Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Side Chicks

by N'Dia Rae

  When I saw her eyes light up over that necklace in Harry Winston, I knew I had to get it for her. It was well out of my price range. But when there’s a will, there is a way. I finagled with the finances at my job and borrowed some money to get her the necklace. I have a huge contract at the end of the month; if it all goes well then I will be able to put the money back before anyone notices. I’m 99% sure the contract is going through, so I’m not worried.

  After we sat there talking, our waitress approached us. And when I looked up to see who it was, my stomach knotted. I swear I even almost swallowed my tongue. My waitress was Kinasha.

  “Hey Mr. and Mrs. Shelton,” she greeted with a glare of mischief in her eye. She always called me by my last name in front of my wife and other coworkers. But what in the fuck was she doing here?

  “Oh hey, Kinasha. How long have you been working here?” My naïve wife asked Kinasha, who looked at us both as if she were about to spill the beans.

  I prayed that she didn’t say anything, but even if she did, I would deny that shit and have her fired.

  “I need a new car, and you know Durden doesn’t pay me nearly enough.” She rolled her eyes at me before refocusing her attention on my wife.

  “That’s terrible. My husband tells me you’re a wonderful assistant. Babe, she’s been with you for two years, you can’t request to get her a raise?” I wanted to tell my wife to shut the fuck up.

  The truth of the matter is, she’s a shitty assistant. She takes lengthy lunch breaks, talks on her phone, eats at her desk, and is occasionally rude to visitors. The office wants me to fire her, but instead I’ve told them she is on probation. If she fucks up again, she will be fired. But I fear she will snitch about our union, which is why I try to leave no evidence of us fucking.

  “Yeah, Mr. Shelton, can you speak up for me and get me a raise? You know how much work I put in. I do what I do really good too,” she slickly added. She was playing games right now, and if she kept up, I was going to toss her little ass over the balcony.

  “Stop by my office first thing in the morning, and we can talk about it,” I spat between gritted teeth.

  She giggled before taking our orders. In addition to the food, I made sure to add a bottle of champagne. It was going to be a long ass night and I didn’t trust her not to spit in our food. But if I was tipsy, I wouldn’t be able to think about it.

  While we waited for our dinner to arrive, Nova began to talk to me about her mother, further driving me to drink.

  “And she and that nigga got married!” she exclaimed across from me. I picked up a bottle of the bubbly and poured me another glass before tossing it down my throat.

  “Slow down, you have to drive,” she nagged. “I can’t believe she did that. She doesn’t know him. I feel like he is just going to use her…” Nova continued. Her voice was beginning to aggravate me. But it wasn’t really her. It was the fact that Kinasha was in here serving us.

  The pressure became almost too much to bear. Before I knew it I said in between clenched teeth, “Shut the hell up about your hoe ass mother.”

  “Are you kidding me? What the fuck is your problem?” Nova appeared startled. It even shocked me that I had spoken to her that way. Out the corner of my eye I could see Kinasha staring at us.

  “I’m tired of hearing about your mother. All you do is complain about her sometimes. Let that shit go.” I finished off another glass of champagne, which concluded the whole bottle.

  In a flash, Kinasha was at our side.

  “Would you all like another bottle? You sure finished that fast.” She giggled.

  “Yes, please,” Nova answered without tearing her eyes away from me. Kinasha walked away with a pep in her step as if she knew that my wife and I were arguing.

  The stress of her waiting on us was wearing me out. I wanted to leave but I didn’t want to ruin this night even more than I already did.

  “What is your problem? If I can’t come to you, my own husband, about my family shit, who can I come to? I need someone to listen to me. Not someone who shuts me down every time I try to talk about my feelings.”

  But before I could reply, a busboy brought our food. Although I was too stressed to eat it, I stuck my knife and fork in the lobster, hoping Nova would do the same.

  Instead, she just stared at me with disbelief in her eyes.

  “You’re really blocking me out? You’re just going to sit up here and eat and not respond to me.”

  “Damn Nova, a nigga can’t even enjoy his meal with you out here nagging. This steak is 150 bucks. All I want to do is enjoy it, shit. But no, you want to come in here complaining about your mother. I got you that necklace you wanted. Took you out. Ate your pussy. Now you want to fight?!” I flipped on her.

  I was still keeping my voice low so that no one could hear me. But the truth is, I was ready to leave. I no longer wanted to be here. And while I wasn’t truly mad at my wife, she added fuel to the fire. I was really pissed at Kinasha.

  When that little bitch saw that she was waitress, she could have asked for another table, given me a head nod, and kept it moving.

  “You know what Ty, fuck you. I’m leaving,” she said before lifting away from the chair. She grabbed her purse and darted past Kinasha and another busboy before marching down the stairs.

  Kinasha quickly walked over as I stood from the table so that I could catch up with my wife.

  “Trouble in paradise?” she instigated.

  “Bitch, you know damn well what you’re doing.” I shook my head while peeling off a few hundreds.

  “It’s not my fault that you all don’t pay me enough and I have to work here. It ain’t my fault that she doesn’t make you happy. I see you stressed out. Come by after I get off of work.”

  “Get the fuck out of my face,” I replied, leaving a wad of cash on the table.

  “Fine, be like that, baby. But I will be in your office on Monday inquiring about my raise,” she giggled as I waved her off and headed downstairs.

  When I got there, Nova was nowhere in sight. I tried calling her several times but it just went straight to voicemail. The valet brought my car back around and I circled the block looking for her.

  I guess she must’ve gone home.

  8

  Skye

  I squeezed my body into a pair of high waist acid wash jeans and a light pink crop top. Aoki told me she would be over my house in twenty minutes to take me to a lounge with her, so I had to get cute. I did my make-up to look soft, yet sexy. Complete with bronzer, a smoky eye, and a pink matte lip, I looked ready for the nightlife.

  Instead of putting on my shoes, I decided to wait until she got here. There was no use in hurting my feet before I even got a chance to get into the lounge.

  As I walked past my refrigerator, I noticed my calendar. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. My tuition was due in one week. And school started in two.

  Since my mother had gotten married, I had been trying not to stress her out about my tuition. I wanted to give her time to enjoy her new husband. But I needed to get this money so that I could graduate.

  Reaching for my phone, I dialed her number and she answered after a few rings.

  “Hi my favorite daughter,” she giggled in my ear.

  “You don’t mean that. You love Nova and I just the same,” I protested. Apparently, she and Nova had another fight over the last few days. That’s how it always is with them. Cats and dogs. They can never seem to get along

  “But she doesn’t love me like you do.”

  “Ma, stop it. I called to see if you had gotten the money for my tuition. I need to pay it ASAP,” I spoke firmly, while applying the final touches to my make-up.

  “Oh shit, Skye. I forgot to tell you.”

  My heart began to race. I hoped that she wasn’t reneging, because if she were, I was fucked.

  “Forgot to tell me what?” I asked, dropping my mascara on the counter.

  “I let Rico borrow the money so that he can open up his new b
usiness. He’s opening a car wash, baby. And as soon as the profits start rolling in, he’s going to pay me back double! Then I will pay your tuition.”

  “Ma, how could you! I can’t wait until his business opens. I start school in two damn weeks!” I shouted. I could hear her grow silent. She had never heard me curse before since I tried to remain respectful. Growing up, I saw how Nova reacted towards her, so I strived to be different. But today she was plucking my nerves.

  “Watch your mouth, Skye, I am still your mother.”

  “Then act like it! How the hell are you going to put him before me? Don’t you know this is my senior year?!” I shrieked as someone knocked on my door.

  Knowing that it was Aoki, I quickly opened it up and in she walked, sipping a blue Slurpee. This bitch was too grown to be drinking blue shit. Her tongue and mouth matched the frozen drink.

  “Skye, you are a smart girl. You made it this far without the money. I’m sure you can figure this out. Perhaps you can take out a loan.”

  “A loan! I don’t even have any credit. And you have not contributed nothing to my education since I been in school. You owe me this!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

  Tears began to sting my eyes, as my palms grew sweaty. I couldn’t believe she was putting me in this position.

  “Look Skye, talk to that boujie sister of yours. She can help you. And as for a loan, it’s temporary. I will pay it off as soon as Rico gives me my money,” she reasoned. It was as if she didn’t even hear what I was saying.

  Sure, I could take out a loan. But it’s the principle of it all. She lied to me!

  “If you knew you weren’t going to be able to give me the money, you should have kept quiet. You are always going back on your word!”

  “It ain’t my fault you got caught up with some dick last year and lost your scholarship. You went back on your word. You promised those people you would get good grades so you could keep that money, but you didn’t. You let that nigga get your head twisted.”

  “Well, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, now does it?” I retorted before ending the call.

  When I looked up at Aoki, she was cracking the fuck up.

  “Bitch, are you laughing at my serious situation!”

  “Yes, hoe, I am.” She continued to snicker.

  “That’s why you look like you been sucking on Smurf dicks!” I sassed before sliding my feet in my black open toe booties.

  “But those Smurf dicks pay me!” She laughed even harder, which made me giggle as well.

  “You are so disgusting,” I thrashed, while shaking my head with a faint smile on my face.

  “And you are pathetic. You out here begging your mother for tuition money. That bitch hasn’t done shit for you since you graduated high school. You’re the one that got yourself those scholarships, this apartment, and that busted ride you keep pushing around town. She’s done nothing for you!”

  I loved how Aoki could look at things from a realistic perspective. Sometimes I wished I wasn’t as naïve. If I had more sense, I would have never gotten involved with Chad and lost my scholarship. And consequently, I would have never trusted my mother to do something she promised. But I couldn’t help but be livid. For once in my life, I felt the hatred that Nova harbored for our mother. Honestly, the bitch was better off dead so that I could get the insurance money.

  Lord forgive me for thinking such a horrible thought about my mother.

  “You’re right. I’m in such a tight spot right now. I don’t make enough at the restaurant where I bartend to pay rent.”

  “Trick, I already knew that. That’s why I been trying to put you on. You are a beautiful girl. And you’re smart. There’s a lot of niggas who would be willing to pay to spend time with you.”

  There she goes again with this hoe shit.

  “I’m not selling ass. I respect my body too much.”

  “What’s your plan then?” She cocked her head to the side while pursing her lips.

  “Take out a loan and wait until she can pay me back.”

  “You know damn well that’s never going to happen. Your mother ain’t the type to marry a smart nigga. That nigga is going to take her money and not do a thing with it.”

  “Then I’ll struggle paying back my loan. I’m not selling my ass like you. I believe in love and commitment.”

  “That’s okay. You can believe in love and commitment while a bitch like me will fuck whoever you love and is committed to,” she clapped back.

  Feeling sorry for her, I shook my head because she truly believed that shit.

  “Are you ready?” she asked.

  “Yep,” I replied before we stepped outside.

  She walked ahead of me and I finally noticed the shoes she was sporting. They were a pair of Jimmy Choos. With all the money she got men to spend on shoes, she could have had her degree too. Then it got me to thinking, maybe I could get at least one sugar daddy to help me with tuition. Where’s the harm in that?

  “Why are you so quiet?” Aoki asked as we cruised towards U Street.

  “I was thinking about what you said. I think you should show me the ropes.”

  “Finally, she sees the light!” She playfully raised her hand to the ceiling as she was sending up praise.

  * * *

  W e ended up at Blue Smoke, a new hookah lounge off of U Street. When we walked through the front door, we handed our I.D.s to the bouncer. After that we sashayed to the bar, turning heads along the way.

  “These niggas in here are feeling you,” she whispered in my ear when we approached the bar. The blue color on her tongue had faded and she no longer looked like she been suckin’ off blue men.

  I giggled to myself at the ridiculous thought.

  “So, how do you do it? Do you wait for them to come up to you? Or do you approach them?” I asked as she leaned into the bar.

  “First of all, I don’t look for them in places like this. Look around, all these niggas in here are broke! The dudes with figures are not found in hip hop hookah lounges. You have to go downtown or in affluent areas.”

  “So why did you drag me here? I thought you were on the prowl,” I prodded. Earlier when she invited me out she said it was business related. And the only business she has is sleeping with married men.

  “Remember that club I used to strip at?”

  “You mean the one where you lasted no more than a month?”

  “Yup, that one. The owner said he had a job for me to do. So I’m meeting him here. His name is Chop.”

  “Oh I see.” I nodded as she ordered us two Coronas and shots of Cuervo.

  “Turn up!” she shrilled, slamming her shot glass into mine before we both knocked the burning elixir back.

  “Okay, CrazySexyCool, I’ll be right back because I think I saw him walk in. By the way, he owns this spot too. Why don’t you meet a dude and practice flirting at least,” she instructed before switching away.

  I felt awkward standing at the bar alone, so I ordered shisha, mango and mint flavor. The server brought it to me pretty quickly and I began to smoke to take my mind off of being alone.

  “Where’s your man?” A deep voice snuck into my ear from behind. Slowly, I turned around to see who it was. And when my eyes met his, my heart began to flutter.

  The man standing before me had a pair of hazel eyes complemented by his butterscotch skin. The scent of his Tom Ford cologne wafted past my nostrils, sending me on a high.

  “I came here with one of my girls.” I finally mustered a reply.

  “You won’t be leaving with her.” He stepped even closer, his height towering over me. It was rare that I had to look up at a man, considering I’m 5’10”.

  “I don’t even know you. How dare you make that assumption.” My face twisted in disgust, but my heart was racing. Whoever this man was, he was fine enough for me to leave with him.

  He had a Caesar cut with deep waves. His beard was thick and had a healthy sheen. In his ears, he rocked a pair of diamonds that w
ere definitely worth more than everything I had on.

  “I’m Quantrell. But you can call me Quan. Now are you ready to leave?” He chuckled, exposing his perfectly straight white teeth. His smile rivaled the brightness of the diamonds in his ear.

  “You are crazy. There is no way in hell I’m leaving with you.” I shook my head while biting down on my lip.

  “Ahhh, I get it now. You want me to know your name. And that is…”

  “It’s Skye,” I replied.

  “That’s a sexy name. I peeped you when you and your girl walked in. You almost looked out of place.” He licked his bottom lip.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Before I answer that, you want something to drink?”

  “Yeah, a Corona with lime, please.”

  “See, that’s what I mean. You out of place. Please …” He mocked me in a whiny voice before ordering me a Corona and him a Heineken.

  “You look too boujie to be in a spot like this. It’s grimy in here.”

  “Then what are you doing here?”

  “My nigga just opened this spot. So, I came to show him some love. But you, you look too soft and sweet to be in here. Your nigga need to be keeping you with him, for real.”

  “I’m single, thank you very much.”

  “Fuck that. You mine then.” He laughed before bringing the bottle back to his mouth. My eyes lingered on his lips a little too long. Luckily, I broke my gaze away just as he returned his vision back to me.

  “What do you do? Are you in school?” he probed while I swallowed some of my beer.

  “Yeah, I go to GW for dance and education. I want to be a teacher when I graduate. And right now I’m a bartender at Fridays.”

  “Oh you a youngin’. How old are you?”

  “I just turned twenty-one,” I replied, embarrassed.

  “How old are you?” I asked back.

  “Thirty-five. Old enough to show you a few things,” he spat, causing me to feel tingly inside. I could feel my pussy moisten at the thought of the things he could show me.