Barbara

Old men and Musicians...I tell you...they always got their stories...Bone Hampton had more to tell me than what he told me in that hospital..but I sensed that that wasn't the place to go into it...I had Kool Kat and Clerow come up to the hospital...Clerow, dressed like an intern, "escorted " Bone Hampton out of the hospital and into his car.
Kool Kat and I followed.  We called Fathead Newton up and asked for the use of his safehouse out by the airport...The gregarious gangster agreed, but jokingly told me that he expected a big birthday gift from me within the next month!

Ralph Mole and Roscoe were waiting for us when we got there...To my surprise..my friends, Chess, Donald Smooth and Chris Thompson were there too..They were playing cards, drinking "red" Kool Aid and eating potato chips..

''What are you guys doing here?" I asked.

"Might ask you the same thing Kev, but I think I know..." laughed Chris Thompson.

"Hey Bone...how you doin?" asked Chess.

"I'm hangin man...they winged me..it aint like they was tryin to really kill me." laughed Bone Hampton.

"Kev..you really got some nasty cats on your tail this time." said Donald Smooth.

"No he don't...you should of seen him...he beat the crap out of both of them." laughed Bone Hampton..

"Wha? You beat up Big Moon and Drake?" laughed Chris Thompson as he slapped his knee in amazement.

"They are sleepin it off in the hospital...I imagine come mornin, they'll be lookin for me." I said.

"Man..How many times I gotta tell you to call me when you in to some mess..." said Kool Kat.

''Well hell Kool Kat..He beat both of them up without you, so I guess he aint need you." laughed Roscoe.

We all laughed...Chris patted me on the back...

"My man...I remember you from back when we both used to box at the PAL center." he said.

Chris Thompson was a fierce fighter...as fierce as they came...I remembered him too..Like me, he seldom lost..Surprisingly enough..we had never fought each other...but had fought and beat some of the same guys..Chess and Donald Smooth used to box there too. Good times!

II-

Chris, Chess,Donald Smooth and Roscoe finished playing cards and eventually left and went home..So did Clerow...After awhile, it was just me, Kool Kat, Ralph Mole and Bone Hampton sitting around talking...Bone began to talk about Barbara, the dead girl..

"Man, where do I begin...I met her in Josies...I sat in with Reed Nelson and his band one night...I saw her sitting alone...Man she looked good...Had on a black and white stripe mini skirt man...Her hips was rockin that dress...I watched her drink three glasses of wine..Finally, I told Gus to send her one more glass from me.You know Gus...He scowled at me, but he did it...She looked at me, smiled and I got up and sat in the booth with her."

Musicians and their stories.

He continued-

"Anyway, I eased next to her...damn she smelled good...I wondered if she smelled as good naked..you know me man..heheheheheheh..I introduced myself and she said that she heard me when I sat in with Reed's band and that I was good.. I smiled and she smiled...


"I'm Barbara, Barbara Courtland. Thank you for the drink."



"No problem. You look like you've had a long day."I said




"That's putting it mildly." She said as I giggled like a cheshire cat.


I couldn't help but notice her lips were absolutely luscious. Thick and full, just like I like em on women. I wanted to lean forward and kiss them but I held back. I think she knew I wanted to kiss her and she wanted to kiss me too..We chatted a bit longer and I guess I kept lingering on her lips because she finally caught me.


As she leaned close to me, she whispered in my ear, "Do my lips turn you on?".




I sighed with pleasure as I responded back, 'Abso-damn-lutely.baby.'

Kev, Ralph..Walter, I kid you not...she goes "Well lets get out of here and see how much more I can turn you on."


I threw a couple of dollars on the table..Got a cab and went up to her place and it was on like popcorn..." he said.

"So that's how it began?" I asked.

"Yup...and when I told her about my dreams to open up that studio, that's when she fronted me the money to pay off my debt to Fruit Loops...She told me that she hated him..." he said.

"Yeah well..there's more to this man..." I said.

"There is no more.that's all there is." said Bone..

"No, there's got to be more...There always is." I said.

Kool Kat yawned...

"Come on man, let's go home.." I said.  "You'll be safe here Bone...I'm going to do some nosing around." I said.

"Kev man, you better be careful...those two guys are gonna be looking for you." said Bone.

"I'm not worried about em...I got the big man here with me." I said pointing to Kool Kat.

Kool Kat smiled and Bone nodded...Then we left.

Kool Kat and I drove home that night..now early morning...

''What you think Kev?"he asked.

"This babe, Barbara Courtland..She's a freelance dealor on Fruit Loop's turf? No way man...She just fronts a guy some money she barely knows...That doesn't sound right."I said.

"No it don't...There must be some kind of connection." said Kool Kat.

"And we are going to find it..Tomorrow..I'm rounding up the troops..." I said.

(To Be Continued...)