Teri Woods - True To The Game III

She’ll be back? Maybe she should stay where she’s at; maybe she don’t need to come back.

Amelia strolled out of the room while Quadir contemplated his next move. He would switch cars and push the Range and he would change up his hours. She was hiding the money somewhere and sooner or later she would lead him to it. Either that or Jerrell would, but one way or the other he was going to watch her like a hawk. And watch out for those snooping detective motherfuckers too! I wonder if they’re FBI.

“Doc!” he hollered as she walked by the living room and into the dining room.

“Yeah, what’s up?” she asked leaning backward in the doorway.

“Thanks,” said Quadir.

“Don’t thank me; I’m just waiting to see this twenty million dollars. Maybe I will let you pay me back,” she said, laughing.

“I thought you said money could never repay what you had done for me,” said Quadir, trying to match his voice to hers.

“Are you nuts? Twenty million… I’m ready to go out there with you and follow Gena around myself. She’s lucky I got rounds to make or I’d be out there with you. Now, you said you needed the Jeep, right?”

That night when Quadir returned to Amelia’s he found her in the kitchen preparing what appeared to be a gourmet homemade meal.

“Wow, I didn’t know you knew how to cook.”

“Yup, it’s true; you learn something new about a person every day. See, you never know, right?”

“I know I’m hungry.”

“Yeah, well, be patient. This is very serious food I’m preparing. So, how did it go tonight, private eye?”

“Well, it went. From what I could see, she’s definitely fallen for Jerrell, that’s for sure. She went back to his place. I stayed outside until…”

“Until what?”

“Until they turned the lights off.”

“Quadir, I’m so sorry,” said Amelia, as she stopped draining linguini long enough to see the hurt in his face.

“Hey, I guess that’s life. You know, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.”

“Yeah, but sometimes you lose, and you also win, you know?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Well, like right now, you feel like you lost, but Quadir, you’re on top, you’re alive, you have the upper hand, and most of all, you know what’s going on around you. Gena might not know, but you do.”

“How will I get my money back?”

“Now that, I don’t know. Have you ever thought of just simply asking her for it?”

“Yeah, but now that’s she’s with Jerrell, I don’t want her to see me. I’d rather her just think I’m dead.”

Amelia looked at Quadir as he lowered his head. She understood how he felt and wanted to do whatever she could to make him feel better. But the truth was, there was nothing anyone could do that would make him feel better.

“Hey, want to play cards?”

“I don’t much feel like playing cards.”

“Well, let’s eat; dinner’s ready.”

After dinner Amelia cleaned up the kitchen and loaded the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Quadir retired to the living room where he turned on the news. He sat on the sofa where he fell asleep.

Just then, Gena knocked at the door. Amelia entered the living room and let Quadir know she was there.

“Let her in.”

Gena walked into the living room where Quadir was. Their eyes met and Quadir took her hands into his. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Quadir. I’m so glad you’re okay. Now we can be together.”

Quadir took her into his arms and caressed the back of her neck, cradling her head in the palm of his hand. He kissed her mouth ever so gently. Their lips locked as they had so long ago. At that moment Quadir realized it was Amelia he was holding and not Gena.

“I want you, Quadir; I want to be with you.”

“Amelia, there’s no turning back. You understand? No turning back.”

“I understand,” she said.

In her heart she knew exactly what he was saying. There was no turning back. There was only the forward motion of them together.

Their lips locked tightly as Quadir moved, swiftly covering her body with his. His hands pulled up her shirt as his fingers caressed her breasts. With each breath he took, she breathed in unison, and she could feel his hard penis through his clothing pressing against her mound. He moved his hand down to her pants and unbuttoned them, pulling them down, freeing one leg at a time. How he had gotten his clothes off was beyond her; all Amelia knew was that she was ready. Ready to be with him, ready to make love to him, and ready to be loved by him. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for him, nothing. She had already proven that by saving his life, and risking her career by faking his death.

They made love for hours and when they were done it was as if the memory of Gena had been completely erased. The only thing on his mind was how he was going to get his money back.

Maybe Amelia is right; maybe I should just ask her for it.

Rik hurried into the restaurant, closing his umbrella at the door. The weather outside was beyond dreadful. Rain fell from the sky like a monsoon. Rik took off his raincoat, folded it over his arm, and walked to the maître d’.

“Table for one, sir?” she asked.

“No, I’m with the Santero party.”

“Oh, he’s already here. I just showed him in a minute ago.”

The hostess grabbed a menu and started for the table. “Follow me, please, and I’ll show you to your table.”

She led Rik to the table where his dinner guest was waiting.

“Rik, what’s happening, my man?” Tony rose and embraced him tightly. “Here, have a seat.”

Rik took the seat across from Tony.

“Have the waitress bring us a bottle of your finest wine, please,” Tony told the maître d’. He waited until she departed and then took his seat again. “Rik, my man, how are you?”

Rik shook his head. “Not good, Tony. Not too good.”

Tony waved him off. “We’ll make it all better, my man.”

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t worry. Just wait until you hear the proposal we have for you.”

The waitress arrived with the wine and two glasses. “Are you ready to order, sir?”

“What would you like to eat, Rik?” Tony asked.

Rik shrugged. “Um, let me do the filet, medium well, butterfly cut, with the creamed spinach and mashed potatoes. And, also, let me get a Caesar salad to start.”

“And for you, sir?” the waitress asked Tony.

“You know what, I’ll have the filet well done, butterfly cut, but Oscar that with a side of the sweet potato casserole, please. And I’ll take a Caesar salad also.”

“Very well, sir.” The waitress nodded, removed the menus from the table, and disappeared.

“Here is what we have in mind,” Tony continued. “Twenty keys a week. We front you half, you pay for the other half up front. You don’t have to pay for the front until the following week when we drop you off another ten.”

“Damn. That’s sweet.”

Tony smiled. “I told you we’d take good care of you.”

“Good, because I’ma need a little help.”

Tony lifted an eyebrow. “What kinda help?”

“I’ma need an extension on what I owe you.”

Tony recoiled. “An extension? What kinda extension?”

“Well, really, I was hoping that you could spot me some dope, and let me work off what I owe you.”

“Work off what you owe us? Are you telling me that you don’t have the money, Rik?”

“I got busted, Tony. You already know this. The cops hit my stash house and found the shit.”

Tony looked down and shook his head gravely. “That’s not our problem, Rik. You know how we operate.”

“Man, that shit was beyond my control. I got busted. Man, c’mon.”