Woman Troubles

Another Friday Night at Josie's....It was packed...If you didn't already have a seat...you were standing...There were six bartenders and barmaids attending to thirsty customers....and Reed Nelson, "88" and the band was cookin tonight...I was sitting at the bar with Clerow, Sean Jackson
and a very shapely and beautiful woman who I did not know. She was filling every curve of the tight micro mini skirt she was wearing.

'You better watch that young fella...curves like that could get a married man like yourself in trouble." laughed Gus, as Sean Jackson and Clerow smiled and nodded in agreement...Of course they were right...I should be ashamed of myself...Straight lusting....I smiled and ordered another drink...

"Hey Sean, on your way back ,could you bring me and Clerow some more Fried Chicken?" I asked.

"Sure thing Kevin." He said as he waded through the crowd. As I sat there staring at the beautiful woman, a guy came in that I did know... William "Soap" Ivory. He ran a pretty sucessful plumbing business. He had even done some work for me. He had several master plumbers who worked for him..He drove a very nice car and when he wasn't working, He dressed to the nines.. A pretty cool dude.

''What's goin on Kevin?, Clerow?" said "Soap" as he pulled out an envelope and passed it to the beautiful stranger. The woman opened the envelope and just kept counting twenties...She finnally took the money and put it in her purse. She spoke for the first time that night.

"Soap, there's $800.00 in here...I only needed $450.00." she said.

"Ahhhhh, don't worry about it...take the rest and buy yourself something doll..." said Soap.

"Ohhh thank you baby....you're the best" she said as she gave him a wet kiss on his lips....Soap smiled...then pulled her to him and kissed her again...this time longer and with tongue.. Gus, Clerow, Sean and I looked up and then turned away.

"I'm going to the ladies room Soap..I'll be back." she said as she scooted off to the bathroom. Soap looked at us..Smiled and then shrugged.

"What?"

"What? , you always layin that kind of bread on that broad?" asked Gus.

"Her electric bill is overdue and she's a little short." said Soap.

"Yeah ,right! and last month it was her Gas bill and the month before that it was her phone bill.
She got your nose wide open." said Gus. Did Gus mean that Soap dropped envelopes full of money on this woman every month like this?

"See Gus, that's where you wrong.....I aint really messin with her like that..She works for me. She's my Administrative Assistant. I just help her out with a little extra when she's short. That's
all." He said.

"Yeah...and how does she help you out?" asked Clerow to roars of laughter from me, Sean and Gus.

"Not like that..I mean I hit that a couple of times back in the day...but I aint on her like that no more...I'm serious." said Soap with a laugh.

"Okay Soap, whatever you say man." laughed Gus as he reached over and grabbed a chicken wing and began munching....We all began munching on fried chicken and began drinking beer.
About an hour later...Another strikingly beautiful woman came in Josie's....The woman sitting next to Soap nudged him...Soap looked over at her and I saw his eyes open wide....He looked excited...like this was who he was really waiting for.

"I called her like you asked Soap...There she is...go talk to her." said the woman. Soap looked like he was afraid at first...then he got up and walked over to her...He looked like he was offering her
a drink...She shook her head as though she was refusing...They stood and talked for a long while.. Then they looked as if they were arguing. Soap looked like he was trying to explain something,but she wasn't hearing any of what he had to say. He kept throwing his hands up in frustration.

Gus shook his head...."The plumbin business....who knew?" he muttered.

Clerow looked at me and said-

"Man, if plumbing gets you those types of women..I need to be in that kind of business."

Sean laughed and said-

"I guess he's laying that pipe...uh no pun intended.."

We all laughed heartedly......I noticed that the other woman's Blackberry was ringing...She talked
for about 15 minutes and then hung up. She almost looked as if she was cooing into the phone..Laughing and smiling and all. Meanwhile Soap and the other woman continued to argue..She tossed her hand up the way women do when they are through talking and she walked out of Josie's. Soap stood there and looked as if he wanted to cry....When he got himself together, he walked back to the bar and sat down....

"Everything alright Soap?" I said.

"Uh..yeah...yeah..it's all good....Yo Gus...a round of drinks for everyone here, Sean, Kevin,Clerow
and it's on me." He said.

"Soap, I gotta go...you're friend called...I have to meet with him....you know...about that uh, thing?" she said.

Soap now looked angry....He grabbed her arm and said to her.....

"Tell him you're gonna be late..Tell him you gotta do somethin for me...dig it?" He said.

"Oh...okay Soap...what you need baby?" she said.

Soap whispered something in her ear. She smiled.. She looked so sexy when she smiled......

"You sure?" she said.

"I'm sure.... We are done." He said.

"I'm on it baby." she said and kissed him again...full mouth......

Sean, Clerow and I looked away...Gus just smiled and walked down to the other end of the bar.
She left...and Sean, Clerow and I continued to drink...Cock Robbins, Chess, Chris Thompson, Donald Smooth and Robert Foxworth came in and Soap bought all of them drinks....He also continued to drink heavily...I was worried about him...drinking like this and spending money like this.

A few hours later, we were all leaving Josies and I walked over to Soap...

"Hey man...you sure you okay?" I asked..

"Yeah Kev...Don't worry about me...just woman troubles that's all...yall thinkin I was on Velma
in there..and the woman I really want just walked out of my life." He said.

"Well don't sweat it man....women come and go." I said.

"Thanks Kev...you a good dude...I wish I was more like you." said Soap as he got in his car and drove off.

The next morning, Sepia and I were sitting in the diner enjoying breakfast, when I just happened to leaf through the morning paper.....

"29 year old Woman found shot to death , early this morning." read a headline. I was startled
when I saw the photo of the woman...It was the woman Soap had been with in Josie's..Not the hottie sitting at the bar with us that he had slipped money to, but the one who he had been arguing with.

"What is it Kevin?" asked Sepia.

"I saw this woman...this woman who they said was found shot to death last night." I said.

"You did?" she asked.

"She was in Josie's with Soap." I said.

"Soap the plumber?" she asked.

"Yeah..." I said.

I didn't want to think my boy might have had something to do with this....but I knew I had to find out.

(To Be Continued.....)