RECKLESS — Bad Boy Criminal Romance (28 page)

Terrell didn’t say anything and Tameka marched around the truck to the passenger side where I sat.  She tried to open the door but it was locked.  “Why don’t you step out the car, you fucking skinny white bitch?!” She looked past me at my sister.

Ariel barely even looked at her.

“Say something, bitch!”  Tameka punched the window.

Ariel stared straight forward.

“You bitch ass slut!  Get out the fucking car!”  Tameka punched the window again, hard enough I feared it might break, and she kicked a dent into the door.  “He doesn’t love you, you white slut!  I was at his house, even after he met you.  So tell me how much he loves you, you stupid bitch!”

Ariel restrained herself from responding, though I felt her blood starting to boil.

“While you’re at school, you little slut, he can have a real grown woman,” Tameka shouted.  “Tell me how much he loves you when he has me suck his dick!”

Ariel spun toward her and screamed, “How does my pussy taste?!”

Tameka stared, stunned that Ariel broke her silence.

“Before you were at his house and sucked his dick, he was fucking me,” Ariel screamed.  “So tell me: How does my pussy taste?!”

Tameka’s face reddened.  Enraged, she punched the side-view mirror, knocking it clear off the truck.  She kicked another dent into the door and punched the window, blood running down her knuckles.

Terrell jumped into the truck and turned the ignition.  He sped out of the lot, almost running over Tameka’s feet.  Ariel was still breathing heavy from the confrontation.

Quietly I asked her, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” she said.  “Let’s get some alcohol so I can drink myself into oblivion and I’ll be fine.”

Chapter Seventeen

Terrell was promoted to part-time manager of Platinum Pleasures strip club.  His income increased and so did the time he spent at the club.  Also, with his newfound position, his relationship with Curtis Reznok grew.

A local cop – who had arrested three of Curtis’ street-level drug dealers – frequented the club.  The cop often bought private dances and paid strippers for oral sex.

Each of the back rooms used for private dances had a security camera.  The cameras all linked to monitors in an office and recorded onto tape.

Terrell watched the cop once he arrived at the club on a Friday night.  The cop found a stripper he liked and bought a private dance.  When he and the girl disappeared into a back room, Terrell went to the monitors.  When the private session was over, Terrell took the security tape.  An associate of Curtis was waiting out back in the parking lot.  Terrell gave him the tape and, in exchange, was rewarded with one-thousand dollars.

I visited Terrell at his home the next day.  With the money, he had bought a gift for Ariel.

“I felt bad she had to endure that run-in with Tameka,” he said.  “I wanted to do something to make it up to her.”  He showed it to me – a diamond necklace in fourteen-carat white gold.

“I think she’ll definitely like it.”

He handed me two cash-filled envelopes from our last robbery – one containing my share and one containing Cassie’s.  “I’m not sure when we’ll do the next one,” he said.  “Life’s been hectic lately.”

“Does it feel weird getting paid by Curtis?” I ask.  “Does it bother you at all because of DeAnthony?”

“It crosses my mind – obviously – and it probably nags at me on some level.”  He shrugged dismissively.  “But what am I going to do?  We use each other.  We take from each other.  We hurt or kill each other when it’s necessary or convenient.  Should I seek some sort of revenge?  This was never about honor or doing the right thing.  Ultimately this is about being selfish and chasing personal happiness – that’s why we do what we do.  It drives you, me, Curtis, and it drove DeAnthony.  I’d have done anything for him alive, but I can’t do anything for him dead.”

As usual, Angela and I attend service at Pinnacle Christian on Sunday morning and sit in the back corner of the back pew of the row in which I pass the collection basket.  As I take the basket from her, our bodies hiding it from everyone’s vision, she stuffs a handful of cash into her purse.  Our profits have been adding up for many weeks.

“I think this could probably work forever,” Angela says, in the car after church, counting the money.

“It’s been good, but I’m actually a little disappointed we haven’t been able to make more,” I tell her.  “We’ve been picking up nice, small chunks of cash without really needing to spend much.  But when we first started this, I thought a huge mega-church like this could be an opportunity to make big money.  We could’ve made at least this much doing something else.”

“I could grab more out of the basket each week.”

“If we take anymore we’ll put ourselves in a position to get noticed.  And if they catch us once, they’ll know we’ve been fucking them forever.”

“So what do you want to do?  Are you ready to move on somewhere else?”

“Maybe.  Let’s give it a little more time and see if we can crack something.”

In the afternoon Angela picks up the phone to call Eddie to set up a date for the upcoming week.

I watch her and recline on the couch in my mother’s living room.  “This shouldn’t be awkward at all.”

“I’m just going to act like Halloween night between us never even happened,” Angela says.  “I’ll just act like we’re normal, invite myself over to his apartment, and take things a little slower at a place where he’s more comfortable.”  She looks at me, seeking feedback.

I shrug.  “It’s worth a shot.”

She dials him and he answers.  She attempts small-talk before saying, “So I was thinking we should get together in the next few days.  How’s Tuesday night?”

Eddie doesn’t respond.

“Or another night would be fine too,” she adds.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about our relationship,” Eddie says.

“Uh huh.”

“And I’ve prayed a lot about it too, asking God for His guidance on what to do and what’s meant for the two of us.”

“I guess that’s good.  What did God have to say?”

“Well, after really trying to open myself to His direction, I think the problem is that we’re not supposed to be together.”

“What?  Why?  And what problem are you talking about?”

“The problem of what happened after the Harvest Party.  I was on the verge of committing a serious sin.  We both were.  But God stopped it from happening.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If we were married, we would’ve had sex and everything would’ve been fine.  I wouldn’t have had the problem I had.  But since we’re not, we were on brink of doing something seriously wrong.  Luckily, God interceded to prevent it.  The problem I had was a blessing, really.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“No, and that’s another reason I don’t think we should be together.  We’re at different points in our spiritual journeys.  I’ve been raised in God’s Word since I was born.  But you’ve only just joined the church and are still coming to understand everything.  And that’s not to say I’m any better than you or anything.  I’m just fortunate in that I’ve had a more opportunity to develop myself spiritually and develop my relationship with Jesus Christ.”

“So since I haven’t been going to church as long as you, I’m not worthy to go out with you?”

“No, it’s not like that at all.  It’s a compatibility issue more than anything.  For example, when you tried to sleep with me that night, I know you thought there was nothing wrong with what you were doing.  You were trying to show affection for me and you thought that was the way to do it, not realizing that that type of intimacy is only meant to occur within the sanctified institution of marriage.  So, without even realizing it, you were actually acting as a tool of Satan by tempting me.  A girl who had progressed more in her spiritual journey would’ve known that.  And I think that’s probably the type of person I should be dating.”

“But you wanted it.  I asked you if you wanted me and you nodded.”

“I don’t remember that.”

“I don’t care if you’re breaking up with me.  But admit that you wanted to have sex with me. Admit that at that moment you could’ve cared less about burning in hell if it meant you got to fuck me.”

“Everything happened so fast.  You were dragging me into the storage room and taking my clothes off before I even knew what was happening.  And if I did say I wanted you, I was just temporarily weak, tempted to sin.  The important thing is that God helped me and I didn’t.”

“God helped you by having you prematurely ejaculate the second I touched you?”

“You see, I had a feeling you wouldn’t be able to have this conversation without being vulgar.”

“What you’re saying is bullshit.”

“When you’re older and you’ve built a strong relationship with God, you’ll look back at this and realize how immature you’re being.  And you’ll understand everything I’m trying to explain to you.”

“Whatever.  I hope you find the virginal, nonsexual girl you’re looking for.”

“I really wish we weren’t going to end our relationship like this.”

Angela glances at me.  Not wanting to sour my relationship with Britney she swallows her pride and says, “Yeah, you’re right.  I’m just upset.”

“I understand.”

“It’s just that I liked you so much and I didn’t expect this.”

“It’s okay,” Eddie says.  “Just pray and seek out God and He’ll help you through this … And for what it’s worth, I enjoyed the short time we spent together.”

“Yeah, me too.  I wouldn’t mind still being friends either, if you think that’d be okay.”

“Of course.  Britney and your brother are still together as far as I know.  I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other.  I think a friendship would be great.”

Angela hangs up the phone.  “Shit.  I’m pretty much done here.  If you can’t figure out a way to make more money, I definitely think we should leave town.”

On a weekday I drove to Cassie’s house immediately after school.  Shortly after three o’clock, she was in the kitchen wearing her school uniform – a white blouse under a light blue jumper.  She ate strawberries out of the refrigerator.  “Are you here to help me with my homework?” she asked.

“Sure.  You play the innocent Catholic school girl and I’ll be the evil teacher who corrupts you.  I may need a ruler or paddle or something.”  I handed her an envelope full of cash and kissed her.

She leaned against the refrigerator and counted the money.  “Have you seen the necklace that Terrell bought your sister?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty nice.”

“Why isn’t our relationship like that?”

“Like what?”

“I mean, it’s no big deal, but you don’t ever buy me anything.”

“Your parents buy you whatever you want.”

“So?”

“So what do you need?”

“I don’t need anything.  That’s not the point.”

“What’s the point?”

“You know, you can buy someone something just because you love them.”

“I spend time with you because I love you.”

“Why couldn’t you spend money too?”

“I’m not used to having much money.  I don’t really like spending it unless it’s for a good reason.”

“I’m not a good reason?”

“Well, what do you want?”

“I don’t want anything.  Don’t you get that I don’t have to want or need anything for you to buy me something?”

“Not really.”

“Whatever.  I guess you just don’t get anything.”

“I guess not.  What difference does this make anyway?”

“What do you mean?”

“If I buy you stuff, you’ll love me more?  Or you’ll believe that I love you? Or what?  The more stuff I buy you, does that make you want to fuck me more?  I’m trying to figure out what buying you random shit is going to accomplish.”

“You know, you can be a real jerk.”

I shrugged.

“You’re not supposed to be here anyway.”

“Why not?”

“I’m supposed to be grounded,” she said.  “My parents are mad at me.”

“What’s new?”

“They woke me up Sunday morning when I was trying to sleep in.  My mom did actually.  She told me to go to the grocery store and buy milk.  I asked why she couldn’t just go herself, but she yelled at me and gave me a credit card and told me to go.  I got the milk.  But on the way back, I saw a clothing store I had been wanting to check out.  They were having a sale.  I planned to stop in for just a minute, but I guess I lost track of time.  I spent a few hundred dollars and the milk was bad by the time I got home.”

I shook my head.  “Why do you do stuff like that?”

“It’s not like I planned it.  I wanted to be sleeping.”

I looked at her uniform.  “I can’t believe you have to wear this every day.”

“My only real choice is between this jumper and a yellow one.”

“So they’re determined to make you look like an Easter egg?”

“Pretty much.”  She smiled.  “I’m going to change.  I feel like a dork wearing this around you.”