Sugar Walls

by Brittani Williams

  “Yeah, he is, as a matter of fact.”

  “That’s good. Milk is doing your body damn good too. You should come holla at me. I know that you’re a big time club owner now and don’t need a nigga, but we were good together once.”

  “Thanks, but no thanks, JT. I’m extremely happy with the man I’ve got, and you’re right, I am a big time club owner and I don’t need a nigga!”

  “That never stopped you before,” he said, moving closer to me.

  “Well that was then and this is now! I would have never gotten this far if I would have stayed with your tired ass!” I said, backing away. “I have to get back to work now. I hope that you enjoy yourself.”

  “I’ll be seeing you again, trust me,” he said before turning and walking away.

  I was annoyed that he would have the audacity to show his face in my club after the shit that he did to me. Just being in the same room with him made me uncomfortable, but I couldn’t allow him to ruin my night.

  I went to the ladies’ room to get myself together. I stood in front of the mirror for a few minutes, thinking back to that night at the club when JT and Dollar embarrassed the hell out of me. Neither of them would ever have that opportunity again, nor would anyone else. After leaving the ladies’ room I noticed Marlo at the bar talking with JT. What the fuck is he trying to pull? I quickly went over and interrupted.

  “Oh, hey, baby. I’m just here chatting with your old friend.”

  “He’s hardly that!”

  “Well, nice talking to you, man. I’ll see you around,” JT said, shaking Marlo’s hand before walking away.

  “What was he talking about?” I asked.

  “He was just telling me that he’s a party promoter. I was just trying to see what he was getting at.”

  “He’s trouble. He played me out with Top Dollar!”

  “I know and I don’t trust niggas like that. I’m wondering what he has planned, popping up and talking to me and shit.”

  “I don’t know, but I don’t trust him either.”

  “Well, don’t let him ruin your night. You have better things to do than worry about him.”

  “I know,” I said, before he kissed me on the forehead.

  After walking away I still thought about JT, but I pushed it into the back of my mind as I greeted more customers. I entered the VIP room and noticed Domino in the back. Domino was a high roller who all the women wanted a piece of. As I made my way over to where he was seated, I noticed the look that he gave which was similar to the way a dog looks at a piece of meat. I walked past his group of friends and he smiled when I got close.

  “Hey, Domino. Are you having a good time?” I asked.

  “I’m having a hell of a time. I didn’t know women this fine even lived in Philly. Where the hell did you find them?”

  “They found me, and I’m glad you like them.”

  “Yeah, it’s a shame I can’t get a lap dance from you,” he said, grinning. “I’m just joking. I really would like a lot more from you, but I know you got a man and all, so that’s out of the question.”

  “Yeah, I guess so. Well, let me know if there’s anything that I can do for you.”

  “You know what you could do for me, but I know your all in love and shit, so I’ll keep it to myself.”

  “Well, I appreciate the secrecy.”

  “Oh it’s not a secret at all. I want a piece of you, but your man is cool peeps.”

  “Well, I have to get back to work, but let me know if they don’t give you your money’s worth.”

  “I sure will,” he said, licking his lips.

  I left the VIP room and went back down to the main area. It was almost time for closing, and the night had been great overall. The club made almost $10,000 at the end of the night, and as each customer left, they let me know how much they enjoyed themselves. I was exhausted once we left, and I fell to sleep within seconds of my head hitting the pillow. Marlo was still out working while I slept and was still out in the morning when I finally woke up. I had grown used to the long nights, but I figured that they would grow longer if he continued to help me with the club. I just hoped that with the money the club was bringing in he would be able to back away from the drugs completely and spend more time with me. I hated the fact that he sold drugs, but I knew that without it, I wouldn’t be where I was.

  Over the next few months the club business was bringing in a lot of money, and the exhaustion that came with it was paying off. I was confident going in that it would do well—just not as good as it had been. We were bringing in over $10,000 a night.

  My relationship with Marlo was great except the many calls that he received from Mya which drove me crazy. She always had an excuse for getting him over to her apartment, especially when she heard of the club and grew even more jealous. I knew her calls were just a ploy to get him back, but he assured me that she would never have the opportunity to get close to him again.

  Marissa began to hang out at the club with me a lot, and once she noticed the amount of money the dancers made, she asked me if she could work there. I was a little hesitant at first, but I gave in after she begged me to give her a shot. Instead of letting her be a premiere dancer, I let her dance in the peep show booths so she wouldn’t have to worry about the men groping her. She was excited, and after I got her a full makeover, I was too. I never expected Marissa to look as beautiful as she did.

  On her first night she was extremely nervous, but I told her she wouldn’t be able to see the person on the other side of the glass. While she would dance, she would only see a reflection of herself in a mirror, but the man on the other side would see her. Not all of the peep show booths had the one-way windows, but if the women were a little afraid of being stared at, I put them in those.

  I stood in the back of the peep show room as man after man paid for girls. I hinted to the men that Marissa’s booth was the one to check out, and soon they were all heading her way. Once the music began playing, she began dancing, and I stood there in awe as she moved like a professional. It appeared that she had been doing this for a long time, and I wished that she’d been working for me from day one.

  The club had made a splash on the city, and I was extremely proud of myself. I already knew Sugar Walls would make me a rich woman some day.

  Chapter 11

  A Game of Domino

  Domino was one of the most wealthy and feared drug lords in Philadelphia. I met him while working for Dyna advertising the escort service. I wasn’t surprised when he started frequenting the club, since most of the drug distributors did. I also wasn’t surprised that he continued to get in snide remarks whenever Marlo wasn’t around. I wasn’t uncomfortable with him. In fact, I was kind of enjoying it. He understood that I was in a relationship and the flirting could be no more than that.

  It was Saturday, which was the busiest night of the week. Marlo was out taking care of business, and I was doing my usual round of greeting the customers. After entering the VIP lounge I noticed Domino receiving a lap dance from Diamond. I wasn’t going to interrupt, but he quickly dismissed her when he noticed me turning to leave the room.

  “Sugar, don’t leave. We were just finishing up here,” he yelled before motioning me to come closer.

  “What’s up? Enjoying yourself?”

  “Always! Have a seat,” he said, patting the cushion next to him.

  “I’m working, Domino.”

  “Well, isn’t taking care of your customers part of the job?”

  “Yeah it is, but—”

  “Well then you should sit down and chat with me.”

  “Just for a minute,” I said, before sitting down.

  “You know you’re looking fine as hell since you switched back over from clits to dick!” he said, laughing.

  “Oh, really? Who said I didn’t still like clits!” For some reason his comments didn’t annoy me. I had come to know Domino to be a jokester, and I kind of always brushed what he said off as a joke.

  “Oh, my bad. B
ut you know dick is much better, especially mine!” he said, grabbing his crotch.

  “Domino, you know I can’t get with you like that. Marlo is real important to me, and I’m not trying to lose him,” I replied, trying to make it clear that I didn’t have any intention of cheating on Marlo.

  “I know that, since you make sure you tell me that every time I approach you. I’m just trying to have some fun, that’s all. I’m not trying to fuck up your relationship with him at all. I told you he was cool peeps.”

  “I’m trying to be faithful to him, my relationships in the past have been crazy, and this one is working, so I’m going to do my best to keep it going.”

  “I know you don’t think he’s faithful to you. You can’t possibly think he doesn’t still tap your sister when he gets a chance to or any other chick, for that matter.”

  “I do believe that. I trust him.”

  “That much trust is going to leave you with a broken heart. You can’t trust a man to be faithful. We ain’t built like that.”

  “Well, unless it’s proven otherwise, I believe that he’s faithful.”

  “You’ll get proof, trust me, and when you do, I’ll be here to make you feel better.”

  “Domino, I’m sure you know that breaking another man’s character won’t make you win in the end. Next time try pumping yourself up. You may get a better reaction. Now, I have to get back to work. You enjoy yourself, OK?”

  “OK, but remember what I said.”

  “I will, and you remember what I said. It might help you score well with a real woman one day,” I said, getting up from the chair.

  I was a little bothered by his insinuation of Marlo’s infidelity, especially with Mya. I could deal with him screwing any other chick but her because I knew at the end of the night I was number one. I had learned that men cheat, and either you can deal with it or move on. I’d rather deal with the one I had then move on to a whole different situation that would only cause me more aggravation. Men were all pretty much the same.

  I tried to forget what Domino said, but I would definitely pay more attention to Marlo’s outings, if only to prove him wrong. I went down to the bar and had a drink, and as I sipped it I took in my surroundings. The club was packed as usual, and Chocolate was on the stage performing. While the men were going crazy over her gliding down the pole, I sat on the stool and watched as thoughts of Marlo ran through my mind. Overall our relationship had been great, and I had no reason to doubt his feelings for me this time, since he’d worked hard to show me how true they really were. For the first time I was in a relationship that kept me happy and I was enjoying every minute of it.

  Marlo decided to show his face around 1:30 A.M., when the club was a half hour away from closing. I was annoyed that he hadn’t shown up all night, and I made sure that he knew it as soon as he made it inside the office and closed the door behind him.

  “Where the hell have you been?” I yelled.

  “Handling business like I told you. What’s your problem? And since when did you start questioning me about where I’ve been?”

  “Since now! I’ve been thinking about the fact that you spend a lot of time handling business instead of spending time with me.”

  “Handling business is what got you this club.”

  “Are you still fucking with Mya?” I asked.

  “Where the hell did that come from?”

  “I asked you a question, Marlo!”

  “No, I’m not. Did she tell you that?”

  “No, I just wanted to know.”

  “I don’t know what happened since we left home earlier today, but you’re tripping right now.”

  “I’m not tripping. Your behavior just seems suspicious.”

  “My behavior? What behavior? I’ve been the same way since you got with me.”

  “I’m just not trying to get hurt, that’s all.”

  “I told you before that I’m not going to hurt you, and I meant that.”

  “Well, I’m sorry for snapping on you. I was just worried, OK?”

  “All right, well don’t make it a habit,” he said, coming over to kiss me.

  “I’m going down to make sure the workers are getting ready to close.”

  “All right, thanks. I’ll be down in a minute.”

  “All right,” he said, before leaving the office.

  I was angry with myself for believing what Domino said.

  I should have went with my heart and believed that Marlo was honest with me. I counted the earnings for the night and locked it up in the safe. Before leaving the room I promised myself to always follow my heart and not let other people influence me to go another way.

  After closing, Marlo and I went home, and since I flipped out on him at the club earlier, I felt that it would only be right if I made it up to him. After he showered I was waiting for him on the bed, naked and already massaging my clit with my fingers. He stood there staring at me, and I continued to play with myself and moan loudly. He was at attention within a few seconds and making his way over to the bed. He moved my hand out of the way to make room for his tongue, and I was delighted with the warmness of his contact.

  “Damn, that feels good,” I moaned before placing my hand on the back of his head.

  He continued to satisfy me until I exploded and he sucked the juices from me. He stood up and pulled me down to the edge of the bed. After gently rubbing my clit with the tip of his pole, he pushed it deep inside of me. His circular motions were sending me into orgasm after orgasm. I began to scream, “I love you!” over and over again while digging my nails into his back. It wasn’t long before he erupted inside of me. I closed my eyes shortly after that and fell asleep in his arms.

  The next morning I noticed that I had a missed call and a voice mail on my phone. I didn’t recognize the number, but as soon as the message played, I knew the voice and it made my skin crawl.

  “Hey, baby, I miss you. I know you’re wondering how I got the number, but that doesn’t really matter. I’m trying to see you soon. I got some information about that dude you’re fucking with that might be beneficial to you. When you get a chance holla at me, one!” JT said, ending the message before the beep.

  Who the hell gave him my number? It had been changed at least twice since we broke up. I wondered what information could he possibly have that would be beneficial to me about Marlo. I wasn’t sure where all of these accusations were coming from, and I was going to find out one way or another. I didn’t trust JT, so I wasn’t going to call him, but I would get in contact with Domino. I knew that Marlo was in and out of the club, so I couldn’t talk to him there. I had to find out where he hung out at during the day.

  Once Marlo left home I dialed Jenna, because if anyone knew where to find him, it was her. She answered the phone on the third ring.

  “What’s up, Sugar?” Jenna asked.

  “You know that dude Domino, right?”

  “Do I know him? Who doesn’t know him? What about him?”

  “Do you know where he hangs at?”

  “He doesn’t really stay in one spot, but you know that apartment complex across from that bar in Darby we used to go to all the time?”

  “Yeah, I remember.”

  “Well it’s this store behind it that he owns. He’s in there some time, and if not, I’m sure that they can get in contact with him for you.”

  “OK cool, thanks.”

  “Why do you need to get with him?”

  “I’ve been having suspicions about Marlo, and Domino is just one of the people throwing salt in the game. I don’t trust the other person that told me something, so I need to find Domino to find out exactly what it is that he knows about him.”

  “How can you trust him? You don’t know him like that.”

  “I know, but I need to find out what everyone is talking about.”

  “Well I know how you feel, but be careful because he’s a dude that’s out for self.”

  “I will, and thanks for the information.”
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br />   “You’re welcome,” she said before we ended the call.

  I got dressed and left the house, making the drive to find Mr. Domino. Once I reached the store I noticed a group of guys on the opposite side of the street. I got out of the car and went into the store and walked up to the register.

  “How can I help you, pretty lady?” the cashier spoke while looking me up and down.

  “I’m trying to locate Domino.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I need to ask him something,” I replied.

  “Well, I can’t help you.”

  “Look, if you call him I’m sure he’ll want to talk to me.”

  “Ms. Sugar, what brings you all the way to this part of town?” a voice spoke from behind.

  Turning around noticing Domino standing at the door, I said, “You!”

  “Oh, you know her boss? I thought she was five-o,” the cashier said.

  “No, she’s cool,” Domino informed him. “So you were looking for me?”

  “Yes, I was. I need to get some information from you.”

  “I assume it’s about your man.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Well let’s go upstairs and we can talk.”

  “OK,” I said, following him out of the store to the door that led to an upstairs apartment. After entering the apartment I sat down on one of the chairs in the living room.

  “So what is it that you need to know?”

  “I need to know what he’s doing and who he’s doing it with.”

  “And you think that I am the man that can help you with that?”

  “You told me that I would find out that he wasn’t faithful to me, and you must know something if you said that.”

  “Yeah, I do know something, but I didn’t say that I would rat him out. I ain’t no rat, ma.”

  “Well then I’ll be leaving if you can’t help me,” I said, standing up from the seat.

  “I didn’t say that I wouldn’t help you. I said that I wouldn’t rat him out that’s all.”

  “So how can you possibly help me without ratting him out?”

  “I can give you the information you need to find the information on your own.”