Free Deception's Playground by Kevin Williams al-Fahim

shit.
     
    ***
     
    “I’m ready to rock, big
bro,” Ace said.
    “We gon’ take care of
it, lil’ bro. Keep yo ears to the streets and eyes open. It’ll surface,” I
said. We were in my living room talking. My nerves had calmed down. “We gotta
get up wit’ Kutz and re-up. You in?”
    “Yeah, I’ma get a few.”
    “A’ight. I’ma get ten
of ‘em. Get yo change together. I’ma try to call Kutz.”
    “Duece gon’ bring his
change through?” he asked.
    “He said it’s all bad.”
    Ace couldn’t believe
it. “That nigga on some funny shit, bro.”
    “I’m hip.”
    I walked upstairs to my
room to think. Maria called me as soon as I sat on my bed.
    “How are you doin’?”
    “I’m straight,” I said
curtly. I didn’t feel like informing her about the recent events.
    “Somebody’s been
followin’ me, Spade.”
    “Like who?” I really
didn’t give a fuck.
    “I don’t know. I think
they work for my dad.”
    “Yeah?”
    “Spade, be careful,”
she said, and hung up.
    That was the second or
third time that bitch told me to be careful. Her pops must have been a dangerous
man. Maria never acted that emotional. I shook those thoughts and called Kutz.
    “Spade, my man,” he
answered.
    “What’s good?”
    “House shopping.”
    “I need to holla at
you,” I said.
    “No time soon, my man.
Have to take my lady to Denver tomorrow. I’ll let you know when I return, my
friend.”
    He was letting me know
it was all bad. We hung up. This some bullshit, I thought.
    Back downstairs, I told
Ace what was going on. I didn’t tell him about my suspicions. Kutz never ran
out of dope. Maybe I was just on edge.
    Me and Ace popped a
bottle of XO to ease the tension. He put in a Kevin Hart DVD—that nigga Kevin
had us rolling; the laughter was much needed. Twenty minutes in Lisa hit me.
    I was happy she called.
    “How are you?” I asked.
    “I’m fine, sweety. Are
you busy?”
    “I’m just chillin’,
watchin’ this comedy shit.”
    “I know this might
sound a little cheesy, but I miss you,” she said.
    And I temporarily
forgot about the madness around me. “Well, I guess we gon’ have to do somethin’
about that.”
    “I guess so,” she said
seductively.
    “So what do you have
in—” My line clicked. It was Nicole. She never called, so it had to be
important. “Can I call you right back, Lisa?”
    “Make sure you call
back, baby.”
    “Will do.” I clicked
over. “What’s good, Nicole?”
    She whispered, “It’s about
Sonya and Duece.”
    “I’m listening.”
    “Well, first of all,
they been fuckin’ wit’ each other since you was in prison. They—”
    I cut her off. “Is that
right?”
    “Yeah, that’s right.
That’s my homegirl and I love her, but you a solid nigga and I been diggin’ you
since I first saw you. I don’t know what it is about you, Spade. I—”
    “Get to it, Nicole,” I
told her.
    “I want to tell you
everything, but she’s right upstairs. Meet me tomorrow and I’ll tell you
everything.”
    I called Lisa back and she
invited me to her home. She stayed in The Vineyards. I told Ace I was heading
out. A part of me wanted to tell him about the call I got from Nicole, but I
decided to wait until I got the whole scoop. I wondered about Nicole’s motives.
We already fucked so it had to be some truth behind her statements.
    I gave Ace Lisa’s
address and left. I was at Lisa’s in no time.
     
    ***
     
    Lisa had Gerald Levert’s “Pop,
Goes My Mind” playing at a low, soothing volume. We
sat at her kitchen table, eating an Italian meal she prepared before I arrived.
She had her lights low and she was looking stunning in her night attire—a
simple crème, backless cotton dress, and her hair was trimmed short with glints
of sheen to accentuate her high gloss shellac earrings. She didn’t know how
much I needed her company. I had to escape the madness around me.
    “You seem like a busy
man. Do you get to do this often?” she asked.
    “Do what?” I