“Hey, Angel,” The voice that was rough and deep said. “It’s time to get your ass out of bed!”
I opened one eye and then the other slowly, squinting through the dark. I saw Romeo Diaz sitting in the chair across from my bed, leaning back and glaring at me. I looked around at the apartment wondering what time it was. I had to clear my throat a few time before I could talk.
“What do you want?” I said half sitting, half sliding up the wall as I pushed my hair out of my eyes. I reached for a glass of something clear on the end table, but Romeo got to it first.
“What do you want?” I asked again reaching for the glass.
“I came for my money, whadda think?” He said as he passed the glass back to me. “I heard you had a pretty good week.” He smiled and jerked a cigarette from the pack in his hand. He lit it with a match and the smell of the sulfur made me retch. I held onto the wall to keep myself from falling onto the floor. He continued.
“So, I thought that since I was in the neighborhood and all, I’d stop in to see my girls. And collect my cut of course.” He said grinning.
I reluctantly got out of the bed. My head reeled and my body ached, but I knew there had been worse days than this. And better. I walked across the room and I got a jar from under the sink and pulled out seven twenties. That was Romeo’s cut from the last week. I handed the money to him, but he just stared at it.
“What? You want more?” I asked, tossing the money at him and started toward the mini fridge to get something to drink. Before I could move away, Romeo grabbed my arm.
“Perhaps we could come to a deal?” He said as he pulled me into his lap and wiggled his tongue in my ear. “Give me a really good blowjob, and I’ll forget about your payment.”
Every other night or so Romeo groped or propositioned his girls, and I for one always declined. I would rather pay him the money than have him wriggle on top of me. The thought made me retch again, and I got up and went to the small kitchen leaving him there with the money.
“Sorry Romeo, I got to save the goods for the clients.” I said rinsing a glass from the sink with the Baltimore water and poured a glass of Vodka. I cut it with some OJ, and drank it down. I was starting to feel better.
“Angel, your nothing but a whore, and always will be a whore.” Romeo said as he neatly tucked the bills into his wallet. “And the best thing about it is that you’re my whore.” He flicked the cigarette into my glass and headed for the door. “I’ll see you later Angel.”
It was quite when he left, and I realized it was past nine. I had to be out of the apartment within an hour. I was meeting my friend Johanna soon and I had to get ready. I decided on a flirty black skirt and a little tee shirt. I did a hair tease, make-up and purse check before leaving. I locked the door behind me and headed down the three flights of stairs and came out on Howard Street. I had to make my way over to Baltimore Street, otherwise known as “The Block”, to meet Jo. It only took a few minutes to make my way over through the masses of people, and I caught up with Johanna just in time.
When I first came down here from Pennsylvania I was known as Angel Freeman. I meet Johanna in a bar somewhere in Fells Point where I was spending my last few dollars on a beer and a basket of french fries. I noticed Johanna a few seats down, and she was surrounded by men of all ages and races, flirting and accepting drinks and business cards.
She noticed me at some point and as a show of acknowledgment, nodded in my direction. I nodded back and then became intently interested in my fries. Before last call, Johanna’s group of worshipers had depleted and she was just finishing up her last drink, bought by a guy with a fat gut and a bald head.
She introduced herself as Johanna Moxley.
“I’ve never seen you around before.” She said lighting a cigarette and blowing smoke in the direction of the bar tender. “Where are you from?”
