Cartier Cartel (10 page)

"It ain't even that serious," Monya sourly replied. She'd just put on her
dress. "How I look?"

Cartier stopped prancing around long enough to look at her friend. Her
eyes scanned Monya up and down and she didn't get it. She knew guys loved
Monya's cute face, but Cartier thought Monya was a lost cause. At one point,
her body matured faster than the rest of the Cartel's bodies. But as fast as it
grew, it seemed to stop just as fast. Regardless of how many guys pushed up
on her, Cartier thought Monya's body was that of a ten-year-old.

"You look stupid," Cartier said matter-of-factly. "Why are you always
wearing those baby doll dresses?"

"How I look stupid and you don't?" Monya countered.

"I'm just saying that you're going on a date, not to the mall with friends.
You're supposed to look sexy. Why don't you throw on a pair of tight jeans
and halter shirt and your mink coat?"

"Because he already saw me in jeans. I gotta switch it up and give him a
little variety. That's why I put my hair in curls and not let it fall straight."

Cartier knew she had gotten under Monya's skin, just as Monya had tried
to get underneath hers. And she loved it. Payback could be a bitch just as payback could be rewarding. Monya was insecure and that insecurity was
woven in every fiber of her body. It was easy for Cartier to pull back the layers
and find her buttons. She knew Monya needed validation, validation she
would never receive from Cartier.

"Look, just as you were trying to help me, you need to help yourself and
take a good look in the mirror. That's all I'm saying."

Monya wanted to curse her out, but she didn't. She did look hard in
the mirror and at the last minute settled on a pair of jeans and tight sweater.
Internally, Cartier was laughing. Monya looked twenty times better before,
but it was the price she would pay for trying to sabotage Cartier first. It was
about having a strong will, and Cartier knew she possessed the will and
confidence to bring down mountains. Her best friend didn't.

"I hope I have fun with this kid tonight. He seems a little boring on the
phone," Monya began. "But if I have a boring time, hopefully Karon will make
up for it tomorrow night:'

"You going out with Karon tomorrow?"

"Hell yeah, why not?"

"What about Wise?"

"What about him? If a dude wants me to be exclusive, then he better
make me exclusive," Monya explained. "There're too many men out here to
put all my eggs in one basket, especially considering how men play. They have
a stable of bitches and they want you to be faithful." Monya sucked her teeth
as she admired her pretty face in the mirror. "Besides, Karon is all sweating
me. Did I tell you last night he was crying for me?"

Here we go again, Cartier thought. Monya on this fairest-of-them-all shit
again. She's always telling tales about how some dude is crying over her bony ass,
begging her to be his chick, or dissing some chick for her. Please, bitch, can the
Cartel see this shit just once?

Cartier didn't feed into Monya's ego. She excused herself and went in the
room with her mother. She knew if she stayed, her thoughts would become verbal, and she didn't want to crush Monya's spirit or her own spirit before
their dates.

Wise came to pick up Monya ten minutes prior to Ryan picking up
Cartier. Cartier watched as Monya and Wise drove off. One part of her
wanted Monya to lock it down with Wise, while the other part wanted Wise
to shit on her and crush her huge ego. Although Cartier loved Monya like a
sister, there was still a competitive streak for both of them and it seemed their
interest in men was bringing that to the forefront.

Monya relaxed as the car glided over the pavement. She felt more like she
was riding on a magic carpet than in a vehicle.

"Where we going?" she asked as they headed down Atlantic Avenue
toward the FDR.

"I was thinking that we go to eat at Benihana's. Would you like that?"

Monya looked into his dreamy eyes and got lost. She really wanted to be
his girl.

"Yeah, that's cool."

"You ever been there?"

"Of course," she lied. She really didn't know why she lied, but Wise was
her first adult boyfriend. She didn't want him thinking she wasn't used to shit.
Truth be told, all her other boyfriends didn't have money to take her to a nice
restaurant, didn't have a vehicle, or didn't have any style. She'd gone out to
dinner before, but Red Lobster was the closest she'd gotten to upscale.

"I love their food," she lied again.

"I mean, it's a'ight," Wise commented. "I would have taken you to Mr.
Chow's, but I couldn't get a reservation." Now it was his turn to lie. In the
matter of women, Wise was a practical guy. He wasn't about to drop $300 for
a good time that didn't include him getting pussy later. She's lucky I brought
her ass to Benihana's. He knew her full resume and knew she had an ulterior
motive, just like he did.

"Well, we can go there next time?" Monya asked joyfully.

"No doubt," he paused. Shit better be tight and tasty to get that kinda money
out of me. He knew it was best to change the subject. "You looking really sexy
tonight. What's the name of those shoes you got on?"

"Thank you." She smiled. "These are Jimmy Choos."

"Word? How much those joints cost?"

Monya got excited. Was he going to take her shopping? Perhaps she
didn't miss out on anything with Cartier bagging Ryan. She possibly had the
moneymaker sitting next to her.

"I paid four hundred for these"

"You bought those?" Wise asked with surprise in his voice.

"What do you mean did I buy these?" Monya questioned with shock on
her face. "They ain't free."

"You paid cash out of your wallet for those shoes?" Wise still had doubt
in his voice.

Monya didn't knowwhat he was trying to say. She wondered ifhe thought
that some other dude bought her shoes and he was getting jealous. She didn't
know how to handle the situation and wished Cartier was there to help her.
She decided to calm the situation and show him her independence.

"Of course I bought them myself. Ain't no nigga give me the money for
these."

Wise hated the way she spoke. She had such a pretty face, but her speech
told a different story. The women he usually dated were well-spoken and
educated. Monya was the typical Brooklyn broad-ghetto as hell.

"Get the fuck outta here," Wise said laughingly. "You trying to rock a
nigga to sleep with that bullshit."

Now Monya was truly confused. If Wise had a point, she wished that he
would get to it.

"So how did I get them?" she asked.

"Don't you be boosting?" he retorted.

That mere word, boosting, sent waves of embarrassment down her spine.

Then she remembered she and the Cartel had a reputation that preceded
them. She wasn't down for games and saw no point in lying.

"I mean, hell yeah, we be getting that paper, but your question was about
my shoes and I bought these."

"So it ain't that easy boosting shoes?"

"It depends on the store and the salesperson. Sometimes, they get caught
slipping. Other times, they're not having it."

"So when you gonna get me some shit?"

Monya sunk even lower in her seat. She couldn't believe that this nigga
just tried to play her. Disappointment immediately set in, but she wanted to
rise above the feeling.

"Well, if you were my man and if I was still boosting, then maybe I would."

"Oh, now all of a sudden you stopped boosting?" Wise's voice was laced
with sarcasm and Monya wasn't feeling him at all. She resented that he put
her on the spot and didn't like the interrogation.

"It's none of your business when I stopped or if I stopped," Monya
snapped back. She was too cute to be under such pressure. This nigga can
bounce for all I care. There'll be another one rolling through soon. "I don't know
what the fuck you thought, but you got me mixed up."

"Do I?"

Monya hated the sarcasm in his every comment. "Truly you do," she said
with equal sarcasm.

For the rest of the ride, they sat in uncomfortable silence. When they
pulled up to park on the side block, Monya decided to make small talk.

"I'm so hungry right now. What about you?"

"That's the reason we're going to eat, right? Because we're hungry?" the
sarcasm continued to drip in his every comment. Not waiting for a reply he
stated, "Watch my car door when you open it."

Monya could sense his mood had shifted and she didn't want it to be a dull night. Not one to stay in a funk, she hoped she could put a smile on his
face before the night ended.

Cartier and Ryan hit it off from the start. When he pulled up to her
apartment building, he actually got out of the car and opened her car door.
Cartier was impressed. She'd never experienced such chivalry. Most of the
boys she grew up with couldn't spell or ever heard the word chivalry. That
one act had already placed Ryan above the guys she had dated before.

"When I saw you I was mesmerized," Ryan stated on the ride to the
restaurant. "I was like, 'I gotta get to know shorty.' "

"I didn't even know you were checking for me. I thought you were
checking for my homegirl"

"Which one? The skinny, Indian-looking chick?"

"Yeah, her. But she's not Indian, she's black."

"Yeah, yeah, I know who you talking about. But nah, I didn't even see
shorty. All I saw was you. You were wearing the hell out of those jeans."

Cartier giggled and was totally consumed by Ryan's compliments. She
couldn't remember the last time she'd blushed. "When you stepped to me I
was thinking how sexy you were. I knew you weren't from Brooklyn"

"What gave me away?"

"Your blowout," Cartier said with a smile.

Ryan looked at himself in his rearview mirror and then profiled to see
each angle. He knew he was eye candy and few women, if any, could resist his
charms. "Yeah, most girls think this is a good look"

"Most girls? How many do you got?" Cartier asked, with a half-hearted
smile.

"I don't got none at the moment, but I see one that I definitely want."

"Oh really?" Cartier said coyly.

"Umm hummm. And she's sexy as hell. And she has the perfect lips ...
can you kiss?"

Cartier waited until they stopped at a red light, then leaned over and
kissed his soft lips. His tongue game was perfect. He was a man who knew
how to kiss. The kiss wasn't too wet, and he teased her with just enough
tongue. He wasn't one of those brothas who forced his tongue down your
throat. Cartier felt all tingly inside as she pulled back and relaxed into her
seat.

Ryan's dick immediately got hard as he put his hand over it and adjusted
his boxers. "Damn, ma, you see that shit?"

How can I miss it? Was what she wanted to say. His dick was bulging
through his loose-fitting jeans and she was impressed. Instead of speaking,
she just giggled.

"You got a nigga all hard just from your kiss. I see you dangerous and I
gotta watch out for you."

She wanted to say something about that too, but once again, she just
played it off.

Cartier liked the chemistry between her and Ryan. Both had expressed
in the car how nice it would be to get fucked up on wine or hard liquor at the
restaurant.

"Cartier," a voice called. Cartier searched the crowded tables and her face
lit up when she saw Monya. She was waving her hands wildly in the air and
gesturing for them to come over.

Cartier looked to Ryan. "That's my best friend, Monya. Can we sit with
them?"

"It's all good," Ryan said as he addressed the waiter. "Can we sit at that
table?" pointing to the table next to Wise and Monya.

Wise and Ryan gave each other a head nod, while simultaneously closely
examining each other's bling. They were both iced out with platinum watches
and rings, and dressed neatly.

"I can't believe we both ended up at the same restaurant," Cartier
exclaimed. She took off her mink jacket and both men's eyes quickly darted toward her big ass.

This moment didn't go unnoticed by Monya. A shot of jealousy surged
through her body. She was tired of Cartier showing off her body. Why don't
the bitch just sign up for a strip club and jump on a pole?

Cartier enjoyed the moment. She stood for several seconds, letting Ryan,
Wise, and others in the restaurant get an eyeful before finally retiring to her
seat. She knew how to play the game.

"I know... what a shock to see you," Cartier began. "Hi Wise." Wise gave
her a head nod in return. Cartier could clearly see he was in a sour mood.
"Wise, this is Ryan. Ryan, Wise."

Both men exchanged nods again.

Ryan leaned over and whispered in Cartier's ear, "Damn, you're trying
to give a nigga a heart attack tonight in that outfit." He then put his hand on
Cartier's thigh and squeezed.

Monya watched with envy as the two lovebirds cuddled throughout
dinner. It was noticeable to Wise. They didn't talk to each other throughout
dinner. When it was time to pay the check, Wise got his revenge. He dropped
fifty dollars for his half of the check and left Monya hanging.

"Oh, it's like that?" Monya asked in disbelief.

Wise pulled up, adjusted his sagging jeans, and replied, "You already
know what it is," and walked off. Monya eyes popped open like saucers, with
a look of surprise plastered on her face.

"What the fuck is going on?" Cartier asked.

"That motherfucker is bugging," Monya replied, getting hyped.

Ryan quelled the situation by paying for the check in full. He had his
own bad ways, but he wasn't petty over nickel and dime shit. It was boyish
and childish to disrespect a female, especially in public. He wasn't a chump
like that. Regardless of the situation, he would have manned up and paid the
check. There were other ways to get payback, if payback was truly needed. If
not, he would have just left the bitch alone. Wise was a petty brotha and petty brothas didn't get or deserve respect.