Honey is fine. Her curvaceous body is the blueprint for many surgeons in Miami. So when she’s on the floor, it’s a big deal. As she makes her way to the table, several men try to grab the backof her arm, snake their arms around her waist, and even grope her ass, but she curves each attempt. She’s on a mission, and for once, the money can wait.
Tanjaya, her girl, is alive, looking good, and back here.
As soon as Honey’s near her table, she practically falls onto Sunjiya. Her arms latch around Sunjiya’s body and she holds her as tightly as her arms will allow.
“Bitch,” Honey says affectionately. “I’m so happy to see yo’ ass.” Emotion floods her entire body. “You got away,” she cries. In the middle of a packed strip club, over loud music, Honey cries and embraces her friend. The exchange surprises Akeem, and based on Sunjiya’s peaked eyebrows, he guesses it’s a shock to her as well. “Let’s go outside,” Honey whispers before releasing Sunjiya and extending her hand.
Because this—her—could be the lead they need, Akeem nods for Sunjiya to go. While she grabs her tote and stands, Akeem gathers the remaining cash on the table and stands too. He’s ten steps behind them as they walk through the club toward the private rooms in the back. Honey glances back at them a few times but when she realizes her girl seems cool with him, she shrugs it off.
“Lil Mike, they are both with me,” she says to the guard standing in front of the chipped, white-painted door.
Lil Mike’s frame is mammoth. He’s six-foot seven and over three hundred fifty pounds. While sex is allowed and encouraged in the private rooms, the girls are always protected. If any nigga gets out of pocket, Lil Mike is one of the first to handle him.
“Cool but that door doesn’t open until I get the tax,” he says. It’s two-fifty to the house to enter the room. The girls can charge whatever they want after that. Since Honey has two people with her, the house fee doubles.
Honey turns back to face Akeem. “He needs five hunnid,” she tells him and Akeem peels the bills from his stash. Once they are recounted by Lil Mike, he opens the door and nods for them to enter.
The room is dark, dank, and minimally furnished. Faint smells of sex and weed dominate the small space. Aside from a full-size bed, there are two-fold out chairs, a small dresser that houses sanitizing and feminine wipes, condoms, and disinfectant spray. Honey steps toward the dresser, grabs the spray, and dispenses enough to make Sunjiya cough. Nobody sits; they all stand, Honey and Sunjiya by the chairs and Akeem posted by the door.
“Tan, I thought you were dead. Shit! You did it. Yo’ ass finally did it but how? And where the fuck have you been? I was so worried,” she fires off while holding Sunjiya’s hands.
As if it pains her to speak, Sunjiya drops her shoulders, flashes a wry smile, then says, “I’m not Tanjaya.”
“Girl,” Honey sighs. “It’s me.” Her head snaps back to Akeem, then she leans in closer to Sunjiya and utters, “Are you scared to talk in front of him? ’Cause all I have to do is knock on this wall and you know Lil Man will come handle him.”
“No. No. He’s fine,” Sunjiya assures Honey.
Honey turns back to Akeem and looks him over skeptically, from his head to his Timbs. She’s very familiar with Marcelin and his tactics. He never let Tanjaya get five feet from him without a damn gun-toting babysitter. Even when he forced her to come to places like this, he sent one of his goons to watch her every move.
“Then why you lying?” Honey asks, confused as hell.
“I’m not,” Sunjiya says solemnly. “She’s my twin and I’m looking for her. I’m Sunjiya.”
Honey’s hold on Sunjiya’s arms tightens and she leans in closer.Is this bitch serious? Twins?Not once in the two yearsshe’s known Tanjaya has she ever mentioned any family, much less a damn twin sister.This has to be some trick shit, something to get her away from Marcelin. This is Tan. I know it.
“Tan, it’s me. You don’t have to do this shit,” Honey assures her.
“I’m sorry. I’m really Sunjiya, her sister, and I need to find her. I think she’s in trouble. I really, really need your help,” Sunjiya says clearly.
Honey peers into her eyes for what feels like forever before dropping her hands from Sunjiya’s arms. A million and one things sprint through her mind, too many too damn fast. Confused as fuck, she slowly shakes her head as she plops down on one of the chairs. Unable to keep her normally perfect posture, her body slouches. Her eyes lift to the woman claiming not to be her friend then toward the man at the door. When they make it back to Sunjiya, she sighs loud as hell.
“This shit is wild,” she huffs as she examines Sunjiya’s face. “You look just like her. I mean everything. I…I just can’t believe this.” Her posture straightens then she sighs again but her eyes don’t leave Sunjiya’s face. “Are you fucking with me?” she asks again, still struggling to believe what she’s hearing.
After sitting in the chair next to Honey, Sunjiya responds. “I’m not. I’m really not her but I need to find her. We really think she’s in trouble.”
In the cut, still by the door, Akeem locks in on them. He’s laser focused on Honey’s demeanor, her reactions, and most importantly, her words. She obviously knows Tanjaya.
“She is,” Honey finally admits. “You even sound like her,” she adds. “It’s going to take some time and tequila to fully process this twin shit.”
“We’re identical.”
“But she never mentioned you. Never. I thought she grew up in the foster system,” Honey says.
“She did. We both did. We were separated for the first fifteen years of our lives.”
“Shit,” Honey sighs. “My bad. This is just blowing me. We’ve been friends for two years and I didn’t have a fucking clue.”
“She’s been here?” Sunjiya asks.
