Hostile Takeover

I stood next to her and signaled for my bartender, Sammy. “Hello.”

She turned to look at me and a little smile crept across her full lips. “Hello,” she said in a sultry voice that I knew I’d enjoy hearing again.

“You know, most men are intimidated by beautiful women, and they’re afraid to talk to them. But I’m not.”

“Since you’re telling me this, then I must be a beautiful woman,” she said.

“You are … very beautiful,” I said as Sammy placed a glass of Rémy in front of me. “But, I get the feeling that I’m not telling you anything that you didn’t know. I mean, I know that I’m not the first person that’s told you that.”

“No, you are not the first man to tell me that.” she picked up her drink. I thought that she was going to finish it and walk off, but she didn’t. She took a sip, and then she faced me. She took a little step closer to me. “In fact, I get tired of hearing it sometimes.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“I don’t think that it’s possible for a man to tell a woman that he admires and appreciates her beauty often enough.”

“True, but only if it comes from the right man. And most times, it is the wrong man saying it to me.” She sipped her drink. “But I like hearing you say it.”

“Then I’ll say it again. You are by far the most beautiful woman that has ever come in this joint,” I lied.

That distinction belongs to Carmen Taylor.

She laughed and finished her drink. “I’m sure I’m not the first woman you said that to.”

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“And there you’d be wrong.” I’ve never used that line before, and that’s all it was, a line. “I’ve never said that to anybody, because nobody is as beautiful as you,” I lied again.

Again, she laughed. “I don’t believe you.” She picked up her clutch and then the coat that she had draped over the back of her chair. “But it was nice talking to you.”

“The pleasure was mine.” I paused to admire her body before she covered it up. “My name is Mike Black,” I said as I took the coat from her hands. She turned around and I held it while she placed her toned arms in the sleeves.

“I know who you are. Everybody knows Mike Black.”

“Since you know who I am, tell me, what’s your name?”

“My name is Nianza De La Vega, but you can call me Nina. Nice to meet you,” she said, and then she started to walk away.

“Slow down.” I said quickly and she stopped. “I’d like to see you again, Nina.”

Nina leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “I’m sure you will, Black,” she said, and walked away.

I watched her as she walked her fine ass out of The Late Night and I seriously thought about getting my coat and going after her, but I quickly dismissed that idea. I signaled for Sammy to bring me another shot of Rémy and drank it down. “Too many other fine ass women up in here to chase that one,” I said, and then I went back to my table, and got my coat.

There was no telling how long Bobby and André were going to be and I didn’t feel like waiting around. Besides, if André wants to know how it went, Bobby could tell him and it would be a much more colorful story.

When I left The Late Night, I decided that I didn’t want to wait for a cab so I walked home. I was almost there, when I saw a police car roll up alongside me. I didn’t think much of it, because cop cars in this neighborhood are an everyday thing. That was until the blue lights came on and the car pulled over in front of me. Both officers got out of the car and came toward me and they both had their hands on their guns. Seeing that, I immediately raised mine.

“Mike Black,” one shouted.

I moved to the nearest car and assumed the position, glad that I didn’t have a chance to get another gun out of the safe in the office.

Since I had the right to, I remained silent while the officer patted me down and then handcuffed me.

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney and to have an attorney present during questioning,” the other recited, and then they put me in their car.

When we arrived at the police station, I wasn’t booked, but I was taken to a holding cage and they shut the door. Since I don’t wear a watch, I don’t know for sure how long I was in there, but it seemed like a long time. Then two guards came to the cage. “On your feet.”