. I’m suppsed be going to your place for dinner.” She smiled, but inside she was trying to figure out how to get him the heck out of there.
“Yes, I can’t wait.”
“Detective Dugan,” she heard Mr. McPearson call out coming toward them. She noticed that he had that look as if he wondered if she were in some kind of trouble.
“Mr. McPearson, I’m just checking on things. Making sure everyone is safe.” He winked at Simone as he walked over to greet the manager.
Go, go, go, go, the mantra kept ringing in her head as she watched the two men having a conversation about nothing. Dammit. She needed him to get out of there or they all would wind up in prison and that was real.
Meanwhile ten minutes away . . .
“Whose gonna run this town tonight, we’re gonna run this town tonight . . .” Jay-Z and Rihanna’s voices fill the old model suburban as the three girls inside prepped themselves.
“This is hot as hell,” Tallhya complained about the extra padding she had been forced to wear so that she would look like a dude. They did not want to appear to be three women. Even Ginger had her boy clothes on. This was not the place for five-inch heels and killer nails and remarkably she did not complain.
“Can you slow the fuck down speed racer!” Bunny hollered at Ginger who was having way too much fun in her new role. She had always felt like she wasn’t needed in the family and like she didn’t have anything to offer then so the fact that she was needed by her sisters gave her a rush and made it well worth the risk to her.
“Ooops, sorry,” she commented as she eased her foot off the gas.
“Okay, so you all know the plans. Tallhya, I do all the talking. Don’t deviate from what we choreographed. You hear me?” Bunny demanded.
“Yes, now calm the fuck down,” Tallhya ordered her sister as she snatched her Hilary Clinton mask off the floor in front of her and grabbed her beanie. They all shoved their ponytails under the hats.
“Pull over right here,” Bunny pointed to a side street.
“Why are we stopping?” Ginger questioned. “That was not in any of the run throughs that we practiced.
“We need to get rid of all the evidence. Anything in writing has to go.” Bunny got out of the car with the papers where Simone had drew the inside of the bank. She took out a lighter and lit the papers and waited until they burned before getting back in the car.
Back inside of the bank . . .
Simone breathed a sigh of relief as she checked the clock when Chase started to walk toward the exit. He looked over his shoulder and gave her a little smile that no one else would have picked up on. He held the door for the Brinks guys who entered right on time and handed the bags of money over to the bank manager. He would normally take about twenty minutes to take it down to the safe and lock it up. Once it was in the safe the chance of getting the money was gone.
“Can I have that in all fives?” a sweet old lady who might have been one of Me-Ma’s friends requested of Simone. As she began to count out two hundred dollars in fives she felt anxious and really hoped this lady was out of the bank before the roberry took place. The last thing she wanted to do was to be responsible for this old woman having a heart attack. Simone watched the Brinks guys leave the bank as she finished with the old lady.
No sooner had the old lady stepped out of the bank then three people entered the bank wearing Hilary Clinton masks.
“This is a motherfuckin’ robbery,” Bunny speaking in a deep gravely voice began. “Rat ta ta ta!” her machine gun made a noise as she pointed it at the ceiling and popped off a couple of rounds. She needed to make her point as Tallhya and Ginger, weapons in hand hurried over to the registers to keep the tellers from pushing buttons. Simone was glad that they looked like dudes and not women. “Do what I say and no one will get hurt. Now any of you motherfuckers want to be brave then that will be your funeral. Everybody down on the floor now.”
All the bodies lowered, fell or jumped down onto the floor except the manager who thought it might be a good idea to reason with them.
“Look, please don’t hurt anybody,” Mr. McPearson begged as he held up his hands and moved toward Bunny. Luckily there were only four customers in the bank, three tellers, two managers and one security guard. The other guard always went home at five which is why simone told them to wait until five fifteen. Bunny took the butt of her gun and slammed it into McPearson causing him to go down. She wanted to say, ‘that’s for fucking with my sister and for treating her like shit,’ but she knew better. He went down without a complaint. Bunny had to stop herself from glancing toward Simone in fact she made a point not to make eye contact with her sister. Stick to the plan, she told herself.
“See those bags?” Bunny pointed to the bags Ginger and Tallhya held in their hands. “Fill ’em up,” she screamed at the tellers. “Move!” she yelled. “And don’t touch none of those buttons because I’m looking for an excuse to use this piece.” She waved her gun in their directions.
“Oh my God!” Simone cried just as they had rehearsed.
“Bitch one more sound out of you . . .” Bunny aimed her gun on Simone. “. . . and I will make damn sure those are your last words. You understand?” she barked. Instead of answering, Simone appeared terrified as she shook her head up and down. Then Tallhya slipped into the manager’s office where the two huge bags of money were sitting. She grabbed the bags and started walking toward the exit door. Bunny went to the tellers and swooped up the bills they had at their registers and all the while Simone was staring at the clock. This was getting close. Too close. Si
mone knew she had to take the chance so she coughed. Bunny looked at the clock, grabbed the money and headed for the door.
“Five minutes. Do not move for five minutes and all of you tellers put your motherfuckin’ hands up in the air.” And just like that, Bunny, Tallhya, and Ginger were out the door racing to get into their car. A good two minutes later they could all hear the sound of sirens. Simone knew that it would take them five minutes to get to the second car.
“Everybody get up,” Mr. McPearson told all the people lying on the floor. Jackie got up and went to check on the tellers.
“You guys all right?” she asked.
“All the employees nodded, a few that had just experienced the last robbery and murders of their coworkers were breaking down. Simone pretended to be affected shaking as she started crying along with two other tellers. She imagined her father’s funeral so that she could make herself cry. She really was worried though. Until she knew for sure that her sisters were safe she would not be all right. She glanced at the clock. Normally she would be getting ready to leave, but right now the employees were waiting for the detectives to show up so that they could be interviewed.
-37-
“Detective, these robbers were in and out before we arrived. Not at all like the last ones. It’s as if they had a playbook that was the exact opposite of the one those four guys used. They even used a similar mask for all three of them, Hillary Clinton as if they were taunting us? I mean this may have been the perfect crime.” The officer finished as Simone glanced up and saw that he’d been talking to Chase who must have just walked in.
“There is no perfect crime. We need to look at the tapes.” Chase told the detective. Simone froze where she was standing as she worried about what they would find on the tapes.
