Suave’s grin got wider. His reputation preceded him. “Hi, Georgia, let me make it up to you,” he said quickly. “Why don’t we go back inside, and I’ll buy you lunch?”
Georgia didn’t hesitate. She happily took Suave’s hand in hers, and they walked back inside to the restaurant.
Suave enjoyed a lunch of steamed fish and bammy, and Georgia for dessert, at the same motel in Room 303.
“Hello?” Bubbles had a puzzled look on her face.
Suave enfolded her hand in his, and they took the stairs to the third floor. With a final look at his watch, Suave entered the motel room with Bubbles to get better “acquainted.”
Bubbles was thrilled to become Suave’s girl, and Suave was psyched to satisfy his lustful appetite. Any woman Smooth Suave wanted, Smooth Suave got.
“Li’l mama, you ain’t no joke.” Suave winked at Bubbles as he pulled up his pants almost an hour later. The encounter he had in mind wasn’t as brief as he had thought it would be. Bubbles showed him some moves and took him on a sexual journey so intense he had to savor the moment. Now, he was late to pick up Monica.
“So, when will I see you again?” Bubbles asked as she slipped the little dress over her head.
An awkward silence crept into the room as Suave contemplated his situation. This was the part he hated. He really had no intention of seeing her again, but after her raving performance in bed, he knew he needed more. “How about we decide on that after I drop you off at home?” This was another first for Suave. Usually, he would give the women some money to catch a cab with plenty left over, but he was breaking his rules for the queen of the bedroom... Bubbles.
“That sounds good to me.” Bubbles’s grin stretched from ear to ear as she bent down to slip the platform sandals on her feet. Inside, she rejoiced.
Fully dressed, Suave and Bubbles left the room and headed around to the back of the motel where he parked. Bubbles noticed how the car was hidden, but she never said a word. It was all good. He loved the women, and the women loved him... as long as she got her fair share.
Suave’s cell phone rang nonstop. A few of the calls he answered with an, “I’ll hit you back in a minute,” and others he ignored altogether.
Soon, Suave was navigating his Escalade down the narrow road to Bubbles’s house, creeping over potholes and loose stones. Passing small houses on both sides of the street, he became apprehensive as he looked around. Children ran around outside playing, while grown folks sat on their verandas or leaned up outside their gates, chatting and laughing. He was in unknown territory without any of his soldiers for backup. Due to Suave’s line of business, he had made enemies all over Jamaica, with competitors just itching for the opportunity to catch him vulnerable. His 9 mm Glock was hidden under his seat with a loaded semiautomatic rifle under the spare tire in the trunk, but what if there were a few of them? Suave said a few choice curse words under his breath. A woman has me slipping, he thought nervously.
“Over there.” Bubbles pointed to a small, pink house at the end of the street. The truck rolled forward. Faces were staring through opened windows and doors at the expensive truck in the neighborhood. Bubbles beamed with pride. She wished she could see the look on her haters’ faces when she hopped out.
Suave pulled up in front of her house, the engine running, the car still in drive.
“Are you coming in?” Bubbles asked hopefully, although she lived with her mother, stepfather, two brothers, and three sisters in the small, three-bedroom house. She hoped her sisters were out, and the room she shared with them was empty.
“Nah.” Suave shook his head. “I have some business to take care of, beautiful.” He reached in his pocket and took out some money, which he placed in her hand. “Why don’t you take my digits and hit me up later?”
Bubbles nodded with great anticipation. She stuffed the money in the small purse on her lap before she dug inside for her cell phone to add Suave’s number. After repeating the number back to him, she kissed him on the cheek before she alighted. As if in slow motion, Bubbles shut the car door, flung her long weave over her shoulder with an attitude, and struck a pose for all eyes to gaze upon her.
Suave ignored her antics and took his foot off the brake. He then pressed the gas and made a U-turn in the middle of the street before he sped off down the road as if demons were chasing him.
He never saw the flowery white curtain that slipped back into place as the man turned away from the window, a big joker grin plastered on his face. Well, well, look at this now. The big man all by himself in my neighborhood... It looked as if he didn’t have to go to the mountain after all—it just came right to him. Was it luck or destiny? Whatever it was, thank you, Bubbles.
Chapter Two
“Where are you, Suave?”
“Suave, I’m waiting on you. Hurry up!”
“I’m still waiting on you!”
Suave was listening to his messages after dropping off Bubbles. As he expected, most were from Monica.
“One hour! You have me waiting one hour!”
“That’s it! I’m going home! Wait until I see you!”
Suave groaned loudly. He had told Monica he would pick her up from the hairdressing salon in an hour. Then he saw Bubbles. She had called a few times when he was with Bubbles, but he ignored the calls. Now, it was almost two hours later.
“Where were you, Suave?” Monica stood at the front door of their house with her hand on her hip. “Do you know how long I waited for you?” She pointed her finger in Suave’s face as her enormous stomach created a much-needed barrier between them. “Which one of your whores were you with this time?”
“I had to take care of some urgent business,” Suave lied.
“So why didn’t you answer any of my calls and tell me that? Huh?”
Suave tried to maneuver around Monica to get inside the house, but she shoved him back out to the veranda. “Answer me, Suave. Where were you?” At five foot eight, with a pregnancy weight of about 170 pounds, Monica wasn’t a lightweight.
Suave took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as anger crept up on him. “I’m a grown man and don’t need to report my every move to you. Now, can I get into my house?”
“You are not going anywhere until you tell me why you left me stranded.” Monica shoved him again in the chest, this time much harder.
Suave stumbled back a little. His nostrils flared as he glared at her. “Don’t you have money to take a cab? As a matter of fact, why can’t you drive one of the cars in the garage?” he asked her.
“I can’t drive because I’m five months pregnant with your child, and my feet hurt,” she yelled. “I don’t want to take a cab when my no-good baby daddy has a car and can pick me up.”
Suave looked at her and shook his head. She was really pushing his buttons today, and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with her foolishness. “You know what? I’m—”
The cell phone in Suave’s hand rang. He glanced at it and saw that it was an important business contact in Westmoreland. He answered the call. “What’s up, my brother?” Turning his back on Monica, he strolled over to one of the veranda’s side chairs and sat down.
As Suave was engrossed in his conversation, Monica hurried inside the house. She returned and stood in the middle of the doorway, her hands behind her back.
Suave concluded his call. He looked up and noticed that Monica was still blocking the door. “I can’t deal with this right now.” Suave sucked his teeth and stood up.
“I’m not done talking to you, Suave,”