The Legend of Johnny Hustle: Crown Me King (7 page)

“Like a new woman.  I haven’t had an appetite in a few months.  I feel energized and ready to take on the world.”

She folded her arms in defiance. “Roxy and I got to know each other better.  I’m glad that you two helped me get some rest.  Since they don’t call you Johnny Hustle for nothing, what’s this gonna cost me?”

              Again I was shocked.  Even though tons of men were having sex with Roxy everyday, I somehow felt violated when I thought of the two women having sex.

              Roxy must have picked up on my vibes.  She held my chin. “Baby, I was helping her wash up and get her hair together.  We only talked that’s all.  She cool people.  Let her stay until she make up her mind what she want to do.  I’m not telling you what to do, I guess I’m just asking?”

The words I needed to say wouldn’t come to my mouth, so I figured I would take a shot in the dark.  “You can stay Red, but you do what
I
tell you to do.  In a week from now you can decide what
you
want to do.  As it stands, you up two grand.  You did what I needed you to do for three days, and I got another grand to help you get on your feet. 
If
you do what I ask by next week.”

It was clear that Roxy was happy about the whole situation. She smiled.  Red folded her hands together and she looked down at the brown carpet.

“I don’t have anywhere else to go.  When I hit the streets, I want to do it knowing I’m together.  I’d like to thank you and Roxy now.  I’m gonna go back to sleep and I’ll see you later.”

I put my hands in my robe and felt the two bracelets. “Here, I got something for you.”  I walked over to her and placed one of the bracelets on her wrist.  When it was secure I said, “You get the other one when you fulfill your contract and get that monkey off your back.”

Red stared at the diamonds while wiping tears from her eyes.  We both silently knew it was going to be a fight for her not to sell them to get high.

Roxy led me into the bedroom.  She pushed on my chest and I fell onto the bed.  She straddled me, bent her face down to mine, and kissed all over me.  “You the man, baby,” she whispered in my ear.  “I
knew
you just wanted to get that girl off of that Crack.  You like an angel or something.  Coming down here trying to help everybody get they self together.  I
swear
I’m loving you more and more each day.  I see the way you look at Red, and I know she turns you on, too.”

She held my face and kissed my nose. “If you want her, I can set the whole thing up.  It’s cool with me.  Just keep me as number one, baby.  And if you want me to, I’ll have her while you watch.”

My back and my manhood stood up after hearing that.

“You and her got something going on?  What’s up?”  I asked like a jealous lame.

“Baby, nobody, and I mean noooo-body is gonna touch my body except you and the ones you give permission to.  Turning tricks is business and all for us.  With Red, I been where she’s at, but didn’t have good people like you around.  A woman knows when another woman finds them attractive.  Like the way Gloria is always looking at me.  I love to be with another woman ‘cause it’s different, but I’m not doing it unless you tell me to.  I love
you,
baby.”

I wondered what the hell I did to have Roxy in my life.  She was hooked on me in every way possible.

That morning I told Roxy that she had to stay at home and she didn’t protest.  I called the hotel spa and requested an immediate appointment.  I wanted the staff to come to me instead of us going down to them.  I didn’t want to leave the $50,000 I had stashed away up there.  So, as soon as the first stage of my plan was over, I was going to see Proverb.

$$$

The three-woman team came up to the room, rolling in a beautician’s chair and dryer.  A small salon was set up in the living room.  While I got my hair shaped up, the two women had Roxy and Red in separate bathrooms.  Red was totally unaware of what was going on.
I gave specific instructions on the short curled haircut that I wanted her to have.  I also asked the stylist to dye her hair a dark red with blonde highlights.  For Roxy, I wanted her to have blonde hair with light blue highlights to match her contacts.

By the afternoon, the women had their hair styled.  They also received manicures and pedicures.  When that was done, they were treated to bikini, leg, and eyebrow waxes.  Eyelashes and makeup were added on after they received ultra deep facials.  I had an inexpensive outfit sent up for Red, and when we were all dressed, Roxy lent her a pair of heels and a jacket.

Red didn’t want to leave the hotel room.  She was afraid to go out.  I sent Roxy to the Port Authority with a message for Marcy and Elexus.  I had to see Proverb, but I didn’t want Red in the suite by herself.  I walked her into my bedroom, cut on all the lights, and walked her to the tall standing mirror.

“You remember her?”

Her eyes watered.  She put her manicured hands to her mouth and I said, “Her name is Red.  She used to be the best all around hustler in Times Square until she lost her mind and turned into something else.”  I turned her body to face me. “We on forty sixth street, and I want to walk to forty second street.  Just four blocks and we’ll be right back.”

She nodded, showing that she was willing to go.  We headed out the door with the cosmetic case in hand.

It was early November—the chill was in the air.  I only had on a suit, but I was well dressed.  As we walked down Seventh Avenue, the hustlers that were out called to Red and told her that it was nice to have her back.  Red’s white teeth lit up, and a new stride bounced into her walk as she held onto my arm.

We cut into Proverb’s store and I said, “Proverb, what’s the word?”

“Deliver those who are drawn towards death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.  I can’t believe my eyes.  Two of the best hooked up?  You really got it going on, homeboy.”  He grabbed Reds hand, kissed the back of it, and said, “It is a wonderful pleasure to see that the queen is back on her throne.”

Red blushed when I handed him the case.  I told him that I would see him later.  I didn’t want her to know how much was in there; I left Proverb to do the counting.  My only concern was getting cash out of the hotel room.  I still had the cash Roxy made, and what I checked into the hotel with, so altogether I had close to $10,000 stashed in my trunk.  That was a small number if Red found it and decided to get high.  What I wouldn’t have been able to accept was losing $50,000 due to my own carelessness.

On the way back to the hotel, we ran into Roxy.  The two women grabbed each of my arms and escorted me up Broadway like I was a king.  The wings had grown back on my feet.  I had more money than I ever had in my life and two women who were concerned about me.  I was on top of the world and loved every minute of it.

When we went into the hotel, we received a bunch of compliments that boosted my ego.  I had the ladies in front of me as we went into the room.  Before I could walk in, Gloria was waving to me from a room down the hall.  I told the women to make themselves comfortable and that I would be back.

I reached the small room Gloria was cleaning.  She stood in the middle of it with her hands behind her back. “I was there this morning, but you were busy.  I’m sure you’re a man of your word, and here.”  She pulled out a stack of bills and handed me $500 in cash with three platinum Master cards on top.  “My cousin at home in Brooklyn got the cards from the post office, so you got all the time in the world.  The five is from the three you lent out, and you’ll have another five from me at the end of the day.”  She closed the door behind me and began taking off her clothes.  “I won’t be long.  I just need a taste and I’ll be straight.”

For the first time in my life I felt what it was like to be a prostitute.  When Gloria sat me down in the chair and got on her knees in front of me, I wondered how I got myself into that mess.  I was stiff and Gloria’s lips, tongue, and moans added to my excitement.  She sucked on me while rubbing her fingers against her clitoris.  When she finally came, she pulled on my swollen tip with her jaws.  She sucked so well that my erection was harder than I had ever saw it.  She then slipped a condom on, mounted me, and rode me right there in the chair.

There was no emotional attachment for me, and I guessed that’s how Roxy felt when she was at work.  Those thoughts occupied my mind while Gloria went to work on my manhood.  She sucked her own nipples while riding me.  Her eyes were closed as if she was entertaining thoughts of an ex-lover.  When she came, her body froze.

“Damn—damn—sssss—oh damn—ummm—damn!”  She collapsed onto me.  Once her breathing was normal, she removed the unfilled condom, kissed me on my cheek, and said, “Thank you, sugar,” just like a trick would do to a whore.  She got up, got dressed, and left.

I pulled my pants up from my knees, put my swollen erection into them, and walked out of the door.  When I walked into my suite, I heard a few female voices.  When I closed the door, Roxy, Red, Marcy and Elexus were sitting around like they were having a tea party.  My erection died instantly, and I braced myself for the company that I wanted to hurry and leave.

“Hey-hey-hey,” Elexus squealed out.

Marcy waved and I handed him the cards.  “Ain’t seen you around, and as soon as we get a message, you putting us to work?”

“Did you bring what I asked for?”  I asked impatiently.

Elexus said, “You act like you ain’t got no manners.  Of course we brought your stuff for Roxy and Queen Red over here.  The whole square gonna be jumping when they hear y’all two hooked up.”

“Can you imagine if they did the nasty and made one trifling ass hustling baby?  Girrrl, he’d not only be the king of Times Square, but maybe the world,” Marcy added.

I checked to see how Roxy and Red responded to the statement.  Roxy smiled, and Red crossed her legs wearing a content expression on her face.

The two queers pulled out a small wardrobe of sports bras, Dior panties, Diamond Girl sweat suits, and two pairs of Nike Air Max’s.  Next to that were four Liz Claiborne suit jackets, blouses, and miniskirts for Roxy.

The cards from Gloria came on time.  Instead of me paying in cash like I intended, I traded off with the cards.  I then told the queers to pick up winter coats for Roxy and me.  They dashed out of the hotel.  I closed the door, and turned to Red. “I didn’t order you any coats cause I didn’t know if you were staying or not?”

“Not a problem.  Clothes will be the least of my problems once I get my head together.  I still want to get high, because I like it.  No, correct that—I love it.  But things that are no good have to be left alone.  So who’s the sweat suits for?”

I looked at both the women. “Four for each of you.  Six in the morning, we have work to do.”

12

Joy

In November 1989, the impossible became possible.  A Black man was elected Mayor of the greatest city in the world.  In his hands was the power to send a pulse through the modern world.  He solidified a place in history, and an entire race felt like they finally arrived.  I identified with that man.  From that day forward, my name would be Dinkins to any law enforcement official I ran into.

At the crack of dawn, I wanted to unleash the other part of my plan with Red.  I knew she could be greater than she was.  I wanted to help her be greater than she ever conceived.  I didn’t think I could pull the plan off.  Roxy was going to help me, so I woke her with a smack on her ass before sunrise.

“What up?” she asked in her harsh ghetto tone.

I sat on the side of the bed and leaned over to her ear.  I whispered, “Don’t talk. Just nod, if you can hear me.”

She nodded.

“You love me.  I know you do, but I don’t know what you willing to do for me.  If you willing to do
anything
—let me know.”

Her head didn’t move from the pillow and she nodded, slow.

“I want to cause you a lot of pain.  I’m gonna make you hurt.  If you don’t want to lose me, you have to take it.  I want you to handle it like a trooper, and then walk them streets when you done.  Can you handle it?”

Tears rolled down her cheeks.  “You the only man who can hurt me,” Roxy whimpered, nodding her head like an abused child fearing rejection.

Okay then baby, you gonna work Red for me.  You gonna show her to do what I tell you two to do.”  I slapped her on the ass. “Get dressed.”

Roxy sat up to find her sweat suit, sports bra and gym shoes on the end of the bed.  When she was dressed and ready to go, we both walked into Red’s room and cut the lights on.  Red awoke.  Before I spoke, I noticed that she was gaining her weight back; she was heavier than when I first laid eyes on her.

“What’s going on, is something wrong?” Red asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes.  Seeing seriousness in my eyes, she asked, “What happened?”

“I need to know if you’re willing to do what I need for you to do over the next week.”

“I already told you that I would.”

“This is different.  Either you get up and get dressed and move with Roxy and me, or you get up and leave and go back to those streets.  Don’t agree if you’re gonna quit later.  Either get down all the way and be ready to do anything, or leave.”

“What’s anything?” Red asked, now wide-awake.

“Any-thing means
anything
that I say.  Roxy is ready and we need to know if you with us or not?”

Roxy looked at her with enthusiasm, and said, “You gonna be all right,” without knowing what I had in mind.  I was proud of her.  I finally had a partner that was with me all the way.

Red looked at both of us. “I’m in!  It’s time that I made some real money again.  Run the hustle down to me.  What do you want me to do?”

It was hard to keep from grinning.  “You got to get dressed right now, and be out in the living room in five minutes.”

She jumped out of the bed.  I handed her the clothes, and she hurried into the bathroom.  The beginning stages of my plan were working.  I had to get Red in shape.  I had to get the Crack out of her system for good.  I needed her to be mine.  Red, the queen of Times Square.

              I walked over to the windows and opened them, allowing a chill to race through the entire suite.  Roxy stood to the side and watched my actions.  Without saying a word, she pulled on the zipper of her Diamond Girl sweat suit.  I stood in the middle of the living room with a blue and white button down shirt.  A pair of jeans from the GAP and a pair of rust colored Polo boots with spiked rubber bottoms completed my outfit.

When Red stepped out in her red sweat suit, I handed her and Roxy a can of vanilla Nutriment.  After they were done with their drinks, I sent them to their rooms so they could tie their hair down.  When they returned, I put my plan into action.

“Listen, I want you to stretch and give me two hundred jumping jacks.”

The women looked at me like I was the one smoking Crack.  I kept a straight face. “Anything, remember?”

Roxy started doing hers and Red picked up and did the same.  I picked up the phone and called room service.  There was a list of things that I needed.

When the women reached two hundred, Roxy was drenched with sweat, and Red struggled to breathe.

“Now that you’re all warmed up, we can get started.”

Room service knocked at the door.  I pulled the cart in and dropped a case of Nutriments on the floor.  On top of that, I dropped a case of one-liter bottles of Deer Park spring water.  When I grabbed a case of cranberry juice off of the cart, the women looked at me like I was crazy.  As the man from room service left, I followed behind, looked over my shoulder at the two women, and commanded, “Let’s go.”

We rode the elevator down to the tenth floor.  When we stepped off, confusion set in the women’s faces.  When I disconnected the fire alarm for the exit, they were really puzzled.  I led them into the empty bright staircase, and descended down to the first floor.  There was a bit of hesitation by Red at first, but when Roxy walked down, she followed.  I can’t lie, my legs were killing me, and we were only walking
down
the steps.  I was sure running back up was going to be a whole new adventure.

By the time we reached the first floor, my plan was together.  The security man that I hired was at the bottom of the staircase waiting for us to arrive.  When the girls took the last step, reaching the first floor landing, they exhaled deeply as if the workout was over.

“Now run back up to where you came from. If you can’t run, jog.  Can’t jog, then walk.  Don’t stop your legs from moving until
we
get to the tenth floor.”

“You coming with us?”  Red asked annoyed.

“I’ll be right in front of you helping you deal with the pain,” I encouraged, hoping I wouldn’t lose their trust.

Roxy looked at me, silently questioning if I was sure I knew what I was doing.  My determined look gave her what she needed to know.  The security guard was too busy staring at Roxy’s ass, but his job was to make sure that Red didn’t head back down and into the streets.

“Let’s go,” I yelled and Roxy was off like a thoroughbred.  Red was right behind her.  I ran past security to the elevator banks.  When I reached the second floor, I got off of the elevator, disconnected the alarm, and stood on the staircase landing.  I looked down at the two women coming up the stairs and yelled, “Let’s go—let’s go!”

Roxy picked up her steps and passed me on her way up.  Red became competitive, putting pep into her step.  I went up on the elevator to every odd numbered floor and repeated my routine.  By the time I was at the eighth floor, Roxy struggled to jog.  Red slowed to a near crawl.  I walked down to Red and helped her keep her legs moving.  With each step, she coughed up the impurities that were still trapped in her lungs.

When we reached the tenth floor, Roxy was sitting on the floor.  She had camped out in front of the elevator banks, rubbing on her thighs and gasping for air.  Red vomited into a garbage can.  After catching my own breath, I helped the two of them get into our suite.

As they cried out in pain I sat them in the empty Jacuzzi.  Keeping them from cutting on the hot water was a challenge.  I made two trips to the ice machine, dumping both buckets on top of their legs.  Their cries of discomfort fell on deaf ears.  When Red started speaking another language, I gave in and cut the Jacuzzi on.

Room service delivered the breakfast of oatmeal, boiled egg whites, chicken breast, and fruit salad.  I made Red drink cranberry juice while Roxy drank water.  I handed them both the vitamins and took some myself.  By the time they were full, Red was falling asleep at the table; letting her sleep, I helped Roxy get ready for work.

For seven days, the women followed the same routine.  By the seventh day they were running all the way to the tenth floor without a problem.  I felt like I was back in the army, but the baths I took with the women after the workouts reminded me that I definitely wasn’t.

$$$

On the Monday of the second week, I handed Red the other tennis bracelet.  She decided earlier that day that she wanted to stay in our suite.  Her body was getting in shape.  Her legs and thighs had exploded from the weight gain diet and the sleep routine I had her on.  Due to the thousands of stairs she climbed, her ass ballooned bigger and firmer than it had ever been.

After doing the stairs, Roxy started doing crunches on her own.  Her midsection was blossoming into a work of art.  When she was finished, she left for work.  Exhausted from getting them through the morning workout, I went to sleep while Red rested in her room.

Lying on my back, caught up in a pleasant dream, I felt someone getting into the bed.  I wondered why Roxy was back home so soon.  When I opened my eyes, Red was naked under my covers.  She put a finger to my lip as a cold hand grasped my manhood.  She stroked me, warming us both.  Blood started to flow to the tip of my shaft, and I could feel her slip a condom onto my stiffness.

I looked into her eyes and saw a glimmer of the woman that seized my attention at Money Russ’ party.  She wasn’t all the way there yet, but I knew once she was back in focus, she would show me all the things Yoda wasn’t there to show me.  In Red I saw a match for the man I wanted to be, and with her in my bed, I was on my way.

“Shhhhhh,” she moaned as I penetrated her tightness with her petite C-cups dangling over my face.  She caressed the back of my neck with one hand, and gripped my manhood with the other.

“Um…hum,” she gasped, easing me deeper into her tight, slippery crevice. “Mmmmmm,” she moaned with satisfaction when I was all in.

I looked at the gorgeous face in front of me.  With her newly firm body, and the image of the queen I had in my head, I was unable to resist her loving.  I instantly lost control.  I sat up, faced her, and wrapped her legs around my waist.  While palming her naked cheeks, I thrust myself deep inside of her.  I was standing by the time I picked up a good motion.  As I stretched her body and gave her all of me, Red’s palms were on the back of the dresser.

She came instantly.  I put her on the bed in the kneeling position.  Entering her from behind, I crossed her legs at the ankles.  We swayed in unison to a rhythm of passion.  I bucked like a tortured bull at a rodeo.

“Take all of me,” she demanded and I met her demands.

I was lost in her passion.  Thrusting with all I had.  Giving her what she wanted in a way that validated a man.  Then I exploded.  My juices flowed and my pace slowed.  Red spun around, letting me go limp.  She then sucked on my chest like my nipples were breasts, feeding her a hustling potion.  Minutes later, she laid me down and pulled the covers over us.  As I lay on my back, she laid on top of me, cuddling like we were meant to be.

“Light brown eyes, huh? First time I noticed.”

“Great sex, huh?  First time I noticed,” I said, feeling like a king.

“I wanted you from the moment I saw you.”

I knew she was a hustler.  “Come on, Red, you could have come better than that.”

She hit me on my chest. “A girl’s got to play hard to get when she’s on top of her game.  Can’t afford to get strung out.  Too bad I did get strung out.  Should have been on you instead of that damn Crack-cocaine.”

“Well, things happen and we all got our vices.  I’m not the type of man who judges.”

Red smiled, revealing her perfect teeth.  “Such a sweet, sweet, man.  You always know what to tell a girl.  You also know what to do.  I remember when Roxy was doing badly.  It was awful.  Now you have her taking pride in herself.  She won’t change her hustle because it gives her meaning, but you did a hell of a job with her,
and
me.  That Crack stopped me from even wanting to hustle.  It reduced me to a beggar in the street like a common crook.  Can you
believe
that,
Mr. Empowerment?”

“Empowerment?” I asked, because it didn’t sound romantic.

“Yes, that’s what you do.  Everyone who comes in contact with you, you go and give them a power within that they didn’t know they had, gosh darn it.”

“Gosh darn it?  You sound a long way from home, Texas girl.”

“Hamilton Park, Dallas,” she announced with pride, “Is it that obvious?”

“Yeah, my folk from Augusta and out west y’all got that real twang.”  I changed my expression. “I never heard a no parts called Hamilton Park.”

“Yep, nobody out of Texas has.  It’s an affluent community that the well-to-do Blacks in Dallas put together.  My father is a Black man, and I guess you can see that my mother is of Irish decent.”

“Um, so how’d you end up here?”

“You first.  What’s your story?”

“Me?  Came from the Bronx one day, hooked up with Brave Dave.  Had no one to go uptown to, so here I am.  So what’s your story?”