The Conglomerate: A Luxorious Tale

by Santiago, Danielle

  ***

  “We’re not going to be here long,” Cee told her husband, Petey, while checking her hair and makeup in the visor mirror. “I just want to show my face for like an hour, I need to get some rest. My first client is at seven-thirty in the morning.”

  “I’m cool with that baby,” he replied wheeling the cream Escalade into the Enclave parking lot. As Petey drove by the L Room, he noticed a dark figure moving along the side of the building. He stopped and reversed the truck.

  “Who is that?”

  “Where?”

  Petey pointed, “Right there.”

  “I don’t see anybody.”

  “It’s somebody over there.” He shifted the gear to drive then pulled down to valet stand. “You go on in I’m going to walk over to the L Room to make sure everything is okay.”

  “Oh no you not! That’s the security team’s job. Tell them to go check it out.”

  “Alright,” Petey conceded knowing how easily frightened his wife could be.

  “That’s fine,” she leaned over and gave him kiss. “See you inside.”

  Cee got out the truck and walked towards the building. The attendant gave Petey a valet ticket. Petey tipped him then set off to find Enclave’s security.

  “Hey love,” Cee greeted Joey with a hug.” Joey returned the hug.

  “What’s up mama? I’m glad you made it back. I know you’re tired. Y’all got slammed at the spa today.”

  “Yes we did! But, I’m not complaining,” Cee smiled, rubbing her thumb and fingertips together like she had money between them.

  “I know that’s right.”

  “It looks really good in here. How’s it going?”

  “Great. We’ve even sold some memberships.”

  “That’s what’s up! Where is Zay?”

  “He probably somewhere pouting.”

  “About what?”

  “When he came in I was talking with Dawhar. A few of his people had just signed up for memberships. So now he back on the same shit about Dawhar in my face.”

  “Zay ain’t tripping at all,” Cee said. “Dawhar does flirt with you a lot.”

  “But I don’t flirt with him. That man has a ten-thousand dollar platinum membership to this club and he’s gotten his teammates and friends to join. It is strictly business between us.”

  Cee held up her palms. “Hey you don’t have to convince me. Trust me I understand that, but you need to check Dawhar. He needs to respect your marriage. That’s all I’m going to say about it.” Cee scanned the room, “Where is Evan?”

  “Hell if I know,” Joey sighed. “She came in earlier to make sure the serving stations were set up correctly. Said she was going home to change clothes and she’d be back.”

  “I hope she isn’t somewhere passed out. That chick didn’t even go see her doctor today.”

  “That doesn’t shock me.” Joey mumbled.

  Zay was angry at the way Joey had handled him. He wanted to flip the fuck out on her and Dawhar, but he would never disrespect her place of business in that manner. The two double shots of Hennessy he’d just knocked down were beginning to cloud his judgment. If he had one more double shot he was going to forget that he was at his wife’s business. Therefore, he decided to leave. He walked up behind Joey and said in her ear, “Yo, I’m out.”

  Joey turned to face him, “but you just got here.”

  “And, why you worried? You don’t want me here. Dawhar will keep you company.”

  “I need you here,” she said embracing him by the waist. “I’m sorry about the way I came at you. It has been a crazy day and I was a little on edge. Please forgive me and stay awhile.” Zay was a little apprehensive, but since Joey did apologize, he hugged her and agreed to hang around a little longer.

  Bobby, one of the Enclave’s security guards, rushed into The Penthouse and ran over to Cee, Joey, and Zay.

  “We need you outside now,” he said distressed. “Something bad happened.”

  “Bad like what like what?” Joey asked.

  Cee noticed that the Bobby had dark red wet spots on his shirt. Suddenly she realized that Petey had not come inside. “Did you see my husband out there?”

  “Yes,” he said unable to look her in the eye.

  “Is he okay?” He shook his head.

  “No.”

  Cee ran past the elevators to the stairs. She hurried down the stairs followed by Bobby, Zay, and Joey.

  Outside smoke was flowing into the night sky. It was hard to tell if it was coming from the L Room or Luxurious. Cee grabbed the security guard's shirt.

  "Where is my husband?"

  "Come," he guided her to the side of the L Room. She became horrified at the sight of her husband unconscious out on the ground bleeding profusely. Rich, the security guard, lay next to him lifeless and covered in blood. Cee went over to Petey. "Noooooo," she screamed madly then dropped to her knees beside her husband and cradled his head in her arms. "Oh baby what happened to you?" Tears filled her eyes. Cee could hear the ambulance and fire truck sirens approaching. She knew that they were close, only seconds away, but it felt like forever.

  Joey was in shock, the scene was overwhelming and upsetting on so many levels for her. Petey, her friend since high school, and Rich her employee laid severely wounded if not dead. To add insult to injury, the Luxe Enclave had just opened for business. The publicity was going to be horrible, but at the time bad publicity was least of her worries with two human lives possibly lost. Zay ran out to the parking lot then came back with four paramedics. Firefighters stormed the L Room with a water hose. Suddenly the grounds were swarming with Charlotte Police. They immediately pulled Bobby and two other guards to the side to find out what was happening. Joey went over and listened intently as the Bobby gave the police a rundown.

  Bobby told the police, “Petey told Rich and me that he saw someone on the side of the building. When he took us over to the spot, there was a man with three lit Molotovs. He tossed one through the window, we all yelled out YO STOP, and he started shooting at us. I ran. I thought that Rich and Petey were behind me.”

  Nothing could be done for Rich he was dead when the paramedics got to him. Petey was loaded onto an ambulance and transported to Carolina’s Medical Center with Cee by his side. Joey wanted to go to the hospital to be there for her friends, but she had to hang around to handle things with the police and fire investigators.

  The fire chief told Joey, “Damage to the structure is mostly water and its one small area. Your sprinkler system did a good job smothering the flame before it could spread out of control.”

  That news was of little relief to her, as she watched Rich carried away in a body bag. The building could be restored, his life could not. About forty-five minutes later Joey was sitting in the passenger seat of Zay’s black Dodge Challenger. He was about to drive her to the hospital when she spotted Evan’s car pulling into the parking lot. Rhamel was driving and Evan was sitting in the back.

  “What the fuck?” Joey questioned aloud. From the time Bobby informed them until now everything had been so chaotic that she hadn’t even thought about Evan. Something about Evan in the car with Rhamel didn’t sit right with Joey. Instantly she felt that the incident had something to with Evan’s drama.

  “Hold up a minute,” she told Zay then got out the car. Joey quickly made her way to Evan’s car. When Evan saw Joey coming, she had Rhamel stop the car and she got out.

  “What happened?” she asked Joey. “Why are the police and firemen here?”

  Joey snapped, she grabbed Evan by the neck and slammed her against the top of the trunk. “Petey and Rich got shot trying to stop somebody from setting The L Room on fire. I know it has something to do with you,” Joey squeezed her neck. “No more fucking games bitch you better start talking or I swear on my kids I will kill your sneaky ass.”

  Zay pulled Joey off of Evan. Gasping for air, Evan didn’t know what to say or do; her next move had to be her best move. What would her next move be? Would she
keep it one hundred and come clean with Joey? Or would she pack up and run from the past that was chasing her?

  Chapter Four

  Sitting in the family waiting room at CMC main hospital, Joey tapped her right foot rapidly causing her knee to bounce furiously. It was a nervous habit that she’d since childhood. Zay placed his hand on her knee and said, “Baby, I know your nerves are on edge and so are mines, but that tapping is going to drive me up the wall.” Joey stared blankly across the room at Cee. Joey couldn’t begin to fathom feeling the hurt that was displayed on her best friend’s face. Wedged between her mother and her mother-in-law Cee sobbed softly. Her makeup was stained with tears. The pale yellow cotton Von Furstenburg wrap dress she wore was splattered in big brown spots of Pete’s dry blood. Her head began to throb painfully from all of the thoughts racing through her mind. Cee’s chest tightened, she began to feel like her breath was leaving her body, and that the room was closing in on her. Suddenly she bolted from the chair and sprinted toward the exit. Leaping from her seat Joey chased behind Cee. As Cee crossed the thresh of the door; she bumped into Evan. Instantly Evan threw her arms around Cee.

  “I’m so sorry that this has happened Petey,” she said crying.

  Blood boiling, Joey stared at Evan icily. Their heated parking lot confrontation was cut short by the police who had questions for Evan. Therefore, Joey didn’t get the answers that she was seeking. Still, without blinking, Joey would bet her life that this entire incident was somehow connected to Evan. Cee rested her head on Evan’s shoulder.

  “This is so insane Ev...I don’t know what I’m going to do. How will I explain this to our kids?”

  “Everything is going to be okay,” Evan replied stroking Cee’s hair. “And you already know Joey and I are here for you.”

  Shaking her head, Joey sighed loudly, and rolled her eyes, I should slap this bitch for frontin. Evan shot her a mean frown. To Joey, Evan’s presence was the equivalent of a killer showing up to his victim’s funeral and giving condolences to the unknowing family.

  “Mrs. Grayson,” a doctor called out from behind.

  “Yes-yes,” Cee pulled out of Evan’s embrace and ran over to him. “Is my husband going to okay?” The more than two dozen family and friends in attendance gathered around to hear the doctor.

  “I have to be honest,” the doctor spoke frankly. “I don’t like to give false hope. At the same time I don’t like to come across as cruel. To put it in simple terms, Mr. Grayson is in the highest level of critical condition. He has an enormous amount of irreparable damage to some of his major organs. He is on life support and if we were to take him off he would not survive.”

  “Lord noooo,” Petey’s mother screamed as she crashed to the floor. A few of the males rushed to her aid. They lifted her from the ground and placed her on a couch as she continued to cry out loudly to God. The doctor carried on without breaking stride. “We will be monitoring for any signs of progress. Hopefully he will make some improvements at the least and we can go from there.”

  “Okay,” Cee agreed, nodding her but not at all okay with what she’d just heard. “When can I see him?”

  “In about thirty minutes, he’s just been set up in the intensive care unit. A nurse will come get you.” With a head nod to the family he left the waiting room.

  Cee turned to Joey

  “Since the kids are already at your house can they stay over? I don’t want to leave Petey.”

  “They can stay as long as you need them to.”

  “The Trips are on the way home from school. I’ll send them by in the morning to pick them up.”

  Joey grabbed Cee’s shoulders. “Look, don’t worry about the little ones. I got them.”

  “Alright,” Cee inhaled deeply trying to ward off a flood of tears.

  Joey hugged her, “It going to be fine Cee. Call me if you need anything no matter how small it is or if you want me to come back.

  ***

  On the ride home there was no music or conversation, just silence. Shock and confusion were heavy on both Joey and Zay’s mind. As Joey peered out the passenger window she wondered if the shooting was really related to Evan’s issues or if she’d jump to conclusion. Meanwhile Zay was trying to figure out what was going on with his wife. Even in the most turbulent situations, Joey would normally be talking. She was big on theories. Therefore Zay wondered why she wasn’t tossing any theories about the night’s events out at him. This led him to believe that she was trying not to divulge something. Joey had the uncanny ability of being quiet when she wanted to avoid letting something slip out. The most alarming clue for Zay was Joey’s actions towards Evan.

  Reaching over, Zay grabbed Joey’s hand, intertwined his fingers with hers’, and kissed the back of it. “You okay baby?” he asked.

  “That depends on what you call okay. This all is so surreal.”

  “Yes it is. What’s your beef with Evan?”

  “Um, nothing really. I was just pissed at her for not being there.” she lied.

  “That is not why you jumped on that girl like that.”

  “What else do you think it could be then Zay?”

  “I don’t know, but I know you and I know that you’re not telling me something. You need to talk to me, ‘cause remember that could be me laying in ICU shot up.”

  “Don’t you think I know this,” shaking her head tears crept out of her eyes. “I feel guilty for being glad that it wasn’t you.”

  Joey’s inclination that the shooting was linked to Evan was strong, but there was no way that she could tell Zay. Not just yet. She knew that if she let him in on her suspicions he would confront Evan and not in a nice way. Before telling him anything she had to be absolutely sure about it.

  “There is no doubt in my mind that you feel that way,” Zay said keeping his eyes glued to the road. “You need to keep it real with me and stop protecting ole girl.”

  “How am I protecting her?”

  “You’re covering up something Joey. Whatever it is got one person killed and your best friend’s husband fighting for his life. Not to mention the heat that could be coming my way; heat that I don’t need.”

  “Tell me how a shooting at my business is going to bring heat to you?”

  “Stop playing Joey. You are not naïve.”

  Her face twisted in confusion, Joey replied, “I really don’t understand how this affects you.”

  “Two people were shot. One has died! As one of the business owners you and everyone around you will be under investigation.” Zay was being persistent on the subject because he’d come a long way in the world narcotics.

  ***

  Zay was the third of four boys. He was raised by his widowed mother in one of the most notorious sections of the city, North Charlotte. A mixture of houses, apartments, and housing projects— the neighborhoods in the area were crime ridden and teetered on the poverty line. His mom, Dorenda, cleaned houses in Myers Park during the day and worked third shift at the Lance factory at night. She made enough money just to get by. Enough to keep a roof over the family’s head, clothed, and fed.

  By the time Zay’s two older brothers, Tony and Rico, made it to high school they decided that they wanted more than what their mother’s combined salaries could afford. So they began to hustle weed and crack. When they started out they were happy with being able to buy the latest sneaker and fresh clothes. Being good big brothers, Zay and the youngest brother, Jason reaped the benefits of their older brother’s gains. Tony and Rico were natural hustlers and they began to pull in more money than was needed for clothes and shoes. With the boy’s mother working and exhausted all the time she didn’t really notice what was going on in the beginning. A few odd happenings did catch her attention. For instance, she kept finding money in her purse or work uniform. She thought it was one of the men from the factory that was always asking her out. But things got a bit stranger. Groceries began to appear on her doorstep. For two months straight when she went to pay the power and water both bi
lls had already been paid. When she mentioned the occurrences to her sons they acted as if these were miracles or lucky coincidences. Dorenda didn’t believe in coincidences.

  While on her winter vacation Dorenda took the time to thoroughly clean and reorganize the apartment. In her boys room she noticed that all four boys had nice clothing and they were not the hand me downs that she brought home from the houses that she cleaned. She snooped through the older boys things a little more and came across close to $12,000 in cash. She didn’t find any drugs, because the boys were smart enough keep the work at the homes of their girlfriends. Even though there was no evidence of drugs, Dorenda knew that it was drug money.

  Upon finding the money she was furious with her two older sons. While waiting for them to come in from school the more she thought about it, things had been running considerably smooth. Dorenda contemplated not telling them that she knew what was going on. There was no way that she could do that. That evening when Tony and Rico arrived home she was sitting at the table in the tiny kitchen with the money in front of her. The boys froze in fear at the sight. With a burning Newport lodged between her right fore and middle fingers, she asked, “Where did this come from?”

  The boys exchanged nervous glances then Tony, the oldest spoke.

  “We made it.”

  “How did you make it? I don’t recall either of you clocking in at high paying jobs.” “We’ve been selling a lil weed here and there,” Rico chimed in.

  Dorenda rolled her eyes to the sky. “Boy your daddy, God rest his soul, hustled a lil weed.” she held up the money. “This and the clothes I found ain’t come from selling a lil weed. I may be green, but I’m far from stupid.” Tony sat down diagonal to his mother. “Ma, we are dabbling in more than weed. We’re doing it ’cause we’re tired of you slaving in those white people houses and killing yourself in that factory at night. And then the money still is barely enough to cover the bills.”