With all the confusion and carrying on coming from the office, that consisted of Courtney screaming at Jahvin to get his hands from around Sallie's neck before he kill's her.
David trying to get things together and noticing the money was gone from the safe along with his wedding band and a few blank checks, Keisha slipped right out unnoticed and failed to go directly to the spot they agreed on.
She didn't even call Courtney like they discussed. She just jumped on a bus, only to get off a few stops later and catch a cab to her house.
When she got home, she didn't say a word to anyone. She went straight to her room, closed and locked the door and started counting the money.
She had never really seen this much money before and she wasn't sure of how much it was. Courtney said maybe ten thousand, but to her it looked like a million dollars.
Her heart was beating faster than it had ever beat before and every little sound, sounded like the police coming to her.
She tried the ring on, which she had already said she was keeping and just sat back and thought about what she would buy.
She was pumped and ready, but what she wasn't ready for was what she was about to hear about Deja and Ro-Ro, or even the fact that Jahvin sort of fucked things up and that David involved the police.
By the time things had begun to settle down, everyone was in the office and David was screaming that they had been robbed.
He closed and locked the door, threatened to call the police if either Sallie, Courtney, or Jahvin didn't come up with his money and most importantly to him, his wedding band.
He accused them all of being in on a scheme to rob him. Nobody said anything. They all sort of looked at him as if he were going crazy.
Sallie laughed thinking that he was using that as an excuse so that Jahvin wouldn't whip his ass. Jahvin was heated having caught his girl fucking another dude, and a white dude at that and a bitch.
That was the ultimate disrespect to him. Courtney had a look on her face that seemed to say, "I CAN NOT BELIEVE THIS SHIT!" But, she believed it. She thought it up.
But she didn't think that David would call the police and he did exactly that, and as soon as he did, things in the office shifted.
David feared his wife more than anything. How would he explain taking his ring off and if the girls mentioned the sexual events that transpired, what would become of his family? How would he explain having sexual relations with two employees and both of them being black?
By the time Harlem and Tasha reached the hospital, he was met by his Mother, his Aunt Elaine, Skip, Ro-Ro's Mom and Ro-Ro’s cousin. Visiting hours were over and he was not allowed to see his sister, nor Ro-Ro.
Of course, he was upset with the news that he would not be able to see his sister and Ro-Ro right now, but not as mad as he was about his Mother and Aunt getting in his shit.
"Why are you here? This is all your fault, you don't listen. You think you have all the answers”. His mother said to him.
"But Mom I” he started talking before she cut him off.
"Don't Mom me! Get outta my face, I am not seeing you right now”.
Harlem hung his head, Tasha was confused and didn't know what to say. She held his hand and squeezed it, letting him know that she was there with him. He turned to his Aunt.
“Why Harlem? Why does things like this seem to always follow you? What are you doing out there in those damn streets? I thought you didn't want to be like Freeze?” She asked him.
"Why is everything all my fault? Why it can't be... Never mind!” He said and turned to walk away in the direction of Skip and Ro-'Ro's cousin.
Ro-Ro's mother simply went about her business. She wasn't with the drama and had enough of it herself.
"Don't walk away, I am not done with your ass yet." Harlem's mother uttered as tears begin to puddle in her eyes.
Elaine held her back from what seemed like a move she made in an attempt to punch Harlem. She was hurting, and it showed, but so was Harlem and he failed to overstand why he was being made out to be the cause of everything that happened to anyone who encountered him.
"Sup Slim?” Skip spoke as he approached. “Man shit is ugly nigga and”, he said as he pulled him to the side. “The police is asking questions”, he advised.
"About what?" Harlem asked.
"Yo, I talked to Deja earlier and she said that Al had something to do with whatever happened to her. She didn't say what happened, but I know she was raped”, he said.
"WHAT!" Harlem screamed.
"She didn't want me to tell you, but I had to. You need to check into that”, he advised.
"Slim, this is Tasha,” he said as they greeted each other, “Slim, the fuck the police asking questions about, and...” he stopped talking.
"About the shit when Rico got killed. They all over that shit, and its crazy
because they getting some information like it’s us who had something to do with it”, he said.
“How you get that?” Harlem asked.
“It’s crazy right? Look, you remember the bitch Tina? The one we used to say had that shit?” he asked.
“What shit? That?” he asked.
“Nah, NOASSATALL!” he said.
“Oh yeah” Harlem recalled.
"Well, the bitch is a homicide police now and she came pass the house on some other shit. Well, she was telling me all of this shit about you and me... And she was telling me the shit, using it to try and fuck. I would have fucked the bitch anyway”, he admitted.
"Did you fuck her?" Harlem asked.
"You already know my dude. Aye but listen she brought up Bean’s name and some other shit. Talking about how we shouldn’t trust him and not to treat anyone better than we treat ourselves. She told me that she would get back with me and keep me up on shit”, he said.
"Come on let’s bounce”, he said as he left and Tasha, and Skip followed him. Their mothers left shortly after.
Tasha followed closely behind Harlem and Skip out to the car. She was confused at why his Mother and Aunt would be talking to him like they were.
Clearly Harlem could not have had anything to do with what happened to her. He didn’t even know about it. She knew that Harlem was hurting. She had already learned enough about him to know whenever he was feeling like he was obviously feeling right now.
He and Skip talked about a few things including the dudes who supposed to have been responsible for Skip getting shot.
When they reached the car, Harlem offered to drive, but she declined, and insisted that she would drive. Eventually she gave in and gave him the keys.
"The fuck!” Harlem uttered as he climbed in the driver’s seat. "What the fuck is under here?" He lifted himself up and removed the cushion that Tasha usually sat on because of her being so small.
"THE HELL!” He discovered two guns. One Chrome marble handled 9mm, the other a Black pistol grip 9mm. "Yo the fuck is this”, he asked looking at her with a look of concern.
"Because I don't want nothing to happen to you.” She replied sincerely.
"WHAT!" She looked at him.
"What if we would have gotten pulled over or something?” he asked.
“But we didn’t. And why are you even tripping, you wasn't tripping when I went and got them. You knew I had them”, she said.
"I thought I told you to put them up?” he said.
“Okay! Well, I didn’t! Just come on let’s go”. She sat back and crossed her arms trying not to really fuss with him because she knew that his anger wasn’t necessarily with her, but because of the situation with his sisters.
Tasha just sat there and never said another word the entire
drive. Finally, they pulled up in front of Tasha’s house and parked.
Harlem turned and looked at her and told her, "I'll be right back, go grab whatever you need to get and be ready when I get back”. He jumped out and walked off without Skip, who just sat there.
Tasha didn't know what to think, she missed most of their conversation thinking and worrying about how he might be feeling and all.
Tasha just looked, and without moving or saying anything a tear dropped from her eyes. So many emotions were running through her. Some of which she had felt before, others she had no idea she had, and a few that confused her. She felt so much better once Skip turned and told her;
"He straight, he just a lil upset because of what’s going on and plus, he hates for someone to”, he said before she cut him off.
"Nah, his ass just wants to know everything.” She said.
"Nah, he really just doesn’t like being in a position where the people vital to him can be subjected to anything where he might not be able to see them. Apparently, you mean far more to him than that”, he said as she opened the door and got out.
She walked to her house and went in. She was in there no longer than ten minutes before she returned and hopped back in but when she did, it wasn’t Tasha, it was Tiffany.
“Damn! You just gonna hop out while I’m talking to you huh?” he asked. “That’s where we at?” he said sounding offending.
“What?” she asked.
“Never mind, don’t worry about it.” He said.
“A few more seconds passed and out came Tasha, she jumped in the driver’s seat and pulled off.
“The Hell!” Skip said after noticing they were twins. “I heard that.
Why you ain’t wait for Slim?” he asked.
“He called me while I was in the house, that’s where we are going now, to get him and then to handle something after we drop you off. Are you going to
the show tonight?” she asked.
"Nah, I got some other shit to take care of. If I get done in time I will get with y’all. What time is it?” he asked.
"It’ll probably start around 9, but you know we have to make our entrance so we gonna be late, that way when we bust up in that bitch everybody will see us”. Tiffany said proudly. “I heard that”.
**********
"So are you going to tell me what your little incident was about, or would you like for me to just leave it be?" she asked.
"It’s okay, its nothing girl, you know how it is for us. These little hoochie ass bitches think that because we models or whatever, that we soft or something. The crazy part was that I had just finished telling her that I was about my work”, she said laughing. “And then she came at me sideways”, she explained.
"Who is she?" her friend asked.
"I don’t know, some little bitch that was working for one of those magazines. It'll probably be all up in every magazine by tomorrow”, Mya said.
"Do you even know what it was about?" she asked.
"Yeah, she asked me something about my man and the type of dudes I dig, my friend Harlem walks up because something happened to his sister or somebody, and as soon as she turned and saw him, she started straight tripping, all up in my face. So I pushed her back a little, and she came back swinging... so I whipped her ass”, she explained.
"WAIT! Did you just say Harlem?” she asked.
"Yeah, I guess that’s one of the bitches he used to fool with. You know him too? Don't tell me that was your man before too. I gotta fight you too”, she joked.
"Girl you're a mess. No, I have just been hearing that name. He's beefing with the guys from around my mom’s way. This dude named Omar. He’s supposed to have shot someone that hangs out with Harlem or something like that”, she said.
"Yeah, his cousin I think." Mya’s phone rang and she put a finger in the air to pause the conversaion, "Hold on!" she checked to see who the caller was.
"What’s up girl? How are things going?” Tina asked.
"Horrible! You wouldn't believe what just happened. First of all, I am on my way home”, she said.
"WHY!" Tina asked.
"I had to leave. You know I was just fighting...” she said.
"You were what? Fighting! The hell you was fighting for and who?" Tina asked.
"Everything was going great, I was doing the back stage interview right, and the little magazine bitch starts asking me questions about my man, Harlem walks up to tell me something and then this hoochie ass bitch start tripping and flipped on me. I guess he was fucking her or something because she went off. She swung and I whipped her ass”, she explained.
"WOOOOOW! Are you straight though?” Tina asked.
"I am good! What’s up with you?” she asked.
"Nothing, just calling to see what’s up with you and how things were going, “ an awkward silence followed.
"Why you not saying anything. What’s on your mind?" Mya asked.
"Girl if I tell you something, you can't say anything. I am serious Mya not nothing to nobody”, Tina said.
"WHAT?" Mya asked.
"I have a case that I am working right, and I know one of the guys from high school right”, she said.
"Right!"
"And so, I went over his house today on some unofficial business and used
what I knew to fuck the nigga no strings attached right...” she said.
"Okay and”, Mya coaxed.
"And the dick was so fucking good. Girl”, she said closing her eyes at the thought back on the moment. “this nigga done grew up all over”, she said.
"Who is it? Do I know him?" Mya asked.
"Nah! I don't think so. Me and him went to school when I was going to Harlem Park. And speaking of Harlem Park. You said that Harlem walked up and asked you something right. What he was just there or something?” Tina asked.
"Nah! He took me to the shoot”, she said.
"I thought, you and Freeze’s son was.... OHMYGOD! Harlem is Freeze son?” she asked.
"You know Harlem too? Well damn, who don’t know this, motherfucka”, she asked.
"Nah! I don’t know him, but his name is on my desk in regards to this case”, she said.
"What case? What he do? Is he all right?" Mya questioned.
"I am not sure but I will keep him safe for you girl. He's the cousin of
the nigga I am telling you about now. Bitch we need to get together. What
are you doing once you get home?” Tina asked.
"I am almost home now, and I am not doing nothing." She said.
"I’m coming to get you. We’re going out." Tina offered.
"Going out where? Didn’t I just tell you that I was fighting? I am really
not in no mood to be going out. My makeup is messed up and I gotta cut on
my forehead”, she complained. .
,
"So what! That’s nothing, plus we'll go somewhere where its dark at." Tina said.
"Like where?" Mya asked.
"Well, you know that the shake-off is tonight down Foxy Ladies, we can go down there, have a few drinks and I can fill you in on everything." Tina said.
"All right! Turn right up there”, she told the girl who was giving her the ride. “Okay, that’s a bet." She said.
"I’m on my way!" she told her.
"Thank you for the ride girl, we gotta hook up sometimes."
"No problem. Anytime you want to, here's my number just call me or whatever. Maybe I'll see you around the office. What’s your agent name?" she inquired.
"Okay I’ma call you.” Mya closed the door and jogged up to her house thinking that she had to call Harlem and let him know that he was a case on her girlfriends desk, and that the dude he beefing with lives around Cache's, mom’s area. Not to mention that she wanted to know who the bitch was she was just fighting and why she would be even coming at her like she did.
Mya made it in the house, tried Harlem's phone repeatedly but he never answered. She turned on her answering machine, checked her messages while she freshened up a bit and waited on Tina who got there in almost no time at all.
She never did get in contact with Harlem, though she listened over and over to a message that she thought he left, though it wasn't him it was Shaka. The two of them just sounded a lot alike over the phone. The message said "Keep your head
up like your nose is bleeding and your eyes open like you've seen a ghost. I have been thinking so much about you since, well since you know and I am noticing that when you began to follow your feelings, you become aware of the different parts of yourself and the different things that you want... I know what I want now. CALL ME! You already know who this is." He said.
**********