Cheaper to Keep Her (part 1)

by Kiki Swinson

  to where I lived was going to be expensive and I had only brought forty dol ars with me.

  When the cab arrived, I told Duke good night. He didn’t try to kiss me or anything. I hung my head

  and walked to the cab.

  I looked back at Duke when the cab pul ed out of his driveway. He was stil watching me, which

  told me although he was disappointed that I didn’t give it up, he was probably impressed with the fact

  that he would have to work hard to get me.

  I wanted to be a lady of class for him.

  Cheaper to Keep Her Unique

  Chapter 5—Some People Hate

  I dialed Diamond’s phone as soon as I got in the cab.

  Diamond final y answered her damn phone. “What’s up? Where the hel you been at?” I yel ed into

  the receiver, causing the cab driver to look at me funny. I frowned at his ass and continued with my

  conversation. Diamond gave me some lame ass excuse about she was at the club, then she went

  here and there. The bottom line after al the bul shit was that she was caught up with Brian because

  he had gotten out of the hospital.

  “Wel , I forgive you this time. But don’t do that shit again! You had me fucking worried like hel ,” I

  chastised. Diamond promised not to disappear like that. Then she asked me for al of the details

  about me and Duke.

  “Diamond, you don’t understand how much I am feeling this nigga,” I told her. I could tel by the

  screeching in the phone that Diamond was excited for me. She made me smile.

  I told her al about the spa, lunch, shopping, the dress and al of it. She told me she had seen the

  Saks bags. Then I told her about what had just happened with Duke. “Girl, I feel so guilty not giving him

  some after al the shit he did for me these last two days,” I said sadly.

  “Don’t you feel guilty girl. He can wait and the longer you make him wait, the more respect he gon’

  have for that ass,” Diamond told me sternly.

  “You think so?” I questioned, sounding unsure. I was usual y the one giving her advice and now I

  was so sprung over Duke the tables had turned.

  “Yes! Nini, listen to ya girl. If I were you, I would make him wait two more fucking dates. If a nigga

  real y wants you, he wil wait,” Diamond told me. I was listening to her and I loved her for making me

  feel better. But after seeing Duke sit back on his couch with a hard dick and an attitude, I didn’t know

  how much longer I could make him wait for the pussy before he would just move on to the next one.

  Duke was powerful and had money, which meant he could have any bitch anywhere.

  Diamond and I spoke for almost my entire ride home. She promised me she would be in the

  house when I got there and we would continue our conversation.

  I paid the cab driver and climbed the stairs to my apartment. As soon as I got near the door, I

  heard a loud commotion coming from inside. I couldn’t get my key out fast enough. That’s when I

  heard Diamond screaming. With my hands shaking, I final y got the key in the door and pushed the

  door open. I heard another loud scream coming from Diamond’s bedroom and then a bunch of

  thumping and banging.

  “What the fuck!” I gasped. I kicked off my pumps and ran to Diamond’s door. It was locked.

  “Diamond! Diamond, open the door!” I screamed banging on the door. She screamed again, this time

  I heard her pleading for Brian to stop.

  “This muthafucka!” I screamed, banging my body up against the door. That shit didn’t budge. I

  started kicking the door frantical y and screaming. Final y, the door banged open. I saw Brian choking

  Diamond and then he slapped her across her face.

  “Bitch, you stole my fucking drugs!” he barked and hit her again.

  I raced into the room and jumped right on Brian’s back. “Get off her you fucking bitch ass nigga!” I

  screamed at the top of my lungs.

  Brian let go of Diamond and tried to get me off his back. Diamond was on the floor gasping for air.

  “Get the fuck off me, you ugly bitch!” Brian said to me, as he spun around trying to get me off of him. I

  dug my nails into his neck and slid off him. I then punched and kicked him. He tried to grab my wrists

  but I was too fast for his ass. He swung on me but miss. My dress was al the way up over my hips

  but I didn’t even care. I was gonna fuck Brian up for putting his hands on my best friend. I was final y

  sick of his shit.

  “You no good piece of shit,” I charged at him again. This time Diamond jumped in the way. She

  was crying hysterical y.

  “Lynise! Stop! Don’t hit him no more!” Diamond cried out. That shit stopped me dead in my tracks.

  I looked at Diamond like she was fucking smoking crack.

  “Oh, you protecting this bitch ass nigga after he was in here trying to kil you?” I hol ered at her, my

  chest rising and fal ing rapidly.

  “It’s my fault Lynise. Just stay out of it,” Diamond said firmly. Her words were like a slap in my

  face. I couldn’t understand what this bitch could possibly see in this nigga, especial y now that he was

  beating her ass.

  “You are a stupid ass if you stay with his bitch nigga and let him beat on you Diamond!” I tried

  screaming wisdom in her dense mind. “You’re right, it ain’t none of my fucking business, just don’t cal

  me when this no good ass bum tries to kil your ass again!”

  “Just get out! Everybody ain’t like the rich nigga you fucking with! You better not forget where you

  came from!” Diamond screamed back in response.

  I couldn’t believe her words. She sounded like a jealous enemy instead of my best friend. I was

  shut down. I pul ed my dress down and backed out of her room. “Let that nigga kil you then,” I said

  out of anger. I knew I didn’t mean it, but I was fucking seething mad.

  Diamond slammed the door in my face and left me standing outside of her room. I was

  devastated by her treatment. From then on, I started living for Lynise. I took on a fuck it attitude.

  Diamond would just have to make her own way. She was right . . . there weren’t many men out there

  like Duke and I was going to make sure I kept him.

  Cheaper To Keep Her Unique

  Chapter 6—Streets Are Talking

  I had a lot of shit on my mind the next day after the dust up with Diamond and Brian.

  To top it off, I had not heard from Duke. He hadn't answered my cal s al day. I was starting to feel

  like I had messed up a good thing just because I didn’t give him some ass. I decided to cal Neeko

  and beg him to let me come to the Magic City to work. I hadn't shown up in the two days that I went

  out with Duke. Yeah, I had to admit that I got a bit carried away thinking he was going to take care of

  me and I didn’t need to work. In any case, Neeko was glad to let me come in to work because he

  said mad customers had been complaining about weak drinks while I wasn’t there. I was glad to hear

  that my boss appreciated the way I worked.

  I was so excited that I left the house without knocking on Diamond’s door to ask her if she wanted

  to ride with me. Now that Brian was around she was probably going to be missing work anyway.

  When I got to the club, shit looked slow. It was late and there was only about half of the regular

  customers there. I slid behind the bar and prepared myself to work. When I got settled in I looked out

  into the crowd and noticed J-Rock, a dude I had grown up with and kicked it with off and on for years
.

  He was bopping over to the bar. I smiled and he smiled back.

  “What’s up shawty?” J-Rock said with his southern drawl.

  “Ain’t shit but this work,” I replied.

  “I hear you, I hear you,” he said.

  “What can I get you tonight?” I asked. Shit, I needed to mix something and get some tips in my jar.

  “Lemme just get a shot of that Henn dog. You know my usual, why you playing?”

  “You’re right, I forgot for a minute,” I chuckled. I got him his Hennessey and he took it back in a

  flash.

  “Lemme get another one shawty. A nigga gotta get his mind right up in this camp tonight,” he told

  me. I did as he asked. Another little swig of Hennessey was in front of J-Rock with the quickness.

  He ordered two more drinks and we talked. It was kind of slow at the bar so I could give him my

  attention. J-Rock started tel ing me al his business once he had a few drinks. Al his baby mama

  drama and about how niggas in the streets were snitching on each other. I just listened. He was my

  entertainment and he was keeping my mind off my double drama—Duke and Diamond. I didn’t mind

  J-Rock’s stories at al . He was definitely a welcomed relief.

  J-Rock’s and my conversation was interrupted when a tal , dark skinned dude walked into the

  Magic City . I had never seen the man before and he was ugly as hel . The guy started waving to get J-

  Rock’s attention. “Um . . . that dude is cal ing you,” I told J-Rock who had his back turned to the club’s

  door.

  J-Rock turned around slowly and it seemed like he immediately recognized the guy. “Lynise, it was

  sweet talking to you ma. I gotta go hol a at this cat,” J-Rock told me as he placed two twenty dol ar

  bil s on the bar.

  I smiled at him. “Go handle yours boo,” I said, picking up the tip with the quickness.

  J-Rock walked over to the guy, gave him a pound and they headed straight for the men’s

  bathroom. That was kind of strange to me, but I put the thought out of my mind and focused back in

  on trying to make more drinks and in turn make more tips. Normal y, my attention would be elsewhere

  but the night was slow and my attention span was keen to my surroundings.

  Not even five minutes after J-Rock and the hideous stranger disappeared into the bathroom I

  heard a loud crashing sound coming from the front door. “What the hel ?” I huffed and before I could

  even react I heard what no club owner wants to hear, “Police! Everybody on the ground now! Police!

  Get the fuck down!”

  I put my hands up in the air in response to the cops’ loud demands. It was the Virginia state police

  narcotics squad. They had their guns drawn and were grabbing people throwing them to the floor. I

  moved slowly from behind the bar with my hands in the air so they would know I didn’t have a

  weapon of any kind.

  “Everybody in the middle of the floor on your stomachs now!” one of the narcotics cops yel ed.

  I could hear Neeko yel ing, “What the fuck is going on? Why the fuck ya’l up in my place? We ain’t

  done shit!” The cops threw his ass down on the floor too. Neeko, al the strippers, whether they were

  naked or had on clothes, al of the customers and me were lying on the floor. I saw four of the cops

  going towards the men’s bathroom and I immediately thought about J-Rock. He was so cool I wished I

  could have warned him. But I couldn’t and it was too late.

  They busted down the bathroom door. “The drugs are right in here!” one of the cops yel ed with

  his nine mil imeter in hand.

  “I’l be damned,” I mumbled. J-Rock was fucking sel ing drugs to that ugly dude who was probably

  an undercover narc and the reason for the raid. Neeko was pissed, I could tel . It took a while but they

  eventual y hauled J-Rock out of the restroom in handcuffs. He held his head down in shame. Then

  some of the narcotics cops came over to where we were al laying and they grabbed up a dude from

  the floor.

  “Where’s the fucking gun?” one of the cops yel ed at the dude. The dude just lifted his shirt and

  right there in his waistband was a pistol. He was arrested too. They got Neeko up off the floor and led

  him into the back to his office. I guess they wanted to question him about the goings on in his club. I

  was sick of being down on that fucking dirty floor at gunpoint but final y the cops that had been talking

  to Neeko came back out.

  “Everybody needs to stay down on the floor until we are al out the door,” one of the cops yel ed

  to us. People started sucking their teeth and groaning, but everybody listened. Nobody was trying to

  get shot. The cops started to file out. They were walking backwards towards the doors with their guns

  stil out. There was no way they were going to take their eyes off any of us. When the last narco was

  out the door, we al started to get up off the floor. I brushed off my clothes and listened to al the

  customers and working girls start speculating about who was the snitch that had caused the raid. I

  heard one of the customers say, “it must’ve been that nigga that went in the bathroom with J-Rock.”

  Another man agreed saying that nobody had ever seen him in the club before. Some of the club’s

  regulars started complaining to Neeko and tel ing him that he needed to be more selective about who

  he let up in the club.

  Al the fucking chaos and now the talking, plus Duke not cal ing and Diamond being mad at me had

  me stressed the fuck out. I walked my ass back to the bar shaking my head. With my hands stil

  shaking, I picked up a shot glass and a bottle of premium Patron. I poured myself a shot, picked up a

  slice of lemon and took that fucking shot to the head. I hurried up and sucked on the lemon to

  counteract the strong tequila. It burned going down, but I needed it right now. Neeko was trying to get

  people to stay in the club and spend money but muthfuckas was trying to get far the hel away from

  the Magic City right now. I couldn’t blame them.

  Pretty soon the club was almost completely empty. Even the strippers started taking the rest of

  the night off. The DJ started packing up his shit too. In the time the police had shut the club down, mad

  people had gotten turned away, which meant I wasn’t going to make any money anyway.

  I looked around and decided I was going to head out with everybody else. Shit, wasn’t any use in

  wasting my damn time there. Another night of bul shit at the Magic City. Once again some shit had

  jumped off and I didn’t make much money in tips. I was pissed the fuck off. Coming to the club night in

  and night out was getting less and less worth it. I was tired of the bul shit—at the club, with Diamond

  and with my fucking life.

  “I ain’t gon’ be able to take much more of this shit around here at this club. I don’t know if they

  ever gon’ see my ass again,” I said out loud as I snatched my purse and stomped towards the door.

  Cheaper to Keep Her Unique

  Chapter 7—Ain’t No Nigga Like the One I Got

  After al the drama in the club I just wanted to get as far away as possible.

  When I got outside and headed to my car I heard a horn tooting behind me. At first I ignored it but

  then I heard gravel crunching as the car pul ed up aside me. “Hey, Beautiful, why you leaving work so

  early?” a familiar voice cal ed out.

  It was Duke! My heart immediately started pumping fast. I was kind of shocked to see him there

&
nbsp; since I thought he had written me off. I quickly put that shock aside and showed Duke that I was more

  than happy to see him.

  “There was major drama up in there tonight. I just can’t do it no more. I don’t know what I’m gonna

  do about a job, but I can’t take the bul shit that be going on up in there,” I said sadly.

  “Come with me and let me take your mind off this shit here,” Duke suggested.

  “How? What? But I have my car here,” I stammered. I was caught off guard by his offer to take

  me away from the club.

  “Beautiful, in a few you ain’t gon’ need that hoopty,” he replied. “You damn sure ain’t gonna need

  no fucking bartending job. Especial y if you keep looking as good as you do. Now get ya ass in here

  and ride,” Duke said laughing afterwards.

  I busted out laughing and blushed at the same time. Duke was so charming. I gladly slid my ass in

  his car and when I was al the way in the seat I exhaled.

  “So tel me al about what happened up in there tonight,” Duke said as he peeled out of the Magic

  City’s parking lot. I started tel ing Duke about the raid and everything that happened. I even had

  enough time to get into what had happened between me and Diamond. He told me that good

  friendships were hard to find and that I shouldn’t let a man come between me and my best friend. He

  was right about that. I promised to cal her and make up with her as soon as I had a free minute.

  I was so into the conversation with Duke that I wasn’t watching where we were driving to. I was so

  happy he had surprisingly pick me up. I started thinking this man real y must like me a lot. I got kind of

  angry when I started thinking about Diamond tel ing me to make him wait longer. I now realized from

  her statement during our argument that she was just jealous that Duke, a man of substance, wanted

  me and not her. I had made it up in my mind that the next time he went for the ass, I would give it to

  him. Fuck what Diamond was talking about! I screamed inside my head.

  My jaw almost dropped when Duke pul ed up to the exclusive Cosmopolitan building in the heart

  of Virginia Beach. “What’s here?” I asked, looking up at the building.

  Duke smiled. “I live here too. I told you I have a few places to live here and there,” Duke said,