...Ain't Gold (Part Seven)

"So you'll call me then?"
Nikki took the slip of paper Rich handed her and punched the numbers into her phone. She hadned the paper back to him.
"I might," she teased.
"Might? What you mean might? You better."
Nicole smiled softly and then laughed. Rich bit his bottom lip. Babygirl had the finest smile and such a soft pretty voice; damn everything about her was sexy. Head to toe. Their date had gone well he thought. They ate at a local hot spot, The Crab, made famous for its excellent choice of seafood. There, he let her have whatever she wanted as long as she kept talking about herself. He wanted her voice to be the only thing on his mind for the rest of the night. After they ate, they walked along the beach and talked some more. She could literally ask him any question about herself and he could answer it without hesitation.
"I will," she finally replied.
"Good. Gimme some," he said tapping his cheek.
Nicole blushed, but stood on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek.
"Soon as you get back to NY!" he shouted after her.
She waved her arm in agreement. Though she had only know Rich for-she looked at her watch-four hours and twenty-six minutes-this had to be the best date she had ever been on. He was a very good listener and she was slightly embarrassed that he let her go on for days like that. It didn't hurt that he was so good looking either, she thought, another girly smile curling up her face.
Nicole let herself back into her room, slamming the door and flicking the lights on. Her mother and sister were gone. There was a note on the dresser.
"Nikki, we went out to get something to eat and Mama said she wants to dance. If you get this before we get back, don't wait up aight? Love Lani and Mama."
Nicole smiled at the thought of her mother cutting a rug. She could see her now, getting down to some Sean Paul or Lady Saw. She took another shower and washed the heat sand off her body, rubbing down in some lavender body oil. They were supposed to be on their way hme tomorrow afternoon. She let her hair out and laid across the bed, looking for something to watch on TV. She was thinking about ordering a movie but nothing really looked good.
After a while, she turned off the TV, retrieved her CD player and stuck the buds in her ears, letting the soothing sounds of Miles Davis take her off to where she really wanted to be. When the album went off an hour later, she was still wide awake. For some strange reason, the only thing she could think about was Rich...

Mookie kicked the bed. Rich was up, gun cocked and aimed before another move could be made. Mookie threw his hands up like he was being robbed.
"Calm down you paranoid ass nigga. Prage is dead."
Rich rubbed his face and lay back on his pillow. "You woke me up for that shit?"
"He's in your house."
Rich shot up like a light. "What?"
He took a seat on the edge of the bed, reaching for the remote. He casually flipped through channels, explaining the situation to his boss. "Suki said she was doing the final check of the house before she went to bed. She said he somebody left him in the living room. She said he had a bullet in his head."
Rich really didn't need this shit right now. He was supposed to be relaxing, this was supposed to be his goddamn vacation. He pulled the sheet away from his body and stood up, stretching his muscular body.
"Where's Toots?"
Mookie shrugged. "Prolly fuckin one of these island niggas," he said in an overexaggerated Jamaican accent.
"Find her."
"And then what."
"Tell Suki to get out of the house. We need to get back. How the hell did Maxell get in my house?"
Mookie couldn't believe how incredibly fucking stupid Rich could be sometimes. He chose not to say anything, only wait until the right time to see if he was right about the assumption his mind had made.

Rich was tense the whole way back to New York. He was getting angrier by the second. This was all fucking Prage's fault in the first goddamn place. Had he not fucked up they wouldn't be in this predicament. He felt like taking his legs off and beating him with them for good measure. Rich was practically off the plane before it landed.
"Mookie, call up Cris and tell him I need to see him right now. And find Shadow." They parted ways and Rich and Toots climbed into his black Benz, speeding off.
Mookie stood there and watched them drive away, rolling the toothpick around in his mouth, smiling. He was really making this too easy. He loved Rich like a brother but the nigga was dense.

Rich stormed into the apartment that he kept on Central Park South. He couldn't go back home until he figured out what was going on with Maxell. He wasn't trying to get arrested. He was too damn sexy for prison.
"Toots!" He shouted from his bedroom. There was no answer. He stomped out his room. "Toots!" His bedroom was around the corner. Where the hell was she? He rounded the corner and stopped short. Oh fuck.
She looked just as good as she did the day she went in, maybe better. She had gained muscle, lost weight. Her hair had grown, it hung down over her shoulders and she used one index finger to move it out of her eyes. He didn't mean to up and down her, it just sort of happened. She was still very fuckable. He remembered the last time he felt her and his Jones jumped. The only problem with an otherwise perfect picture was the gun she had trained on him. Toots stood there silent.
"What are you doing here?"
She mockingly poked out her bottom lip. "Aww, no love for Cookie? I thought we were past that. I'm hurt Rich."
"We can talk. Just put the gun down." He tried to come towards her.
She fired a bullet inches away frim his head. "I'm doing all the talking. I don't want to kill you Rich." She looked at her sister. "Or you Toots."
"What the hell is going on with you two?" Toots asked. She was lost and didn't like that feeling.
"Tell her Rich. Tell her what you did to me?"
"Tell me what? Rich what the hell is she talking about?"
Cookie raised her eyebrow. So he hadn't told her. This was going to be interesting then. She backed up to the couch and sat down. "I can stay here all night. I ain't got shit to do."
"Rich," Toots started.
Rich was backed up against the wall, literally and figuratively. He shook his head. "Please don't do this Cookie."
"Tell her now or I put a bullet in your head," Cookie said, voice level. "I swear to God I will kill you."
Toots was near tears. She knew her sister wasn't one to play games with. If you wanted to lose your life, fuck with her.
"Rich, please," she pleaded. "What is she talking about?"
He dropped his head. He couldn't tell her. But he was damned if he did, fucked if he didn't. He had not much of a choice. He turned to Toots.


Copyright (c) 2005 Jacki Simmons
All rights reserved.