ANYTHING 4 PROFIT (ANYTHING FOR PROFIT) (16 page)

             Finally Mike came to his senses, and replied, “Nikki, I know this is gon’ sound real corny but it’s real. Your beauty kinda’ left me speechless. I saw you, and was like DAMN! I couldn’t say shit,” he said, smiling and showing a mouth full of diamonds and rubies.

             “Thank you, Mike. That was sweet. How long have you been here?”

             “Too long,” he responded.

             “I thought you liked Jeezy.”

             “I do. But honestly, I didn’t come out here to see the Snowman.”

             “Then who did you come to see?”

             Mike looked in her eyes, and said, “You. Look, Nikki, I don’t like wasting time so I’ma just say what’s on my mind. I know we barely know each other, but I wanna change all of that, if you’ll let me.”

             “Mike, I’ve heard a lot about you already, and I’m not trying to be just another one of your hoes. Somebody you just have sex with. So maybe it would be better if we were just friends.”

             “Damn, Nikki. I see you done did your homework on a nigga,” said Mike, grinning. “Look, I know I have a reputation when it comes to dealin’ with girls, but you gotta understand that I only treat women like that if they allow me to. I don’t respect them. Not the easy ones. I respect you. You’re smart, you’re beautiful, and you got goals. You tryna do something with your life. All I’m tryna do is get to know you better, and hopefully become a part of that life. Matter fact, let’s get up outta this noisy ass club, and go somewhere where we can talk.”

             “Well, it looks like we both did our homework,” Nikki stated. “Alright, Mike. But understand that all we’re going to do is go talk. So if you have anything else on your mind, then we might as well not even leave.”

             “Like I said, Nikki, I respect you. And with that respect comes my word that I’ll never do anything that you don’t want me to,” Mike said, extending his hand to her. She took it, and he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. Together, they turned and headed for the exit.

             “
When they hear that new Jeezy all the dope boys go crazy, all the dope boys go crazy! I pop my collar then I swing my chain, you can catch me in the club pimpin’ doin’ my thang…”
 

   It was a ten minutes to one A.M. and Young Jeezy was still on stage. He was sweating from giving the crowd their money’s worth, enthused on each song that he performed. All of the women at the front of the stage were grabbing at Jeezy’s pants and crotch, trying to get his attention. They damn near pulled him off the stage. The crowd continued to rap along. It was safe to say that the ‘hoods of Upstate South Carolina had love for him.

              Several other rap artists had already come to different clubs in the UPS that year, but had ended up getting shit thrown at them while they were on stage. A few of those same rappers were even shot at, or relieved of their cash and jewelry at gunpoint. But niggas felt like Jeezy was one of them.

Ant D was upstairs at a table overlooking the crowd, enjoying the view with two thick ass women from Spartanburg, S.C. at the table with him. He had two bottles of Moet sitting in a large bucket of ice, and was smoking on a blunt so fat it was obese.

              Jeezy’s last song, “Soul Survivor”, was the one Ant D had waited all night to hear.
“Let’s get it! If you lookin’ for me I’ll be on the block wit’ that thing cocked, possibly sittin’ on a drop now. ‘Cause Im’a rider, yeeeeeah, soul survivor, yeeeeeeeeah. Everybody know the game don’t stop, tryna make it to the top befo’ ya’ ass get popped now - If you a rider, yeeeeeeea, a soul survivor…”

              Ant D jumped up onto the table with a bottle of Moet in each hand, and the blunt still lit in his mouth. He did a little two step on the table, closed his eyes, and felt the best he’d ever felt in his whole entire twenty years on the face of the earth. He had money to blow, bad bitches to fuck, and the best weed to smoke. And not to mention the finest fishscale to snort. What else could a ‘hood nigga from the gutter, who never had shit coming up, ask for?

   And they were just getting started. It was only a matter of time before him and Mike made themselves certified ‘hood stars. Once they made a few more licks, he’d make sure his mama and Meka were set up straight.
And where the fuck was Meka at anyway
, Ant thought to himself momentarily. But then the weed smoke and alcohol kicked back in and dulled his senses. He continued to enjoy the show, and reveled in his newfound ghetto celebrity status.

$$$

   While Ant D was at Club Escalade partying, and having a good time, Mike was cruising in his new customized Escalade. He brought the truck to a stop in the parking lot of Falls Park. Falls Park was a beautiful spot in Downtown Greenville that had a bridge with a breathtaking view of a waterfall.

   Mike got out of the truck. When he saw Nikki about to open the passenger door, he stopped her and said, “Naw, let me get that for you, beautiful.”

   She smiled at the thought of Mike being such a gentleman. After all the things she’d heard about him and his reputation, the last thing she expected was for him to be opening doors for her. It was a pleasant surprise. 

              He walked over to her side, opened the door, and helped her step down. They walked over to the bridge that overlooked the waterfall. Even though it was early morning, the lights on the bridge illuminated a breathtaking view.

              Once they reached the middle of the bridge, Nikki took off her heels. Her feet were killing her, so she was happy to be out of her shoes. Her perfectly pedicured feet felt like they were in heaven the minute they touched the cool pavement.

              Mike said, “Let’s stop here, and chill for a minute.” They stood there shoulder to shoulder on the bridge staring up at the stars, and listening to the waterfall speaking its own sensual language.

   Still gazing at the stars, Mike said, “Nikki, you got a man?”

             “No,” she answered softly.

             “I’m not sayin’ you lyin’ or nothin’, but damn, that’s kinda’ hard to believe. As pretty and smart as you is, I know niggas be comin’ at you left and right.”

             “Yeah, but maybe the
right
one hasn’t come at me yet.”

              Mike turned his head and took in Nikki’s beautiful profile, which was illuminated by the moonlight. “Nikki, look at me.” She turned and looked directly into Mike’s eyes.

   He continued, “Honestly, this ain’t even my style right here. I’m the last nigga on the face of the earth that you would consider a romantic dude, but for some reason you make a nigga wanna do shit like this. Nikki, you’re special…”

             “You trying to say I’m retarded or something, Mike,” Nikki joked.

             “Naw, what I’m saying is that a girl like you don’t come along too often, so I want you in my life. I been wantin’ to holla at you since high school, but I wasn’t in a position to back then.”

             “What do you mean you weren’t in a position?”

             “What I mean is that back then I was just a lil’ nobody, broke ass nigga.”

             “Mike, everybody is not like my friend Vicki - trying to get with brothers for what they have. I mean, I like nice things and all that, but I’d rather be with someone who was broke, as long as he was working towards something better, and treated me right.”

             “Naw, Nikki, I didn’t mean it like that. I know you ain’t a gold-digger, but at the same time, a woman like you deserves to have flowers, nice dinners, jewelry… Back then I couldn’t do that for you.”

             “And now you can?”

             “Damn right.”

             “How Mike?”

              Mike turned and stared at the waterfall for a few seconds, contemplating just how much of himself he wanted to expose. But he’d already jumped out of the window by telling her how he felt. It was too late to ask for a parachute now. After moments of serious thought, he made up his mind. “Nikki, you remember when I told you that I respect you, right?

             “Yeah.”

             “Well, that means that I’m not gonna lie to you. I’m in the streets real heavy right now. Doin’ what I gotta do to make it. And none of it’s legal.”

             “Mike, I’m not in the streets like you but I’m not totally naïve. I know a little bit about what’s going on out there. Just say for a second, hypothetically of course, that you were my man. What if something happened to you? What if you got killed, or sent to prison? I don’t want to invest myself emotionally, and then… That would crush me, Mike. That’s why I told myself I’d never date a guy like you. I’m not prepared for that type of pain.”

             “See that’s the thang, Nikki. I’m not gonna be in these streets forever!” Mike said passionately. “I know this shit can’t last forever. As soon as the money gets right, me and my homey Ant gettin’ outta this shit.”

              “Mike, that’s what everybody says…”

    “Nikki, I’m not everybody.”

    She looked at Mike, her green eyes searching his face for the truth. She wanted to believe him, but couldn’t hand over her heart to him and have it broken into tiny little pieces. Mike stared back at her, and wondered how he could feel so strongly about a woman so soon. Suddenly Nikki leaned towards him and closed her eyes. Mike leaned in and kissed her slowly but passionately. His tongue explored the inside of her mouth, loving the way she tasted. After kissing like that for about a minute, Nikki pulled away.

   “I hope that means yes,” said Mike.

             “No, that’s the kiss I give to men right before I turn them down,” she said, laughing. “It’s late, Mike. Take me home so I can do a little studying, and get some sleep.”

    Together, they ambled back to the truck. Twenty minutes later, Mike was pulling into an apartment complex in Berea, where Nikki stayed with her mama and little brother. They got out and walked over to apartment number 37A. Once at the door, Nikki turned around and said, “Call me tomorrow, okay?”

    Mike nodded yes, and then pulled Nikki in closer and tried to kiss her again.

    She pulled away from him, and said, “Tomorrow, Mike. Call me tomorrow.”

    Reluctantly, he respected her wishes and let her go inside of the apartment. The taste of her soft, luscious lips lingered in his mouth as he walked back to his vehicle. He felt better than he’d felt in a long time. Mike got in, and pulled off into the early morning.

Chapter 16

     BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP!
The sound of the garbage truck backing up to the dumpster broke the silence and the serenity of the early Monday morning. “A little mo’, Joe! Back it up a little mo’,” the White, heavyset garbage man yelled to his partner in the truck. “A little mo’, and you got it.”

    The truck inched further back, connecting with a dark green dumpster. “Alright, go ahead and lift it!”

    The dumpster jerked upwards, and when it did, one of the trash bags moved, exposing what appeared to be a hand. “Hold it, Joe, hold it! I think I see something in there,” the man yelled.

   The dumpster stopped moving, suspended in mid-air. The garbage man leaned inside the dumpster and began to throw black trash bags out of the way with his heavily gloved hands, until he revealed the body of a naked, badly beaten, Black woman.

    “Holy shit, Joe! There’s a goddamn body in here, bo! Call 911!” The garbage man who’d just discovered the body turned to his side. His face beet red, he let the bacon, eggs, and toast he’d just eaten for breakfast hit the ground.

              Because of the nature of the call to 911, an ambulance was dispatched to the scene, along with the closest available police unit. Once on the scene, the paramedics’ main concern was to determine whether or not the woman was still alive. If so, they were focused on saving her life if they could. Unlike the police, who were busy securing the scene, and looking for any possible evidence to what appeared to be a homicide.