The Apostles (19 page)

Laughing, Sakawa said, “That's all you niggas know. Y'all be all up in Red Lobster trying to get the all-you-can-eat shrimp and trying to act like you balling.” She imitated a man's voice, “You know what I mean, I want a gang of them skrimps and bring some more of them biscuits, yo.”

They both laughed.

“Girl, you crazy than a motherfucka,” Vee said.

It took them fifteen minutes to reach the Japanese eatery in downtown Chicago. A red-jacketed valet drove the Excursion away as Vee held the restaurant door open for Sakawa. They were a few minutes early for their reservation so they sat at the bar. Vee ordered Super Mai Tais for them both. Over the bar, the television was on the Sports History Channel showing an old basketball game. It was the Detroit Pistons from the Bad Boy era beating up on the pre-championship Chicago Bulls.

As the barkeeper set their drinks in front of them, Vee commented, “Damn, look at those little-ass shorts Isiah and them got on. Them motherfuckas look like they got on biking shorts or something.”

Sakawa removed her sunglasses. “Shit, if Zeke try to do a crossover his nuts gone pop up out them little-ass shorts.”

Vee roared with laughter. He cracked, “Look at Rodman, that motherfucka looked fruity even back then. I bet Laimbeer and them used to let his ass shower first.”

Sakawa joked, “I know the Microwave used to be like, ‘Nall, Dennis, you gone head, family. I'll wait.' “

It was Vee's turn to be surprised. “The Microwave? Girl, what you know about basketball?”

“Shit, I love me some ball. I played for my high school. Power forward. I was all-city, too. Tore up my ACL. No college wants a wounded duck. Dropped out of high school and hit the streets. After that I got locked up. Now I'm trying to get myself together and get in the league. You know the drill.”

Vee looked at her. “You was locked up?”

“Nall, man. I was just bullshitting. You know that's what all the athletes be saying on them SportsCenter whatever-happened-to-what's-his-name specials. I did play for my school though and tore up my knee. Finished school though. You ever play basketball?”

Vee took a sip of his Mai Tai. “Girl, you stupid. I was ‘bout to say. Nall, I can't really play. I love to watch though. Shit, one of my shorties, this nigga named Bing, could fly. He used to be up in the gym dunking on any motherfucka that got in his way. Shit, I done won stacks betting on that nigga. And the stud had a pure jump shot. Every time he touched the ball it was like he was a sniper or something. He coulda made it to the NBA or something. Motherfucka killt him not too long ago.” He fell silent.

For the next few minutes they watched the game quietly, content to sip their drinks. The hostess walked over and announced that their table was ready. Throwing a ten-dollar tip on the bar, Vee grabbed their drinks and they followed the hostess to their table. The table was a semicircular booth that housed a fully functioning grill. Each booth could seat eight people comfortably. Part of the ambience of Ron of Japan was that you would usually end up sharing
dinner and sometimes politely strained conversation with complete and total strangers. It was the early supper hour and patronage was light, so Vee had managed to secure a private booth for them by tipping the hostess two extra C-notes.

At their private booth, Vee and Sakawa chatted while they watched the Japanese chef work his magic with the grill, cutlery, vegetables, rice, and seafood.

“Girl, I hope you as tight in the kitchen as this dude,” Vee said.

“That's all you men want. Y'all can't wait to get a sister in the kitchen and have her fucking up her hair, slaving over a hot stove for y'all asses.”

“You damn right, Sakawa. My mama and all my aunties can get in that kitchen and burn some shit. And any woman that gone be my girl or wife got to be able to cook, too.”

Sakawa rolled her eyes and killed her Super Mai Tai. “Your wife? Now I know that player, gangster-ass Vee ain't talking ‘bout getting married.”

“Yeah, I'm gone get married one day. My mama and daddy still married. Both of my grandparents is still married. My big brother and little sister is married. My uncles and aunts is married. Shit, marriage run in my family.”

“So why you ain't married yet, Vee? You ‘bout thirty, thirty-one. What you waiting on?”

Vee looked around the restaurant like maybe the answer was written on the wall somewhere. After a gulp of his Mai Tai, he said, “Really, it ain't me. I just ain't found the type of woman that I could marry and be happy with for life.”

Running her finger around the rim of her empty glass, Sakawa asked, “And what is the type of woman that you would marry?”

Before he answered, Vee ordered them another round of Super Mai Tais. He looked Sakawa straight in the eyes and said, “You.”

His answer caused her to choke on her drink. After slapping her lightly on the back, Vee waited for her to get her bearings before
asking, “Damn, would it be that bad marrying me? Just the thought got you choking up in this piece.”

Sakawa wiped her mouth with her linen napkin and answered in a somewhat raspy voice, “It ain't like that, Vee. You just threw me off with your answer. Made my drink go down the wrong pipe, shid.”

Still offended, Vee cracked, “It ain't like I was proposing or nothing. I was just saying that you the kind of girl that a nigga should marry. Not none of these rats that be out here trying to hit a nigga up for some cheese.”

Sakawa sensed that she needed to smooth down Vee's ruffled feathers. She put her hand on his arm and said, “I didn't think that you were proposing. Actually I'm quite flattered that you could consider me marriage material. You just caught me by surprise with your answer, that's all. I wasn't trying to make fun or belittle you. You want me to keep it real with you, Vaton?”

“I always want you to keep it real with me.”

“Vee, for you to have someone like me for a wife, you'd have to change certain things about the way you're living.”

Vee pulled his arm away from her hand and picked up his drink. “Just like a woman. They ass always want you change. A nigga ain't never good enough for y'all. You always got to try and make a motherfucka be the way that you want him.”

His remark lit a fire under Sakawa. She said, “Just like a nigga— afraid to change. Nigga, you a gangbanger. Only one of them rats that you claim you don't like would have a gangbanger for a husband. One of these dumb-ass rats wouldn't mind having to bury yo ass or come visit you in the joint ‘cause you done got caught up. A real woman doesn't want to see her husband go through some shit like that. A woman like me don't want no husband that's out there in them streets every day and night.

“So when I say you need to change, I ain't talking about changing into some square-ass chump. I don't like soft men. You just got
to learn how to gangbang on a different level. Gangbang in some-body's boardroom ‘cause that street shit ain't gone last forever. You got to take that shit to the next level.”

Silence reigned as Vee soaked up what Sakawa had to say. As they sat and watched the chef, Sakawa's cell phone vibrated in her purse. She didn't want to seem rude by answering her phone in front of Vee so she excused herself to go to the restroom.

In the bathroom she called back the missed number. “What's up, China Doll?”

China Doll was her usual loud self. “Bitch, where you at?”

“I'm out.”

“Out where, bitch?”

“Bitch, you ain't my mama. I said that I'm out. I'm at a restaurant having a nice dinner, bitch.”

China Doll couldn't resist. “With who, Saki?”

“Bitch, you nosy. I'm with none-ya.”

China Doll was lost. “With who?”

“None-ya business, bitch,” Sakawa cracked.

China Doll was hardly taken aback. “Oh it's like that. You a sneaky bitch, Saki. Don't think I don't know you. You think you slick, bitch.”

Sakawa feigned innocence. “I don't know what you talking ‘bout, China Doll. I'm just out having a little dinner with a friend.”

“Whatever you say, Saki. Do yo thing, bitch. Make sure you know this: Don't let that nigga see the trim if his pockets is slim.”

“China, bitch, you know a nigga can't see this cat if his pockets ain't fat. Now, girl, I gotta go. I'll call you when I get in. Meow.”

“Meow, bitch,” China Doll said.

Sakawa dumped her cell phone back into her purse and checked her reflection in the restroom mirror. She smoothed down her arched eyebrows. To her reflection, she said, “Girl, remember don't be catching feelings. This man is a pigeon. He is responsible for taking away yo future. You ain't playing deuces wild at granny's
house, this is high-stakes poker in Vegas, bitch. Now get this nigga open like butt cheeks. Meow.”

Back at the table she slid into the booth. She moved real close to Vee and squeezed his thigh. “Sorry I took so long. You know the ladies' room be packed.”

“It's cool, ma. Dude just finished with the appetizers and shit. The shrimp be good as hell with this batter on them. Taste them.”

Hungrily, Sakawa dug into her appetizers. They joked and laughed as the different courses of the meal were prepared and placed in front of them. It had grown dark outside by the time dessert, gigantic chunks of fresh pineapple, was served. They had occupied the booth for quite a while and the hostess was pacing back and forth shooting Vee little looks that he completely ignored. After Sakawa finished her third Super Mai Tai, Vee finally decided it was time to leave. He paid the bill and left the chef a sizable tip.

Outside the restaurant, Vee put his arm around Sakawa's shoulders as they waited for the valet to bring his Excursion. After tipping the valet with a sawbuck, Vee held the truck door open for Sakawa. He caught a glimpse of her bronze legs when the split in her skirt opened as she climbed in the truck. Instinct made him reach out and rub her smooth thigh. She didn't smack his hand away, but she did ease it off her thigh, then she readjusted her skirt.

The feel of her leg was enough to give Vee a wood. After he closed her door, he walked behind the truck and adjusted the erection in his jogging pants.

On the way to Sakawa's house, Vee was all smiles as he anticipated bedding her down for the first time. He knew that she had to be drunk after three Super Mai Tais. He flipped through the CD changer until he hit a Slow Grooves disc and turned it up.

Sakawa reached over and tapped Vee. She signaled for him to turn the music down and asked, “So would you change?”

Vee was caught off guard by her question and answered without thinking. “Hell nall. I'm already married to the streets. I ain't
gone never change. I love this street shit. You said you don't want no soft-ass nigga, right? Well, I shole ain't soft. You like you a thug nigga, don't you?”

Wrong answer
, Sakawa thought, but she said rather dryly, “Yeah, I like a thug nigga. Don't ever change.”

Misreading her sarcasm, Vee smiled, thinking she had bought his thug bravado. To celebrate he hit the remote to change to a selection from Trick Daddy. “Baby I'm a Thug” blasted from the woofers.

When he pulled over in front of Sakawa's apartment building, Vee asked, “So what's the deal, shorty? Can I come up to the crib?”

“For what?” Sakawa asked a little more coldly than she planned. As she opened the truck to get out, she saw the dejected look on Vee's face and realized that she was blowing it. Drunkenly, she stumbled a little as she walked around the truck to the driver's side. She leaned into the open window and said, “I'm sorry if I'm mood swinging. Aunt Flo is visiting.”

Vee apologized, “My fault, shorty. I didn't know that you had company at yo house.”

“Nall, man. Not my auntie. Aunt Flo—the red curse. My period, boy.”

“Ohhh,” Vee said bashfully. “I get it. It's cool.” Mentally he was already digging through his cell directory for a chicken to spend the night with.

Sakawa climbed up on the truck's running board and gave Vee a kiss on the jaw. “Thanks for the dinner and conversation, player. I really enjoyed myself. But now I got to go change my pad before it overflows.”

She jumped down and walked to the steps of her apartment building. As she was pulling her keys out of her purse, Vee called her name. She turned and waited.

“Shorty, if yo aunt wasn't visiting would I have been able to come up and spend the night with you?”

Hell nall
, popped into her head, but she held her tongue. Instead she said, “Maybe.”

That was good enough for Vee. He pulled off with a smile on his face.

Sakawa turned back to the building's door and keyed the lock and went inside. Watching them, Insane Wayne sat on the roof of the industrial garage across the street.

Sakawa dreamed that Wayne was home—home and in bed with her. His strong hands lifted her T-shirt up, actually it was one of his shirts, and looked down at the imprint the lips of her womanhood made in her cotton briefs. He lifted the T-shirt even higher and stared at her well-endowed chest. Like a starving wolf he covered her breasts in saliva as he licked and sucked them.

In her sleep Sakawa moaned. She knew that it had to be the three gigantic Super Mai Tais she'd drunk that had her hallucinating that her man was making love to her, but she didn't care.

The dream was perfect. Her nipples stretched and pointed toward the ceiling under his oral caresses. From her breasts, he kissed and licked his way down to her firm thighs. Gently, Wayne pulled her panties down and spread her thighs and she didn't resist. Just like old times, he gave her a few introductory kisses on the lips down there, then dove in. Up and down, around and around he swirled his tongue on her clitoris until she was squirming and pushing his head down.

I'm having the most delicious dream
, Sakawa told herself.
My man is here and he's eating my kitty just like I like it.

Faster and faster Wayne flicked his tongue around her clit while playing with her taut nipples. After what seemed like an erotic eternity of his tongue calisthenics, Sakawa grunted as she began to orgasm.

“Keep licking my kitty, daddy! I'm coming!” she squealed in her sleep.

In response to her cries, Sakawa could almost feel Wayne stick his tongue into her pussy and lap deeply to make her orgasm even harder. He kept lapping until her last vibration stopped.