Brown Sugar

ONE STEP CLOSER

I sat on the hood of my car skipping rocks into the lake thinking about yesterday. Lijah told me everything that this Detective Woo was saying and it only made me more sure that I needed these files. Campbell told me about Woo and how Adamant he is and how his record is supposedly squeaky clean. But I been in this business long enough to know that shit ain't true, it's always a loose thread somewhere ready to pull the curtains down.

The files had information on local judges, every dirty cop, detective, and numbers of important people I wanted to rub my elbows with to open up more businesses in the future. And if she did what she said she was going to do then the investigation on Lijah was going to be shut down soon. If Woo wants to peruse me then I was going to end his career.

I turned around hearing tires drive across gravel seeing it was Linsey making me stand up and walk to the side of my car. She turned the car off getting out in a small ass dress and some heels like she was going somewhere.

"Sorry, I just came from a cocktail party." She said laughing, clearly tipsy pushing the blonde hair from her face. "It was boring so I was looking for an excuse to get out." She said trying to be friendly making me look away letting her know I wasn't interested.

"Reggie if we're going to be working together the least you can do is talk to me. I am human and I did apologize." She said getting mad. "We don't work together past this, this ain't no Bonnie and Clyde shit , that's been over with. I just need my good token." I said holding my hand out making her look at me blankly before walking back to the car.

She bent over making her ass fall out the dress making me look away.

"Sorry." She laughed, smiling as she walked up to me handing me the folders. I turned around flipping through the files after laying them across the hood of the car. I read over papers for a minute making sure it was legit and not one of her schemes. "It's all there, I promise. You can believe me." She said leaning on the car biting her lip with a goofy smile. "Promises never got me shit so I'm good with checking." I said flipping through a few more pages still reading. Everything I needed was here from the looks of it. "You know the only reason I wanted a baby is because that's what we talked about Reggie." She said slurring making me look over at her like she was crazy.

"We were young and struggling together, I'm older now with a better head on my shoulders. I need a woman that's gone grow with me and won't stunt my growth and that's what I got. Envy never got a muthafucka' shit so take yo lick, we been done years ago. Move on and stop fucking to fill a void." I said.

She stood quietly with a blank stare, hopefully that was closure enough because that's all I had for her. "Uh- well how is she more woman than me?" She asked wiping the tears away from her face. "Linsey let this shit go bru' cause I'm bout five seconds from hurting your feelings. Just keep this shit business." I said getting irritated. My first go to wasn't to disrespect women but dealing with streets rats was different.

"You can't answer the question because you know the truth, you were heartbroken by me hiding Onlyfans from you and left me. We had our life planned together, you didn't even give me the option to stop doing it because you just left." She said sobbing making me shake my head. "I was in love but needed money, you sold drugs for money." She said making me furrow my eyebrows. "I'm not wired Reggie! Are you serious!? Do I need to show you?!" She asked getting ready to flash me. "Ight! Chill!" I said putting my hands out making her pull the dress back down. "But that ain't the same shit, you was in the streets with me seeing racks. You didn't want for shit, you just a reedy ass person." I said making her look away.

"Or it's some trauma you never felt comfortable talking to me about but either way it go it's in the past. I'm in love with Marlicia and she ain't going nowhere, I suggest you find somebody you feel the same about." I said. "I guess you really do love her." She said sighing like it took so much out of her to say it. "Yes." I answered irritated, ready to move on. "Fine." She snapped placing her hand on her forehead.