The Corner III (No Way Out) (14 page)

She grabbed a hold of Shaun who stood about six-one, so Teresa, who is five-three, easily rested her head on his chest. She rubbed on his stomach and then down to his crotch. She looked up at him and said, “You’re starting to get a little weight around the belly.”

Shaun, who was thirty, was nowhere near fat, but years of eating and drinking well could put some weight on any man. “Yeah, but I look good, and besides, everyone can’t be as slim as you, skinny minnie,” Shaun joked.

Teresa was slim. Slim with a firm ass and large breasts for her petite frame. It was the way Shaun liked his women, petite. He was a pretty boy with a rough edge, and Teresa was a girl he’d known since high school. She had always been a bit tomboyish, but all that changed once she began dating and having sex after finishing high school. She was going to a community college for a year then dropped out and began working retail at various stores in the mall, and that is where Shaun spotted her working at a men’s clothing store. He spent a lot of money, she received a fat commission, he got her number and the rest is history. They have been kicking it for several years, breaking up a few times because of Shaun being in the streets, which meant women on the side, but Teresa would always find her way back simply because she was hooked on the fast money. She became a ride or die chick for Shaun, and he took care of her. And after handling her business last night, she knew Shaun would get the C-class Mercedes she’s been wanting.

Shaun said, “On a serious note. You did good last night.” He kissed her on the forehead.

“Can’t have my man caught up, then we wouldn’t be able to do this,” Teresa cooed seductively. She then kissed Shaun deeply as she raised her leg and Shaun held it as he entered her.

Shaun lifted Teresa and she wrapped her legs around his waists as he bounced her petite body up and down on his manhood. She bucked back and under the water they fucked like Tarzan and Jane in the rainforest of Africa.

*     *     *

Trish rolled over and could smell breakfast food. She rose and whisked strands of hair from her face. She was wearing one of Slim’s Chicago Bears t-shirts. She stretched her head to look over the bed to the downstairs of the open floor plan loft. She saw Slim standing in front of the counter chopping some fruit. She smiled and laid back down on what had to have been the most comfortable mattress she had ever laid on. And her head form fitted into the pillow as if it were made for her. She was smiling from ear to ear, remembering the night of eating Chinese food and then drinking wine as she listened to Slim play his saxophone, and she was impressed by the way he played along with the great saxophonist, Kenny G. She must’ve gotten tipsy, because after that she couldn’t remember anything. Her smile quickly faded, and she ran her hand up her leg, finding what she was looking for—her panties were still on. A smile crept back on Trish’s face. It wasn’t that she was happy that she didn’t sleep with Slim. She was happy because she didn’t want to have slept with him and not remembered it because she had gotten too tipsy.

Trish walked down the steps, and Slim, who was dressed in a pair of tan cargo shorts and a white Polo, chopping vegetables, looked at her and said, “Oh, sleeping beauty finally awakes.”

 “How much did I drink?” she asked.

“Finished off a bottle. You started dozing, so I gave you a t-shirt, and within minutes you were in the bed asleep.

Trish glanced at the sofa and saw the folded covers, pillow and slippers. Slim noticed and said, “Don’t worry, you were a lady and didn’t try anything. I slept on the couch.”

They laughed lightly, Trish then said, “What are you cooking?”

“Well, I’m going off what I saw you eating at Ray’s, so I have a veggie omelet and toast. I also made my own version of a fruit salad.”

She stepped to the counter and picked up a strawberry. “Good, because I’m starving!” she said as she seductively ate the piece of fruit.

Slim couldn’t help himself. He set down the knife he was using to cut the vegetables and walked over to Trish. He grabbed her by her waist, pulled her toward him so that their bodies connected. She swallowed what fruit was in her mouth, tilted her head, then the two kissed. Slow at first but then their emotions took over. She grabbed Slim’s athletic ass, and he ran his hand up her under her t-shirt, up to her breast. He enjoyed her softness and the way her nipple grew from his masculine, yet gentle touch. He used his other hand to cup her ass, and in one motion he lifted her to the counter.

He gazed into her eyes. “I want to taste you,” he told her.

She didn’t say anything; she grabbed the bottom of her t-shirt and pulled it off. Slim kissed her soft lips and suckled her breasts. She enjoyed the feeling of his lips and fleshy tongue as he made her feel good. Slim reached and pulled the bowl of fruit toward them. He grabbed a slice of mango and held the piece of juicy, exotic fruit to Trish’s lips. It turned him on the way her pink tongue slipped out of her mouth and circled the fruit. She sucked the slice free from his hand, and part of it extended from her lips. She placed her hand on the back of his head and guided him to her. He took the rest of the mango in his mouth, and they shared the fruit and each other.

Mangos, strawberries, pineapples and kiwis, Slim used them all to tease her body. Circling her brown nipples, belly button, earlobes and neck with pieces of the fruit leaving trails juice that he licked and sucked from her body. Slim kissed between her breasts, licked a sticky trail down her belly past her button until he found what he was looking for. Her covered her love with his mouth and began spelling his name with his tongue on what he was claiming as his as she moaned and bucked from the delightful pleasure.

*     *     *

Shaun was getting dressed in a pair of South Pole jean shorts and a graphic T when Teresa came walking into the bedroom. She was already dressed and ready to go. “So you’re only giving Cookie three kilos this time?”

“Yeah, and tell her they are twenty-two and not twenty,” Shaun replied.

“Damn, Shaun, you know she’s going to trip. That’s my cousin, why can’t we show her some love?”

Shaun slipped on his white Air Force Ones then said, “Need I remind you about last night? We just lost ten kilos. I have other people that I have to get some work to.”

“Okay, I’m going to meet Cookie in an hour, and then I’m having lunch with Chantel and Tesha.”

Shaun stood and kissed his girl on the forehead. “Be careful, and you know what to do once she got the shit.”

“I will,” she said then walked out of the bedroom.

Teresa was to call Shaun with a code to let him know all was good. If she didn’t, then Shaun was to assume she had got knocked. He sprayed a hit of Derrick Jeter body spray on himself, grabbed a pistol and slid it in the small of his back. As he looked himself over in the mirror, he heard the engine to Teresa’s Chevy Malibu. He thought about how he was going to surprise her with the Mercedes she’s been hinting about. She deserved it because she helped him make money. At first, he thought that she was like most women, addicted to what the money could buy, but he began to realize that he had become like the men that got trapped in the game. Addicted to the power and fast life like the dope fiends who were addicted to the drugs they sold. He just hoped they would be able to get out in the next year like they had planned because he knew there were only two endings for lifers in the game—dead or in jail.

Shaun was snapped out of his trance when his cell rang. He noticed it was Reese. “What’s up, my nigga?”

“You at the crib?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“I just finished talking to Slim. Told him about last night. I’ll fill you in when I get to your spot.”

“Ahight, how long?”

“About ten minutes, peace.”

“Peace, my nigga,” Shaun said then ended the call.

*     *     *

“Why you only have three for me? And I gotta pay twenty-two!” Cookie yelled. “Shit, we been doin’ five at twenty apiece.”

“Cookie, some shit happened. Shaun and them lost about ten kilos last night,” Teresa replied.

“Word? Damn, anybody get knocked?” Cookie asked in a concerned tone.

“Nah, but that’s all I know. You know Shaun don’t talk much about his business. So you got the money. I have to meet Chantel for lunch.”

Cookie went to a safe that was in a closet. As she turned the knob setting the combination she asked, “Didn’t she have her baby?”

“Yeah, girl, about two months ago. Y’all still haven’t talked.”

“Hell, nah. The way Noonie played my brother, I don’t have shit to say to none of them,” she said as she counted the band of money.

“I guess, girl,” Teresa said. She didn’t want to get into a conversation about Noonie and DC. The two men had been boys since they were kids living on the west side of Gary, but when DC brought an undercover into their crew and caused a soldier to die and Slim to lose large amounts of money, Slim ordered Noonie to kill DC. Noonie couldn’t do it and told him to get out of town. Not to contact anyone and never to come back. DC was glad that his friend spared his life but was pissed that Slim ordered him to be hit—even though DC broke the rules of the game.

Cookie handed Teresa the sixty-six thousand and Teresa handed her the grocery bag with the three kilos.

“You know I’m the one taking a hit only driving three kilos to Tennessee. Shit, you know DC gonna be pissed. I’m making you a lot of money. Next time, see if I can get at least seven to make up for the two I didn’t get this time.”

“I will, and tell DC I said hello, and hold it down.”

“I will. He’s killing them boys down there in Memphis. Three major players down there got knocked so he’s really the only one with good dope.”

Teresa stood and gave Cookie a hug. “I gotta run, and remember DC’s dead. You know if anyone finds out—”

“Girl, I ain’t about to fuck up this money. Call me as soon as I can get those other ones.”

Teresa left Cookie’s house and was thinking that she had made a big mistake when she started selling kilos to Cookie. At first, Cookie lied and said the drugs were being sold by her boyfriend. Teresa started her out with a half a kilo and that grew to one kilo, then three, then five. When Cookie’s boyfriend left her, Teresa was about to cut her off, but Cookie came clean that she was driving the drugs to DC. At first, Teresa cut her off, but then she didn’t have that extra thirty-five hundred dollars a month going into her pocket from Cookie alone, so the hustler in her agreed to keep the kilos coming with the promise that it wouldn’t get out that the drugs were going to DC—or it would mean her ass also.

*     *     *

“What’s up, my nigga?” Shaun said as he gave Reese some dap before locking the door.

Reese hadn’t wasted any time getting to Shaun’s house. He had talked to Slim about what had transpired the night before and had to get things in order. Reese wasn’t surprised when Slim didn’t get pissed after he told him that the cops had run into their spot. But he was surprised that Slim’s reaction was subtle when he told him that a shorty in their camp was the source to the police that they had some kilos coming in—when and where.

“That shit last night is what’s up. You got a brew for a nigga?” Reese asked. He stretched and his white Polo rose exposing his waist and the pistol that was tucked in the waistband of his jean shorts.

Shaun was in the kitchen reaching in the refrigerator for one of the Bud Lights. When he turned, Reese was in the kitchen reaching on the counter for one of the sausage patties that was on the paper towel. Shaun handed him the beer and asked, “So, what Slim say?”

Reese was chewing the breakfast meat when he said, “Man, he didn’t even trip about the shit, just told me to handle it.” He took a swallow of his beer. “You know that shit fucked me up.”

Shaun tried to see some reasoning for Slim not to be upset. He then told Reese, “You know you’re like an under boss and shit. So maybe he’s seeing if you can handle shit.” Shaun decided to get a beer for himself. Usually he didn’t drink during the day, but he had shit on his mind.