Love More

'Showtime' Pt.1

Love Jones

I went to sleep last night with a sense of happiness. I had seen Enzo. After all this time I was reunited with him ! He was my first best friend and even now, no one could replace him. At the same time though, he didn't even know who I was. He looked straight at me and didn't recognize me. He looks the same as back then. Maybe more handsome. He had this certain charm about himself but then again he is the king of the east side. Enzo was kind of chubby back then... Not fat but not skinny. Something like Kevin Gates. He was built like a football player. Now he's still built like a football player but it's mostly muscle now. He was dressed nice and he had a grill in his mouth that gave him that "hood nigga" edge. He was even growing out a beard too. Time has done him well.

I couldn't help but be ecstatic. I felt like a little girl inside and that a piece of me came back... But I didn't like it. He's my competition. Apparently he doesn't know who I really am and for the moment I'm going to have to keep it that way. I've worked too hard to compromise myself and my business for something so little. I'd love to reunite with Enzo and pick up where we left off but he's competition. I can't let our old friendship blind me from new money. Trust no one and love no one. That's the rule !

I hopped out of my heels and put them in the closet in their space. I peeled out of my dress and just threw on a shirt and flopped myself in the bed. I laid on my back looking up at the ceiling. I was happy... I was content. But I had to break that and I knew it.

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"Love, my love." Imani sang as she waltzed into my room. I was still asleep until she danced her happy ass into my room. Even though she had woken me up I kept my eyes closed and didn't move. "Bitch get up, I know you awake." She said. "It's too early for all that cursin' hoe." I stretched out. She slit her eyes at me and then sat down on my bed next to me. "And then yo funky ass 'gon sit on my damn bed too ? Uhh uh, y'all gettin too comfortable !" I said sitting up and rubbing my eyes. "We need to talk." She stated. "What ? Who's fuckin' up ?" I questioned her. "You !" "Me ? Come on now honey, I never fuck up." I said dismissing the thought and scooting to the edge of the bed. "What happened the other night ?" She asked. "What you mean ? You were there like I was !" "So you really gon sit there and lie to me ?" She stared me down. "I really don't know what you talkin about Imani. You trippin'." I said getting up from the bed. Even if I was known to lie, which I'm not, I genuinely didn't know what the fuck Imani was talking about. "Who is he ?" She asked. "What are you talking about ? I'm about to go crazy cus I have no fuckin clue what you're harassing me about !" "King ! Who is he ?" She asked again. "What you mean ?" I said while walking to the bathroom. "I know you, love. You froze when you saw him. He fine but ain't no nigga got it that good. Especially not to 'Diamond'. So what is it ? Who is he ?" I closed the bathroom door and sat on the toilet. I paused for a moment and thought about how I would get out of this. I know about Imani and Armani's past and they know about mine... In general. They know I grew up rough but they don't know the specifics. I plan on keeping it that way. What's the point ? My past and the present are two different things and it damn sure won't affect my future.

"I know you hear me hoe!" She said barging in the bathroom. "Damn Imani can I pee in peace ?" I looked up at her. "Nope. Tell me." She said standing in the doorway. I rolled my eyes. "King is.... The king of the east side. He's like me over there." I explained. "Keep playin' with me and we gon fight, love. I'm being dead ass right now." I sighed. "I know him." "Thanks for tellin me what I already know. Now get to the how." I rolled my eyes again and then started to explain. "He was my best friend. Before you, before Mani... Before anybody. He was my best friend. He was two years older than me though so he was graduating my sophomore year and ever since then.... I never saw him again. Until the night before last. It was him... Same smile, same voice, same mentality... Just like how he was back then.." "Except a major drug lord. Oh and your competition. We can't forget that fact." Imani said sarcastically. "Shut up. He ain't even recognize me." I explained. "He ain't recognize you ? What kind of shit is that ?" "Imani you don't understand. Me back then and me now are two completely different people. I act the same but the way I look is far from what I used to be..." "So why you act like you ain't know him ?" "Because... Hol' up. why the fuck am I answering all yo damn questions on demand like you my mother ? Bitch I run this shit." I asked myself more than Imani. "Cus all these bitches is my sons." "Girl get yo Nicki miNOT ass outta here with that." I laughed. She stood there and looked at me like I was stupid. "You standin' there while I'm sittin' on the toilet like you wanna see my poonani or somethin. Let me pee alone !" I whined. She laughed and said "Bitch I could have it if I wanted it." and walked away doing the 'Thot Walk'.

I love my best friend.

"One more thing..." Imani said from outside of the bathroom door. "What ?" I said wiping and flushing the toilet. "Aren't you meeting with him today ?" She asked. "Shit !" I said while rolling my eyes. I had completely forgot. You'd think that because of how much he's been on my mind that I would've remembered, but leave it to me to forget shit like that. "I knew I liked you." I told Imani while I washed my hands. "I thought 'Lok had some work for us though ? You sendin Mani to get it ?" she asked. "Nah I need my best with me; my right and my left hand...." I said walking out of the bathroom contemplating what I was gonna do. Imani and Armani are the only two people I trust. There's no doubt in my mind that I could send them to get it... But I need them with me for this meeting. They need to be there.

Me having a business as big as this one comes with a lot of jobs and a lot of association. With that being said, somehow over time I managed to form a gang on the streets. A pack of bitches willing to push dope and slaughter other niggas just for me. I call them the pack... Because really, that's what they are. A pack of wolves for my personal use. I didn't come into the game with this in the plan, it really just happened on its own. Imani is in charge of them and Sassy and Alana are the next best leaders. Right up under Imani, those two have always been known to hold me down.

"Call sassy up and tell her she needs to pick it up for me. She should take Alana too. They can both do the job." I told Imani. "Great minds think alike." Imani replied. Now that that was done all I had to do was worry about how this meeting was gonna go. 'Zo was my competition and he doesn't know who I am. In his head, I'm pretty sure he wants to try to take me down. We haven't declared any war and there hasn't been signs of disrespect so I'm pretty sure we're on good terms... BUT never underestimate your opponent. Hope for the best and always prepare for the worst. Actually, fuck hope. Prepare for the worst and that's it because in this life that's all you can do.

It was about 10:45 when I had woken up and my talk with Imani lasted a good 20 minutes. After she left to call sassy I went back to the bathroom and hopped in the shower. By the time I had got out of the shower it was 11:20. After brushing my teeth I picked out my clothes for the day. It was nice outside and I was feeling girly. I decided to wear a sun dress. It was plain yellow and simple but it was still gorgeous. It was thin and flowed every time I walked around and went all the way down to my feet. I put my deodorant on and then I looked in the mirror. My natural hair was frizzy from the steam in the shower and I didn't feel like being bothered with it so I slicked it all back into a curly high ponytail that touched the beginning of my back. Once I was done with my hair I started getting my makeup out. Usually I wasn't the one to wear makeup but you can never go wrong with eyeliner, mascara and lipstick.

After all of that it was about 11:45 and I still had about 2 and a half hours to waste until I had to meet with Enzo. What better way to waste time than shopping and pampering myself ? I figured I would hop into my Range and go get my nails done and maybe even buy a few outfits to add to my closet.

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After my pampering spree was finally finished I met up with Imani and Armani so we could be on our way to the place Enzo wanted us to meet him. Well... That's where 'King' wanted us to meet him. I have to get used to calling him that. We put the Address in Imani's phone and sooner or later we were all in the car and on the way to meet King. Armani drove in a separate car behind us so we could have two vehicles just in case anything happened. Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.

When Imani and I finally found the address, which was on the east side, we came across a big office looking building. "This can't be his shit... What the fuck gee." Imani said out loud. I cleared my throat and spoke up. "It isn't... It's a front. I can tell." We sat in the car a bit more and waited for Armani. We agreed that he would park either down the street or around the back and we were waiting for him to meet us at our car.

'Pop!' I heard a noise. I looked over out of my window to see Armani trying to open the door and the handle snapped back causing the noise. "C'mon." he said motioning us to get out Of the car. We got out after making sure we had something on us. I had on a dress so I couldn't have tucked it any wear but I had a makeup bag and it was the perfect size for a pocket knife.

It was officially 2:29 and we were standing in front of the building doors. I made sure we were exactly on time. We walked inside of the building and saw Enzo standing in the center of the floor waiting for us. 'Showtime.' I thought to myself.