Stoned

*

"I got 'em."

Vince closed her eyes, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"Where are you?"
"Just checked in."

"Good. I'll be there soon."

*

It was a nice hotel, four or five star. Twenty-four hour room service, a two-bedroom suite with king-sized beds, plush linens and lots of pillows, fancy soaps and shampoo...

Keni was so tired she went to sleep almost immediately. But as I held her in my arms, I couldn't sleep. It was past midnight and my eyes were still glued to the television. I knew Johnny was in the sitting area, so that helped me stave off a panic attack. But, what the hell? I mean...what the hell?

Around 2am, I heard a knock on the suite's door. I wiggled from beneath Keni's warm body, made sure she was still sleeping comfortably, and then headed out to the sitting area, leaving the door slightly ajar so I could hear if Keni needed me. Johnny was reclining on one of the sofas, remote control in hand. Vince was removing her jacket. They both looked up when I entered.

"Ima take off," Johnny announced, standing and tossing the remote onto a short, squat coffee table in front of one of the sofas.

"Yea, thanks," Vince offered.

Johnny grabbed his jacket and headed toward the door, winking at me before leaving. I stood with my arms folded, watching as Vince tossed her jacket onto the back of one of the sofas.

"Keni okay?" She asked.

I raised a brow, "if you mean by that was my child scared to death by someone pounding on our apartment door, then whisking us away in the middle of the night and was then so exhausted she fell into a coma, then yes, she's okay Vince."

She sighed, "yea, about that—"

"Yea Vince, what the fuck?"

She'd never heard me curse, so she knew I was pissed. And I was. This was my kid we were talking about...

"Georgia, let me explain—"

"Explain? Explain what? Why Johnny kidnapped us in the middle of the night?!"

She grabbed my arm and shook me a little, "keep your voice down, you're going to wake up Keni."

I closed my eyes for a moment and forced myself to take a deep breath...then another. Then another. Even after that I wasn't feeling any calmer. And later, I would appreciate her concern for my daughter, but right now...

"My Uncle received word that a competitor was interested in some of our territory. It crosses theirs and would allow them to branch out in terms of customers. That's why I was in Chicago. While I was there, Johnny called to tell me he thought he saw someone following you. Then he interrupted their attempt to break into your apartment. I don't know if they planned to scare you, kidnap you or kill you, but I told him to get you out of there."

I stared at her...take over her territory? Kidnap or kill us? This was her explanation?

"Uh..." And that was it. That's all I could get out.

"I'll take care of it, Georgia."

I shook my head and plopped down onto an overstuffed sofa, wrapping my arms tightly around myself. What had I gotten myself into? A battle over territory? A plot to hurt the girlfriend and her kid? I mean...really?

"Vince, uh, I can't—" I started, knowing I had to end this before it really started. I couldn't be a part of this world. Not if my daughter's life would be affected by it. That was not the parental thing to do. Why hadn't I thought of that in the first place? Oh, I know why, because someone told me the Mafia did not exist...

"I know, Georgia. Let me take care of this and then you can break up with me."

I looked over at her, standing tall, her body tense, her face expressionless, those intense blue eyes cool. She seemed...resigned. Like she knew this would be my response. But what choice did I have? It didn't matter how I felt about her, how I responded to her, how she felt about me...Keni had to come first. Always.

"Vince—"

Again, I was amazed by how quickly she moved...suddenly she was standing before me, hauling me up from the sofa and pulling me close.

"But I'm warning you," she said, her voice thick and raspy and...sexy as all hell...her blue eyes warm...darkening..."before you make that decision, I plan to fuck you."

Shocked, I didn't respond...verbally. My body tightened... heated... flushed...my nipples hardening...and I leaned into her instinctively. She smirked.

"Go to bed Georgia," she whispered huskily.

I hesitated, my body still pressed against hers...and then I took a step back, turned and almost ran to the bedroom I was sharing with Keni. Behind the closed door, I leaned heavily against the thick wood...my body was burning. Burning from the core outward. God, if she could do that with a simple statement...a simple look...God. How was I going to stick to my decision to end things with her?

I crawled back into bed, pulling my sweet smelling baby girl into my arms...jeez. This was going to be complicated.

*

When we woke the next morning, and I say 'we' because I most certainly, and intentionally, planned to use Keni as a shield, Johnny was back and Vince was gone. Johnny stayed with us most of the day, and the next day, ordering food, staying close as we explored the hotel and the few surrounding blocks in Manhattan. We were in the center of the city on the west side and there was plenty for us to explore, although I curbed our excitement considering it wasn't our money we were spending.

I thought for sure on Monday Johnny would tell us we had to stay put, but he didn't. He drove us to my place so Keni could change into her school clothes and get her backpack. Thank goodness we'd done her homework the day before because it hadn't occurred to me to take it with us. After we dropped her off, Johnny drove me to the supermarket, hung out in my apartment while I prepped dinner (just some chicken legs that Anna would pop into the oven that evening), and then drove me to work. He actually did a walk-through of the small grocery store, asking Dave if the back door was locked, asking about each employee...eventually, when he was satisfied no one could come in from any other point of entry, he settled down in his huge, black SUV in front of the store where he could keep an eye on my register.

Not surprisingly, Dave called me into his office almost immediately. I had just closed the door when he asked "what the fuck was that about?"

Honestly, I wasn't sure what I was allowed to tell him. So, I fudged a bit and told him I was seeing someone who was a little anxious about security. He raised a brow.

"So you're not dating Vince Stone?"

My mouth fell open, "how the heck do you know that?" I demanded.

He smiled, "it's a small community, Gia. And Vince is a big deal around here. So, are you dating her?"

I dropped down into one of the cheap plastic chairs in front of his messy desk, wondering when Queens had become a 'small community.'

"I don't know. I mean...I guess, as of right now, yes. But then she tells me she's having some problems and it could spill over onto me and Keni so...I don't know anymore."

"Uh, duh Gia, she's Mafia."

I looked at him, "Vince says the Mafia doesn't exist."

He snorted, "yup. There aren't any government conspiracies either."

I smiled, "shut up Dave. Anyway, Vince says she's taking care of it, so I don't think this is going to be a problem long term."

He nodded, "as long as you're all right, it's fine. Just be careful, Gia."

I nodded, smiling at him before standing and leaving his office. As usual, there was a line waiting for me at my register (I had a few customers that preferred me over the other cashiers), so I didn't waste time getting to work.

The day flew by for some reason (most times there was a lull and the day dragged on). Around 6pm, Johnny picked me up, drove me to my apartment and then hung out with us for dinner. Anna left before dinner and I could tell Johnny wasn't thrilled with my rather boring, and bland, chicken, rice and frozen veggies meal, but I ignored him. It's not like I invited him to dinner. Then he watched a movie with us, had some FroYo...and then it was time for Keni to shower and go to bed. Once I got her settled, I joined Johnny in my tiny living room. We pretended to watch a little television until I couldn't take it anymore.

"Who is trying to take over some of her territory?" I finally asked.

"A Jamaican crew. Moved into the area a few about a year ago. Deals drugs."

I glanced over at the large man sitting on my sofa, surprised he'd answered.

"Vince sells drugs?" I asked carefully.

"No. That's the deal they're trying to make with the Jamaicans. Since it's not taking business away from Vince, they planned to let the Jamaicans sell as long as they keep it off the streets and away from schools."

Again, I was a little surprised he was telling me all this. So, I decided to keep going.

"What does Vince do if she doesn't sell drugs?"

"Loan sharking, gambling, she owns a few strip clubs, some other businesses..."

I raised a brow, my dark eyes meeting his warm brown ones. I knew he was downplaying it. No way would she be able to make the kind of money she made with a few strip clubs and some gambling. But I didn't push. Clearly he, or she, didn't want me to know what else she was involved in. And I was happy enough that she wasn't selling drugs.

"So, if she makes a deal with this group, how does she keep control? I mean, why wouldn't they continue to branch out, asking for more and more territory?"

He nodded, seemingly impressed with how quickly I caught on, "yea, exactly. So, they make a deal with them now. In the future, she will have to push back. That won't be pleasant."

'That won't be pleasant.' Johnny talk for people could die? Who knew? I turned back to the television for a little while, letting his words sink in.

"So...would you?" I asked suddenly.

Johnny turned back to me, "would I what?"

I continued, "if you had nothing to do with this world, and you had a kid...would you date someone like Vince?"

He hesitated, then turned back to the television.

"Vince is good people."

I nodded, "not what I asked Johnny."

He stared blankly at the television for a few minutes and I thought he wasn't going to answer...but finally he sighed, "look, she knows you're worried. She gets that. And it's not like she's going to force you. If you decide to walk away, then that's it. No hard feelings."

I stared at his profile...and asked a question that had been bothering me, "is that really true? No hard feelings?"

Johnny finally turned to me, his eyes serious. "Vince ain't like that. She won't push. You say no, it's no. Done deal."

I wouldn't lie to myself, there had been a part of me that wasn't sure it would be that easy. After all, I had already tried to extricate myself from her life twice...and she'd ignored those efforts. But perhaps she hadn't taken them seriously. So, it was good to know if I was serious, she would most likely back off.

"You still didn't answer my question," I reminded him with a small smile.

He shrugged, "can't. Don't have a kid. Almost always been in this life. Don't know what it looks like from the other side."

Okay, those were good points. So I decided to try a different angle.

"You going to tell me what else she does, or that's pretty much it?" I smiled.

He smirked, "the rest you get from Vince."

I nodded, of course.

I watched as he stood and stretched, grabbing the jacket he'd placed on the back of a chair.

"You don't open the door for anyone except people you know," he demanded, his tone serious.

I nodded. I'd noticed the two additional, expensive looking dead bolts someone had installed. The keys had been left on the kitchen table for me.

"I'll be back in the morning to drive you to work."

I nodded again, following him to the door.

"Thanks Johnny," I offered softly.

He paused at the door, turning to me and sighing, "this fucking life is no joke, Gia. But Vince is good people. Gets it from her Uncle. She'll take care of you and the kid."

My eyes filled with tears, because even if that was true, and it probably was, I just wasn't sure I could risk it. Johnny sighed again, then, surprisingly, leaned down and kissed me on the forehead.

"Try to get some sleep," he ordered gently.

I nodded, closing and locking the door behind him.

I washed the dinner dishes, tidied up the bathroom, turned off the television, and shut off most of the lights. My mind was filled with what Johnny had shared...and Vince...and her last promise. And I was really struggling. Because to be a responsible parent, I felt like I needed to put some serious distance between me and Vince and quickly. But there was a part of me...God, I just wanted...I don't know. I felt like I'd been making sacrifices for so long...I just wanted Vince...and that was selfish. And possibly dangerous. And if anything happened to my baby girl because of that decision...

And then I realized what I'd just said to myself. I had made a decision, hadn't I? I was going to try this with Vince, at least for a while, and see where it went. And God help me if I was making the wrong choice for myself or my girl.

*

"What'd you talk about?"

Johnny smirked at his boss's question, glad she couldn't see him through the phone.

"About the Jamaicans. What you did. Did you sell drugs? She asked me if I would be with someone like you?"
He was amused by her pause.

"What'd you say?" She finally asked.

"Didn't answer that question, but I think she's going to take a chance."

He laughed to himself when he heard the line disconnect.

***

For the next two weeks, we had men with us almost everywhere we went. Most of the time it was Johnny, but sometimes it was others. Other men who worked with, or for, Vince. And I got a chance to spend quite a bit of time with these men...but not with the woman I had decided to actually date. And then, after two weeks, the men stopped coming. I would still catch a glimpse of them here or there, probably still keeping somewhat of an eye on us, but for the most part, they were gone. Johnny explained that the deal had been made with the Jamaicans, so Keni and I were safe. I was glad to hear it. And I thought, since her negotiations were over, I would get to see more of Vince. No such luck. She'd stopped by my job every few days and spend one of my 15-minute breaks with me. And sometimes she would stop by, pretty late at night, and spend 15 or 30 minutes with me. But that was it. I started to feel like I felt when I was dating Michael...like a side piece. It was beginning to annoy me.

*

"She's doing very well in all of her subjects, Ms. Adams. She's excels particularly at spelling and punctuation. Did she tell you she won the class spelling bee five times and she will compete in the school-wide spelling bee at the end of the school year?"

"Yes, I read your letter about it."

"It's quite a feather in my cap. The school has not had a student in the first grade class qualify for the school-wide spelling bee in a very long time. We're all very proud of her."

I nodded, smiling. Like I said before, I could listen to accolades about my baby girl all day long.

"She does struggle with math a little. The problems she actually completes are always correct, but she seems to run out of time when taking the tests in class. She told me she works with pennies at home? You need to help wean her off of that system."

I frowned, but nodded, not sure how I would do that. I guess it made sense since I couldn't send a bunch of pennies with her to school...

"Maybe you could give me the name and author of the workbook you're using in class so I can work with her at home using the same book?" I asked.

She nodded, "yes, good idea. I'll make sure to send that to you. Do you have an email address registered with us?"
"Yes, although I don't check it very often."

"Okay, so I'll email it to you."

She took a moment to do something on her smart phone, so I assumed she was emailing it to me. I had an outdated laptop that I rarely used at home, so I guess I would check my email and order the text. I didn't have to pay for the Internet since one of neighbors was kind enough to give me access to hers. Once the teacher was done emailing me, there was an odd pause. It was clear she had something else to say to me.

"So, the only other area that concerns me is her friendship with Panda," she dove in.

I raised a brow, surprised.

"She hardly spends any time with anyone else in the class. And that is atypical. Before the 'incident' with Panda, she was making friends with boys and girls in the class. Now, it's just her and Panda. And if Panda is absent, she spends that day pretty much alone."
Okay, I wasn't thrilled to hear that. I didn't see it as a 'problem' per se, but I wanted my baby to have more than just one friend. The few books I'd read on childhood development said social skills were just as important as any other area to develop during elementary school. So, I would have a chat with her about that.

"Is that really a problem?" I asked.

"Well, the problem is not Keni. Panda comes from a troubled home. Her mother is a single parent, like you, but she rarely comes to school for parent-teacher conferences. And based on Panda's lack of progress academically, I don't believe anyone is helping her with her homework or supervising her most of the time when she's home. And...uh...I don't know if you realized this, but one of Panda's family members is engaged in criminal activities. So, we worry that Panda's negative influences will begin affecting Keni."

And what the hell was I supposed to say to that? I mean...I didn't know what Panda's home life was like, but as a single mother I knew how difficult it was to provide for your child and try to carve out time to spend with her. And I had no idea if Panda had siblings, which would put more demands on her mother...but, what the hell did that have to do with Vince? I was assuming she was discussing Vince when she mentioned the criminal in her family...

"Are you talking about Vince Stone?" I asked.

"Uh, yes. I don't know if you know this, but Ms. Stone visits with Panda and Keni at least once a week, sometimes more. Brings them lunch and sits with the girls. We encourage family visits, so we haven't stopped these visits, but we're wondering if they are negatively affecting Keni."

So, I guess not everyone knew I was dating Vince.

"But you said Keni was doing very well," I reminded her.

"Well, yes, other than the friend issue," she offered. Then she sighed. "Ms. Adams, what I'm suggesting is that you encourage Keni to branch out so that she's not unduly influenced by the troubled home life of one girl."

Suddenly tired of this conversation, and wondering how worried I should be about some of the suggestions this young woman was making, I decided to end the conference. So I stood.

"Thank you Ms. Kemp. I appreciate your time."

She also stood, reaching out to shake my hand. I shook hers reluctantly.

"Overall, it's a delight to have Keni in class, Ms. Adams."

I nodded, "none of your concerns about her keeping company with a future juvenile delinquent will be recorded in her school record, right?"

The woman blanched, "Ms. Adams, that is not at all what I was suggesting. And no, none of this will be noted in her record."

"Will it be included in Panda's records?" I asked, surprising her.

"Uh, well, I can't really discuss that with you," she hedged.

Which meant yes. I sighed, and thought briefly about whether or not I should mention this conversation to Vince.

*

That evening, I shared the conversation with Anna once Keni was in the shower. She was as disturbed as I was about the teacher's comments, especially about Vince.