Sneak peek #5 of Jazzy Ladies Productions

Be sure to become a fan at www.facebook.com/eksbooks

LIKE I NEED A REASON TO THROW A PARTY

Beverly put both pillows over her head to stop the ringing. It wasn’t until she listened closely that she realized it was the doorbell. She sighed and rolled over to look at the clock on her nightstand. 2:27pm. For most people, still being in bed at two ‘o’ clock in the afternoon was a sign of a good night. But for Beverly, she was just trying to sleep off the remnants of working the midnight shift.

“This better be good,” she mumbled as she rolled out of bed and dragged herself to the door.

“What took you so long?” Sonja asked as she pushed her way through the crack in the door with bags in her hands.

“I was having the best sleep. That Tide with Downy April Fresh is the business!”

“You were still sleep?”

“I worked last night, remember?”

“Yeah, but I woulda figured you’d be up by now since you having a party tonight.”

“What party?” Beverly asked confused.

“Logan texted saying you were having a cookout.”

“When?”

“Like an hour ago.”

Beverly rolled her eyes and helped Sonja unpack the food and alcohol she brought for the cookout.

“Man, she lucky I don’t work tonight.”

“Yeah right. She always do this to you and you still haven’t said nothing to her about it.”

“Well, I will.” Beverly opened a beer and carried on, “It’s not that I care that she invites people I don’t know to my house. It’ll just be nice if she asks me first to make sure I’m not doing nothing, like sleeping.”

“That’s what you get for fucking her.”

Beverly took a swig of her beer and spit it out at Sonja.

“Aye!”

“That’s what you get,” Beverly replied. “I can’t believe you recorded us.”

“My bad, I was drunk. I just couldn’t believe ya’ll were actually getting it on.”

“I was drunk.”

“But you kept doing it.”

Beverly hunched her shoulders and replied, “She’s good.”

Sonja laughed then asked, “So, what are ya’ll? Friends with benefits, more than that?”

“FWB, nothing more.”

“You sure? Robyn said Logan had a close eye on you at that speed dating thing ya’ll went to.”

“Nah, that wasn’t nothing. We just kicking it.”

“Okay, cool.”

Beverly grabbed another beer and moved to the living room to straighten up.

“Yo, you better eat something before you make yourself sick,” Sonja suggested.

Beverly looked at the bottle, thought about it and nodded her head in agreement.

“I’m gonna get cleaned up. If someone gets here before I come out…”

“I got you.”

Sonja emptied the bags she brought in and put everything in it’s proper place. She ruffled through Beverly’s wood grained cabinets for shot glasses and paper plates and cups. The liquor was placed in two horizontal lines on the countertop near the sink. Sonja smiled at her handiwork.

“Bev!” Logan yelled as she stormed into the house.

Beverly strolled into the living room with a white tank top on, a towel wrapped around her waist and a wave cap on her head. “Man, gon’ somewhere.”

“What?”

“Just one time, one time, can you call me and ask if you can have a party at my place.”

Logan rolled her eyes, “It’s not like you work tonight.”

“That’s not the point! What if I had something to do tonight?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, something.”

Logan smacked her lips. “You would’ve told me if you did.”

“Next time though…”

Logan raised her hand as if she was in court, “Next time I promise to ask first.”

“So Logan, what’s the reason behind this occasion?” Sonja yelled from the kitchen.

“Like I need a reason to throw a party,” Logan laughed. “But actually, there is a reason for this one.” Beverly and Sonja waited as Logan paused to build the suspense. “I gotta promotion!”

“You lying!” Sonja said, excited for her.

“Nope. I asked them about it the other day and they said because I did so good with the speed dating event, they’ll give me a chance to prove myself!”

“Congratulations!” Sonja hugged her.

“Didn’t I tell you? All you had to do was show them you could do it,” Beverly said.

“You did! And I know the best way to thank you.”

Beverly glanced at Sonja and winked until she saw Logan handing them a stack of flyers each. “Here. Hand these out to help promote the Halloween party at the end of the month.”

“Seriously, Logan?”

“Uh, yeah. I’m trying to make a name for myself in this biz and I need ya’lls help to do it.”

All of a sudden, the kitchen door leading to the garage burst open.

“Damn, you come in here like you ducking the FBI,” Sonja said as Robyn entered the kitchen.

“Ya’ll will not believe what I just saw!” Robyn said nearly out of breath.

“What?”

“This man just reached his hand out the window and adjusted the antenna on his Kia Rio!”

“Ha ha!” Beverly laughed. “You think the signal improved?”

“Wait,” Sonja cut in. “How could he even reach his antenna to adjust it?”

“It’s a Kia Rio!” Beverly said. “How could he not?”

“That’s so wrong!” Sonja laughed.

“So what are we celebrating today, other than the fact that it’s Friday, of course,” Robyn asked.

“Logan gotta promotion with Jazzy Ladies Productions,” Sonja said.

“No shit! That’s awesome!”

Logan split the stack of flyers she handed to Beverly and Sonja and placed some in front of Robyn.

“Thanks, and I can use all the free labor I can get.”

“Fine by me. Most of my clients are fam anyway.”

“How is it that in this small ass town of Marian, you can find gay people who wanna buy houses?” Sonja asked.

“You wouldn’t believe how many gays and lesbians there are in Middle Georgia especially when the colleges are in session.”

“But ain’t no college student tryna buy a house,” Sonja said.

“No, but there are a number of people who know what the market is like right now and they know houses are dropping in value. They buy the house, fix it up if need be and rent it out to college students.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Logan replied.

“That’s a great idea. One client bought a two-story four-bedroom house with two full bathrooms for $105,000. He told me his monthly payments are $750 a month and he’s gonna rent the rooms at $350 a month.”

“$350?” Logan asked.

Robyn nodded. “Think about it. That’s like the four of us getting a house together. If you know who you’re living with, you got it made and this guy gets double for his mortgage every month.”

“Fuck living in a house together. We need to buy a house so we can make that kind of loot.”

“You’re not making any money if you split the profit four ways, Sonja.”

“You know what I mean, Logan.”

“And I don’t think Steph would go for the idea of Bev and Sonja living together anyway,” Robyn joked.

“She still mad about that?” Logan asked.

“What can I say,” Beverly smiled. “My style always keep others shook.”

Sonja started to respond to Beverly’s goofy comment but decided against it. “She was, Logan, but we talked and she’s better now. No thanks to Bev’s crazy roach text.”

“She sent that to you, too?” Robyn laughed as she recalled the message.

“I sent it to everyone. Knowledge is key,” Beverly said.

“I seriously think you’ve been spending too much time on your spaceship,” Robyn said.

Beverly pointed to the bottles of liquor on the countertop and asked, “Wanna join me?”

“Anyway,” Sonja cut in, “I’m gonna start spending more time with Steph to build the trust between us.”

“Don’t you already see her like everyday?”

“Logan’s right,” Beverly began. “Ya’ll are like Lego pieces. You can hook and unhook yourselves so it’ll be easier to keep up with each other.”

Sonja frowned as everyone laughed. “Whatever and what about you, Robyn? You heard from the Doublemint twins, yet?”

Before Robyn could answer, Joshua entered the kitchen from the garage door with more bags of food and bottles of liquor.

“Hey Josh,” Robyn started with a sly smile, “Kerri ask about me?”

“Damn! Nice to see you too.”

“Yeah, yeah. Did she ask about me?”

Joshua placed the bags and bottles on the counter next to the refrigerator and looked at Robyn. “I don’t talk to my subordinates about their personal lives.”

“Whatever,” Logan smacked her lips. “That’s why you invited her to your birthday party.”

“No. I did that because I knew her and her girl didn’t know a lot of people and I thought they might feel comfortable hanging with other lesbians. I didn’t know Robyn was gonna end up sucking face with them.”

“I didn’t know they were gonna be so good at it.” Robyn slapped high fives with Beverly, Logan and Sonja.

Joshua rolled his eyes and grabbed the bag of charcoal and lighter fluid from the grocery bag. He found the quick start lighter in the kitchen drawer and headed out back to the grill.

“What’s his problem?” Robyn asked no one in particular.

“I still think he wanted to be the cream in that Oreo cookie sandwich but you beat him to it,” Beverly said.

“Joshua always trying to hook up with a lesbian,” Sonja said. “You’d think he’d get the obvious hint that they don’t want him.”

“Yeah,” Robyn replied. “He better get with Mandi and call it a day.”

“Getting back to Josh’s party,” Logan began, “What was up with Dionne and Kim not showing up together?”

“Yo!” Sonja yelled. “I saw that and I was like what the fuck!”

“Did you see the way Kim was gritting on Alicia?” Logan asked.

“Like she was ready to go Hitchcock on her,” Beverly replied.

“I don’t remember none of that,” Robyn said.

“That’s because you were getting it on with the Doublemint twins!” Robyn stuck her tongue out at Sonja who returned the favor.

“Damn, I never pictured Dionne for the player type,” Beverly said. “I was hoping she and Kim would get married so Alicia and I could start our lives together.”

Sonja burst into laughter. “What are you talking about?”

“We could’ve had a double wedding or do you think that would’ve been too awkward?”

Logan walked over to the kitchen counter and opened the drawer. She pulled out a roll of masking tape and tore off a piece. “Stay still,” she said to Beverly as she tried to tape her mouth. “No more alcohol for you until it’s time to get on the spaceship.”

Sneak peek #4 of "Jazzy Ladies Productions"

REESEY PSI STEPH

It was the first day of class at Frye College and State University. Stephanie’s nine-thirty class went the whole hour and fifteen minutes but her eleven ‘o’clock class let out early. Reesey had the same professor for two of her classes. She got out of her morning class early so she expected to get out of her eleven ‘o’clock class early as well.

Stephanie sat outside the Humanities building on the black metal bench waiting for Reesey when her nose caught the smell of garlic and hamburgers floating across the campus. Her hunger deepened and she could resist the temptation no longer.

“I thought you were going to wait for me?” Reesey stood behind Stephanie who was seated in the cafeteria devouring a cheeseburger and garlic fries.

Stephanie offered her bowl of garlic fries as a peace offering. “Sorry, Reesey. I was hungry. I had to skip breakfast this morning ‘cause I was running late.”

“How you run late for a nine-thirty class?”

“I catch the city bus, remember? I have to be at the stop by eight-thirty so I can be on campus between nine and nine-fifteen.”

Reesey sat down next to Stephanie and helped herself to another fry. “You live right around the corner but it takes the bus forty minutes to get here?”

“All the stops it makes in between and no stop is empty. It’s like everybody’s gotta be to work or class at the same time and we all on the same bus.”

“You need a car.”

“I know.”

“Your Aunt not gonna let you use hers?”

Stephanie gave Reesey a ‘yeah right’ look after sipping her sweet tea. “She got a motorcycle and the truck but I’m taking the bus to class.” Stephanie imitated Dionne to Reesey, “Do you know how much my insurance will go up if I put you on it?”

“Insurance ain’t no joke though,” Reesey replied. “My mom tried to put me on hers but they wanted like an extra two hundred a month.”

“Damn, for real?”

“Um hmm. That’s why she was so glad when my scholarship paid for room and board. That was her reason for not putting me on it saying I don’t need a car if I’m living on campus.”

“Well, Auntie Dionne did say she was gonna talk to my mom about getting me a car.”

“You think your mom will let her?” Reesey asked.

“I don’t know. It depends on what type of mood she’s in.”

“Hey, maybe you should tell them you’ll help pay for it. Make them think you’re being responsible.”

Stephanie wiped the ketchup dripping down her mouth then asked, “How am I gonna help pay for it if I don’t have a job, Reesey?”

“Work study. I know the Wellness Center is looking for referees for intramural sports. Basketball will be starting soon. You can do that or I can talk with coach and see if we need help. Like half our staff is work study and all they do is make sure the equipment is in good condition and make sure the water bottles stay filled.”

“I don’t know about all that but I can definitely see myself officiating intramurals.”

“That’ll look good on resumes too. Extracurricular activities or something like that.”

Stephanie gave Reesey the rest of her fries since she was the one eating the majority of them anyway. “Come on. Let’s head over there now so I can get an application.”

“Oh, I almost forgot, you almost got me in trouble,” Reesey said as they headed to the Wellness Center.

“How?”

“I forgot to put my phone on vibrate in class and when you called, it started playing Lil’ Wayne’s Lollipop.”

What did your professor say?”

Reesey looked at her and smiled, “Girl, he used the song to teach the lesson in class!”

“Now that’s an instructor I need to get.”

“Ooo, and that’s a man I need to get,” Reesey gawked at one of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity men stepping outside the Wellness Center.

“Un uh,” Stephanie frowned. “His muscles too big. I bet he can’t even hug himself.”

“Long as he can wrap his arms around me, that’s all that matters.”

They moved forward to get a closer look when Stephanie heard the shouts of female voices not too far away. She turned and saw a sea of red and black overshadowing a pond of pink and green.

Stephanie grabbed Reesey by the arm and led her toward the multi-colored group.

“Where are we…aw, come on Steph. I wanna see the guys.”

“And you know I wanna be a Delta…”

“Delta smelta. Let’s make our own sorority. We can call it Reesey Psi Steph.”

“Why your name gotta come first?”

“’Cause I made it up.”

“Whatever, I still wanna be a Delta.”

“Fine but just know you probably just made me miss out on meeting my future husband.”

Stephanie laughed. “You mean saved you from your future ex-husband.”

Both girls smiled as they found a seam through the crowd and made their way close to the front.

Stephanie smiled when she saw they had arrived just in time to see Delta Sigma Theta’s retort on Alpha Kappa Alpha cadence.

“Ooo!” A light-skinned girl with dreadlocks shouted.

Standing beside her was a tall, dark-skinned girl with flawless baby doll skin also laughing at the Delta’s witty comeback.

“Bae, them AKA’s ain’t got nothing to say to that skeet line!”

“I know right! That was off the chain!”

“Wannabes,” Reesey coughed under her breath.

Both girls turned and rolled their eyes in unison as soon as they saw Reesey.

“You mean ‘will be’s’ Reese’s Pieces.”

“Not in front of Chelle, Gabby,” Reesey teased Gabby. “I thought we said we wasn’t gonna use our pet names outside the bedroom.”

Gabby put her forefinger in her mouth, insinuating the comment made her want to vomit.

“Don’t act like you don’t like it,” Reesey wrapped her arms around Gabby’s neck and pretended to kiss her.

“Eww, your breath smell like garlic!”

“That’ll be garlic fries to you darling.”

“Chelley, help me!”

Reesey stopped and smiled at Michelle. “Chelley?”

“Don’t you start, Reesey.”

Reesey walked over and grabbed two of Michelle’s dreadlocks, one on each side of her head. She held them out like ponytails and danced them side to side. “Of course not…Chelley.”

Reesey interlocked her arms with Stephanie and skipped away before Michelle could respond.

“You know them?” Stephanie asked Reesey when they were safely away. Reesey was an athlete and lived on campus so she knew more about the fellow students than Stephanie did.

Reesey glanced back and answered, “Yeah, they freshman like us but Gabby, the tall, dark-skinned one, has a sister who’s a senior with the Deltas and the light-skinned one with dreads is Michelle, now known as Chelley. She plays ball on the team with me.”

“They from here?”

“Yep, and they together.”

Stephanie stopped in her tracks. “Together like a couple?”

“You got it.”

“Damn, I could see it with Michelle…”

“No, Chelley,” Reesey corrected.

“I’m not calling that girl Chelley.”

“Well, you know I am and I’m gonna make sure the whole basketball team calls her Chelley, too.”

“You need help.”

“And you need to get to know the people ‘round here. How you gonna be voted the most sociable person in high school but not know nobody? Better yet, how you gonna be my best friend and not know nobody?”

“I’m trying but my Auntie’s had a bug up her ass lately. I did convince her to let me hang out more and if it’s a school night, to let me just crash with you.”

“Now that’s what I’m talking ‘bout,” Reesey nodded in approval.

“But I can’t take advantage of it. Knowing her, she’ll be counting how many times I don’t stay home and then she’ll try to give me a curfew again.”

“You gotta curfew?” Reesey laughed.

“I said she tried,” Stephanie corrected. “And here I thought going to college would free me from my mother’s wrath.”

“I thought you said your Aunt wasn’t as strict as your moms?”

She’s not but her and my mom ain’t the best of friends.”

“They’re sisters. They ain’t supposed to be.”

“Yeah, well, I think Auntie Dionne wants to cl-clank me down just to get on my mom’s good side or to not piss her off more than she has already.”

“Why they so distant anyway?” Reesey asked.

“Something about Auntie Dionne being a lesbian and breaking the heart of one of my mom’s college friends way back when.”

Reesey laughed. “Are you serious?”

“Serious as a heart attack…”

“And a heart attack can kill you,” Reesey finished.

“My mom hates the fact that she’s a lesbian but Auntie Dionne dogging her friend out really put her over the edge.”

“Whoa! I can’t see your Aunt as the playa playa type.”

“I know. She got that whole ‘I don’t do nothing but stay in the house and walk my dog’ thing about her but I know she be doing her poetry thing and I think that’s where she be wooing all the ladies. I hear her in the room practicing, trying to memorize her poems, saying them all sexy and shit.”

“Say it like she be saying it,” Reesey baited her.

Stephanie cupped her lips and cooed, “I’m drowning in a sea of your sexiness as your body cries out to me from the bottomless pit of the ocean.”

Reesey laughed aloud. “I can see her saying that too!”

“That’s probably why my mom didn’t want me coming to Frye in the first place. She probably thought I’d pick up some bad habits from Auntie.”

“So what? Your mom thinks your Aunt’s gonna corrupt you or something?”

Stephanie batted her eyes like a little princess. “Who me?”

“If they only knew,” Reesey smiled.

Sneak peek #3 of "Jazzy Ladies Productions"

I THINK I’VE SPOTTED SOME POTENTIAL

“Bunnie, this is the last one of the night, alright?” Karen said as she turned the car off.

Jazmyne and Karen had visited every strip bar from Forsyth to Perry in search of girls to dance at their upcoming Red and Black event. So far, they were having no luck.

“Fine but if this place doesn’t have any woman halfway decent, we’re going to Atlanta this weekend.”

It was military appreciation night at the Sneak ‘a’ Peek Strip Club. Both women hoped that the overflowing parking lot was due to promising women they could solicit to work for them.

The strong odor of cigarette and Black and Mild smoke clouded the air as they entered. The bouncer inside the door frisked Karen twice but only checked Jazmyne’s purse.

“Who says it doesn’t pay to show a little cleavage now and then,” Jazmyne smiled as she shimmied in her mustard colored tunic top with sequined beads. 

Karen frowned, tucked her navy blue shirt back in her black jeans and buttoned up her black vest. She quickly scanned the club and said, “I’ll work this side and you work that side.”

“Meet you back at the bar after my rounds,” Jazmyne blew Karen a kiss before walking off.

Karen barely finished her sentence before being rejected by the first three women she approached.

“Excuse me,” Karen said to another woman dressed in a string bikini. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sorry honey, I’m working.”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

The stripper eyed Karen from head to toe then replied, “Tempting but I got a girlfriend and she doesn’t like me doing other women.”

“I wasn’t going to suggest that.”

“She doesn’t like it when I let other women do me either.”

Frustration had set in so Karen went to the bar for a drink.

“This is just sad,” Jazmyne pouted as she joined Karen a few minutes later. “Either they aren’t cute, stuck up or want too much money.”

“At least you got that far in the conversation,” Karen said. “They see me coming and only think I want a show. I couldn’t even get my sales pitch out before getting shot down.”

“Like I said, stuck up.”

“Doesn’t make me a bit of difference. Saves me the trouble of having to fire their amateurish asses later on down the road,” Karen said as she sipped on her drink.

“I just don’t get how they can be so sure of themselves with no skills whatsoever.” Jazmyne pointed to the strippers on stage. “I could get up there and blow them all away. Walk out of here with their rent money, light bill money, gas money, all of it and I haven’t danced in years.”

After giving the strippers on stage a few more glances, Karen shook her head. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

Jazmyne followed Karen to the door when something caught her attention out the corner of her eye. She looked back and saw a young mixed woman giving an older man a lap dance.

Jazmyne gently grabbed Karen by the arm and pulled her near. “I think I’ve spotted some potential.”

Karen looked in the direction Jazmyne motioned. They both watched as the woman winded up and dropped her bottom to the floor.

“Not bad,” Karen said as she positioned herself closer to the bar to see more of the show.

“Come here real quick.” Jazmyne pulled Karen to her and wrapped her arms around Karen’s neck, her purse still in her hands. “Pretend you’re dancing so I can get a picture of her.”

“Why don’t we just go over there, Jaz?”

“Because I just saw one of the girls I talked to talking with the guy in the corner of the bar behind me. He’s had his eyes on us ever since and I don’t think it’s because he wants to play Three’s Company.”

Karen peeked over Jazmyne’s shoulder and spotted a white man with short dark hair nursing a drink. He locked eyes with her for a quick moment before moving his eyes toward the stage.

“Yep, I think they’re on to us,” Karen whispered in Jazmyne’s ear. “Take the picture so we can go.”

With her arms still wrapped around Karen’s neck, Jazmyne stuck her hand in her purse and pulled her cell phone halfway out, just enough for the lens of the camera to be visible. She snapped a couple of pictures from that angle then dropped her arms around Karen’s waist and snapped a few more. After a few zoom-in shots at both angles, Jazmyne led Karen to the restroom.

Jazmyne was barely through the door before she was flipping through the photos. When she got to the zoom-in shots, her mouth dropped wide open. “Oh shit!”

“What?”

Jazmyne showed Karen the picture.

“Wait a minute. Isn’t that…”

“Yep.”

Karen had a sly smile on her face. “You know, she’s not that bad.” Jazmyne playfully punched Karen on the arm. “I’m only saying,” Karen continued, “we need dancers and Santé can move.”

“I’m sure Taneka would appreciate you complementing her girlfriend in that manner.”

Karen had planned to leave but she knew Jazmyne wanted to stay and spy on Santé a little longer. They went back to the bar, took a seat and ordered another drink to share. They watched Santé as she continued to wind and grind on a paying customer. Jazmyne gave Santé’s moves a few approving head nods but knew they couldn’t ask her to dance at their event. Even though they didn’t know Santé all that well, Taneka was like family and Jazmyne didn’t want to cause unnecessary friction between the two.

Jazmyne quickly shook the idea out of her head and sent the picture of Santé to Dionne through MMS text.

“What are you doing, Bunnie?” Karen asked.

“I’m texting Dionne.”

“Let’s just stay out of it, alright. It’s none of our business.”

“So you’re saying we’re not to get involved when we see one of our friends’ girlfriend cheating on them?”

“She’s just giving the guy a lap dance.”

Jazmyne’s phone vibrated and she read the incoming message from Dionne.

Taneka already knows her girl’s a stripper. That’s how they met.

“See,” Karen said reading over Jazmyne’s shoulder. “Look at you, always meddling.”

Jazmyne watched as Santé leaned in and whispered something in the guy’s ear. He pulled out his wallet and placed a credit card in the bartender’s hand. After it was returned, he signed the receipt and Santé led him through a curtained hallway.

“Do Taneka know her girlfriend’s a ho, too,” Jazmyne asked sarcastically.

“You don’t know what goes on back there.”

Jazmyne looked at Karen with devilish smile. “I know you don’t think I was always such a good girl. I used to be a wild one.”

“Naw, really? I couldn’t imagine,” Karen said sarcastically.

“Make jokes all you want but I was a whole different person before I met you.”

“So what made you change?”

Jazmyne rested her arms on Karen’s shoulders and said, “Let’s just say the right woman coming along at the right time opened my eyes to a whole new world.”

Karen smiled, kissed Jazmyne on the cheek and swiped her cell phone from her hands.

“Wait, that could be the evidence Taneka needs to finally break up with her.”

“Do you really think she would?”

“Well, if she doesn’t, I don’t want to hear her complaining about her anymore. You can’t have me out using my superspy skills for nothing.”

Sneak peek #2 of "Jazzy Ladies Productions"

I’M SURE DIONNE DOESN’T MIND THREESOMES

“How come the only time I get to see you is when we’re out with these two?” Camille asked Dionne.

It was another Saturday night and Dionne found herself on another double date with Camille as her partner.

Vinson and Dionne met up with April and Camille at Johnnie’s Sports Bar. Dionne didn’t feel like going out but she promised Vinson she would. She wanted to keep the night simple so Vinson figured shooting pool over wings and a few drinks would suffice. 

“What are you talking about? We just kicked it like two weeks ago.”

“Yeah, two weeks.”

“I told you already, I don’t really have a lot of free time. Work keeps me pretty busy.”

“You don’t ever get a day off?”

“Yeah, but it can change with the quickness. There’s no such thing as a nine to five when it comes to delinquents.”

“Well, as long as I’m not the problem.”

Dionne looked at Vinson who hid his smile in the palm of his hand. “Of course not,” she replied.

“Good ‘cause I’d like to think I provide a good stress releaser for you.” She nibbled on Dionne’s earlobe and finished, “I’ll always be open when you need me.”

There was a loud roar from behind them. Vinson and Dionne’s eyes fell on the television mounted above the bar. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team were playing the University of Georgia Bulldogs in a crucial instate rivalry game. Lewis Bootie had just sacked Georgia’s quarterback, knocking UGA out of field goal range, squandering their chance at taking the lead that possession.

“Yeah Boot!” Dionne shouted.

“Yellow Jackets all day!” Vinson yelled and slapped Dionne five.

Camille tried to pin Dionne against the pool table for a kiss but Dionne scooted around her. Vinson shook his head. He knew he owed his friend big time for this one.

“Well, hello,” a familiar voice from behind spoke. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Vinson turned around and saw Kim staring directly at Dionne. The connection between the two of them was undeniable. Maybe he wouldn’t have to make this night up to Dionne after all.

“Hey Kim, what’s up?” Vinson’s grin disappeared when he saw Teresa walking over with a tray holding two drinks and a basket full of wings.

“Vinson, I didn’t even see you over there but then again, Dionne has a way of catching my undivided attention.”

Camille couldn’t help but notice the change in Dionne’s posture and the smile on her face when looking at Kim. Camille knew they weren’t exclusive, not to mention she had a few secrets of her own but that didn’t mean she was going to lie down and play dead tonight.

“Hi, and you are?” Camille sneered as she interlocked her arm with Dionne’s arm.

Kim didn’t even flinch.

“I’m Kim, a friend of Dionne’s.”

“Really? I don’t recall her mentioning you before.”

“Well, that’s not uncommon. Everyone knows great things are best kept secret.”

“I beg to differ.”

“I’m sure you do.”

Before Camille could retaliate with another smart comeback, Dionne unhinged herself and went over to make small talk with Teresa.

“So, what are you two up to tonight?” Dionne asked.

“We just hanging,” Teresa replied. “Being cooped up in the house makes her stir crazy.”

“I bet.”

“Ya’ll don’t mind if we join you, do you?” Kim walked over to Dionne and asked.

Now Camille was annoyed. “Actually, we’re on a double date.”

“So? Let’s make it a triple. I’m sure Dionne doesn’t mind threesomes,” Kim responded.

Vinson spat the beer in his mouth onto the floor. Dionne glared at him as he laughed guiltily at her expense.

“Teresa honey, let me get some change. I’m feeling up to playing some pool.”

Camille walked over to where Vinson and April were sitting.

“This bitch bold as hell,” Camille grunted as she took a sip of her drink.

April replied, “Girl! Flirting with Dionne while you’re here is one thing but Vin says that’s her girl over there acting like nothing is up.”

“Yeah, she does that,” Vinson responded.

“What do you mean, she does that?”

Vinson knew he should have kept his mouth shut as soon as he opened it but it was too late now. The only thing he could do was make it seem as though Dionne and Kim’s interaction was nothing for Camille to worry about.

Vinson shrugged his shoulders and said, “We all went bowling a few weeks back and Kim was flirting with Dionne but Teresa didn’t say anything then either.”

“So, you knew about this bitch and didn’t tell me?” Camille said angrily.

“Can’t you see Kim is just one of those chicks who likes attention? Besides, she’s gotta girl and Dionne doesn’t cross those lines.”

April glanced at Camille and took a sip of her drink.

Camille cleared her throat and asked, “But what if Dionne really likes her?”

“Doesn’t matter. Dionne doesn’t mess around with somebody who already gotta girl. That shit comes back around fast and bites hard as hell and she ain’t tryna suffer the type of pain love brings.”

“Who’s next!” Kim screamed and raised her arms in victory.

“Whatever. You cheated,” Dionne frowned.

“How?”

“You moved the ball,” Dionne pointed to the table.

“You scratched.”

“Yeah but you can’t put the cue ball next to the eight ball. Everybody knows you can’t line up a shot inside the breaking pane.”

“You should’ve established the rules before starting the game,” Kim said.

“That’s a standard rule,” Dionne replied. “That’s like reneging in spades then saying I should’ve told you you had to play the suit played. It’s common sense.”

“Common to who?”

“Wow. You know what, it’s not that serious.” Dionne put down the pool stick. “Fine, you win.”

“Why don’t we play partners this time around,” Camille strolled over and kissed Dionne on the cheek.

“Or even better, mixed partners,” Kim countered. “Let’s see if Dionne is nice enough to let you win.”

“Oh, I don’t let nobody win,” Dionne replied. “You gotta work hard if you wanna beat this.”

“Trust me, I know.” Kim smiled in Camille’s direction before finishing, “That’s why I’m cherishing the one win I already got tonight and studying up on how to get more.”

Camille stepped out of her high heels and started taking her earrings off.

April stood in front of her to block her path. “No, Camille.”

“I’m through with her taking cheap shots at me, April.”

“Was it something I said?” Kim asked with a smirk on her face.

Camille tried to side-step April but April wasn’t going to let her pass.

“Let her go,” Vinson smiled.

“Now you have something to say,” April snapped back.

“The game’s a blowout. Besides, a cat fight’s a lot more exciting than any football game I’ll ever watch.”

“Straight perve,” Dionne laughed.

“I don’t know what you laughing at,” Vinson whispered in Dionne’s ear. “The one you don’t want is the one willing to fight for you.”

“That don’t mean she’ll win,” Dionne whispered back.

“You think Kim can take Camille?” Vinson said with skepticism. “I don’t think so.”

“A woman with that much mouth gots to know how to hold her own. If not, she would’ve had her teeth knocked out by now.”

Camille finally stopped struggling with April. “Fine,” she huffed, “but we need to go now before I show Ms. Thang over there what side of Marian I grew up on.”

April and Vinson escorted Camille outside while Dionne stayed behind to say their goodbyes.

“Leaving already?” Kim asked nonchalantly.

“You know you weren’t right.”

“I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. I actually consider this me being on my best behavior.”

“Ha! I’d definitely hate to see you at your worst then.”

“You sure about that?”

Dionne started to respond but looked up at Teresa and thought better of it. This time she would let Kim get the last word. Another victory she was sure Kim took notice of.

By the time Dionne made it to the parking lot, she knew the car pool arrangements had changed and she wasn’t happy about it.

Vinson eyes were apologetic before he even began. “I was gonna ride with April so I was wondering if you could take Camille home?”

“Wait a minute.” Dionne bumped shoulders with Vinson hard as she walked passed him on her way to Camille.

“Camille, I apologize about tonight.”

“You don’t have to do that. I know it wasn’t your fault.”

“Thanks. Look, I’m not feeling too well,” Dionne lied. “You mind if April drop you home?”

Camille was shocked but she was not ready to give up. “I don’t mind staying with you to make sure you feel better.”

“That’s sweet but my niece is home and I don’t bring women home when she’s there.”

“Why not just come to my place?”

“I got cramps. That time of the month. I just want to make some hot tea, put a warm heating pad on my back and go to sleep.”

Dionne knew Camille was disappointed but she didn’t care. She didn’t feel like being bothered. Camille provided Dionne no mental stimulation which put Camille in the dog house. Dionne’s sexual drive and performance was dictated by her mind being gratified first. If there was no excitement upstairs, there would be no excitement downstairs.

“Okay,” Camille sighed. “Call me tomorrow if you feel better.”

Dionne produced a weak smile and gave Camille a quick peck on the lips. “Of course.”

On the way to her car, Dionne winked at Vinson and said, “Have fun.”

Sneak peek of "Jazzy Ladies Productions"

IF SHE ONLY KNEW WHAT I’VE DONE FOR HER

It’s always the sweaty handprint that gives you away. The pressure print I call it. I don’t know why no one ever thinks about it. It’s where you brace yourself because you’re unaware of what will come over you. The rush of adrenaline that surges without warning and knocks you off your feet like a shock from an electrical outlet. No matter how careful you are, you can’t stop your hands from sweating and you damn sure can’t find that moment you need to catch your breath. It is after all, the first time you’ve killed someone. Not even a trained assassin can keep their body temperature normal at the sight of fresh blood caused by their own hands. Sweaty palms, sweaty forehead, it’s just the body’s way of calming itself down after the deed is done but it happens so quickly that it produces a slight bit of vertigo. That’s when you leave the one piece of incriminating evidence behind that proves you were there. With some, it may be the handprint on top of a desk or a chair they grabbed to brace themselves. For me, it was the handprint on the wall.

Pamela blew the last drag of smoke from her cigarette into the cold, brisk air. She stood in the shadows across the street from the building the body was found. The officer standing guard looked young and easily persuadable. She would have no problem getting back inside but she had to be efficient. Nothing could be left to chance.

Pamela pinched the end of her cigarette and placed the butt in her pants pocket. Norfolk detectives were slow to respond to any crime calls around the holidays but that didn’t mean they worked sloppy to solve the cases. A dead body in their jurisdiction would bring out investigators and the crime dogs. Most criminals avoided this city in the Hampton Roads district of Virginia especially during the day but Pamela wanted a challenge. It added to the thrill of the game.

“How are you doing, Officer?” Pamela said as she approached the uniform cop standing in front of the condemned building. She pulled her Pea coat tight around her neck to protect herself from the sharp wind.

The officer put his hand up and blocked Pamela’s path inside the single-story apartment. “Ma’am, you can’t enter.”

Pamela flashed her credentials and quickly introduced herself.

“My name is Federal Agent Pearce. I was in the area when your call came across the radio.” Pamela sidestepped his defense tactic and entered the vacant room to survey the scene. “You’re the only one here?”

“Yes ma’am. Um, so why are the feds interested in a dead homeless guy?”

“There have been a few dead homeless people popping up all over the Hampton Roads cities. Mayor thinks there may be something behind it.”

“Like a serial killer?” the officer asked surprised.

“May be. Can you show me where the body is?”

“Sure.”

Pamela followed the officer to the back bedroom in the left corner of the house. The body of a male victim was lying face down on the floor covered by a thick, dirty blanket.

Everything was just as she left it hours before; cracked window, mouse droppings, dead mice and rat poisoning next to a partially eaten hamburger, French fries and soft drink.

“Yep, this might be my guy,” Pamela said. “These same items were found next to the other bodies, too.”

“I don’t remember seeing other cases of dead homeless people…”

“You wouldn’t,” Pamela cut him off. “Every jurisdiction has their own detectives handling the cases. It’s not until unsolved cases like these get filtered up to my department and we see the common threads. That’s why I’m here.”

Pamela slipped on a pair of latex gloves and knelt down beside the body. She made sure her knee didn’t touch the carpet and accidentally leave any fibers behind.

“I already checked his pockets,” the officer said. “I didn’t find any ID on him. He was probably squatting here to keep warm.”

Pamela smiled. She knew exactly where her handprint rested but she needed privacy to wash it away.

“I need you to leave the room so I can see if this death has anything new I can add to my profile of this killer.”

“I, I don’t know,” the officer stuttered. “Maybe we should just wait ‘til a detective gets here.”

Pamela stood to her feet and got right in the officer’s face. He could see his own beads of sweat forming on his brow in the reflection of her dark sunglasses.

“I know this is out of protocol but let’s just say the NPD detectives aren’t too happy the feds were called in to investigate deaths in their jurisdiction. I need to do my analysis before they get here, before the territory wars begin.”

“Well…”

The hard lines in Pamela’s face softened. The tips of her ears and nose finally warmed up and returned to their natural shade of sandy brown. The clear gloss coating her pink lips curled into a smile. “I’ll owe you. Let’s say, dinner on me. You can be the first to show me around town.” The officer was still hesitant so Pamela read his nametag and became more personable. “Officer Curtis, catching this guy is going to be big news and I’m sure your commander, maybe even the Mayor will be the first in line to give you a commendation for helping me find this bastard.”

Officer Curtis rubbed his chin and smiled. “A commendation, huh?”

“We are talking about a serial killer.”

“Okay. I’ll give you your space, as long as I can still get that dinner date.”

Pamela placed her hand on his arm and rubbed gently. Her charm was irresistible to many. “Of course and I’ll even give you a tip to get on the detective’s good side when they get here.”

“What’s that?”

“Question anybody you see outside close to the street. See if you can find any witnesses who may have seen something?”

“In this neighborhood?”

“You never know. There may still be one good Samaritan out there.”

After the officer left, Pamela reached into her coat pockets. From her left, she pulled out a folded washcloth and from her right, she pulled out a twelve-ounce soda bottle filled with bleach.

If she only knew what I’ve done for her. Only then would she realize how far I’ll go to keep her…

Forty-five minutes later, two detectives parked in front of the building where they received the 911 call about a dead body.

“I thought they said foot patrol called in the DOA,” Detective Ross said to his partner as they looked at the unmanned building.

“It’s too cold for this shit today,” Detective Donahue groaned. The state issued leather gloves he wore made it hard for him to use the push-talk car radio so he handed it to Ross. “Call dispatch and find out what’s going on.”

As Ross placed the call to dispatch, Donahue tapped him on the knee and pointed through the windshield at a uniformed cop across the street.

“Cancel that dispatch,” Ross said into the radio. “We found him.” Ross placed the radio down and exited the car. “What the hell is he doing over there?”

Donahue turned the engine off and squeezed his way from behind the wheel of the car. “We always end up with the ambitious pricks that want to do more than their job requires.”

Ross waved at the officer to get his attention. The officer could see the gold shield attached to Ross’s belt and hurried over.

“You the officer who called in the dead body?” Ross asked.

“Yes sir,” he stated proudly. Glancing down at his notepad, he said, “I canvassed the area for witnesses but no one’s seen anything.”

“Just show us where the body is,” Donahue mumbled.

As Officer Curtis led them to the apartment, he replied, “An Agent Pearce is already in the room doing a profile analysis for the serial killer.”

“Agent Pearce?” Ross said confused.

“What serial killer?” Donahue asked.

“She said FBI was called in because there was a serial killer targeting homeless people in the Hampton Roads area.”

Both detectives looked at each other before urging Officer Curtis to hustle.

Officer Curtis guided the detectives to where he left Agent Pearce. When they entered the room, there was no one in sight.

“She was just here a minute ago.”

Ross put his hands on his hips and surveyed the scene. Donahue took out a sixteen-ounce water bottle from the inside pocket of his trench coat and spit tobacco juice from his chewing tobacco into the container. He wiped the lingering drool hanging from his freshly trimmed beard with the back of his hand then secured the top back on the bottle.

The cold air from the open window sent chills down Ross’s spine. The faint smell of bleach saturated the air.

“Whoever she was, she came back to clean up,” Ross said putting on a pair of latex gloves. He handed a pair to his partner who snatched them and popped himself from the recoil.

“Damn it!”

“Chill out, Donahue.”

“Chill out? We’re not gonna find anything now!”

“We know one thing,” Ross began as he picked over the leftover food and rat poisoning, “it’s definitely a murder and we probably wouldn’t have gathered that from what I see here.”

“Why’s that?” Officer Curtis asked.

“Take a look,” Ross waved him over. “If he’s a squatter, he knew abandoned buildings would have rodents, especially if he was storing food here. You don’t need a lot of rat poisoning to kill someone. If this so called fed didn’t show up and through suspicion our way, we might’ve assumed he consumed the poison by accident trying to keep the rats away.”

“So, she actually helped us out by showing up.” Officer Curtis sounded relieved.

“Don’t be too happy there,” Donahue grunted. “You still let her back in to clean up whatever she left behind.” Donahue turned to Officer Curtis and barked, “Did you really think there’d be a serial killer on the loose and we not know about it?”

“She said no one had pieced it together yet because different detectives were working the cases across the district. It made sense.”

“It made sense,” Donahue repeated sarcastically. “Of course it made sense to someone as green as you.”

“She showed me her credentials, sir. She seemed legit.”

“Tell that to the Captain when you get back to the station, alright? See if he buys it.”

Ross shook his head. He’s seen his share of young officers making mistakes but this one took the cake.

“I need you to tell me everything that looks different now then when you first entered the scene. She might’ve cleaned up but she may’ve also come back to get something she left behind.”

Officer Curtis slowly rotated his head from right to left. “The only thing I noticed is that the window was only cracked when I first got here and now it’s wide open.”

“Probably how she escaped. She knew she couldn’t come back out through the front. Anything else?”

Officer Curtis took his time looking around the room. He scanned the body from head to toe but nothing else looked different. “No sir. That’s it.”

“How long you been on the job, kid?” Donahue asked nonchalantly.

“Three years.”

 Donahue cleared his mouth of tobacco juice again. “You might wanna start looking for a new line of work.”

Coming Out Stories

In a section of my new novel, "Jazzy Ladies Productions", friends have gathered to support a friend who has decided to come out to her mom. They share their coming out stories to give her an idea of the good and bad she may experience.

Have you shared your coming out story to help someone in coming out to a friends, family, co-worker, etc? What are some of your coming out stories and how did that person(s) you came out to react? Do you think it's better to do it early in life (i.e. teenager or college years) or later on in life?

"I am Your Sister" available in ebook format!

NOW AVAILABLE IN EBOOK FORMAT! CLICK THE LINK TO DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY TODAY!

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-am-your-sister-ericka-k-f-simpson/1104952600?ean=9781462835454&itm=1&usri=i%2bam%2byour%2bsister