Crazy Summer (13 page)

Rodney squinted his eyes. “Let me hit dat blunt.”

“You on parole ain’t ‘cha,” Ann replied seriously. “We need you here, not back in.”

Rodney looked at Danté and then Summer, while everybody waited on him to come back with a fly remark. Instead, he allowed a grin to spread across his face as he stepped closer toward Summer and Ann. Because she only stood 5’5”, he had to lean down to whisper in her ear.

“You got a real jazzy mouth.”

Ann smiled and whispered back, “Wait ‘til you feel it.” Then she took a pull of the blunt.

He hit the bottle, and his entire body tensed up. He could feel himself getting hard.

“I’ll be right back,” Summer said, then began walking off.

Ann started to follow her, but Rodney grabbed her hand. She looked at him with a flirtatious smile.

“I’ll be ready when you get back,” he whispered in her ear.

She said okay and quickly caught up with Summer. When they got in the car, Ann stubbed the blunt out in the ashtray and sprayed some fruity smelling air freshener. Summer started the engine while Ann was lost in thought.

“I shouldn’t have said what I said,” Ann expressed, looking over at Summer as she pulled off.

“‘Bout him being on parole? You ain’t say nothin’ wrong.”

Ann flashed a wide smile as the weed took effect. “Not that.”

“What did you say?”

“In so many words, I told him I was gonna suck his––”

“Alright!” Summer screamed out before she could finish her sentence.

They both laughed, then talked about Danté and Rodney all the way to the school.

*****

Rodney was savoring a hot piece of fish from the grill when he caught Tonya staring at him from across the yard as she sat on one of the six lawn chairs with another female. Rodney gazed at her for a few seconds, lost in deep thought.

After five long years, I’m here now…in the street, on the street. I got to get right, and I need a ride-or-die type of bitch.

Danté nudged him. “Nigga, you ain’t heard shit I said.”

Rodney looked at him. “Whuzzup…whuzzup?”

“Come on,” Danté said and began walking toward the car that was under a beige cover. Rodney followed, staggering a little. Danté removed the thick cover from the Lexus. The ribbon was perfect on the hood, and the car gleamed on the spring evening. Rodney couldn’t believe his eyes. He almost shed a tear, but managed to contain himself. He gave Danté a look filled with emotion, and then they shared a hug, both feeling the love in their heart for one another.

“You my nigga,” Danté said. “I love you, partna.”

Rodney held on to his partner with a strong embrace. He felt his eyes getting watery, but he wouldn’t allow a tear to fall. “I don’t know what I would do without you. I love you, too, dawg.”

When they released each other, Danté called Cam over. He’d been introduced to Rodney earlier, but now, he was told he’d be working with Rodney from now on, with the same prices and same quantity. They shook hands on the agreement and departed.

Rodney got into the driver’s seat of his Lexus Sport Coupe, which was identical to Danté’s. Rodney couldn’t believe this; it all seemed like a dream. He looked at the dashboard trying to figure out what was what. When he reclined his seat, the passenger side door opened. He looked to this right and saw Tonya leaning toward him, placing her left hand on the soft butter leather to keep from falling face first inside the vehicle. She held a small business card between her fingers.

“Call me when you get a chance,” she told him. Then she gave him the card and closed the door, disappearing as fast as she had appeared.

Rodney stuffed the card in the pocket of his jeans and stepped out of the car. He removed a pack of Newport’s from his pocket, fired one up, and inhaled. The menthol on top of the champagne gave him the rush he desired.

He looked at Danté and said, “I’ma go get me a room when Ann gets back.” Smoke leaked from his nose and mouth as he spoke.

Danté laughed under his breath. “A room? Nigga, you already got a house.”

Rodney had a serious, confused expression across his face. “The house we had in Farrington…” Danté reached in his pocket and removed a single key from a key ring, handing it to Rodney.

Smiling, he took the key and shook his head. At that moment, the twins came in the yard from the patio doors and ran full speed toward Rodney and Danté. Lil’ Danté was behind them; he wasn’t as fast, but he was coming. The twins referred to Danté as Daddy, and he certainly filled the role. He got them everything they wanted, and he loved them as if they were his very own.

Rodney hugged the twins one at a time and then embraced his other nephew. There was nothing but love in the air.

Ann didn’t want Rodney to do anything but lay back and relax. The king-sized bed was laced with satin sheets that Ann had brought from her apartment. Rodney laid flat on his back with his head propped up on a few goose-down pillows.

There wasn’t any music playing to set the tone. Ann wanted it; Rodney didn’t care. He was just ready to relieve some built-up stress. She came from the bathroom in a red negligee. When Rodney saw her, he knew he wasn’t about to lie there and be teased. He was too eager for any foreplay. Not tonight.

She reached the edge of the bed and climbed in with him. As she gripped his soft penis through his boxer briefs, it quickly hardened in her hand. She smiled at his response and slid his boxers off his body. He was completely naked now, and she didn’t waste any time serving him orally. She worked her mouth and tongue on him very slowly, getting a rhythm going. He could feel her saliva running down and around his scrotum. His toes curled and his body tensed up as he ran his fingers through her hair, guiding her head. He wanted to be in control. He pulled her up until she mounted him. Her eyes widened, and she looked as if she was holding her breath while trying to withstand the pain.

Rodney grabbed her waist and met her body motions. He stroked, only working his lower body. She moaned and closed her eyes.

“I forgot to tell you it takes a long time for me to cum.”

“I got all night,” she said, kissing him. “We’ll get it.”

*****

The following day at lunchtime, Ann came strolling into the hair salon with a smile on her face that spoke for itself. There were two customers waiting to get their hair done. Ann spoke to everybody, waving as if she were on a float in a Christmas parade. She walked into the office where Summer was sitting at her desk and smiled.

“Whuzzup?”

Ann continued to smile. “You already know.” She sat down and took a deep breath. “Girl, I ain’t been home yet.”

Summer shook her head. “And Monte jus’ came by here lookin’ fo’ you, too.”

Ann’s smile faded. “He did?”

“And he’s mad.”

Ann rubbed her face and gave a worried look. Monte was a friend of hers who had been living with her for the last six months. To her, he wasn’t anything but a sex partner who possessed a key to her apartment, coming and going as he pleased.

“Fuck dat nigga,” she finally said with confidence in her voice. “He got a bitch on da side.”

Summer’s cell phone rang. She removed it from the charger and answered it. It was Danté on the other end. They talked briefly before she hung up the phone. She looked at Ann and stood up.

“I gotta go meet, Danté,” she told Ann, standing up. “You gonna be alright?”

Ann twisted her mouth. “I ain’t thinkin’ ‘bout dat nigga.” She managed a small smile, but deep down inside she was really scared.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you later,” Summer said as she walked toward the door to leave.

“Okay, boo. I’ll call you if anything comes up.”

Summer spoke to everybody before exiting the front glass doors. Before she could get in her car, Rodney pulled into the parking lot and lowered the passenger side window.

“Whuzzup?” he said. “Where da carwash at?”

Summer pointed to the building. He looked in that direction and nodded his approval. Then his eyes spotted Ann’s car. He smiled to himself, but didn’t say anything.

“You got a key to da building?” Summer asked.

“Yeah, I’ma go in and check it out.”

Summer nodded and then leaned further into the window. “Listen,” she said. “Ann may be in trouble about being with you last night. I’m tellin’ you so you can be on point jus’ in case her crazy-ass nigga comes back.”

Rodney listened but stared straight ahead, allowing everything she’d said to sink in and stick there.

He finally looked at Summer and said, “Dats a small thang.” Then he asked, “Where you goin’?”

“I’m finna go meet Danté. I’ll be back in probably an hour.”

He nodded. “I’ll be here.”

“See you later,” she said and walked toward her car to leave.

Rodney pulled around to the side of the building, got out, and examined the building. It was made of cinderblock and stucco. The front had a large Plexiglas window and a single glass door. Using his key, he unlocked the door, and upon entering, he pictured the front section being a waiting area furnished with a sofa set, a wall-mounted TV, and a soda machine in the corner. He also wanted the tiled floor to be covered with carpet. Further to the back, he pictured a small counter and a cash register on top of it. A small office was located behind the counter, just like in the salon next door.

He paused for a minute and strained his ears. Through the wall, he could hear music coming from the salon. It sounded like Mary J., but he wasn’t sure. He just knew the walls were thin. He glanced up toward the ceiling and thought about installing a ceiling fan or two.

Rodney’s mind was working now, wondering how much money could be made from the carwash.
Better yet, if we turn it into a detail shop, we could make major paper,
he thought.

Something banged against the wall and disrupted his thinking process. It sounded like someone was slamming a door. There was a scream. A woman’s voice. He focused his attention at the wall. Another bang. Then someone yelled, “Stop!”

He turned and ran next door. Inside the hair salon, some guy was destroying everything. He kicked over chairs and anything else in his way. Most of the women had frightened looks on their faces. Rodney looked around for Ann, but didn’t see her face in the crowd. The guy went to the door that led to the office and beat against it with a large, heavy fist.

“You betta come out, bitch!” he shouted.

Rodney eased up behind him while he was facing the door. He didn’t want to sneak him. He wanted to impress the women; he wanted to show his hand skills.

“Every thang you fuck up in here you gonna pay fo’ it.”

The guy spun around quickly. He stared at Rodney through red-veined eyes. Rodney saw fear in those eyes, also. Then the guy hawked up a lump of cold spit. Rodney felt he would try something stupid. So, he hit him with a right hook dead on his jawbone, cracking it. The guy, who stood almost 5’10”, fell to his knees in front of Rodney.