Cimani.
"I cant lose, when I'm with you!" I sung my heart out as I drove down the empty road. It was now going on 4 AM, I had just got off of work at 'SWEETS OF NY." It was my third week as a bottle girl and I can't even lie, I liked it. Being that I was 23 now, and struggling to make money at my minimum wage job I took a leap of faith, and quit. I moved out of my parents house when I was 17, ready to be on my own since I didn't really get along with the household. The only person in that house that I am in contact with is my younger sister: Chloé.
My parents weren't the worst, they just grew up in a toxic environment and just so happened to deflect their anger and trauma onto their kids. I've always knew I was leaving home early, I just didn't know how. By 16 I had mastered every craft you can think of. Hair, eyelashes, makeup, and even drawing. A way to save money, and also make money. Although I stopped doing other peoples hair, makeup, and eyelashes I benefited a lot from it. Brought myself my first car, apartment, and just everything I wanted and needed.
Pulling into my parking garage, I sighed as I grabbed my duffel bag, throwing over my shoulder and hopping out of my New 2021 Mercedes-Benz G-Class. It was a gift from an ex lover turned friend: Jared. He & I had history, and I didn't see us ever leaving each other alone.
I yawned as I stuck my key into my door and pushed it open. Im so glad I deep cleaned my apartment a few days ago because I hate being exhausted and coming home to a dirty house. I kicked my shoes off at the front door and headed down the hall to my bedroom, It was spacious and girly enough for my liking. I dropped my bag into my walk-in closet and immediately stripped out of my Nike two piece thermal set. I tossed that into the dirty clothes before walking into my bathroom that was attached to my room.
I turned the shower on and let it run a little while before tying my scarf around my head and stepping in. I let out a deep sigh of relief as the hot water trickled down my body. I knew this bottle girl shit wasn't going to last long because I had been so tired from working overtime at the club.
10 minutes into my shower I heard a loud scream which caused me to jump, almost falling over in the damn shower. I sucked my teeth, before sliding open the glass door to the shower, I was a little startled because the scream was so loud it sounded if it came from inside my house.
Slipping my slides on I huffed as I made my way to my bedroom window, from where my room was located I could see almost everything that was happening in the apartment complex across the street. There was a room with a balcony right across from mine, which made my eyebrows raise. There stood two men, and one female. I watched as the female attacked the man with the longer braids and the man with the shorter braids tried to break it up. 'They must be related.' I thought to myself, because the resemblance was uncanny. They looked like siblings, from the height, the braids, down to them both being tatted from almost head to toe.
"Ayana, have you lost your fucking mind? Don't ever put your hands on my brother." The one with the shorter braids yelled as he pinned the girl against the balcony. I gasped and slapped my hand over my mouth.
My heart froze and I quickly closed my blinds and curtains as the man's eyes snapped in my direction. I didn't think they would be able to hear me due to the fact that they were literally in the whole other side of the apartment complex.
My hands felt sweaty as I made my way to my bathroom to get dressed, I locked the door behind me as I bit down on my lip. That man stared dead in my face, he knows I seen him choking that girl and I was honestly hoping he wouldn't come to my house and threaten me because of what I saw.
Distraught, I picked up my phone and called Jared. I was aware of what type of nigga he was and I knew if I ever felt scared or threatened he would make sure I was safe. The phone rang a good three times before he picked up, He was driving, with a black hoodie on and a blunt in his mouth. He smiled in the camera causing me to roll my eyes. Where the fuck was he headed this time of night?
"Wassup my heart."
"Mm. Wassup, I'm interrupting you on the way to your sneaky link?"
He laughed as he put the phone down for a second to gain full control of the steering wheel, I could still see his face a little bit and he had that big ass koolaid smile he always has.
He shook his head no, "I actually was about to go grab some food. Im high as fuck. You wanna tag along?"
I twisted my lips up to my nose as I made my thinking face, did I really want to walk out of this house after what I just witnessed?
"Actually I was gonna ask if you could come stay the night with me." I frowned at the camera putting on my best puppy dog face.
He grinned, picking the phone back up and examining me in the camera. "Im on my way, you want something to eat?"
I smiled "Just a gatorade or Powerade. Thank you."
"You still gon' be in that towel when I get there?"
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Boy bye."
I hung up the phone and made my way to the bathroom cabinet, I kept some lotion in body oils in here as long as in my room. I oiled up my body and then pulled my boy shorts on, and a simple white tank top. I was always going braless, it just felt better to me.
My hair was silk pressed so I just pinned it up in the wrap the mami's usually do for me whenever I go. I slipped my black hair net on, which I also got from the Dominican salon every time I go. Just as I was about to apply my lip scrub I heard a knock at my door. A lump formed in my throat because I knew Jared didn't get from Brooklyn, to Queens that fast.
"Fuck." I whispered to myself as I heard another knock on my door. I never thought this day would come, but here we are.
I walked over to my closet and stood on my tiptoes so that I could reach my safe. I quickly entered the code and grabbed my Glock 19 out of the safe. I tucked in my shirt behind my back and swiftly made my way to the front door. My dad had took me to a gun range just when I was 16 years old. He told me if I wanted to be on my own I had to learn how to protect myself when he wasn't around. Probably one of the best things he's ever taught me.
The knocking got louder as I approached the door making my eyebrow raise. I took a glance at the peephole and my heart sunk to my ass once I seen it was the man from the balcony. I cleared my throat and tried to hide the shock in my face as I swung the door open, I stood behind it and only peeped my head out.
I examined the man in front of me, and without a doubt I was intimidated. He stood almost a foot taller than me, and up close had way more tattos then I imagined, thats not why I felt intimidated though, it was his eyes. They were dark, and cold. A persons eyes told me everything I needed to know, my mom called it a gift.
"May I help you?" I asked the unknown man since he had yet to say a word, he just stared.
He looked me up and down, his face held not one ounce of emotion. "Don't act dumb with me, I'm sorry to have to bother you at this time I just want us to come to an understanding."
I scoffed a little bit at the audacity, I don't know if it's because I had a gun pressed up against my back but the fear I felt and the words that came out of my mouth just didn't match up.
"An understanding? Understand this. I need you to get the fuck off of my property, now."
I watched as his eyebrows rose, I can tell that wasn't the response he was expecting.
I watched as he quickly put his foot in the door just as I tried to close it. He hovered over the door as he looked down on me. "Listen ma, I would hate to have to hurt you tonight so let me tell you how this is going to go. You're going to act like what you seen tonight never happened. Okay? If I have to repeat myself it's not going to be pretty. This conversation never happened also. Understood?"
I don't know if it was his tone, his demeanor, or the way his eyes glossed over and got dark as he spoke but for some reason I was fucking terrified. I would never show my hand though.
"What conversation? I didn't see shit and I don't know shit." Was all I said as I now crossed my arms over my chest. "Now if you don't mind I would love to go back to doing what I was doing. I never seen you and this conversation never happened. Goodbye."
Just as I was about to close my door I heard a car pull up and a door shut, I knew that couldn't be anybody but Jared. My eyes darted straight towards him as he walked up the walkway to my apartment door, his hoodie over his head as he walked towards us with a bag in his hand.
He pulled his hoodie off as he approached us, a small smirk on his face.
"You telling me to pull up and you got a nigga at ya crib? Really Ci?" He shook his head as he sighed and sized this strange man up. The man turned around so that he was facing Jared.
"Na homie, this ain't that. I'm just introducing myself to my neighbors. I been doing it all day, I seen her coming in earlier and I was just doing my due diligence, nothing more, nothing less."
Jared's eyebrows raised as he analyzed the man. He then stepped towards him and they dapped each other up. "My fault my nigga, I thought she was playing with me tonight." He said as he clenched his jaw a little and looked towards me with a sly smirk.
The man dapped him up also, letting out a laugh. "Nah, Ima let y'all enjoy yall night."
Just as he was about to walk off Jared called him back, "Wait fam, aint ya' name Saint or some shit like that?"
The man chuckled a lil bit before walking back this way. I couldn't help but to sigh as I stood there looking dumbfounded because I still felt a way about this man lowkey trying to threaten me.
"You must know a lot, to be asking that my nigga. Who am I speaking to?"
"Cash from the Ville, I be cooling with them Loc niggas sometimes. Heard ya' name come up a few times just making sure I had the right nigga."
I watched as the man's eyebrows furrowed. "Nah you got it right gang, we gon chop it up sometimes." He dapped Jared up again before reverting his eyes back to me. "Goodnight." He said as he stared directly at me before walking away.
I couldn't help but to roll my eyes as he walked away. Neighbor? When the fuck did he move over here?
Jared grabbed my face and placed a small kiss on my lips before guiding me inside the house and locking the door behind him. We walked down the hall to my room as he straddled me from behind. Jared was my high school sweetheart, first person I ever had sex with, my first everything. I think that's why I was so attached to him. We were attached to each other, it's like neither of us wanted to let go. We had officially stopped dating six months ago when I found out he was still entertaining his ex, I knew he wasn't ever going to be loyal but I had love for him. Also, I wanted to keep my body count low and the sex? Was amazing.
"You tired baby?" He asked as we both laid down in the bed. He had just got finished eating and it was now going on 6 AM. We were facing each other with our bodies intertwined as I traced circles on his back.
"Very." Was all I said before I laid my head on his chest. His hand reached down to my butt as he softly grabbed and caressed it. This was my favorite way to fall asleep and he knew that.
Ezriah.
"Bro just go the fuck home Ayana." I sighed as I tried to push this crazy ass girl out of my house. It was now 3 PM and I was still fighting for this crazy ass bitch to leave my crib. If she were any one else I would've did way more sinister things but this just so happened to be my on and off situationship of three years. I say situationship because I honestly did not have time for real relationships. I was too focused my life and my hustle to fully give my time to a female. Ayana knew that too which is why I hated doing this dumb shit with her.
"Boy I'm not going no fucking where! You haven't fucked me in a whole week, who else you fucking? You don't gotta lie to me I'm not your bitch."
Those words alone woke me up, this was my last straw with her. "You're absolutely right, you're not my bitch which is why I can't even see myself answering that question."
I picked her little ass up, threw her over my shoulder and made my way outside of my apartment. I ignored her screaming and kicking and I straight threw her on the ground. "Lock this shit up, and make sure this crazy bitch is gone before I get back." I said to the guard that was posted outside my crib. I stepped over her and made my way to my all black 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Velar S.
I hopped inside and wasted no time pulling off, I had to get up out of there or else her ass would be chasing my car. I turned my car speaker up as Babyface ray's "Crazy world" blasted through. He was one of my favorites, of course me being from New York I loved the music I just hated all that glah, glah, boom shit. Babyface Ray came with a different vibe. I fucked with him heavy, he put on for his city: Detroit.
I pulled up to my spot in less then ten minutes due to the speed my car goes, I parked in the parking garage and made my way up the back door stairs. I busted a left and then made my way to one of the motel rooms. I owned a few motels around the city, which cleaned my money and also held some of my drugs at times.
Although I had niggas on the corner and a distro, this wasn't no group type of thing. Me and my brother Ermias built this shit brick, by brick.
"Hussle!" I yelled out as I closed the motel door behind me. I knew he was here because he came here around this time during the day to make sure everything was up to par, and making sure there wasn't no police around.
"In the back." He yelled back causing me to follow his voice. The motels we owned weren't like the busted motels you see on the corner. They were luxury. Each room came equipped with a kitchen, living room & a lounge area. We know to make the motels look up to par, or else the cops would be checking in.
"What's good fam, everything aight?" I asked as I watched him count up money. He was the brains of the operation and I was more so of the face of it, aka the risk taker.
Ermias nodded as he stacked the cash in piles on the table. "Perfect actually, we having a good week. Them corner boys bringing in revenue. I think the white junkies that come to stay at the motels? They must be getting too high and passing out cause we not making much in the motels."
"Nigga thats perfect to you?" I ask with a straight face.
"I only said its perfect because them lil' niggas on the corner made way more than enough, these white folks not copping aint even hurt our pockets at all."
A smiled formed on my face as I pulled out a chair and sat next to my brother at the round table.
"Aye, you know a nigga named 'Cash'?"
"Brown skin, tall nigga?"
I shook my head yes.
"Hell yeah I know him that's Miss Mary son. Lil' nigga elite. He sell work and guns, and let the streets tell it he bout it."
I took in everything he said before responding, "Wait Miss Mary? The one ma always go to church with?"
Ermias shook his head yes, "Yeah that's her son nigga. Why you ask?"
I sucked my teeth a little bit before shaking my head, "Nah, no reason I jus met the lil' nigga this morning when I went across to that girl crib to make sure she aint say nothing."
Ermias picked up the freshly rolled blunt he had to the side, and lit it. "You talking about shorty you swear you seen looking at you. You was sure about that?"
"I wasn't at first but soon as shorty opened the door I peeped her vibe, she was moving like she had a gun on her. I jus felt it."
Hussle laughs, throwing his head back a bit. One thing about it, Ezriah's intuition was always on point.
"How she look though, was she bad?"
Ermias's question had Ezriah a little conflicted, he got a good look at the girls face and a good view of her body as she leaned on her front door waiting for Cash and him to be done talking. He'd be lying if he said she wasn't bad. Her brown skin and seductive eyes where still popping up in his head. He couldn't forget her shape, her hips were wide and she had a little tiny pudge so he knew her ass was probably poking if she were to turn around. When she opened the door he couldn't help but to avert his gaze to the tank top she had been wearing, it was clear as day she sported no bra.
"Bad as fuck." Was all Ezriah had to say as he tried to erase the image of the girl from his head.
"Looked a lil' young though, maybe like 21 or 22."
Ermias grinned, "That's not too bad, you should hop on that."
Ezriah shook his head no, "Nah I'm good, would hate to have to hurt a nigga mommy probably grew up loving."
"Where the fuck are y'all at?" I asked Ermias and my other mans Rico as I brushed my teeth, my towel laying low on my waist. I just got out the shower and was about to get dressed and head out to meet up with my distro. It looked as if they were in a club somewhere, even though I don't do the party scene I was still a little curious.
"We at some shit called Sweets, shit lit as fuck and the bitches are bad my nigga!" Ermias yelled into the phone since the music was so loud. I heard of that spot a few times, never really cared to go though.
I laughed and shook my head, "Y'all niggas better be up for that drop in the morning, I'm going to meet with Flocko now." I said referring to my distro.
"We ain't never missed one, why fuck up now?" Rico shouted.
"Yeah nigga ya' lame ass need to pop outside with us. Always working nigga don't got no time to enjoy life." Ermias cackled, I could tell he was drunk just by how his words slurred a little bit. He turned his camera now as a light skin, thick bitch started to twerk on him. She wore a hot pink body suit that was Lacey and a bit sheer. I raised my eyebrow, maybe they did have the baddest bitches.
"When the next time ya' niggas going back?"
Ermias and Rico both laughed "Nigga saw some ass now it's 'when we coming back.' Pop out tomorrow bro."
"Bet." Was all I said before ending the call, business always came first but trust me I will be pulling up to Sweets tomorrow.
...
The ride to my distro's house consisted of a mixture of Babyface Ray and Lil durk, a bit of G Herbo here and there. He lived all the way in Sugar Hill Harlem which was a good 25 minute drive from where I lived at in Queens. Soon as I pulled up I parked my car and hopped out, my fresh G fazo's hitting the ground. I wore a plain white tee, a dark blue pair of Amiri's and my simple silver Rolex watch and my silver Cuban link chain.
I always came dressed subtle around my distro because I aint want him to get the wrong idea, being too flashy is how you got robbed.
Walking up to his door I used the spare key he had gave me to get in, "Flocko!" I shouted through the house just to let him know I was here. The smell of weed smoke hitting my nose instantly as I made my way to the back of the house.
"Saint! Right on time, I got a few presents for you."
I stuffed my hands in my pockets and leaned back against the wall a little bit once I realized what he was talking about. There were three half naked girls in the room, one sat across his lap, one at his feet and the other sat in a chair caressing herself a bit.
I couldn't deny that two of the girls were cute, the one sprawled out at his feet? She wasn't hitting on nothing.
I sucked my teeth "That aint what I came here for man. You know we got business to discuss. Come on man."
I watched out the corner of my eye as the girl who was sitting alone approached me, her boobs damn near falling out of that little as bra she wore. These bitches looked cheap, not my speed at all.
"You don't want me to please you papi?" Her thick Dominican accent rolled off her tongue as she caressed my muscles, pressing her body against mine.
"No, gracias mami. Adios." Was all I said before I softly pushed her off of me. I wiped and smoothed my white tee down after.
I made my way over to Flocko, "You two bitches can go wait outside too. Adios amigos."
I watched as the one of the girls faces flushed red, I didn't mean to embarrass them but I hated mixing business with pleasure.
"Really nigga? We can't trust them bitches around business. Get it together before I replace ya' dumbass." Was all I said to Flocko once the girls left the room. I couldn't stand his ass sometimes.
....
NEW STORY ALERT🥳check out my book TLC too! It's under revision but will be updated soon!