Authors: Eric Pete
Blow Your Mind (10 page)
13
PUMPKIN
“Mrs. Coleman! Mrs. Coleman!” her nagging maid repeated.
Bianca looked worn-out. Poor thing was being run ragged. All she needed was a blanket and a pillow. I left her there, stepping over her to handle some business.
By the time I’d opened the bedroom door, Lorenda had moved on. Just an empty hallway stood before me.
“No time like the present,” I muttered as I set out on my mission.
Lorenda was bending over her oven, checking on the roast she was preparing. The delightful scent of garlic and herbs was mouthwatering.
Bianca was really going to miss her.
“Oh!” the Panamanian woman yelped as she backed into me. “You startled me, Mrs.—”
“Please. Don’t be so formal. It’s just little old me.”
“O-okay.” She disapproved of how tight my clothes were. Of what I wore and how I wore it. I made her nervous. I knew that after today, she’d be stirring things up in this house. Maybe try to have Tanner kick me out.
I grabbed Lorenda and hugged her. “There. Isn’t this better?”
“Ma’am?”
“Don’t I feel good, Lorenda?” I stressed
good
the way Halle did in
Monster’s Ball
.
good
the way Halle did in
Monster’s Ball
.
“I . . . I don’t know. I guess. I have to cook.”
“Yes. You do,” I said, whispering in her ear. “That roast smells delicious . . . almost heavenly. Mmmm. I can taste it already,” I purred as if in the throes of pleasure. I held back a giggle as Lorenda’s body quivered.
“Ma’am, please let me go.”
“But I like hugging you.” I began rubbing suggestively on her back. The woman’s big breasts heaved into me in surprise. I could’ve sworn she was almost in tears.
“And . . . and I’d like you to stop. Please.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Yes, I do,” she pleaded. “I have to get the roast out. It’s done.”
I cocked my head to the side, the better to look her eye-to-eye. “You like my sister better than me, huh?”
“I . . . I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now please let me go.”
“You don’t like the way I hold you?” I brushed my tongue against her ear.
“No.” Her voice was barely audible. I think she was praying.
I slid my hands down to her ample ass. And squeezed hard. “Does this feel better?”
Lorenda yelped and bucked, knocking me back. She charged at me in tears, swinging wildly in an end-over-end flailing motion. It ended quickly as she ran past, howling for all to hear. I heard the door slam to the quarters she used when staying overnight.
“That was way too easy,” I remarked smugly, left alone in the kitchen.
The scent got to me again. I closed my eyes, savoring it for a second. The oven mitts had been left out. I placed my hands in them and removed the roast from the oven.
Humming innocently, I helped myself to a large piece of roast, then sat down to enjoy. I was going to miss Lorenda’s cooking. Thanksgiving was around the corner too. I hoped Bianca could cook, because I sure as hell couldn’t.
The slice of roast went into my mouth, allowing me to savor the garlic and herbs.
Mmm, mmm, good.
14
HENRY
I
rushed back to the Radisson, where I’d checked in. A few days ago, I had drunkenly considered robbing my former boss. Now I carried a backpack filled with more than I expected to get from him. God working in mysterious ways, as the old adage goes.
rushed back to the Radisson, where I’d checked in. A few days ago, I had drunkenly considered robbing my former boss. Now I carried a backpack filled with more than I expected to get from him. God working in mysterious ways, as the old adage goes.
A deep calmness overtook me as I inserted my card key into the lock. That calmness was my undoing. As I swung my door open, I was rushed. A hard shoulder block and I went spilling along with the backpack onto my room floor.
Because of my cast, the backpack slipped off my arm. It tumbled clumsily along until it bumped into the coffee table. My instincts stopped me from scrambling for it.
Kash obviously felt like getting his cardio in. He kicked at me, but I blocked it with my cast. He thought about kicking again, but wasn’t used to the physical stuff. He seemed to almost pout as he put his foot down. Lupe joined him in the room and had no such issues. With Kash’s approval, he swung and hit, eliciting a groan from me.
“Whassup, Henry?” Kash said as he plopped onto the hotel couch. He had an apple in his hand that he was eyeing. “Did you know that you have better security at this hotel than at your expensive apartment? We had a hard time tracking you down in here. Were you trying to hide, Henry?”
Lupe stood near the backpack. His eyes began following mine, but I quickly looked away from it. “No. I just came here to hook up with someone.”
Kash and Lupe exchanged glances. Both of them began grinning. “You’re not buying hoes, is ya? Paying for that pussy?” Kash asked.
“No,” I offered, afraid to get off the floor. Lupe liked to play that game: Make you think it was cool, then knock you the fuck back down.
“Okay. ’Cause I would be mad if you weren’t going through me for those services. Seein’ as we got a close relationship ’n’ all. So, where she at?”
“She’s coming. Later.”
“I bet she will be ‘coming,’ ” he joked. “That the same one you had on display in your window?”
I moved, almost rising to my feet. Lupe flinched and I stopped on the spot.
“Yeah. We watchin’ you,” Kash answered. “And
that
was a good show. Man, Windex ain’t cleanin’ that. Wish I had some binoculars. Think we should wait for your friend to come by? I’d like to see that shit up close.”
that
was a good show. Man, Windex ain’t cleanin’ that. Wish I had some binoculars. Think we should wait for your friend to come by? I’d like to see that shit up close.”
“She’s not down for that.”
Kash eyed me. Nothing said. Just those cold eyes peering beyond the obvious. I wondered if he could smell the money beneath his nose. I felt a chill. I usually ended up visiting the ER when he got quiet. He sprang up, making me jerk. “Nah. We gonna give you some privacy. Would be a shame to let this fine room go to waste.” He finally took a bite of his apple, spit flying as he chomped away.
He and Lupe turned to leave. I began to breathe, feeling in the clear and spared more pain. I glanced at the backpack again on reflex. Stupid. Lupe caught my eyes and decided to speak.
“What’s in the bag?” he grunted.
“Clothes,” I said in as calm a voice as I could muster. “She likes to role-play.”
Lupe chuckled as he looked at his boss. “Toldja he was a freak.”
I grinned, allowing them to dismiss me. I was closing the door when Kash held it up with his hand. His jovial demeanor had snapped back.
“Why ya ain’t at work today, Henry?”
“Huh?” was all I could muster before Lupe blindsided me. I fell again, this time holding my nose.
Tears formed in my eyes as the two assumed the familiar stance over my battered body. “You can’t keep secrets in this town. I know you lost your job. I can’t trust you, Henry. And here I thought you were my boy,” he spat with a grin of malice. “Now I want all my money by next week. Every last dime.”
I groaned. “My car. You can have it.” I began to offer whatever was in the backpack, but something held me back.
Kash rolled his eyes. “If I wanted a sports car, I’d own one. Don’t play me. That shit’s leased. Besides, that car makes it easy to find you in this town.” As he rolled out for real this time, he left me with parting words: “Next week, Henry. Next week.”
“Payday,” Lupe taunted as he slammed the hotel door shut behind them.
I waited for my pulse to slow and the soreness in my nose to subside. Only when I was certain they wouldn’t return did I crawl over to the backpack.
I plopped the orange carrier onto the small dining table and pulled up a chair. It was time to finally see what Pumpkin had delivered.
“Housekeeping,” a woman yelled from the hallway right as I was unzipping.
“Go away!” I yelled back. Back to the matter at hand. I opened it like a candy bar.
The smell of crisp bills was intoxicating. Just how much was in here? I had thought about counting it earlier as I drove, but was afraid to wipe out, seeing as I had a cast on my hand. As I continued pulling out stack after stack, I was glad I’d waited.
When I was finished, I sat there in stunned silence. It took time to set in.
Eighty-five thousand dollars.
A woman I’d just met, and whom I barely knew, had dropped eighty-five K on me.
It was too quiet in here. I walked over to the remote, turning on the TV before returning to the counted loot.
“Wow.” I gasped, realizing the options before me.
Would Kash take this and let me off the hook? Or would he take it, then break a few more pieces of me? I could use it to get out of town, maybe start over fresh. I wanted to call Pumpkin and get some more answers, but with the number blocked I’d have to wait.
“I really like the Cleveland/Atlanta game,” the voice on the TV said as if talking to me. I turned around, seeing the men in suits analyzing this weekend’s matchup. I gazed, mesmerized at the formulas and magic numbers understood by risk takers such as myself. My palms became sweaty. A lump formed in my throat. It was hard to look away, but I did.
And picked up the phone.
The wire felt firm when I stepped out onto it.
“Henry?” the man on the other end asked. I hadn’t dealt with him in years.
“Yeah. It’s me.”
“Kash ain’t done kilt you?”
I laughed, pretending to be confident. “Nah, man. Things are okay with Kash.” If the cast on my hand had been a sock puppet, it would’ve been shaking its head to the contrary. “Check this out. I need to get in on a game this weekend. Big.”
“Uh-huh.” He sighed. “Look. Kash spread the word. Your credit ain’t so hot right now. I mean . . . I’d love to help you, but . . .”
“I’m talking cash money.”
“Oh.” There was a long, drawn-out silence. Then he collected himself. “I’m listening,” he said.
“Good.”
My balance was sure as I took my first step. You just never looked below.
15
BIANCA
C
haos.
haos.
I awoke to chaos. It was Tanner in the distance who jarred me awake. His raised voice always carried so much bass. I was on my bed now, a pillow under my head and a throw draped over me. Doctor’s orders were something to follow, as I was learning. Under my hand rested a tiny slip of paper.
Pumpkin.
Just a short note saying she was sorry for upsetting me and that she would explain later. Remembering my experience at the bank pissed me off again. I balled up the piece of paper and threw it on the side of the bed. She’d better have a damn good explanation.
Yawning, I shook off my cobwebs and went to check on the commotion. Downstairs Tanner was arguing with someone at our front door. I prayed he hadn’t discovered Pumpkin was visiting.
But Lorenda had heard the two of us fighting.
“No, Mr. Coleman. I must go,” Lorenda pleaded desperately. What was she saying? And why was she blubbering? I hurried down the stairs to investigate, fearful that it might be too late.
“Lorenda, what’s wrong?” I asked as I ran up on them. Tanner looked obviously frustrated.
She saw me and spat out something in Spanish. She picked up her hastily stuffed bag from the floor and began heading out the door. It looked permanent. Tanner tried stopping her again.
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