A Pimp In Pumps (20 page)

              However, in the sex business, which was a small circle, word got around. There were pimps who were aware of my business and were “hating”. They were worried that I’d take their street hoes to the next level. Well, they had a reason to be.

              Everybody’s eyes were on Caramel when she walked through the door. She seemed kind of out of place in her extra high stilettos and super tight, short black dress. Her face was beat and her eyebrows and lashes were on point. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was a model or something.

              Her chestnut colored hair was cut in layers and bounced with body as she walked. Speaking of body, hers was on point. Her ass wasn’t all huge like Reign’s, but she had that curvy, coke bottle figure. With smooth, caramel colored skin, nice full lips, big soft brown eyes and straight, white teeth, she was definitely marketable.

              Nodding in her direction, I gestured so that she’d know who I was. I’d seen pictures of her online, but she didn’t know what I looked like. There was a pleasant smile on her face as she made her way over. That meeting had already stared differently than the one I’d had with Serenity years ago. Maybe that was because she was open to the possibility of working for me already and I didn’t really have to convince her.

              “Caramel, hi, it’s nice to meet you.” We shared an air kiss and then sat down.

              “It’s nice to meet you too.” She was still smiling as I got a waitress’s attention.

              “What would you like to drink hon?” I asked her as the waitress approached.

              “Oh, let me get a Bob Marley please,” she ordered.

              The waitress sauntered off and we continued.

              “So, tell me about your situation with…” I didn’t really want to say his name.

              “He’s the worst,” she rolled her eyes. “He makes all these promises after he beats me, but he ain’t shit. When I first met him I was sixteen and I had ran away from home. He promised to take care of me if I just did a few, small favors for him. Well, you know what those favors were.” Letting out a sarcastic laugh, she continued. “I just don’t want to keep letting him take advantage of me. The other girls hate me and wanna fight me because I make way more money than them. I can’t help my pussy’s better than them sour pussy hoes. They get mad at me because he wants to fuck me all the time. If only they knew that I don’t even want that nigga’s dick. They love him. I don’t. I know that I can make my own money with you. The only thing is, I know he’ll kill me.”

              “No, he won’t do shit to you if I can help it. You’ll be well protected. Believe me.” My eyes drifted off to Serg. “You see that guy right there with the red True Religion shirt on?”

              Her eyes followed mine. “Oh yeah. He’s fine.”

              “I know, but he’s my mine. Don’t get shot.”

              She looked at me with wide eyes.

              “I’m just kiddin’.” I laughed and she seemed to relax.

              “Well, anyway, if you don’t know who he is, just let me tell you this. Because of him, nobody will fuck with you. Not even Cuba.”

              The waitress came back to the table with her drink and put it in front of her.

              “Give me another watermelon martini please,” I told her.

              “I think this will be the start of a good business relationship.” Caramel grinned at me.

              We shook on it.

              “We’ll start the rest of the application process on Monday.”

              Her eyebrows rose. “Application process?”

              Leaning forward, I filled her in on what she’d have to do to work for me. By the time I finished she was in agreement and I had a feeling that she was going to even surpass Serenity’s status. At that point she was my bottom bitch. Her skills had those niggas coming back to back. Something told me that Caramel was going to have shit popping on a whole new level.

*  *  *

              Serg ended up dropping me off at home before going to handle some business.

              “I’ll be back in a few hours baby,” he told me before I got out of the car.

              “Okay.” I planted a soft kiss on his lips and opened the car door.

              I knew that he didn’t really want me to deal with Caramel. Although he was a street nigga who was down for whatever, he didn’t want shit to be dangerous for me. He’d said that the type of business I was involved in was dangerous enough without me making enemies. I told him that when you make money you make enemies. That was just how it was.

              Once I was inside of my quiet, spacious domain, reality set in once again. My best friend in the whole wide world was not talking to me. I’d tried to call, but she’d obviously blocked my number. I couldn’t believe that she was acting like that. I really missed her, but I decided to call Bells.

              “Sasha, heyyyy boo!” She squealed excitedly when she answered the phone.

              “What’s up Bells. I miss you girl.”

              “Aww, I miss you too.”

              We talked for a while and I filled her in on what was going on with Cherie and Serg.

              “Cherie was reachin’ girl. I ain’t never tell her I had a crush on Serg. I mean, yeah, he’s sexy and I’m happy as hell for you, but I ain’t say that shit. She must’ve felt that it was something between you two. Maybe that was her way of tryin’ to get you to confess.”

              “Maybe so.” I sighed.

              Right when I was about to say something else, my phone beeped with another call.

              “Hold on boo. Let me see who’s callin’ me.”

              I glanced down at the screen and it was a Texas number. It was funny that I’d seen that number a few times before, but I never answered it. That time out of curiosity, I decided to.

              “Let me call you back Bells.”

              “A’ight girl.”

              “Love you.”

              “Love you too.”

              I answered the call. “Hello.”
              “It’s so good to hear your voice Sasha.”

              My blood started to boil at the sound of his.

              “Kamal. It’s been years. Let’s get to the damn point? Where the fuck are my divorce papers?”

              As angry as I was, I couldn’t give him a hint that I really wanted to end his life.

              He cleared his throat. “I don’t want to divorce you.”

              I was taken aback. “What the fuck do you mean? Do you think you can just leave me for my best friend, disappear for two years and I’ll just take you back?”

              “We need to talk. Face to face.” He sighed.

              “You have nothing to say to me…!”

              “Please Sasha, I’ll be in Atlanta next week. I need to see you.”

              “Why? Why do you need to see me after all this time?”

              He sighed and then cleared his throat. “I never stopped lovin’ you and I never loved Jordan. I need you to promise me that you’ll see me.”

              That nigga just didn’t know that I was going to tell Serg everything. Being that Kamal didn’t know about us and the fact that I knew his little secret, that made it easy for him to trust me. I decided to play along, since that may be the only way we could get to him.

              “So, you’re in Texas now? Not California?” I quizzed.

              “Yeah.”

              “You still with Jordan?”

              “I guess you can say that.”

              “Hmm, I guess the grass wasn’t so green on the other side.”

              “You don’t know the half. If only things turned out different, but I’ll explain all of that to you later. I’ll be in touch. Okay?”

              “Yeah, okay,” I agreed.

              Right after we ended the call, I called Serg.

              “Hey babe,” he said with the sound of loud music playing in the background.

              “Can you turn that down please?” I stuck my finger in my ear, but he turned it down.

              “Sorry babe. What’s up?”

              “You’ll never guess who just called me.”

              He didn’t bother guessing. I guess he wanted me to get to the damn point. “Who?”

              “Kamal.”

              “What? What did he say?”

              I filled him in.

              “And you did agree to meet him right? You know this may be our only chance to get that nigga.”

              “At first I forgot about the agenda and I wasn’t too cooperative. Then it did occur to me that it may be our only chance.”

              “K ma. I’ll be there soon. I’m handlin’ somethin’ right now.”

              Something didn’t feel right to me, but I didn’t want to read too much into it. It wasn’t like I expected him to be with me twenty-four seven, and I knew what came with his lifestyle. However, I wanted him to drop everything for me. When he didn’t, I wondered if he was spending his time with another woman.

              “Ok babe, I’ll see you soon then.”

              I hoped he didn’t sense my insecurity. That must’ve stemmed from what Kamal did to me, because Serg had never cheated that I knew of. Not putting anything past a man, but if he was cheating on me, he was damn good at it. Then I wasn’t the type to look for anything. I didn’t check his phone, or his social network pages. There was no need to do all that. If he had some bitch out there he was fucking, at least she stayed in her lane.

*  *  *

              A couple days later I got another unexpected call from Kamal.

              “So you with Serg now?” He asked as if he was mad or something. As if he had the right to be.

              “Why would you give a fuck!” I snapped.

              Would him knowing affect the plan? I was certain that he wouldn’t come to Atlanta now.

              Damn!

              “Do you know how dangerous he is?”

              “Uh, duh. He’s my best friend’s brother. I’m very aware of his lifestyle, thank you. Unlike you, he doesn’t keep secrets from me. Yeah, I know everything.” I filled him in on what Serg had told me.

              “He didn’t tell you everything Sasha. I can guarantee you that. I owed him a little money back in the day. When we were at the graduation party I didn’t offer you to him. He wanted you. He told me that if I let him fuck you, he’ll erase my debt. I told him hell nah. There was no way. You really think I’d offer you to another man as jealous as I was? No amount of money would’ve made me do that.”

              My heart fell, because I didn’t know who or what to believe. Why would Serg lie to me? Kamal had every reason to, but still, who could I trust?

              Kamal kept talking. “He’s the reason I left baby. He threatened to kill me if I didn’t leave you. That nigga had been wanting you. It was his suggestion that I get with Jordan, since she confided in Cherie about being in love with me. Well, he claimed Cherie told him that. I felt that if I was with her, that would be the next best thing to being with you. She hates me because I talk about you all the time. She doesn’t know about Serg’s threat. She really thinks I chose her over you. The bitch gets on my nerves. She nags more than you…”

              “I don’t believe you Kamal!” I snapped, cutting his lies off. Did Jordan really tell Cherie that? How could she keep that away from me? There was no way. “You’re full of shit! Serg loves me and he would never do any of what you’re sayin’. He kept your ass alive because of me. Don’t make him look like the bad guy. You shouldn’t have ever got caught up in that lifestyle. You lied to me for years! At least Serg doesn’t lie to me. That’s why I trust him more than you. So, is this what you wanted to talk about? Huh? Are you afraid to come here now since you know about us? You’re such a fuckin’ coward. If you had loved me so much, why didn’t you stand up for me? Huh? Instead you did exactly what you claim Serg told your pussy ass to do. Fuck you! I don’t want a man who can’t protect me anyways. Good thing you left.”

              His ego was crushed and I could tell. I’d said all that, but I honestly didn’t know what to believe. I had to talk to Serg.

              “You don’t mean that ma. You don’t. I know you still love me.”

              I ignored that bullshit he was talking. “Who told you about Serg?”

              “You know I’m still in touch with a few of my niggas there. Word gets around. Somebody saw ya’ll together. I don’t think it’ll be a good idea for me to come there now. Although I miss you and I want you back so bad.” He cleared his throat. “You’re with him now though and I don’t need no more trouble. Guess he got what he wanted huh?” His voice broke.

              “Whether you’re telling the truth about Serg or not, do you really think I’d take you back? Do you think I’m that damn stupid? I’ll wait.”