I knew Kev was upset with me from our last time together. I figured his attitude was from that.
“You ready to meet up? I’m ready,” he said.
“Well don’t meet me there yet,” I stuttered. “I think they took a later flight,” I lied.
Kev paused. It was a weird, long pause. So I added, “So I’ll see you in a few,” and hung up. I would make up stories to buy extra time to get the dope off the women and back on them before we reached Kev or Jason, depending on who was there.
While I drove I started feeling bad. I hated that my scheme was going to affect Kev. He would definitely be hurt and betrayed by my actions.
“He picks my sons up and takes them to the park. We eat out all the time and hang out and now I’m playing him for a fool.” I shook my head back and forth as I approached passenger pickup. I slowed down and looked for the girls. I pulled over and stopped. I waited a few minutes anxiously. I patted the steering wheel fast and surveilled the exit until I saw the two of them walk out. Chantell was holding her cigarette in one hand and on her cell phone letting someone know she made it okay. Money, the Caucasian girl, grabbed her tote and got in the car.
“What’s up, Reese? How you doing?” Money asked.
“What’s goin’ on, Money? Just trying to get this done fast,” I said while I watched Chantell get in the car.
“Hey, Reese?” Chantell opened the car door and got in. “You call Kev, Reese?” Chantell asked.
“I was supposed to call him as soon as I picked y’all up.” We were all driving in silence. Seemed like we all were questioning what we were doing this time. I decided it was time for me to call Kev. I looked at my cell to see if he had called me; he hadn’t but Jason had been blowing me up. I knew Jason was furious that I hadn’t called him yet. And I knew he wouldn’t think twice before killing me.
I whipped into the Hyatt and we got out the car. I thought I was smooth; I handed the keys to the valet attendant and walked into the hotel. It was well after nine in the evening. I knew we had to hurry.
“Come on, girls, we need to hurry up.”
I went to the front and got the keys; then we rushed to our room, they put their bags down, and then it was time to get down to business.
“Okay, Money, how much you got on you?”
“I’m not sure, maybe one.” Which meant one kilo.
“Okay, let me have it.” I put out my hand and waited for her to give it to me. I poured a fourth into some Saran Wrap and then we put it back on her body. After I finished sorting out Kev and Jason’s cut, then mine, I walked over to my cell and dialed Kev.
“Hey, Kev, sorry I’m late but we got caught up. They were at another terminal than I was. You know they remodeling the airport, too.” I was trying to give a reason for the loss of time.
“Yeah, I hear ya, caught up. Everything everything? The girls get here okay?” he asked. The two of them didn’t play when it came to business. They wanted to know every move that was made when it came down to their business.
“Yeah, yeah, they fine. We had a misunderstanding and I was at the wrong terminal,” I said again so convincingly.
“All right, Reese. Let’s do this. Things have been changed. Meet me on Miller,” Kev said calmly.
“Why, everything everything?” I asked because we were originally meeting up on the north in some condos on Morse Road. “Thought we were meetin’ north on Morse—” He cut me off.
“It changed. I’ll be there in a few.” He hung up.
I held the phone a few minutes longer, wondering why the drop was changed. I picked my cell back up and started calling Jason, but I thought about it and figured that was a bad idea because he wouldn’t understand or care why I was running behind. After we wrapped everything up we left the hotel.
I pulled up to the apartment on Miller about fifteen minutes later. I knew Kev was there already because his car was out front. I was relaxed by now. I had my money and the dope, and had paid the females their little bit.
As we walked toward the door I noticed there weren’t any other cars there besides Kev’s. I wondered where the rest of the crew was but didn’t think too much about it. I opened the screen and knocked on the door. As we all three waited for Kev to open the door, we all shivered from the cold air blowing on us. I looked up in the sky and watched the snowflakes fall on my face. I smiled at that moment, and then Kev opened the door.
“Ladies, come on in.” He reached his arm out, directing us into the house. Then Kev turned and looked at me. He was smiling. “What’s up, Reese?” Kev said real smug, closing the door behind us.
“What’s up, Kev. What’s wrong?” I knew him well and could tell something was wrong with him.
“Nothin’,” he said and rubbed his hands together. “Let’s do this, ladies. Did Reese take care of y’all?” He looked at the females, meaning did I pay them. Kev’s voice was smug and real slick, like he was making a point. And on top of that, when he took off his suit jacket, he had a gun tucked in his back. I never knew him to carry guns, or he didn’t carry them out where I could see it.
“Yeah, Kev, she took care of us,” Money stated.
“All right then, Reese gonna give y’all her car so y’all can get back to New York.”
“What?” I was surprised. Why do I have to give them my car? I wondered. “What you mean?” I asked. The girls were happy. They smiled at the thought of getting my whip.
“You gonna give them your car to drive back, it’s paid for, right?” he asked, smiling.
He knew I loved that car. What the heck is going on? But I didn’t want to stir up drama, so I never said a word. I just tooted my lips up and stood there looking at Kev as if he was crazy.
“We’ll get you another one.” Kev eyed me with intensity.
I knew right then he suspected I was thief.
I was scared; I didn’t know what he was up to. I was busted. I lost my car, lost respect from someone I deeply cared about, and most likely was about to lose my life. I felt that Kev knew based on his sarcasm and his actions. My gut feeling was telling me I was caught red-handed with my hand in the cookie jar, and I had eaten so many cookies that I was starting to feel sick!
“Kev, is Jason here?” That’s all I wanted to know. I was looking around the room and thinking Jason was gonna jump out and beat me down.
“No, didn’t you talk to him earlier, Reese? He won’t be back for a few days. You should know that. That’s yo’ man, right?” Kev asked. There was that smug look and acting tone again.
“Yeah,” I said softly. “Okay, girls, let’s get this stuff off of you so y’all can get on the road,” I ordered, clapping my hands together and then rubbing them. I didn’t want them to be involved because they were young girls and didn’t really know what was going on. They were just trying to get some money and if he knew we were gaming them, all of us could get hurt. I didn’t want that to happen to Chantell and Money so I hurried to get them out of there as fast as I could.
Kev stayed downstairs. He sat on the couch and started playing the PlayStation 3 while he waited. He lit himself a blunt and turned up the stereo in the house and started puffing on his weed.
