Chapter 3
A nasty dancer
The morning sun peered through the blinds of the Comfort Inn, casting a harsh light on the reality of the night before. I knew I shouldn't have taken that Xanax.
Silk was probably going to kill me—or, more realistically, he was already high out of his mind and laid up with another girl. I did what I had to do to get this money, but Silk was the only one I would ever truly love.
"Wake up, Rodrick. Why'd you let me fall asleep here?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.
"I didn't want to go home to Shelly's nagging ass last night, but your time will be paid for," Rodrick replied.
I pulled out my phone: 5 missed calls from Silk and a $6,000 Zelle notification from Rodrick. I looked up at Rodrick, who was still lying in bed.
"Thank you, I appreciate it. I'll see you in two weeks," I said.
"You're welcome, my beautiful BBW chocolate Barbie. No later."
I cringed. No, this ugly-ass pig didn't just call me that. I hated being anyone's fetish, but his money kept my bills paid. I had originally gone there expecting $300 for an hour of company and walked out with $6,000 just to spend the night. He must have known I needed the cash.
I hurried out and jumped into my 2020 Honda Civic, immediately pulling out my phone to call Silk.
"Mercedes, where the fuck you at?" he barked.
"Silk, I fell asleep. I'm leaving the Comfort Inn now and heading home."
"So you spending the night with niggas now?"
"No, nigga, that Xanax had me out. Where are you at?"
"I'm at the trap with Clo. I'm about to head to Jasmine's to pick up that $700 she made last night, then I'm heading home. Get home, hop in the shower, and make sure that pussy is fresh and waiting for me."
Family Business
I pulled up to my house thirty minutes later. It was a modest, three-bedroom home—small, but it was mine. Not many twenty-three-year-olds could say they owned their own property.
When I arrived, my twenty-one-year-old sister, Junie, was on the porch on her phone. Junie was model-type: petite, five-foot-ten, cocoa-colored skin, with her hair slicked back into a high ponytail.
"Hey Cedes, pulled an over-nighter, I see," Junie said.
"Girl, you know I wouldn't have stayed if the motherfucker wasn't so ugly. I had to be high just to look at him," I joked.
Right then, my phone started ringing again.
It was my cousin Tammy. Tammy was twenty, five-foot-seven—an inch shorter than me and a little thicker—with long, wavy, bleached-golden-blonde hair and striking light brown eyes.
Despite her look, she was a Beautiful Black woman with skin the color of smooth clay. She was stunning.
"Wassup, Tammy?" I answered. She took a deep, shaky breath.
"All my shit is outside. Lisa didn't pay the bills. I haven't heard from her in a week. I just got home from college—my grant wasn't enough to cover my full ride, so I came home to nothing. Nowhere to lay my head," Tammy said, her voice cracking.
"Everything's going to be ok. I'm on the way. Just stay cool and gather the things you actually need," I said, ending the call.
"June, I need you to ride with me. Tammy's back home—Auntie got evicted ," I told my sister.
"Ain't no way. With that first-and-third-of-the-month check coming in, she really needs to leave that dope alone," Junie laughed hard.
We pulled up to Aunt Lisa's house just in time to find Tammy and Lisa literally fighting in the yard. Tammy was swinging hard, and Lisa was sticking right back—though Aunt Lisa weighed barely 120 pounds now compared to the 250 she used to be. Those drugs had completely wasted her away.
I jumped out of the car to break it up, pulling Tammy back while Junie grabbed Aunt Lisa, who was spitting blood onto the grass.
"Fuck you! My job was to make sure you were fed, had a roof over your head, and got through school. I did my job, fat-ass bitch, I don't owe you shit!" Aunt Lisa shrieked.
I couldn't even argue. My mom had died when I was five, and Aunt Lisa had been strung out on drugs since I was in the eighth grade—likely buckling under the stress of raising me, Tammy, and Junie all on her own.
"Man, crackhead bitch, you haven't been a good mother since middle school! You don't give a fuck about nothing but that pipe and where you're gonna get the next five dollars to fill that motherfucker up!" Tammy screamed.
"I got somewhere to stay," Aunt Lisa muttered, turning and walking unsteadily up the street.
"Tammy, chill. That's still your mother. I know you're upset and I understand your frustration, but Auntie is fighting demons right now," I soothed. She let out a long, heavy sigh.
We loaded Tammy's remaining things into my car and headed back. Just as we pulled into my driveway, Silk called again.
"Where the fuck you at?" Silk demanded.
"On the way. I've been running since early this morning, and I am not in the mood, so don't start."
Back Home
I walked into the house still dressed in last night's gear: a cute black teddy lingerie set paired with black leather jeans, my curves on full display beneath a forty-inch weave falling down my legs. I didn't have to spend the most to look like a million bucks.
We walked inside, and I showed Tammy to the guest room before heading back to the living room to sit with Silk.
Silk was six-foot-two, slim, dark-skinned, and toned, wearing a sterling silver Cuban link chain, no shirt, black Amiri jeans, and Prada shoes. He was rolling a blunt, per usual. I took a seat right next to him.
"Good morning, my love," I said, kissing his cheek.
"Good morning, baby. I don't like not waking up next to you."
"I apologize. How was your night?"
"Long as fuck. Clover's spot was jumping—I made $600 in the trap. Jazz gave me $700, she said that wax was popping last night. I pulled up to Pink Pony to get $300 from Red-Ass, though that ho has been tripping ever since I told her I don't want to fuck her no more,
that this dick is only for my woman. Can't tell how the fish eat, though."
"Jazz has been mugging a lot lately. That ho be tripping in the club—I refuse to beef with anybody over a nigga that's mine. Actually, I'm glad I didn't go dance last night; I made $6,000 off Rodrick's ass anyway," I stated casually.
"Oh damn, word? That's good, baby. My girl gets that bag just from looking pretty and dancing; most bitches got to get fucked for that," he smiled.
"You need anything, baby? I already paid the bills and taxes, and I still have $5,100 left over."
"Nah, mama, I told you I don't need your money. I'm with you because I love you. Just put your money in your savings, and put this in there with it," Silk said, handing me a stack of cash.
"Ok, baby."
I counted it—it was an even $1,000.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Silk got up and let Clover in. Clover was a light-skinned guy with long curly hair, hazel eyes, a slim-built frame, and stood an inch taller than Silk.
They walked back to the living room. Silk sat back down next to me while Clover took the opposite couch. Silk fired up the blunt and turned to give me a shotgun hit. I caught it and inhaled the smoke smoothly.
"Here y'all go with that freaky-deaky shit," Clover joked.
I laughed hard as hell. At that moment, Junie walked into the living room wearing a tight red romper that hugged her body and showed off her Barbie-doll shape.
"Wassup, Clover," she said. He gave her a cool nod.
"Y'all ain't gonna pass me the blunt?" she asked.
Clover shook his head. "Nah, baby girl, you gotta wait your turn."
I smiled, stood up, and decided to check on my younger cousin. I walked down the hall to the guest room.
"Hey Tam, you good?"
She wiped her eyes. "No. My life is just falling apart. I have nothing—college debt, didn't even finish my semester, nowhere to stay, no job, nothing."
"Relax. Stop thinking so hard. You can stay right here until you figure out your next plan. Don't worry about all that; I got you."
She smiled through her tears and hugged me tight.
"Let's go out tonight," I added. "I have a few dollars to spend, and you definitely need to blow off some steam."
"Girl, I don't have anything to wear. All my good clothes were left outside."
"Tam, don't worry. We're practically the same size. I'm pretty sure you can raid my closet."