Chapter 16
"Next time I got it,don't worry bout' that. I'm not on that Hollywood shit." —Money
I traded my Dodge Nitro truck in for a 2007 Jaguar XJ. The figures I started making doing drops was showing and I had the funds to blow, for it. I wasn't going crazy with my money, just something to treat myself for all the hard work I was doing. I watched my car parked outside as people that passed, stopped to do a double take, admiring it. It was a shiny silver and the sun was hitting it nicely.
Joe pulls the barber's cape off of me and I stand up, looking at myself in the mirror. I never had any facial hair on me because I felt I looked better without it. My waves were more enhanced, my shape up was in place and the small diamond earrings in my ears matched my smile.
I throw Joe a fifty dollar bill, not waiting for change. I walk out not feeling like staying to talk, telling him I'd catch up some other time. I jump in my Jaguar and go cruising nowhere in particular before I decide to swing by Tasha's apartment complex.
I get in front of her building and there's about half a dozen dudes standing outside, talking. I surprisingly see Tasha and two other girls next to her. Either they were getting ready to go somewhere or had just come from somewhere. None of them are facing me but I could recognize Tasha, anyway.
I hadn't been to see her really since Angel caught me with Nyah, but I hadn't neglected her completely. I see some of the men in front her building eyeing the car and me as well. I was strapped and ready for anybody to try and play gangster. I walk up to Tasha, who's talking to the group of men with her friends. I can't tell what they were talking about, but I could hear her giggling and it kind of pissed me off.
I snatched her arm and she became visibly scared for a second, until she saw it was me. I pulled her off to the side without looking at anybody around me. She tried to yank her arm away but I already let go, placing my hands in my pocket.
"Why'd you put your hands on my wife?" I ask her, looking everywhere but at her. My voice was calm. "I don't even let you talk crazy about her and yet you thought it would be okay to fight her?"
"She hit me first." Tasha said.
I look at her. "Then walk away, don't put your hands on her."
I guess she was feeling bold because she had a crowd outside. She crossed her arms and looked me up and down. "Excuse me? I'm not a dog, I don't care who she is, if she hits me I'm going to defend myself." She tried to walk away from me, but I grabbed her arm and pushed her back to where she was just standing. Not realizing my own strength, her back hit the brick wall taking the breath from her lungs.
I felt bad but I don't show it. I place my left palm against the wall above her head and lean down, next to her ear. "Don't make me have you turn afraid of me. You heard what I said, don't ever put your hands on her. There should never be another time after this, but if there is and you don't heed my warning, imma show you the other side of me."
She quickly nodded, her eyes watering. "Okay."
I feel a light shove to my shoulder and look to see Diamond. There was another girl I was not familiar with standing behind Diamond. Diamond was one of those girls with a body that could lay off the potato chips and use some daily jogging and sit-ups, but she had a pretty face so it was excusable. She wasn't overwhelming fat, but still big.
"You lost your mind? Get off of her." She said, only for Tasha to grab her arm and quickly try to calm her down.
"It's okay girl." Tasha said.
"No it's not okay, you're crying. Did he hit you?"
"You would know if I hit her." I said. Sometimes I swear this girl secretly wanted to fuck Tasha. Too bad, she was my bitch.
"You disgust me."
"Okay Diamond." I say.
"Come on Tasha." Diamond said trying to pull her away.
I don't bother pulling Tasha's other hand, I was not going to play tug-of-war with her, because I knew she would stay with me. "I'm still talking to her."
Tasha is trying to loosen Diamond's hand off of her, but Diamond is trying to force her to come with her. "I don't care, go away." She snaps.
"Go upstairs." I tell Tasha calmly.
She pulls away from Diamond and pulls out her keys, only for Diamond to stand there with her mouth open, watching Tasha walk off with me behind her. She starts to come up behind us but their other friend had to grab her. All the dudes they were speaking too are all standing there just watching.
"Tasha! Are you serious right now?" Diamond asks.
"Yeah she is, why don't you go home and find something productive to do? Stop worrying about Tasha, she's your friend, not your girlfriend. You be acting like you want her to sit on your face or something."
"Money!" Tasha said, appalled.
Diamond clenched her fists and I swear she was gearing up to spit on me, but she thought better of it in that same second. Which for the both of us, I'm glad she did. I wink at her as we walk through the lobby door. When we get up to Tasha's apartment, I'm barely in there for three minutes before I leave to run out to the car to grab some condoms.
When I get outside Diamond Dickrider and the other chick are long gone, but the guys are still outside talking shit and smoking. I get the Trojan condoms from my glove compartment and make my way back inside. I start walking up the staircase when I bump into this woman with a body like a Playboy Bunny's.
She smiled and I right away I could tell it was her best feature, because she smiled like she knew it. Confidence. I liked that on a woman, a little bit. Her hair was pulled back into a bun thanks to the gel she slicked it down with. She was in a cotton candy pink Baby Phat tracksuit. The zipper to the sweater was open a little bit, revealing the white spaghetti strap top she was wearing underneath.
"My bad, ma." I say, stepping to the side. There were some bad bitches in this building.
"Janae." She says, as if correcting me.
I had something really slick to say, but some stomping coming from the staircase above stopped me. We both looked as it got louder, coming toward both of us. This little boy came into view, running so fast he nearly busted his ass in the process. It probably wouldn't be so funny if he fell, because it was a long flight down to the bottom. Still, some how the thought manages to make me smile so I have to bite the insides of my cheeks to stop myself.
"Mommy!" He says hugging her leg. It shocks me.
"Hey baby, lemme see what you got." Janae said, scooping him up with a grunt. He pulled some little toy action figure out a black plastic bag he was holding. Janae smiled, "Your gonna walk with Mr. Ranger? That's really cute, baby."
"No, he's not cute mama! He's gonna destroy the world! You should be scared of him."
Janae laughed like the shit was funny instead of being concerned like she should've been. I couldn't believe this is what Angel wanted, a dumb ass kid. I could at least understand if he was a toddler, but he looked as if he was at least ten. Janae and I make eye contact but before we could say anything, a man appears beside her.
He was built like a football player but was way below my height. Only five foot something, but twice as large as me. His mass didn't scare me one bit as we eyed each other.
"You got an issue?" I asked, not liking the way he was looking at me.
"I said I had an issue?" He said back, making Janae put her son down and quickly tug on dude's wrist for them to keep it pushing.
"Aight I was checking, 'cause I could make one for you." I said. I didn't bother flashing my gun because I didn't need too. I wouldn't need a gun for him.
"Please stop, our son is right here." Janae pleaded with me.
"Then tell homeboy to keep walking." I said. She was the one who bumped into me skinning teeth, I don't know what he was sizing me up for. She looked good but the minute I saw that kid I was no longer interested. I don't know how some dudes had a fetish of taking down women with kids, shit was weird.
"Yeah aight." The dude said, probably remembering he was a family man or just coming to the conclusion he didn't want any smoke. They walked down the staircase and I continued up, to Tasha's.
Some goodbye head wouldn't be so bad. I wasn't getting it from Angel, so I had to get it from somewhere.
********
Colombia, Cartagena 2:45PM
I pull up to Emilio's estate in a white stretch Hummer. The big gates open automatically and the driver slowly drives forward. I watch on in awe at everything around me. It felt like I was in a old time gangster movie. There was a man outside trimming the bushes that were shaped like flowers. There were even a few bird cages with colorful tropical birds of all colors, all making different sound and noises.
I hold my laugh in at the statue that was in the middle of the cobblestone driveway. It was a statue of a naked woman, both of her hands holding two handfuls of her curly short hair. Her eyes and mouth were wide open while water poured out of her vagina, into the large stone bowl underneath her. An orgasm. It was hilarious, but old people and kids probably don't come to visit.
The limo comes to a stop and the engine cuts off. There were two guards standing by the front door and four cameras I noticed off the bat all aiming at the front door from different angles. The chauffeur got out the driver side and walked around, opening my door. I nod my head at him and get out.
"Next time I got it, don't worry bout' that. I'm not on that Hollywood shit."
It was hot out here, maybe about mid eighties and if I was thinking I should've worn something other than the sweatpants I had on.
The front door opens and Emilio steps out. "Money, fantasico! How you fly?" He asked me. I had a first class ticket on one of the best airlines.
"It was amazing, thank you." I said shaking his hand as he approached me. He pats my back and chuckles, walking away. I know he's expecting me to follow him, so I do. I look over my shoulder to see the chauffeur taking my luggage out the trunk.
"I show you where you sleep." Emilio says as we walked through his kitchen.
It was a kitchen the size of a restaurant. The tiles were marble white and the walls were painted a deep shade of red. A huge island table sat in the middle of the kitchen with six stools all around it. Three on each side. The microwave, stove, dishwasher, and refrigerator was stainless steel. Every pot and pan was super sized as if it were used for catering events.
We even passed some kind of staff members on the way. I couldn't tell what their jobs were, but they all had on uniform.
This was the life I wanted. This is what I pictured for Angel and I. Living large and on top. If I got us here she wouldn't ever have to worry about anything. She'd have anything that she wanted at her fingertips. This is why I needed her to fallback for a while and just let me do me. After we were established, then is when she could request anything she wanted of me.
We walk up the grand staircase and enter a narrow hallway. It was like a maze and I was going to have to remember how to find my way back toward the front door. All of a sudden some woman comes out of a room. It was a large open space with a red furniture set and a fireplace. The whole room was made out of gray stone. I noticed he had a thing for stone.
The first thing that was noticeable was her hair. Jet black and down past her butt. It probably stood out because her skin was so white. Marshmallow white. She wasn't that tall, probably about five foot six. She wore a thin blouse and jeans, no shoes. Her toes were painted white along with her fingernails. Brown eyes and bubble gun pink lips. A natural rosiness to her cheeks that matched the color of her lips.
"Papa..." She had started to say, probably hearing his voice, but then trailed off when she saw me. She watched me carefully, up and down before turning back to her father. "¿Quién es éste?"
"Un socio comercial. El que se quedará con nosotors durante cuatro meses." He replied fast.
She was very attractive and I could tell she was an adult. Youthful, but I refused to believe she was younger than nineteen. Her body and facial features said young adult.
Emilio smiles, "María is this Money and Money this is my daughter, María."
"Hello." I said, extending my hand. When we made eye contact something made me look away.
"Your name is Dinero?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side. She was soft spoken, reminded me of Angel.
"No, Money."
"Dinero is the Spanish word for money." She gives me a graceful smile.
"I know that, but I'm not called the Spanish word for my name. I'm called Money." I reply. I'm careful not to call her any of the pet names I'm use to calling women.
"Well, I'm going to call you Dinero. Is there any objections to that?"
I look at her and I swear I see her tongue dart across her lips. I doubt she was flirting with me but I was getting that vibe. I knew better than to even entertain Emilio's daughter so I just shake my head from side to side and give her a small smile. She walks off and Emilio turns to me with a large smile on his face.
"That's my little pequeña." He said, proudly.
I didn't say anything, just smiled.
When we get to the end of the hallway, Emilio opens a room door and shows me inside. It wasn't anything fancy. Gray carpet, white walls, a flat screen television and a king sized bed. There was a bathroom right next to my room. It would be enough for four months. I'd rather a hotel honestly, but I didn't want to disrespect him by asking so I accepted the room in his home.
"Get some rest, you start tomorrow early. Four in the morning, si?"
"Okay." I say.
He closes the door and leaves me to myself. I stay in my room the whole day, until nightfall. I only come out once to use the bathroom. It was only when my stomach started to growl; I started to wonder how I would get my dinner. I guess I to had to ask the staff, hoping they spoke English.
Just laying on the bed and looking at the ceiling, I pull my cellphone out. I didn't know if the time zones were different in Florida and Colombia, but I wanted to hear Angel's voice. She was in a different house too, surrounded by people that she wasn't that familiar with, so I wanted to make sure she was okay as well.
The phone begins to ring but it doesn't take long for her to answer. "Hello?" Her voice is like silk.
I close my eyes, "Hey, baby. What are you up to?"
"Nothing, about to eat dinner. Capri is making smoked turkey and rice and peas. It smells really good. I'm in my room."
"Who else is there? Just you and them two?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Nothing, I was just asking. I got here a few hours ago, it's nice but boring. I miss you already." I tell her truthfully. I wished she was here so I could lay my head on her breasts and fall asleep that way.
She didn't say anything at first. There was some fumbling on the other end of the line, like she didn't know what to say to that. "Well...I'm about to eat dinner."
"You can't tell your man you miss him?" I say. She doesn't say anything and there's a possibility that makes me think she doesn't. But I can't picture that.
"We're separated right now."
"So? You can still miss me. Aight...I won't hold you up, go enjoy dinner."
"Okay."
"Angel?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
"...I love you too." She whispered. I don't know if she knew I needed to hear it, but just hearing her say it made my heart swell. The way I felt about this woman made me hate myself for breaking her heart and I promised myself I would never do it again.
There was a knock on my door so I granted the person entry. It was Emilio's daughter, María. "You can come down for dinner in twenty minutes. Word of advice, don't say no. You'll offend my padre. I hope you like seafood, crab and shrimp?"
"Sounds delicious."
She smiled at me and I did the same, before she closed the door in after herself. I just hoped in the next four months I wouldn't be seeing much of her, then I'd be able to pass the mission with flying colors.