16. Tegan And Harlem
TEGAN AND HARLEM
PROTECTION
TEGAN
“Two blue silk cupcakes, one strawberry mint dee-lite cupcake, a vanilla turtle cheesecake, two cherry whipped brownies, and three vanilla chai teas,” I stated, setting my customer’s order on the counter before her.
“Thank you,” the slightly frazzled looking woman declared, trying to hold onto the hands of her twin toddlers. “I promised them that if they were good at the mall, they could have a treat from here. They were extra good, but boy, once we got out the car, they have gone crazy.”
I laughed with her. “They are so cute.”
“Thank you. They are my little blessings, but they keep my husband and me busy,” she remarked as she slid her card through the card reader.
“Well, as long as you have a support system, that’s always beautiful.”
“I do. My sister and mother-in-law live with us, and they are phenomenal. They’re the reason I ordered so much. My little ones here will have the blue silk cupcakes and nothing more. They’ve already eaten dinner, so they’ll have these, get baths, and go to bed.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Sis, do you think they’re going to settle down after they get all that sugar?”
She sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. “Girl, no, but it’s my mother-in-law and sister’s turn to put them to bed tonight. I get to go up to my attic suite with my husband and hide.”
I laughed. “Well, you all enjoy,” I stated as she grabbed her bags and headed out of the bakery.
The rest of my staff had gone home for the evening. It was a Sunday night, and we closed at six. I was about to head home myself, since the shop was cleaned, the deposit prepared for the morning, and everything else was put away.
Harlem’s shop was closed today, but he had stopped by earlier and checked on me. When he told me that he would be coming by when I closed later, I told him not to worry about it, but he insisted he would be back.
He was so sweet like that, always escorting me home almost every evening. He didn’t stay over every night, but he did some nights. He usually just went inside, checked my house, although I didn’t need him to, and then he went home.
I headed to the kitchen to put away a few items, and I glanced at the clock when I heard the bell tinkle again. I washed my hands and rushed back to the front expecting to see Harlem. Disappointment filled me when I noticed that it wasn’t him but a customer.
“Good evening. Welcome to Baby Got Buns. I don’t have a lot of things left, as I was just getting ready to close, but I’m sure that I can find something for you. How can I help you?”
When the sneer crossed his face, I immediately became concerned and prayed that Harlem would show up at any moment. I knew the teenaged boy didn’t have any good intentions; I just wasn’t sure what they were.
“Welcome to the block,” he stated, walking back and forth in front of the pastry counter with his hands shoved in his pockets.
“Thank you.”
“I’ve heard nothing but good things about this place. You’ve been packed out since your opening. Gotta be making a pretty profit.” He stopped and rapped his knuckles on the case.
I cleared my throat. “Things have been decent. Is there anything that I can get you?”
He glanced sharply up at me from the display case and stared.
The cold glint in his dark brown eyes was menacing and hardened, but there was something softer underneath it all.
Although I was scared, a deeper part of me told me that this wasn’t who this kid was, but I had no time to worry about that now.
I needed to protect myself, and I would reason with him if I could.
My fingers stretched forth to the side of me where my phone and purse were hidden just out of view. I prayed that I could dial 911.
“Yeah, you can in fact. Maybe you don’t know how things work around this block, but this ain’t the safest neighborhood.”
“It’s transitioning, and I’m happy to be a part of that, bringing good things to the neighborhood.”
He snickered. “If you plan to remain safe and have any chance of survival for you or your business, you gon’ need some protection, li’l mama.”
“P-p-protection?” I asked. I was still trying to grab the phone, but it was still just out of reach.
“Yeah. Protection to keep you safe around here comes at a cost. The other business owners know what time it is. If you don’t pay, you don’t stay.
There are some dangerous crews around here, and the boys can be a little harsh, especially with pretty ladies like yourself.
I can keep them off you; all you gotta do is pay. ”
“Have you lost your mind? I’m not paying anyone anything. If you need a job, maybe I or the other—”
“You think this is some muthafuckin’ joke? I’m not playing with you. There’s a price to pay to stay on this block, and it comes at the cost of five hundred dollars weekly. You need to pay if you plan to be able to stay.”
My fingers finally reached the phone as I boldly asked, “What if I don’t?”
“Then I can’t protect you from the robberies, the assaults, and the damage that will happen to your place if you don’t.
Once this pretty little shop is tagged by the JLBU gang, that’s it.
No one will come near your place once they see the letters JLBU scrawled all over your building.
They know what that means. They won’t jeopardize your life to make your pockets fat, Miss Moneybags. ”
“Please leave before I call the police.”
He laughed. “Y’all rich folks kill me coming to the hood trying to make a profit off of us.”
“Leave now. I’ve already hit the alarm and alerted them,” I lied. I should have had one, and I made a mental note to get one after this incident.
He chuckled cruelly as he headed toward the door. “Good luck with that. I’ll be back in three days. I suggest you have my money.”
I stared evenly at him, refusing to cower, although I was terrified inside.
He glanced back one final time and warned, “Watch your back.”
Although I was shaken, I rushed from behind the counter with the phone in my hand and locked the doors. At the same time, I dialed Harlem’s number.
His call went straight to voicemail. I rushed to the back of the shop shaking, and tears were streaming down my face. Although things could have been worse—he could have robbed me or physically assaulted me—I was still terrified at just his threat.
After sitting in my office for a few minutes trying to calm down and call Harlem again, I heard a loud knocking on the front door. I jumped and screamed. My nerves were shot, and the knock freaked me out. I grabbed a knife and clutched it in my fist before I headed to the front.
Relief filled me when I saw that it was Harlem, and I quickly unlocked and opened the door for him.
Harlem took one look at me and the knife in my hand and asked, “What the hell is wrong?”
I couldn’t do anything but cry and tremble for a couple of minutes. Harlem sat on a chair, and he pulled me onto his lap and held me for several long minutes. He made comforting, shushing noises, kissed the top of my head and my face repeatedly, and kept wiping my tears and rubbing my back.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’ve got you. It’s okay,” he whispered repeatedly.
When I calmed down, he asked me what happened again. I told him what happened and gave him a description of the young, light-skinned boy with the thick curly afro.
“Wait, you said he had the initials HG and TQ tatted on his neck?”
“Yes.”
“Baby, you ain’t got shit to worry about.”
“I mean, I knew this was a rough area of town, but everyone has been so welcoming that I hadn’t expected this.”
I was still crying and trying to remain calm, but I was so upset that someone would dare come at me that way.
Harlem cupped my face in his hands and tilted my head so that I was looking at him.
“Hey, do you trust me?”
“Yes, but I’m still afraid.”
“If you trust me, there’s no need to be afraid. Just like I made your permit problems disappear, I can make these do the same.”
His words spoken in a low, deadly threat made me pull back and frown at him.
“How, by threatening him, paying him off? That’s not the sort of life that I want to lead.”
“Listen, Baby, I get that. Don’t forget, you’re in the hood, and the rules that apply to the suburbs don’t apply in the hood. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Please don’t hurt him, Harlem. He was just a kid. As much as he frightened me, I’m not trying to be the reason another young Black male loses his life or ends up behind bars either.”
“Don’t worry about all that, Baby.”
He pulled his phone from his pocket and made a call.
“Aye, meet me at the bakery.”
“Who was that?” I asked when he ended the call.
“JC. I’m gonna take you home.”
“You don’t have to do that, Harlem. Thank you for just being here. I was so scared, but I’ll be fine driving home.”
He shook his head. “I don’t recall asking you a question. I’m taking you home.”
“But—”
“This shit ain’t up for debate, sweetness.”
My bottom lip trembled from the harshness of his tone, and he gripped my chin between his fingers and kissed my lips softly.
“Aye, look at me,” he commanded, staring into my eyes. When I met his gaze, he continued. “I’m not trying to hurt your feelings. The last thing that I want to do is hurt you any further, but I’m serious about protecting mine, Baby, and you’re mine. You understand?”
I bobbed my head. “Yes.”
“I love you, okay, and I will kill a nigga before I let something happen to you.”
“Kill someone?”
“I didn’t stutter. I know you might have felt alone in your last relationship and like no one had your back, but I’ll never leave you all alone. You can rely on me, and you can breathe in my presence and out of it. You understand?”
“Wait. You’re not really going to kill anyone, are you?”
“Don’t be asking questions you don’t want the answers to. Just know that I’m gonna resolve that problem once and for all. I’ll only do what’s necessary.”
A finger of unease tapped my spine, twisted to the front of my body, and firmly embedded itself into my belly. I would have to learn to trust him, but I didn’t want him getting hurt or into trouble.
HARLEM