Nicole had thought the idea of it was kinky, but she would never do it. Sometimes, the ones who had only heard of Cleo came to the window when she was there. When they would shove the twenty in the money tray, she wouldn't even look up at them, but point to the sign. They would get the message and leave or wait around until Cleo came to the window.
She answered Cleo's question. "No, he hasn't lately. He's been in my mamma's drawers."
"Oh yeah, it is Tuesday. Is that what's bothering you, child?"
"No." She moved away from the window to help Cleo finish folding the clothes. They also did dry cleaning and private washing for a lot of the sick and elderly in the area for a monthly fee. She told Cleo of the stranger she saw sneaking around the neighborhood that morning.
"You kissed him?!" Cleo cackled.
"Hush or everybody in the neighborhood will hear your mouth."
"I can't believe you actually let some boy kiss you."
"He wasn't a boy." She smiled wickedly remembering what had been pressed against her stomach and the taste of him. "He tasted like a man to me."
"How did he look?"
"White, but cute."
"Oh dear Lord, tell me the girl didn't kiss no white boy."
"I said he wasn't a boy."
"Don't be falling for those blue eyed devils, child."
"Don't get the Malcolm X religion up in here, Cleo," she snorted. "I'm not falling for no one, I was just wondering what he was doing in the neighborhood."
"You know white people been moving back to this neighborhood all the time, but you don't need to go around dating no white boy. Didn't you say your momma married one?"
"Yes, but so what. They live a long way from here and I heard her say he doesn't like the city. He does his business and leaves as fast as possible."
"They all do that. I had a few do their business when I use to work the corners on the east side. Trust me love, it ain't all that and they just want a black woman to fuck, just like that white man wants your momma. Why you think he ain't caring who she fucks."
Nicole had confided in Cleo about her mother and Marvin's relationship. She had heard phone conversations of her mother talking to other men and what she was going to do to them when she got over to them. It was no secret around the neighborhood that Lynne Gray was a whore. She'd fucked everyone in the neighborhood and around the city.