Butta also wanted just to kick back and spend some quality time with Arnessa. They’d fallen hard for each other, in spite of the chaos around them. Loving a man was a new feeling for Arnessa, but never having had a real boyfriend left Arnessa confused about how to express her love.

Arnessa was nurturing by nature, and she generally enjoyed having someone whom she could take care of. Every day she cooked, cleaned, and catered to all of his personal needs. Little by little, Arnessa had gone from hustler to a housewife. She enjoyed her new life, but for the most part she found it dull. Arnessa missed the rush of the hustle, the day-to-day grind.

It had been so long since Arnessa had given any thought to what she wanted to do outside of hustling. Watching Kisa run her own businesses was making Arnessa want to become a legit entrepreneur. Quietly, she spent days on the Internet researching the most profitable businesses in the country. She wanted something with long-term income potential, so she decided getting into the real estate market was a good option. Being an agent was out of the question for her, but she loved the idea of buying a property, fixing it up, then selling it. This was a familiar concept for Arnessa. She figured if she could flip weight … she could flip properties.

It was a rare night when Butta made it home before midnight and wasn’t exhausted. But tonight he and Arnessa lay in bed watching The First 48, Arnessa’s favorite program. She felt that this was the perfect time to tell him about her business venture. Sitting cross-legged, with her back against the headboard, Arnessa looked down at Butta, whose head was resting on her thigh. “Butta, remember how I was telling you that I wanted to start my own business?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“I’ve decided to open a real estate investment company.”

“You wanna buy buildings and rent the apartments?”

“No, well, maybe that too, but mainly I want to buy properties, fix them up, and sell ’em.”

Butta sat up attentively, “It’s a lot of paper in that type of business if you do it right. Let me get in.”

“Wow, this is too funny.” Arnessa laughed.

“What?”

“You’re the second person I’ve told about my business idea, and just like the first person you want in.”

“Who’s the first person?”

“Kane.”

“I should’ve known that girl had an ear for a good business deal.”

“Plus she already plugged me to some good connections to help get me started.”

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her down. “That’s what’s up. I think your company will be a success.”

“You do?” Arnessa gushed at his encouragement.

“Yes, you’re smart, ambitious, and we both know you’re capable of running a business.”

No one besides her brother, Deon, had ever paid Arnessa such nice compliments. Inside, Arnessa was beaming. Her eyes scanned his face, and her fingertips caressed his chin as she simply smiled at him.