Crooked G's (6 page)

“They most certainly do.” He grinned, taking notice of Shakita's increased curiosity.

“Let me ask you a question, Shakita. Have you ever stripped before?”

“No, but the way they be balling, I can honestly say I've thought about it plenty of times. Those hoes are out here winning.”

“Believe me. My girls do more than ball out. They make more money in one month than most people make in a whole year. I think you should come check the spot out and see what you think about it. I guarantee with your raw beauty, you could do really well there.”

Shakita never thought about working in a sex shop. Having sex for money was something that she always frowned upon. Now that she was eighteen, she'd started looking at the world in a whole new scope. Everyone that she knew with money was getting it the fast way. She was tired of struggling to keep her lights on while the hustlers thrived on the streets. Playing scratch-off lottery tickets wouldn't get her any real money, unless she was lucky. She figured working in a sex shop would get her in a better place, at least financially. She looked at Eric with hungry eyes as her curiosity continued to peak.

“So tell me more about The Black Emporium.”

“I honestly would rather show you than tell you. Would you like to see it?”

“I think so.” She scrunched up her face as nervous energy flowed through her.

“Well, let me take you there and if you don't like it, we can leave. Is that a deal?”

“I guess so.” She smiled as she shrugged her shoulders.

“Okay then. Let's finish up this wine and be off.”

Shakita didn't have any clue about the type of environment Eric would take her into, but felt he could be trusted. Eric filled up her glass as he prepared her for a life-changing experience.

•  •  •

Nine months had gone by and Shakita had quit working at The Black Emporium five times already. What she encountered there was too much for her to handle. Eric paid her well exactly like he'd promised, but it was what he didn't mention up front that made her detest his entire establishment. Not only was Eric a business owner, but he was also a drug dealer and pimp. He made his girls do drug runs all across the country. His girls had to have
sex with the drug bosses, and then with the hustlers to whom delivered the product. Eric wanted to please his clientele on both ends, which he felt represented a superior business model.

Eric had as many clients coming through The Black Emporium as he did out in the streets. He controlled a sizeable prostitution ring that stretched all the way to Pittsburgh. Eric sought after clients who were too ashamed, or feared being seen by someone they knew walking into a sex shop. Eric understood that discretion was every customer's number one demand, and he was more than willing to fulfill their request, as long as a dollar amount was attached.

Shakita's gambling addiction got worse once she started working at The Black Emporium. Some of the other girls took weekly trips to Atlantic City and Shakita started going with them. The rush she got after winning five thousand dollars from a slot machine sent her over the edge. Scratch-off tickets were a thing of the past as she graduated to where the real money was being won: high-stakes gambling. The more she played, the further her addiction took control of her unbalanced life. She never wanted to return to the one place that had given her so much, but so little at the same time. Shakita declared that the last time she left The Black Emporium, it would be wiped clean from her memory, but once again she was back.

•  •  •

Shakita walked into the front door and saw that everything was actually the same as it was when she'd left there nine months ago. As she opened up the custom-made, wrought-iron door, she could smell the aroma of fresh-cut roses that were neatly dispersed throughout the structure. The scent from the roses interlaced with
the perfume selection of the day that was used to increase the arousal of all male suitors. The walls in the spa were made of white marble with a fourteen-karat, gold-speckled pattern. All the decorations and furniture were inspired by ancient Rome with Julius Caesar-accented affiliations. The Black Emporium was the most beautiful, devilish nirvana that was wrapped up in four walls, and Shakita simply despised it.

Shakita walked past rows and rows of waiting clients as she walked to the receptionist desk. All the men looked at her with wondering eyes hoping she would be the girl whose services they would pay for. Shakita could feel their eyes on her, but she intentionally avoided looking at them, not wanting to provoke their yearning. The men continued to stare at her ass as she stood at the counter in her Lucky Brand jeans.

“I'm here to see Eric,” Shakita said to the unfamiliar female receptionist.

“May I have your name?” the receptionist politely asked.

“It's Shakita. He's expecting me.”

“Okay. One moment, Shakita,” the receptionist said, as she picked up her phone to dial Eric's extension. “Eric. There is a Miss Shakita here to see you.” The receptionist waited for his response and then hung up the phone. “All right, here's your card. He told me you know where his office is,” the receptionist said, as she handed Shakita a silver access card.

The Black Emporium offered eight different service levels, which were all categorized by colored access cards. The cards came in pink, red, blue, yellow, orange, gold, purple, and black. The pink card was the lowest-level service card and the black was the highest. The silver card wasn't a service card at all and was only given out if a person were going to Eric's floor.

Shakita took her card and walked over to the elevator where she then flashed it at the guard who would allow her to get on the elevator. Once in the elevator, Shakita inserted her card into the access panel. “You are going to Level-Silver,” the voice prompter informed her as the elevator began to move. The elevator passed all the other colored floors as it was programmed not to stop until it got to the silver level. “You are at Level-Silver. Please take your card,” the voice prompter informed her again as the silver card was ejected right before the doors opened. Shakita took the card and stepped out of the elevator and was now in the center of Eric's office.

“Petita Shakita,” Eric said as Shakita approached his desk. He had a lit cigar in his hand, but put it down in his ivory marble ashtray once Shakita was before him. He got up to give her a hug. It had been such a long time since he had seen her. “How are you?” he said as he held her tightly to his tall and well-groomed frame.

He was draped in a sandy, linen, custom-made Armani suit and wore a diamond-and-platinum Audemars Piguet watch. He always smelled of high-quality scents and looked even better.

“I'm not doing too good,” Shakita said sadly, as she tightly embraced him.

“What's going on?”

“I'm in a little trouble, Eric.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“I owe somebody a lot of money.”

“What happened and how much?”

“I can't tell you what happened right now, but I owe them two hundred and fifty thousand.”

Eric shook his head in disappointment. “How do you manage to get yourself in situations like this?”

Shakita dropped her head down in shame. “Just being stupid, I guess. I didn't mean for it to happen this way and now I really jammed myself up. You were the only one I could turn to for help.”

Eric broke their clasp and moved himself away from her. “So I guess you want me to give you the money?”

“Not exactly give me the money. I mean I can pay you back any way I can. Just consider it a loan.”

Eric positioned himself on top of his desk with his left arm resting on his thigh, while his right foot was still on the floor. “A loan?”

“Yes, a loan.”

“If I can recall correctly, I've given you a loan before. Matter of fact, quite a few of them, and you've never paid me back. You always up and disappear and come back whenever you run into another problem. I don't know if I can do it anymore.”

He was right, but Shakita still had to find a way to convince him that this time would be different.

“Look, Eric. I know I haven't made good on my promises in the past. But this time is different.” Her eyes started to moisten. “This time I put other people in danger and it might cost us our lives. If you help me, I promise I will pay you back every dime. Please help me, Eric. I really need you more than ever right now.”

Eric dropped his head to weigh out his options. He didn't know whether to believe Shakita this time or not. He had trusted her many times in the past and each time, she had abandoned her obligation to him. Yet, he had an emotional connection to her that he couldn't let go of. Not only did he feel deeply sorry for her, but also he was still secretly in love with her.

Eric loved so many qualities about Shakita and wished she could be his perfect lady, but her body and soul were too badly tainted. Shakita wasn't the right woman for him to risk his reputation and
everything he'd worked hard for. Unfortunately, he was a glutton for punishment and couldn't help but to woo her every chance he got.

“All right, Shakita, I'll help you. I can't give you what you're asking for. A lot of my assets are tied up in investments, along with the development of four more Black Emporiums. But I can give you something.”

Shakita felt relieved and wanted to stroke his ego a little, hoping to get him to change his mind and give her the full amount.

“Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Only if you could really know how much I do.” She looked around at her surroundings. “I can't believe you're adding on to what you built here so far. Are your new locations going to be in the city?”

“Not hardly, I'm thinking bigger than D.C. I'm opening up in Atlanta, Las Vegas, L.A., and Hong Kong.”

“You're opening one in Hong Kong? Why there?”

“Hong Kong is a very rich region with a low taxation policy. It's a golden opportunity to start a global network from there. With Hong Kong's strong economic influence on Europe, the UK, Germany, France, and Italy will soon want a Black Emporium of their own.”

“You are a marketing genius,” Shakita said as she walked over to him and stood in between his legs. “You are so brilliant and you know exactly what you want in life. I wish I could be more like you,” she said as she glided her hand across his firm chest.

Eric became weak when Shakita touched him, but he had to be strong and not give in to her flirtatious manner. He felt what she was doing and couldn't let her continue with her advances. “I can only give you ten thousand,” he said as he stopped her hand from moving up his chest, then stared into her eyes. He waited for her reaction to see how grateful she was.

“Thank you so much, Eric. That really helps out a whole lot, but honestly, I need to find a way to get more. My life depends on it.”

“I'm sorry, but that's the best I can do for now.”

“How about workin' for you? Can I work for you, so I can get the rest of the money I need?”

“Do you really want to go back to tricking?”

“No. But right now I have no other choice. I need to get that money.”

“Okay. You can work here until you get the money you need.”

“In here? I can't work in here. You know I work better in the streets.”

“True indeed, but you can make more money in here than you can make out there and with less risk. You already know the high-paying clients that come through here so this would be your best situation. If you're trying to make some big money quick, then I suggest that you do it.”

“What about drug runs? Can I do those for you?”

“I'm fully legit now, baby. I've been out of the drug game for months now. The only thing I can offer you is in here.”

Shakita didn't want to work under Eric's roof, but he was right. She could make more money working at the spa and avoid having to do illegal prostitution on the streets. She took Eric up on his offer. “Okay. I'll work here, but I really got to make some money.”

“No problem. I'll put you on the gold floor. You should do well there.”

“How come I can't be on the black or purple floor? Don't those floors make the most money?”

“Yes. But those floors are off-limits to you.”

“I don't understand. Why can't I go on those floors?”

“I don't want you up there and that's the only explanation I'm going to give you.”

Shakita wanted to know what was Eric's reasoning for not allowing her onto the floors, but she didn't want to aggravate him. “I'm sorry, Eric. I stepped out of line. It won't happen again.”

“Don't apologize for what you said, just don't question me.”

Shakita nodded her head making it clear that she understood.

“Now when do you want to start?”

“I wanna start now. I gotta make some money today.”

“Do you have anything to wear?”

“Yeah. I have a few of my old lingerie sets at home. I could go get them.”

“Don't bother. I want you to go shopping for some new pieces.” He pulled a money clip full of hundreds out of his pocket. He removed the clip and gave her ten bills. She quickly stuffed them in her tight pants pocket and then gave him a hug. She wanted to tell him how thankful she was for the extra money, but before she could, he placed his fingers over her lips.

“Before you go shopping and start on the gold floor, I need to have you before anyone else does.”

Shakita's pussy instantly became sodden from the slightest touch of his finger. She loved the way Eric desired her. She followed him into his master bedroom suite that connected to his office. Shakita had been in this room many times and everything still looked the same.

Shakita saw that the walls in the room were still painted burgundy as she walked across the glossy hardwood floor. The room was very well shaded by the drapes that kept the sun's rays from coming in. The plasma television was turned on with the volume muted as jazz music played low throughout the surround-sound theater system. Eric always had the mood set and that drove Shakita crazy. She stripped out of her clothes as Eric did the same. Shakita
hadn't been with Eric in so long, and it felt good to be caught up in the moment with him again.