When A Woman Hustles

Chapter 7.

Chapter 7.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.
Reese jolted awake out of her sleep as the pager that she was holding beeped in the palm of her hand. Shit. She had dozed off. She glanced at the clock on the dashboard which read 8:02 pm. She sat forward rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Pumpkin told her this wouldn't take long but she had already been inside for almost 45 minutes. Reese shut off the pager. Looking around, she began to absorb her surroundings while recollecting Pumpkins directions. As soon as you hear it beep, I need you to hop out, come upstairs, and get to room 224 as fast as you can. Reese cracked her knuckles, knowing she wasn't moving as quickly as she should. She had no idea what the hell she was walking into and was extremely on edge about it. Reese took a deep breath, slowly meditating herself as she reached for the door handle. She had never been a spur of the moment type of woman or a risk taker. She was gambling with her life and had no idea how to feel about it. Reese could feel her body go numb as she pushed open the door handle, stepping out of the car and shutting it behind her. She stuck the pager in the back of her jeans and began walking towards the entrance, the same direction she seen Pumpkin travel. She held her breath with each step she took. Approaching the door, Reese felt out of place and extremely awkward as the valet smiled at her while holding the door allowing to walk in. She nervously said hello while trotting inside the hotel. Reese walked into the foyer. She looked around. The hotel was upscale the way she imagined it. She admired the marble floors and matching chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. She couldn't help but look around, observing how elegant the lobby was. She had never been here before or stepped foot inside a fancy hotel ever. I don't belong here. What am I doing? She ignored her gut feeling as headed towards the stairs, too nervous to take the elevator. Reese stopped at the hotel map to check where room 224 was. How did I get here? How did I get here? She continued to chant inside her head. Reese headed towards the stairwell going straight up the stairs heading for the 2nd floor. She became anxious with each step she took. Everything about this scenario was giving her a bad feeling but it didn't stop her as she proceeded. Approaching the top of the stairs, Reese began thinking about the money. The car. The bills. She had too much to lose... She trotted down the hallway nervously cracking her knuckles as she passed room 221...223....She stopped in front of 224. She took a deep breath. Reese had no idea what stood behind these walls. There could be a room full of perverts prepared to gang rape her, then again Pumpkin could have been the culprit setting her up all along. She raised her fist to knock, hoping if she screamed someone would be able to hear her through these thick walls. She waited as she heard Pumpkins voice behind the door, which gave her no type of relief. In seconds, the door crept open. Pumpkin stuck her head out, looking both ways to make sure the coast was clear. She didn't speak or say anything. She waved for Reese to come inside. She hesitated before stepping forward inside the dimly lit room. Pumpkin shut the door behind her as she allowed Reese to walk ahead of her. It was dark but lit enough for Reese to look around and absorb her surroundings. The room was standard. Two queen beds, a nightstand, and a flat screen T.V. An eerie silence floated through the room. Nervously she looked around coming to the realization they were not alone. Her eyes fell upon a figure sitting in a chair positioned in a dark corner of the hotel room. What the hell is going on? What am I supposed to do next? No one spoke, which made her sudden entrance feel even more sinister. Reese inched forward to get a better view, unsure if the figure sitting in the corner was a man, a woman, or even a human at all. No! No! No! The room began to spin. Reese could feel her eyes widen in shock as she inched closer. No! No! No! I'm not seeing what I think I'm seeing! No fucking way! She caught her balance as she lightly stumbled in shock. Reese stared face to face a living nightmare.

Slowly, she turned to Pumpkin. I have to be hallucinating! This is all a bad dream! She wasn't dreaming. This was real. Pumpkin stood close to the door. Her trench coat and jewelry had been removed. Reese swallowed the lump in her throat as her eyes fell upon the silver 9mm handgun Pumpkin was holding in her hand. She inched towards the figure sitting in the corner of the room with the gun drawn. Reese couldn't breathe as Pumpkin walked past her, the gun inches away from her face. She began to feel claustrophobic but she didn't move, frozen in place too afraid to do anything sudden. Reese mustered up the courage to get a better look, finally realizing the figure in the corner was a man. He was heavy set. Approximately 280 pounds with a firm build and dark brown skin. Reese couldn't see much. His eyes, m outh and hands were tied tightly together. She watched as he squirmed, making subtle sounds as if someone could hear him. Reese couldn't speak. She was scared shitless, terrified to make the wrong move. "Pumpkin." Reese called out her name, her voice shook as he spoke. Pumpkin didn't answer. In response, she nudged her head towards a black duffle bag in the corner of the room. "Grab the bag." Her tone was cold. Pumpkin continued to hold the gun, walking up to the man pressing the steel piece against his temple. Reese closed her eyes. She didn't want to see what was going to happen next and prayed she was not about to witness this man's murder. "Reese!" Pumpkin snapped at her again. "Get the damn bag!" she spoke forcefully. She snapped out of her daze quickly. Scurrying across the room, she obeyed Pumpkins orders in fear that she may turn the gun on her. Dropping down to her knees, she grabbed the black bag which weighed a ton and whipped it over her shoulder. She stood by the door, hoping this bag was all Pumpkin came for. Reese stood by as Pumpkin removed the duct tape from around his mouth leaving his eyes covered. He yelled out as soon as he was able. Pumpkin raised her hand smacking him directly across the mouth. "Shut the fuck up!" She glared at him, still standing over his body with the gun in her hand. "You make another sound, I swear I will fucking kill you!" She spoke. The man obeyed his orders, pressing his lips together as Pumpkin leaned forward, her face directly facing his. "Now this is how things are going to work tonight. I'm going to untie your hands and your feet. Then I'm going to walk out that door and leave. My gun will be on you the entire time. So don't make any sudden movements. I will stand outside that door for approximately 10 minutes to make sure the coast is clear. Do not move or make a sound for 10 minutes. If you so much as breathe wrong, I will shoot you. Do you understand?" She asked.
The man nodded his head, not opening his mouth or responding in fear of her retaliation. Pumpkin smirked, grabbing his chin in the palm of her hand and placing a kiss on his lips. "This was fun baby." She laughed and turned back towards Reese, who still stood locked in place, completely shocked by what she was witnessing. "Let's go." Pumpkin waved her hand, instructing Reese to follow. She clutched the heavy black bag over her shoulder, heading towards the door taking one last glance at the man who still sat half naked dressed only in his boxers. He obeyed Pumpkins order, and didn't move or budge as they both exited the room. Pumpkin grabbed her jewelry and her coat off the bed and shut the door behind them as they stepped back into the hallway. She leaned forward, pressing her ear against the door to ensure he wasn't moving or making a sound the way she ordered. Silence. "Okay let's go." Pumpkin didn't hesitate as she darted down the hallway towards the opposite end. Reese remained silent as she trailed behind Pumpkin, watching her from behind as she dropped the gun in her purse. Her adrenaline rushed through her veins like a bad shot of cocaine. She glanced over her shoulder hoping they weren't being followed. The coast was clear. Pumpkin took the back staircase on the opposite end from where they came. They rushed out the door, down the steps and directly out a side door that let out exactly where Pumpkin parked the car. Reese ran to the passenger side, her paranoia causing her to continuously look over her shoulder. They were less than 20 minutes from her apartment she shared with Jayla. She could not risk anyone spotting her or remembering her face. Throwing the duffle bag in the backseat, they both hopped in the vehicle. Pumpkin wasted no time cranking up the ignition, slamming the gear in reverse and backing out of the parking space, once again going the opposite way they originally came. She raced down the street as Reese clutched her chest attempting to catch her breath. This entire thing was planned. This was all a setup! "What the fuckkkkkk?" she cried out, astonished and winded at the same time. Reese struggled to breathe as her chest weaved up and down. Pumpkin continued to speed away. She was calm, a smirk plastered across her face almost as if she had done this plenty times before. "Welcome to the real world honey. You done got your hands dirty now."