Sorry Rollie!

Meek Rollins sent word to us that he was going to be in New York City a little longer than he had initially planned...We all still needed work...So in addition to sitting in at Josies with Symphony Sam and the house band.. I took a job with the Bone Hampton Quintet...

His Keyboard player was not going to be available for a few nights, So when they played at the Camden River sharks Stadium...I sat in for him......

Then Downtown Rob Brown played Josies a few nights later and he asked me to sit in with him!! Kerry "88"Moore, another keyboard player who I respected, put a little group together and recorded some solo material which was produced by his old bandleader and friend, Reed Nelson at Bone's studio...88 asked me to sit in on the synthesizers and back him up...I was honored to finally meet and record with the other keyboardist who I had been compared to... 88 was really good.  Dutch even stopped by the studio to watch us perform a few numbers.

I was making a nice piece of change working with all of them and playing with Symphony Sam...So much that for the first time in a long time...I didn't have a bar tab...I paid it off and was drinking and paying for  other people's drinks...My rent and other bills were all up to date and I still had some dough to spend on my girl Bridget....

Life was good...For a minute!

II-

Of course ,Rollie Rollerson made his presence known again...It had been days since I'd heard from him...and here he was back in Josies again and with yet another woman...

"Hello Blind Man, How is life?" asked Rollie...

"It was good until I ran into you." I retorted....

"Did you ever send Sissy those photos like I asked?" he said.

"I did." I said.

"Oh?  How did she take it?" he asked...

"How do you think? She was devastated... They had it out and broke up." I lied.

"Oh yeah? How do you know for sure?" he asked.

"Bridget told me...You know they 're close." I said.

He smiled....

"You know Rollie, You're really a skunk...You've ruined the woman's relationship and you're happy about it" I said.

"Me? Ruin what?  He's the one that has a secret lover and a baby on the way and was slippin off to IKEA to buy stuff for the nursery.." he said.

"You know...Things aint always as they seem." I said.

"Yeah well that was exactly what it seemed....Now look...I got some more incriminating photos...Look at this.."he said and pulled out some photos of Eddie C. talking to Cherry Johnson who works in Victoria's Secret.

"Rollie...He's in Victoria's Secret, so what?...That's where Cherry works....He is not messing with Cherry Johnson..She's seeing some guy named Calvin....She's the store manager."I said.

"Yeah? Well why is he buying panties from Victoria's Secret all of a sudden when he usually buys them from Bridget's shop huh?  I'll tell you why! Because he's buying them for that other woman and he doesn't want Sissy to know." he said..."I want you to pass these on to her." he said.

"Rollie, you really are stupid...Those photos prove nothing...If the other woman is pregnant, I doubt he'd be buying lingerie for her at a time like this...Don't embarrass yourself Rollie.  I'm not doing this...Forget about it." I said.

"Oh you'll do it...or everybody in here will know that you can see, that you're a liar and a fraud......and worst of all, Bridget will know and you two will be finished..." he laughed...

"And this will get you what? Sissy still might not get with you. Everybody knows you're a liar and a womanizer." I said.

"Oh she will...She will...She'll be devastated, She'll have nowhere else to go and Old Rollie will be there for the emotional rescue..."

"You're an idiot...." I retorted, full of disgust for the man.

"Rollie, Rollie!!! Come on over here and buy me some drinks like you promised." came the voice of the young lady he came with...

"In a minute sugar." he said. "She's so ghetto, but I couldn't ignore that fat round butt of hers...I've been plottin on that for months...." he told me.

"No Now!!!...I'm thirsty...If you want to get anywhere near these panties ,you'll take care of my thirst!" she said.

"I SAID IN A MINUTE,NOW SHUT UP!" he yelled...

Patrons spun around , His date was taken aback by his tone of voice!

She looked at Rollie like he was nuts...

"I found you on 22nd Street and Ill deposit you right back there now don't bother me while I'm talkin business." he said derisively!

"Oh no you didn't? No you did not Negro!!!!... Ohhhhhhh nooo....I'm out, you don't talk to me like that!" she said and walked out of the bar...

"Heifer, get ta steppin!" he snapped.

Gus looked at Rollie, smiled and shook his head!

"You really know how to bring it out in a person don't you?" I said.

"Just get Sissy those photos...."he said.

"You're in luck...There she is." I said.

III-

Sissy walked in and took a seat at the Bar...Gus walked over to her and said...

"Hey darlin, what's your pleasure tonight?"

"Hey Gus..Ciroc and Cranberry juice on the rocks...Two and a glass of water." she said.

"Comin up." he said.

"Damn she looks good...I could just sop her up with a biscuit!!  Lawd Jesus that woman does something to me! Go ahead, take these photos to her...Tell her a friend of yours gave them to you." said Rollie ,marveling at Sissy.

"You aint my friend Rollie. I despise you.In fact, you make me sick to my stomach." I said.

"Awww gee my feelins is hurt Chazz. I didn't say to say it was me." he snapped.

I walked over to Sissy....I passed her the photos...She looked at them and disgustedly tore them up....

"I'm sorry if whatever they are...They've upset you." I said.

Sissy put her head down on the table...as though she was crying...She looked up at me and winked...

 She had such a sexy wink...I giggled like a schoolboy...

"Is Rollie looking?" she said.

"Yeah...He's going for it hook line and sinker..."I said.

''Don't laugh...you'll give it away...He's such a jackass." she said.

"You had Eddie C. go in that Victoria's Secret and pretend to be all cozy with Cherry Johnson didn't you?" I said.

"Actually Eddie saw something in there he wanted to buy for me and he and Cherry are friends, so I used it as an opportunity to smoke out the Private Investigator...I figured that whoever it was ,was probably shadowing Eddie's every move." she said.

" Wow...You caught him! That's why you're the top cop on the block! " I said laughing.

"Let's just say that I had a little unofficial talk with him...He won't be working for Rollie or sending him anymore photos. Guy doesn't even have a valid P.I. license..I told him if he ever wanted to get one in this city, working for Rollie Rollerson was not going to do it for him...He agreed!" she said.

I busted out laughing.

"Here he comes." I said.

"Okay Chazz..get out of here..I got it from here." she said.

"Got'cha." I said.

"What was you and Sissy talking about?" he asked.

"I was comforting her." I lied...

''Let me show you how it's done son." he laughed..

What a pompous idiot and jerk! I thought

IV-

Meek Rollins walked in just as I was walking a few seats down from Sissy...He waved at Sissy who smiled and waved back...

"Meek, you're back in town." I said.

"Yeah ,sorry for the delay...More business than I thought with them suits." he said.

"Who was she man?" I laughed as Reed Nelson and his quintet began their second set..

"Damn Chazz, that's cold..."said Meek...

"I know you man..."I said.

"She was a hot little number...Could sing her drawers off..." he said.

"And naturally after she did..You partook." I said.

"For a blind man, you sure got insight to human nature." said Meek...

"Yeah, I'm good that way..." I said...

"I produced a couple of tracks on her new release and then you know, we uh hung out. in New York City." he said.

"Yeah, I'll bet you did!" I laughed...

"Damn man, Reed is blowing tonight aint he?" laughed Meek...trying to change the subject.

I chuckled...

"Yeah he is..So when does the band meet again?" I asked.

"We can hook up tomorrow babe...You heard from Dutch?" he asked.

"Yeah...Me, Bone and Downtown stopped by his spot yesterday and checked him ,his girl and his new baby out!"I said.

"You give him his end for the recording dates?" asked Meek.

"Yeah and a little something from all of the guys too..We took up a collection for him." I said.

"That's cool man...I gotta stop by his spot and check him out myself." said Meek.

V-

"Sissy, you don't seem like yourself.....And ..And I was just concerned...I hear things you know and I heard how that guy dogged you out...He just wasn't worth your time....Now listen...I know that when we was together I played my games...but that was then, this is now baby...I couldn't make it with nobody because all I kept thinking about was you...and that's when I realized that you are the only woman for me..." said Rollie Rollerson who was sitting at the bar looking at Sissy with a fake look of concern..the man had little or no shame..

"Really Rollie??" said Sissy with a sweet smile..

"Yeah....Sissy,if you give me just one more chance..I swear,there won't be no other women, no runnin around ,no nothin...I'll be the man you need me to be.." he said.

"Really Rollie?" she said.

"For real...Sissy,I think I'm...I'm in love with you...Let me make up for what that crumb did to you." he said...

"Oh Rollie.....I can't beleive that man lied to me...and cheated on me..Wow...and to think..he just bought some new lingerie over at Victoria's Secret for me and I was thinking, Now...I have no one to wear it for..He blew it." she said.

"Wear it for me..Wear it for me baby....Lawd have mercy....We could go to my spot tonight...Let's get out of here right now.."he said almost moaning...

Just then, Sissy's father..Dutch Van Buren walked in...He was with his girlfriend, Selma Alvarez and their baby!

Sissy looked up....

"Daddy!" she said...

Rollie was confused....

"Daddy?  That's a white man!!!!." he said.

"My father is white...My mother was black." said Sissy....

"That girl with him....I-I-I,I've seen her before.." said Rollie.

"That's my dad's girlfriend...They just had a baby...That baby is my little sister. "said Sissy as she got up and walked over to them...She kissed her father and hugged Selma Alvarez...and kissed the baby....

"This was all an act...a hoax!!! I  just got played!!!! " said Rollie.....

I was sitting down at the other end laughing my head off...  Just then Bridget walked in...

She walked over to me and gave me a long sensuous kiss...It was slow and soft....It lasted so long that Gus quipped...

"You gonna let him come up for air Bridget?"

She looked at Gus and laughed and sat on my lap...I put my arms around her.

"Sorry Gus.." she said.

"No need..Just don't want anything to happen to a paying customer!" laughed Gus...

Sissy, Meek, Reed Nelson and finally Bridget and I walked over to Dutch and Selma and congratulated them and gushed over the baby...B-Flat and his wife, Honey Brown came out...

"Awww let me see the babyyy." she said.

Rollie pulled me to the side...

"You want to tell me what is going on?" he snapped...

"Yeah..That woman in the photo was ...Dutch Van Buren's girlfriend...She just had a baby a few weeks ago.. Dutch Van Buren is Sissy's father."I said.

"So Sissy's boyfriend, Eddie C. is not the father??" he said.

"No he's not!!!...He took her to IKEA to buy some furniture as a favor to Sissy.."I said.

"AND YOU KNEW THIS??" he snapped...

"Not at first..but I showed the photos to Bridget and she filled me in."I said.

"AND YOU STILL GAVE THEM TO SISSY??" he asked.

"You asked me to." I said.

"I think I'm gonna have a little talk with Bridget!!" he said.

"Go ahead...She knows I can see...So does Sissy..I told em both about two weeks ago...And those photos of Eddie C. in Victoria's Secret!! Sissy was there...Your private Investigator failed to tell you that, didn't he? Now take your hands  off of me before I belt ya one....You and me Rollie? We are done...Don't ask me to do anything ever again!!...You've already told Gus that I can see and he don't care and Bridget and me are sweet like cracker jack, so you got nothin to hang over me...So get to steppin ,Loser!" I said and walked away from him...

Sissy walked over to us....

"He giving you any trouble Chazz?" she asked.

"Nah.. He was just leavin...Wasn't you?" I said.

Rollie looked at Sissy pleadingly...He knew that for him, the jig was up!!

"Sissy, please, please ..listen...Everything I did...I did it because I love you baby...I want you back....I meant well...I was lookin out for you. Please baby please..You're all I think about....I-I dream about you at night...I daydream about you and the good love we've made.....I aint never felt like that about no other woman...All these women you see me with!!!...They're nothing...That's why I broke my engagement off with Portia Collins...I couldn't be engaged to her and be thinkin about you...I was a fool..a fool girl to think I could be with anyone better than you.  Please!!!..Please baby please..Give me a break..I'm...I'm beggin you...I love you girl!" he said.

He was a smooth ,silver tongued speaker...His little spiel sounded so rehearsed ,Like he'd done this a thousand times before...He couldn't fool me...Game always recognizes game. I could see why and how he had talked so many women out of their underwear...I had to hand it to him...He was good. But Sissy wasn't having it!

"Sorry Rollie....You got no shot...You had two chances and both times you blew it...You neglected to tell me you were married the first time we got together and then years later after your divorce  you neglected to tell me that you were engaged to someone else!! I'd be a fool to give you a third chance to break my heart!!!...Don't send me anymore  flowers or jewelry or cards and don't hire another Private Detective to spy on my boyfriend..." she said.

"Oh uh, you knew about him?" he asked.

"I'm a cop Rollie!!!!..." she said...

"Uh yeah that's uh right...You are at that." he said.

Just then ,Eddie C. walked into the bar...He spotted Sissy and walked over to us.

''Hey babes." he said and gave Sissy a long ,passionate, sloppy kiss ..

"Ummm ,Hey yourself  handsome." said Sissy...

"You hungry?...I 'm double parked....I wanted to know if you and your pops and all would like to go to Mabels for some Fried Fish and  Fried Chicken and some platters?" he said.

"That sounds great babes...Daddy, Selma,you guys hungry?..It's on Eddie." she laughed..

"Awwww that's foul Sissy...It's on me." laughed Eddie C...Sissy kissed him again..

"They know I'm kidding babes." said Sissy.

"That's good with me...Meek, Chazz..I'll see you guys tomorrow in the studio." said Dutch...

"No you won't..You'll see me at Mabel's." said Meek as he paid his tab and headed for the door...

Sissy and Eddie kissed again and left Josies hand and hand as Dutch, Selma and their baby got in the back seat of Eddie's car...Sissy called to me and Bridget...

"Why don't you two meet us at Mabel Jenkins's Soul Food Joint tonight?" she said.

Bridget looked at me and smiled...

"Come on Chazz honey...Is your car in the lot?" she said.

"Yeah baby, let me pay the tab." I said.

"I got it...You pay for my platter." she said.

"Deal." I said.

Rollie's eyes got as large as saucers....He now knew that Bridget knew that I could see and drive!!! and that she didn't care.....Just like I'd said.

"Yeah...We'll follow you there." I said.

"Good and Chazz...Thanks!" said Sissy.

"For what?" I said.

"You helped me to get something off my chest that I had been holding in for a long time...I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my back." she said.

We all walked out of Josies together....I looked back at Rollie...He looked sick....He sat on the bar stool and looked like he was about to cry....

Maybe he really, really was in love with Sissy, but one thing I knew for sure...She wasn't in love with him!

For SLC!