DIVA: FEMALE HUSTLER

chapter 9

Ridgewood, New Jersey

After the club, I've been keeping my focus on the funeral home. Erica has been a little distant but I've been giving her space.

" Ms. Rizzo I'm leaving," Tiffany stands in the doorway of my office.

" Have good weekend Tiffany."

" I will, you too," she leaves. I look at the time on my computer seeing it's five o'clock. Let me finish this little bit of paperwork then I can come in late on Monday. I go over my orders, the clients and meetings. I get up grabbing my purse, turning off all the lights and setting the alarm. I drive to pops house for our weekly Friday dinners.

After twenty minutes, I drive through the gates parking in front of the steps. I get out waving at the guards before I start my hike up the stairs to the door.

I unlock the door, smelling gram's cooking. I go to pop's study, knocking the closed door.

" Come in," he sits behind the desk with the phone to his ear," I'll see you tonight." He hangs up," bambina, how was your day?"

" Good, how about yours?" He smiles getting up," same ole same ole," he shrugs. We walk out of his office to the kitchen. Gram leans over a pot stirring.

" Gram you don't need to do all this." She turns around," no one can cook like me." I put my bag on the counter then walk over to the pot.

" Smells good, what are you making?"

" Some traditional Italian food. Go change out of those clothes," she waves me away.

"Okay, I'm going," I pick my bag up heading up stairs to my old bedroom at the end of the west wing. Every time I walk in it's like a flash back to my teenage years. The purple and black decor, posters on the wall, fuzzy pillows and cute stuffed animals. I drop my bag on the bed and kick my shoes off. I pull my phone out calling Erica," hello." I walk in my closet," you coming over to dinner?" I go to my casual section of the closet.

" I don't know," she whispers.

" Erica don't make me ride all the way to Brooklyn to grab your ass and you know I'm bringing gram."

" Fine," she huffs.

" See in a few," I hang the phone up grabbing an all black shirt and jeans.

I slide my feet in my nike slippers. I go back into the room staring at my pictures on the dresser. The one with all of us went to Italy. Sophia and I lean on the rails of Rialto Bridge in Venice. Chris and Sean stand a few feet away playing around. I smile at the picture then head downstairs. Chris and Sean walk through the front door," hey bros."

" Hey lil sis," Sean pulls me into a hug then I hug Chris. We walk in the living room seeing pops,Marco and his wife, Michelle and their two sons, Matt and Michael. We all give each other hugs before sitting down. Michelle turns to me," I got this young man that you should meet."

" Mrs. Michelle, you know what happened last time."

" This time I double checked."

I look at her a little weary," I'll think about it."

" Don't think too long. I'm going to help your grandma," she gets up. I shake my head getting on my phone," let's go to the office." We all got up to go to pop's office. He sits behind his desk while we all scatter around the office.

" Monique said they have Mike." I look at him," what are you giving her for him?"

" Double her product," I nod my head.

" Have them bring her to the funeral home" I walk out the office. The images of Sophia play in my head.

" Dominique," I snap out of thought. Chris pulls me into a hug," you don't need to do this."

" I need to. This haunted me for the last four years."

" I know," he rubs my back.

After a few minutes we break apart, I wipe my eyes. I go to the kitchen as gram and Mrs. Michelle talks in Italian.

" Need any help?" I look at the stuff on the counter," you can chop up the onions and peppers." I grab a knife and the cutting board starts chopping. For the next hour we laugh and cook.

" Hey ladies," Erica walks in hugging us.

" I was wondering when you were coming," gram puts her hand on her hips. " You know I wouldn't miss dinner for the world." Gram pokes her lips out," okay." I wash my hands then walk over to her," how are you?"

" I'm good," she looks uncomfortable. I pull her into a hug," Erica you are my sister. Everything is good."

I pull back as she wipes her face.

" We'll be back," I pull her into the bathroom. I close the door behind us," I didn't know that was who she wanted me to drop her off to. I should have gone in to see who she was going to be with."

" Erica what happened wasn't your fault. He was a pervert." I grab some tissue dabbing her eyes. After a few minutes she calms down," yall okay in there?"

" Yeah Chris. Well be out in a few."

" Okay." Erica fixes her makeup," E ain't no one blaming you. Your family to us."

" Thanks," she smiles. We leave the bathroom going back to the kitchen.

"Grab the food and put it on the dining room table," gram directs us. We walk back and forth filling the table. Gram pulls Erica to the side," she okay?"

" Yeah, Mrs. Michelle," I put the last of the food on the table.

" Get to the table, it's time to eat." The men rush over to the table. We all hold hands standing around the table as gram says grace.

" Amen," we all grab our plates, filling them up.

" What's new with everyone," I take a bite of pasta.

" Nothing really gram," Sean eats some chicken.

" Chris how are the kids?"

" Their good gram. I'm getting them this weekend."

" Good, I haven't seen them in a while."

" You saw them last weekend," he stale- faced her.

" I'm supposed to see them all the time." We all talk and laugh during dinner.

Pops phone rings," hello."

" Demetrius put that phone down."

"I'll text the address. Be there in an hour." I look at Chris," dinner was good ladies." Pops stand up kissing gram on her cheek," you leaving already?"

" Yeah," I stand up walking out the dining room up upstairs. I go in my room changing my slides to my Tim's. I grab a jacket before going back downstairs. All the men stand at the door," ready?" Pops looks at me," yeah." We get in two black SUV's, pops, Marco and his boys in one while Chris, Sean and me get in the other. We pull off first then the security detail. I put my headphones in getting in my zone. The last couple of years flash through my mind. The birthdays, holidays, graduations Sophia missed.

She always wanted to be a nurse and because of him she lost it all family, friends, and kids. I shake my head, keeping myself from getting emotional. I turn up Asina doll getting in my zone. After the thirty minute drive, we pull in the back of the funeral home. Another two cars of security is already there waiting for us. We get out heading to the back door. I unlock the door then put in the security code. We all go to the cremation room," it's been awhile since we did this." Pops pull a chair out while everyone else gets to work covering everything in plastic. I go in the backroom looking through all my knives. Which one? I look between a butcher knife of a scalpel. I guess I'll use both. I carry them and a hazard suite out the back room.