Look At Me

         Serene pulled the door open wide. "If you wanted yourself some pussy, why didn't you just say so?"
         His brow wrinkled. "What?"
         She put her hands on her hips, robe opening wide. "You saying you don't?"
         Lil Charles made a point of keeping his eyes locked on hers. "What I'm sayin' is - I don't shit where I eat." He gestured, "And fine as you is, ain't no pussy worth losing money over. Not even yours Sugah. So," he half turned, "I'ma be down stairs in the car waitin'. Matter of fact, from now on I'll just wait for you there so don't nobody get the wrong idea."
         Serene emerged from the front door a little over an hour later, sashaying down the walkway like a goddess in cream and tan. To Lil Charles, she looked to be almost floating along with only the steady click of her heels serving notice she too was bound by the same laws of gravity, which applied to everyone else. He got out, went around to the back door and opened it for her, turning his attention to the upper rooms of the house where Janey waved at him, flashing a breast making him smile and give her a wink before closing the door and returning to the wheel.
         "How come you don't look at me Lil Charles?" Serene had pulled her compact out and was smoothing out a smudge on her lips.
          He shook his head, sighing. "Go head on now with the bullshit Serene."
         "What?" she leaned forward, her hands coming to rest on the back of the driver's seat, just below the headrest, her voice humming in his ear, "I can't ask you that?"
         "He looked in the rearview, "You grown. Do whatever you please, I just ain't joining in on it."
         "What? You scared of Red?"
         He shook his head, sucking his teeth loudly. "How long you gon' be?"
         She sat back, sighing pulling out a llpstick, "As long as it takes."
         "These fools ain't on the clock?"
         "For what we charging? Hell no."
         Lil Charles looked in the rearview, "Whatchu lookin' at yourself for again? Unless he blind he gon' like what he see."
         She looked in the mirror, and when he glanced at it again she asked, "Do you like what you see?"
         He twisted in his seat, after they'd come to a halt at stop sign, "I do but, that ain't got nuthin to do with it. You Red's girl and that's all there is to it."
         "That ain't stop you with Janey and she with Jody," she huffed.
         "Well, you ain't Janey and Jody ain't Red." He frowned. "What's your game woman? Why you tryin' so hard to get me jammed up? What I done to you?"
         "Ain't nobody trying to jam nobody up."
         "Why then?" he said over his shoulder. "Tell me."
         "You stupid or sumthin?" she scoffed. "I'm just trying to give you some ass."
         He gave her an appraising look, the desire in his eyes so intense it made her fidget, all remnants of the self-assured temptress from only moments ago nowhere to be found. She glanced back at him finally, her voice noticeably devoid of attitude, "If you're going to be looking at me like that, why are you acting so henkty? You know you want to."
         "Want ain't got nuthin to do with it. I just ain't got no reason to cross Red."
         "You scared of him?"
         He shook his head dismissively, "Ain't 'bout bein' scared. Just ain't the move to make."
         She pursed her lips, "Red do what he wanna do, I do what I wanna do."
         "That right? Well, tell me then - who gon get that money you fixin' to make?"
         She didn't respond.
         "Mm hmm," he turned the vehicle, looking at her reflection in the mirror again. "You got it halfway right anyway."
         "What?"
         "I say you got it halfway right."
         "What's that mean?"
         "Red do what 'he' want, 'you' do what 'he' say. You might wanna remember that."
         "You just scared," she shot back. "Don't try and act like you ain't."
         He nodded, starting the car. "You might be right. Or, I just might not trust pussy come to me too easy." He looked at her reflection, finding her eyes again, some of that hungry look returning. "'Specially when it's comin' from a woman more'n worth chasin'."
         She didn't say anything but her cheeks flushed noticeably.
         "You want some free advice?" he asked, signaling and pulling off from the curb into traffic.
She shrugged, "What's that?"
          He pulled to a stop on the corner of Butler and Auburn, signaling right. "Don't let Jody get you caught up in no bullshit. Red ain't no fool." He made the turn and they continued on their way. "Don't even think 'bout denyin' it."
          She started to say something but caught herself, remaining silent. After a few minutes she said, "If there was something going on, I'd be smart enough to make sure nobody found out."
          "I found out," he said. "And I ain't been here but a couple'a weeks. You and Jody might wanna think 'bout that. I could care less 'bout him, but I'd hate for them to find you in a ditch somewhere."
          They spent the rest of the trip in silence.