Brooklyn Brothel (5 page)

He held my hand softly walkin’ me to the room. That was weird! Inside, we talked a little before we made any moves. I confessed about my nightmare with Adam, so he agreed to take things slow. I found out he owned a limousine
company in Long Island and was a regular at Betty’s place. He admitted to preferrin’ fat women, but told me I would do. At least I was thick and had a fat ass.

After flirtin’ with me for a while, Ray admitted that he didn’t have much longer. He became rambunctious, tellin’ me to get ass-naked. I obliged while he took his shit off too. My eyes bulged at the sight of his manhood. “That dick in my pussy,” I asked him.

He laughed and pulled me close. He instructed me to kiss his chest while he told me lies.

“My cock will work fine,” he assured. “I’ll stand up and put you on the dresser to make it easier.”

I hated the word cock. He must’ve known it ’cause he kept sayin’ the shit.

As soon as we got into the groove, Ray’s true colors showed. He spoke all kinds of sweet shit in my ear as he fucked me rhythmically. He confessed that he usually like to go fast, but understood my dilemma. I thanked him ova and ova again, but he kept bangin’ faster and faster. The dresser vibratin’ against the wall had me stutterin’ like crazy. I thought he was satisfied until he asked me the unthinkable-Ray wanted his butt licked. I gagged a few times, but thought about the money I needed to make. When it was all said and done, I’d made $400 off of Ray, and had a mouthful of his ass hairs stuck in between my teeth.

I got bold before he left. “How about a tip, handsome?”

He tossed me forty extra bucks, then patted me on my ass. He told me my pussy was good, and that he’d be back. I wanted to tell him I would be out by Saturday, but the door slammed in my face. Once again, I checked the towels. Although I was in a different room, nothin’ had changed. Betty and her triflin’ crew had us using nasty-ass towels.

When the night ended, Serita walked around collectin’
Betty’s cut for the night. I handed ova $700.00. Sasha looked at me and shook her head. She made me feel inferior like I’d done somethin’ wrong. Just before we headed ova to 2A, she pulled me to the side.

“Look, I’m not into schoolin’ dumb broads. But you gotta be smarter than that. If you make $800, tell’em you made less; like $600.00. It’s the only way you’ll really come out on top ’round here.”

“Thanks,” I ended up sayin’ to her backside.

Sasha walked off like she’d neva said anything to me. I followed behind after my long, stressful day. As I left the room, Serita locked up sayin’, “The clock never stops ticking for nothin’, no matter what. Remember that Co-Co.”

I put that bitch on the back burner, ’cause it was Betty who I was scared of. I wanted to grab somethin’ to eat, or at least order in. The girls had some food earlier in the great room, but I neva got any. It made the second night I would go to bed hungry.

Later that night, Cinnamon made me a sitz bath after I complained about what happened between me and Adam. She said she’d seen Betty downstairs smokin’ a cigar, so not to worry. Obviously Adam hadn’t said anything to her.

While I soaked in the tub, Sasha walked by with a cell phone in her hand. I panicked instantly. It was my only chance. “Hey, Sasha,” I yelled tryna dry my hands on the towel layin’ across the tub. “I’ll pay whatever you ask…can I call my son?” My eyes pleaded for mercy.

She neva hesitated. She passed me the phone. “I got unlimited,” she revealed. “Just don’t drop my shit in the water.”

I said a silent prayer hopin’ my ex, Dre, would answer. After all, it was one a.m., and a school night at that. All I needed was to hear Carlton’s voice. Just for a minute.

The phone only rang twice when Dre answered the
phone in a groggy tone.

“Yeah.”

“Dre, it’s me, Chantel. I know it’s late, but can you just put the phone to Carlton’s ear?”

“What? You must be crazy! You haven’t called here in two weeks and you think it’s a good idea to call at one o’ clock in the morning. You must be on that shit again!” he shouted.

“Dre, I’ve been sick,” I lied. “Just let me say hello.”

“Tell that to the judge. The paper work should be on the way to your apartment. I’m about to get full-custody. See you in court!”

Click.

My mouth hung low, and my eyes crossed like I’d been shot with some dope. I cried out! “My baby!” Was I losin’ him for good?

I leaned my upper body across the edge of the tub to lay Sasha’s phone down on the floor when my ears zoomed in on the yellin’ headed my way.

“You fuckin’ whore!” I heard someone shout.

Then came the rumblin’ sounds of things being knocked down and bodies headed my way. Finally, they appeared. It was Betty. She stood near the door to the bathroom area with her victim in hand, held hostage, for everyone to see. The broads name was Special.

She was a black chick that I’d only seen once, and had thrown me shade like she didn’t even wanna be in my presence. I wasn’t sure what the beef was all about, but the way she had Betty all fired up told me it was serious.

“You see this hooker here?” Betty shouted. “Do you!” she yelled again.

I nodded timidly, and looked around to see if any of the other girls where nearby. I felt like I had been singled out to watch Betty’s performance, until about two or three otha
girls came closer to watch the show, including Sasha.

The girls ranted like typical bitches, “Oh shit!” someone shouted, excited about the showdown.

“And what do we have here,” another announced.

I remained quiet and threw my bathcloth across my chest to cover my boobs. I blinked for a second as smoke seemed to escape through Betty’s tightened lips. I coulda sworn I saw horns pop up through her scalp. As she pulled Special in front of her and twisted her arm behind her back, I tried to process all the possibilities of what coulda happened.

Special had on a red negligee with a matchin’ garter belt, which told me that maybe she’d just finished turnin’ a trick. The girl was tremblin’ like crazy and beggin Betty for forgiveness.

“C’mon Betty, why you doin’ this?” she whined.

It was like a scene from an old Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. Betty picked her up like a wet mop, grabbed her by the back of her neck with her oversized hand, and slammed her head against the hard surface on top of the tub. Instantly, Special’s rough-lookin’ weave spread all ova her head.

Gasps were heard from all around the room. We couldn’t believe the strength Betty possessed. She roared like an irate lion, and switched her facial expression into an even nastier scowl. Repeatedly, she banged and banged, as blood spilled from Special’s nose and from the side of her head. I cringed with each bang, and moved closer to the wall hopin’ she wouldn’t get thrown into the tub with me.

I thought about Special.
Damn, I wouldn’t wanna be her ass right now
.

Betty’s anger increased by the second. And her slammin’ method grew more powerful.

“So you thought you could pull some bullshit like that, without any repercussions from me!”

Special tried to answer but couldn’t.

“This- is- what- happens- when- you- fuck- with- me!” Betty uttered, makin’ sure she smashed special’s head against the hard surface of the tub between each word.

My eyes bulged like they wanted to pop outta my head. It was crazy, how I wasn’t even the one gettin’ whipped, but I was scared as hell.

Betty’s tone was erratic but understandable. “You- don’t think-I -know -whores will- be- whores!”

Instantly, she gripped Special by the neck and began dumping her head in and out of my bath water. Bubbles surfaced on top of the water from Special’s attempt to breathe. Betty didn’t give a fuck. She pressed harder and harder makin’ sure Special couldn’t come up for air.

“Fuckin bitch!” Betty shouted.

For seconds, I was terrified, almost ready to piss right on Special’s head. Instead, I took short breaths hopin’ Special hadn’t drowned. It was obvious she’d lost her fight just as her movements ceased, and the bubbles declined.

All of a sudden there was silence on Betty’s end, and her movements stopped. She released her grip from Special, lifted her from the water, and stood ova the tub like she’d just conquered the world. Only sniffles from Special could be heard.

Her face was fucked up, and her spirit had been broken. Blood trickled down the sides of her swollen face. But none of us offered to help.

“I want you outta here,” Betty announced. “Twenty minutes flat!” And don’t call no damn ambulance to come to my spot!”

With that, Betty walked out leavin’ us all with our mouths wide open.

I guess the kick-ass session was finally ova. The room remained completely silent. I simply turned my head, and slid as far down in the tub as I could go without drinkin’ my bath
water. I knew I needed to find out as soon as possible what that bitch did to Betty, ’cause I damn sho didn’t wanna make the same mistake.

Chapter 4

The next mornin’
nobody had to wake me, or shake me. I was up, had my sweat gear on, ready to make my way downstairs. The block looked hot from my window so gettin’ out onto the streets of Brooklyn had me excited. I was beginnin’ to feel a lil’ more comfortable with my new environment.

“Where you going?” Cinnamon asked, in her hyped tone.

I had my hand on the railin’. “To get somethin’ to eat ’fore I starve. And then to find a store. I need baby wipes like a mufucka.”

“Baby wipes?” Cinnamon looked confused.

I started walkin’ down the stairs, not wantin’ to waste anymore time. She followed, waitin’ for me to explain what the baby wipes were all about.

“You use those nasty-ass towels that get re-used by client after client?” My face said it all. It was sickenin’ to even think about it. “I need to find a store to get me some wipes. You do what you do,” I told her, “but I like bein’ clean. I had better treatment in prison,” I joked.

“Oh, you did,” Betty belted from the doorway of her office.

Her voice was powerful and a major threat. My eyes quickly darted her way. “Good mornin’, Betty.”

“Then go back to fuckin’ jail then, bitch,” she belted, followed by a set of rollin’ eyes. “Bring your ass in here.” She turned and sashayed into her office.

“I’ll wait out front,” Cinnamon told me.

What the hell could she want with me? I turned in my money last night. I followed all the damn rules, and it was just the second day
. What was the problem? Maybe she found out Bo had fudged my resume sayin’ I had prostituted before, and worked in otha in-houses. Maybe she had checked up on me. Or maybe Adam told her he wanted a refund.

I walked in, about to sit down when Betty shoved a bill in my face. My eyes focused on the over-sized, long dress she wore from the 50’s that straddled the floor. The gold, glittery dress squished her tits up high, allowin’ them to greet people instantly.

“I collect my administrative fees on Wednesday nights. You got today and tomorrow to gather the money for this bill. Since you’ve neva been here before, I wanted you to know what I’m gonna be expecting. You pay in cash, or we beat it out your ass!”

I hoped her last comment was a joke. Beat me? Maybe that’s why there were always strange men hangin’ around at the bottom of the stairs dressed in black suits, and who neva said a word. I scanned the bill that said invoice at the top. It was handwritten and scribbled sloppily.

“I’m done,” Betty said coldly. “It’s ten o’clock. I suggest you hurry.”

Two hundred and seventy dollars for just stayin’ here
! I fumed inside, but dared not say anything out loud.
Ten dollars
for laundry- that fat nasty bitch probably washes once a year
! I burst out the front door tryin’ to wipe the frown from my face. I’d forgotten Cinnamon was out front waitin’. The moment I started fussin’, Sasha came prancin’ from the in-house, too.

“We gonna grab a bite. Wanna go?” Cinnamon asked Sasha.

Sasha was hesitant, but agreed. We walked down the street like three normal chicks, but got looks of death from the neighbors. I glanced back ova my shoulders to see Betty gazin’ at us from the window. She spied on us with a watchful eye. Her expression had a warnin’ attached to it. I was pissed already with her fees, so if she thought she was gonna keep me from minglin’ with the girls, she was wrong. I felt like the old Chantel was coming back. The defiant, expressive Chantel. The one who wasn’t gonna let Betty ruin my chances of makin’ money.