The Score Read Free Page B

card fraud hits lately and with all of our new training I—” the saleslady started. I raised my hand and halted her words.
    â€œNot every black person lives in poverty, so I hope you learned not to judge a book by its cover,” I told her, using the most snobby voice I could muster. I watched her cheeks turn red and she lowered her head in shame. I picked up my bags that contained over fifteen thousand dollars’ worth of merchandise, feeling vindicated, and sauntered out of the store with a smile on my face.
    When I made it to my car, I threw my bags into the trunk and rushed around to the driver’s-side door to jump inside. I popped open my glove box and pulled out one of the TracFones that Matt, Yancy, and I use to communicate about our little illegal business dealings. I punched in the number to Matt’s new throwaway phone and tapped my fingernails on the steering wheel as I waited for him to answer.
    â€œBae?” Matt answered. I shuddered at the phoniness of him calling me his bae when he knew damn well he was fucking Yancy behind my back.
    â€œAhem.” I cleared my throat and swallowed the hard lump that had formed in the back of it. I took a quick, deep breath so that I wouldn’t go crazy on Matt’s ass.
    â€œYeah, Matt, what’s up?” I said, closing my eyes to keep my feelings at bay.
    â€œYou are not going to believe this shit,” Matt said excitedly. I was quiet. Nothing about him excited me anymore. I mean what was he going to tell me? He got off probation or his trifling-ass family had stopped begging for money?
    â€œBelieve what?” I asked dryly, rolling my eyes.
    â€œOur girl Yancy Yance came through in a major way today,” Matt continued. His voice went up a few notches in pitch when he said that bitch’s name. My insides swirled with a quick flash of jealousy and nausea. Hearing Matt refer to Yancy as “our girl” almost literally made me throw up.
    â€œYou mean your girl,” I said sarcastically. The fucking nerve of him to refer to her as our girl. Matt was really starting to push my buttons. He was so lucky I had an endgame in mind.
    â€œNot only did she cash those stolen checks but while she was in the bank some dude dropped a Hermès billfold right in front of her,” Matt said with pure admiration in his tone. The mere thought of him and her fucking each other behind my back gave me a queasy feeling in my stomach. It seemed like the more he talked about her, the harder it was for me to keep my hatred at bay.
    â€œAnd?” I said in an annoyed, ready-to-snap tone. It was all I could do to keep myself from going off. Lately, it seemed like Yancy could do no fucking wrong in his eyes.
    â€œ And, that shit had a stack in it, plus American Express black and plum cards too,” Matt said overjoyed. As bad as I wanted to be mad and jealous that he was giving Yancy props, when I heard what she had found a quick fleeting feeling of excitement filled my chest and my eyebrows went into arches on my face. That excitement quickly faded when I really thought about what he was saying.
    â€œWait. We don’t fuck with American Express cards. American Express monitors their cards like Fort fucking Knox. Anyway, I’m almost sure the owner of the billfold has already reported them lost,” I reminded Matt. “So why the fuck would I be excited about that?” I grumbled. I was so blinded by the jealousy of Matt giving Yancy props that I couldn’t help but snap on him.
    â€œI know that, Lauren. You ain’t let me finish. Damn, so hardheaded,” he said in a disgusted voice.
    â€œThen what? I mean, okay, she found a thousand dollars and a Hermès wallet that we can probably sell but we can’t use the fucking cards so what is so great about Miss Yancy Yance, ” I snapped, emphasizing his little nickname for her in a mocking way.
    â€œYo, you sound mad salty right now, Lauren. I