Memoirs Of A Hustler

two.

Benji walked into his restaurant with disappointment written all over his face. There was white gunk and plastic covering all over his hardwood floors. "What the hell happened?"

     "I don't know. I just got here. The contractor not answering the phone either." Cory sighed. They were both pissed at the unfinished job the construction crew left behind.

"What? I paid his ass the full amount!"

     "I told your ass not to do that." Dominic said, shaking his head at the mess. "I didn't trust them from the very start. They was demanding the full amount up front. Not even half. So what 'chu want me to do? Pay them a visit?" Dominic was the hot head out of the three of them. He shot first and asked questions later. If he felt like asking.

     "Yeah. But don't do nothing stupid. Make they asses come back and finish what the fuck they started." Benji was more of a business-minded person. He gave up fighting and killing a long time ago. Moving away from Liberty City calmed him down and settled his spirit. He was ready to invest in a lot of businesses and didn't need his past coming along with him.

     "Yeah whatever. Thank me later." Dominic patted Benji on his back before leaving with Corey. Benji shook his head before snatching up the plastic covering from the ground. He was in the process of remodeling his restaurant and wanted everything to be perfect since his name was on it.

     He locked up the restaurant before getting in his rental. He wanted to check on his other store before heading back to the AirBnB he was renting until he found an apartment. While driving down MacArthur Freeway, his phone rang in his cupholder. He quickly checked the Caller ID and saw that it was Simone calling him.

"Long time no see." A sly smirk appeared on Benji's face once her face appeared on the screen. She playfully rolled her eyes. "I hear you back in town. Why haven't you called me?"

Simone was nothing but a quick fuck he would see from time to time while he lived in Liberty City. She wanted more than the occasional one-night stands but he didn't feel the same way. "I had to take care of some business. Slide through tonight. I'll send you an Uber."

"Okay." She blushed. Hearing that he wanted to see her later made her pussy moist. "I'll see you later boo."

Benji ended the call just as he pulled into the empty parking space. He stepped out his car shortly after and was greeted by a few people in the neighborhood. His small bodega sat in between a liquor store and laundromat. It was nestled in the middle of his old neighborhood, Baisley Park. While he greeted a few of his childhood friends, he glanced over at the run-down apartment building he used to sell drugs out of. Crack, fentanyl, weed, you name it, he sold it like a professional businessman.

His father owned five apartments in the Baisley Park Projects. Each apartment housed drugs and guns stashed in hidden compartments. Two blocks over is where his family lived. A nice four bedroom, three bathroom home. Growing up, they lived by the motto: don't shit where you eat. Which really meant sell that shit somewhere else.

"Good afternoon, welcome to Taylor's Tasty Treats. How may I help you?" Ava greeted as she stood behind the counter. Her back was turned away from the door as she packed up an online pickup order.