When A Woman Hustles, Danielle Martin [books to read in your 20s .TXT] 📗

his office and have a talk with him. It was her choice to hire Reese. She felt she should be included in certain decision making. 

Pumpkin headed for the door, stopping by the bar to drop a set of keys and a key badge onto the countertop. "The badge key is to get in the doors downstairs. The gold key is for your apartment. I will be taking a spare key for bookkeeping purposes but I have no intentions on visiting your apartment whatsoever."

Reese nodded her head, "Okay."

"And don’t forget." Pumpkin continued. "We have to work tonight. So i need to you to be ready by 8 o’clock. No later, no earlier."

Reese hesitantly nodded her head, but she knew better than to resist. Her ass was going to have to work overtime to make up for all the money spent. "I'm serious Reese." Pumpkin narrowed her eyes. "You are never on time, and that’s one of my biggest pet peeves!."

"I know, but I honestly got lost." Reese pleaded her case. "I stayed at the inner harbor last night, and I don’t know my way around there at all."

The inner harbor??? Pumpkin shook her head. Clearly, Reese didn’t know anything about these Baltimore streets. The more cash this chick drops out of her pocket, the more of a trail she was going to leave behind. Reese could have stayed at a best western, but instead she chose to stay in the inner harbor??

"You don't know nothing bout the inner harbor" Pumpkin pointed a finger in her direction." She was disappointed, but she should have known better. Reese was a broke chick from the hood who never had nothing. Pumpkin never should have left her with large amounts of money. She should have gave it out in increments, just to observe how this girl manages her money. So far, she was doing a horrible job.

Reese pleaded with her eyes "I know, I know. I was a little hesitant at first. King has a condo out there by the river. He let me stay there for the night until my place was ready."

Silence.

The room stood still.

Pumpkin's body froze, her knees buckled.

A sucker punch to the heart.

She couldn't move, her toes went numb.

Wha--Wha--Whatttt? What did I just hear???

Reese quickly placed her palm in the center of her mouth as if she had just said something wrong.

"I mean... I mean..."she stammered then bit her lip. There was no taking back what she just said.

Pumpkin had not responded. She continued to stare straight forward, her body still numb.

"I had nowhere to go last night, he was nice enough to let me stay there for one night. I figured maybe you knew." Reese pleaded. "I'm sorry, I should have called you."

Pumpkin continued to stare. She attempted to regain her composure but she could not respond. She was at a loss for words. Speechless.

"Please Pumpkin." Reese continued. "Don’t be upset."

Pumpkin could feel her body shake underneath her clothes. Quickly, she had slipped into a very dark space and didn’t know how to pull herself out of it.

"Did he stay there with you?" Pumpkin could feel her lips move but there was no emotion behind her words. She had mentally checked out.

"No, he didn't. I stayed there alone." she was quick to answer.

Pumpkin slowly looked over at Reese, who had a troubled look on her face.

She was going to hide this from me. Pumpkin chanted inside her head. This sneaky bitch.

"I didn't know anything about a condo in the Inner Harbor." Pumpkin hated to admit it. But it was true "When did he get a place down there and not tell me about it?" her chest pained as she asked the question.

Reese brought her fingernails to her lips, nervously biting at them again. "He's real secretive about it, I guess. He doesn’t want too many people knowing."

Pumpkin closed her eyes again as she begin to meditate. Calm down Pumpkin. Calm down.

Her emotions were at an all-time high right now. If she didn’t get it together now, she was liable to say something she would regret. That eerie feeling returned, invading her body as she stood still. Pumpkin was like King’s personal real estate. In-between his three properties and 4 business locations, she helped him close every single mortgage he ever had on the table. She also decorated his homes. He always told her he was infatuated with her interior decorating and that she would always be the only one he would call. But that was all a lie... She was completely astonished to find out that he had a secret spot, and it was even more shocking finding out this information from Reese.

 "You pushing up on King after everything I told you about him?" Pumpkin clenched her fist as she stepped forward. Reese backed down the closer she got.

"I told you it’s not like that Pumpkin, I swear. I don’t want him, he doesn’t want me."

Pumpkin clenched her jaw. She hesitated for a moment as she contemplated her next move. She could act out, but she was emotionally exhausted and was not ready to provide her true reaction. The best thing to do right now was to walk away. There was no telling what she might do if she stayed any longer.

This is not over. I swear this is not over!!!!

She left Reese standing in the middle of the floor as she walked away. "Be on time tonight. I will send you the address. Meet me there and DO NOT be late." Pumpkin did not wait for her to respond. She reached for the door handle, desperate to escape this apartment.

"Wait!" Reese shouted to stop her. She stepped forward as Pumpkin reluctantly turned around to face her. "Pumpkin, I really do appreciate you for hooking up this place for me. I love it." She repeated.

Pumpkin was on edge. She did not smile or show any emotion.

Haunting images filled her mind…

She imagined Reese lying in King’s bed. She wasn’t thinking clearly and had to get the hell out of here before she had an anxiety attack.

Pumpkin didn’t respond. She stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door behind her. She wanted to scream out loud but she resisted as she silently trailed down the narrow hallway. She was confused. She didn’t know how to feel. Her body was still in a state of shock, attempting to regain composure so she could turn back and give Reese the reaction she deserved.

 She became angry as she thought about King.

What was he thinking? How dare he allow Reese inside his home?

She trusted him. She didn’t trust Reese.

Pumpkin shook her head, in pure disbelief with herself. She never allowed a woman to intimidate her. It was not in her nature.

I brought this bitch around. This is all my fault. I brought this upon myself.

Pumpkin continued to travel down the hallway, thinking about her next move. Pumpkin could not associate herself with anyone that she considered a threat. Approaching the elevator door, she had finally come up with a plan. She was going to get whatever she could get out of Reese for now, and as soon as the time was right, she was gonna drop that bitch on her ass like a pancake. She didn’t trust her, nor did she want to work with someone she couldn’t depend on.

This bitch crossed the line. So she’s done…

Pressing the elevators button to go down, Pumpkin took a deep breath relaxing herself after she finally came up with a resolution.

Reese has to go.

 

Chapter 12

Chapter 12.

 

Click Clack Click Clack.

Her heels tapped on the marble floors as Reese walked down the long narrow hallway. Her long black dress dragged on the floor behind her. She followed the directions jotted down on the poorly written sticky note. 401 W Pratt St, Baltimore. Up the elevators, to the right. Room #487. 

Reese sashayed down the hallway, practicing her walk as she caught a glimpse of herself in the full length mirror. She stopped before walking past, examining her outfit. Hmmmm… She kept the tag tucked safely underneath the armpit in hopes of returning the $2500 Shalaj K. designer dress back to the boutique after tonight was over. She didn’t want to overdress again, but at the same time she wanted to wear a comfortable but fashionable dress with stretchy material so she could maneuver. Reese took a deep breath. This is it…  There’s no turning back.

She continued her journey down the hallway, her mind wandering. She began to think about Pumpkin. That woman had been acting extremely weird lately and it felt as if she was giving off the cold shoulder. Reese began to ponder across what she could have possibly done different. I never should have stayed the night at King’s without telling her. But dammit, he made it soooooooo worth it. She shivered as she began to think about King again but quickly shook that image out of her head.

She hadn’t spoken with Pumpkin since the night she left her apartment. Reese called her at least 20 times prior to driving to the hotel but got no answer. She found the directions stuck on the outside of her car window poorly written down on a balled up sticky note. Room #487 at the Hilton Hotel. Her anxiety rushed as she walked down the hotel lobby towards the elevators. She had arrived on time, just the way she was advised. Clearly, she had gotten off on the wrong foot with Pumpkin and tonight was the night to prove herself. Reese was in debt to her and did not want to get on her bad side so soon in the game.

She slowly approached the elevator which was located at the end of the hallway. The doors slid open. She didn’t hesitate stepping inside. Reese didn’t know what was waiting for her up these stairs, all she knew was she had a 9mm in her purse that she found left underneath her pillow. Good looking out Pumpkin.

 She felt the weight of the gun in her purse as the elevator slowly made its way to the top, taking what felt like forever. Pumpkin was supposed to have arrived before her. Hopefully, she was already here waiting for her upstairs. Reese had no idea what she was about to walk into but she was prepared this go round. Slowly but surely, she was growing accustomed to expecting the unexpected. She knew by now that anything could go down at any time, she had to be ready.

 Reese anxiously tapped her foot as the elevator slowly inched its way to the top floor. She made several poor attempts to make herself believe she had what it takes to be a successful thief like Pumpkin and King. Pumpkin had been robbing niggas since she was 16 years old. She had plenty of experience. Reese on the other hand had never stolen a thing in her life. Her mother scolded her at a very young age, telling her if she ever was to steal or do drugs, she would end up a no good piece of shit just like a father. Reese shook her head. My mother was a cruel witch…

The elevator doors opened. Reese stepped out of the elevator. Once in the hallway, she took one last deep breath. The closer she got the more anxious she became. She walked at a steady pace ready to get this