Candy Shop

by Nicety

  It was just as she suspected. But she knew that she would need more proof then just her accusation. She huffed and laughed to herself knowing it was only a matter of time before this bitch fucked herself and now she had her right where she wanted her, caught with her panties down. Pet glanced at her as she walked back down the “belly” turning to look in the window at the girls giving them the nod that she was gone. As she made her way to Messiah’s office she was halted and shocked by what she had seen through one of the windows. Braze had popped one of the pills in her mouth after she had finished putting it together. Red wanted to pretend like she didn’t see it but it was hard to look away with her protruding belly staring her in the face. Braze looked up at her and smiled coyly acting as if she had done nothing at all.

  “Messiah, can I talk to you for a minute?” She said knocking on his door and entering without waiting on him to invite her in. He looked up in dismay wondering if there was something wrong since she had never came in his office in the middle of a shift before.

  “Yeah, whassup?” He said looking back down, writing on some papers on his desk.

  “Have you ever thought about installing cameras in the rooms? I mean, then you could see first hand what’s going on in those rooms you know.” She said sitting down in the leather chair in front of his desk. He looked up smiling wondering where all of this was coming from.

  “Well now if I did that, I wouldn’t be able to see your pretty little face everyday now would I? ‘Cause that’s what I pay you for. Where’s all this coming from anyway?” He said walking around to the front of the desk crossing his arms leaning in with interest.

  “I just think that even though you have me to snitch on what’s going on, you should still have the proof in the pudding you know what I mean?”

  “It’s funny you should mention that though. I already had them installed last weekend. So…what did you see?” He asked never dropping the smile from his face.

  “Oh! Well, I’m sorry then you’ll have your proof soon enough.” Red stood attempting to walk out the door.

  “Red,” Messiah called after, “you still have a job to do.”

  “I just think you should watch the company you keep.” She said slipping out the door.

  He already knew whom she was talking about. He wasn’t in the business of playing mind games and reading between the lines but he couldn’t deny he had already felt the shit in his heart. He was broken as he turned on the 42” screen TV on the wall in front of him. He flicked to channel four displaying all the rooms in the Shop including the main office in full color. He watched as the ladies continued their work not seeing much going on. His eyes reflected upon Pet who was constantly tapping on the window alerting the ladies in the room to Red’s presence. He sat back in the chair folding his hands and squinting his eyes.

  “These young bastards don’t know shit.” He said angrily.

  ****

  “Its time to go y’all let’s get it!” Red said escorting the ladies out of her condo and into the waiting stretch party bus outside.

  That bus was something out of a hip hop music video with two floors, a stripper pole running through the middle of it, a full open bar with personal bartender, and mirrors with disco lights streaming from the top. The DJ blasted music on the second floor as they danced on the first floor while the bus hit the road. The ladies were all laughing and having a blast drinking expensive champagne and feeling the cool breeze of the air conditioning against their faces. After about an hour of driving around downtown, the bus finally came to a halt.

  “Everybody off the bus!” The bus driver announced over the intercom as he opened the doors revealing the beautiful hotel.

  Red had never seen anything so beautiful. All of her years on the street and she had never even bothered to venture downtown. She didn’t want to be reminded everyday of all the riches she could never afford. They stepped off the bus into the glass heaven and entered headed for the Vertigo. Red pulled her tight little skimpy halter red dress down as they trotted to the elevator in their red bottoms leaving all eyes on them.

  The ladies were all smiles as they walked in the lounge in awe at the glamorous establishment. It was almost as dark as a nightclub inside but well lit enough that you could definitely see the outdoor fire pit from across the room. They hit the bar hard then ventured over to the VIP section ready to get their juke on, exclusively. Red danced her ass off happy to have finally made it not only off the streets but to see eighteen. Something she once thought was impossible with the life she was living. She paused her partying to thank the person who made it all possible. She wanted to lay a big juicy sloppy kiss on him right in front of Zadie so she would know she was being replaced and it wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. The very person who was responsible for helping to turn her life around for the better and give her things she would have otherwise only dreamt of having. But he wasn’t there.

  ****

  “Where the fuck are you going?” Alexis snapped as she fixed her makeup in the mirror preparing for another rendezvous with Danger.

  “Does it matter? You’re leaving so I’m doing me.” Messiah stated as he slipped on his navy blue suit jacket and dusted off his Kenneth Cole dress shoes.

  “I’m going with you.” Alexis said grabbing her studded clutch off of her beauty desk.

  She didn’t really want to go but the way Messiah dismissed her pissed her off. He had never dared to talk to her like that and always worshipped the ground she walked on. She knew that he was trying to go out smelling and looking good with some fancy broad because he would get that snazzy for some regular trick.

  “You’re not invited.” He said grabbing his keys and walking out of the bedroom.

  “I don’t give a shit. I’m going. If you prove to me that you ain’t fucking around on me, I’ll stop fucking around on you.” Alexis crossed her fingers behind her back in her head.

  She wasn’t serious she just wanted to be nosey into his life and foil his plans for the night. He wasn’t the one to go out much but ever since she had revealed her truth he has been finding reasons to get over her. He could only wish he could figure out how to get rid of her without losing everything that he worked so very hard for. Messiah waved her off allowing her to follow him to his car.

  “So, which one of your bitches are we on our way to?” She taunted hoping to provoke a confession up out of him.

  “Would you shut the fuck up? Damn, all you do is talk. You need to listen more than you open that whole in your face.”

  “Why should I listen to you? You’re nothing but a little pussy who can’t fuck! Yeah I said it! What a waste of a good size dick, too. I wonder if the little bitch you’re fucking loves that shit.” Alexis laughed.

  SLAP!

  “What the…” Messiah yelled. “Trick have you lost your damn mind hitting me in my face like that?”

  “I beat your ass cause yous a punk! That’s all you are. Ever since you got a little money you’ve just been soft. You used to want to fight over me and would snap if a fool looked at me wrong and now you don’t do shit.” Alexis let the visor down, checking her makeup once more.

  “Estupido. Besa mi culo, puto!” Messiah only screamed in his language when he was highly pissed, as his foot pressed heavily on the gas revving the car up from thirty to sixty-five in under a minute.

  “Don’t talk that Spanish shit to me, jerk-off. Now stop the damn car! You ain’t got the balls to be driving this damn fast!” Alexis tried to act like the speed wasn’t scaring her but deep inside she was mortified. She had never seen this side of him before as she slowly began to realize she might have gone too far. Her taunting only fueled his anger even more prompting him to allow his foot to sleep on the gas pedal. Messiah turned his head eerily slow to her locking his eyes with her face. Then he blanked out unable to think clearly or say anything, the corner of his lips turned up showing every bit of his sinister looking smile. His eyes grew wider and wider and then all of a sudden there
was a loud crunch and then silence.

  ****

  “Happy Birthday!” Everyone yelled as Red blew out the candles shaped in the number 18. They toasted their champagne glasses in the air drunk but having an awesome time nonetheless. She was so happy that the night ended well with no drama or beef from anyone. Zadie was even cool even though she sat in the corner with her minions, Tina and Marie and was snickering with them all night. Red paid it no mind since she was patiently waiting for her secret love to arrive. It had already been three hours and the party was just about wrapping up as everyone was snatching their plates of the huge marble cake with whip cream icing and making B-Lines for the door. The party bus was outside waiting to drop everyone off at his or her destinations but Red wasn’t ready to leave just yet. She still had faith that Messiah wouldn’t stand her up like that. She knew he respected her too much to break her heart like that.

  Zadie’s cell phone began to ring and then Skid’s rang right after. They both collided together to converse frantically about something immediately after. Red signaled for the bus to take all of the rest of the ladies home, as Braze was now fast asleep on the bus tuckered out from a long day.

  “What’s going on guys?” Red asked walking over to them as they walked outside together.

  “Nothing you need to concern yourself with youngin’. Why don’t you go home and call one of the little soldiers and get you some ass for your birthday?” Zadie’s sarcasm struck a strong nerve with Red as her concern quickly turned into anger. She knew there was something going with Messiah and they knew it and she wasn’t leaving until she found out what it was.

  “Look you ape-looking trick. I don’t care what our beef is but I need to know what is going on with Messiah. He’s my fam and I ain’t going nowhere until you tell me what’s up.”

  Now aggravated at the level of maturity Zadie was displaying, Skid stepped in to end the issue. “Messiah and Alexis are at Christ Hospital, man. We need to get there like yesterday.”

  “Wait who’s Alexis?” Red asked as Skid walked off towards his car not giving a shit if anyone followed him even though they did. They loaded up and took off into the night.

  ****

  “So you’re going to go to the hospital to see if that bitch is okay?” Amy said slapping clothes down unto the bed for her to get dressed. “Then I’m going too.”

  “Whoa! You ain’t going nowhere with my son inside you girl. Chill out, I told you my brother was in that car too man. It’s not about her. I don’t care about her. I want you, babe, I wanna marry you.” Danger said grabbing his wallet off the nightstand.

  “You wanna marry me but you fuck other bitches from time to time and I’m supposed to be okay with that? Just because I’m white, Danger, don’t mean you can fuck me over fool. I’m white, not stupid.” Amy said sitting back against the headboard of the bed.

  “Who said anything about you being stupid, boo? You being white has nothing to do with it.”

  “Yes it does, Danger. Cause you go out there and do what you want and you figure that just because I’m white that I’m naïve and I’m going to stick with you regardless and…”

  Danger looked at her crazy believing that she definitely watched too much damn TV.

  “Hol’ up, hol’ up. Baby you going off the deep end. It’s just your hormones. I don’t think any of those things about you Amy. I love you and I respect you. You got my seed and you most definitely gone be my wife. I just need to get some things in order first.”

  “Things like what? Like quitting your sideline hoe?” Amy said crossing her arms.

  Danger kneeled down by her side rubbing her stomach with his huge rough hands.

  “Babe, fuck her. I only want you and as soon as that bitch drops me this connect to the product we gone. How else am I going to give you the wedding of your dreams?” He kissed her hand and stomach gently then raced out the door.

  Amy knew he was feeding her bullshit but she felt it was nice to have a man that cared enough about her to want to try. Besides there was no way she was raising his son on her own.

  “Ayo, Meech. You okay man?” Danger said answering his Iphone as he put the car in drive and pulled off. “I’m on my way to you right now.”

  “How’d you here about the shit, dude?” Messiah whispered.

  “Man, dude that shit was bad as hell on the e-way. It’s on the news and er’thing kid. I called Skid and told him to bounce over there.”

  “Oh…alright then.”

  “Ayo, Meech man, whatever that chick told you man, it ain’t true. You hear me, dude? It ain’t true.” Danger heard nothing but the silence of the cold phone to his ear. Messiah had hung up on him not wanting to hear any bullshit that was about to fly out of his mouth.

  ****

  “Oh my God! Meech are you okay pookie?” Zadie rushed over to hug and kiss all on his cheeks and neck. He slapped hands with Skid giving each other a tightly knit handshake then dispersing as they normally did. Skid posted up just close enough for him to hear Messiah if he needed him. He brushed Zadie off peeling her clingy arms from around his neck and made his way over to a waiting Red leaned against the wall.

  “Did you have a good time at your party tonight?” He asked looking down at her displaying a coy like demeanor. She wanted to bombard him with questions but knew that would only be a turn off so she decided to keep it cool and sweet.

  “Yeah, it was nice. It was just missing one thing, though.” She said looking up into his big brown eyes counterattacking its charm with her pearly white smile.

  Zadie stood there with her arms folded and one leg extended furiously. She couldn’t believe this fool had played her after everything they’d shared together.

  She cleared her throat. “Um, Messiah. Don’t you see me standing right here?”

  “Yeah, I said wassup.” He said never taking his eyes off of Red.

  He loved the way her red birthday dress was wearing her. All he could think about was tearing it off and watching her walk around in her high-heeled stilettos.

  “Messiah Torres.” The white-coated doctor came out from around the corner looking around for him.

  He raised his finger indicating his presence then walked over grabbing Red’s hand to come with him.

  “Mr. Torres, your minor cuts and bruises are going to be fine but you may experience some swelling within the next couple of days. Sometimes people’s bodies go into a bit of shock from being thrown around so roughly. You’ll be fine, though. This prescription should take care of all of that.” The doctor handed Messiah a square like blue slip of paper.

  “Alright thanks doc, and uh, what about my wife?” Messiah asked feeling Red try to slip her hand from his in disbelief. Wife? She thought as she stood there trying to slow her breathing from the initial shock.

  “Well right now she’s still unconscious and it’s pretty touch and go at this point. We’ll keep an eye on her just in case anything changes.”

  “But she’s gonna be okay, right?”

  “Well…right now it’s not looking good. Get some sleep, son. You’re gonna need it.” The doctor walked off in the opposite direction from whist he came.

  “Meech?” Zadie bellowed again but he pretended he didn’t hear her.

  He focused in on his brother walking through the emergency room doors dreading every minute he stared into his face. He was his brother and he loved him but he was living foul. he only called him to let him know that he was good before he heard it from anyone else. Despite everything, they were brothers and it was blood to the end with them. But he knew all Danger would do was continuously apologize to him, plead his case, and lie about his affair with Alexis and he just didn’t feel like hearing that shit right then.

  “Skid!” He yelled waving his two fingers in his brother’s direction.

  Skid already knew the drill. He interrupted Danger’s path to him as he and Red slipped out the door on the other side of the nurse’s station. Zadie watched in agony as her love and her money walked
out the door leaving her behind. Skid let Danger know that Messiah wasn’t seeing anyone tonight in a not so friendly way then walked out the door to meet him at his car. Heated, Danger walked slowly up to Zadie realizing her facial expression looked the same as his. Even though they never got along, he wanted to know what was going on with his brother. He didn’t know why his brother was being anti-social at a time like this but he reluctantly walked over to get the 411 from her.

  Cut Off

  “Well that’s one hell of a birthday present to give me.” Red snapped as she entered her condo and threw the keys on the coffee table.

  Messiah smirked as he lowered his head unwilling to go through the motions with yet another female, especially not right then.

  “Listen, I didn’t tell you about her because it was on a need to know basis. You didn’t need to know because right now she’s irrelevant.”