Project Dreamz

by Natavia

  “You better hold that shit, Dream. You cum, I’m gonna break your back!” he said. In other words, he was going to tear my pussy up. My body betrayed me, pussy nectar ran down my inner-thighs. I collapsed onto the bed and Tryst was right behind me.

  “I knew you was going to cum then get lazy with it,” he said between breaths. He pulled out of me and I turned on my side to face him. One hand rested on my hip, the other one cupped my ass. We were ready to kiss and possibly go another round until we heard Kirk Franklin’s music coming from the backyard.

  “I’m starting to smell the barbeque. Come on,” I said, pulling Tryst up.

  “That shit better be good, too,” he said on our way to the bathroom.

  An hour later…

  Everyone was in the backyard having fun and listening to old jams. I was actually happy it turned out good. Kimberly was lying to people, saying she was drinking a virgin margarita. Tryst sat at the table full of men playing cards. I couldn’t do much because everyone thought I was pregnant. Whenever I wanted to dance, someone made me sit down and having a drink was out of the question.

  A Porsche truck pulled up near one of the small spaces next to the fence to park.

  “Excuse me, honey. Can you tell my daughter over there I’ll be right back? I have to use the bathroom,” an elderly woman told me. I walked over to the woman who came to the cookout in the Porsche truck. She wore a summer dress and her hair was pulled up into an old-fashioned bun. I walked over to the fence and told her what her mother said. She didn’t respond, she looked around with her nose scrounged up.

  “My mother is with her church, First Baptist. This doesn’t look like an area she’d come to,” she said.

  “And what does that mean exactly?” I asked.

  The passenger door slammed as someone stepped out of her truck. I heard shoes stepping over the gravel as the person got closer.

  NOOOOOOO! OH GOD, PLEASE NO!

  “The food smells awesome, doesn’t it, honey?” Adrian asked his wife while undressing me with his eyes.

  “Yes, but we can’t stay long. We’re going to donate to the church then we’re leaving,” she replied. Her mother came back outside from using the bathroom.

  “Over here, Suzanne!” her mother called out to her. She walked away, leaving me with her husband. I remembered Adrian telling me he wasn’t happy with his wife, but it didn’t look that way to me.

  “Do you live here?” Adrian asked.

  “No, I don’t, but if I did why is it your business?”

  “Why wouldn’t it be if you belong to me? As much as I pay for that pussy, I should be able to ask,” he replied.

  “Take your wife and get the hell away from my family.”

  “I won’t be here long but in the meantime, maybe I should get to know OUR family before I leave,” he said before walking away.

  What a small world, but what could I say? Churches brought everyone together. I just wished I wouldn’t lose Tryst behind it. I had two options: Tryst or the love of money. Both of them had been good to me over the years, but if ever go broke, at least I’d still have Tryst. Things were getting ugly, so I had to quit. Besides, I wanted to be more than friends.

  “Wow,” I heard a voice from behind me.

  Tierra was standing near the fence with grocery bags in her hands. That bitch heard me and Adrian.

  “You showed up anyway?” I asked.

  “Of course, gotta make sure my boys eat. I heard you and ole’ boy talking, and I realized you aren’t the bitch Tryst is in love with. You sellin’ pussy to that old man? I might’ve done drugs, but I was never that desperate for money,” Tierra said.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about and regardless of what you heard, I’m still the woman Tryst is in love with but even if I was doing somethin’, I’m single.”

  “Well, in that case, you shouldn’t worry about me calling Tryst’s phone now, huh? Look, Dream, I don’t dislike you. I know the struggle and by all means, get it how you live. I’ll keep your lifestyle a secret because I’m not a snitch, but you will respect me,” Tierra said. We didn’t like each other, and it was that simple. Tierra didn’t have to say it, but she wanted my position in Tryst’s life. Tierra was drop-dead gorgeous, and she had a banging body. I didn’t know her exact age, but I knew she was in her early thirties. The maxi-dress she wore clung to her body and her hair was styled in cornrows going straight back. She resembled a younger Lela Rochon.

  Tryst walked over to us and grabbed the bags from Tierra. He was such a gentleman.

  “We were just talking about our conversation from earlier. Dream apologized to me so hopefully we can be cordial,” Tierra told Tryst. She walked off, leaving me and Tryst standing in silence.

  “You apologized for real?” he asked.

  “Yeah, she’s not so bad. We had a misunderstanding earlier.”

  “Aight cool. Tierra just lookin’ out,” he replied.

  I gotta tell him the truth but how? I’m terrified. I might lose him for good.

  We went into the house to put the groceries away. From where I was standing in the kitchen, I saw Adrian and his wife leaving the cookout. Him popping up was a clear sign. I had to stop doing what I was doing because I had a good man in my corner that I couldn’t lose.

  Tryst

  A week later…

  Ipulled up in front of a seafood market. The owner was a man named Ronnie. A month passed, and he still owed me money, ten g’s to be exact. Ronnie wasn’t taking me seriously. Most of the people who copped from me were older men who were cool with Bentley. But for some reason, Ronnie, didn’t respect me because I was young, and he was used to dealing with my father. That used to be an issue when I first started until Bentley threatened me. He told me if I keep letting them short me the money, he was going to put a bullet through my head. I was going to make an example out of Ronnie like I did others in the past.

  I went inside the seafood market, looking for Ronnie. A man was dumping ice over a table of fish when I approached him.

  “Where is Ronnie? He told me to come through to check out the crabs.”

  “He’s in the back unloading the crab truck. Want me to get him for you?” he asked.

  “I got it.”

  I walked away and went through the entryway to the back of the market where the trucks unload. Ronnie was yelling at one of his workers for catching crabs that were too small.

  “You must not want your fuckin’ job! Go throw this back where you got them from and hurry up! I can get in trouble for this!” Ronnie yelled.

  “Yo, Ronnie! I need to holla at you for a second!” I called out.

  “Nigga, don’t you see I’m busy and who told you to come back here?” he asked.

  “Yo, don’t make me embarrass you! Let’s go around back so we can talk.”

  “You ain’t doing shit, but come on and hurry up!” Ronnie said.

  I followed him through a door that led to an alley.

  “What you want, lil’ nigga?” he asked.

  I punched him in the mouth and he fell into a dumpster. He tried to make a run for it, but I caught him by the back of his shirt then rammed him into the dumpster. He fell on his ass with his forehead leaking blood.

  “Where is my shit at, muthafucka? You think I’m playin’ with your bitch-ass?”

  “GODDAMIT! You busted my head!” he said in disbelief.

  “You have been duckin’ me for a while now. What kind of games you playin’?”

  “Come on, Tryst. Your father knew me and never did no shit like this! I’m good on my word!” he said.

  “Mention him again and I’ll blow your head off your fuckin’ shoulders! Nigga, I ain’t Chrome! I want my money tonight or else the next visit isn’t goin’ to be nice.”

  Ronnie spit out blood. “Aight, I’ll send my lil’ bitch to meet you with it,” he said.

  “I’ll holla at you later.”

  I left out of the seafood market, heading back to my truck. Once I was in, I got
a text from Trell telling me that June Bug was home. It’d been over three years since June Bug got locked up. I wanted to forget those years, but they were a permanent stamp on my life. I drove off, heading to meet Trell.

  ************

  Tierra lived in a townhouse on the outskirts of the city. I parked my truck in the driveway behind Trell’s whip. The house smelled like lasagna or spaghetti when I walked in. Tierra was in the kitchen, standing at the stove stirring a pot of sauce. I couldn’t lie if I wanted to, Tierra was a dime piece and she knew it, too. Since I’ve known her, she hasn’t been getting high, but no one would’ve known she used to if they didn’t know her.

  “It smells good in here,” I said, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

  “I made your favorite dessert,” she said.

  The thing about Tierra is she knew how to take care of a man. Dream had a busy schedule and most times when I saw her it was at night.

  “What’s the occasion?” I asked.

  “You have been grinding hard, besides that girl you got sleepin’ with you isn’t doing anything for you. What do you see in her?” Tierra asked.

  “She was there for me when shit got tough and she didn’t have to be because we barely knew each other. All I’m saying is girls like Dream are special.”

  “She chose to be there, you didn’t make her. You don’t owe her shit!” Tierra replied.

  “Yo, why are you always saying slick shit about her anyway?”

  “I care about you, Tryst. Maybe a little more than I’m supposed to. Dream isn’t that perfect,” she replied.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  She joined me at the table, sitting across from me with a glass of wine.

  “I’m actually glad you stopped over here because I have been wanting to talk to you,” she said.

  Trell came down the stairs at the perfect time. Lately, Tierra has been throwing me the ass indirectly. I appreciated her for looking out for me and I probably would’ve been fucked her if she wasn’t Trell’s aunt. The last time I messed around with a girl my age was in high school. I was attracted to older women. Dream introduced me to that, though she wasn’t that much older than me but when I met her, she seemed grown. She used to cook for me and all that, turned me straight out.

  “Yo, you ready? We gotta see June Bug,” Trell said.

  “You wouldn’t have to worry about not parking your car in Newtowne if you weren’t fucking those crazy-ass girls. Tryst, you need to stop driving him around,” Tierra said.

  “Mind ya business, Aunty,” Trell said.

  Dream called me, so I walked outside so Tierra wouldn’t hear our conversation.

  “What’s up?”

  “Where are you? June Bug is here lookin’ for you. He’s with some other man he says is his cousin,” she replied.

  “Why you let that nigga in my crib? I told you not to do that shit! Where he at?” I asked while unlocking my truck door.

  “He’s in the living room. I thought you said June Bug is your godfather,” she replied.

  “Just go upstairs and stay in the room.”

  “Why are you acting paranoid?” she replied.

  “I’ll see you when I get home.”

  She smacked her teeth before hanging up the phone.

  Trell came out of the house with two plates of food wrapped in foil. When he got in the truck, I told him about June Bug being at the crib. He told me I was paranoid, too, but I wasn’t the same nigga three and a half years ago. My level of trust was no longer the same.

  Twenty-five minutes later…

  A beat-up car was parked in front of my crib when I arrived home. I got out of my truck and Trell followed me into the house. When I walked in, Dream was laughing with who I assumed was June Bug’s cousin. Dream got up when she saw me, and June’s Bug cousin looked at her ass.

  “You got a problem wit’ your eyes, nigga?” I asked the dude that was with June Bug.

  “Oh, my bad, fam. I didn’t know that was you,” he replied.

  “What’s up, June Bug? You know better than to be sittin’ in my crib while no one else is home. I’on play those type of games, and teach your man some respect,” I said.

  June Bug stood up to greet me, but I wasn’t feeling it. “Oh it’s like that, huh? I’ve been in your life since you were born, and this is how you do me?” June Bug asked, in his feelings.

  “Let’s talk in the hallway,” I replied.

  I told Trell on my way out the living room to keep an eye on June Bug’s cousin. Too many people were starting to show up at my crib and I wasn’t feeling it. It was time for us to bounce.

  “What happened to you, Tryst? You used to be a happy kid,” June Bug said to me.

  “I ain’t that kid no more and you can’t be poppin’ up at my shit with my girl in here. Every nigga knows the fuckin’ code!”

  “It’s hot outside. We needed the AC. Look, I came here to ask you for a favor. I’ve been hearing good things about you. I figure you can look out for me since we’re family,” he said.

  “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”

  “Bullshit. I know what you’re into because people in prison have been talkin’. I’m not knockin’ you for hustlin’. I figure since Chrome ain’t here I can look out for you if you look out for me,” he said.

  “Straight like that, huh? You can’t ask me about my family and what we went through? You haven’t seen me in almost four years and you come at me like you’re the FEDs or somethin’? I’m just livin’ off the money I found in my parents’ closet at our old crib. I ain’t got nothing for you. You think I’ll live near the hood if I was hustlin’?”

  “I know what you’re doing. I’ve been in the game for twenty-two years. When a nigga starts livin’ dangerous his whole attitude changes. I only want to make you more money,” he said.

  “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about. I might have a dime bag of weed on me here and there if you want that. I’m broke right now.”

  June Bug brushed his hand down his chin while nodding his head. He was pissed off but what else did he want from me? I hadn’t heard from him in years, not even a collect call from him to see how we were holding up.

  “Zee, come on! Let’s bounce, ain’t nothing here for us,” June Bug called out. His cousin came out of the living room and they left my house, letting the screen door slam behind them.

  “Yo, you trippin’. June Bug is family,” Trell said to me. He left out behind them to catch up with June Bug. I went upstairs to my bedroom when I didn’t see Dream downstairs. She was sitting on the bed eating a sandwich while watching TV. I mushed her, and her sandwich fell onto the floor.

  “Oh, wait a minute!” she said, getting off the bed.

  “I told you to never let anyone in this muthafucka! Then you sittin’ with them niggas and keepin’ them company. I should break your jaw!”

  “I thought you seeing June Bug would make you happy! I know how much he meant to your family!” she replied.

  “Don’t do that shit again. I don’t trust nobody! They could’ve raped you, killed you or even tried to rob us.”

  “Okay, Tryst, damn. I get it! You don’t have to yell at me!” she said.

  “We gotta move so find us a spot. It doesn’t have to be flashy, but I also want it to be lowkey.”

  “You are changing, and I don’t know if this has anything to do with Bentley putting all of this on you, but June Bug was your father’s best friend. You treated him like a stranger,” she said.

  “Yo, whatever.”

  “Whatever then,” she shrugged.

  Someone rang the doorbell and I told Dream to stay put. I went downstairs to answer the door and it was Dream’s cousin, Kabella.

  “Where is Dream? Is she ready? We gotta work tonight,” she said when I let her in. Kabella was probably a six on a scale one to ten if it wasn’t for the makeup. Shorty really thought she was a masterpiece.

  “Dream stayin’ in wit’ me today.”

&
nbsp; “Boy, please,” Kabella said, walking down the hallway. She went into the kitchen to get something out of the fridge. Dream came down the stairs and I noticed she was getting thicker.

  “You wanna chill with us?” Dream asked.

  “Kabella talks too much,” I said, and she giggled.

  “I heard that!” Kabella called out.

  Trell came into the house with flowers and a teddy bear. I thought they were for Naya since they had been having problems, but he handed them to Dream.

  “I was on my way in the house when a man gave me these and told me to give them to you. Adrian said call him, he misses you,” Trell said.

  “Really, Trell? You should’ve dismissed him,” Dream said.

  “I should’ve but I didn’t,” Trell chuckled before walking away.

  Dream was standing in front of me with a confused look on her face.

  “Why you ain’t say anything about having a man? I would’ve fell back.”

  “I don’t have a man, but I have been talking to someone else. It’s nothing between me and him anymore,” she said. Dream went into the kitchen to trash her gifts. Maybe I was being a sucka because a few times I was open with her about us being in a relationship. But every time the conversation came up, she would change the subject. Whoever the nigga was had to be very close to her to know where she laid her head at. I wasn’t pressed for a shorty, but Dream had my head gone. When I asked her if she had someone, she lied to me about it. I had to start doing me the way I used to.

  Trell was asking about Naya because she had been gone for a week. She went back to her mother’s apartment and got the locks changed so Trell wouldn’t bother her.

  “She doesn’t want you anymore. Get over it,” Kabella said to Trell.

  “Who asked you?” Trell replied.

  I went outside and sat on the porch to smoke. Three kids rode their bikes passed my house and the man that lived across the street was washing his old Buick in front of his crib. I thought about my old house in the suburbs and how I didn’t see much people outside enjoying the weather back then. While I was reminiscing, Dream came outside.

  “Are you mad at me?” she asked.

  “I had a few broads on the side myself. I’m not trippin’ on you, Dream. Do what you want. What I don’t like is the lies. Whenever you found condoms on me, I told you the truth about them because I thought our honesty was going to make us solid. I’m not waiting on you anymore though.”