successful book signing tonight, mister,” the woman named Coffee commented. She sat on the left side of the limo, behind the driver’s seat. She was applying a fresh coat of gloss to her lips for extra shine and sex appeal.
Shareef looked her over and grinned. “Yeah, and I even get to leave with the finest girl in the place. Must be my night.”
She chuckled and said, “Must be.” Then she asked him, “So…are we headed anywhere in particular?”
“It’s this place in Times Square that feels like you just left the country and went to Asia. It’s called Ruby Foo’s. Have you ever been there before?”
“I know where it is, but I’ve never been there.”
“Well then, tonight is your night.”
W HEN THEY ARRIVED at the corner of Broadway and 49th Street, Shareef walked Coffee inside Ruby Foo’s restaurant and ordered a table in the back for two.
He told her, “I want to square away my driver, then I’ll be right back in to join you at the table.”
“Okay. I’ll be here.”
He stopped and joked to her. “You mean, none of these rich white guys in here can snatch you away from me while I’m gone?”
She smiled at him and answered, “Not a chance.”
“Good. I’ll be right back then.”
He ran out to meet Daryl at the curb. He dug in his wallet and pulled out a fifty-dollar bill.
Daryl put his hand up and shook it off. “You know what, I don’t even need that. It’s just been a pleasure driving you today, my friend. So whenever you’re in town again, just call me up on the card I gave you.”
Shareef told him, “That’s all good and I appreciate the gesture, but you need to take this fifty before I put it back in my wallet. And I’m only gonna ask you once.”
Daryl started laughing out loud. “Man, you just too real, brother.” He went right ahead and took that fifty-dollar bill, too. He said, “But be safe with that. I mean, I know she fine and everything, but…”
Shareef cut him off and said, “That’s the only way to be with it. I already know the rules. I got it all covered. I’ma send her right home in a taxi, and it’s all good.”
The driver nodded. “Okay. If you got it all covered, you got it all covered.” He shook Shareef’s hand and said, “Again brother, it’s been a pleasure all day long.”
“Same here, man. Now go on and get that book back home to your wife.”
“Oh, you know that’s right. It’s time for me to go do some book reading together.”
W HEN S HAREEF JOINED Coffee at their table toward the back of the restaurant, she was just finishing her cell phone call.
He sat down with her and flirted immediately. “You were just telling your mother that you won’t be making it back home tonight?”
She laughed and said, “Mr. Crawford, I don’t think I agree with how you’re reading me. Do you do this all the time?”
“Would you believe me if I said no?”
She smiled. “I’m just asking to make sure?”
“Well, while we’re asking each other these questions, what is your real name? That’s first of all.”
He hadn’t asked her anything personal while inside the limo with Daryl. He wanted to save the detailed interrogation for the restaurant.
“My name is Cynthia. Cynthia Washington.”
“And you tell everybody that your name is Coffee?”
“No, only people who I want to know.”
“I guess you wanted me to know then.”
“Yeah, I did.”
He nodded and asked her, “Do you have a lot of energy left over tonight?”
She smiled wide and kept her mouth open.
“Why do you wanna know?”
He told her, “Game recognize game. I got a lot of energy, too.
She grinned and kept her thoughts to herself. She couldn’t tell him too much too early. That would ruin the mystique.
She looked around the restaurant and continued to take it all in. She nodded and said, “You’re right. You walk in this place and forget you’re still in New York. Everything looks so real. And it’s so big in here.”
He said, “They use
Shareef looked her over and grinned. “Yeah, and I even get to leave with the finest girl in the place. Must be my night.”
She chuckled and said, “Must be.” Then she asked him, “So…are we headed anywhere in particular?”
“It’s this place in Times Square that feels like you just left the country and went to Asia. It’s called Ruby Foo’s. Have you ever been there before?”
“I know where it is, but I’ve never been there.”
“Well then, tonight is your night.”
W HEN THEY ARRIVED at the corner of Broadway and 49th Street, Shareef walked Coffee inside Ruby Foo’s restaurant and ordered a table in the back for two.
He told her, “I want to square away my driver, then I’ll be right back in to join you at the table.”
“Okay. I’ll be here.”
He stopped and joked to her. “You mean, none of these rich white guys in here can snatch you away from me while I’m gone?”
She smiled at him and answered, “Not a chance.”
“Good. I’ll be right back then.”
He ran out to meet Daryl at the curb. He dug in his wallet and pulled out a fifty-dollar bill.
Daryl put his hand up and shook it off. “You know what, I don’t even need that. It’s just been a pleasure driving you today, my friend. So whenever you’re in town again, just call me up on the card I gave you.”
Shareef told him, “That’s all good and I appreciate the gesture, but you need to take this fifty before I put it back in my wallet. And I’m only gonna ask you once.”
Daryl started laughing out loud. “Man, you just too real, brother.” He went right ahead and took that fifty-dollar bill, too. He said, “But be safe with that. I mean, I know she fine and everything, but…”
Shareef cut him off and said, “That’s the only way to be with it. I already know the rules. I got it all covered. I’ma send her right home in a taxi, and it’s all good.”
The driver nodded. “Okay. If you got it all covered, you got it all covered.” He shook Shareef’s hand and said, “Again brother, it’s been a pleasure all day long.”
“Same here, man. Now go on and get that book back home to your wife.”
“Oh, you know that’s right. It’s time for me to go do some book reading together.”
W HEN S HAREEF JOINED Coffee at their table toward the back of the restaurant, she was just finishing her cell phone call.
He sat down with her and flirted immediately. “You were just telling your mother that you won’t be making it back home tonight?”
She laughed and said, “Mr. Crawford, I don’t think I agree with how you’re reading me. Do you do this all the time?”
“Would you believe me if I said no?”
She smiled. “I’m just asking to make sure?”
“Well, while we’re asking each other these questions, what is your real name? That’s first of all.”
He hadn’t asked her anything personal while inside the limo with Daryl. He wanted to save the detailed interrogation for the restaurant.
“My name is Cynthia. Cynthia Washington.”
“And you tell everybody that your name is Coffee?”
“No, only people who I want to know.”
“I guess you wanted me to know then.”
“Yeah, I did.”
He nodded and asked her, “Do you have a lot of energy left over tonight?”
She smiled wide and kept her mouth open.
“Why do you wanna know?”
He told her, “Game recognize game. I got a lot of energy, too.
She grinned and kept her thoughts to herself. She couldn’t tell him too much too early. That would ruin the mystique.
She looked around the restaurant and continued to take it all in. She nodded and said, “You’re right. You walk in this place and forget you’re still in New York. Everything looks so real. And it’s so big in here.”
He said, “They use
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