Cameron

by Jade Jones

  My cheeks flushed in embarrassment and I quickly turned and whispered in her ear, “Please, stop.”

  Poca’s mouth quickly formed an O as her chinky eyes narrowed. “Cam, two o’clock. Who is that? I know that ain’t X’s baby daddy.”

  Slowly turning my head in the direction she was looking in, I noticed a handsome man holding X-Rated’s son. CJ was the spitting image of the man so I figured he had to be his father. Indeed, the man was fine with a smooth brown skinned complexion, a tapered haircut, and long, dark eyelashes I could see clearly from my seat--however now wasn’t the time to be checking out my dead best friend’s baby daddy.

  “Tell me that man ain’t fine,” Poca said rather loudly. “Shit, I’m bout ready to give lil’ CJ a baby brother or sister.”

  A few people turned their heads in our direction and scowled.

  Poca leaned close to me and whispered, “Shit, I’d help his ass grieve any day.”

  I whipped my head in her direction and said, “Ssshh,” so hard that spit flew out my mouth.

  Suddenly, X-Rated’s mother, I presumed (since she looked like an older version of her) climbed up to the stand to a say a few words. Her hard faced expression and intense gaze bore a hole into me and Poca.

  Ta-Tink!

  Poca’s cell phone chimed indicating she had just received a text message. After she noisily rummaged through her purse she pulled out her cell phone.

  “You didn’t put your phone on vibrate?” I whispered.

  “Un-Unh. I got to have my phone on at all times. I can’t miss out on no money.” Poca didn’t bother whispering at all.

  “My daughter!”

  Poca and I immediately turned our attention to X-Rated’s mother, who was looking at us specifically.

  “...Was a great person,” she continued in a normal tone. “Now don’t get me wrong, she was no angel. She made some poor choices...and even fell in with the wrong crowd.” She narrowed her eyes at me and Poca. “But all in all she was my pudding. And I couldn’t have asked for a better child.”

  Suddenly, I felt like it was a big mistake for Poca and I to even come here. It was obvious that our presence was not welcomed. “I’m ready to go,” I whispered.

  Poca’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Already?”

  I stood to my feet and quickly retreated from the funeral.

  “You good?” Poca asked once we were outside.

  “Yeah,” I lied.

  “That shit was depressing me too,” she admitted. “You going to work tonight?” she asked once we were inside her car.

  I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “Girl, you been missing this money. The Cleveland Browns players was up in that bitch last night.” She looked down at my bandaged hand. “Shit, I know you ain’t gone let a lil’ sprained hand stop you from getting ya paper.”

  ***

  Pocahontas sashayed into the dressing room just as I was pulling on a sexy red one piece embroidered with rhinestones. She was carrying a shot glass in one hand and her drawstring money bag in the other.

  “How’s it looking out there?” I asked.

  “Slow. But it’ll pick up later on. Here,” she said. “Drink this.”

  “What is it?” I asked taking a whiff of the strong liquor.

  “One-five-one,” she said bringing the glass to my lips.

  Before I could decline she force fed the liquor to me, tipping the end of the glass upward so that I consumed all of its contents to the very last drop.

  Gasping and wheezing, I held my chest struggling to gain my breath. “You bet not let Ahmad ass catch you drinking,” I told her.

  Poca sucked her teeth. “Girl, Ahmad could suck my pussy lips. If a nigga offers me a drink, I’ma take it.” She smiled. “Besides, when I’m a lil’ tipsy, I work better.”

  Several other dancers walked into the dressing room. “It’s dead as fuck out there,” Juicy said. She was a cute brown skinned female who favored TV reality star, La La Anthony. Of course, her name went hand in hand with her voluptuous body figure. She was pretty cool for the most part, but I wouldn’t necessarily call her a friend.

  “It’ll pick up,” Poca repeated. She then turned her attention back to me. “Chill for a lil’ bit. Let the liquor relax you. I’ll come back here and get you when some money comes in,” she promised.

  Yeah, sure you will, I thought as I took a seat at the vanity.

  ***

  “Cam? Cameron?”

  I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep until Poca shook me awake. “Cam, wake up,” she said.

  Nausea overwhelmed me as soon as I lifted my head up from the vanity countertop.

  “Cam, you aight?” Poca asked standing over me.

  I quickly jumped to my feet and sprinted towards the thirty-two gallon trash can in the corner of the dressing room. My ankles wobbled as I ran and for a minute I feared I wouldn’t make it in time. When I finally reached the trash can, I regurgitated my breakfast and lunch from earlier.

  Luckily, Poca and I were the only two people in the dressing room.

  “Damn, girl.” Poca came up behind me and rubbed my back as I heaved all my stomach’s contents into the trash can until I was spitting up nothing but stomach acid. “Rollin’ ain’t for you, I see,” she said.

  “What...are...you...talking...about?” I said in between spasms.

  “I put a dolphin in the drink to help you relax.”

  Wiping my mouth, I asked, “A dolphin?”

  “Yeah. Ecstasy.”

  I looked at Pocahontas like she had lost her monkey ass mind. “Bitch, you spiked that damn drink?”

  Poca took a few steps backward as though she feared I might hit her. And judging from how pissed I was, I felt as if I might do just that.

  “Hold up, Cam. You makin’ it seem like I’m just some fucked up nigga that go around spikin’ hoes’ drinks. I did it to help you calm down since you been acting depressed and shit since X died.”

  I opened my mouth to say something but instead more stomach acid came up.

  “You cool, Cameron?” Poca asked.

  “Poca, I’m giving you five seconds to get the fuck away from me,” I threatened.

  “I’ll be back to come and check on you,” she said before disappearing out the dressing room.

  Gripping the edges of the trash can, I told myself, “I can’t believe this bitch.”

  Chapter 9

  “Hey, boo. You mad at me still?” Poca walked over towards me carrying another shot glass and a pitiful look on her face.

  Rolling my eyes at her, I mumbled, “What do you think?”

  She handed me the shot glass, “Please don’t be mad at me anymore,” she said. “Here, I got you some water.”

  I looked at her sideways. “Mmmhmm, you sure you ain’t spike this too?”

  She placed the glass down in front of me. “I need you to do something with me tonight?” she asked.

  I should’ve figured her gesture was only a means to butter me up. After taking a small sip of the water, I asked, “What’s that?”

  Pocahontas picked my comb up from the countertop and began combing through my bob. “There’s this guy out there I just met, Stanley. He’s tryna pay me but he wanna go back to his house.”

  “And?” I asked with an attitude.

  “And I never turned no trick with him before so I don’t know if the nigga crazy or not. I mean, he might be cool. I just don’t wanna go by myself. You feel me?”

  “And what this got to do with me?”

  Poca looked at me through the dirty mirror. “I wanna know if you would ride with me and wait for me while I handle my business.”

  “Girl, no. I already don’t feel good and I gotta study tomorrow.”

  “Girl, tomorrow is Saturday. You got all Sunday to study. All I’m asking you to do is wait in another room while I fuck ole’ boy. You know it ain’t gonna take a nigga but a second to bust a nut,” she argued.

  “I don’t know, Poca. I’m really not
feeling that.”

  Poca sucked her teeth. “Well, look how about this. I’ll pay you half of whatever he giving me.”

  There was no such thing as “half” in Poca’s vocabulary. “I don’t want your money because I’m not doing it,” I told her.

  “So you ain’t gone roll with me to make this lil’ money. This nigga could be crazy. What if he slices my throat as soon as I step in his house? Then what?” she asked. “You gonna be blaming yaself because you didn’t come with me and have my back. I’d do it for you.”

  “You wouldn’t have to do it for me because I never have and never will spread my legs for a quick dollar,” I retorted.

  Poca cut her eyes at me and folded her arms underneath her breasts. “You feel better now since you got that off ya chest?” she asked.

  I couldn’t help the smirk that pulled at my lips. “Yeah, I do feel a little better.”

  “So you gone come?” she asked.

  “You gone give me half of what you make?” I asked. I knew inside that she wouldn’t give me half but something was better than nothing. I hadn’t made a single dollar all night since I’d been sitting in the dressing room sick as a dog.

  “You got that,” Poca said. “Let me go tip out and then we can leave.”

  ***

  Poca and I followed followed Stanley to the Granada Gardens apartments, located in Warrensville Heights.

  “Shit, I should make this mothafucka pay me and reimburse my gas damn money,” Poca complained.

  “I just can’t wait for your ass in the car?” I asked.

  Poca whipped her head in my direction. “No. Come on, Cam we talked about this.”

  Sighing dejectedly, I said, “Come on, let’s get this shit done.”

  Poca parked her car beside Stanley’s 2009 Ford F-150. Together we climbed out. This was the first time I had the seen the guy and it took everything in my power not to ask Poca “what the fuck she was thinking?”

  Stanley appeared to be in his late forties and he stood at least six feet three inches and couldn’t have weighed less than three hundred and seventy-five pounds. He could have easily been a stunt double for Sherman Klump from the Nutty Professor minus the corny uniform, of course.

  “Damn,” he said. His eyes traveled the length of my body. “Pocahontas ain’t tell me you was this damn fine.” His eyes then wandered towards my bandaged hand. “What happened to your hand, baby girl?”

  “Come on let’s get inside and do this. I got shit to do,” Poca cut in.

  I was curious about why Poca would even tell Stanley about me in the first place. Following Stanley to the entrance of his building, I had a feeling I’d find out real soon.

  ***

  I didn’t have time to take in the decor of Stanley’s home since Poca grabbed me by the wrist and led me to the bathroom.”Give us a minute to freshen up,” Poca called out to Stanley.

  “Us?” I asked.

  Poca quickly closed the bathroom door and pulled off her leather jacket. “Okay, Cam. To keep it real, Stanley asked for me to find a girl that would be down for whatever--”

  “What? Poca you said--”

  “Ssshh,” Poca held her index finger to her lips. “I know what I said. But I ain’t wanna tell you the truth ‘cause I knew you wouldn’t be with it--”

  “Damn right, I’m not with it.”

  “Look, he doesn’t wanna fuck either one of us,” Poca said in a hush tone. “He just wants to see a lil’ girl on girl action. Come on--”

  “I’m not feeling this, Poca--”

  “Come on Cameron. This nigga payin’ big money just to see a lil’ fondling and oral sex action. You act like you never touched my pussy before,” she said childishly.

  “Hell, I can wash my hands after that. I’m not about to put my mouth on no twat. Flat out.”

  Poca sucked her teeth. “Well fake chow then, bitch,” Poca said. “Put on a fucking act. Whatever it takes. The nigga already paid us.”

  I propped a hand on my hip. “What?”

  Poca hastily dug into the pocket of her leather jacket. “He gave me the money at the club.” Pulling out a small wad of money of cash, she said, “Here’s your cut.”

  “You are some damn liar,” I told her with a serious expression. After snatching the money out her hand I flipped through the bills. “Three and hundred and fifty dollars?” I was sure that Poca was holding onto more money than me. She never split shit evenly.

  “I know it ain’t much but, Cam, you ain’t make shit at work. You gotta admit something’s better than nothing.”

  “I would’ve made some money if a certain person hadn’t spiked my damn drink.”

  Poca waved me off. “Look, that’s neither here nor there,” she said. “We’re here. We might as well do it and get it over with so we can get the hell out of here.”

  Poca began to undress and I stood there for several moments in disbelief. I couldn’t believe Poca had played me for a fool.

  “Come on now ya’ll, I got work in the morning!” Stanley hollered from the opposite side of the door.

  “Coming baby!” Poca sang. “Almost done.” She turned her attention to me. “Don’t just stand there. Come on. Take your clothes off.”

  I shot Poca a spiteful look before I slowly began to undress.

  Chapter 10

  Stanley was seated in a chocolate lounge chair butt ass naked. All the lights were off and the mood was anything but romantic for me. Together, Poca and I sashayed into the bedroom wearing nothing but our thongs.

  I started to ask Poca why in the hell Stanley was naked if he was supposed to be the spectator but he spoke before I could.

  “I’m just gonna watch while you two do your thing,” he said. “Ya’ll could just pretend I’m not even here.”

  Pocahontas and I slowly made our way to the bed.

  “I want you two to take each other’s panties off slowly,” he instructed.

  With my back facing him, I was able to get away with rolling my eyes. Poca quickly gave me an expression that said: Just go with it.

  Stanley massaged his stiff dick with one hand as he watched Poca and I remove each other’s thongs.

  “I want you to kiss each other,” he whispered. He quickly picked up the pace as he stroked himself, clearly enjoying the show.

  I had to force myself from making a face. Poca was my girl and she was pretty and all but that didn’t necessarily mean I wanted to kiss her ass. Hesitantly leaning in, I placed a quick peck on her lips.

  “I wanna hear some tongue action,” he ordered.

  My jaw hardened as I attempted to contain my personal thoughts from spilling out. Poca didn’t hesitate to stick her pink tongue in my mouth. Instantly, I wondered how many dicks I was tasting, knowing how she got down. In my opinion, she was a bit too into the kiss and I had to pull away first for it to finally end.

  “Alright, now I wanna see some action,” he said. If he beat his dick any harder, he may have rubbed the damn skin off.

  I took my time positioning myself between Poca’s legs. Lowering my head slightly, I placed my right hand over her pussy and proceeded to lick and kiss my hand.

  From Stanley’s position, it may have looked like I was chowing down on Poca. Little did he know he was easily being deceived.

  “Yeah, that’s right,” he whispered. “Suck on that pussy.”

  Poca went right along with the act as she moaned as whimpered.

  Stanley was so into the little show we were putting on that he didn’t even see Poca slip her hand in the pocket of his pants which were lying on the floor beside the bed. I pinched her thigh signaling her to not do it...But do you think she listened? Expertly, she eased the wallet from his pants pocket and tucked it beside her.

  “Damn,” he groaned. “I’m about to cum! It’s a fat one too!”

  “That’s right, come daddy!” Poca yelled.

  “Here it comes! Aaahhhh! Shit!”

  Poca and I sat up in bed just as Stanley spurted his thick nut al
l over his big belly.

  “Damn. That was a good one,” he said. “You ladies mind cleaning me up?”

  Poca sucked her teeth and quickly climbed out the bed. She made sure to keep her hand behind her back so he could not see the wallet she had snagged. “Yeah, mothafucka, we mind! Shit, you got yo’ nut, now we out! Hell, I got shit to do!”

  I didn’t miss him utter the word, “Bitch,” under his breath as I followed Poca into the bathroom.

  “Hurry up and get dressed ‘fore this mothafucka know we took his shit?”

  “There you go with that we again,” I said.

  Poca and I hastily pulled our clothes on and didn’t bother to give Stanley a chance to walk us to the front door. We power walked to the elevators and I didn’t consider us scott-free until we were finally seated inside Poca’s Challenger.

  “Damn, Poca you did it again,” she said smiling to herself.

  “You’re going to get enough of doing that shit,” I told her.

  “Yeah, yeah. Whatever,” Poca waved me off as she pulled out his credit cards. “Damn he got some bills in here too,” she said pulling out some money. “Will that be cash or charge?” she joked.

  “All he gone do is cancel them as soon as he knows they’re missing.”

  “Shit, I’m gonna max ‘em out before he even knows they’re gone,” she said. “And even if he does, I still got his mon--”

  The sound of glass shattering quickly broke into our conversation. Glass spilled into my lap and everything occured all at once.

  “Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!”

  Before I could gather what was happening an arm reached through the broken window and locked tightly around my throat.

  “I’m gonna kill you, bitch!” Stanley yelled.

  Poca screamed as she sat in the driver seat staring at the unbelievable scene before her. I wanted to yell at her to “Drive” but his grip around my throat had rendered me speechless.

  Instinctively, I began smacking her on the back of the hand, hoping she’d comprehend my gesture. My face quickly swelled up and grew hotter by the second. I just knew this man was going to kill me!