A Project Chick (31 page)

With Indie now an intricate part of Tressa's life, Tressa had a glow all across her face that nobody had ever seen. Tressa dress code even changed. She had once turned into the black widow, wearing everything black or dark colored clothes and everything was conservative, no cleavage showing at all. Outside of work, sweatpants and T-shirts were all she could seem to throw on now. But with Indie now a part of her life, the black was pushed completely out of the closet and replaced with some sexy, but sophisticated clothes. She always wanted to look sexy for her man. Tressa wanted to have such an effect on Indie, so when he saw her, at any given place or time of the day, she turned him on to the point where he wanted to make love to her right then and there.

Tressa started putting effort into their relationship, she'd always come up with some kind of creative ideas to spice up their sex life. With the role of parents, sometimes things were so focused on the kids that, at the end of the day, there wouldn't be anytime for each other. But Tressa always took matters into her own hands.

One day she left a message for Indie to meet her at Fanny's, a restaurant hooked onto the Holiday Inn, and told him when he got there to ask for "Spice". When he arrived, the waitress handed him an envelope, pointed him over to a woman with a long blonde wrap wig, fire red lipstick and reading glasses, in the corner. He opened the envelope, read the note and laughed. There was a note saying:

Hi Sweetheart,

I managed to get Spice to agree to let you take

full advantage of her tonight. I could only pay her for

three hours, so have fun. If she's good, make sure you

tip her.

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Love Forever and Ever,

Tressa

PS: Please pick up some orange sherbert ice

cream on your way home.

Of course, Spice was Tressa, and the whole time, she made him refer to her as Spice, not Tressa. And when they were on their way back home, in separate cars, Tressa called Indie on his cell phone and asked him, "baby, how long before you'll be home with my sherbert icecream?" This gave her enough time to get home and get into something else sexy. Tressa was very versatile when it came to Indie, she always changed up and became someone else. She also bent the rules for Indie, the things she said she'd never do, she did for Indie. He never asked either, she just did them because she wanted to.

Tressa was totally comfortable with him, she felt like she could reveal all of herself to him. Indie accepted her for who she was, and loved her wholeheartedly, whether she was at her worst or at her best. They laughed and acted silly together. Sometimes, they'd get out of the shower, and just dance buck naked.

Indie's place in Tressa's life consisted of multiple titles, which included best friend, confidant, lover, soul mate, protector, role model for her sons and the love of her life. It was through Indie, that Tressa realized the sayings,

"Good things come to those that wait," "No storm lasts forever," and "After every dark cloud is a brighter day," were so true! It was through the relationship that she shared with Indie, and the beautiful experiences she shared, that she came to really recognize and appreciate all the words in her theme song for so many years, "Juicy".

Indie respected how Tressa had held it down for so long without any help from anybody. But at the same time, some massive things were going to have to change since she was Indie's girl, and one day soon, his wife.

First of all, the house she lived in was OK, considering she made the transition from the projects into regular housing. At the same time, it wasn't Indie's idea of where he wanted his boys and soul mate to live. But how would he get her to agree to move? He knew for sure, he 208

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couldn't put a stack of money on the table and tell her to find a house she wanted. Although he was sure she trusted him, he knew she still had a few insecurities when it came to men providing her with extraordinary purchases, such as a house. So, therefore, he'd have to come up with an alternative solution.

As Tressa laid in Indie's arms, the alarm went off.

She didn't want to get up, but knew she had to go to work.

"Why don't you take the day off." Indie insisted.

"No, I can't. I have to go. I don't want to lose my job, I need my job."

"You might want that job, but you don't need that job. You will always have me."

"Thanks." She said, and gave him a big, long, deep, tongue kiss, morning-mouth and all!

"I am serious. You always have me. I'm yours forever."

"Yeah, until you break my heart." She said, as she got out of the bed, in a joking way, but he knew she was serious. She brushed her teeth and cut the water on for the shower. While she was waiting for it to get hot, she looked in the closet to see what she could pull out to wear to work.

Before she could get into the shower, Indie beat her to the bathroom to take a dump. She sat in the entryway of the door and carried on a conversation with him, while he had his bowel movement. This was confirmation for her that she really loved and cared deeply for Indie. If she could sit at the door, smell his bowels and it simply didn't faze her, now, that indeed was love.

Once she got out of the shower, he was standing over at the cd player.

"No Reggae music this morning?" She asked him.

"Look, baby, I want you to listen to this song, this is exactly how I feel 'bout you. Listen closely to every word, because I need you to know I'm with you." He pressed play on the cd and the Method Man with Mary J. Blige song came on, "You're All I Need To Get By".

"Shorty, I'm there for you anytime you need me...For real girl, it's me in your world, believe me...Nuttin' make a man feel better than a woman...Queen with a crown that be down for whatever...There are few things that's forever, my lady...We can make war or make babies...Back when I was 209

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nothing...You made a brother feel like he was something...That's why I'm with you to this day boo, no frontin'...Even when the skies were gray...You would rub me on my back and say Baby it'll be okay...Now that's real to a brother like me baby...Never ever give my cootie away and keep it tight a'ight...And I'ma walk these dogs so we can live...In a fat ass crib with thousands of kids...Word life, you don't need a ring to be my wife...Just be there for me and I'ma make sure we...Be livin' in the fuckin' lap of luxury...I'm realizing that you didn't have to fuck wit me...But you did, now I'm going all out kid...And I got mad love to give, you my nigga..."

Hearing this song truly made her day. Although Indie didn't speak on the housing situation to Tressa, he had his own plan. Indie was a frequent customer to the guy, Pablo, who owned a convenient store that was located down the street from Tressa's house. Indie befriended Pablo since Pablo was also originally from New York. Pablo agreed to run a contest/sweepstakes, supposedly brought to the community by "The Shed A Rainbow Foundation", at his store. Indie saw to it that Tressa entered into the contest. Little did Tressa know that Indie was the Shed A Rainbow Foundation. Tressa won the money and Indie was certain Tressa wouldn't spend the money foolishly.

A week before Tressa "won" the money, Indie asked her to marry him. He proposed to her with a superior 4.49

carat emerald cut ring with .26 carots of tapered baguettes on the sides. After laying eyes on the ring, without a doubt, she agreed.

After winning the money, $20,000.00, Tressa didn't think twice, she told Indie some of the money would be their down payment towards a new home. He told her that he will put up 10 G's toward the down payment so they will have 20 to put down, and he'd pay for the furniture as well.

He then instructed her to go get her a new car, and she did.

She went to the dealer the day she closed on her house, traded her old Mazda in for a two-year-old five series BMW, burgundy with tan leather interior, sunroof and fully loaded. She felt that this BMW replaced the BMW that she loved so much, but was forced to give up, so many years ago when she left Lucky.

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Tressa was so happy with how her life was going, but there was one thing she felt essential to take care of.

First, she prayed and thanked God for the bountiful blessings that had been bestowed upon her. Next, she made the phone call that she had been waiting to make for so many years. She set up an appointment and planned to dress to kill.

Although wearing nothing really too flashy, her outfit was just enough to make her presence known and to let innocent bystanders and the onlookers know that she was on a mission and was not playing. She was wearing some blue Dolce & Gabana jeans, and long sleeve D&G

shirt to match the jeans. She wore the D&G black belt with the big D&G on the buckle. The black Charles Jordan sexy, fierce stiletto boots flowed perfectly with the whole ensemble. Tressa threw on her black mink jacket that stopped at her waist, and to top it off, Tressa felt obligated to put the icing on the cake. She wished she had a mink hat to match that particular jacket, but she didn't, so instead, she threw on Indie's black fur Anglo cap and headed off to the beauty parlor, though she vowed so long ago that she would never give Gypsy another dollar of her money. But for some reason she felt the need to just make Gypsy kiss her butt for all the days she had dissed her when she was doing bad.

When she arrived at the beauty parlor, today must have been Tressa's lucky day, because she got a parking spot slam in front of the beauty shop. Whenever someone in a nice whip rolled in front of Gypsy's shop, everyone was alerted, because it was just their nature. All eyes were glued on Tressa when she walked into the shop, and boy did she put the show on for them. She pulled out a stride that she hadn't strutted in a long time, but the walk she gave them was enough to make them vomit with envy and jealousy. Her stroll was always that of a runway model, whether she pushed a stroller, carried her twins when they were babies on her hip, or now, with the mink on her back and a six hundred dollar bag on her shoulder.

Tressa walked into the shop and one of the girls who worked in the shop noticed Tressa and couldn't believe it.

She had to ask, "Is that a Kangol coat?" 211

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"What?" Tressa didn't understand what she was saying at first, then the girl asked again.

"Is that a Kangol coat you got on?"

Then it hit Tressa, the girl was insinuating that the coat she wore wasn't mink, that it was the same fur as the Kangol she was wearing.
Oh, shit doesn't ever change
around here. But since these broke down chicks wanna talk
slick to me, and still don't want give me my respect, I got
something for them. It's open field day on these hoes.

Tressa responded. "No sweetheart, this is mink, baby, sable mink to be precise."

That comment was, without a doubt, a truly low blow.

Gypsy ran over and embraced Tressa with a fake hug pretending like she was so happy to see her. "Girl, I miss you so much. I thought you would never take those micro braids out your hair. Your hair is healthy and long though. Who been doing it?" Gypsy asked, while rolling her fingers through Tressa's hair.

"The Dominicans, you know they do the best roller wraps."

"Yes they do, so what you having today?" Tressa laughed to herself when Gypsy asked that question.
I know this broad don't think for one minute, that
she going to put any chemicals or scissors in my hair. I don't
care if she messes up a style, because I can always wash it
out,
Tressa thought to herself, but responded to Gypsy, "I just need my hair washed and pin it up some kind of way." Gypsy could barely pay attention to wash Tressa's hair from staring at the rock that Tressa sported on her left ring finger. She desperately wanted to know "What was really good" with Tressa.
How in the hell this broad go from
rags to riches? I'd sure like to know.

While Gypsy was setting Tressa's hair, Gypsy asked,

"So are you going to start coming back to me now?"

"I don't know, but most likely." She knew she wouldn't be coming back, but she didn't want to tell Gypsy that. She had to ensure that Gypsy would do a good job on her hair.

"You know I work on Fridays and every other Saturdays now, and plus, I am pretty much on time now."

"What? What brought on this?"

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"Girl, I don't get that fat child support check anymore for the baby."