Three's Company

73

Cameren

Me: Fam, what the hell is going on? Are you doing what this lady is saying you're doing?
Deon: Come on, bro. After all the time we've known each other, you're really asking me this?!
Me: Man, where there's smoke there's fire!
Deon: It's not me, bro. I've been doing research and trying to see just how this could even be happening. Like what if my identity is being stolen?
Me: Come on, Deon, bro. I'm your boy. Just tell me wassup.
Deon: Cam, you not listening my nigga. I've built my brand from the ground up. You think I'd put in all this work just to fuck it up by setting up some hoes to sell pussy to my own clients?! They can get pussy all by themselves just off their names. It's women in every city who is down for shit like that. For free! Do you know how much money I make?! I don't need to do nothing like this for a bag!
Me: I wanna believe you, bro. I do.
Deon: So after knowing me your whole fucking life, you gon believe some detective over your boy?! You know me better than anybody, Cam.
Me: I'm just saying, dawg. Why would they make this up?
Deon: I. DONT. KNOW. But I hope as my boy that you trust me better than this.
Cam: I do trust you. You know that. But that lady was talking like she has all kinds of evidence against you. They are surveilling you, bro! I'm just saying, if you are doing this shit, you better get like Ghost from "Power" and get out the game dawg.
Deon: Man, if you don't believe me, just say that. It'll make the betrayal easier to handle.
Cam: Come on, dawg, don't do that.
Deon: Look, I gotta go. I got a meeting with a client and he just pulled up.

Deon hung up immediately. I could feel my heart beating through my stomach, like it had sunk completely out of my chest. Me and Deon had never had a fight, disagreement, none of that. Outside of losing video games when we were kids. But that was petty kid stuff and we always made up.

I sent him a text "I believe you, dawg. We gon figure this out. I got you." I didn't know if I believed him but there was no way my boy would be out here committing crimes of this magnitude. I was even more frustrated because sex work should be legal. This shit was dumb, even if true. But I hoped he wouldn't risk his career and freedom for it, no matter how I felt about the legalities.

******

Me: Okay, look look. I gotta figure out how to unlock this. There's an address and phone number registered to the site. They have it starred out. You can usually pay a fee to get these kinds of records.
Jayden: You believe he's innocent?
Me: I don't know, Jay. Honestly, I don't. But I want him to be.
Jayden: I know it, baby.

She rubbed my head and kissed it and I buried my face into her stomach.