Love & Contraband

Driver

Driver**

Denisha sat at her desk, her foot tapping nervously against the floor as she glanced at the clock. 3:30 was creeping up fast, and today wasn't just another day at work. This time, Dwayne had asked her to make a different kind of run, and the weight of it sat heavy on her shoulders. Picking up money was one thing, but this? This was something else.

She had never dealt with "work"-drugs. That wasn't her lane, and she'd always kept her distance. But Dwayne had a way of making things sound so easy. She had recently learned that he was of Jamaican decent, and it was starting to show."It's just one quick stop, baby," he'd said in that smooth voice of his. "You trust me, right? Just slide by Stacey Street after work. My boy Donald will be there. All you gotta do is give him $550, and he'll pass you the work. Simple."

Denisha wasn't so sure. "I never did anything like this before, Dwayne. Picking up money from Georgia is easy, but this...I don't know about moving product so close to home."

Dwayne had calmed her down, though. "It's gonna be cool. Just get there, give him the cash, grab the bag, and bounce. No stress, babe. You got this."

She had listened to him, as always, because saying no to Dwayne felt impossible. He had a hold on her, a grip that was tighter than she cared to admit. Now, sitting at her desk, she could feel the tension building in her chest, her heart racing as she thought about what was about to go down. The nerves were real, but she was committed.

By the time the clock hit 3:30, Denisha was ready to move. She rushed to the locker room, changed out of her work uniform, and slipped into something that made her feel confident-her black Baby Phat jumpsuit with gold trim. It hugged her curves in all the right places, and the Nike Air Shocks on her feet gave her an extra bounce of confidence. She knew she had to look good when meeting Dwayne's people. She wanted them to see she wasn't just some random chick-she was a dime.

Denisha slid into her Lexus, took a deep breath, and checked the rearview mirror. She tapped her navigation and put in Stacey Street, her fingers trembling slightly. She was ready, or at least as ready as she was ever gonna be. The ride felt like the longest drive of her life, every mile stretching out as her nerves bubbled beneath the surface. Her mind was racing-What if something went wrong? What if the cops rolled through? What if the guys didn't believe she was there for Dwayne?

But Dwayne had promised her it would be smooth. "Just call me when you're close, and I'll hit up Donald to let him know you're coming." So, that's what she did.

"Dwayne, I'm pulling up," she said as she approached the dead end of Stacey Street.

"Aight, cool. Just pull up slow, baby. Donald's there waiting," Dwayne replied.

As she turned the corner, her stomach flipped. Just like Dwayne described, a group of dudes were posted up, heads bopping to some fire beats pumping out of a car stereo. They were chilling like it was just another day in the streets, but Denisha's pulse quickened. She gripped the $550 in her hand so tight that the bills were starting to get damp from her sweaty palm.

She pulled up slow, easing the car to a stop and stepping out like she was calm. But inside, her heart was pounding. She kept her head up, though, walking confidently toward the group. Her curves caught some eyes as she walked up in her jumpsuit, and Denisha knew she was turning heads. She wasn't just some errand girl-she wanted them to know she had value.

One of the guys, who she assumed was Donald, with long dreadlocks, gave her a nod. No introductions, no questions.  But he definitely looked familiar to Her. He simply handed her a bag, and Denisha passed over the cash, just like Dwayne told her. No extra words were exchanged. It was quick, clean, and silent.

With the bag in her hand, Denisha turned and headed back to her car. Her heart was still racing, but she had done it. Now, all she had to do was make it home. The drive felt even more nerve-wracking on the way back. She kept checking her rearview, half-expecting something to go wrong, but nothing did. The streets were quiet.

Once she made it home, Denisha breathed a sigh of relief. Now, it was time to prepare the package and mail it to Georgia, just like Dwayne instructed. She had crossed a line today, stepped deeper into Dwayne's world, and there was no going back now. But as she sat in her car for a moment, she couldn't help but smile. She was handling business, and the money was coming in. Denisha was in the game now, and she wasn't backing down.