The Hustler's Daughter {DC Bookdiva Publications} (11 page)

“YEAHHH!”
everyone screamed in unison.

“Happy
16th birthday Mercedes Carter…I hope you’re out there enjoying yourself Mama.
You look gorgeous tonight.” The DJ smiled as he placed the spot light on
Mercedes. She started blushing as she looked around and everybody was staring
at her and clapping.

“Now
are ya’ll ready for an exclusive performance?” Everyone was wondering what he
was talking about. “Well… ladies get ready to scream and fella’s get ready to
sing along as we bring you the best of the best….DIPSET…DIPSET…DIPSET.” The DJ
Announced. Everyone went bananas and screamed at the top of their lungs.
Mercedes covered her mouth as The Diplomats were on stage. She didn’t think
that her father would come through on her special request, but she was wrong.

The
Diplomats came out on stage, Juelz Santana, Cam’ron, Jim Jones and the whole
crew. Juelz Santana came out and called Mercedes up to the stage, “Happy
Birthday Mercedes, from the Dipset family Ma.” Juelz gave her a hug.

“Now
are ya’ll ready?”

“DIPSET…DIPSET…DIPSET!”
everyone chanted.

“Dipset,
we in the motherfucking building get your hands up!” Cam’ron yelled into the
mic. “Killa…Juelz…you on your own man. Let’s go.” Cam started throwing his
hands up.  “Dipset, Dipset, Dipset, Dipset.” After The Diplomats were done
performing, Mercedes and her crew kicked it with them in V.I.P. They were
popping bottles, but Mercedes was way too young to drink. Mercedes decided to
head back down the spiral staircase to the first level to search for her man,
Chino. Her eyes scanned the hall as she searched for him and then Mercedes
grabbed Candy off the floor and asked her if she had seen Chino. She told her
no and kept dancing.

Mercedes
was furious; he told her that he would be here but he wasn’t anywhere to be
found. She folded her arms across her breasts beginning to pout. She watched
everyone enjoy themselves and the two people she wanted to spend the day with
had abandoned her-her father and her man. She was disappointed with the day and
how it was turning out. Her mother noticed and approached her with concern on
her face. 

“What’s
wrong baby?” Maria asked.

“It’s
nothing Ma.” Mercedes lied.

“Alright,
well go have some fun it’s your birthday.” Maria disappeared into the crowd as
she sipped on her drink. Mercedes felt someone come up behind her and wrap
their arms firmly around her waist.

“Hey
Ma.” She turned around with an attitude, wondering who had their hands on her.
It was Chino and she couldn’t be happier. Things were definitely looking up. 

“Hey
Baby.” Mercedes smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Happy
Birthday Ma.”  Chino kissed her on the lips, she looked around hoping her mom
didn’t see that. “You look beautiful Ma.” He spun her around gazing at her
beautiful body.

“Thank
you so much.” Mercedes smiled as she looked him up and down. He rocked an all
light pink tuxedo that had Mercedes emblazoned on the back. “You look good too
baby, I love your outfit-it’s cute.” Mercedes said chuckling.

“Yeah,
you know I had to come ten steps ahead of other niggas.” Chino informed her
while looking around. The song “Move Your Body” by Nina Sky pumped through the
speakers. The ladies made their way to the dance floor and grabbed their
dancing partners.

“Oooh,
this is my shit.” Mercedes cooed as she started bopping her head.

“Want
to dance with me?” Chino asked. “Of course,” Mercedes answered.

He
grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor and got behind her. Mercedes
hips were now in full effect as she moved to the beat, “Move your body
girl…Makes the fellas go…The way you ride it girl….Makes the fellas go.”

 Mercedes
sang the song and looked back at Chino who winked at her, as she bounced her
shoulders and winked back. After the song was over the DJ made another
announcement.

 “Everybody
clear the dance floor please…Mercedes your father saved the last song for
you…only for you.” The DJ announced.

People
started to clear the floor. He started playing the song by Beyonce Knowles,
“Daddy.” Oh I wish my father was here right now, how could he not attend my
birthday? He never missed any of my birthdays. Mercedes thought to herself.

She
noticed a man walking from the crowd and into the middle of the floor. Tears
welled up in her eyes when she realized it was her father. A wide smile
appeared across her face. Her father looked as handsome as ever. He had a fresh
shape-up and huge 2 carat glistening diamond earrings. He wore a white tuxedo
vest by Armani Exchange with a light pink collared shirt underneath. He
accented his crisp white Armani tux dress pants with some light pink alligator
shoes.

“Can
I have this dance?” he asked with a smile, as he extended out his hand.

“You
sure can.” Mercedes smiled widely and grabbed her father’s hand as they danced
together. The crowd was silent and watched from the sidelines as Mercedes
danced with her father. The dance floor was illuminated in pink and white with
the spotlight focusing on Mercedes and Don.

Maria
stood close by watching as Mercedes happily danced with her father. Watching
him with his daughter reignited her feelings for him and how much she loved
him. It was that Carter unconditional love.

Mercedes
had her arms wrapped around her father’s neck as he had his wrapped around her
waist. She looked into his eyes with happiness, but questioned his absence
earlier.

“Daddy,
I thought you weren’t coming.”

“I
can never miss one of your birthdays, no matter what.” He promised as he kissed
his daughter on the forehead.

Mercedes
felt secure and safe when she was in her father’s presence. The music softly
pumped through the speakers. “I want my unborn son to be just like my Daddy, I
want my husband to be just like my Daddy, there is no one else like you
Daddy…And I thank you for loving me.”

Mercedes
smiled as she silently mouthed, “Love you Daddy” as a tear crept down her face.
He wiped it away and said, “I love you too Baby Girl.”

The Unordered Hit

Don
walked up the spiral staircase and peeked into his daughter’s room. She was
sound asleep as her head lay against the soft pillows. Don thought she slept
like the innocent angel she was.

Don
was so overprotective over her; he wouldn’t know what to do if anything ever
happened to her. He crept into her bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. He
inched closer and gently rubbed her silky hair. He smiled as he gazed at his
beautiful daughter. It had been a while since they spent father and daughter
time together.

Today
he would take her out and show her a big surprise that he’d been waiting to
show her.

   “Wake
up Mercedes.” Don gently pinched her cheeks.

   “Ouch.”
Mercedes eyes fluttered open as she noticed her father was sitting beside her
smiling ear to ear. “Why you do that Daddy?” Mercedes asked as she rubbed her
cheeks.

   “Are
you ready?” He asked.

   “Am
I ready to go where?” Mercedes had a baffled look on her face.

   “Well
since I’ve been out of town and busy lately, I want to take you out today-just
me and you.” Don pointed to his daughter, lightly tapping her on her nose.

   “What
time?” Mercedes yawned, she was still sleepy.

   “Whenever
you get up and get dressed, but don’t keep me waiting all day. I know how ya’ll
woman are, especially you and your Mama.” He cracked a smile as he stood up and
walked away.           

“What’s
that supposed to mean?” Mercedes cocked her head to the side as her eye brows
rose. Don turned around and stood in the door way.

   “Ya’ll
take forever to get ready, I mean hours. Ya’ll have to make sure ya’ll hair,
make up and nails look so fucking perfect.” Don chuckled.

   “Whatever
Daddy, I’m about to get ready.” Mercedes swung her legs over her bed and got up
and did a quick stretch.

   She
rushed to get herself together as soon as possible. She couldn’t wait to spend
the day with the man who loved her the most. She didn’t want to keep him
waiting.

   She
threw on a white Supergirl track jacket with a pink tank top underneath. She
wore the white matching Adidas track pants and a fresh pair of Adidas pink and
white Superstars.

   When
she reached downstairs, her mother was sitting at the kitchen table reading The
New York Times. Every morning she would read the paper and have a cup of
hazelnut coffee from Dunkin Doughnuts.

   “Where
are you two going?” Maria asked as she looked up and noticed her husband
walking down the steps fully dressed to meet Mercedes.

   “Daddy
said he wanted to take me out today.” Mercedes smiled.

   “Oh
yeah, isn’t that sweet.” Her mother said as she sipped on her coffee.

   “Yeah,
I’m taking her out to a couple of places. I have a surprise to show her.” Don
smiled and winked at his wife. She already knew what the surprise was, but she
wasn’t going to spoil it for Mercedes.

   “What
is it Daddy?” Mercedes eagerly asked; she really wanted to know.

   “You’ll
see, I don’t want to spoil it for you.” Don placed his hand over his lips and
grabbed the keys out of his pocket. They walked towards the door.

   Mercedes
followed her father as he got into his Silver Range Rover Sport HST. It was
equipped with 24 inch chrome rims. Mercedes reclined in her seat as she enjoyed
the ride. She noticed her father pulling over and then he parked the car. She
sat up in her seat and looked out the window.

   They
were at an expensive upscale restaurant called Bella’s. It was an Italian
restaurant located in the heart of Queens. Mercedes was last here on her 12th
birthday, when she had an exquisite dinner with her father and mother.

   As
they arrived, the waitress immediately knew Mr. Carter and escorted them up the
spiral staircase. It led to an upper-level of the restaurant, a more intimate
area. Soft Italian music filled the restaurant and provided an ambiance of
peace. The waitress handed them their menus and politely greeted them.

   “Can
I start you all of with anything to drink?” The waiter inquired.

   “Yes,
I’ll have an iced tea with extra ice and a lemon.” The waitress turned towards
Mercedes and asked what she wanted. “I’ll just have a glass of water, thank
you.” Mercedes smiled.

   “This
place is so beautiful.” Mercedes said. “I haven’t been here in so long.”

   “Yeah
I know, they changed it up a bit.” Mercedes scanned through her menu and had no
idea what to order. Everything on it looked so delicious. She looked over it
once more before coming to a conclusion.

   The
waitress came back to the table, “Are you all ready to order?” she asked.

   “Yes.”
Don replied. He looked at his menu and looked up and placed his order. “I’ll
take the chicken parmesan with a side order of the Italian Famous soup.”

   “Okay,
and what will you be having?” she asked Mercedes.

   “I’m
going to try the Shrimp Fra Diavolo with lemon sauce please, thank you.” The
waitress took their menus and told them the wait would be about a half an hour.
Mercedes dug into the Italian bread.

“Mhmmm,”
This is really delicious.”  She licked her lips as her mouth watered for more.
Don took a piece of the Italian bread and put it into his mouth.

   “Yeah
it is really good, but don’t eat too much. It will make your ass full and you
won’t have room for your real meal.” The two of them chuckled.

   “So,
how’s school been going for you?” he asked.

   “It’s
been going pretty good, you know, I’m focused on keeping my grades up. Other
than that, I’m the most popular girl in school.” Mercedes replied as she batted
her thick eye lashes. Don burst into laughter.

   “Girl
you’re a mess,” her father chuckled. “I mean, look at you Mercedes. Your mother
blessed me with one of the most gorgeous daughters in the world.” Don knew he
always made his daughter feel on top of the world when he told her that. “Just
like your beautiful Mama.” Don smiled as he chewed.

   “Thank
you,” she shrugged her shoulders. The steam rose up from their food and tickled
Mercedes’ nose. She licked her lips; she couldn’t wait until her food cooled
off because it looked awesome. The shrimp were covered with perfectly sliced
onions, fresh basil, Italian leaves, and lemon juice topped it off.       As
they waited a few minutes to eat their food, they watched as an Italian female
singer sang a beautiful song on the stage that was a few feet away. They
clapped their hands in amazement as she walked off stage.

   “She
has a real beautiful voice.” Don nodded his head in agreement and Mercedes
turned around and begin eating her food.

   “So
who’s the new boy in your life?” he keenly asked. Mercedes almost choked on one
of her shrimp when her father asked her that question out of the blue.

   “Hmm?”
Mercedes asked as she drunk some of her water to help gulp down the shrimp
caught in her throat. He repeated the question again, knowing that she heard what
he said the first time.           

“I
mean…I have a new male friend, Chino.” Mercedes hid the fact that he was her
boyfriend. She knew that her father would disapprove, “He’s a real cool guy.
He’s respectful and intelligent, a real sweet heart.”

   “Really,
that’s how they all are at first.” Don informed her as he finished his food and
wiped the sides of his mouth with the napkin.

   “What
do you mean Daddy?”

   “I
mean, I just want the best for you. I know how these silly New York nigga’s get
down. I just want you to go to school and finish college. Then get a nice job,
and after that find a nice man like a lawyer or something. You don’t need to
settle for anything less.”

   Mercedes
smiled and pretended to listen intently; she actually was, but she wasn’t
really hearing him.

   “Daddy,
I’m ready to go.” Mercedes said as she finished her food and took one last bite
of the Italian bread.

   “Alright
Baby Girl, let’s roll.” Don pulled out a crisp stack of money and peeled off
two hundred dollar bills and tossed them onto the table. The bill only came up
to one hundred and some change. He always left the waitress a nice tip.
Mercedes got up and followed her father outside the restaurant and they got
back into the Range.

   Don
then took her to one of the most expensive high class stores in the city, Fifth
Avenue. Mercedes left carrying a lot of bags on both side of her arms. They
were filled with Gucci, Prada, Versace and plenty of other brands. Today her
father went all out splurging on her. He practically purchased everything that
she wanted.

   When
they were done shopping, they loaded the trunk with their shopping bags and got
into the car. Once Mercedes got situated in her seat, she saw her father reach
behind the seat. He pulled out a bag and took out three gold boxes. He then placed
them carefully on her lap.

   “What’s
this Daddy?” Mercedes asked while picking up one of the boxes.

“Open
it and see.” Don informed her. Mercedes opened the smallest box; it contained a
custom made diamond charm bracelet with a diamond heart on the end with the
initials MC on it. The second box was a matching necklace with a diamond
locket; it had the initials DC on it. When Mercedes opened it, she saw a
picture of her and her father. A wide smile appeared on her face when she
reminiscing on the day her and her father took professional pictures.

The
final box contained a forty-two inch Diamond Cuban XL chain. Mercedes lifted up
the chain with tears in her eyes as she gazed at the beautifully customized
piece.  It had the Carter family picture including Mercedes, her mother, and
her father embedded into the plated pendant. The bottom read Carter Family in
diamonds.

   “Oh
my God, thank you Daddy.” Mercedes hugged him. “This is so beautiful…I’m
definitely cherishing this and carrying this to the grave with me.”

   “You’re
welcome Baby Girl; I would give you the whole world if I could.” He sincerely
said. He had already given Mercedes everything that she wanted, needed, and
even things that she didn’t want or need. Mercedes was happy with what she
thought was surprise. However, she didn’t know that she was in for a bigger
surprise- something that she would least expect.

Mercedes
noticed that they were in Long Island. She looked out the window and saw
beautiful houses everywhere. Don told her to cover her eyes. She didn’t know
why, but she didn’t ask questions.

   “No
peeking,” he warned her. He pulled over and tied a blue bandana over her eyes.
Mercedes chuckled at her dad’s behavior.

   He
parked the car and walked over to her side to help her get out of the car. He
held her hand and guided her. Mercedes walked up a few steps and heard her
father unlock a door. She was getting impatient, yearning to know where she
was.

   Don
took the bandana off and said, “You can open your eyes now.” He watched
Mercedes open her eyes and her heart skipped a beat. Don stood inside with a
huge gracious smile on his face. Tears welled up in her eyes and a tear
eventually crept down her cheek.

   “Daddy,
this can’t be…” Mercedes looked at him shaking her head ‘no’ in disbelief. She
had an astonished look on her face.

   “Yes,
this is for you Baby Girl.” He cut her off, as Mercedes ran over to him and
gave him the tightest hug she could muster. She hugged him for several seconds
before pulling away. It was a beautiful two-story luxury condo. It had four bed
rooms with three and a half bathrooms. When they walked into the condo, they
were welcomed with a huge open foyer. A beautiful pink chandelier dangled
overhead. The oversized living room had shiny wall to wall marble floors and an
immaculate marble fire place. There were huge crystal clear windows that
provided beautiful views of sunrises and sunsets. Every room had huge windows
which gave you different views of the city.

As
they walked up the suspended glass staircase, they entered the mid-level area. 
It overlooked the first level and provided a wonderful view of everything
below. The master bedroom was the biggest room. It had its’ own pristine
bathroom with a walk in shower and a jacuzzi. It had wall to wall mirrors and
two huge French doors. They walked through the doors and they lead to a
different spiral staircase. It led to a flawless terrace, which had a beautiful
view into the city. Mercedes couldn’t ask for more.

“You
can’t move in here until you turn eighteen.” Don informed her. Mercedes was
furious at that statement and she didn’t understand why he showed it to her so
soon.

“Why
not Daddy?” Mercedes whined. “I thought that was the purpose of you showing it
to me.”

“You’re
only sixteen, your mother and I decided that when you turn eighteen you’ll be
off on your own and have your own place.” Don informed her as they left the
condo. He locked the door and headed to the car. Mercedes was a little upset,
but she quickly realized that there was no reason to be. ‘What sixteen-year-old
in the hood gets their own crib?’ Mercedes thought to herself as she sat in the
car while they drove. She looked over and noticed her father looking in the
rear view mirror; he kept looking in it every few seconds.