Eviction Notice, page 17
“Francine,” he called after her. “You try and burn me on this and it ain’t gonna matter who you’re related to.”
Frankie just nodded and left.
CHAPTER 23
By the time Porsha got back to the hood, she was tired, aggravated, and had a splitting headache from where dude had slugged her. The liquor had him way outta pocket, and though she knew the bouncers had worked him over, she still felt cheated out of her personal revenge. Fools getting drunk and acting ignorant in strip clubs was one of the hazards of her profession. No matter where you worked and how tight security was, you always had the liquid thug who would let a few shots make him think he was the Mack.
The belligerent drunk was something most of the girls had to deal with at one point or another, but it didn’t happen as often to the girls who were with somebody. Porsha had been approached plenty of times by men and women offering to manage her and watch her back, but none of them could ever sell her on the idea. She reasoned that since she was the one sweating and being damn near molested in the clubs, it would be insane to give someone else a piece of her take. Porhsa was opposed to the idea of a pimp or money manager, but in light of how close she had come to getting her ass whipped, she was giving some serious thought to hiring some protection. She had seen enough episodes of Law & Order: SVU to know that her life was worth more than the few dollars she was trying to save.
As she made her way down the pathway to her building she couldn’t help but notice how quiet the hood was. Just a few hours ago it had been abuzz with activity, but now it looked dead. A few of the locals were in their usual spot on the last bench, drinking beers and smoking weed, but there wasn’t a D-boy in sight. The only people outside who even resembled criminals were Levi and Bernie, who were shooting dice under the streetlight, under the watchful eyes of some of the local knuckleheads.
“Hold them dice until the lady passes,” Levi told the group when he noticed Porsha coming their way.
“Wow, Levi, you never struck me as the gentlemanly type,” Porsha said with a smile as she passed them.
“I ain’t, I just wanted to watch yo ass shake when you passed,” Levi said with a crooked grin.
Porsha sucked her teeth. “Boy, you could fuck up a wet dream.”
“And I could care less as long as I was in it,” he shot back.
“Whatever.” Porsha rolled her eyes. “Hey, Bernie, where’s your other half?”
“Boots is upstairs making dinner and getting the kids ready for bed,” Bernie told her, shaking the dice in his palm.
“To be young and in love is a beautiful thing.” Porsha smiled at Bernie.
“I know it, which is why I’m glad to have a down-ass bitch like Boots in my corner holding me down,” Bernie said proudly.
“Love is overrated. Give me a nasty bitch who likes to get drunk and have a good time and I’m happy,” Levi capped.
“When you constantly shop in the gutter, all you’ll ever come up with is trash, Levi,” Porsha said over her shoulder, making her way to the building.
“I know it, and I’m good with garbage as long as it’s got a hot mouth and a wet box,” Levi called after her.
“Yo, that bitch can get it,” Levi told Bernie when Porsha was out of earshot.
“You ain’t never lied, but that’s playing it too close to home for me,” Bernie said.
“That’s because you’re afraid to take chances, my dude. Let me tell you something, if I thought there was even a chance that Porsha would let me hit that, I’d cheat God in a poker game to make it happen,” Levi said seriously.
“Levi, you are too thirsty for words. Niggaz like you are constantly in the race, while niggaz like me already took first prize.” Bernie poked his chest out.
Levi gave him a pitiful look. “My dude, if what you got is first prize, then I’ll take runner-up all day.”
“What you mean by that?” Bernie asked defensively.
Levi started to let him in on what everybody already knew, but he was in a decent enough mood that night so he let him live. “Nothing. I’m just saying I ain’t the kinda nigga who can see myself locked down with the same piece of pussy night in and night out,” Levi lied.
“Everything ain’t for everybody, Levi, but at the end of the day we all play the game to find that one special person who we can trust with our lives,” Bernie said.
Levi couldn’t help himself. “So you’re trying to tell me that you trust Boots completely?” One of the boys who was standing around listening started to snicker, but a stern look from Levi quieted him.
Bernie paused for a long moment. “Yeah, I trust Boots,” he said, but he didn’t sound as sure as he wanted to come across.
Levi wanted to fall in the grass laughing, but he held his composure. Instead, he placed a friendly hand on Bernie’s shoulder and gave him a little squeeze. “Then you’re a far better man than I am, brother. I wouldn’t trust no bitch, especially one with Boots’s pedigree.” It was clear that Bernie didn’t understand the word, so he elaborated: “It just means that Boots is a street chick, no disrespect, B.”
“Oh, a’ight,” Bernie said, with some of his confidence restored.
“Ayo,” a voice called from the shadows of the path leading to the parking lot. All eyes turned to see who it was, but it was only Levi who smiled when he saw the thin young girl motioning for him to come over.
“I’ll be back in a sec,” Levi excused himself from the dice game. “Yo, Bernie, when y’all plan the wedding date I wanna be the first nigga to get an invite,” he capped as he walked off.
“If you spent as much time trying to get a chick instead of worrying about the next man’s, then maybe you’ll be able to get some pussy without paying for it,” Bernie called after him. “Sucka-ass nigga don’t think I know he want my bitch.” Bernie snorted.
Levi laughed at Bernie’s parting remark. He’d tried to put Levi on blast, but anybody who knew him knew that he preferred whores to squares anyhow. For the same amount of money he would pay on a date, he could get a piece of grade-A pussy minus the headaches of conversation. Whores were definitely Levi’s vice, but they were also Bernie’s, whether he knew it or not. Boots’s mouth was more rancid than the city dump and Bernie happily kissed her in it every night.
“What it do, Faye?” Levi greeted the girl. Faye was a slim goodie who had a decent enough shape, but it was nothing to write home about.
“I can’t call it, a bitch out here stressed. I got into it with my moms again and she put me out,” Faye explained.
“Damn, you and your moms are worse than Ali and Holmes. What y’all fighting about now?”
“Her stupid-ass boyfriend again. All that nigga does is lay around and drink all day, but she’s constantly on me about when I’m getting a job. When I was getting a li’l bullshit money with Happy I always broke bread with her, and now she wanna act all funny about it. Me and her were arguing and her boyfriend tried to get in it so I swung on him. Instead of her taking my side she took his and told me I had to get out. I got the keys to my sister’s crib in Yonkers, but she’s not gonna be home until Monday so I would need the money to get there and for some food to hold me down for a few days.”
Levi knew where Faye was going with it, but decided to play along. “How much you talking?”
“Maybe like fifty bucks. Do you think you can help me out?”
A plan immediately began to form in Levi’s mind. “Well, I’m popped right now but somebody is supposed to be dropping me off some change in a few hours. Holla at me then and I can do something for you.”
“Thanks, Levi, I promise I’ll pay you back,” Faye said sincerely.
“It’s all good, Faye, you know you my li’l nigga. So where you gonna be?”
Faye shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess I’ll walk around out here until you holla at me.”
Levi smiled. “Faye, you know I ain’t gonna see you wandering around out here by yaself. I’ll tell you what, why don’t you come kick it with me at my spot. I got a blunt and a corner of Hennessy left from last night. We can sip and smoke until my bread comes through.”
Faye’s eyes lit up. After the day she had been having, a drink and some weed sounded like just what the doctor ordered. “Okay, I’ll meet you on the corner of One-Hundredth Street in five minutes. I don’t want these gossiping-ass niggaz to see us leaving together and start spreading rumors.”
“Privacy is my middle name, ma. I’ll see you in a few.” Levi walked away. A broad smile crossed his face. Faye thought she was going to game him out of some bread, but Levi had a little game of his own he intended on playing with Faye.
* * *
After about ten minutes of waiting for the elevator, Porsha got tired of waiting and decided to take the steps. She hated going up and down the piss-and-graffiti-riddled stairs but she would be an old maid by the time the elevator came down, and that’s only if they were actually working.
With her little roll-on in tow, Porsha began her hike. She was about to round the landing to the second floor when she heard movement. Retrieving her pepper spray from her purse, she placed her back against the wall and began inching up. As she drew closer, she was able to make out what sounded like faint moaning and slurping. Moving as stealthily as she could, Porsha poked her head around the corner and what she saw made her jaw drop.
Happy was sitting on the steps with his head back. His breathing was short and ragged in between his moans of pleasure. Between his legs a young woman knelt with her head moving up and down in a rhythm. His cubby fingers were wrapped in her dry weave as he tried to force himself deeper into her throat. From the way his bottom lip was quivering, Porsha could tell that the girl was good at what she was going. For as much as Porsha wanted to turn away, she found herself intrigued by what she was seeing. She wasn’t into girls, but watching her expertly suck Happy off stirred something in her. Happy’s grip on the girl’s hair tightened as he gasped for her to go deeper and with a slight gag she obliged.
Catching brief glimpses of the girl’s profile struck a chord of familiarity with Porsha, but she was so caught up in the show that she didn’t place her right off. Happy winced and began to babble something unintelligible, signaling that he was about to come. The girl tried to pull her face away, but Happy used both hands to hold her in place and began ramming himself inside her mouth faster and faster. With a grunt, Happy exploded in the girl’s mouth and all over her face and hair.
“Damn, that shit was great.” Happy panted as he continued stroking his cock to empty himself.
“Nigga, I told you not to come in my fucking mouth.” The girl jumped up and began wiping her face with the back of her shirtsleeve. When she turned around, Porsha got a good look at her and realized why she was so familiar. It was Boots.
“Wow, that was quite a show,” Porsha announced herself, scaring the hell out of Happy and Boots.
“Bitch, what the fuck are you doing sneaking around in staircases?” Boots snapped. Her sharp words couldn’t hide the embarrassment on her face.
“What am I doing in the staircase?” Porsha looked her up and down. “That’s a question you better hope ya baby daddy doesn’t ask you, boo-boo.”
Boots got in Porsha’s face. “Yo, on my kids, if you open ya mouth about this I’m gonna—”
“You ain’t gonna do shit,” Porhsa cut her off. “Let me tell you something, sweetie, I ain’t one of these li’l bitches who get scared when they hear the stories about how you used to give it up, so watch how you talk to me, before we have a situation. I don’t give a fuck about you, your dizzy-ass baby daddy, or whose dick you put in your nasty-ass mouth, so I stand to gain nothing by blowing you up. But let’s be clear on something: the next time you roll up on me like you wanna do something, I’m gonna snatch that nappy-ass weave outta your bald-ass head.”
“Ladies, ladies, there’s no need to argue.” Happy got in between them and draped his arms around both of them. “We’re all adults here so I’m sure we can work this out like grown folks. Hell, there may be an opportunity here for us all to get better acquainted.” He let his fingers brush Porsha’s hair.
“Happy, if you don’t move that slimy-ass hand you ain’t gonna get it back,” Porsha threatened.
“Damn, youz a cold bitch.” Happy removed his arm.
“You keep trying to smut me like you do these bitches and you’ll find out just how cold I am.” Porsha bumped past him and made her way up the steps.
“I know that’s right, only the best for Porsha. Well, you know my pockets run deep, baby girl, so whenever you’re ready to stop playing hard-to-get, you know where to find me.”
Porsha stopped and glared down at Happy. “Hap, your pockets can run from here to the other side of the world and it still wouldn’t be enough to let your diseased little dick find its way inside these golden walls.” With a roll of her eyes, Porsha disappeared.
“I can’t believe this rotten bitch,” Boots fumed as she fixed her hair as best she could. She could feel the come starting to dry at the roots and knew that she’d have to wash it soon before she ended up having to cut the weave out. “I swear to God, if she tells Bernie, I’m gonna stomp her out.”
“Don’t worry, she ain’t gonna say nothing.” Happy fixed his pants. He had a big smile plastered across his face and a far-off look in his eyes.
“I’m glad you’re so damn confident that she’s gonna keep her mouth closed, because I ain’t. Bitches love to cause trouble. And what the hell do you keep smiling about?”
Happy let out a small giggle. “Because I think I’m in love.”
* * *
Porsha was applying the finishing touches to her makeup when she heard Sahara come in. She knew it was Sahara and not Frankie because she wouldn’t have heard Frankie. The girl moved like a cat burglar and had scared the hell out of Porsha on more than one occasion.
“How’d it go with Debbie?” Porsha asked Sahara when she came into the bathroom.
“Hold on,” Sahara grumbled while she fumbled with the button on her pants and danced around trying to keep from pissing on herself. There was no way she was going to sit on one of the nasty toilets in the precinct so she had been holding it for hours and now her bladder threatened to burst. She finally got the button undone and plopped on the toilet to relieve herself. “Didn’t you get any of the messages we’ve been leaving on the answering machine? We’re just getting out of jail!”
Porsha’s eyes widened. “Jail, how the hell did that happen?” Sahara went on to give her the short version of their altercation with Debbie while she cleaned herself up. “I told y’all going over there clowning wouldn’t solve anything,” Porsha reminded her.
“Porsha, miss me with that shit because I don’t see you making no great strides on knocking out the rent. How much did you make shaking your ass this afternoon?” Sahara spat.
“I didn’t make much but I didn’t come back empty-handed,” Porsha assured her. “And I don’t know what you’re getting mad at me for when my black ass is gonna be out in the street right along with y’all bitches if we don’t get this rent paid.”
“You’re right, and I’m sorry if I was being short, Porsha, but I’ve had a really fucked-up day. I was gonna crack on King for some paper but he ended up having to pay a lawyer to get us out, so that cut into my action.”
“What about Frankie, I thought y’all were together?”
“We were, but after King got us out she left me, talking about she was going to see a man about a dog, whatever the fuck that means.”
“Knowing her, it was probably code for I’m going to rob a liquor store.” Porsha applied an extra coat of lip gloss. “So what are you gonna do for the rest of the night?”
“I’m probably gonna drown my sorrows in Hennessy until I pass out. This may be my last few nights sleeping on anything other than a cot in the shelter so I wanna enjoy them,” Sahara said in a defeated tone.
“Well, we ain’t out on our asses yet. I’ve got a B-plan.” Porsha explained to her about the star-studded event she was working that night.
“Sounds like it’s gonna be off the hook!” Sahara said excitedly.
“It is, ma. You should roll with me,” Porsha suggested.
“Porsha, you know damn well my stripping days are over.”
“I’m not talking about to work, simple-ass. Come out and keep me company while I do my thing. We can get shit-faced and laugh at the rest of them bitches while they try to keep up with me.”
This made Sahara smile for the first time that entire day. “Fuck it, I might as well go with you. Let me wash my ass and change my clothes.”
“A’ight, I’ll be waiting for you downstairs. Our ride should be here in a few minutes.” Porsha gathered her purse and keys and headed for the door. Before she left, she had a parting thought for Sahara: “Before you come down, please do something with that hair.”
* * *
Levi lounged on his queen-size bed, blowing rings of cigarette smoke in the air, smiling like the cat that had eaten the canary. On the foot of his bed sat Faye, who was pulling her shirt back over her head. When they’d gotten back to Levi’s apartment they’d smoked and drunk until they were both feeling nice, then Levi had cracked for the pussy. Faye tried to act like she wasn’t with it at first, but it didn’t take much convincing on the part of Levi to get her naked. She fucked and sucked Levi like the nasty little whore that she was and when they were done she let him blow his wad in her mouth for the promise of an extra fifty dollars. It never ceased to amaze him, the lows some chicks would stick to for cash, but as long as he ended up smiling when it was all said and done, he didn’t pass judgment.
“You know, you’re the first guy I ever let do that,” Faye said.
“Do what?” he asked in a very disinterested tone.
