Part 1 (1/2)
Rich or Famous.
Rich Because You Can Buy Fame.
A Novel.
Joy DeJa King.
This Book is Dedicated To My:.
Family, Readers and Supporters. I LOVE you guys so much. Please believe that!!.
Rich or Famous Rich Because You Can Buy Fame.
Lorenzo.
Welcome To My World.
Before I die, if you don't remember anything else I ever taught you, know this. A man will be judged, not on what he has but how much of it. So you find a way to make money and when you think you've made enough, make some more, because you'll need it to survive in this cruel world. Money will be the only thing to save you. As I sat across from Darnell those words my father said to me on his deathbed played in my head.
”Yo, Lorenzo, are you listening to me, did you hear anything I said?”
”I heard everything you said. The problem for you is I don't give a f.u.c.k.” I responded, giving a casual shoulder shrug as I rested my thumb under my chin with my index finger above my mouth.
”What you mean, you don't give a f.u.c.k? We been doing business for over three years now and that's the best you got for me?”
”Here's the thing, Darnell, I got informants all over these streets. As a matter of fact that broad you've had in your back pocket for the last few weeks is one of them.”
”I don't understand what you saying,” Darnell said swallowing hard. He tried to keep the tone of his voice calm, but his body composure was speaking something different.
”Alexus, has earned every dollar I've paid her to f.u.c.k wit' yo' blood suckin' a.s.s. You a fake f.u.c.k wit' no fangs. You wanna play wit' my 100 g's like you at the casino. That's a real dummy move, Darnell.” I could see the sweat beads gathering, resting in the creases of Darnell's forehead.
”Lorenzo, man, I don't know what that b.i.t.c.h told you but none of it is true! I swear 'bout four n.i.g.g.as ran up in my crib last night and took all my s.h.i.+t. Now that I think about it, that trifling ho Alexus probably had me set up! She f.u.c.ked us both over!”
I shook my head for a few seconds not believing this m.u.t.h.af.u.c.ker was saying that s.h.i.+t with a straight face. ”I thought you said it was two n.i.g.g.as that ran up in your crib now that s.h.i.+t done doubled. Next thing you gon' spit is that all of Marcy projects was in on the stickup.”
”Man, I can get your money. I can have it to you first thing tomorrow. I swear!”
”The thing is I need my money right now.” I casually stood up from my seat and walked towards Darnell who now looked like he had been dipped in water. Watching him fall apart in front of my eyes made up for the fact that I would never get back a dime of the money he owed me.
”Zo, you so paid, this s.h.i.+t ain't gon' even faze you. All I'm asking for is less than twenty-four hours. You can at least give me that,” Darnell pleaded.
”See, that's your first mistake, counting my pockets. My money is my money, so yes this s.h.i.+t do faze me.”
”I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't tryna disrespect you. By this time tomorrow you will have your money and we can put this s.h.i.+t behind us.” Darnell's eyes darted around in every direction instead of looking directly at me. A good liar, he was not.
”Since you were robbed of the money you owe me and the rest of my drugs, how you gon' get me my dough? I mean the way you tell it, they didn't leave you wit' nothin' but yo' dirty draws.”
”I'll work it out. Don't even stress yourself, I got you, man.”
”What you saying is that the n.i.g.g.a you so called aligned yourself with, by using my money and my product, is going to hand it back over to you?”
”Zo, what you talking 'bout? I ain't aligned myself wit' n.o.body. That slaw a.s.s b.i.t.c.h Alexus feeding you lies.”
”No, that's you feeding me lies. Why don't you admit you no longer wanted to work for me? You felt you was big s.h.i.+t and could be your own boss. So you used my money and product to buy your way in with this other n.i.g.g.a to step in my territory. But you ain't no boss you a poser. And your need to perpetrate a fraud is going to cost you your life.”
”Lorenzo, don't do this man! This is all a big misunderstanding. I swear on my daughter I will have your money tomorrow. f.u.c.k, if you let me leave right now I'll have that s.h.i.+t to you tonight!” I listened to Darnell stutter his words.
My men, who had been patiently waiting in each corner of the warehouse, dressed in all black, loaded with nothing but artillery, stepped out of the darkness ready to obliterate the enemy I had once considered my best worker. Darnell's eyes widened as he witnessed the men who had saved and protected him on numerous occasions, as he dealt with the vultures he encountered in the street life, now ready to end his.
”Don't do this, Zo! Pleeease,” Darnell was now on his knees begging.
”d.a.m.n, n.i.g.g.a, you already a thief and a backstabber. Don't add, going out crying like a b.i.t.c.h to that too. Man the f.u.c.k up. At least take this bullet like a soldier.”
”I'm sorry, Zo. Please don't do this. I gotta daughter that need me. Pleeease man, I'll do anything. Just don't kill me.” The tears were pouring down Darnell's face and instead of softening me up it just made me even more p.i.s.sed at his punk a.s.s.
”Save your f.u.c.kin' tears. You shoulda thought about your daughter before you stole from me. You're the worse sort of thief. I invite you into my home, I make you a part of my family and you steal from me, you plot against me. Your daughter doesn't need you. You have nothing to teach her.”
My men each pulled out their gat ready to attack and I put my hand up motioning them to stop. For the first time since Darnell arrived, a calm gaze spread across his face.
”I knew you didn't have the heart to let them kill me, Zo. We've been through so much together. I mean you Tania's G.o.d Father. We bigger than this and we will get through it,” Darnell said, halfway smiling as he began getting off his knees and standing up.
”You're right, I don't have the heart to let them kill you, I'ma do that s.h.i.+t myself.” Darnell didn't even have a chance to let what I said resonate with him because I just sprayed that m.u.t.h.af.u.c.ker like the piece of s.h.i.+t he was. ”Clean this s.h.i.+t up,” I said, stepping over Darnell's bullet ridden body as I made my exit.
Dior.
American Dream.
I watched through the window as the helicopter descended upon the center of the 25 story marble-clad hotel roof's landing pad. The bright lights lit up the city that never sleeps. I remained in the helicopter until all blades had stopped spinning and the ground handler opened my door.
A brisk New York City chill greeted me as I stepped out the helicopter. I quickly wrapped my full length chinchilla around my body, yearning for instant warmth. ”Follow me, Mr. Stone is waiting for you,” the handler said taking my hand. I walked swiftly but with caution not wanting my five inch pencil thin heel to get caught in a crack and scratched in the slightest.
We took the private elevator down and the doors opened up to at least a 6,000-square foot room laced out in walls of part.i.tioned gla.s.s, marble floors and a grand piano that had a 22-gold carat chandelier above it. I knew that because earlier, when Sway called me in one of his c.o.ke induced highs, he kept going on and on about how hard his d.i.c.k was watching some naked girl dance on top of the piano. But he wanted to make it clear, that his d.i.c.k wasn't hard because of the naked girl, it was because he imagined the 22-gold carat chandelier cras.h.i.+ng down on top of her and her body breaking up into small pieces of crystal, then spreading down the piano and turning into quicksand-then everyone in the room is drowning in the quicksand, except for him of course because he always survives everything. That was the illogical yet creative way his mind worked. But the craziness of Sway Stone is what many said was the root of his success. n.o.body could deny Sway was a superstar and one of the biggest hip hop icons of his time.
”My muse is finally here,” Sway declared before sticking his tongue down my throat. I tolerated his wet and sloppy kiss and even pretended to enjoy it. ”Take off your coat,” he demanded. ”I want to see how you look in the dress I picked out for you.”
I let the chinchilla fall to the floor revealing the cutout metallic feather and vintage c.o.c.ktail mini paired with sparkling silver heels. Sway twirled me around as if I was his own personal dress up Barbie with an approving grin. ”I knew this dress would be blazin' on you. This s.h.i.+t is perfect! And later when we f.u.c.k I want you to keep it on. Don't take anything off,” he stressed. I stood staring into Sway's deep brown eyes wondering if he was always so self absorbed or did the fame do it to him.
”Dior, did you hear what the f.u.c.k I said?” he barked, switching gears in a matter of seconds. His calm even tenor had now turned rough and thunderous. This was typical behavior when Sway didn't feel you were giving him your full attention. He expected responses to come as quick as they popped in his head. I learned that early in our relations.h.i.+p but I had a slight slip which I knew how to recover from.
”Yes, baby, I heard you,” I said caressing the side of his face. ”I promise I won't take anything off.”
”Well don't take so long to speak up next time,” he said as he cupped the bottom of my a.s.s and pulled me closer, once again doing the deep throat with his tongue. All was forgotten for now until of course I slipped up again which was inevitable.
Sway gripped my hand and led me to the long suede couch that had an o.r.g.a.s.mic view of the city and Hudson River. ”What's up Dior,” Lori, one of his many fake hangers-on's smiled and said.
I knew for a fact she had been sucking his d.i.c.k for the last year and couldn't stand me because I was Sway's current main chick and was outlasting all his previous tricks. I couldn't stand her either but for a different reason. See, instead of just going about her business after her two week f.u.c.k fest ended with Sway, she decided to become a constant fixture in his inner circle by being the on-call wh.o.r.e for him and all his boys.