GiGi ordered cheesey eggs and pancakes while Barron got himself a big plate of chicken and waffles. They had been talking on the phone constantly, and while Barron was jonesing to be up under her, GiGi had him eating out of the palm of her hand as she kept him on a tight string and fed him little bits and pieces of her time.
“Thanks for meeting me here,” Barron told her as he poured syrup all over his waffles. “I couldn't sleep and I was hungry. Not too many women would get out of their beds to come have pancakes with a friend they just met.”
“Aww, Barron,” GiGi responded as she forked down some eggs. “I know it's only been a very short time, but I feel like we're good,
good
friends. And that's what friends do.”
Barron stared at her across the table. He would much rather have been about to eat her than those damn pancakes. He had to admit to that he was feeling Miss Molinex. And on a real deep level too. The girl was just perfect. She had everything he wanted in a woman. She was beautiful, she had mad sex appeal, she had charisma, and best of all, she was intellectual and driven toward her own success.
And that's where she had it going on over Pilar. He couldn't stand no greedy, gold-digging chick. While Pilar was thirsty and demanding and borderline desperate to get up in his pockets and be his wife, GiGi didn't need shit from him. She was already doing her thing without his money, and that attracted him. He was feening for her and enjoying her company, and Barron felt their instant attraction was organic.
“Well about this
friends
thing,” Barron said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I'm not gonna front, GiGi. I'm feeling you like crazy and I would love to get with you on a deeper level. I think me and you could make something good happen together. And with time and a little patience, I think we could even become a power couple. I'm not trying to force anything on you, I just want you to know how I feel. Besides, since you got up out of your bed to come eat pancakes with me, then I know you must be feeling a brotha a little bit, so why not give me some play?”
Barron closed his little speech out by flashing GiGi that confident Dominion grin. Even though he was adopted, he had Viceroy's charming magnetism down pat. GiGi had long since stopped chewing her rubbery eggs and stomach-bloating pancakes, and all she could do was smile. She waited for a few moments before she spoke, pausing for effect as she stared deeply into Barron's eyes.
“I was wondering when that was coming,” GiGi said softly. “I feel like I've been waiting a million years to hear those words come out of your mouth. I really like you too, Barron. I think you're a really handsome, funny, and cool guy. I hope you're asking me to be your girlfriend, because I would love to have a relationship with you. A really close relationship, if you know what I mean.”
Barron was amped. “This is unreal, baby. I promise I'll make you happy and you won't regret it.” He leaned over the table and pressed his lips to hers gently. GiGi parted her lips and allowed his tongue to snake deeply into her mouth, and they were both enjoying the moment when some old fucker walked by and jammed up their entire groove.
“Yuck!” a big, countrified, greasy-looking white man with a long beard and overalls said loudly. He sneered down at GiGi with fire in his old eyes. “What a fucking disgrace to your race, young lady!”
Barron looked up at the guy with rage written all over his face.
“What the fuck did you just say?” Barron barked as he jumped up and stood face to face with the honky. “It's redneck backward-ass inbred pieces of shit like you that give Texas a bad rap.”
“Relax, Barron,” GiGi said from her seat like she was used to this type of thing. “It's okay. I'm not offended. Don't start anything with him. Please.”
The white man smiled from ear to ear exposing his horrible tobacco-stained teeth. Green, yellow, and black crud was stuck all between the crevices, and that shit was so disgusting it made Barron back up a step.
And as soon as he did the hillbilly took advantage. He drove his meaty fist forward and hit Barron with a gut shot that knocked the wind out of him. The punch bent Barron in half and the man followed up with a right hook to the chin.
Barron dropped to his knees like a sack of potatoes. The crazy redneck then mounted him and started raining blows down on him like he owned his ass. Barron was blocking and weaving most of them but the guy was too heavy for Barron to buck him.
“Get the fuck off of him,” GiGi screamed as she slapped and punched the racist in the back of his head. “Get off, you son of a bitch!”
Her feminine blows weren't fazing him at all, and the few patrons that were standing around weren't trying to help her at all. GiGi snatched her plate of food from the table and smashed it over the giant's dome. His head jerked to the side and he froze for a second. He turned around and looked up at GiGi.
“You stupid bitch!” The huge honky spit a nasty glob of chewed tobacco from his inner cheek straight into GiGi's face. “Now take that and sit your nigger-loving ass down!”
As Barron swung wild blows from the floor, the look on GiGi's face was one of horror. It was as if her brain simply couldn't register the disgusting ooze that was clinging to her skin and sliding down her cheek.
Suddenly Barron saw the big man's head snap back. To his surprise, GiGi had put him in a headlock and had a steak knife pressed to his dirty neck.
“Listen to me, you fat ugly fucker,” she said calmly with a look in her eyes that even Barron thought was fucking frightening. “I will drive this goddamn knife straight through your grimy Adam's apple and end your miserable fucking life right now.”
A trickle of blood slid from his pierced skin and the big man looked like he was scared to breathe. GiGi's hand didn't even tremble as she pressed the knife deeper into his flesh, causing a fresh stream of blood to flow.
“Okay . . . okay,” the big man whispered. “Please . . . don't . . . cut me . . . I'm getting up right now.”
He rose up off of Barron slowly, and before he could come to a stand GiGi switched the knife's position to the small of his back and pressed it there.
Barron knew what to do. When a Dominion got sucker punched, he sucker punched right back! He rolled from under the man and as soon as he got to his feet he thrust his fist into the redneck's nuts with all his strength. The big fella dropped like a rock and landed face-down on the floor, and Barron followed up with a leaping stomp to the back of his neck.
With his foot pressing down on the back of the big man's head, Barron looked around defiantly. GiGi was still holding the knife, and the other customers looked frightened as they whispered among themselves.
Slowly, Barron reached for the knife and took it away from her. He came up off dude's head and put his arms around her. Then Barron reached in his pocket, grabbed a couple of bills, and threw them on the table. He picked up GiGi's purse then wrapped his arm around her again, and they made their way to the door.
When they got outside the sun was coming up on a new day and Barron had learned something valuable during the night. His new girl Gigi was a bad-ass chick. There was much, much more to her than what met the eye!
CHAPTER 24
S
uge was a real smooth playa and laying his hammer down on multiple honeys had always been one of his specialties, but that shit only played out the right way when he was the one calling all the shots. He had promised Mink that he would walk away from her before he violated that special thing they had going between them, but Miyoko was a relentless chick and she had some real scandalous plans for getting up on his down-stroke.
Whatever them Asian monks had done to her when her daddy sent her to the nuthouse in Okinawa, that shit didn't work. She was the same old possessive and manipulative freak that he remembered from way back when, and she was having a damn good time flaunting her power and leading Big Bad Suge Dominion around by his nose like a chump.
She kept her lil cold hands on him at all times. Whether it was riding in the whip, standing in line for a concert, or just sitting down to eat dinner. Every chance she got she would run her fingers up and down his muscular arms or try to slide her hand down his waistband and cop her a little feel on his nuts. Suge now knew how a lotta women felt when dudes pinched their asses and pawed all over their tits. But as fine as she was and as much as he loved pussy, he was not about to fuck Miyoko Su!
“So, when are you going to invite me back to your place again?” she had asked him late one night. He had picked her up for dinner after work and then took her out for hookah and drinks, hoping she would get lit and be too loaded to play with his dick under the table. “Why don't we head over there now so we can be more comfortable?”
Suge shook his head faster than a muthafucka. The last thing in the world he wanted was to get caught in a tight spot with sex freak Miyoko Su again. He had reluctantly swung her by his place one night after she begged and begged and threatened to change her mind about setting up a meeting with her father. Suge had been forced to take her inside the crib and chill with her, but he'd fought that ass off like a champ when she said she had to pee and then pranced outta the bathroom butt-ass naked and masturbating her own pussy.
“Nah, we can't go to my place,” he lied. “One of my aunties from Houston is in town and she's staying with me for a couple of weeks. She's an old lady and bringing a chick home over her head would be disrespectful. Hell, she'd probably pull the strap off her purse and whip my ass. You know how old black women do.”
Miyoko swallowed that bite of bullshit without a protest, but then she hurled another fast one at him that nailed him right between the eyes. “Election day will be here before you know it. Your brother's closing events should be scheduled by now, already?”
Suge nodded slowly. He knew what time it was. She was playing games with him. Taking him left so she could fake him out right. His mind raced to locate the hidden dagger and knock it outta her sneaky hand before she could stab him with it. “Yeah. He's got a few things lined up on his calendar.”
Her eyes probed him as she dug deeper. “What about the event he's planning for his fundraising staff?”
Suge played it cool. He flipped his toothpick around in his mouth and shrugged. “What about it?”
“Nothing,” she said innocently, turning slightly away from him as she ran her fingers up the nape of her pale neck and through her silky black hair. “I mean, of course I'd love to attend as your guest, but I'm sure you already have a date. And I'm sure she's the kind of girl who loves barbequed ribs too.”
Suge got it. She was being real fuckin' funny. She was still insecure as hell about black chicks and she swore every sister who crossed his path was just dying to jump on his dick and bounce like he was a pogo stick. Miyoko loved riding that “you left me for a black chick” tip that had sent her bat-shit crazy back in the day. Wherever she got around a sister she gave off that
this nigga's mine
vibe that brought out the kick-ass in black women and made them wanna put their foot in her narrow behind and his too.
His eyes were lidded as he grilled her.
One more week
. Just one more muthafuckin' week and he'd meet with Wally, get those papers, and be done with this silly bitch. If this had been strictly about winning some bullshit fuckin' election then Viceroy mighta had to eat the loss. Miyoko was slick and reckless, and ordinarily a gully baller like Suge wouldn't waste a second of his time with an off-balance bitch like her.
But this was about more than just racking up some ballots. It was about the Dominion fortune and their livelihood too. Getting those stock documents from Wally Su could mean the difference between the Dominions maintaining their status, their dynasty, and their standard of wealth, or the entire family rolling up their sleeves and heading out to Mickey D's to flip some burgers.
“Be nice to me, Superior,” she cozied up to him sweetly. “I'll keep working on my father and before you know it I'm sure he'll give you everything you want. And what will I have? Nothing. Perhaps not even my dear father's love.”
Suge thought about it real quick. He knew what he was about to do was gonna cost him, but when a tough job had to be done it was a tough nigga who got called upon to do it.
“A'ight, then. You wanna go to my brother's barbeque, baby?” He grinned and pulled her slender body into his arms. He squeezed her close then slapped her on her ass when she nodded yes. “Cool. I'll take you. It's next Sunday afternoon at two,” he told her, knowing damn well the 'que was going down a day earlier on Saturday. “Wear something real cute, baby. I'll pick you up at one.”
“Wait a minute, are you sure we can make that?” Miyoko asked, pressing her hand to his chest and giving him the goo-goo eye. “Remember, I've scheduled our meeting with my father for Sunday at noon, and I wouldn't want to make you late for your brother's event.”
“I almost forgot about that,” Suge lied. “Don't worry, baby,” he shrugged and told her. “The party won't start until we get there. Besides, when black people throw a barbeque we stay at that shit all night long. There'll be plenty of time. First we'll go handle our business with your father and get those papers from him, and then we'll celebrate over a rack of ribs and a couple of cold brews. Maybe I'll take you to check out a movie or something afterwards. A'ight?”
Her eyes lit up as she nodded. “Sounds great! I can't wait until Sunday!”
Â
GiGi was sitting up naked in bed smoking a cigarette and scrolling through pictures on Instagram. Her lower half was covered with the sheet while Barron lay next to her snoring lightly, but her plump pink breasts were totally exposed. They had just had their first sex session that, to her surprise, GiGi had actually enjoyed. Sex wasn't a motivating force or a burning need with her, although she used to be a highly paid call girl and had seen some real good money from it. Of course the men she targeted made it easy for her. Most guys were just suckers for a pretty face, a good rack, and nice long legs. She got with them indiscriminately and told them exactly what they wanted to hear in order to further whatever scheme she had concocted, but she never,
ever
gave a flying fuck about them.
She looked down and grinned. Present company included. GiGi was a real sex kitten but her real talents were in her trickery. She was a natural conniving slickster, and she had honed her con game by working various hustles. The grind she was working right now was extra-sweet.
Barron stirred around and poked his head up from the pillow. He saw GiGi was awake and staring at her phone, and he dug a couple of boogers out of his eyes and sat up halfway.
“Hey baby.” He yawned and squinting at her sleepily. “Are you all right?”
“I had a bad dream and I couldn't go back to sleep,” GiGi lied. “I didn't wake you up, did I?”
“Oh you have nightmares too, huh?” Barron asked. “You're not the only one. Mine can get wild and real damn vivid.”
“I know what you mean,” GiGi said as she tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling. “That's why I don't sleep much, only when I have to.”
Barron sat all the way up and pulled her into his warm, naked arms. He pressed his nose into the softness of her hair.
“You wanna talk about it?”
She shook her head quickly. “It's too heavy. I don't want to blow our good mood.”
“You won't blow it,” he said. “I know we've only been kicking it for a minute, but I'm a good listener, Gi. And I'm here for you. The same way you've been there for me.”
“Well, to be honest, my nightmares are always about being abandoned,” GiGi started to explain. “You see, my mother was only fourteen when she had me,” she said, sniffing back tears as she spun him a bullshit tale. “We lived in a trailer park and she was washing clothes outside in an old tub one day when she went into labor. She gave birth to me on the ground right there by the tub, and then she abandoned me under the back steps.”
Barron held her closer and she sniffled and shuddered.
“According to my aunt, my mother was a very large girl so nobody even knew she was pregnant. She left me outside wrapped in a bloody towel and then she went on in the trailer and started washing dirty dishes. Thank God the neighbor heard me crying and called the police. We lived in a small town, so my aunt convinced the officer to let her take care of me.”
Barron was speechless. Trailers and washtubs and bloody towels in double-wides . . . He didn't know what the hell to say. Looking into her beautiful eyes it was hard to even imagine that she had gone through that much hardship and still ended up with such a warm spirit.
GiGi cut her eyes at him as she fake-cried softly. She was getting the exact type of response she wanted, but she wasn't done yet.
“So, I lived with my aunt for a long time but her husband was physically abusive to both of us,” GiGi said, wiping away fresh tears. “He would beat me and my aunt whenever he got the notion to. He . . . he . . . would also creep into my room late at night.” She gasped and shook her head violently. “He would touch me and lick me . . . I couldn't take it.”
Barron wrapped his arms around her trembling body and held her even closer. He felt so sorry for her and he wanted to be strong so she could let go of her sorrows and get them out of her soul. GiGi wiped her face with the edge of the sheet and continued to spill her pain.
“When I got old enough I started staying with friends and their families whenever I could. I bounced around from here to there until I finally just stopped going to my aunt's house at all,” GiGi said sadly. “I scratched and survived and barely made it through school. But then I happened to meet a few good people and started interning at a few local television stations.” She glanced over at him and gave him a tiny smile. “And the rest is history. Somehow, after all my many setbacks, I managed to scrape together a decent life for myself. And now I've also managed to find you.”
Barron felt his chest swell. “You're a strong woman, GiGi. Many people don't make it out of those situations the way you did, and if they do they're often bitter and their souls are very dim. I'm glad you turned your tragedy into triumph.” He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her fingers. “I can still see life in your eyes, GiGi. I can feel your warmth and your joy. You deserve all the good things this world has to offer.”
“But I'm still not perfect, Barron,” GiGi said as she pushed the sheet away and sat on the edge of the bed. “I still don't really trust anybody. I'm paranoid and I think people are out to hurt me. I do try to keep a smile on my face, but on the inside I'm still running from some demons. The way I just did in my sleep.”
“I understand,” Barron said as he rubbed her back and tried to console her. “Whatever happened to your mom and your aunt? If you don't mind me asking.”
“My aunt died a couple of years ago,” GiGi explained. “I paid for her funeral. Her husband had run off and left her a few years earlier, and she was never the same. As for my mother?” She shook her head sadly. “I really don't care to know what happened to my mom. She abandoned me once, and I won't give her a chance to do it again. As far as I'm concerned I don't have a family. I never have, and I probably never will.”
“Well you have me now,” Barron said firmly. “You've let me inside your heart and I swear, I'll never do anything to hurt you. You can trust me. I got your back, GiGi, I really do.”
“Thank you,” she whispered softly.
“I'm serious too,” he said. “Just the fact that you survived being born and didn't die out there under a damn step means you deserve an award. At least in my book you do.”
GiGi nodded.
She felt like she deserved an award too. Maybe even an Oscar. She just put on one of her best performances yet, and Barron had gobbled up and swallowed every word of her act. GiGi pressed herself into his chest and sobbed. He couldn't see the smile on her face as he patted her back and rocked her, and nor could he see the golden fish-hook she had just planted in his mouth as she got ready to reel his ass in and set him up for the kill.
Â
Two days later the mansion was quiet and the sun was shining high in the sky. All the working folks had left early in the morning, and Mink was in her suite scribbling all kindsa nonsense in a diary she'd bought. A warm Texas breeze was blowing through the window and Bunni was stretched out on her bed with her eyeballs tearing up a copy of a hot erotic thriller called
G-Spot
when she heard splashing and laughter coming from the swimming pool below her window.
Reluctantly sliding the book aside, she got up and switched her booty across her suite and pulled back the curtains. She peeked outside and immediately her face lit up like sunshine.