CHAPTER 55
I can't find her in the parking lot, which means it's road time. I'm on my bike and moving slowly when I get about half a block down and see Toni for the first time. She's a very pretty black girl standing about 5'10" in heels with her hair unbelievable short to where she almost has no hair on her head, she's wearing a white denim jacket and a loose gray t-shirt with some tight jeans and tennis shoes. I pull up and stop next to her stop before hopping off my bike and pulling off my helmet to greet her.
"Are you Toni," I ask, trying to be friendly," You work at the Honey Pot?"
"Maybe, who are you?" She asks, ready to run or fight.
"Easy, I was there this evening and I saw you drop this," I say, taking her wallet out of my coat and handing it to her.
Toni snatches the wallet from my hand quickly and checks the contents, I see her breathe a sigh of relief and calm down a little.
"Thanks man, I need this, my rent money is in there," she tells me before looking like she'd regret it.
"Hey it's no problem, sorry I didn't get to see you dance tonight," I say, checking the bruise around her eye from a safe distance.
"Yeah well I still got a week or so to go before they let me work again but I'm gonna have to quit there and get a different job if this keeps up," She says sitting down.
"Want to talk about it," I ask leaning against the side of the bus stop.
"I don't know you and why the fuck would you care what happens to a stranger," She asks getting a little defensive.
"You don't know me but I'm just trying to be friendly and polite. I'll just let you have your peace and quiet," I tell her, backing up and starting to head back to my bike.
"Wait I'm sorry I'm really fucked up right now and I don't deal with good people all that often," Toni says getting me to stop with a hand on my arm.
"Well I'd say you owe me so hop on," I say, pulling out the spare helmet and handing it to her.
"Wait what," She says, holding it confused.
"You owe me for returning your wallet so I get to drive you home," I explained while getting on my bike.
"You want me to pay you back by letting you drive me home, that's it," She says, really confused.
I nod and I hear her say something under her breath as I start my bike up, I get a few directions and we're off and down the road. It takes a while but we pull up to some not so okay apartments around ten thirty and I drop her off my bike and send Mark a text telling him not to wait because I'm elsewhere. I get my affirmative reply before cutting the engine and taking back my spare helmet and stowing it.
"Thanks for the ride," Toni says with a softer mood.
"You are very welcome. I'm sorry I couldn't do more to help," I say, smiling back.
"Unless you're giving away a couple hundred dollars I'm pretty okay everywhere else," Toni says as a weary joke.
I don't know why I'm a sucker for people who need help, my lot in life, but I pull ten twenty dollar bills from my wallet in my coat pocket and hold it out for her to take. Toni's face is one of real skepticism right now as she looks like I'm going to force something but she takes it and counts it before looking at me like I've just done something really weird.
"This is two hundred dollars," Toni says, still stunned as she folds her money up in her hands.
"Yes, you said a couple and a couple is two," I say plainly.
"But why give me money, hell why even return my money. Nobody does that anymore," She says, apparently put off by my honest nature.
"I'm nobody then, but you're not Toni. Just take care of yourself and try not to get into any trouble," I say, starting to walk away.
"Okay now you're fucking with me," she says getting in front of me cutting me off," you give me back my money, then you make me pay you back by giving me a ride home and now you're handing me money and walking away. Who the hell are you really?"
"I'm Guy, it's my name honestly. And some people need help; when I see someone in need and I figure out they're not a piece of shit I feel compelled to help. Now I'll leave you for your evening and I have to get home to my girls," I tell her starting to leave but get cut off again.
"Your girls, like your women or your kids," She asks sternly.
"My women, I have five girlfriends and right now I'm probably missed by my friends as they are still milling around the club," I go to leave again but she stops me again.
"I gotta go check my little girl but do you want to come inside for a little bit," She asks, trying to either pay me back or figure me out.
I step out of her way and let her lead as we walk under the stairs and duck into the dark doorway of what appears to be her apartment. It's a mess to be nice, clothing hasn't been picked up, food dishes are in the sink and the lights are on when I see a woman in her late twenties come out of the back wearing a long t shirt and pajama pants with her hair pulled into these little braids that dangle around her head, she's black like Toni and confused seeing a white guy in a leather jacket standing in their living room as Toni starts to clean up embarrassed.
"What are you doing bringing a guy home, I thought you were working tonight," the girl asks, not even speaking to me.
"Denise this is Guy, Guy this is my older sister Denise. She's the smart one of the two of us and she helps me by watching my baby girl while I'm out at work," Toni says giving the introductions," I was going to work but they won't let me with this bruise on my face then Guy here not only found my wallet and gave it back but gave me a free ride on his bike home and two hundred dollars because I made a joke and he didn't think it was funny."
"To her credit she was speaking rhetorically and I was helping her literally which confused her," I clarify, causing both women to stare at me," You made your joke and I was serious."
I watch Toni leave the room and Denise is looking at me awkwardly as we stand there in the silence of the messy apartment.
"Older sister," I ask, trying to kill the silence.
"Yes, You in school," she replies.
"Yeah, I'm a senior next year but I live up north in Washington," I tell her plainly.
"It's nice up there. You do well in school," She asks, sitting on the couch.
"Yeah I want to go to college soon so I can get a job and start a family," I tell her sitting at the opposite end.
"You got a girl to start a family with," She asks, trying to make conversation.
"I have five and before you start yelling at me no they are not side girls. Right now they're having a girl's night back at my folk's place with a bunch of our friends," I tell her plainly.
"I can see why you got five women if you can just throw money around like that," Denise says as a bit of an insult.
"Actually it's just money," I say plainly," And they'd be with me regardless because I didn't make them take this deal they made the deal and brought me into it. They treat each other like family and make it work. It's not perfect but they're mine and I'm theirs."
"So you seriously have five on the hook without bankrolling them or nothing shady," Denise says, taking a serious tone.
"I'm a nice guy sometimes, they like that. And when someone gives my girls a bad time I'm the other person," I say keeping my tone light.
Toni comes back into the room minus her jacket and I get the feeling that the room is a little crowded as I stand up.
"Ladies it's been wonderful to meet you both but I have things to do tonight and my own bed to sleep in," I tell them as I start to head for the door.
"Just wait a minute," Toni says, stopping me with a few words," Denise could you head to bed while I talk with Guy for a little while?"
"It was nice meeting you Guy," Denise says, getting up and leaving the room.
"Are you really a high schooler," Toni asks, getting a nod from me," First real man I've met and he's not only got women and money but he's in school."
"I also live in Washington and I'm just a young man, I'll be a real man when I have a job and a family," I tell her sitting on the arm of the couch.
"See that's a real man talking right there, so what's the other thing with you," Toni asks, sitting down where her sister was.
"I get what you're asking. I'm kind of like a Genie in a bottle, I give you what you deserve," I tell her, getting another odd look," You drop your wallet and I help you out, you need money and aren't a piece of shit person so I help you. That type of thing."
"Okay but that isn't the whole story, what happens when you get put in a bad spot," Toni asks, waiting for her real answer.
"I also tend to find people who just can't stand my life and don't want to let me have my own way in the world. They've come at me before and I'm still here, One is currently seeking professional help, others are in jail, some are just broken and have no fight anymore and my first real friend is dead," I tell her with unwavering power in my voice," I don't fight to win, I fight to destroy."
"Wow you're a fucked up high schooler," Toni says a little shocked as I sit back in my seat.
"Yeah well a couple years ago I would have been easily ignored for not doing much but now I'm the guy," I snicker at my name joke," that people flock to."
"Yeah well you're a decent young man I'll give you that," Toni says relaxing a little," So I owe you more than a little bit and I'm just wondering what I can do to make it even."
"I don't want anything honestly, I was just doing the right thing," I tell her, being as simple as I can.
"Well then are you still in the mood to help a girl out," she asks, getting up and heading down the hallway in the apartment.