“Oh so you don’t trust Biz now either?”, I said sarcastically.
“Just behave yourself drunkiana”, he chuckled but said it in a stern tone.
Biz’s BMW coupe was parked just ahead of us, and I realized why he said for me to behave myself. It was just going to be me and Biz, I didn’t realize Destiny wasn’t coming. We walked up to his BMW and Biz popped open the door and hopped out. He was wearing a grey Gallery dept tracksuit with white air forces. He had on brown tinted Cartiers and the diamonds on him danced in the sun. He was a flashy guy, handsome in the face, I always assumed he was Somalian cause he was Somalian looking.
“What’s up my brother?” he said to Bam as he extended his arm to dap him.
“The sky ma nigga!”, Bam joked back, stepping forward to greet him.
“Happy birthday Miss Royaal”, he said towards me.
“Thank you”, I smiled.
“You better take care of my girl, potna”, Bam joked at Biz.
“Nigga get a life”, he joked back, hopping back into his car. “Ey if you’re bout to go handle that, be safe uh.”
“Yeah yeah, always.”
“Aight boss link up when she’s done”, he put his hand out through the window to dap him.
“I appreciate you Bruh”, Bam dapped him back and walked over and opened the passenger side door.
I got in, not before Bam could grab my ass though. This was my first time being inside Biz’s car, I’ve only seen it from the outside. It’s very nice, but he’s a very flashy dude so I wasn’t surprised.
“Aight mama, don’t drive him too crazy you already know his head’s chipped”, he teased.
We all laughed, “yeah yeah whatever bro”, Biz clowned back.
Bam kissed my forehead and walked away and then Biz drove off. My little tipiness was wearing off and I was coming back to reality. He asked me very basic and superficial questions, like how I’m liking my birthday. And if I’m excited about tonight, nothing too interesting. I guess it was good cause I wasn’t trying to say anything stupid anyways. I wouldn’t want to make Bam look any way.
I was surprised he didn’t bring Destiny. I thought they’d use this as an opportunity to try and make us bond again. But I think that one just isn’t in the books for us to be honest.
“How’s Destiny doing?”, I was trying to ask subtly, I realized I had to tread lightly.
“She’s good, she couldn’t come though-“, he went back to looking at the road.
“Oh well tell her I said hi”, I mumbled. Short answer, not doing the most Biz was blah, the day it would’ve made sense for her to come, she’s too busy, fantastic.
“Now why would I do that if you guys don’t like each other?” he chuckled.
And there he was, the Biz that I was used to. “I was just surprised you didn’t bring her, that’s all” I said, adjusting uncomfortably in my seat.
“So it can be even more awkward, now I got both of you pouting and upset in the car? Nope, there’s a reason I don’t do what homeboy does, he has the patience for you women. I don’t”, he smirked.
I hadn’t realized we were pulling up to the condo and were here, “you’re not going to stay and wait here..”
He laughed, “nah but i’ll be back in like two hours.. Is that enough time for you?” he asked as I was stepping out of the car.
“Ahh, it should be-“
“Aight coo, I’ll be downstairs”, he threw up the peace sign and pulled off.
“That was rude”, I said outside before turning around and entering the condo. I wasn’t about to let Biz bug me. I buzzed my girl and went up to her place, she actually was ready for me this time. I figured it was cause it’s my birthday, usually there would be someone in the seat finishing up.
My hair is really nice, if I do say so myself. It’s a little bit past my shoulders curly and even longer when it’s straightened. I’m getting it washed, straightened and bumping the ends. I think i’m going to go with a bang behind my ears instead of a middle part. It’s giving 90’s vibe paired with the dress.
As the minutes ticked on, the excitement built in my body. I was really excited about tonight. My girl did my hair beautifully, she gave me a little trim and swooped the bang like a 1900’s architect.
I paid her and made my way back downstairs. I told her I’d send her pictures, since I couldn’t stay to take them because we went over two hours. I knew Biz would be annoyed because I wasn’t able to text him. To be honest, I didn’t realize the time or that we went over.
I stepped outside and immediately my eyes studied the visitors parking for his BMX coupe. I finally spotted it towards the back and walked over. I knocked on the tinted windows and he unlocked the door. I got into the warm smoke filled car and immediately began apologizing for taking so long.
“It’s aight, I got to take a nap actually”, he said before finally looking over at me and making eye contact.
As his eyes laid onto me, I saw them widen with surprise and a smile almost unconsciously formed. Before it was replaced by a stern set of lips, “Aight so where are we going next?” He asked pulling out of the parking lot.
“Spadina and Queen West, like right at the corner there by the mcdonalds.”
He said aight and then we were off onto the main street then the highway. The lack of conversation in the air was filled by Future blasting through the stereo. I wondered back to when he said “even more awkward”, why was it awkward with him? We see each other all the time. I quickly snapped out my head, when I realized he was talking to me.
“So how long is this one going to take? But the real time this time”, he laughed.
“An hour and a half to two hours, depends who’s doing my toes”, I said bashfully.
My phone vibrated and I knew it was Bam before checking it. “How are you doing mama? No pics of the hair?” he texted.
“It’s a surprise, I can’t wait for you to see me tho.” I responded back and inserted the tongue emoji so he knew how I was feelin’. I was staring and smiling at my phone, not realizing Biz was still talking to me.
“So I’ll meet you in the public parking lot around the corner at 2:45pm.”
“Okay perfect” I said, trying to bring the conversation to a close so I could text Bam.
Biz turned back up the music and fixed his attention back to the road. Bam said, everything was going smoothly and he was excited to turn up with me tonight.
I thought about tonight and how Bam was bringing out all his people. I had to play and look the part, it was kind of like my initiation into his life. Well at least that’s how I was looking at it. His people were going to become my people, especially the girls. Reminder I told yall in the beginning pimps like for their girls to hang around other live girls. He’s probably been waiting for this moment.
We came off the highway on spadina and were waiting to make the left onto Queen. “You can drop me right there in front of the Mcdona-“, I couldn’t even finish my sentence. My eyes got a hold of this girl, about to cross the street. She was lightskin, real skinny and had long black straight hair down to her ass. She was wearing oversized glasses and a hat so I couldn’t see her face. But her walk is what caught my eye and her size. I know that walk, “that’s French”, I said out loud accidentally.
“What?”, Biz asked.
“I think I know that girl”, I said pointing to her walking across the street. My heart was pounding in my chest and my palms were getting sweaty. It’s like my body was trying to tell me it was her, I felt like I was about to have an anxiety attack.
Biz made the turn and pulled up to the side of the street, “you aight?”. He asked me concerned, I probably looked like I was about to puke.
Everything became slow motion and the sounds of the world began sounding sonar. I was trying to focus on my breathing and not letting my mind run away with a thousand thoughts. But I couldn’t help it, Bam just told me Pablo’s back in the city and now I see French. There’s no such thing as coincidences. Seeing them at the same time, means they must be together or something. I couldn’t think straight, the air in the car was disappearing.
I threw my head between my knees and focused on my breathing and trying to calm my mind.
“Royaal, are you okay? I’m going to call Bam if you don’t answer me!”
“I just need a second”, I yelled to him from between my legs.
He began rubbing my back, “I don’t know what’s going on but nothing’s going to happen to you, okay?”, he reassured me.
I wanted to start crying, I wanted to crumble into a million pieces and disappear from the world. I felt like I was in a cruel game, where everytime I think I’m getting closer I’m actually getting further.
“Come on, it’s your birthday don’t let anything and anyone ruin it”, he was trying to help me feel better.
I just felt worse for pulling him down into this emotional funk with me though, “you’re right, it is my birthday! I’m not doing this”, I said sitting up straight.
“Aight imma go do my nails and finish my birthday self care”, I said trying to convince myself and get strength to move out of the car.
“Do you want me to come with you, would that make you feel better? Safer?” he proposed.
“I really don’t want to bore you, nail salons are really boring for guys”, I groaned. I was conflicted because a piece of me did want him to come.
He laughed, “it’s cool, not my first nail salon, let’s go”, he said, turning off the car and stepping out.
I grabbed my purse and hopped out of the car. I appreciated him coming with me, I felt like I shouldn’t be in my head right now and oddly enough his presence was helping. I looked to see if I could see the girl again, but she was no longer in sight.
We went up to the nail salon, Kim kept referring to Biz as my boyfriend. Saying he was very handsome and expensive looking. Aka her way of saying she is probably going to try and charge me more. “Make boyfriend pay” was her favorite line.
Biz actually held it down for me, he was just on his phone sitting in the waiting room. There were a few times he got up and went on the phone outsid. By the time she was finished doing my hands and my feet, everything felt back to normal. The excitement of the party tonight was overpowering my thoughts about Pablo and French. If they were back in the city, that was their problem. Pablo knew I was Bam’s now, they did a fair deal. I was going to trust Bam, that he was going to handle it and I didn’t have to worry.
My long tapered square nails tapped against my phone screen as I texted Bam I was done. He responded back that shit didn’t go as planned and he would be done earlier than expected so he was going to meet me back at the crib. He asked if Biz was treating me nicely and if I was pleased with my hair and nails. I reassured him everything was good and I’d be back at the condo just now.
I walked up to the counter to pay and Kim told me to have a great birthday. I was so confused, till Bam grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the door.
“I have to pay…” I insisted.
“No I got it, my birthday present to you cause I didn’t get you shit” he said walking through the door unphased.
“You didn’t have to get me anything!”, I said a little confused and surprised; I really wasn’t expecting that.
He laughed, “it ain’t nuttin’, don’t worry. Actually let grab this girl a cheeseburger and then I’ll drop you back to your spot. I think B’s going to meet us there. You can go sit in the car by the way, I unlocked it”, he said before disappearing into the Mcdonalds.
Traffick’d 