Two Thin Dimes (3 page)

The crowd again broke into laughter.

Mark turned toward Jamaica. “Well, Tiera, I hear that you're going to do a show for us tonight?”

Jamaica smiled and spoke her lines. “You bet, Mark! And what a show it's going to be. Fireworks and all!”

Jamaica's lipstick was waterproof as well, and hadn't smudged a bit. The tie-in with Cover Girl had made sure of that.

Exhilarated at the thought of having just spoken her last line, Jamaica turned toward the exit.

“Boy, Tiera, Shamu must really like you, he doesn't want to leave the tier,” Amy told her.

Jamaica froze. This wasn't part of the script; it was time for her to go. But, she was a professional, and her smile remained in place. She turned and smiled even wider at Amy.

Of course he hasn't left, he's hungry, you idiot! How would you like to weigh a million tons and have somebody throw you a raw fish?
Jamaica turned toward Shamu and blew him a dramatic kiss.

“Good-bye, my friend!” Jamaica told the Orca. “Tonight's show is for you!”

The crowd applauded wildly.

“Would you like to go for a ride?” Amy asked.

Again, Jamaica froze. This time she could feel the micro strands of hair rise on the back of her neck. Yet, the crowd's applause told her that she was trapped.

Jamaica turned back toward Amy and smiled. “Sure…I'd love to!”
You bitch! You prissy little freckle-faced bitch! If I thought that I could get away with it, I'd whip you and that slimy-ass fish!

“Hop in!” Amy told her. She waved her hand toward the massive body of water before them.

He smiled
, Jamaica thought.
The hungry bastard was smiling at me!
Jamaica turned and stared at LaChina.
I'm going to kill you, my friend.
Her glance back toward the waiting Orca startled her. Its mouth was open, and its teeth were visible to her now. Jamaica knew that it was smiling at her.

Mark was the first one into the water. He turned and helped a terrified Jamaica into the massive pool, and then helped her to mount the large black mammal.

“Yes! Yes!” LaChina shouted from the side of the pool. She performed a short moonwalk backward as Jamaica and Mark floated by on the back of the massive beast. She turned and hugged Jemia.

“Every time someone is seen with that damn whale, their record sales bloom!” LaChina declared. “SWV showed him jumping around, and zoom! Jacko kissed it, and boom! But, Jai, you rode it! Girl, you actually rode it! Number one, here we come!”

Unbridled, LaChina grabbed her cousin and spun her around. She began singing her own version of SWV's song:
Lately there seems to be, some financial security, about the way I feel, where I'm gonna be!

Jemia broke away from her. “That's not the way that song goes!”

LaChina grabbed her again. “I don't care, that's the way I see it!”

LaChina spun Jemia around again. “What better way can you think of to prepare for the release of a new album? Just look!”

Jemia turned, and saw the same thing that her jumping, twisting, dancing cousin saw. Every camera in the stadium was exploding. All of the television cameras were zoomed in on the pool, where Jamaica was bestride a massive killer whale.

“Can you see the headlines?” LaChina asked her cousin. She spread her arms across the air. “
Tiera wins hearts of all mammals!
Or something corny like that. The tree huggers, whale savers, fur painters, bird watchers, animal activists, and goody-two-shoe green thumbs will all love her! She will be the poster girl for purity. Jemia, the only thing that could possibly top this, is a whole video with that thing!”

And that's when it hit her. A whale video!

LaChina's thought process would make Big Blue jealous. Her brain calculated business figures, demographics, sales charts, and the entire industry's activities with the speed of a lightning strike.
The next video is going to be shot in a tropical location, and definitely on a beach. They could turn it into a video shoot with Mr. Slimy Fish,
she told herself.
Hmmmm, how much would it cost to rent one of those things
, she wondered.
Who would care, with their budget. The label had made it clear a long time ago, that Tiera's videos had no expense caps.

LaChina folded her arms, and her thoughts raced rapidly.
With the budget, they could buy a hundred whale thingys. I'll have to call Bev in New York, and then run the idea by Tony. But what if it ate her?
She wondered if the company had insurance for such things.
Was there insurance against being eaten by a big, hungry mammal?

LaChina shook her head forcefully. She had to get those stupid thoughts out of her mind.
Business,
she told herself,
think business.

LaChina knew that she would need a few days, perhaps even a week or more, to set things up. She would have to stay in town at least that long so that she could meet with the park's officials, and the whale's trainers. The question was, how could she keep Jamaica in town for a few days without arousing her suspicions.
Hmmmm, how can I keep Jamaica busy for a few days? Shopping! That's it!

She knew that the city was filled with large shopping malls, and Jamaica couldn't resist a mall that she hadn't pillaged yet. It was perfect. Jamaica would get to shop until her heart was content, while she would get to set things up.
But…how would she break the news? How could she break the news?

That's it,
she thought. She would take Jamaica for a walk along the beach, and then point toward the water.
Jai, girl, what if that whale really does like you? What if he likes you so much that he's flying in first class to be in your next video?

Police!

She would need lots of police to be around when she told her. And bodyguards! She would have plenty of bodyguards standing around so that they could break Jamaica's strangle-hold when she tried to kill her.

LaChina tilted her head to one side and exhaled forcibly. She would have to think of a way to tell her friend. She thought of telling Jamaica that she loved her, and that she simply wanted her to stay on top and stay rich. But she knew that wouldn't work, either.
Jai would always be rich. Hell, Jai's great, great, great, great, great-grandkids would always be rich.
She could say,
Jai, it's my job. It's why you hired me.
But it still wouldn't keep Jamaica from trying to kill her.
Jai, I'm pregnant, so you can't kill me when I tell you this. Jai, you're pregnant. It's Shamu's baby and he's flying here for a paternity test.
She would still kill her.

LaChina knew that she would have to think of something later, perhaps on the plane. First things first. She turned to her cousin. “Jemia, how would you like to take me and Jai shopping? Everything's on me.”

“Shopping?” Jemia asked, lifting an eyebrow. “And free shopping at that, are you kidding? When would you like to go?”

LaChina turned and watched as her friend slid off the whale, and climbed back onto the platform. The crowd's applause had been non-stop.

“Tomorrow,” LaChina told her. “Tomorrow, we shop.”

T
he mall was large, modern, and clean. It was designed primarily for tourists traipsing through the city's pristine downtown area. The San Antonio River flowed through the shopping mall's three stories, giving it its name, the River Center Mall.

The ceramic-tile floor, along with plentiful amounts of chrome and glass, gave it a futuristic, funky, almost European feel. The massive crystal and glass lighting fixtures, and the gigantic water fountains spaced throughout, added to that look.

Sam Goody music store was on the second tier. Its music emanated into the general mall area, just enough to attract customers, yet not disturb the store's neighbors. It attracted Savion's attention.

“Hey, T, let's go in here and put in some applications,” he told his brother. The brothers veered into the eclectic, flashy record store, where Savion approached the clerk for an application. Tameer walked straight to the rap section; he would listen to nothing else.

“Oh, China! Girl, this place is gorgeous!” Jamaica exclaimed. “The river flows right into the mall, and all of the little cafes, restaurants, and bars along the banks of the river are so cute! It's like being in Europe!”

Jamaica was like a kid in a candy store. Her doe-like eyes darted all over the establishment, and her giddiness was uncontrollable. It all made LaChina smile.

“See, and you didn't even want to come here!” LaChina told her.

“I didn't even know that there were places like this here.” Jamaica whirled, and extended her arms into the air. “Three stories of shopping, all within walking distance of the hotel.”

“And don't forget about the weather,” LaChina added. “Virgin shopping centers that we haven't pillaged yet, and all of it being done while wearing comfortable sandals.”

They were Fendi sandals, of course. The girls wore comfortable, plain, yet expensive Prada sack dresses, and disguised themselves using designer hats and sunglasses. Jamaica wore her gorgeous, silky hair in a long ponytail, which hung well below her shoulderblades. Her clunky, suede, Dutch clog sandals, along with the mall's ambiance, made her feel as though she were on a secret European shopping spree.

“Say, T, are you ready, top blaze?” Savion asked.

“Yeah, just let me pay for this CD real quick.”

Savion and Tameer approached the counter together. When it was Tameer's turn to be waited on, he pulled a crisp twenty-dollar bill from his tattered, black billfold and handed it to the clerk. She took the CD, and using a special key, removed from it the bulky, white, plastic protector that was used for theft prevention. After adding up his purchase, and securing his receipt, she rubbed the CD case against a magnet so that it would not trigger the alarm in the metal detector that surrounded the exit door. Handing Tameer his receipt, she also handed him her telephone number and a smile.

“Thank you,” was Tameer's only reply.

“I get off at nine,” she told him.

Tameer nodded, turned, and walked out the store.

“Say, T, she was flirting with you like a mother!” Savion told his brother. “Why didn't you spit game at her?”

Tameer shook his head. “Man, I wasn't even paying attention.”

Savion motioned back toward the store. “Shit, let's go back.”

Tameer waved her off. “Naw, let's go over here to this clothing store.”

Tameer took a deep breath, and then exhaled forcibly. He thought silently about his situation. He had been paying attention to the girl's gestures, but he knew that even if he did want to ask her out, she would laugh at his car. Besides, he couldn't afford to take her to much more than a movie, and he would never have been able to take her to his home. It had been for all these reasons why he had limited his dating to girls inside of the courts—girls, who were just as limited in their finances, and those who understood his situation. Savion thought his response was for another reason.

“You still tripping about Dawshanique, aren't you?” he asked.

Tameer shook his head, denying his brother's accusation.

“Naw, I'm not worried about her,” he lied.

“Then what is it? Is it over Anthony getting killed?”

“Yeah, but more than just that,” Tameer told him. “A lot of things. Sometimes I wish that I would have played football, that way I could have gone pro this year. You and Dad wouldn't have to be in the Courts living through stuff like that. Damn, Save, I don't want nothing to happen to you.”

“T, quit tripping. Football wasn't what you wanted, you made the right choice. Pops rode you, like he's riding me right now. I don't even know if that's what I want to do. If he ever heard me say that, he would kill me. Let's just keep this between us.”

Tameer nodded, and offered his brother a smile.

“Oh yeah, did I tell you?” Savion asked. “FSU offered me a full scholarship yesterday.”

The news made Tameer laugh. He placed his arm around his younger brother and pulled him close. “How many does that make?”

“Fourteen full scholarship offers, and three partial ones,” Savion answered.

Tameer shook his head and smiled. “You ain't gonna pass me.”

“To hell I won't!” Savion laughed.

The brothers were still laughing when they entered into a clothing store. Tameer rushed to the men's section, where he started pricing casual polo shirts. FUBU, Nautica, Sean John, Polo, Rocawear, and Phat Farm were in this season, and Christmas was coming. Tameer knew that he would have to start buying things for Savion now, because there were only a few paydays left in the year.

Finished with his browsing, Tameer turned and began walking toward the counter, where Savion was filling out a job application. He didn't make it.

On the floor, there was a loose piece of carpeting sticking up, which caused him to stumble into a clothing rack and fall back onto his derrière. Embarrassed, he peered around the the store to see if anyone had been watching. Someone had.

“Are you okay?” a woman asked him.

Tameer peered up in the direction of the voice. She was gorgeous. Her finely manicured, mahogany-colored hand was extended toward him, offering him assistance. He was even more embarrassed.

“Yeah, I'm all right. I just wounded my pride.”

Although there was no dust, as the flooring consisted of thick industrial carpeting, by habit, Tameer brushed off the rear of his pants.

“Thanks,” he told her.

“For what?” she asked. “You didn't even allow me to pull you up, you rose on your own.”

Tameer blushed.

“But thanking me was a nice gesture,” she continued. “I guess chivalry lives on in Texas.”

She smiled, and it caused Tameer to return a smile of his own.

She is beautiful
, he thought.
Very beautiful indeed.

Tameer's eyes blinked rapidly several times, partly to reassure his brain that he was not dreaming, and also to remind himself that it was impolite to stare. His eyes fell from hers.

“Thank you for asking me if I was all right.”

His eyes returned to hers, only to see her eyes slowly walk down his body and examine him. He once again found himself blushing from embarrassment. He had never been checked out before, at least not this outright. Her boldness made him blush even more.

The weather was mild, like most days of the year, and as usual he wore shorts and a form-fitting muscle shirt. His comfortable, yet revealing outfit told the story of his almost zero-fat diet, and his constant running, weightlifting, and aerobic workout sessions. Tameer's muscles bulged from his arms, and his tight abdominal muscles rippled through the knit T-shirt.

She knew that she had stared too long, and upon realizing that he was observing her watch him, she too became embarrassed. Her petite hand flew to her flawless face and she covered her mouth, while letting out a girlish chuckle. He took her hand and shook it.

“Thanks again,” Tameer told her.

Still laughing and covering her mouth, she quickly glanced over his body once more. “No, thank you.”

Immersed in their exchanges of flirtatious smiles, laughter, and glances, neither noticed Savion's approach.

“Yo, T, let's roll,” Savion told his brother.

Tameer nodded, and finally released her soft hand. “My name is Tameer, and this is my brother Savion. Savion, this is…”

“LaChina,” she answered. “But everyone calls me China.”

She smiled at them both.

“What's up, China?” Savion nodded.

“Hi,” she said, offering him a slight wave. She turned back toward Tameer. “Well, it was nice meeting both of you. I hope that we bump into one another again.”

“It was nice to meet you too,” Tameer replied. “Next time, I hope that I'm not sitting on my butt.”

Tameer and LaChina shared a laugh.

“Bye,” LaChina said, waving again.

“Bye,” Tameer told her, waving back.

He and Savion ventured into the mall area, on their way to other stores to fill out job applications. But LaChina's fragrance remained in the air, and her captivating looks remained on Tameer's mind. She was absolutely awesome.

Tameer cared little about his screwed-up car, or trashed-out apartment, at this point. He wanted to get to know her. She was gorgeous, outgoing, exotic, different, and most of all, she was actually interested in him.
Maybe
, he thought,
just maybe she really was interested. She certainly acted like she was.

Tameer quickly made up his mind, he wanted her telephone number. This one wasn't going to get away, she looked way to good to allow that to happen. Tameer turned back to stare at his newfound friend, and not watching where he was going, slammed into someone else. They both came tumbling down.

“Watch where you're going!” shouted an angry, embarrassed Jamaica, who was lying on the ground. Her hat, sunglasses, and merchandise were scattered all around her.

Tameer was embarrassed again.

“Me?” he asked. “You're the one who needs to watch where you're going.”

LaChina walked up and stood over him. “You love that position, don't you?”

Tameer looked down at the floor and blushed. Jamaica stood, and brushed off her clothing. Her strokes were rapid, and angry.

“China, you know this person?” Jamaica asked furiously.

LaChina peered down at Tameer and winked. “Yeah, Tameer is an old friend.”

Tameer stood and brushed himself off. Jamaica lifted her hand into the air, holding two pieces of tinted plastic, and a thin, wispy, titanium frame.

“Well, your old friend just broke my Chanel sunglasses,” Jamaica told LaChina.

“Look, I'll pay for your glasses, okay?” Tameer told a distraught Jamaica. “And you're right, I should have been watching where I was going. But you should have been watching too.”

“I should have?” Jamaica stomped her foot down hard on the marble-tiled floor. “Do you know who you're talking to? I'll have you thrown out of this establishment! I'm…”

LaChina's hand quickly flew to Jamaica's mouth, covering it, and obscuring Jamaica's last words. Tameer and Savion shared a glance. They thought them both crazy.

“Her name is Jamaica,” LaChina told them. “But everybody calls her Jai.”

LaChina removed her hand from Jamaica's mouth.

“What the hell was that about?” Jamaica demanded.

“Please excuse us for one tiny little moment,” LaChina said.

She pulled her fuming friend away from the group, leaving Tameer and Savion staring at a shrugging Jemia.

“Explain!” Jamaica shouted, once they were out of hearing range from the others. She shifted her weight and folded her arms in defiance.

“Jai, you trust me, don't you?” LaChina asked her.

“Yes, of course.” Jamaica nodded.

“I have never made a bad decision, have I?”

Frustrated, Jamaica shifted her weight to her other leg. “No, girl, what are you getting at?”

The smile across LaChina's face at first appeared slowly, and then spread rapidly. She turned and nodded her head toward Tameer.

“That!” she told Jamaica. “That's what I'm getting at!”

Jamaica recoiled. “What?”

LaChina clasped Jamaica's arms. “Jai, he's cute, he's fine, and he's not some asshole pro athlete, or superstar actor or rapper. Best of all, he doesn't know who you are!”

“What?”

“Think about it!” LaChina told her. “Your hat and glasses are off.”

Jamaica turned and stared at Tameer. “What am I going to do with him?”

“Attack, girl! Go get him!”

“China, have you flipped?” Jamaica asked. “I need a man, not a boy toy!”