I looked at Carlotta..
"Did you ask Keith to come tonight?" I asked.
"When I told him where we were going he laughed and said no thank you...He told me to tell you good luck. He, Duke,Tyriq and another cop are at Josies" she said and smiled...
"Yeah...I think I agree with Handsome...This place is a little young for me..." she said...Both she and Carlotta were looking sensational...Guys were walking by looking at me like I was a pimp...I just laughed.. Several guys stopped by the table and made small conversation with them both as if I wasn't there...When I got tired of their disrespect...I casually let my jacket open where they could view my shoulder holster, which contained my .38 smokeless...They got the message and cut the conversation short...
It wasn't long before Armando "Spanish Fly" Lopez walked in himself... He looked good..He had shaved and he was dressed a lot better than the day before...He sat down with us and he ordered drinks...
"Carmen!!! Oh My God...You look incredible.." he said...
"Thannnnk you Fly." she said...
"Damn Carlotta..How could your man let you come out alone tonight the way you lookin?" he asked.
"I'm not alone...I'm with my sister and my trusted friend." she said.
He shot me a glance...
"Trusted friend eh? Hmmmp! I wouldn't trust no man around either one of you two." he said.
What a cornball I thought to myself...
''So what do you do for yourself now of days?" asked Carmen.
''Well obviously I didn't do as well for myself as you Carm, but I bartend at a little place not far from here at night and during the day I take jobs as a waiter at this real classy joint....While hustlin my demos on the weekends... I've banked a lot of money and made a few investments....So I'm sitting on some nice change..."he said.
I surmised that he was probably living rent free with that girl...That's the only way he could have any sizable amount of money...and where was it?/ He certainly didn't have it in any banks...I had checked...
"There's some people comin throught tonight and I gotta make things right with them." he said.
II-
"What's good Kevin?" said Bone...
''I see what's good"said some half drunk guy...eying Carmen and Carlotta...and stumbling...
"You know them?" said Spanish Fly...
"Sure do." I said.
He immediately went in his jacket pocket and passed out envelopes to Chazz Gillison, Bone Hampton, Rob Brown and Meek Rollins...He then passed me an envelope.....
"I asked around about you man...I hear you hang around Josies my man...Do you know a guy named Walter Jones?" he asked.
''I sure do...One of my best friends."I said.
"Could I trust you to past that to him? It's $700.00...I owed him $500.00, but it's been three years..Interest, you know?" he said.
"Kool Kat will be thrilled." I said.
"So you do know him...Good...Make sure he gets that." said Fly...He looked at the musicians...
"Bet you guys didn't think you'd ever see that money huh?" he said.
"As a matter of fact...I didn't." said Meek Rollins dryly...Rob Brown laughed as he opened up his.
"Well we all square right?" asked Spanish Fly...
"Yeah man, you cool with me." laughed Bone...as they all approached the stage and set up...
"I performed at a couple of Old Skool joints...We made a killin...I figured, I'd better pay back all of the people I owed money to.......I'm performing a few more dates in Atlantic City and in Deleware during the month..." he said to Carmen and Carlotta sheepishly...
Spanish Fly looked around...
"There is an important man from New York supposed to be here....I don't see him.." he said.
"Baby...all I need is to get in the front door and then it'll lead to a little acting...maybe a talk show...Commercials ,you never know." he said.
''Yeah, you never know." said Carmen dryly.
Carlotta shot me a look...I just smiled...I could see that for the first time, the magic was gone for Carmen..It was as if she was seeing him for the first time and realizing that whatever magic they had once had ,had come and gone...
He kissed Carmen on the cheek....
"Showtime baby...After I'm done...We'll talk." he said and headed for the stage..
The important man he was talking about was a New York Producer named "Steady Ole Bee" ...He walked in and greeted Meek Rollins warmly and they pointed to a younger guy sitting a booth away, drinking what looked like an Orange Juice..
Carlotta tapped me on the shoulder...
Just when I thought I had concluded an easy caper...In walked Frizzy Johnson and his henchman,Knuckles Thompson...Carlotta saw them too and tapped me on the shoulder.
"Ohhh man Chica...I thought those two were dead or at least in jail.." I said.
"They're suspects in a murder that Jimmy was working last year...We didn't have enough evidence to arrest them...But we have a fingerprint and DNA" said Carlotta.
"They don't have a sheet?" I asked.
''Amazingly they don't..Neither one has ever been arrested or done any time for anything..but they're both suspects in at least three murders..." said Carlotta.
Frizzy Johnson was a juice man...or Loan Shark....If he was here...Somebody owed him some money...He wasn't exactly a socialite.
"I hope your sister doesn't want to hang around here too much longer ." I said.
"Me neither...You packin papi?" she asked..
"Yeah...I got my smokeless..How about you?" I asked.
"Got my Glock and some bracelets (handcuffs) in my purse." she said smiling..
"My girl!!...If anything goes down...I'll back your play." I said.
Carlotta smiled..
"What are you two smiling about?" said Carmen...
"Nothing." said Carlotta...
"When we were kids and she had that look on her face and said nothin, it usually meant she was up to something." laughed Carmen..
III-
Then it was indeed showtime...The Liquid Love Band opened by playing a funky new tune that had the crowd up and dancing...Then Spanish Fly came out and began rapping during the breakbeats...
He was still good..Still had that lyrical flow that I remembered....The crowd was very receptive and gave him a standing ovation.....
Then the young guy who had been drinking the orange juice walked up on the stage....I didn't know his name, but he was incredible...He made the crowd quickly forget about Spanish Fly...He got three standing ovations and the crowd was calling for him to do an encore performance after the set was over...
Meek Rollins and Steady Ole Bee walked up and shook the kids hand... Spanish Fly...Not to be outdone walked over to them and attempted to pass them one of his demos...But they mostly ignored him and blew him off...I felt sorry for him.....
That wasn't the least of his problems....Frizzy Johnson and Knuckles Thompson walked over to him...
"Heyyyyyy Spanish Fly....You was pretty good tonight..." said Frizzy..
"Thanks man." he said.
"Now where is my money?" he said.
"Look man...I had to pay some cats that I had owed some money to for a long time...Give me a few days and I'll have some money for you...I'm serious." he said.
"You said that last time.You gonna pay some other cats before you pay me? They won't break your fingers like I will." said Frizzy...
"Man ,I gave you 5G's..." said Spanish Fly...
"Yeah and now you owe me another five g's..." he said.
"Man look...All I got is $750 bucks....I need that to help my girl out with her utilities...Man give me a couple of days...Please..." said Fly....
"Nahhh, I think I need to give you some incentive...Knuck...take him outside...I'll be out shortly." he said.
I looked at Carlotta...
"It doesn't look good babes...We gotta do somethin and fast...You take Frizzy...I'll take Knuckles." I said.
"You ready Kevin?" said Carlotta.
"Baby,I was born ready." I said.
"Police business Big Sister." said Carlotta.
"Sit tight Carmen, stay right here...We'll be right back...We gotta go save your boy." I said.
What a night this was turning out to be.
(CONCLUSION NEXT)
1 comment:
Very interesting story so far...I knew some type of hood was going to enter the story eventually!
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