Part 9 (1/2)
Rock took his seat then looked around the room. Fresh flowers in gla.s.s vases were set nicely on each table. He looked out the window past the patio and took in the beauty of the wide open golf resort while waiting to have his order taken. Goldie moved around the perimeter of her dining area, carefully watching and waiting to see who the mysterious person was that he was meeting. Goldie watched the perimeter, checking the comings and goings of each entrance when she looked up and saw Baseem coming through the same double doors Rock had come from. She ducked behind a pillar and peeked out.
Baseem scanned the room spotting Rock then took a seat not too far away from him. Goldie watched as Baseem settled into his seat.
”s.h.i.+t,” she mumbled as she looked over at the other entrance to see how she could get away without him seeing her. She watched as the waitress came over to take his order when she was positioned in front of Baseem, she took a deep breath and moved swiftly to the exit. As Goldie reached for the door handle, Baseem looked in her direction, wrinkled his brow, completed his order and rose from his seat. Carefully he moved across the dining hall.
Goldie walked quickly down the hall stopping at the coat check booth. ”I need to come in there real quick,” she said to the young white girl.
”Mr. Zipperman said we are not allowed to have the staff mix in this area. I'm sorry.”
”Please. I just need to come in there real quick,” Goldie reached her hand over the counter and released the lock.
”Ma'am, I am going to have to ask you to step back on the other side of the counter,” the young girl got a little upset.
Goldie grabbed her arm, dropping the smile from her face. ”Please. He is here and he hits me,” she looked to the side with tearful eyes.
The young girl pulled her in and closed the counter. Goldie slide down in the corner, ducking completely out of sight Baseem walked out into the lobby huffing and looking in both directions. He walked down in one end of the hall then the other. When he got back to the coat check area, he paused, looking around.
”Did you see a young lady with blonde dreads?” he asked, leaning on the counter.
”Not that I can remember,” the young girl looked him over, eyeing his tattoos and high-end watch. She looked back up into his face and a scowl formed on hers. ”You shouldn't stalk women; it's against the law,” she said, folding her arms over her chest.
”What?” he said, taken off guard.
She just twisted her lips and looked up in his eyes. Goldie rolled her eyes at the naive young lady. Baseem gave the young woman a raised eyebrow, and then moved away from the booth looking out into the parking lot on his way back into the dining area. When the doors closed, the young lady waited a few seconds then waved her up and opened the half door.
”Thank you,” Goldie said then peeked out. Feeling secure, she moved swiftly along the wall and out to the parking lot. She ducked down, heading to the back of the building. When she jumped in her car, her hands shook as she tried to fit the key into the ignition. Pulling out of the lot, her mind raced with the idea of almost getting caught, but the real issue was still at hand: who was Rock meeting and now why was Baseem there?
Baseem's eyes darted around the dining area in search of Rock. The empty table where he once sat held two full wine gla.s.ses but no sign of him or the person he was supposed to meet. He walked over to the far window and looked out over the patio and grounds but there was no sight of Rock. Baseem headed back to the exit. When he got in his rental he pulled out his phone and called Goldie.
”Hey, baby,” she answered on the third ring; windows open, music rocking.
”What's good mama, where you at?” he listened intently to her background.
”I'm still outta town. You okay?” she said full of energy.
”Yeah, I'm good; just checking on my baby girl.”
”Aing up the road, she walked out on the porch enjoying the moonlight on her face. The headlights dimmed and the truck came to rest. The driver jumped out and opened the doors so KoKo could get out. Goldie, Bre and Adreena followed behind with solemn faces; everybody was about business tonight.
”Hey, Divas. How was your flight?” Luann asked, putting her arms around KoKo.
”You gonna stop all this free love s.h.i.+t. Only the boss gets to caress this chocolate,” KoKo said, moving back a little.
”Whatever, Luanne nudged KoKo's arm and moved to hug the other girls. ”Come on I have everything set up for the ladies,” Lu turned and lead the way.
They woman settled in pulling off their light fall jackets and sitting them down on top of their bags.
”Yes, I am so hungry,” Breonni announced as she walked toward the table. ”Let me wash my hands, I am ready to eat the table and all.”
”h.e.l.l yeah,” Adreena agreed, following Bre to the bathroom off from the kitchen.
”Thank you, Lu. You always make us feel at home,” Goldie said, taking in the aroma of the baked turkey wings in gravy, steamed ginger asparagus and carrots, spicy yellow rice with shrimp, and diced lobster topped off with hot b.u.t.tery Hawaiian rolls.
KoKo stood back watching the joy on her team's faces for the simple things. s.h.i.+t was about to go to a dangerous level and she knew that moments like this were needed when it got rough on the battlefield. Once the ladies returned to the table, KoKo moved to the bathroom freshened up then rejoined them taking her seat at the head of the table.
”Well, I would first like to say thank the Lord we all made it back safely and may we move forward with mercy for our sins,” KoKo announced, taking her drink in her hand and raising it to the middle of the table.
Each woman followed suit and raised their drink high.
”Salute,” Lu said and then they took a sip in unison.
The gla.s.ses touched the table and it was on. Lu stood carving the turkey and placing it on the plates then smothered it in thick brown gravy. Goldie put on the rice and Bre put on the vegetables. When the plates were filled with each dish, they sat down and dug in. KoKo thought about what they would reveal about the mission and then how she would guide the team from here. The woman chowed down getting seconds and finis.h.i.+ng two bottles of red wine. When they were done eating, they cleared the table and retreated to the big comfy couches in front of the fireplace. KoKo was the last to take a seat. She perched herself in the high back lounge chair and crossed her legs.
”Roll something up. I need to give y'all the real tonight.” KoKo looked over at Lu.
”That's what the f.u.c.k I'm talking about!” Lu jumped up and went for her secret box. KoKo was on deck and she wanted to lay out the red carpet. She sat down, pulled out a small, gla.s.s water pipe and a block of compressed weed from Thailand. She sat it in the bowl and lit it up. Pulling deep on one of the arms, the thick smoke filled her lungs and eased her mind. She pa.s.sed it to KoKo and sat back waiting for that heat to drip from her lips.
KoKo pulled deep and nodded her head. She pushed her tongue to the roof of her mouth savoring the sweat and sour taste of the bud. She pulled on it hard several times then pa.s.sed it on. After each woman took their turn, the whole atmosphere changed. Lu jumped up and grabbed each of them a bottle of Corona with lemon before sitting back down.
”Reports,” KoKo went right to business.
Lu looked around the room. ”I guess I can go first,” she said, then got started.
”Well, Mr. Fucciano is like a teddy bear; he just wants company and to buy me expensive gifts. Plus his d.i.c.k don't work, thank G.o.d,” she said and wiggled her pinky. ”I have been with him when he has taken calls, but I can't tell who he is talking to. He is very careful about how he moves.”
”Okay. Is that all?”
”He does have a meeting coming up with someone and it seems real urgent. The other night he was talking to someone and he got a little upset; then he walked to the bathroom and closed the door. On his way back to the room, I heard him say, 'Friday...seven sharp' but that was all I heard before he hung up,” she shrugged her shoulders.
”I need to know how he is moving that money around. That is your main objective. Find out who he is filtering the money through.”
”Got you,” she sat back plotting.
”All right. Bre...”
”I spent the weekend with Magic. He was cool; he flew me to Miami we did the little boat thing then he got us a villa. On the real...he was a gentleman, very respectful. He mostly wanted to talk and feel me out. Then that n.i.g.g.a licked and slow f.u.c.ked my brains out,” she said, then chuckled.
”Gave you that magic stick,” Adreena said laughing along.
”That n.i.g.g.a ate my p.u.s.s.y in twenty-five different ways. I almost put a barcode on my a.s.s and hopped on the shelf, I was that n.i.g.g.a's meal plan,” she added and they all busted out laughing. All except KoKo. She sat, watching their reaction to the information.