Fornication Volume One (Honey Dip) Page 3

  Honey didn’t have enough fight left inside to stop Portia. She was too sick, too cold, and too weak to do anything but lie back and take it.

  Portia lathered up Honey’s hair and dunked her under the water a few times until it was clean. She turned the hot water back on and handed Honey the wash rag. “You can wash your own pussy. I draw the line at that shit.”

  Honey began to wash herself slowly when Portia left out of the room. She came back after a few minutes with her bottle and cigarettes in hand.

  She took a long drag of the cigarette and then chugged the vodka like water. “A few days ago when you were really sick, you would moan about your daughter Tiana.”

  Honey stopped washing herself. Her hands trembled and she stared at the murky bathwater. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Portia after she heard her daughter’s name.

  Portia took another drink and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. “You said how badly you wanted to see her. I was touched. I actually thought you gave a shit about her, you know, cared more about her than your next hit.” Portia sighed. “Wouldn’t be the first time I was wrong about somebody. Do you want to leave? Because I’m about as sick of this shit as you are.”

  Honey leaned up and turned the shower water off. “No.”

  Portia walked over to the mirror to inspect her face. “Good, because I don’t want you to go. You need to stay here, get clean and get strong. Once you’re on your feet, I’ll have a business proposition for you.” She leaned closer to the mirror so that she could get a good look at the red handprint that was beginning to take shape. “I’m definitely going to pay you back for this. That’s a given.”

  

  Portia slapped Honey’s arm. “What the hell is the matter with you?”

  “Ouch,” Honey said, rubbing her arm, “What the fuck?”

  “I called your name about four times. Get the fuck out of my car, we’re home.”

  Honey blinked and looked around. She unlocked her seatbelt and turned to Portia. “Why aren’t you parking?”

  “Because I have to go get BG. She cut some dude up at the Hub on Roosevelt.”

  Honey buckled her seatbelt back up. “Oh, hell no. I’m going with you. Is she okay?”

  Portia turned the car off and hit the release button on Honey’s seat belt. “Honey, my patience is running thin. Get the fuck out the car, go in the house and wash your ass. I’m not about to take you up to the Hub so you and Babygirl can make shit ten times worse. I’m all out of bail money for you bitches.”

  Honey folded her arms under her breasts and sat.

  Portia shook her head. “Honey, don’t make me shoot you.”

  Honey sat stone-faced.

  Portia reached under the seat and Honey scrambled to get out of the car.

  Chapter Four

  A weight lifted from Honey’s shoulders the moment she opened the front door and stepped over the threshold. The smell of bacon was thick in the air and Honey’s stomach growled with approval. She closed the door behind her, locked it, and leaned against it with a sigh. “Home sweet muthafuckin’ home,” she said softly as she kicked her shoes off and pushed them into the corner with her heel. “Oh shit,” she mumbled with a sneer. Looking around the room she noticed that the house was spotless. She bent over and picked up the shoes she’d carelessly pushed aside. “Portia must be beyond pissed to make the house sparkle and shine.”

  Honey sucked her teeth and walked across the living room. She placed her shoes on the first step and looked up the stairs longingly. All I really want is a cold beer, a hot shower and some really good sleep, she thought. But that’s going to have to wait until after the monthly meeting. I’ll be damned if one of them little hoes wakes me up. She looked up the steps one last time before heading into the kitchen. She couldn’t help but smile at the scene.

  April stood in front of the stove dressed in a royal blue cat suit and gold pumps. She waved a spatula in Peanut’s face like a samurai sword.

  “Girl, you better get that out of my face,” Peanut said. He picked up a serving spoon and slapped at the spatula. He had on a pair of white boxers and a green Go Army shirt. Mookie nodded at the table in her bra and panties.

  This is my family, Honey thought with a smile. “Good morning, bitches,” she said, walking over to the counter. She tried to get a piece of bacon off of the plate, but April smacked her hand with the spatula.

  “I know the convict ain’t going to come straight from prison and try to put her dirty hands in my food.”

  Honey laughed. “Oh, I’m a convict now?”

  April smiled sweetly. “You’re the one always getting knocked.”

  Peanut walked over to the kitchen table and plucked Mookie in the ear. “Wake up, big head. Your sister is here.”

  Mookie threw a punch at Peanut and missed. Peanut laughed, plucked her in the ear again and then caught Honey up in a great big bear hug. Honey returned the hug with the same affection. Peanut swept her off of her feet and spun her around. “I’m glad you are home, Honey Bunny,” he whispered softly. “Don’t do that dumb shit anymore.”

  “I won’t,” she said, trying to wiggle out of his arms.

  He put her down but did not let her go. He took a half step back so he could look her in the eye.

  Honey swallowed the lump in her throat. She was pissed at him for bringing her emotions to the surface. Peanut could care less. He pulled her into another quick hug and then pushed her away before she decided to hurt him.

  April looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes at them. “Peanut, leave Honey-Dip alone. You know she gets violent if someone sees her soft side.”

  Peanut flipped his middle finger at April. She grinned at him and returned the gesture while Honey glared at them both.

  “How many eggs do you want, Honey?”

  “Don’t give me no eggs. I’m not hungry anymore.” She turned around and pulled a glass from the cabinet. We’re getting low again, she thought as she looked at the assortment of liquor on the kitchen counter. She pushed past all of the dark liquors and wrapped her fingers around the vodka.

  Peanut passed Honey the ice tray and cranberry juice from the fridge. She put the vodka down and smiled as she snatched Peanut’s offering from his hands. “I just can’t stay mad at your simple ass.”

  “And I know this,” he said, winking at her.

  ***

  Portia drove around the block three times before stopping the car in front of Ms. Mattie’s house. She eyed the old woman standing on her porch dressed in a faded blue house coat and sucked her teeth. Ms. Mattie pretended to wipe off her rusty lawn furniture with a dish cloth, but Portia knew she was outside just to be nosy.

  “I am so not in the mood,” Portia said under her breath. She was beyond tired after cleaning up everybody’s mess.

  Babygirl sat up straight in the passenger seat. “Look, Portia, I’m really sorry, but that guy asked for it…”

  Portia made a slicing motion with her hand and Babygirl’s mouth snapped shut. “Thank you,” Portia said softly. She parked the car and Babygirl got out first. She looks like she’s going to cry, Portia thought with a slight shake of her head. Either she’s going to cry or slice somebody else up. She grabbed her purse out of the backseat and got out of the car just in time to catch Babygirl pull a box cutter out of the back pocket of her pink booty shorts and head up Ms. Mattie’s steps.

  “Oh, don’t worry,” Babygirl hollered. “You don’t have to shut your mouth. Keep it open. As a matter of fact, let me slice it open wider for you.”

  “BABYGIRL!” Portia’s voice cracked out like a whip.

  Babygirl froze on the third step, put the box cutter back in her pocket and turned around to face Portia. Her big brown eyes were filled with fat tears and swollen and bruised from her fight with the doctor in the hotel. “Portia, you didn’t hear what she said about you!”

  Portia found it hard to look in Babygirl’s face. “I don’t care what this dri
ed up old cunt says about me and you shouldn’t either.”

  “But…”

  “But my ass, BG, go home, get some cereal and chill out in front of the TV.”

  Babygirl didn’t move. Portia arched an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. “Now,” she said softly.

  Babygirl ran down the street towards the house before her tears could fall.

  Ms. Mattie walked over to the railing. “You have that little pink poodle trained well. You betta be careful, though.” She nodded in Babygirl’s direction. “Bitches like that tend to turn on you.”

  Portia sighed and walked up Ms. Mattie’s steps. “You can fuck with me all you want to. I don’t care, I’m not fazed.” She stepped into Ms. Mattie’s face and lowered her voice. “But if you utter another word to Babygirl, if you even look at her wrong, I’ll let her creep into your bedroom window and slit your fucking throat while you sleep.”

  Ms. Mattie took a step back. “I’m not afraid of you dirty-ass gutter hookers.”

  Portia turned away from Ms. Mattie. She smiled and waved to her other neighbors, the Robinsons, who came out to work in their yard. “We both know that’s a lie, Ms. Mattie,” she said softly as she walked down the steps.

  The smell of bacon and eggs greeted Portia the moment she stepped inside her house. Her head pounded and her jaw hurt from being clinched so tightly, but the scent of breakfast gave her some small pleasure. Babygirl must have sounded the alarm because the place was like a ghost town, Portia thought as she pulled her ponytail out and let her $1,200 weave fall past her shoulders. She didn’t mind that everyone was hiding upstairs for the moment because she needed a little time to get herself together before she called the meeting.

  She walked into the kitchen and smiled when she saw the spread April had laid out on the table. There were eggs scrambled with cheese, eggs over easy, eggs fried hard, bacon, sausage, ham, pancakes, and biscuits. Got to love April, Portia thought. She grabbed a piece of bacon off of the plate, took a bite and poured herself a cup of coffee.

  Peanut came up from the basement. He cocked an eyebrow at the cup of coffee in his sister’s hand and poured her a shot of whiskey. She frowned at him but said nothing when he took the coffee from her and handed her the shot glass.

  Peanut cleared his throat and leaned against the counter. “I got a call from Begonia while you were out.”

  Portia gave Peanut a half smile. Begonia was supposed to have changed her name to Janet under the witness protection program, and she was not supposed to contact anyone from her former life, but Begonia would die before she let anybody tell her what to do. Portia twirled the shot glass around in her hand. “And?”

  Peanut took a sip of the coffee, “And she said Bunky’s out. He rolled over on Rodney and a few connects and was released two months ago. Word on the street is he’s out in Coatesville slumping niggas and taking over spots.”

  “How in the hell does that bitch scoop me from East Bumblefuck?”

  Peanut smiled, “Violet says Begonia’s getting real cozy with the good U.S. Marshal.”

  Portia liked the sound of that. Begonia deserves to be getting cozy with somebody, she thought. She knocked the shot back and banged the glass on the counter. “Where’s Honey?”

  “She’s in the backyard giving head lessons to the neighborhood sluts in training.”

  “What?”

  Peanut shrugged and refilled Portia’s shot glass.

  Portia grabbed the bottle and headed toward the backyard. “Tell everybody we’re having a staff meeting in ten minutes and to meet me in my room.”

  Honey sat on the back porch with a banana in one hand and a condom in the other, surrounded by girls in their late teens and early twenties. Portia watched as she put the banana on her lap, ripped open the condom and placed the tip of it in her mouth.

  “Eww,” said one of the young girls. “Those things taste nasty as hell.”

  Honey took the condom out of her mouth and picked up the banana. “Imagine how bad herpes tastes.”

  Portia cleared her throat. “Don’t you girls have better things to do than hang around here?” She didn’t wait for a response. She turned around and walked back into the house.

  Honey stood up and stretched. “Class is over, girls.”

  “Aw, come on,” one of the girls whined. “I wanna know what to do next.”

  “You suck him off,” said a small girl in the front of the pack.

  Honey paused before walking into the house. “The very next thing you do after you put the condom on is strike a deal. You don’t suck him off until the deal is sealed.” She winked at the girls and went into the house.

  Portia stood in the kitchen leaning against the counter nibbling on a sausage link. She tossed the link in the trash and lit a cigarette. Smoke curled out of her mouth and nose as she regarded Honey silently. She tapped the ashes in the sink. “You using again?”

  “No,” Honey said simply.

  “Why were you walking the strip, then?”

  “I needed some cash.”

  Portia took a swig of whiskey.

  Honey took the bottle from her and screwed the top back on. She slid the bottle back with the other liquor bottles on the counter and got a butter knife from the dish rack. Honey cut open a biscuit and stuffed eggs and bacon inside before handing it to Portia. “George called me. He said Tiana needed a thousand dollars for her senior class trip.” Honey’s lips curled into a small smile. “My baby is about to graduate high school. Nobody in my family has ever graduated, but my baby will be walking down the aisle in a few short weeks.” She shook herself and the little smile fell off of her lips. She looked Portia in the eye. “I worked the strip to raise the money. My regulars’ wells are almost dried up and I already owe you three thousand for Tiana’s braces. I didn’t want to ask you for another dime before I found a john with enough money to put back in the pot.”

  Portia popped the last bite of the bootleg McMuffin in her mouth. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was. She looked at Honey from head to toe and lit another cigarette. “Three things…” Honey opened her mouth to say something but Portia held her hand up to cut her off. “First, if I catch you on the strip again, you’re out, no convo, no bail-out, nothing. I’m done. Second, you come to me whenever you need something for Tiana. I promised you that I was going to help you with her and that promise didn’t dissolve just because she’s eighteen years old now. Lastly, bitch, I told you to take a shower. You smell like crotch rot and jail cell. We have a staff meeting in five minutes, so make it quick.”

  Portia left Honey standing there with her mouth hanging open. Honey raised her arms and sniffed her pits. Jail cell, yes. Crotch rot, no.

  Portia walked up the steps and into her bedroom. Mookie, Peanut, Babygirl and April sat on the floor by the TV. Portia pulled off her sweatshirt and pulled on the nightgown that she’d left on the dresser earlier that morning. “Mookie, roll up a blunt.” Portia noted a trace of white powder in the inside of Mookie’s nose. That’s probably why Mookie’s rent was coming up short. Portia filed that in her mental Rolodex to come back to at a later date.

  Mookie nodded and pulled a fat sack out of her bra. She grabbed a book off of the table and dumped the weed onto it. April pulled the bank from under Portia’s bed. She unlocked it, pulled the tightly rolled knots of money out and began counting. Peanut lit a cigarette and walked over to the window.

  The room was silent as Portia climbed into the bed. She knew they were all expecting her to start screaming and ramming but she was too tired for that shit. Mookie handed her a fat el and a lighter. Portia piled her pillows up against the headboard so she could sit up. She put her ashtray on her lap and lit the blunt. Honey walked in wearing a green oversized robe and a white towel wrapped around her head.

  Portia inhaled deeply and held her breath for ten seconds. She needed the weed to take the edge off. She was tired of running a daycare for prostitutes. It was time that everybody got their shit together.

&nbs
p; April counted the last stack of cash and wrapped it back up in a rubber band before putting it back into the safe. “We have a little over $35,000,” she said, sliding the bank back under the bed.

  Portia shook her head and tapped the ashes of the blunt into the ashtray. She took two quick tokes before passing it off to Honey-Dip.

  As if on cue, everybody started talking at once, trying to convince Portia why the pot was short. Portia leaned back against the pillows and let their voices wash over her. Soon everyone fell silent. She opened her eyes to see where the blunt was in rotation. April had it.

  Fuck a cypher, Portia thought. “Hand me that,” she said, motioning to April.

  April passed it to Portia and sat on the bed. “It’s not that bad, Portia. It’s not like we’re broke.”

  Portia puffed on the weed and spit a seed out into the astray. “Last year at this time, we had 150K in the kitty and plenty more in everyone’s pocketbooks. You think a drop like that is nothing to worry about?”

  Honey looked at the dark circles under her friend’s eyes and sighed. She pulled the towel from her head and sat down on the bed opposite April. “Look, we need more money in the kitty and I’m not about to sit here and listen to everyone blame everyone else. Let’s talk solutions. My regular, although sweet, is running out of money. The two grand he kicked out last month was the last of his savings and now I’m working off what’s left over in his paycheck.”

  “How much is left over in his paycheck?” April asked.

  Honey snorted. “Girl, not even enough for a hand-job and fake moans.” She laughed, took the el from Portia and passed it to Babygirl.

  Peanut turned from the window. “It sounds like we need a fundraiser.”

  “Aw, hell yeah,” Mookie said, bobbing her head. “That’s what I’m talking about.”