Days of Essence

Episode 2

"I don't trust her and neither should you!"
Jasmine says with concern after Essence describes her impromptu meeting with "The Bankers" wife Mrs. René Harris. She could hear her concern coming through loud and clear  over the telephone. Essence stands on the balcony of her condo staring down at the lights in the valley below while drinking a glass of wine.
"I don't trust her either but there's nothing I can do. She said if I mention anything to Harris she'll give him the pictures of me with Piano Man but as long as I play along she'll leave me alone. There's like 60 photos from the past 3 months. I didn't even know she was having me followed. If he finds out about me and Piano Man, I'll be out of here faster than you can say Boo. Then what am I going to do?"
"I dont' know but it just doesn't sound right," says Jasmine. I mean think about it Ess, what wife blackmails the mistress to continue sleeping with her husband? Who does that?"
 "I don't know, but I have to go along with it at least until I find a new set up. I just cant walk away from all this and end up back down in the Valley." Essence looks around at her lavish surroundings remembering her dark days living in the projects. The doorbell rings bringing her back to the present.
Essence turns toward the door, "He's here, I gotta go."
Jasmine's sigh of concern comes through clear as crystal.
"Be careful girl."
"I will, I promise. C'mon now, you know I got this." Essence smiles trying to mask her fear.
"I hope so." Jasmine's end goes dead. 
Essence fluffs her hair and checks her make up one last time as she moves toward the door. She slips out of her silk robe and answers the door wearing only a pair of red Christian Louboutin pumps and a diamond necklace.
"Hey baby, I missed you," she purrs as she invites The Banker inside.

Across town, in the backseat of a black Lincoln town car, parked obscurely in a dark alley, Alonzo checks his watch for the third time. Moments later a black Benz pulls up and stops parallel to his window. Their windows lower at the same time.
"Where the package?" Alonzo asks; almost demands.
Link, the epitome of Tall, Dark and Handsome, kills the engine and says, "We've got a problem."
Alonzo looks nervous as he processes what he's just heard.
Link steps out of his vehicle wearing all black and slips into the town car. Alonzo rolls up the partisan window for privacy then asks, "What the hell happened?"

Detective Bo finally comes to. He groans in pain as he slowly pulls himself from the dirty office floor. "Shit!" He grumbles as his fingers find a throbbing lump on the back of his head and he sees there's some blood."What the--" The room slowly comes into focus as he makes his way back out of the club the way he came in. He pushes through the exit out to the parking lot where the sun has already begun peaking over the horizon. He looks around confused thinking "How long was I out?" He stumbles over to his car and searches his pockets and realizes his keys, wallet and cellphone are all missing. "Mutha --" He kicks the tires then moves to the street to hail a cab. After a moment one finally slows, he slips in the back and tells the driver "51st precinct."
The cab merges and disappears into the morning traffic.

Inside the studio at Exclusive Records, Piano Man sits at the piano creating fiddling the keys replaying his night in his head. The smell of Thai food, candles and lovemaking still lingers from the night before. He sighs a sigh of satisfaction and relief thinking how his life.  Outside, Monica makes her way in and goes through her routine of opening windows, turning on lights and sorting mail. She settles behind her desk and opens facebook and sees that Piano Man has accepted her friend request. She clicks on his page and reads his status update:
                             
                                       Woke up in the studio. 
                                       Kissing the keys good morning. 
                                       What's for breakfast?

Monica quickly flips through the surveillance monitors and finds him in Studio B. She applies a fresh coat of pink lemonade lipgloss then heads back. 

©Hadiyah Robinson





Episode 1

It's a beautiful afternoon in the big city when Essence Smith maneuvers the maze of chairs to joins Jasmine Clark at 'their' table in the back corner of the quaint coffee shop Brown's Brew. Jasmine playfully checks her watch.
"Hello? You act like we haven't been meeting here every Tuesday for the past year. Oh let me guess, you were tied up?" Jasmine offers a mischievous smile and waits for one of her friend's unoriginal excuses. Essence answers by setting her brand new Beverly Johnson bag on the table. Jasmine gasps and her eyes scan it like a digital reader.
"The Banker?" She asks, taking the bag in her hands and caressing the soft leather and smelling the inside. Essence shakes her head no and smiles. Jasmine waits impatiently for her answer. Essence smiles with satisfaction then states "Piano Man." Jasmine bursts with laughter causing heads to turn in their direction. "Where did Piano Man broke ass get enough to buy this bag? Girl bye! You betta check the stitching cause you know it ain't real." Jasmine continues laughing when Essence scoffs and snatches the bag from her hand and sets it in a free chair. "FYI, it is real! I went with him to get it. Right after we cashed his advance check from Exclusive Records." Jasmine sucks in her laughter and processes her words. Suddenly the two squeal and high five with excitement. "Girl, oh my God!" Jasmine stares at her friend through new eyes. "That's right! It's over! Sound the alarm because Essence Smith has arrived" she says with a hint of satisfaction and revenge.

"Good afternoon beautiful, Piano Man here to see Alonzo." The Monica Lee looks up from her Facebook page into the hypnotizing brown eyes and flawless latte complexion of Dorian "Piano Man" Richards. He leans over her smelling of Egyptian Musk and confidence, donning the straightest non-veneer teeth she's seen in a long time. "Good morn...afternoon," She replies fumbling over her words. He straightens to his full stature of 6'2, tight basketball body under a Sean John casual jacket and slacks. Her eyes finally find his and she fights back the "Dayum," at the tip of her lips and finds "Right this way." She slips from behind the desk revealing her short skirt and stilettos that drives a exhale from Dorian. She smiles back and catches his eyes on the backside. Ten steps later they reach the large office door. She opens it only slightly and allows him to slip by brushing his body against hers. "Thank you" he offers leaving her in his pheromone cloud. "My pleasure," she coos as she exits slowly closing the door behind her. She quickly returns to her desk to check her makeup. "Perfection" she mumbles then returning to her Facebook page to request Piano Man as her new friend.

Dorian enters the large office and finds Alonzo staring down on the city from the large glass window of his corner office. 
"You're late!" Alonzo states coldly. "That's not how I do business." Dorian scoffs still smiling from his moment encounter with Monica. "No, I'm not late we're operating on my time Zo." Alonzo bites his tongue and finds his control. "Don't play with me. If I give you a time then that's when we meet. Period!" Dorian settles in one of the chairs facing the large oak desk and flashes his award winning smile. "Maybe with everyone else but you see you and I have a whole other agreement. Right?" Alonzo sees red. "Now, let's get down to business because I don't have all day," Dorian demands as he flips his feet on the desk and smugly relaxes back.

Later after her coffee meet with Jasmine and shopping Essence enters her newly rented sparsely decorated co-op and sets the hand full of bags on the sofa. Just inside the doorway she strips down completely and dashes to the pool for a swim. She slides open the door to the patio and gasps at the sight of René Harris stretched out on the white chaise taking in the late afternoon sun.
Essence screams "Oh My God! What are you doing here? How did you get in my house?"
René finds her feet and calmly approaches looking as flawless as a supermodel. She exudes confidence and success with her every step. Her calm demeanor almost unnerving as she slips off her sunglasses and stares deep into Essence's soul with her coal black eyes. "My husband's house i.e. my house."
Essences face hits the floor from shock as she steps backward out of René's reach. "I didn't...he didn't" René interrupts, "Shhhh!" Save your story. There's not enough time to discuss what you don't know about my husband. But don't worry. We'll have you up to speed in no time. René grabs a towel from the rack and hands it to Essence who stands frozen like a naked statue.

Detective Bo Lewis lifts the yellow caution tape draped across the door and enters Aura Night Club. Inside, the smell of gun smoke and liquor still hangs in the air as if the shooting had happened just hours before instead of a week ago. Since first being called to the scene, something has been eating at him and today's walk through will hopefully quiet that inner voice. He steps cautiously through the maze of overturned chairs and broken glass searching for any clue that may have been missed, when he hears a floorboard creek in the distance. He slips his gun from the holster and creeps toward the sound. Gliding along the wall of a darkened hallway he reaches the Manager's office. He takes a deep breath, kicks the door open and finds the room has been ransacked. Papers are everywhere and the furniture is all cut up. He walks to the desk and sees the computer is on. Either someone has just left or they're still there. He turns to leave when he is hit over the back of the head. Everything goes black.

©Hadiyah Robinson