HARDAWAY | trilogy

V3 - Chapter Seven.

𝐑𝐇𝐘𝐒 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒

              A hand touched me just as my eyes fluttered open and laying on my stomach of the cozy king size mattress of the western touch decorated hotel room. The cold air blowing from the air conditioner blew the curtains slightly. My eyes darted around the room and found scattered clothes and two empty Trojan condom wrappers. My head slightly ached from the liquor I consumed the previous night while I raised my body from the mattress. I sat at the edge, peering behind me at the man snoring on the other side of the bed.

I needed to leave before he woke so I garbed my body in the clothes from the previous night in a scurry. Just as I pushed my left foot into the Nike Air Max, the unknown man shifted in his sleep. He only turned to lay on his side and continued to snore. I put on the left shoe, grabbed the dark blue JanSport backpack from the chair and quietly ambled to the door but I stopped in my tracks when I noticed a shiny object on the stand beside the Tv.

A pricey watch and white gold rope chains I grasped from dresser before tiptoeing out of the room with a sound. I learned I stayed at The Biltmore Hotel when I eyed the sign. Sun beamed onto my brown flesh as I traveled on foot to the known laundromat I attend every so often. It was partially full with people doing their laundry. A young boy walked up to the snack machine just as a toddler runs pass me when I entered.

"Come to wash?"

My head turned to the counter where a older woman with a honey skin tone and thick coarse hair in a bun with round eyeglasses. She currently drinks coffee and reading the new issue of People magazine with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle being on the cover.

"Hey Liv," I greeted as walked towards the counter. "Yeah, I do if you don't mind."

"Of course not," her eyes never moved from the magazine as she reached down and sat a row of quarters on the counter. "Small load?"

"Small load," I confirmed while grabbing the quarters. I went to the washing machine meant for small loads and stuffed my few clothes inside before coining the machine and emptying the little amount left of the small bottle of Gain laundry detergent into the sliding drawer. I set the temperature and started the spin cycle to start the process of cleaning the fabrics.

I planted a seat in the chair in front of the blowing fan just as two girls walked into the laundromat with wheeled laundry hampers. One looked about eleven or twelve with almond brown skin and deep curly hair. The other one beside her has honey skin and curly tresses that were currently in a bun. Longer I eyed at her, the more familiar she started to look and a memory popped in my head.

The door being snatched open to the Lincoln Navigator made me jump and avert my attention away from the window and to the open door where Capri stood. He gestured for me to climb out and I obeyed with no questions asked. My strap heels touched the concrete and stood shortly than him.

"Yeah?"

"Go up there and help yo sista get that bitch upstairs ready."

"Is she a new recruit?"

He scowled, "it don't fuckin' matter. Take yo ass up there and do what the fuck I said."

My body inwardly flinched at the demand in his tone. I nod and start for the entrance.

"Rhys..." I turned around when he call me and he sat in the car, "remind me to beat cho' ass when you get home."