Free The Glamorous Life by Nikki Turner

passed on clothing to her that she no longer used.
    That day Ruby ran over to her smiling. “Hey, Bambi.”
    “Hey, girl, how you doing?”
    “I am fine, but I need to talk to you. It’s real important.”
    “What’s up?” Bambi stopped.
    “Look, I overheard Ms. Ellie telling Momma that you was starting your own business and that you hired Zonna.”
    Bambi didn’t respond; instead she listened as Ruby said in such a sincere tone, “Bambi, I would never ask you if I didn’t need it. I want to know if you would consider hiring me? I would do anything. Run errands, scrub the floors, clean toilets, anything. I need a job, and I need one bad. I am honest, and I got yo’ back. If I don’t know how to do whatever you need me to do, I can learn.”
    Bambi searched her heart but didn’t know what to say, so she just listened.
    “Bambi straight up, I need a job. I mean I’ll work for the bare minimum. I just need to get out of this house every day. I know that as a business owner it might be hard to trust me or whatever, but Bambi, you know me and have known me your whole life. You—”
    Bambi stopped her and said, “My business is still new. I don’t know just yet what or who I will hire, but I promise I will keep you in mind.”
    “Okay, that’s all I can ask, if you mean that! If it’s from the heart.”
    “I mean it, and that’s my word, Ruby.”
    Bambi went in and got the contract from Zonna and chitchatted with her for a while, and when she came out of the house, she saw Ruby sweeping the sidewalk. Ruby looked like she was still in the eighties. She wore an old checkerboard shirt with some Lee jeans and some beat-up, old, dirty Princess Reeboks.
    Bambi called out to Ruby, “Ruuubbbeee, come here for aminute.” They met at the silver chain link fence that separated the two houses, and Bambi asked, “Were you serious about what you said?”
    “Yes, I will do anything.”
    “Well, I don’t know if you heard, but I was on home confinement for a while, and I didn’t do a thing but lay in the bed. My house is a wreck. I straightened up a little, but it truly needs a thorough clean-up. Can I pay you to come and do it?”
    “Yup, I sure would, broke as I am. You ready now?” Ruby said without one bit of hesitation.
    “Yup.”
    They left, and Bambi took Ruby to get some cleaning supplies, and then it was on to her house. She explained that she had to go take care of some business but would be back.
    “No problem, just show me where everything is and give me your cell phone number in case I need anything.”
    Before Bambi left, she planted two hundred and thirty dollars to see if she could really trust Ruby. Even though she had known Ruby for forever and a day not to mention she had much love for her, she had to know that she could trust Ruby beyond a reasonable doubt. And to her, a couple hundred bucks would be worth it to find out.

CHAPTER 08
    The Predator
Becomes the Prey
    B ambi stopped by the club to go over the contract with Disco, and the barmaid told her that Disco was on his way and that he’d said to have a drink on him. She sat at the bar drinking a virgin daiquiri and noticed a dude across the bar staring at her. The dude wore a Star of David around his neck with diamonds that were blinging from across the bar. Even from a distance she could tell that the diamonds were not crushed or unclear stones and that the price of the necklace could have been equivalent to a very late-model used car. She tried to ignore him, but he kept smiling at her. She returned a phony smile, which unfortunately he took as a sure cue for him to come and join her.
    Damn, you smile at a nigga and now he wants to come over and talk you to death. Did I ask him for some company? Hell no !
    “Is someone sitting here?” He pointed to the empty bar stool.
    She never answered as he sat down. “Would you like another daiquiri?”
    “No, I’m okay,” she said dismissively, but he wasn’t getting the idea.
    The one-way