Hunting in Harlem Read Online Free PDF Page B

certainty that he would take it no farther.
    "I got some heavy boxes in the living room I want you to help me peek into, figure out what's inside so we can move them to
     the proper room before you abandon me."
    "Ah, but my Nubian queen, that's why you're supposed to mark your boxes when you pack them," Snowden smiled back at her as
     Piper began to drag him toward the front of the apartment.
    "You're right, moving man, I could have done that, but that would take away the thrill of surprise," Piper told him, squeezing
     Snowden's arm and winking over her shoulder on the last words.
    Horus Manley was on his knees facing the wall, head in his hands. Bobby walked quietly behind him to drop off The Great Work by the window, thought Horus was praying until he turned around and saw that he was actually holding something to his face.
     It was a shiny emerald fabric, poking out of the spaces between his fingers and rumpled in a bunch around his snorting nose.
    "What the hell are you doing?" Bobby demanded. When Horus took the cloth away, Bobby saw a look of pure joy, an innocent,
     ecstatic excitement as Horus quickly stuck a finger to his mouth, lightly shushing him.
    "Yo kid, this box, it must have got crushed open in the ride. It's all panties in there! Victoria's Secret and everything.
     And guess what? They're dirty" Horus added with clear glee, throwing the pair he had down and reaching for another.
    "Put that back!" Bobby insisted, stepping forward to yank them away from Horus's face. Horus snarled and butted his head forward
     and Bobby remembered himself, pulled his hand back, unsure if Horus had just tried to bite him.
    "Don't do this, Horus. What do think the congressman would say if he found out?" Bobby asked him. Horus responded to the threat
     by further snarling, but a few seconds later the pose disappeared completely, was replaced by a disappointed sigh and the
     comment, '"You're no fun, man," as he shoved the panties back in the box before him. Emboldened by the passive stance, Bobby
     continued.
    "Look, as long as we're on the subject of our hostess, Piper Goines, I want to ask you a little favor. I know we all just
     met her, OK, but I'm really interested. Long term, you know what I mean. I think . . . I think I could have something special
     with her and I would really appreciate it if you gave me a clear path on this chance."
    Horus really thought about it. Cocking his head to the side and squinting his eyes a bit in consideration before nodding his
     head. "That's a good trade. The bitch for the drawers. Then I'm trying to find me a thong," his hands shooting back in the
     box, pulling out another pair and inspecting them.
    Bobby Finley was not a strong man, but he was a quick one, flying across the room to grab Piper's undergarments out of Horus's
     clutch before he could shove them in his pants pocket. Bobby was good at leverage too — it's what helped him carry all that
     heavy furniture —and by placing his foot on Horus's thigh and pushing off with his full weight, he was able to effectively
     counter the larger man's advantage. It was the equal grips, Horus with one hand and Bobby with two, fabric wrapped around
     his back fist, that made the tug-of-war a draw, stretched the garment out like a flag for those seconds before Piper Goines
     herself walked into the room and broke the standstill.
    "You shiftless bastards," Piper spit at them. When Piper stormed over, Horus let loose his grip first, leaving a mortified
     Bobby holding the panties when Piper snatched them from him. Stomping away, each footfall an assault, Piper almost made it
     out of the room before she turned around again. "You know what the worst part of this shit is? My sister told me not to hire a black company for this move, and I made a big fuss too about using Horizon. Then you no-account Negroes had
     to go fuck things up, didn't you? Why can't we ever do a goddamn thing proper? Be ashamed, you hear me?"
    They did. Piper charged