expense he’d taken on without her knowledge or consent, but he just didn’t like her out there with no one looking out for her.
“Yeah. I wanna know why you’re slacking on your job? You come out later than usual and you go home earlier. Is there something you want to tell me?”
It was hard for Jack to keep his face clear of any expression especially when Natalie was involved, but he knew she didn’t like the fact he was a drug dealer, and he didn’t think she’d like to know how involved he’d gotten her. There was no reason for anyone to think there was anything between them though. He made sure they covered their tracks like they were running from the FBI.
“Not really, Benny. I can say that although I may not have been out on the streets for the last little while, there hasn’t been a decrease in the amount of product you want moved. That’s the most important thing right?”
“Yeah,” Benny said walking around like he was thinking, “I guess so, if that were true, but there has been a decrease of about 5 percent. This is one of the most lucrative areas of the club, and you’re running it, so the decrease is on you. Do you have anything to tell me?”
“Like what?” Jack didn’t want to continue this conversation, but you couldn’t exactly blow off the boss… but there was nothing saying he had to put on a happy face.
“You know I have ears all over the place, so things get to me.”
“Things like what?” Jack asked.
“Lots of things. Like maybe things about that woman on 4 th avenue that has the highest level of protection for a flower shop with no cover.”
Jack knew he shouldn’t have gotten such a high protection level for Natalie and her flower shop, but he just wanted to make sure everything was all right there. Most of the stores that went that route were laundering money or had different operations they were trying to keep hidden. His woman just had a simple flower shop in a bad area of town that she’d worked practically her whole life. It didn’t make sense, but neither did the way she made him feel.
“I can’t be responsible for what people think they need. Her bill is paid, isn’t it? What else you got?” Jack put on his very best ‘I don’t give a fuck’ face and hoped that Kahuna would get bored and leave, but the stare down between them continued.
Jack knew Benny was bluffing because the man didn’t know shit or he would have come right out and asked him. Being vague and mysterious wasn’t the way for Benny; he was more like an animal with mad cow disease. Loud, boisterous, and trampling all over everything.
“If you have a question, then come right out and ask. Otherwise I’ve got a lot of ground to cover, and I need to be on my way.” Jack tried again to see if he could get this conversation to be at its end. He wasn’t sure if the man was trying to stay out of the house because he was having a fight with his old lady or if he was just having fun busting his chops, but he’d had about enough.
Benny stared at him like the answer would fall off his shirt if he looked long enough, but he nodded after a few minutes. Jack knew he hadn’t had anything, but he also knew that he’d adjusted his schedule so he could spend more time with Natalie. He’d never taken any of the drugs people bought from him and his dealers, but it seemed like the medication he was on was taking over his life. Love. He had enough money to take care of his mother and Natalie, but the hungry kid in him was always concerned about his finances and the ability of it to leave him broke like he’d been in the past. He had to deep six the idea of giving up the lucrative life of a drug dealer and tried to figure out what he could do to make the situation he was living in now work.
“I’m watching you Stormy,” Benny said as he walked off.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Jack said to himself because he was alone,
“Yeah. I wanna know why you’re slacking on your job? You come out later than usual and you go home earlier. Is there something you want to tell me?”
It was hard for Jack to keep his face clear of any expression especially when Natalie was involved, but he knew she didn’t like the fact he was a drug dealer, and he didn’t think she’d like to know how involved he’d gotten her. There was no reason for anyone to think there was anything between them though. He made sure they covered their tracks like they were running from the FBI.
“Not really, Benny. I can say that although I may not have been out on the streets for the last little while, there hasn’t been a decrease in the amount of product you want moved. That’s the most important thing right?”
“Yeah,” Benny said walking around like he was thinking, “I guess so, if that were true, but there has been a decrease of about 5 percent. This is one of the most lucrative areas of the club, and you’re running it, so the decrease is on you. Do you have anything to tell me?”
“Like what?” Jack didn’t want to continue this conversation, but you couldn’t exactly blow off the boss… but there was nothing saying he had to put on a happy face.
“You know I have ears all over the place, so things get to me.”
“Things like what?” Jack asked.
“Lots of things. Like maybe things about that woman on 4 th avenue that has the highest level of protection for a flower shop with no cover.”
Jack knew he shouldn’t have gotten such a high protection level for Natalie and her flower shop, but he just wanted to make sure everything was all right there. Most of the stores that went that route were laundering money or had different operations they were trying to keep hidden. His woman just had a simple flower shop in a bad area of town that she’d worked practically her whole life. It didn’t make sense, but neither did the way she made him feel.
“I can’t be responsible for what people think they need. Her bill is paid, isn’t it? What else you got?” Jack put on his very best ‘I don’t give a fuck’ face and hoped that Kahuna would get bored and leave, but the stare down between them continued.
Jack knew Benny was bluffing because the man didn’t know shit or he would have come right out and asked him. Being vague and mysterious wasn’t the way for Benny; he was more like an animal with mad cow disease. Loud, boisterous, and trampling all over everything.
“If you have a question, then come right out and ask. Otherwise I’ve got a lot of ground to cover, and I need to be on my way.” Jack tried again to see if he could get this conversation to be at its end. He wasn’t sure if the man was trying to stay out of the house because he was having a fight with his old lady or if he was just having fun busting his chops, but he’d had about enough.
Benny stared at him like the answer would fall off his shirt if he looked long enough, but he nodded after a few minutes. Jack knew he hadn’t had anything, but he also knew that he’d adjusted his schedule so he could spend more time with Natalie. He’d never taken any of the drugs people bought from him and his dealers, but it seemed like the medication he was on was taking over his life. Love. He had enough money to take care of his mother and Natalie, but the hungry kid in him was always concerned about his finances and the ability of it to leave him broke like he’d been in the past. He had to deep six the idea of giving up the lucrative life of a drug dealer and tried to figure out what he could do to make the situation he was living in now work.
“I’m watching you Stormy,” Benny said as he walked off.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Jack said to himself because he was alone,
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