It's Like Candy (14 page)

“So, where are we off to?” River asked.

“Somewhere nice.”

“I trust you,” she said.

Eric never noticed Twinkie in the blue Pontiac sitting and observing his every move. As the Scion slowly passed his Pontiac, Twinkie quickly jotted down the tag number on the plates, the color, and the model. He smiled, thinking to himself,
This is too easy.
He pulled out his cell and called Big Red.

“Yeah, Red, she's set. He picked her up a few minutes ago. I got his tags and the car. The niggah drives a Scion, that box shit.”

“Ayyite, Twinkie, you did good. Come on home now,” Big Red instructed. “Our girl got it from there.”

 

Eric and river dined
at the exquisite Artie's Steak and Seafood in City Island. Their conversation never stopped, and he kept her smiling and laughing. The vibes were definitely there, and the more Eric talked and got to know River, the more he stopped seeing her as a piece of pussy and noticed that she was a woman really worth spending time with.

“So, what do you do anyway?” River asked. “I see you bling-bling out, with the ice around your wrist and the pinky ring. Making that money, huh?”

“A lil' sumthin' . . . I do me. I'm a party promoter,” Eric explained.

“Really? What kind of parties?”

Eric smiled. “On the real, strippers and shit. I ain't gonna lie to you.

“Oh, so you're a pimp?”

“Nah, not even, luv. I know niggahs be horny, you know. I call a few strippers, get a place to throw the party, call up a few niggahs, pass out a few invites, make sure shit is right, and just collect what I charge at the door and a lil' extra on the side if it's that kind of party,” he proclaimed.

“Oh, so you ain't a pimp, but you charging niggahs to fuck at your parties, right? “

“Hey, we both gotta get paid, right? Shit ain't free in this world.”

“Ain't that the truth. So, I'm curious, you ever sample the strippers at your party? Be honest.”

Eric chuckled. “Ah, man . . . you wanna know everything, I see.”

“No, not everything yet. I'm just curious, that's all. You're cute, and I know you can get plenty of women. And I know being around a bunch of butt-naked hoes every night gotta turn a fine brotha like you on.”

“Sometimes, but I look at it as business, that's all. I'm about that paper. Pussy comes and goes.”

“I see,” River said, then took a sip from her Long Island Iced tea, placed the drink back down in front of her, and suddenly came with, “So, am I only a piece of pussy to you?”

“Damn, are you always this blunt, luv?”

“I like to come straight forward with men. I'm not the type of woman to beat around the bush with shit.”

“I see. I like that. That's what's up.”

“So if you just wanna fuck me, and think going on one date is gonna accomplish climbing in between my legs later on tonight, then you got the wrong girl. It doesn't work that way wit' me,” River stated sternly, gazing at Eric as she held her drink.

The patrons behind them overheard her comment. The lady started laughing and the young gentleman had to glance over his shoulder to see the young woman.

“I don't even see it like that, River,” Eric began to explain. “On the real, I find you really attractive—fuckin' gorgeous. And the truth, when I first met you, yeah, you gotta niggah open, luv. But after tonight, I really wanna get to know you better, and not just after one night.”

“I like that, you're honest.”

“Listen, I have nuthin' to hide. What you see is what you get. I'm not one of these frontin' niggahs out here that gotta tell lies to impress you, River. All I ask for in a woman is, I'm real wit' you, so I want you to be real wit' me. No games. And so far, you're straight up wit' me. Blunt, too, and I like that. I love a woman who can speak her mind.”

River held his gaze, feeling guilty about the situation she was putting him in. For once, her conscience was eating away at her. All the other men before Eric were bullshit, all they wanted was to get into her pants, play games, and have a trophy like River under their arm. She never had a second thought about going through with the scam with the previous ones. But with this one, she warned Big Red that it was different. She saw it in his eyes when he held steady eye contact with her, spoke the truth, and looked like there was more to him than the eye could see.

The waiter soon came to their table clutching a platter filled with food. He placed both their orders in front of them, and asked if they would like anything else.

Eric waved him off.

They started on their meals and continued to talk. River liked that he chewed with his mouth closed, and wasn't spitting out food while he talked, unlike Hubert, who was a total disaster at the table—no manners at all.

“If you don't mind me asking . . .” Eric interrupted.

“Ask what?”

“Your last boyfriend, how long ago was that?”

River sighed. “Two years ago. But he was a jerk.”

“He wasn't treating you right?”

“He cheated on me, got some other bitch pregnant, and stole five hundred dollars from me.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah. But I don't like talkin' about it.”

“It's cool. So what part of Baltimore you from?”

River looked up, shocked that he asked but flattered that he still remembered she'd told him Baltimore. “You get points for that,” River said, smiling flirtatiously at him.

“For what?”

“Remembering things about me, unlike some men. You tell ‘em something about yourself, and five minutes later they asking you the same dumb question you already gave an answer to. I hate that, turns me off. Goes to show that they're out for one thing. . . .”

“Pussy,” Eric blurted

She smiled.

“Shit, I see enough of it every day, it ain't nuthin' new to me.”

River smiled. “So, what about you, when was your last girlfriend?”

Eric sighed. “Too long now,” he admitted. “I'm talking about since my early twenties.”

“No kids?”

“Nah. You?”

River shook her head. “None here.”

“Why not?”

“Choose not to. I want kids when I get married. I'm not chasing after no baby-daddies for child support, milk, Pampers, and other tedious shit. I want a stable man in my life, so we can raise our children together,” River proclaimed.

“I'm impressed.”

“Y'all niggahs be trifling. Y'all wanna get all up in it, enjoy it while it's good. Then when she's pregnant, and ‘bout to have that baby, y'all wanna forget about it, and move on to something better,
after your dick and your baby done stretched my shit all out. Nah, not this bitch. You give me a baby, you stayin' with me.”

Eric chuckled. “Me? I don't see it like that. I love kids. I always thought about a family,” Eric started, taking a bite out of his steak. “But, my life is too crazy right now to have kids.”

“You'll make a good father,” River stated.

“Why you say that?”

“‘Cause of your eyes, they say a lot. The way you look at me, direct eye contact, confidence, and they show sincerity.”

Eric smiled, and said, “Well, they say the eyes are the windows to your soul.”

“You believe that?”

“Yeah. To some extent.”

River shrugged her shoulders and continued with her meal.

“Hey, you still didn't answer my question.” Eric said.

“What question?”

“What part of Baltimore you from?”

“Damn, you don't forget shit, do you?”

“You wanna know about me, and I definitely want to get to know more about you,” he declared.

River smiled, feeling his warmth, honesty, and humor, and then answered, “Park Heights.”

They continued their evening touring Manhattan and its night life. River enjoyed every moment of his company. This was the first time she'd actually enjoyed a date, and the thought of conning him was far from her mind. They held hands, talked, and really got to know each other well.

By three in the morning, Eric was on his way back to Queens to drop her off at home. When he pulled up in front of her building, she stared at him.

“Got you home in one piece. Tell your family that you was in good hands.”

“I will.”

She had never done it before, but her heart urged for it. She was quiet, gazing at him, and then she softly said, “Come here,” leaning toward him and pressing her lips against his, devouring his warm lips. They kissed passionately for several moments until she broke away and regained her composure.

“That was nice,” Eric said, breaking the silence in the car.

“I gotta go. Thanks for the evening,” River said, and quickly jumped out of Eric's Scion.

“I'll walk you upstairs,” he volunteered.

“No!” River shouted.

“Why not?”

“Because I don't want you seeing my apartment yet,” she said. “I barely know you.”

“Understandable.”

He watched her long refined legs as she strutted out of his sight.

“I'll call you!” Eric shouted through the window as River quickly made her way into the building. “Damn!” he muttered, and drove off.

Watching him leave, and seeing that it was clear, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Big Red's number. He picked up after the fifth ring.

“Yeah?”

“It's me, come get me,” River instructed.

“Everything went smooth?”

“Yeah. Just come get me.”

“Everything ayyite, that niggah ain't do nuthin' stupid, right?”

“No. The date went fine. Just come get me.”

“Ayyite. Twinkie will be over there in twenty minutes,” Red informed her.

River never replied, she just quickly hung up and tried to keep herself from shedding tears. He was definitely different from the others, and finally her conscience was getting to her about the scheme.

She stared out the lobby window, alone on a warm spring night except for the overnight security posted outside in the booth. The building was quiet, and for once, she wished she could have been honest with Eric. But to River, it was either him or her.

“Ha, I win again,”
Starr declared throwing in her hand of cards on the bed as she and Ms. Henderson played a game of pitty-pat.

“Chile, you got some luck in playing cards,” Ms. Henderson said. “No one has ever beaten me in cards like that. I'm always the best.”

“Well, I'm not everyone, and your reign is finally over,” Starr said, smiling at Ms. Henderson.

“Well, if I had to lose, then I'm glad it was to you,” Ms. Henderson said. “How are you feeling?”

“I'm better, Ms. Henderson.”

She'd been in the hospital for a little over a week and as promised, Ms. Henderson was making her stay very comfortable for her. Starr began to open up to the nurse and even began to smile when Ms. Henderson would enter her hospital room.

When the hospital sex-abuse unit came in to see her and ask her questions, Ms. Henderson stood by Starr's side. When detectives from the 103rd and 113th Precincts came into her room to get information about her attack, Ms. Henderson was by her side. And when Ms. Henderson thought that Starr had had enough of the questions and interrogations she would remove everyone from her bedside, pushing them out into the hallway, exclaiming, “Okay, she needs her
rest now, that's enough.” Ms. Henderson was strict and didn't play when she felt that they were badgering her young patients too much. Their health came first, and only if they were up to it would she allow for an interview to continue.

Starr definitely took a liking to Ms. Henderson and even trusted her a little.

Ms. Henderson would always talk to Starr about her four grown kids and her lovely grandchildren, and show Starr pictures of her family. Starr would hold back her emotions, thinking about her own family and the horror and abuse her own mother put her through.

As they played cards in her room, Starr peered at Ms. Henderson and wondered if her mother had been as kind and as sweet as the nurse, would she have turned out differently.

Starr remained quiet for a long moment, her expression looked troubled, and she didn't want to continue on with the game. Ms. Henderson saw the sudden change in Starr and asked, “What's wrong, Starr?”

“Nuthin', Ms. Henderson,” Starr replied.

“You sure you don't want to talk about it? I'm here, chile. Whatever you have to say, I promise you that it won't leave this room.”

“Ms. Henderson, what's goin' to happen to me? I'm sixteen, and I know what happens to young girls that end up on the street. They gonna put me in a group home, right?” Starr asked, lookin' a bit worried.

“Chile, the city has to do what they feel is the best option for you. I know you're scared, but try and have some trust in this system.”

“I've been on my own since I was fourteen. I know how to take care of myself. What can the city do that I haven't already done for myself?” Starr asked, looking frustrated. “I'm a woman, Ms. Henderson, and I do what I have to do to survive.”

“Yes, you're a young woman, but you still have some growing up to do, chile. The street is not a safe place for a young woman to grow up. And selling your body for sex, Starr . . . your body is your ternpie,
and you should treat your temple with respect and care. God didn't give you that body to abuse it with drugs, sex, and have some man beat on it.”

“Ms. Henderson, please don't talk to me about God. Where was He when . . .” she began to say, thinking about the horrible moments at home before she left.

“All I'm sayin' is, just because I'm sixteen, that don't mean I'm naive to what's happening in the world. I left home when I was fourteen, and I've done things that I'm not proud of. But it's survival, Ms. Henderson. You gotta know how to handle yourself, and I've been doin' that.”