Black Friday: Exposed Read online

  “I’m from New York too!” she exclaimed. “What part?”

  “Long Island, what about you?”

  “Manhattan,” she said.

  “Manhattan? You look like a Manhattan woman,” he stated with a casual smirk.

  “Excuse me?” she asked with one hand on her hip.

  “Nah ma, it’s not a bad thing. You just look like you got your shit together nah mean? Like you one of them independent sisters ... you know good job, more business suits than mini skirts in your closet, and no time for a man anywhere in that picture.”

  Her silence indicated that he was speaking the truth.

  “Am I right?” he asked, already knowing the answer to the question.

  “Shut up,” she responded with a smile. She hated to admit to the handsome stranger that he had summed up her entire life perfectly. He had hit the nail on the head. Carmen had always been a woman who chose the career track over the social one, but because of it she was now without a man while most women her age had partners that they could settle down with. It was the one thing that was missing from her life. She had focused on being an independent woman for so long that now she yearned to know what it was like to be able to depend on a man. She wanted to go to sleep and wake up to the same face everyday. She wished for a significant other that could welcome her home from a hard day at work. She had not realized what a great sacrifice she was making until one day she looked up and all of her single friends were married with kids.

  “Maybe we can change that one day,” he said. Kasheef was charming and Carmen blushed slightly as a flattered smile took over her face.

  She finished her drink and grabbed her purse. As she looked him up and down, definitely enjoying what she was seeing. “Maybe,” she replied. “It was nice to meet you. Hopefully I’ll see you around the ship.” She walked away, being sure to put a little extra switch in her hips. She turned before she was out of eyesight and waved. She would’ve bet her life on it that he was watching her ass, but to her surprise he wasn’t. “Maybe,” she said to herself as she bit her bottom lip. She seriously entertained the thought of having a romantic rendezvous with Kasheef, but quickly talked herself out of it. He is fine as hell though, she thought silently as she shook her head and walked away in search of her cabin.

  Kasheef retreated to his room where he found Norelle curled up on the bed. He sat down on the edge and stroked her hair. “Wake up,” he whispered. “You gon’ sleep the whole trip away.”

  “I know. I need to get up anyway.” She sat up and stretched in bed. I have to get ready for the dinner.”

  After an hour of primping and switching outfits, Norelle stepped out of her suite looking flawless in white Ferragamo slacks with a visible crease, a white and gold Ferragamo halter, and gold Jimmy Choos. Her hair was pulled up off her face, showing off her exquisite features, the best one being her two carat diamond solitaires. Kasheef was clean in white linen slacks and shirt. His jewelry also accentuated his fresh look. She could tell that she looked good on Kasheef’s arm because the envious looks of her sorority sisters said it all. There was nothing better than being the best dressed and best looking woman in a room full of other women. Her confidence was at an all time high as she glided through the room. It was important for her to make a good impression on her old friends. She knew that after the reunion was over that she would be the topic of many conversations and if they were going to talk anyway she was going to make sure that she gave them something to say. Her entire presence screamed new money, because the way that Norelle flaunted it was so blatant that you could not help but to see it.

  Dozens of “hey girls” and “you look goods” floated through the room. Norelle had forgotten how fake a group of women could be. She was really only there for one person, but when she finally found her she thought she saw a hint of hater in her as well.

  “Car—men!” she sang as she approached her from behind.

  “Norelle!” she yelled out as she wrapped her arms around her long lost friend. Carmen’s eyes diverted to Kasheef and a look of confusion crossed her face.

  “Oh, yeah! I’m sorry, I’m being rude. Carmen this is my boyfriend Kasheef,” Norelle introduced. Kasheef and Carmen shook hands as if this was their first encounter.

  “Nice to meet you,” Carmen scoffed.

  “Nice to meet you,” he replied with a smile that just earlier she was hoping to see again. Carmen rolled her eyes, thinking that all men were exactly the same. Kasheef had flirted openly with her just a few hours ago despite the fact that he had a woman. She knew he was a player. His persona had been too good to be true. He was her friend’s man and therefore off limits, but the restriction only made her envious of Norelle’s relationship because Kasheef was most definitely easy on the eyes, and Carmen silently wondered what he may be like behind closed doors. Kasheef didn’t even break a sweat and Carmen was amazed at how cool the man was under pressure.

  “You look exactly the same! Oh my goodness, it feels like it’s been forever. How have you been girl?” Norelle asked.

  Carmen shifted her gaze from Kasheef to Norelle. “I’m doing well. I’m just working—trying to make partner eventually at my law firm. What about you? Are the two of you serious? Any kids?”

  Kasheef smirked, knowing that Carmen was trying to dig up dirt and find out just how serious his relationship with Norelle was. He licked his lips and played his role as loving boyfriend as Norelle answered, “No. No kids yet, but ’Sheef and I are very serious. Now you know I have never been a time clock punching type of girl. Kasheef is a good man and he takes really good care of me.”

  Carmen and Norelle fell right back into their rotation and caught up on each other’s lives. It had been so long since they had the time to talk and that was a shame especially since they lived in the exact same city. Neither of them was surprised at how the other’s life had turned out. Carmen had always been the level headed one, the responsible and dependable one. She had been driven in college and her pre-law major had become a reality quickly upon matriculation. Norelle was the party girl, the free spirit, the one who rode life’s waves no matter how many times she wiped out. They were so different, which is why they were such good friends. Carmen discreetly questioned Norelle about her relationship with Kasheef, but once she heard how Norelle talked about him she knew he was off limits. They told Kasheef college stories and stayed up half the night with one another. Kasheef was glad that Norelle had found someone to occupy her time, because he had agreed to come on this trip for a reason. He had a goal to accomplish and he was going to need some privacy to do it. Norelle didn’t know that his connect was located in Belize City, Belize; and that just so happened to be one of the stops on their trip. He was definitely not there for laughs and giggles. He was there for bricks and money.

  Chapter Three

  When the cruise ship finally arrived in Belize there was only thing on his mind—money. It was the first time he’d ever made the trip overseas to cop, so he was anxious to meet his connect face to face. The layover was only six hours so he had to travel into the ghettos and back by the time the boat took off. Kasheef’s connect arranged for him to be picked up a couple miles from the highly publicized tourist area of the island. He caught a cab to the limo that was waiting on the side of the road for him.

  “Welcome to Belize City, Mr. Solis is expecting you,” the driver stated as he opened the door and Kasheef stepped inside. He saw the sandy white beaches turn into lush greenery. Paved roadways turned into undeveloped land as the driver made his way deeper and deeper into the island. Set back on top of a small mountain was a mansion unlike one he had ever seen. Its tall plantation-style pillars and beautiful marble fountain that sat in the center of the estate went beyond his hood rich statute. He was witnessing opulence and elegance. He wanted a piece of it. He stepped out of the vehicle and made his way up toward the entrance. The doors opened on cue and he was greeted by one of the sexiest women he’d ever seen. Her brown sugar colored skin looked good enough
to taste and the warm smile that she greeted him with would have been enough to make him wife her. If there was ever such a thing as the perfect woman she would have surely been it, but his fantasy of whisking her away was cut short when she introduced herself as his connect’s wife.

  “Hello. You must be Kasheef. My husband is expecting you,” she stated without giving her name. He followed her through the opulent house and into the back of the mansion where Osti Solis sat bird watching. His appearance was different than what Kasheef had expected. He was short and thin with olive skin and dark features.

  “Kasheef, it’s nice to finally meet you,” Osti greeted with a handshake that was firmer than to be expected. His body seemed weak and scrawny, but the look in his eye was cold and calculating. “I’m not what you were expecting, eh’?”

  “To be honest, you are not,” Kasheef responded.

  “The unexpected kingpin stays out of the radar. There are only two types of business men in this world: those who are in it for the money and those who are in it for the recognition. The ones who are in it for the money do not like to be flashy. The unseen can not be caught,” Osti said, speaking words of wisdom that only came with years of success in the drug game.

  “I agree,” Kasheef conceded while nodding in understanding.

  “How will you get the product back to the states?”

  “Money talks,” Kasheef responded.

  “Indeed it does,” Osti stated with a laugh. He turned his back to Kasheef and looked toward the sky to peer back at his birds. “Your shipment is already in the car. Leave the money with my wife. My driver will take you back.”

  “You don’t want to count the dough? How do you know you can trust me?”

  Osti turned back around with a smirk on his face and replied, “Fear creates boundaries for men. It controls what they will and will not do. The look in my eye stops you from crossing those boundaries. That is why I finally agreed to meet you in person. So I could look you in the eyes.”

  Kasheef nodded and retreated to the car, where twenty kilos of heroine sat wrapped in a duffle bag. Now all he had to do was figure out how he was going to get them back on the boat.

  Kasheef exited the vehicle with the duffel bag in hand. He scanned the beach suspiciously to make sure no one was watching him. He found a beach shop that sold life vests and approached it where a young teenage kid was working behind it.

  “Hey yo, my man, you trying to make some money?” Kasheef asked.

  Kasheef purchased twenty life vests from the beach shop and then paid the young worker two thousand dollars to give them out for free to the passengers on his cruise ship. Kasheef boarded the ship and watched as the other passengers followed behind him with complimentary life jackets in hand, but as soon as they made it through customs Kasheef stopped all twenty passengers and collected the life vests from them. He told them that Belizean products were not tested as suitable floatation devices. After telling them how unsafe the vests were and compensating them with twenty dollars each for their troubles, he was able to get the vests off of their backs with ease. They had no idea that each vest’s stuffing had been removed and replaced with a kilo of Heroine. It was the only way that he could have gotten the drugs on board and although it was risky; it had worked like a charm. He quickly stuffed the life jackets back into his duffel bag and hurried to his room. He’d gotten dope past customs and was home free. He stuffed the entire bag underneath the bed and flopped down on top of it. A smile of satisfaction crossed his face. Norelle was exploring the ship with Carmen. He had gotten away with the impossible and the cruise ship was ready to make its return to the states. He couldn’t have been happier.

  “It was so good seeing you,” Carmen said as she hugged Norelle affectionately. It was the final night of their cruise and they had just finished dinner as they prepared to settle in for the night. Both of them had tears in their eyes as if they’d never see one another again.

  “What are we crying for?” Norelle said as she wiped her eyes and laughed. “We both live in NY. There is no excuse for us to go this long without talking again. I had fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a close female friend.”

  “Well here,” Carmen replied, pulling out one of her business cards. “It’s my card. You can call me anytime. We’ll do a weekly girls night out or something.”

  “Okay girl. Have a safe trip home tomorrow.”

  The two women embraced again.

  “Yeah, you be safe too. You better use that number,” Carmen said as she opened the door to her cabin. “We’ll get together sometime soon.”

  Norelle blew Carmen a quick kiss and retreated to her luxury suite where she found Kasheef passed out in the bed. She snuggled up underneath him and enjoyed the sway of the boat as it glided through the Atlantic Ocean. The setting was so romantic, the atmosphere perfect for a couple in love, but she hardly even saw her own man the entire time they were there. They were both preoccupied, her with old friends and he with his business. She admired him as he slept. He looked so peaceful, so content. She thought of the events that had occurred directly before the trip. She hoped and prayed that the drama was over because tomorrow it would be back to the real world.

  Chapter Four

  It had been four days and Alija still couldn’t shake what had happened. She cradled her daughter against her chest as she rocked back and forth. She looked down at her baby and smiled when Nahla cooed back at her, the child’s eyes sparkling like a pool of rejuvenating innocence. Baby Nahla was the most important thing in Alija’s life. She was all that her mother had to hold onto. Nahla was the only consistent and unconditional love that Alija had ever had. Her entire world revolved around her child and her life was not her own, because she lived to make Nahla happy.

  “I know baby girl. Mommy’s not going anywhere, I promise. Nobody can take me away from you,” Alija said lovingly as she thought of how badly the situation at the club could’ve ended. It made her look at her life in a new light. Alija loved her daughter more than anything in this world and they were all that each other had. She had never felt a love as significant as the one she felt for Nahla. The emotional connection between mother and child transcended all others and she felt guilty for jeopardizing her own safety. Nahla needed a mother, a good mother, and Alija planned on becoming just that. Her club hopping days were a thing of the past. From this day forward she would try to better herself so that she could enjoy every moment in raising her child. Alija placed a bottle of baby formula in a pot of boiling water and placed the baby in her swing as she sat down at her meager kitchen table. Late notices and shut off warnings cluttered the space in front of her. It didn’t matter how many times the companies sent her the letters; they weren’t getting their money because she didn’t have it. Alija was a product of the ghetto. A welfare baby who grew up to become a welfare mother, she had nothing. She banked on her government checks that came on the first of each month and gladly accepted them. They were the reason she did not look for a job because she felt as if she did find a job, her monthly checks would stop coming and they would decrease her food stamps so she was better off depending on the state. A nine to five she had never had, but she always had some type of hustle. Whether it was doing hair, boosting clothes, or hustling men; it didn’t matter. Anything was game as long as it helped her keep money in her pockets and food on her table. A tear escaped from her eye as she thought about what she had been through in the past couple of days. It had put a fear in her heart that she had never known and she knew that she had to do something. It was her responsibility to provide for her family and keep her daughter safe. She needed some money so that she could move her daughter out of the hood and start a new life for them both. Nahla’s hungry cries erupted throughout the room, signaling Alija to check on the bottle. She removed it from the boiling water, tested the temperature on the back of her wrist, and then scooped up her daughter. “What am I going to do baby girl? We all we got, mama.” Her daughter greedily sucked the bottle and Alij
a smiled as she carried her daughter in her arms as she went to check the mailbox. She was waiting on some paperwork from the state. She had a scheme brewing and she was anxious because it would put some extra money in her pockets. She had convinced her caseworker to give her a $1,200 car voucher. The car that she currently owned wasn’t registered in her name, so it wasn’t hard for her to get the naive white woman to issue her a car credit. She already had one of her girls lined up ready to purchase the voucher for $800 cash. It was a quick way to make some easy money. She never even worried about the repercussions of her actions. It was her way of working the system, but she was tired of depending on the system altogether. She was looking for her way out she just hadn’t found it yet. She carried the mail back into her apartment and frowned when she saw something addressed to Mickey from the US Department of Justice. “Oh shit,” she mumbled as she lay Nahla down on the couch for a nap. She hoped that her sister hadn’t gotten caught up trying to defraud the welfare offices. She knew that if Mickey got caught she wasn’t going down alone. She’d be the first one coming to Alija talking about “Girl they got us.” Alija quickly opened the letter and a sigh of relief escaped her once she saw what it was. It was only a request for Mickey to appear for jury duty selection at the end of the month. She put the letter in her sister’s room and then went back to sorting through her bills trying to figure out which ones she could afford to pay this month.

  “Ooh right there ’Sheef,” Norelle moaned as her man’s muscular body rested atop of her own, moving in a slow rhythm. His body was so toned and dark. The way that he was making love to her made her back arch and her toes curl. “I love you,” she whispered as she rolled onto her stomach, changing positions so that he could enter her from behind, while she played with her feminine pearl. Kasheef admired Norelle’s perfect body before filling the space between her legs. He rocked in and out of her, while kissing the nape of her neck all at the same time. He felt her body quiver as she reached bliss and with a few deep strokes he joined her in satisfaction. Norelle immediately turned on her side and fell asleep while Kasheef arose to take a shower. After washing his muscular body briefly, he went into the living room and turned on the TV. He couldn’t believe what he saw.