Promise Broken, page 17
“Some muthafuckin’ respect! That’s what I want from you!” Mouse’s voice boomed.
“Mr. Bagley, do I need to call the police?” one of the security officers that the hotel employed asked.
“That won’t be necessary,” Abdul cut in.
The security guard looked at Bagley. Only when the hotel manager gave him the nod that everything was okay, did he return to his post near the front, but he kept his eye on the situation.
“Baby, I’m so glad you’re here. These fools over here trippin’ like we ain’t nobody,” Mouse said, still loud. She went to hug Abdul, but to her surprise he stopped her short.
“First of all, lower your fucking voice. This is a place of business, not the strip. Turn that hood rat shit down,” Ab chastised her. Mouse looked embarrassed and so did her friend, but their feelings weren’t his concern. Maintaining appearances were. “My apologies for this little scene, Bagley.”
“It’s fine, Ab. Had I known these two were guests of yours we could’ve gotten this sorted out with no hassle,” Bagley told him.
“I tried to tell you.” Mouse sucked her teeth but quieted when Abdul shook her an evil glare.
“Thanks, Bagley. I got it from here,” Abdul assured him. He took Mouse firmly by the arm and ushered her into the hotel bar, with Promise on their heels. “Fuck is wrong with you?” he asked Mouse once they were inside.
“What? That square-ass nigga was the one who was tripping, not me,” Mouse whined.
“That square-ass nigga, as you call him, is helping me put some serious paper in my pocket so you need to fall the fuck back and know who you’re talking to before you spout off at the mouth.”
“I’m sorry, Ab . . . for real I am. It’s just that it does something to me when I enter the room and people start acting like I don’t belong,” Mouse confessed. In truth, she knew that she hadn’t had to go as far as she did with the scene at the door, but her insecurities had triggered her. All her life she had been the girl on the outside looking in and now that she was starting to get a little clout about her, she felt like she needed everyone to know it.
Ab stopped and turned to face her. “And that’s your problem, Mouse. You do too much second-guessing. Even when I move in circles that I obviously ain’t got no business in, I carry myself like I belong because I do. I know how to separate ghetto shit from opportunities, and if you plan on rolling with me you better do the same, feel me?”
“Yeah, I feel you,” Mouse agreed. She let Ab get a few steps ahead of them before turning to Promise and stage-whispering, “I told you this nigga was deep.”
“And who the hell is this? You said you were bringing your friend Promise with you. I’m rolling with a plus-two, a plus-three might involve some figuring out,” Abdul told Mouse. That was really just his way of getting more information on the redbone Mouse was rolling with. He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her hips in those leather pants since he saw her.
“Boy, you play too much. That is Promise, you know I don’t roll with anybody else.” Mouse laughed, thinking he was joking.
Abdul thought that Mouse was playing a prank on him until he really took a good look at the light-skinned beauty. Damn if it wasn’t the chick who Mouse always kept close. The bit of makeup and sexy outfit made a whole world of difference. “Y’all really came to show out tonight,” he said, still looking Promise up and down. A part of him wished that he’d cut into her before letting Mouse get close. Promise was oblivious to his lecherous examination, but Mouse picked up on it and wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
“So, what happened to the party? What we doing in the hotel bar?” Mouse asked.
“The party is going on upstairs, and I, not we, are down here handling some business.” Ab led them in the direction of their private table. From across the room he could see Don B. whispering into Keys’s ear. He wasn’t surprised about it. One thing everyone who had ever been in the presence of Don B. knew was that he was a man who couldn’t be trusted. He was an opportunist and would cross you if he felt that he could get away with it. This is why Ab didn’t have a problem leaving Keys alone with Don B. He wanted him to expose his hand. Ab expected him to make a play but hoped that he wouldn’t. If Don B. played fair and kept everything above board in regards to Keys while Ab was gone, then Ab would have no choice other than to play fair with him. If he tried to poach the youngster, which Ab believed he would but hoped that he wouldn’t, it would leave Ab no choice but to play dirty in return. Contrary to his reputation, he was actually trying to do the right thing, but still more than willing to do wrong.
“Oh shit, do you see who I’m seeing?” Mouse whispered to Promise. Her eyes were glued to a table where there were four men seated, one of them being Keys.
“Yeah, I didn’t know Keys was going to be here,” Promise told her. She had planned to talk to him but didn’t want it to be that night. Him being there was an unexpected surprise and had she known she may not have been so eager to attend. She didn’t want to make the night awkward.
“Bitch, fuck Keys. I’m talking about the nigga he’s sitting with. Don’t you know who that is?” Mouse said excitedly.
Promise let her eyes roam over the men seated at the table. The one with the shades on looked familiar. She had seen him somewhere, possibly on television or in a magazine but couldn’t place him right off. Promise wasn’t allowed to have a television in her room and Dell and Brianna always had the one in the living room on lock. “What am I missing?” she asked, still not getting it.
“The fucking point.” Mouse shook her head sadly, ashamed that her friend didn’t recognize one of the biggest names in the rap game. Mouse was a huge Don B. fan. She loved his music and had been following his career since before she was old enough to listen to his music. She prayed to God that she didn’t faint and embarrass herself.
“Listen, before we go any further I need to make a few things clear.” Ab paused. He had picked up on the girl’s conversation and needed to lay down some ground rules. “This man is here as a personal guest of mine to handle business, not get harassed. So, whatever groupie shit your little brain is trying to gas you up to do, don’t. Any bitch on my arm is a representation of me, so don’t make me look bad, ya dig?”
“Yeah, I dig. And I keep telling you that I feel disrespected when you call me a bitch,” Mouse reminded him.
“Whatever, just keep in mind that you’re here on the strength of me,” Abdul told her.
“Aww, you so cute when you’re jealous,” Mouse teased. “You know this pussy got your stamp on it.” She looped her arm in his. “I’ll be good. I promise.”
Promise brought up the rear as Mouse and Abdul led the way to the table. She still couldn’t get past the fact that he had been the one who Mouse convinced to invite them to the hotel that night. She wasn’t dumb, she knew that Mouse and Abdul were fucking but didn’t think it that serious. It wasn’t that Mouse was ugly, in fact, she was quite beautiful when she cleaned herself up. It was just that she had seen some of the chicks that Ab had sported through the hood and Mouse just didn’t seem like his type. Maybe she had been wrong.
“Sorry about the delay, gentlemen. I had to make sure my people were situated,” Ab said apologetically.
“As you should’ve. Precious cargo should always be handled personally.” Don B. let his eyes roam over the women. The brown-skinned girl who was hanging on Ab’s arm was trying her best not to look like she didn’t want to crawl under the table and suck Don B.’s dick. She was fine, but chicks like her were also a dime a dozen. It was the thick white girl that he was interested in. She was standing off to the side, awkwardly, and apparently clueless to who he was. She would present the greatest challenge, and likely the greater reward. “Since it’s obvious that our host isn’t going to do the honors, allow me to introduce myself,” he said. Mouse slyly broke away from Ab so that she would be in Don B.’s path, but to her dismay he sidestepped her and took Promise’s hand. “I’m the grand high don of Harlem, an op’s worst nightmare and a worthy broad’s dream. I’m sure you probably heard of me, but I’m trying to figure out who you be, ma?”
Promise found herself flustered. His approach was not only aggressive, but it was arrogant. By then she had already figured out that he was some kind of celebrity and that probably explained why he carried himself with an air of privilege, but he still gave her creep vibes. There was a brief silence between them as Promise searched for a response that wouldn’t offend him. She felt like even giving him her real name would be an invitation to some bullshit, so she was trying to think of a fake one to feed him when Keys interjected and made the situation more awkward.
“Her name is Promise,” Keys answered for her. He had been glued to the exchange between Promise and Don B.
Don B. glanced at Keys and from the emotional look in his eyes, he knew that the young boy and Promise had some type of connection. “My fault, Keys. I didn’t know this was you. Don’t wanna step on any toes here.”
“It’s all good, Don. It’s your world and everything is fair game. We don’t get in our feelings on this side,” Abdul said, backing away from Mouse and letting them know that she was on the table as well.
The move hurt Mouse, seeing the guy she liked offer her to the dogs. She held her tongue though. She’d never let a man know he’d put her in her bag. Promise had picked up on what was going on and was about to say something but Keys beat her to it.
“I thought that I was the only entertainment tonight?” Keys asked sarcastically.
“Nigga, what?” Mouse turned her anger on Keys.
“I’m saying, y’all come down here half-naked on the night the big rappers show up. I’m just saying what it looks like, at least to me. Y’all are better than that,” Keys explained. He wasn’t trying to insult Mouse, but the liquor and jealousy made it hard for him to articulate himself so he came across harsher than he had meant to.
“Lil bro, you out of line,” Tone told Keys, not really feeling how he was coming at the girls. He didn’t know them personally, but it was a dick move on Keys’s part and it rubbed him wrong.
“No disrespect, but this ain’t none of your business,” Keys told Tone. Those were his friends. Who was this New York dude to tell him how best to look after them?
“What’s up with ya man, he good?” Devil asked, noticing the change in Keys’s personality. It was like a schizophrenic shift.
“Everything is everything. Ain’t no issue here.” Abdul grabbed Keys by the arm and led him out of the hotel. Once they were outside and the air hit Keys it seemed to sober him up a bit. Not much, but he wasn’t acting a damn fool anymore. Ab had never seen the pianist this agitated and wasn’t sure what to make of it. “Bruh, I don’t know what you’re tripping off, but this ain’t the place. You know what we got riding on this meeting.”
“I’m sorry, Ab. I just can’t let y’all do her like that. I can’t let you feed her to the wolves,” Keys said emotionally.
Abdul shook his head sadly as he began to understand what was happening with Keys. He was in his feelings over Promise and was willing to blow his shot at getting signed to defend her honor. He almost felt bad for the tenderhearted bastard, but not bad enough to let Keys’s emotions stand in the way of him getting to the bag. He wouldn’t have cared if Don B. had a three-way with Mouse and Promise, so long as he was cutting a check. Still, he needed to put Keys’s feelings at ease or risk losing him. “Man, ain’t nobody getting fed to nothing. I’m gonna put you in a cab so you can go home and sleep it off,” he grabbed the door of the first taxi he saw in front of the hotel and snatched it open for Keys.
“But what about the deal?” Keys asked.
“I can take it from here. Go home and get yourself some rest, kid.” Abdul shoved Keys into the cab. He gave the cab driver Keys’s address and some money and saw them off. He breathed a sigh of relief once the taxi pulled off. Now that he had Keys out of his hair he could turn his attention back to the business at hand. With this in mind he walked back into the hotel.
If Ab had stayed outside a few minutes longer he’d have seen Keys jump out of the taxi at the corner and make his way back to the hotel.
CHAPTER 21
Asher took longer than usual to get dressed that evening. He had always been meticulous when it came to his appearance, but that night he had a lot more on his mind than what he was going to wear.
He had been walking on eggshells since coming home to find Zul and his gang in his living room. He couldn’t even put into words what he was feeling; anger, fear, violation . . . all these things and then some were emotions that finding Zul in the place where he rested his head invoked. If he’d had his strap he’d have shot Zul dead in his living room and sent his boys with him for the ride, but he hadn’t. He was caught slipping, a mistake that he wouldn’t make twice. Since then Asher had made it a point to be strapped at all times. Even when he was in the bathroom taking a shit, he had his pistol close.
This also turned his brain to Milk. It didn’t sit well with Asher that Zul showing up and Milk pulling a no-show had happened at the same time. Had Milk been involved with the setup? Milk was a nobody in the hood with little to no standing or reputation, but that had also been Asher’s story once upon a time. He knew better than most how one well-placed favor could change the course of a man’s life. He’d hit Milk up a few times, but so far hadn’t gotten a response, which made him even more suspicious. He knew that at some point Milk would have to show his face in the hood and when he did, he and Asher were due to have a conversation. He didn’t want to believe that Milk had been down with the bullshit, but couldn’t afford to leave any stones unturned.
Asher’s life was now riddled with uncertainties about what his future would hold, but one thing he was certain about was that Zul was going to die. Asher was foul for what he had done to Zul, but he had kept it in the streets. When Zul had come to his home with the bullshit he had crossed a line that couldn’t be uncrossed. He would answer for his disrespect. Zul was strong in the streets, even stronger than B-Stone in certain areas, but Asher was not without resources of his own.
His phone vibrated on his bed. He picked it up and read the text message:
Where you at, fool?
Calico was outside waiting for fifteen minutes already and was getting impatient. Generally, Asher would’ve just had him wait inside the house but his mom was home that evening and she wasn’t exactly one of Cal’s biggest cheerleaders. She saw Cal as a bad influence on her son, having come up around his mom and some of his older sisters. Linda knew what time it was with Cal’s family and was concerned that being around them might influence Asher in a negative way. Little did she know, Asher was usually the one to initiate their illicit deeds, not Cal. Linda always chose to see Asher as her baby instead of recognizing him for what he really was and holding him accountable. To say that she was solely responsible for the way that he chose his life wouldn’t have been totally true, but it was her willingness to turn a blind eye that kept him from seeing the wrong in the things he did.
“You okay?” A voice from behind Asher startled him. He turned to see Linda standing in the doorway. Linda looked like a slightly darker version of Asher, even down to the locs, but her hair was shorter than his and she let them hang loose. “I didn’t mean to intrude, but your door was open. I came in to ask if you were hungry and now I find you staring into your closet like it’s about to reveal a mystery to you.”
Asher mustered a laugh. “Nah, I’m good, Ma. Just trying to figure out what I’m going to wear tonight.”
“What’s the occasion?” Linda asked, now standing near the closet with him. She began to thumb through some of the shirts and sweaters he had on hangers.
“We’re celebrating Clay getting into Alabama A&M. He got a full ride,” Asher told his mom.
“That’s amazing. Tell him that I said congratulations.” Linda’s browsing stopped on a long-sleeved black shirt with pretty silver buttons. She took the shirt from the closet, pressed it against Asher’s frame, taking in the measure, before nodding in approval. “This one.”
“Thanks, Mom.” He took the shirt. “You always did have a keen eye for fashion.”
“Comes from my career of being a booster in a past life.” She half-joked. “You see, we used to lick for high-end stuff when we went into the stores, but I also kept my regulars in mind when picking out pieces. I had to know what would look good on them.”
“You ever miss it?” Asher asked, slipping into his shirt.
“Of course, I do. At least the good times. Me and mine were young, wild, and free, but there were some heavy consequences that came with the decisions we made. I lost a lot of good people to them streets,” Linda said solemnly. “But I ain’t trying to bring your mood down. I know you’re about to go out and have a good time with your friends.”
“Yeah, I actually gotta slide in a second.” Asher cracked the seal on the pint of Hennessy that was on the dresser and sipped from the bottle. He wasn’t worried about his mother giving him grief about drinking before he was old enough because it was her who had purchased the bottle.
“You better put that bottle down if you’re going to be driving, Ash. You know these cops ain’t playing no games with young Black men,” she warned.
“Nah, I’m riding with a friend,” Asher told her.
“Who?”
Asher paused, not sure if he wanted to tell her that he was mobbing with Calico. “One of the homegirls,” he lied.
Linda frowned. “You and that wandering penis of yours. You ain’t gonna be satisfied until Ruby hurts your ass. You’re going to learn about playing with that girl’s heart.”
“Ain’t nobody playing with nothing.” Asher sucked his teeth. “Me and Ruby ain’t that deep.”
