“That I’m a deadbeat? That I don’t pay my bills?”
“If the shoe fits.”
That did it for Maude. “Get out,” she said with hostility in her voice. She began pushing him toward the door. “Get out of my apartment and get out now!”
Edmund was floored by her reaction as she opened that door and pushed him out so forcefully that she pushed him intoDon. “And stay out!” she yelled at him, as she slammed the door in his face.
But when that door closed, she leaned against it and then leaned her head back. Why did she keep thinking she’d found Mister Right only to be proven wrong time and time again? And for her to think somebody like Edmund would be the one was insanity on top of crazy anyway. She deserved to be set back. She brought it on herself!
But outside of her apartment, in the hallway, Edmund was just as pissed as she was. He disentangled himself from his bodyguard and began hurrying down those stairs. Don, confused, hurried down those stairs behind the boss. But when they made it to the first floor, Edmund stopped in this tracks as if he had a change of heart.
“Wait in the car, Donnell,” Edmund said to his bodyguard and Don, relieved, hurried out of the building.
But when he got to the Tahoe without the boss and sat inside, Wyatt looked at him. “Where’s Doc?”
“I guess he’s going back upstairs to beg that woman.”
“Beg her? Boss begging a woman?” Wyatt was astounded. “Beg her for what?”
“Man, it was nuts. I’m standing there at that apartment door, on duty you know. I’m doing my job. The next thing I know that door flies open and that girl is pushing Doc out of her apartment.
“What?” Wyatt was surprised.
‘Get out and stay out,’ she said to him.”
“Whaaat?” Wyatt was dumbstruck.
“I don’t know what happened, but he was apparently so rude to her or wanted sex from her or he said something to her because she kicked his ass right up out of there!”
“You shittin’ me, Don. Why you shittin’ me like this?”
“If I’m lying I’m flying. I couldn’t believe it either.”
They looked at each other. And then they smiled and nodded their heads in admiration of that young lady. “That girl got game,” said Don.
“She got balls,” said Wyatt.
“And I’m glad. It’s high time one of these females stands up to that man. It’s been a long time coming if you ask me.”
But Edmund wasn’t asking either one of them as he made his way, not back upstairs to beg Maude, as Don had surmised, but to her landlord’s apartment. He knocked on the door.
Within seconds the same small, white man opened the door with anger on his red face and impoliteness in his drawling voice. “What you bugging me for?” he began saying. Until he saw the well-dressed gentleman at his door. The one that had been with Maude. “Oh. Hello, sir. You looking for an apartment too?”
How ridiculous this man was, Edmund thought. As ridiculous as Maude. Was something in the water in Dillon? He didn’t know why he didn’t get back on his plane and get the hell out of there. Fuck Maude. Fuck Natasha. Fuck all of them! That was how angry he was.
But he knew he was blowing smoke up his own ass because no way was he leaving Maude. “How much does Maudetta Drayton owe you?”
“Maudetta? What Maudetta?” You mean that black gal you walked up them stairs with? You mean Maude Drayton?”
Edmund was so over these people! “Yes, I mean Maude Drayton,” he said. It was obvious whom he meant.
But apparently not to that landlord. “Yeah, I know Maude. What about her?”
Edmund wanted to roll his eyes. He never had much tolerance for hicks. “How much does she owe you for her rent?”
“She’s a month and a half behind. Which means she’s got one more week before I put her junk out the door. Would havedone it sooner had the owner not given her an extension she didn’t deserve. But those people can be something else.”
“Show me her pay history,” Edmund said as he pulled out his checkbook.
