leaving you-“
“I won’t go anywhere-“
He stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the apartment after him while she laughed and told him to stop dragging her. At the kitchen they both got a plate of chicken wings, potato salad and potato chips. Vanessa quickly swallowed down the last of her beer so that she could get a slice of cake. They carried their food outside and ate in earnest.
“I never had a brother.” Vanessa stated while chewing a mouthful of food. “You’re like my brother, Phonso.” She felt high and happy. The beer had gone down smoothly.
Phonso chuckled. “Even if you and Scotty hadn’t hooked up you would still be my sister—because you’re related to one of my brothers. That’s how it works with us.”
Phonso saw the shadow fall over Vanessa’s face and regretted making any references to Tino. Scotty had long ago explained that they had been wrong about Tino ever touching Beady but Phonso had seen with his own eyes what their brother had done to Vanessa. He’d kissed her full on her lips and had scared the little girl so badly that she’d run away and hadn’t returned for years. It hadn’t mattered to Tino that Vanessa was his sister. He would have pimped her out for the cash to pay for his fix.
“So … what are your plans for the future? Well other than marrying my brother.”
Her expression quickly changed as if she relished a reason to stop thinking about the past.
“Scotty and I were just talking about that. Before we got together I was going to move to New York and act and sing in plays—off-off Broadway style. But here in Cincinnati there is The Proctor Gamble Hall and the Aronoff Center. The next step is to hit the casting calls and practice. I’ve been lazy-“
“I would call the way you danced here tonight practice. You hit a few more parties and that’s all the practice you’ll need.”
Vanessa laughed and Phonso’s brow rose slightly because she laughed a bit too long and too loud. Man, Scotty was marrying a light-weight. Vanessa was drunk.
“Let’s dance some more, Phonso!” Her eyes lit up and she jumped to her feet and nearly lost her balance. Phonso hopped up and grabbed her elbow before she fell off the stoop.
“Are you alright?” He asked.
Vanessa fanned herself. “Dang it’s hot all of a sudden. But I want to dance and I want to sing and I want to act!”
Phonso made a face. “Uh … right now?”
“Yes!”
Where was Scotty? His woman was crazy. “No more beer for you …” he muttered.
Vanessa laughed again and then hurried back into the apartment. She began to hop up and down like a spring to You Dropped A Bomb on Me by The Gap Band.
Several people turned to look at her and Phonso followed her back inside, refusing to get out on the dance floor with her as long as she was acting like a crazy person. But just as quickly as she jumped up and down on the floor was almost as quickly as she began to clutch her head and weave on her feet.
Phonso sighed, hoping she wouldn’t puke on the floor. He was just getting ready to drag her back outside when someone sucker punched him. Phonso fell backwards down the cement stairs and saw a guy that had been smoking crack standing above him ready to kick him. What the fuck-?
Phonso jumped up and tackled the guy, knocking him to the ground. But before he knew it two more guys were jumping on him. Three guys were ambushing him that he didn’t know and had no idea why.
Phonso knew how to fight but three against one was bad. Very bad.
Donald Miller grinned at the way the three crackheads had hemmed up Phonso Tremont. He didn’t really have any beef with the dude but Donald needed a diversion. And three fiends willing to fight for a few rocks gave him the perfect opportunity.
Donald ignored the four guys fighting. His eyes rested on Vanessa who had just seen what was going on outside. Donald swept in before she could go outside and get her dumb-ass jumped too. Not that she was
“I won’t go anywhere-“
He stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the apartment after him while she laughed and told him to stop dragging her. At the kitchen they both got a plate of chicken wings, potato salad and potato chips. Vanessa quickly swallowed down the last of her beer so that she could get a slice of cake. They carried their food outside and ate in earnest.
“I never had a brother.” Vanessa stated while chewing a mouthful of food. “You’re like my brother, Phonso.” She felt high and happy. The beer had gone down smoothly.
Phonso chuckled. “Even if you and Scotty hadn’t hooked up you would still be my sister—because you’re related to one of my brothers. That’s how it works with us.”
Phonso saw the shadow fall over Vanessa’s face and regretted making any references to Tino. Scotty had long ago explained that they had been wrong about Tino ever touching Beady but Phonso had seen with his own eyes what their brother had done to Vanessa. He’d kissed her full on her lips and had scared the little girl so badly that she’d run away and hadn’t returned for years. It hadn’t mattered to Tino that Vanessa was his sister. He would have pimped her out for the cash to pay for his fix.
“So … what are your plans for the future? Well other than marrying my brother.”
Her expression quickly changed as if she relished a reason to stop thinking about the past.
“Scotty and I were just talking about that. Before we got together I was going to move to New York and act and sing in plays—off-off Broadway style. But here in Cincinnati there is The Proctor Gamble Hall and the Aronoff Center. The next step is to hit the casting calls and practice. I’ve been lazy-“
“I would call the way you danced here tonight practice. You hit a few more parties and that’s all the practice you’ll need.”
Vanessa laughed and Phonso’s brow rose slightly because she laughed a bit too long and too loud. Man, Scotty was marrying a light-weight. Vanessa was drunk.
“Let’s dance some more, Phonso!” Her eyes lit up and she jumped to her feet and nearly lost her balance. Phonso hopped up and grabbed her elbow before she fell off the stoop.
“Are you alright?” He asked.
Vanessa fanned herself. “Dang it’s hot all of a sudden. But I want to dance and I want to sing and I want to act!”
Phonso made a face. “Uh … right now?”
“Yes!”
Where was Scotty? His woman was crazy. “No more beer for you …” he muttered.
Vanessa laughed again and then hurried back into the apartment. She began to hop up and down like a spring to You Dropped A Bomb on Me by The Gap Band.
Several people turned to look at her and Phonso followed her back inside, refusing to get out on the dance floor with her as long as she was acting like a crazy person. But just as quickly as she jumped up and down on the floor was almost as quickly as she began to clutch her head and weave on her feet.
Phonso sighed, hoping she wouldn’t puke on the floor. He was just getting ready to drag her back outside when someone sucker punched him. Phonso fell backwards down the cement stairs and saw a guy that had been smoking crack standing above him ready to kick him. What the fuck-?
Phonso jumped up and tackled the guy, knocking him to the ground. But before he knew it two more guys were jumping on him. Three guys were ambushing him that he didn’t know and had no idea why.
Phonso knew how to fight but three against one was bad. Very bad.
Donald Miller grinned at the way the three crackheads had hemmed up Phonso Tremont. He didn’t really have any beef with the dude but Donald needed a diversion. And three fiends willing to fight for a few rocks gave him the perfect opportunity.
Donald ignored the four guys fighting. His eyes rested on Vanessa who had just seen what was going on outside. Donald swept in before she could go outside and get her dumb-ass jumped too. Not that she was
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