Juanty's Hope Read online

“What the hell? What happened?” Pearl pried Juanty’s hand away from her mouth so she could explain what all the ruckus was about.

  “That’s him! That’s the sex god!”

  “Did you eat a drunk deer or something while you were out? What sex god?”

  “Pay attention, Pearl. That’s him!”

  Pearl lifted her arms in exasperation. “Jay, you know I hate riddles.”

  “That’s the guy I met at the club last night.” Her hands shook, and her stomach was full of butterflies.

  “Which one is he?” Pearl said, unfazed, and taking a sip of her wine.

  Juanty pointed at the TV. “Right there. He’s standing right where I whacked off the cop’s dick.”

  Pearl spat out her wine and looked at Juanty in disgust. “You really are Jeffery Dahmer?”

  “Yes. I mean, no.” Juanty shook her head and let out a deep sigh. “He raped and killed that poor girl last night, so I made sure that was the last time he sticks that thing in anyone for any reason ever again.”Pearl stood up and backed away from her sister, sitting across the room on the matching chaise.

  “Jay, your ass is crazy as bat shit. Is he dead?”

  “I don’t think so, but why is Johnathon out there?”

  “Who’s Johnathon?”Juanty jumped up and used her panther speed to run across the room. She grabbed Pearl’s neck and fake squeezed as hard as she could, causing Pearl to fake fall out.

  “Pearl, I’m going to yank your dick off if you don’t listen to me!” Pearl fake woke up and sat up to face Juanty.

  “Okay, geesh! Start from the beginning.” Juanty explained everything that had happened in recent hours. After a long pause, Pearl finally spoke. “You better hope nobody saw you. It’s going to be a lot of white supremacist coming after you. You know they will not tolerate a black, nude goddess vigilante like you going around, cutting off white people’s dicks. They must be scared shitless. I mean, there’s a dick-chopping criminal on the loose.” Pearls eyes flickered an icy blue before returning to their natural caramel-brown hue. “All jokes aside, that dirty cop got exactly what he deserved. Things ain’t all bad for him, though. Maybe he can start bumping pussies now that you turned him into a girl tonight.”

  The two laughed hysterically until they were both coughing. Juanty picked up Pearl’s drink and took a sip. She cleared her throat and was finally able to stop laughing long enough to ask a question. “Seriously. Do you think I’m crazy for being interested in a human?”

  “Uh, duh. You need to forget about his fine ass. Find a nice vampire or wolf to fuck if you want to do something different. I hear Vamps know how to screw you six ways to Sunday.”

  Juanty rubbed her temples. “You stupid.”

  “I’m just saying. Don’t sleep on Vamps just cus they want to suck your blood. Can you imagine how good they probably suck pussy lips, too? They specialize in sucking for Pete’s sake! I’d try one myself, except I don’t like that creepy, Transylvania accent they got.”

  “And on that note, I’m going to bed.” Juanty stood up and rubbed the back of her stiff neck before heading upstairs to her bedroom. She didn’t understand why she felt so confused. After all, she didn’t even know the stranger who had completely taken up residence in her mind.

  Chapter Three

  “So, what’s up with Shorty? She must have been a fifty on a one-to-ten scale to catch your attention. You’ve been out of the game for a minute, bruh.”

  “There’s nothing to really tell. I mean, I hardly know her,”Johnathon said unconvincingly. “It’s crazy when I think about it, though, because I have hardly even noticed another woman since…” Johnathon’s voice tapered off. He did not want to get emotional in front of his best friend of twenty years, not today. He was trying to enjoy the early morning sunshine and beautiful, lush landscape.

  Metro Atlanta in the spring was amazing. Lithonia’s Panola State Parkways host to lovely dogwood and cherry blossoms against the intense green deciduous forest. Today, the infinite blue sky was icing on the cake. It was a cool sixty-two degrees, the perfect climate to meet for a jog and to catch up. It had been a minute since the two had gotten together. Since Jonathon’s wife Rachel had died during childbirth, he had not felt much like getting out of bed, let alone waste what little energy he had running. His nine-month-old daughter Olivia was pretty much the only reason he did get up. He made a promise to his wife, before she slipped away, that their little bundle would need for nothing. He kept his word and made sure Olivia was happy, healthy and loved.

  “You could have fooled me. Damn, Ray Charles could see that she made an impression on you. You haven’t stopped talking about her since we got here. Look at you, daydreaming right now. I don’t have time to stand here and wait for you to conjure up all the freaky stuff you wanna do to the club owner. What I’m about to do is run this trail on your ass like I’m USANi Bolt, and then we can go get ready so we can hit the club, and I can meet this hottie that’s got you all twisted.”

  “Man, it’s not like that at all. This woman is all kinds of beautiful, and there is something about her that is strong and mysterious. I couldn’t stop looking at her. She has the strangest eyes. They are a deep gold color with shiny flecks in them. I have never seen anything like it. She was just different.”

  “If she all that, then what could she possibly see in your ugly, big head ass?”

  They both laughed, but Johnathon refused to give Bryant the last word. “Bruh, go ask your mama since I was with her last night.” He took off up the trail with Bryant eating his dust.

  On the way back to the car, they exchanged pleasantries and entered their individual vehicles. Johnathon started the engine to his silver Toyota Tundra affectionately known as Optimus. The truck’s massive body and shiny customized features reminded him of the transformer in the movie.

  He turned onto the busy street and thought about his beautiful baby girl Olivia. She was tiny for her age. She had the softest milk chocolate skin, and the biggest eyes that held onyx-colored pupils, accented with lashes that almost touched her eyebrows. Black, curly locks were messy all over her head because her daddy could never figure out how to style it without crocodile tears flooding her adorable face, so he decided to let it be since natural hair was the new thing anyway. He would instead focus his attention on keeping her safe, and for him, that meant not getting close to too many women. He could not risk his little girl getting hurt if the relationship didn’t work out, but Juanty Dubose wasn’t just any woman. That he realized when his breath came to a screeching halt after bumping into her at Corset Nights. Since their grand opening about a week ago, she had been on his mind. He felt like if he did not at least see her one more time; he might regret it for the rest of his life. He couldn’t take that chance, and tonight was just as good as any to take Bryant up on his offer and pay Ms. Juanty a visit.

  Once home, he opened his front door to a wide-eyed, bushy-tailed beauty, stretching her arms out to him. Holding her was her nanny, Sye. She and Rachel were best friends in high school. That was how Johnathon had met Bryant. Sye and Bryant were an item in the 9th grade. Johnathon hooked up with Rachel shortly after, and the four soon became inseparable. They remained close friends until Rachel’s death. Sye felt terrible for Johnathon. She knew he would have a difficult time raising Olivia alone. Without taking no for an answer, she moved her things into his house and pretty much took over Rachel’s responsibilities, without overstepping the bounds of friendship.

  “I see you two early birds are up and about. How’s my baby girl this morning?” He kissed them both on the cheek and scooped the small child into his arms.

  “She’s up and full of energy, as usual, but dressed, dry, full, and ready to go. Is there anything you need before I get out of here? I’m going to do some shopping before we all starve to death. There’s nothing to eat in this house except toddler cookies and old, leftover Chinese.”

  Johnathon frowned up his nose. “No, thanks. I’m good. I will leave some money on
the kitchen counter so you can shop. Do you mind if I get a quick shower? After that, little mama and I will be out of your way.”

  “No problem. I’ll go do a quick inventory of everything we need.” Sye had recently lost her job as a host at an upscale restaurant in Buckhead and didn’t know how she would make ends meet. Johnathon needed to get back to the company he’d built from the ground up, so it was a win-win for both of them.

  He set the baby down in her high chair, secured her to it, and kissed her forehead. As he made his way down the hall, Sye watched him from behind. The very sight of him made her nipples hard. She shook off the thought, walked over to the kitchen counter, and grabbed Olivia’s bottle. She loosened the top, reached into her jeans pocket, pulled out a small vile, and poured the contents into the bottle. She then replaced the cap and gave the bottle a shake, mixing the fluid from the vile and the juice she poured before Johnathon arrived home. Sye held the bottle behind her back and walked over to the highchair. She leaned forward and licked Olivia’s forehead in the exact spot where Johnathon had kissed her, then smiled.

  “Look what I have for you.” Olivia smiled big and kicked her little legs. She took hold of the bottle, putting it in her mouth and sucking.

  Sye stood up and glanced towards the hallway. “Soon, we will be together, my love. Very soon.”

  ***

  Johnathon dropped Olivia off at daycare and made his way to work. He owned and operated a youth sports complex in the heart of the Old Fourth Ward. The area boasts not only quaint restaurants and beautifully gentrified communities, but also its large, African American community. As progressive as the area was, it lacked a space where kids of all ages could come together after school and work on creative expression. Public schools today were doing away with sports programs as well as the arts, and his community center gave the neighborhood kids an outlet. He had built the center from the ground up.

  Initially, it started with a few batting cages. Coaches from the surrounding area would bring their teams there to work out. Later, he expanded to accommodate the greatest needs in the community. He not only set up music, writing, dancing, and drama classes, but also added afterschool programs, mentoring opportunities, support groups, enrichment classes, and parenting skills classes. His goal was to teach youth in the community to be successful in whatever ways they aspired.

  Typically, energetic children of all ages filled the center with their hopes and dreams echoing in the halls, but this particular morning was especially quiet and difficult for Johnathon. One of the young girls who frequented the center had recently been murdered, and it hit him hard. He was well acquainted with the fifteen-year-old and her family and had even visited their home on a few occasions. Da’Shanay Littleton took advantage of the center's mentor program. She was a talented artist and softball player. She had planned to attend Spellman College to become a journalist, but some sick bastard had stolen her future and her life. His heart broke for her family.

  He had rushed to the scene of the crime just after her body was found. Word got around fast in these parts. Although he had not yet learned who had been killed, he feared it was one of his mentees since it happened fairly close to the center. When he got there and saw her lifeless body, he doubled over and tossed up the contents of his lunch from earlier in the day. News journalists interviewed him, looking for answers, but Jonathon was not at work that day and was just as clueless as everyone else was.

  Apparently, her body had been carried to that location, which did not make sense. Most killers go to great lengths to hide the body. Hers was left along the curb under a streetlight for anyone passing by to notice. It was baffling, to say the least, but Johnathon’s main concern was to provide as much support to the family and community as possible. He had closed the center's activities for the week but remained open for grief counseling. The mood in the building was solemn, and whispers of what may have happened could be heard as Johnathon walked towards his office. His sixty-five-year-old assistant, Mrs. Stinson, approached with tears in her eyes.

  “Mr. Reid, couldn’t you just cry? I mean, it is just horrible what somebody did to that poor girl. I heard she got him good before he got away. I heard…” Ms. Stinson looked around to make sure nobody was ear hustling and leaned in closely as if she were about to reveal the mysteries behind the wonders of the world. “Sister Bell, down at the church, has a grandson whose fiancée is play-cousins with one of the officers at the Fulton County precinct. He said that they think the man must have forced himself on her and she…”Ms. Stinson looked around once again, and then back to Johnathon. “Lord have mercy, she gnawed the thing clean off.”

  Johnathon winced and tried to speak, but Ms. Stinson kept right on going. “Oh, Lord, that must have been a fright. He couldn’t be too hard to catch. He’s the guy with no wiener. I heard it was really, really small anyway. I mean, really, really, really, really small. Sister Bell said the detective could measure it with a thumb.”The woman shook her head in disbelief.

  “Mrs. Stinson, thank you for the colorful update, but I have to make sure the grief counselors are in place so the community can receive the services they need today. So, if you will excuse me?”

  “Of course, Mr. Reid. You are the best.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Stinson.”

  John rushed down the hall in record time to his office and closed the door behind him. He sat down at his desk before allowing himself to explore his thoughts. The first one to pop up was about Juanty. He inadvertently smiled and pulled his cell phone from his pants pocket. He dialed the number and waited for his friend to answer.

  “What up, bro?”

  Rap music blared through the phone. “Ain’t nothing, man. Getting some work in. What’s up?” Bryant was a videographer, blogger and YouTuber who kept his followers updated on the latest tea in the city.

  “Since you know everything that goes on in the city, I was wondering if you heard anything yet about the young girl who was killed and left on the side of the road last week.”

  “Yeah, I heard about it. Nobody is talking, though. I’ll tell you one thing. I’m sick of seeing our kids dying in the streets for no reason at all. She was just a kid. Why are you asking? Did you know her or something?”

  “Yes, I knew her well. She was a sweet kid and had a bright future ahead of her. Please keep me posted on anything that turns up.”

  “Will do, man. You going to see that pretty lady that got you all discombobulated soon?”Johnathon’s heart began to race. How could this happen at the mere thought of this woman? He tried to play it cool. “That’s the plan. I think I will take you up on your offer to hit up her spot tonight. You still down?”

  “Bet. I need to get into some tail tonight anyway. They got strippers there?”

  “All you think about is sex, man. Are you ever going to settle down? And no, it’s not a strip club. It is a pretty nice spot, though. I’ll swing through about ten.”

  “Bet.”

  “Man, don’t mess up my chances with Juanty tonight, chasing tail. I don’t want her to think I’m a ho like your ho ass.”

  “What do you mean? I’m the only reason you even get any play!”

  “Whatever, man.” Johnathon ended the call and leaned back in his chair. Ten o’clock couldn’t get here quick enough.

  Chapter Four

  Johnathon entered Corset Nights in desperate need of a drink. He made his way to the bar and looked around. The atmosphere was full of electricity. Partygoers gyrated and swayed to the 90’s old school beats that played. The place was already crowded. Johnathon took a seat and began to relax.

  “Hey, sexy. What are you drinking?” The bartender was a stunning woman. She leaned forward and flashed a million-dollar smile that showed dimples that would make any man take notice, except for him.

  “A shot of tequila and lime, please.” The attractive woman went into full-blown flirt mode. She propped her elbows on the bar and leaned forward, causing her ample bosom to almost spill out.

>   “Did you come here looking for me?” She batted her lashes and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

  “Actually, I’m looking for your boss, Juanty. Any idea where I can find her?”

  Her pretty smile faded, along with the dimples. “I will see what I can do.”

  She returned with his drink and placed it on top of a napkin. He picked it up immediately and consumed it in one gulp before ordering another. As he waited, he gazed the area. The people in the room were beautiful. It seemed as though almost everyone worked out daily and ate only the healthiest foods. I mean, these people literally looked like sex in human form. He thought it odd but lost all train of thought when he spotted her. She was dancing with three women almost equally as gorgeous, but not quite. Juanty was flawless. Standing at about five-nine, she was tall with legs that stretched for miles underneath her baby blue, see-through skirt. She was the color of rich milk chocolate, as he was, and all he could picture when he looked at her was how it would be impossible to tell where her body stopped and his began while making love. She had a TWA, which stood for teeny-weeny afro. Hers was full of soft curls and looked as though she had wrapped each lock around her finger. She wore a side part with a shiny, silver clip tucked neatly on the side. She was sexy as hell. Her lashes were naturally long, and her smile was infectious.

  “What up, fool?” Bryant yelled over the loud music. “Bruh, you up in here smiling like the Joker. Where she at?”

  Johnathon hadn’t noticed his friend walk up. He pointed toward the group of ladies. “She’s the one with the black top and blue skirt.”

  “Damn, she’s fine. Her friends with her are fine, too. Oh, I’m going to hit that one over there, looking like a cheetah, before the night is over.” Bryant was referring to Pearl. She was wearing a leopard print dress that was as short as it was tight. She had long, skinny sister locks that hung to her waist. Her eyes were as blue as sapphires. They must be contacts, he thought. He could see those beautiful eyes from where he stood across the club. Bryant started walking with a purpose, but Johnathon grabbed his arm before he could get too far.