A Project Chick

by Nikki Turner

  "Who was that?" As soon as Wiggles asked, Lucky's Lexus slowly drove pass with the passenger window down 144

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  as he made eye contact with Tressa, a satisfying smile on his face.

  After all the excitement calmed down, and Tressa got her head together, she really felt bad that the prank was taken this far. After all, she cared about those dogs, she had lived with and taken care of them for over four years.

  She felt that it was her fault that the dogs were dead. She wanted to have a funeral for the dogs, but she couldn't afford to, so she paid the crack head to dig a hole in the open field behind the projects and bought two storage totes to put them in.

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  -15-

  Can't Knock The Hustle

  Tressa called the insurance company to file a claim. She was thankful that she had just gotten insurance a week before. They agreed to give her a check for $538.00

  to get the car cleaned and detailed. Mr. Bill gave her another car to drive until her car was taken care of. He told her it'll take about two weeks for her car to be ready.

  After making that phone call, she asked Shelly for a raise. Shelly said. "No." Tressa loved her job, but Tressa decided that she'd play hard ball with the Shelly. See, this broad don't know who she dealing with. I practically run this place and she can't give me no raise. I got something for her.

  The next day, Tressa called into work sick and she stayed out of work for the rest of the week. Monday afternoon, just as Tressa predicted, Shelly called Tressa at home.

  "Tressa, how are you feeling?"

  "I am coming along." Tressa said with no emotion at all.

  "Well, we have had a crazy week around here, with you being out."

  "Yes, I am sure you have."

  "So, after our last conversation, and after looking at the big picture, I need you here and decided to give you a $2.00 raise, and I also will be giving you a bonus every 147

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  quarter." Shelly said in a jolly voice. "We love you over here and value you as a part of our team."

  "Oh, OK." Tressa said, still not showing one once of emotion. Shelly was expecting Tressa to be doing cartwheels, but she didn't.

  Tressa really liked Mr. Bill. Mr. Bill always came to her rescue. She was able to reach Mr. Bill by phone anytime day or night. He started giving her a minimum $250.00 a week, although he only spent a few hours with her on Thursday nights and every other night they talked on the phone until the wee hours of the morning. Tressa was definitely grateful because that money came in handy and she was able to gather much of Mr. Bill's wisdom.

  Whenever Mr. Bill would give a present, money or any thing, whenever she'd tell him thank you, "she'd say thank you." He'd always say didn't I tell you I was going to take care of you?

  Tressa listened to Mr. Bill and took in everything he said. So, seeing Mr. Bill on Thursdays, was always beneficial for her. She'd get treated like a queen, top of the line of everything. Mr. Bill always took her to a nice dinner, and afterwards, a romantic evening at his beautiful house.

  He gave her an expensive present and always licked her clit, which always gave her multiple orgasms, but she never understood why there was never any penetration. She didn't care that Mr. Bill's penis was the size of a pencil. So many times after he had pleased her, she wanted penetration, but he never gave it to her.

  Along with no penetration, there was one more thing that Tressa didn't not like about Mr. Bill, he too was a smoker, and it drove her crazy. All the men in her life that had ever hurt her, smoked. Her stepfather smoked Salem's and he hurt her by taking her mother from her. Lucky, he smoked Newport's, and he broke her heart and tried to tear her down in any way he could think of. Now, what kind of pain did Mr. Bill have in store for Tressa? He smoked Marlboro Lights 100's, and oh, did they stink. She stressed to him that she hated them. He tried not to smoke around her, but it was very hard. Like most smokers, after he finished a meal, he had to have a cigarette. She resented the fact that his house smelled like smoke. She tried not to nag him about it after voicing her opinion once. So, she 148

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  simply overlooked it, because he was so good to her. When she'd arrive home after spending the evening with him, she'd jump straight into the shower to get that cigarette smoke smell off of her, and spray Finisheen on her hair to get the smell out of her do.

  Mr. Bill had also fixed the Z-28 up to look like a new car, fresh paint job, new tires and all the quirks were fixed.

  He found a buyer for the car and sold it for $1,500.00 After all, the car was equipped with a good motor. Mr. Bill gave her the money so she could get a new car.

  Her credit by now was a little shaky since she paid most of her bills late. Before Mr. Bill came along and starting helping her out on the financial tip, her bills, two boys, and household necessities, always exceeded the amount of her income. There was no need for a budget, because she had to always rob Peter to pay Paul. She went to a "Buy Here, Pay Here" car lot. They agreed to finance her a Mazda 626. Since she had blemished credit, they enrolled her in a special program, "The On-Time Program".

  The On-Time Program resembled that of a prepay cell phone, instead it was pretty much a prepaid car.

  They installed a programmed device under the steering wheel of the car that looked like a phone jack that had a light on it. Sometimes the light was green, and sometimes it was red. They gave her another device, on one end, there was a numeric keypad, and the other end, a phone cord to hook into the jack under the steering wheel.

  Every other week, when the payment was due, the red light would come on to remind her that the payment was owed.

  If she wasn't in by noon that day, the device would start beeping. Once the payment was finally made, the dealer would give her a 4-digit code to punch into the device and the red light would turn to green, until another two weeks, when the payment was due again. If she didn't or couldn't make the payment by close of business that night, then the engine would not start up the next day. She agreed to these terms because she knew she was certain that she'd be making the payments in a timely manner.

  Even though Tressa had a rocky start with the neighborhood girls, the girls and Tressa eventually gave each other a mutual respect. Although they never hung out together, if one needed something, Tressa pretty much 149

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  loaned them whatever they needed. In return, they paid her back and watched her back.

  Tressa was no fool when it came to loaning money.

  She never loaned more than one hundred dollars, and for every dollar, she charged an interest rate of 30%. So, this became her hustle, everybody's got one. She knew she could have done like her brother did in prison. Anything he loans out he gets double back of what was borrowed.

  There was this one girl, Britta, from the projects Tressa would see from time to time. Britta was beautiful.

  She had light skin, long hair and a body to die for! Britta was only eighteen and already mothered two young children. Both of her children stayed with her eighty year-old grandmother most of the time. Britta was a girl that Tressa felt sorry for and she tried to get her on the right track. Britta was young, dumb and full of cum. Britta had all kinds of rudy-poot dudes running in her house and was always broke, begging to borrow money from Tressa.

  One day, Britta explained to Tressa that she was about to get evicted because she hadn't paid her $46.00

  rent in three months.

  "Tressa, I know you don't loan more than $100, but I can't get put out. I'm not going to have no where to go." Tressa had to ask. "Why do you have all those niggas running up in your house, and it never seems like it's never beneficial to you?"

&n
bsp; "They promise me they're going to look out, but they never do. I wish I had a way to get some money other than my $291.00 welfare check, I need a hustle. Do you know of one for me?" She asked Tressa sarcastically.

  "Well, I might. Let me think about it. But in the meantime, don't let them niggas run up in your house.

  Especially if they're leaving you to borrow money for your $46.00 rent!"

  "The truth of it is, I like the attention." Britta said.

  Tressa never commented on Britta's stupid and naive statement, but a bright idea popped in her head. "Let me check on something and I'll get back at ya." Tressa met back up with Britta and loaned her the money. When they met, Pondee saw them talking. Pondee immediately called Tressa over. "What's up with your girlfriend?"

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  "What you mean?" Tressa asked.

  "I'm trying to hit that." Pondee said.

  "Well, go over there and talk to her then. I'll introduce you." Tressa said.

  "Look, I ain't got no whole bunch of time to be lollygagging, taking a chick out to dinner and playing the dating game. Straight up, a nigga trying to fuck." He went in his pocket and pulled out $150.00 and handed it to her.

  "Give this to her, and if she bites, I got you. Since you my peeps, I'm going to give you some money for the hook up." Pondee said.

  "Shoot, you better give that girl more than some damn $150.00 then." Tressa said.

  "Look, by the time I take her to the movies, dinner a couple of times, and give her money to get her hair done, that's what it would have took to get her to give me some.

  So, I am just trying to cut through the chase. Now make that happen."

  "I'll see" Tressa said smiling.

  Tressa set it up for Pondee to screw Britta, and he gladly accepted her fee. A few days later, Pondee approached Tressa asking her to also set up strip parties for him and his homeboys. She would never have to come off of anything, except make the arrangements to get the girls together. He expressed to her that she could make good money, and Lord knows, she needed all the extra income she could get. But after thinking everything over, she decided she wouldn't pimp any more females, instead she'd just keep on loan sharking.

  The lone sharking alone, combined with Mr. Bill's money and her legit job salary, enabled her to get ahead a little.

  She was able to bank some money, but still not enough to move herself out of the projects.

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  -16-

  M.M. Ordeal

  Everything was going fine between Mr. Bill and Tressa. Tressa wasn't in love with Mr. Bill, but very content with their friendship, until one day when he was dropping her off. Mr. Bill had just taken Tressa to the mall to buy the boy's Easter outfits, and "Nosey Rosey" was sitting on the bench as she watched, with green-eyed envy, while Tressa got out of Mr. Bill's car struggling with all the shopping bags.

  How in the hell this girl get this old man to peel off paper like that for her? Shoot, she makes me sick. She think she better than everybody else cuz she got a job, and now, she got that old man looking out for her. I can't stand her! I remember I used to go up to that man's shop, trying to get him to notice me, but he never would. Now, tell me what she got that I don't have? It's all good, cause I'm about to burst this bitch's bubble, while she thinking she all that, Rosey thought to herself.

  Tressa made eye contact with Rosey, who was plastered in her usual spot, on the bench. "Hey Rosey."

  "Hey Tressa."

  Tressa walked past Rosey, tussling with all her bags, when Rosey called out to her. "Tressa." Tressa stopped, but turned to make eye contact with Rosey.

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  "Look, Tressa, I can't believe you been dealing with that married man as long as you have."

  "What?"

  "Yes, Bill is married to a girl name Angel. She's young and they have been together for a while now, since she was about sixteen years old."

  "Oh, for real. Thank you girl for putting me down with that info, I really appreciate it."

  "Yup, I am only telling you for your own good." Rosey was attempting to seem concerned, but she knew she was only telling Tressa to steal her joy. Rosey hoped that Tressa would stop messing with Bill, because married or not, Bill took care of Tressa and her boys, and that was something Rosey didn't have.

  Tressa started feeling sick and dizzy. She felt a cold sweat come over her body. However, she managed to hold herself together while she was there in front of Rosey. The walk up the three flights of stairs was the longest walk up those stairs in a while.

  All kinds of things started running through Tressa's mind. If this were TRUE, where was his wife? When did he possibly spend time with her? What does she have to say about him not coming home on a regular basis? Maybe she worked at night. Maybe they are separated. Maybe she lived in another city. Maybe she was away at college or tending to a sick family member. Where was his wedding band? There wasn't even a tan line on his left ring finger to indicate that he'd ever worn a wedding band. All these were possibilities, but she had could not understand how he could be married. There were not any signs. Maybe Rosey was lying or exaggerating, she thought. No, Rosey never gets the negative reports wrong.

  Tressa had expressed to Mr. Bill, how Lucky had hurt her feelings with the all the lying and cheating, and now him too. She held her composure until she got into her apartment.

  This situation needed her immediate attention. She called him. Tressa informed him that she needed to speak to him. He could sense in her voice that something was definitely wrong. Had she found out what he had concealed from her? He insisted that she tell him what was wrong, because he'd surely fix it. Whichever secret she knew 154

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  about, he'd have to come clean and explain. How would she ever accept his betrayal?

  Tressa wanted to ask him face to face. She always felt that it was indeed better to approach a person who she was unsure about face to face. Their body language would usually speak for itself, and she couldn't read body language over the telephone. Tressa drew the conclusion, a while ago, if there was chin stroking, lip pressing, earlobe pulling, nose touching or rubbing slowly, covering the mouth while talking, the person is lying. She was certain when there is an increase in hand to face motions, that was a sure sign of deceit or trickery of some kind. Other parts of their bodies project the truth as well, their legs and feet.

  As bad as Tressa was trying to hold it in and wait to ask him face to face, she couldn't, she had to know.

  Tressa bluntly asked him. "Are you married?"

  "Where you get that from?" He asked. Because he didn't deny it right away, at that instance, Tressa was convinced it was true.

  He began to ask Tressa. "Does it seem as though I'm married? How could I be married, if I'm either working or on the phone with you day in and day out?" Everything was starting to look like a blur. Tressa never responded to him, she simply hung up the phone.

  The rest of the day, Tressa did not accept any calls from Bill. It wasn't the fact that she was heart broken or anything of that matter, it was just the principal that he put her in a very dangerous situation. He called her repeatedly.

  He left her all kinds of messages about how he needed to talk to her on her answering machine. He expressed how important it was for her to call him back. After two days of totally ignoring him, he showed up unannounced on her doorstep. She didn't answer the door. She was so hurt and confused. She was disgusted with him, simply because they had put so much emphasis on honesty in their friendship, and he was the one living a lie.

  Tressa was leaving out for work, Bill was staked outside of her apartment in the parking lot. He approached Tressa. He expressed that he desperately needed to talk to her
. She listened to him, hoping just maybe, this was all a big misunderstanding. He denied being married. His body language declared his guilt. She could tell he was lying.

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  Lucky had played Tressa time and time again, but make no mistake about it, Tressa was very clever. She told Bill that they were never going to get anywhere with him lying to her.

  She told him she knew for a fact he was married, because she had seen his wedding pictures. His mouth dropped to the floor. Of course, she hadn't seen anything. She also told him that he should've been totally up front and honest with her from the beginning. She should've had the prerogative to decide if she wanted to be involved in a triangle or not.

  Bill used the same excuses that EVERY single married man who cheats uses. How he's not happy at home, how his wife doesn't cook or clean anymore. He proceeded to give her this lame story about how not a day went by that he wanted to tell her, but he knew the type of woman she was. He knew that she wasn't going to accept the situation. He didn't want to risk losing her, so he kept his secret from her.

  All kinds of things started running through Tressa's head. The biggest issue was, he was somebody's HUSBAND! REGARDLESS OF WHAT HE'S SAYING, HE'S

  STILL SOMEBODY'S HUSBAND!!!!! That was kind of a hard pill for Tressa to swallow. The next fact was, this man had been parading her around town, not only hugged up, but she was driving one of his cars for a few months when the dogs were slaughtered. He was not concerned as to who may have seen them. His wife's cousin, sister, girlfriend or the wife herself could've seen them! What if the wife would've seen them together, and Lord forbid, killed Tressa for being with her husband. Tressa would be dead and her family wouldn't have a clue as to why.