CHAPTER 8

Moving on UP

 

Victoria and Babyface moved into the Marlboro Plaza High-rise on Good Hope Road in southeast D.C., which was the best place they could find for the money. The seven-hundred-dollar a month, one-bedroom apartment located on the 8th floor had wall- to-wall carpet and a modern kitchen. Victoria was so excited to have a place to call home. In fact, she hadn’t had a place to call home since she was nine years old.

After scantily furnishing the apartment with a king-size bed and a cream-colored living room set, Babyface visited Wild Bill’s Auto and purchased his first car with the fifteen hundred dollars left. Although he hated the battered 1978 Ford Granada with the busted taillight, he needed it so he could get his grind on, especially since he was near broke and would need to hustle hard.

Nine o’clock the next morning, as Victoria lay wide awake on Babyface’s chest watching him as he slept, the telephone rang. She quickly picked up the receiver, wondering who it could be since they just got the phone turned on the day before.

“Hello,” she answered in a sleepy voice.

“Excuse me for calling so early. I didn’t mean to wake you, but is Babyface in?”

For a moment, she was gonna tell whoever was calling to call back later, but she decided to find out who was on the other end first.

“Who’s calling?” Victoria asked.

“Tell him Petey.”

Victoria knew this was the person Babyface was waiting to hear from.

“If he’s sleep, I can call back,” said Petey.

“Oh no, hold on,” Victoria quickly replied, while shaking Babyface so hard that he jumped out of his sleep startled. “Daddy, it’s Petey on the phone.”

Babyface took the phone. “Hello,” he said, while wiping the sleep from his eyes.

“Ah, Face, I’m sorry for calling so early, but I thought we could meet up so you can pick up this package now since I’m going to be busy later on.”

At the sound of picking up the package, Babyface instantly became fully awake. “Where you at, Petey?”

“I’m down at the 51 Liquor Store off of Southern Ave,” he replied.

“Oh shit, you ain’t but down the street and around the corner. Give me ten minutes. Matter of fact, I’ll be there in seven.”

Petey laughed. “Yeah, okay. I’ll be in the parking lot, sitting in a burgundy Cadillac DTS.”

“Okay, Petey, and I’ll be pullin’ up in the worse bucket you ever seen in your life.”

They both laughed before ending the call.

As Victoria watched Babyface get dressed she wanted badly to ask could she go with him, but she knew her position. If he wanted her to come, he would have told her to get ready. She was happy for him, and she saw it in his eyes that he was happy, also. Finally, he would start seeing some real money. Even though she didn’t like the fact of him dealing in drugs, she kept it to herself. She figured after he had made enough money to quit, then she would voice her opinion.

* * * * *

 

After Babyface left to go meet up with Petey, Victoria busied herself with cooking cheese omelets and turkey bacon, while waiting on him to return. Her anticipation on seeing her man come up kept a smile on her face ever since he left. She fantasized of them having nice things, traveling, and shopping at Prada, Chanel, Gucci, and Versace. She even thought about getting pregnant, birthing a few babies, and having a loving family she always longed for. She knew she had a real man, and she knew nothing in life could keep them from being together. Babyface was hers for life, and she was his.

 

* * * * *

 

Once the transaction had been completed, the Rolex in exchange for the half brick that Babyface planned on turning into a million dollar enterprise, he couldn’t get back home fast enough. The old hooptie constantly backfired while going down Alabama Avenue. Babyface was so hungry that he could almost smell the delicious breakfast he knew Victoria had cooked for him. Also, the thought of having a side order of pussy crossed his mind, as well, giving him more than enough reason to press harder on the gas pedal as the traffic light turned yellow, warning him to slow down.

Babyface figured the old hooptie that he called Silver Bullet could make it through the light. He smiled, figuring he had made it; however, he was soon distracted by the loud sound of sirens and the bright flashing red lights of the D.C. police, who were pulling him over for a traffic violation. For a second, he thought about trying to outrun the police, but he knew it was impossible since the engine would cut off if Silver Bullet went over forty-five miles per hour.

Babyface had to do something, and it had to be done fast. Here he was driving with no license, violating a traffic signal with a half a kilo of pure Columbian cocaine sitting in the console of his car. He wanted so badly to kick himself in the ass for this major fuck up.

“Shit! Damn! Fuck!” he said.

While pulling over, Babyface quickly retrieved the coke out of the glove compartment. He had made his decision; he couldn’t go back to jail. Besides, Victoria wouldn’t know what to do without him. Therefore, there was only one option. Babyface had to get out and make a run for it.

As soon as he swung open the car door, he leaped out and was set to do a Carl Lewis sprint through the ghettos of southeast, only to be hit and bumped to the ground by an unmarked police car. Babyface still didn’t give up, though. He was determined to get away. As he struggled to pull himself up off the ground, he got to his feet and took one step before collapsing. That’s when he realized his leg was broke. When he looked up, he found himself staring into the barrels of two police issued Glock 9mm handguns.

* * * * *

 

Victoria’s father, Toney, pointed the .38 revolver in her mother’s face and was about to pull the trigger, when the ringing of the phone saved her from remembering the nightmare. Instantly, she jumped out of her sleep, sweating and breathing heavily. The phone rang once again, and as she was picking it up, she looked around for Babyface, who wasn’t there. She then looked at the time and realized she had slept all the way till seven-thirty the next morning after having waited for him to return from his meeting with Petey.

“Hello,” she answered in a low, sleepy voice, wondering who could be calling so early. As soon as she heard the recording, her heart instantly fell into her stomach.

“This is a collect call from…me, baby girl. If you wish to accept this call, dial one now.”

Immediately, Victoria pressed one.

“Hello baby girl.”

“Face, where are you? Please don’t tell me you’re where I think you’re at?” she asked in a fearful tone.

“I’m in jail, Vic. These muthafuckas got me in a jam.”

“NOOO! NOOO! Please tell me I’m dreaming. Why you do this shit to me, Face? Why? You said you wasn’t ever gonna leave me. NOOO!” she cried out loud. Nothing could describe the pain she felt; she was literally broken down.

“HEY, VIC!” Babyface screamed in his most aggressive voice. “Look, what the fuck I tell you about that muthafuckin’ crying. I don’t need no crybaby in my corner. I need a trooper. Now suck that shit up.”

“Okay, Face,” Victoria replied as she continued to weep; only this time she did it silently.

Her whole world was falling apart faster than it was put back together. Victoria saw herself starting over from where she just came from…nothing. No matter what Babyface said the tears still poured from her eyes like waterfalls.

“Vic, you there?”

“Yeah, I’m here,” she said, while trying to mask the fact that she was crying.

“Look they got me for possession with intent to distribute. I’m down here under the fake name Gary Jones, and my bond is five thousand dollars.”

“Five thousand! Face, where am I gonna get that type of money? All we got is five hundred to our name.”

“Look, just come down here tomorrow, and we’ll talk about it then,” he told her.

Why can’t I come now?” Victoria asked.

“‘Cause visits don’t start till tomorrow. Don’t worry, baby girl, everything is gonna be alright. Okay?” he assured her.

“Okay. I’ll be there first thing in the morning, Daddy. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Babyface replied before the phone line went dead.

Damn, I hope Face got a way outta this shit. How the fuck we gonna get up five g’s? Well, whatever he wants me to do it’s done. I vowed to Face that I’ma be his bitch fo’ life…down till the end. I owe Face everything. I owe him my life.

The next morning, Victoria was up and ready to catch the first bus down to the D.C. jail. In fact, she’d been up all night crying. No matter how hard she tried not to, she just couldn’t stop. Victoria felt the same way she did when she was nine years old; she felt the same way when Sheila came and took her away from her friends; and she felt the same way when Rico and Wayne Wayne violated her.

As she entered the visiting room, all heads turned in her direction. She was dressed to kill in her brand new Prada outfit with matching Prada shoes that Babyface bought for her. She wanted to truly represent, and the outfit did the job. The tight- fitting beige skirt with matching top, along with her laced up Prada boots, made her look like she was a model for a Prada magazine ad photo shoot.

As she sat behind the glass waiting for Babyface, she began to get impatient. “Excuse me, C.O. I’m here to see Gary Jones. I’ve been here for twenty minutes, and they’ve brought out everyone but him. What’s the hold up?”

“He’ll be up in a few, miss. We had to send somebody down to medical to get him.”

“Thank you,” Victoria said, and then thought, Medical? What the hell is he doing down in medical?

Minutes later, she noticed somebody pushing a wheelchair towards the end of the booth where she sat. As they got closer, she almost fain’ted when she realized the wheelchair’s occupant was Babyface. There he sat on the other side of the partition, with a cast that went from his foot clear up to his thigh. Victoria stared at him for a few moments, trying her hardest to hold back the tears, before picking up the receiver which they would use to communicate through the thick glass.

“Vic, you better not cry,” were the first words out his mouth.

“Boo, what did they do to you?” she said in her lowest voice.

Babyface proceeded to explain every detail of his misfortune, the charges he was facing, and the need to get the bond money so he could be released before his true identity was revealed.

“Face, how we gonna get that type of money?” Victoria asked.

“Look, baby girl, I want you to go up to the pool hall and find Tom. Tell him everything about what happened, and tell him that if he loans me the money, I’ll pay him back double.”

“But what if I don’t find Tom?” Victoria asked with concern. “What if he says he ain’t got it?”

Victoria’s eyes began to well up, and Babyface could see she was about to start crying. He hated to see her cry. Victoria was his life, his heart, and deep down inside he knew he had failed her.

“Vic, I’m telling you…you better not cry.”

Victoria couldn’t help it, though. She hated seeing him in this predicament. “Babyface, you are my life. You’re all I got. What am I supposed to do? And how am I gonna get that type of money? Babyface, I can’t do nothing without you. What am I gonna do?” With that, the tears gushed from her eyes.

Unable to take seeing her in so much pain, Babyface lashed out at her. “You figure it out!” he yelled out in a harsh tone, then hung up the receiver and wheeled his chair out of the visiting hall.

Victoria couldn’t believe he left like that. However, she knew he was right. This was a cold world and only the strong survived. The world was now on her back, not her shoulders. She knew she had to be strong, not just for her but for him also. Therefore, from that day on, Victoria made it her business to prove to him that she was the strongest bitch ever. She vowed she would do whatever it took to get him out. She just didn’t know how.

Victoria went home to wait for his call, which never came. As bad as Babyface wanted to call home, he couldn’t; he had to teach Victoria a lesson. He had to make her realize that nobody in this world is going to do anything for you, unless you do it yourself. He had to teach her how to survive on her own, how to be strong. It was her turn now to return the favor since he was in no position to take care of things himself. His fate lay in her hands. He left her with enough game. Now, it was up to her to figure out how she would play it.

 

* * * * *

 

After reading a few more pages of Victoria’s diary, Babyface couldn’t help but to wipe his own tears. He felt bad he’d left her with that much burden, but he also felt good because Victoria proved to him that she was strong. She let it be known as a proven fact that everything he taught her she had lived up to it to the fullest.

* * * * *

 

The next day, Victoria ventured out on her first mission of finding Tom. As she walked in the pool hall, all eyes were on her, as she franticly scanned the room in search of Tom. The only people she saw were a few pimps, who managed to wink at her in the half second of eye contact she gave them, and some old timers in the back shooting pool. Over to her right were a couple of hoes who looked Victoria up and down while frowning. They didn’t like the fact she was stealing their shine without saying a word. As she studied everyone in the room, she decided to ask the old timers had they seen Tom.

“Excuse me. I don’t mean to interrupt y’alls game, but I’m lookin’ for Tom. Have you seen him?”

The two older men stopped shooting pool to officially check Victoria out. The younger of the two was Jeff, a regular at the pool hall. Jeff was kinda short but real smooth. He never wore a pair of tennis shoes, nor did he own a pair of blue jeans. He only dressed casual, and he kept his hair cut perfectly blended into his full beard with a precise shape-up. Everybody who frequented the pool hall knew him. In fact, he stayed up in there so much that people use to think he was part owner of the spot, but what they didn’t know was if it wasn’t for Jeff loaning the owner some money the Pool Hall wouldn’t have even been open. So, in all actuality, he was part-owner; it just was not legally documented.

“What’s your name, sweetheart? I’ve never seen you up here before. And why you looking for Young Tom?” Jeff asked.

“My name is Victoria, and my reason for finding Tom is personal.”

Both men looked at each other.

“Ay, Petey, you hear that? She said it’s personal,” Jeff said.

“Yeah, I heard her,” Petey replied.

At the sound of hearing Petey’s name, Victoria instantly knew he had been the one who called that morning.

“Well, sweetheart, we kinda got some bad news for you,” said Petey as he lustfully looked Victoria up and down while licking his lips. “Unless you’re one hell of a lawyer, your personal days with Tom are over. Now, if you happen to be in need of a replacement, then I’m sure I can accommodate you.”

“Nah, it ain’t even like that with me and Tom. In fact, I was doing a good friend a favor by coming to holla at him,” Victoria informed him.

“Well, sweetheart, Tom’s just been indicted in Federal Court,” said Jeff as he clinched tight to his pool stick while eyeing Victoria’s titties.

Victoria didn’t know what to do. She was disturbed. Tom was their only hope, and now she learned he was locked up, too. Petey could tell something was wrong by Victoria’s flushed face, so he took advantage by playing the nice guy role.

“What’s up, sweetheart? You okay? You look like you just lost your best friend.”

This nigga must think I’m dumb. I know he’s tryna fuck me, Victoria thought as she contemplated whether or not she should let him know she was Babyface’s girl. “Nah, I’m okay. I’m just a little tired.”

“How about I take you to get something to eat?” Jeff offered.

“Nah, that’ cool,” she replied as she turned and headed for the door. She wanted to cry, but she knew she couldn’t. In fact, she was tired of crying. She had to do something.

At the sight of Victoria’s fat, round ass, Petey’s dick began to swell. He had never seen a bitch this bad come in the pool hall, and he wanted her for whatever price he had to pay.

“Hey, shorty, hold up for a second,” he called after her as he followed her out front.

Victoria turned around to face him. “What’s up?”

“What’s up with you is the question,” Petey replied.

“What you mean by that?” she asked, being clueless.

“Look, shorty, I ain’t gonna beat around the bush. I’ma get straight to the point, and it’s up to you if you take my offer. How much would it cost me to play?”

Victoria knew what he was getting at, but still she played dumb. “What you mean how much would it cost you?”

“Look, shorty, I’m tryna hit that, and I ain’t got no problem giving you what you want. Matter fact, I’ll even tip you good if it’s as good as you look.”

“I’m sorry, but I think you need to go talk to them bitches in the Pool Hall. You got me confused. I ain’t no ho,” she shot back at him.

“Everything got a price on it, shorty. What if I make you an offer you can’t refuse?” asked Petey.

“Yeah right,” said Victoria. “I tell you what, nigga. Give me five thousand.”

Victoria couldn’t believe the words that came out of her mouth. She was actually willing to sell her pussy to get Babyface out. She then thought back to the time when she and Babyface were standing on the motel’s balcony having the discussion of whether or not she would consider prostituting and him pimping. Then, she wondered what Babyface would think or say if he found out. Hell, he couldn’t be mad at her since he told her to “figure it out”, or would he be? She didn’t know any other way to come up quick. Sure, he taught her how to be a master thief, but she needed a partner for that. She didn’t know the first thing about selling drugs, or who to even sell to. And if she got a job at some fast food joint, it would take her years to save up the money needed to bail Babyface, while still paying bills and feeding herself. Victoria had no other choice. She was about to free her man by any means necessary.

“Five thousand!” Petey shouted. “Bitch, you done lost your mind. Yeah, you a bad muthafucka. I give you that, but five thousand is a down payment on a house. Ain’t no pussy in the world worth that unless your shit come with a lifetime guarantee. Now, I tell you what, since I’m horny as a muthafucka and you’re the baddest bitch I’ve seen in a while, I’ll give you a thousand. But for that you gotta do whatever.”

Victoria evaluated his offer, while looking him up and down. Right before she was about to deny him, she thought of Babyface sitting in that jail, waiting for her to come through for him.

“A’ight, nigga, where we going?”

 

* * * * *

 

Once inside the motel room, Petey started grabbing all over Victoria.

“Hold up, nigga. Slow down. You gonna get it.”

“What the fuck you mean slow down? I’m paying for this shit. Now take off your clothes,” Petey ordered her.

Victoria started getting nervous. Petey would be only the second man to ever put his dick in her pussy. She began to hesitate, but within an instant, a rush came over her. This was it; this was how it was gonna be done. She wasn’t going to be into it, just let him do his thing and get it over with. To her, it would be business and nothing more.

As Victoria removed her clothes, Petey slid a condom on his erect dick. She then laid on her back and spread her legs open wide. She allowed her mind to drift off, not thinking about how it felt as Petey pounded away with his little dick. All she thought about was getting Babyface home soon.

“Damn, this pussy feels good,” Petey commented as he pulled his dick out of her sweet, wet pussy. “Damn, shorty, I had to take it out ‘cause I ain’t tryna cum yet. This pussy’s good as a muthafucka.”

Victoria could see that this nigga was a true trick, so she used game and played with his ego. Grabbing his dick, she started jerking it and making him hornier with dirty talk.

“Damn, baby, this big dick is good. Come on and fuck me some more. I wanna feel this big dick in my pussy.”

“A’ight then, bitch. Turn around. I want it from the back.”

As Petey pounded her pussy from behind, Victoria held her ass cheeks open, giving him a clear view of her clean shaved pussy. She continued talking dirty in hopes of making him cum faster.

“Yeah, baby, that’s it. Fuck me! Fuck this pussy…oh, fuck this pussy good! Your big dick feels so good in this pussy. That’s right…fuck me harder!

When he started pounding her harder and faster, she knew he was at the peak of busting a nut. So, to speed up the process, she began to fake an orgasm.

“OHHHH…YES, baby, you fuckin’ the shit outta me. Oh, baby, I’m ‘bout to cum. This pussy’s ‘bout to cum all over that dick. Oh, yes, baby, fuck me harder. Fuck me…yes…I’m ‘bout to come, baby.”

As Petey pounded away, he was sucked in by her dirty talk. You like this dick, don’t you, bitch?”

“Yes…yes, I love this dick!”

“That’s right, bitch! I’m punishing this pussy, ain’t I?”

“Yes…you’re fucking me good!”

Within seconds of Victoria speaking those words, Petey exploded, and before his dick had a chance to stop pulsating, she immediately got up and held out her hand.

“Okay, where’s my money?” she said, looking Petey directly in the eye.

“Damn, bitch, let me catch my breath first.”

“Nigga, I gave you what you want. Now own up to your end,” Victoria replied.

“You a feisty lil’ bitch, ain’t you?” said Petey, as he reached into his pocket and peeled off ten Benjamins. “Here you go, and I’ma give it to you, shorty, that pussy is worth way more than 5 g's.”

“Yeah, well, why you only give me one?” she asked, hoping he would reconsider and throw her off another four thousand.

“‘Cause that’s what we agreed on, and anyway, you’ll never get another nigga to pay that much for pussy. Matter of fact, I’m probably the only nigga that'll give you a thousand. You lucky you caught me at a horny time. By the way, you can keep the room for the night, if you want. I won’t be needing it.”

After Petey left, Victoria ran herself a hot bubble bath to wash away the filth of Petey’s sweat. While soaking in the tub, Victoria began to analyze what she’d just done, and to her surprise, she didn’t feel bad. She felt her actions were justified.

 

* * * * *

 

Back at the D.C. jail, Babyface was playing dominoes with Bones, a fellow convict, who was a tall, light-skinned dude with wavy hair, and the first pimp from D.C. that Babyface ever met personally.

“Ay, Bone, let me ask you a question,” Babyface said, curious to know how he got in the game.

“As long as it’s not incriminating go ‘head,” Bone replied.

“There you go with your slick ass tongue.” Babyface laughed.

“Nah, go ‘head, Face. Ask your question.”

Face looked Bone straight in the eyes. “How in the fuck did you become a pimp? Ain’t no pimps come outta the southeast where you’re from. Only killers is raised on the Southside.”

Bone laughed. “Face, pimps don’t have no region where they come from. It’s just in a nigga’s blood. It’s the hoe that brings the pimp out of a nigga. If you can talk to a bitch and spit realness, and she bites the bait and start breaking you off that bank, then you’s a pimp, nigga. It’s just up to you to take it to another level.”

“Yeah, I feel you,” Babyface agreed.

“Face, you mean to tell me you ain’t never pimped before?”

“Nah, Bone,” Babyface replied.

“Yes, you have; you just didn’t know it. I see the way you got that C.O. bitch, Ms. West, running around here bringing you street food and shit. Hell, I know where you be getting that weed from. I bet you ain’t even fuck the bitch yet, let alone give her a kiss, and she up here breaking the law for your ass. Nigga, if that ain’t pimpin’, then I’m in the wrong profession.”

Babyface laughed. As he sat in a light daze baffled by Bone’s sharpness, he was interrupted by a loud slam on the table.

“By the way, Face, DOMINO, nigga! Give me my cigarettes!”

Babyface just laughed, and then made a mental note to talk to him more about the business of pimping later.

 

* * * * *

 

As Victoria was coming out of the motel, Royal pulled into the parking lot in his burgundy 600 Benz, dropping two of his hoes off so they could get ready to go trick down on 14^th Street. Victoria shook her head at the thought of fucking and sucking all night, then handing over her money to a clown-ass pimp.

Dumb ass bitches, she said to herself as the two girls got out of the car.

Victoria could tell by the way they dressed and the shopping bags they carried from the designer shops that they were well-kept and had plenty money. One carried a Versace shopping bag that looked so heavy she could imagine that the clothes were worth more than Babyface’s bond. The other had a Gucci bag. The more she studied the girls, the more familiar they looked. The tall one was light brown-skinned with long pretty hair, and looked a lot like Vivica Fox in her glory days. The other wasn’t all that pretty, but had a body out of this world. She had ass like the rapper Trina and titties rounder than Janet Jackson’s. However, the long scar running down her right cheek, which looked like a burn from a curling iron, distracted Victoria. Instantly, Victoria started thinking about Penny.

Nah, that can’t be Penny. Penny would never be a ho. Besides, she hated pimps, Victoria thought.

As the tall girl headed to the room, she turned around to call her friend, who was lagging behind with her bags. In a familiar, husky voice, the girl yelled out, “Goddamn, Penny, hurry your slow ass up! You know we ain’t got that much time to get ready. Royal will be back in about an hour.”

Victoria couldn’t believe what she just heard.

“Dang, Liddy, why you gotta be rushing me? You see I got all these bags.”

Victoria almost lost her mind. The only two people she loved other than Babyface, and who she hadn’t seen in over five years, were standing right in her presence and she hadn’t even recognized them.

“Penny!” Victoria yelled while running towards her.

As she got closer, Penny’s eyes started to water. “Victoria! Is that you?”

“Yeah, girl!”

“Oh my God…oh my God! Hey, Liddy, come out here!”

Penny and Victoria embraced so hard that the tension only reminded them of the day they parted.

“Girl, what the fuck you call me out here for?” Liddia asked, unaware of the shock she was about to receive. Upon seeing her friend whom she thought she’d never see again in life, she instantly froze where she stood. Liddia pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. “Victoria! That can’t be you.”

“Liddia, you look so good,” Victoria commented as they embraced.

That day, Victoria swore the three of them would never part again.

 

* * * * *

 

As the three sat in the room talking, Victoria revealed the truth covering the whole five years of her absence all the way up to the present, including how Babyface saved her from Wayne Wayne. Although she knew he’d be mad if he found out she’d told them he killed Wayne, she felt she had to. She couldn’t hold anything back. These were her sisters.

Liddia and Penny were shocked at Victoria’s stories. Although their trials couldn’t compare to Victoria’s, Liddia and Penny had also gone through their share of shit. They told her how Liddia ran away after Sheila took Victoria, and how Liddia returned for Penny after having met Royal. Liddia was the one who turned Penny onto hoeing. Even though Penny didn’t like the fact of giving him her money, she did it for Liddia.

Although she wasn’t necessarily proud of her actions, Victoria told her story of how she had just turned a trick. Once again, the three women had something in common.

“Bitch, what you charging for that pussy?” asked Liddia.

“I only did it once; I got a thousand for it,” Victoria replied.

“Bitch, you is lying,” said Liddia. “You can’t be serious. A nigga really gave you thousand dollars? Damn, bitch, what you do…lick his ass, let him cum in your mouth, let him fuck you in the ass, or better yet do the R-Kelly?”

“No, Liddia. You’re stupid,” Victoria said, laughing. Then in a sincere tone, she said, “I had to do it y’all. I gotta get my man outta jail.”

“Damn, Vic, you must really love that nigga.”

“I do, Penny. I swear I do. I owe him not only my life, but two lives, and I only got one.”

“So what you gonna do, Vic? You coming down the track wit us tonight?” asked Penny happily.

“Shut up, Penny. You know damn well she can’t come down the track without any pimp.”

“Oh well, I guess I won’t be going then, ‘cause I ain’t giving my hard earned money to no pimp. FUCK THAT!” said Victoria with conviction.

“I see you still the same old feisty Victoria,” said Liddia. “Well, how you gonna get the money to get him out?”

Victoria looked both her friends in the eye with built-up tears that she fought back. “Can y’all PLEASE help me? I swear to God on everything I love, me and Babyface will both pay you back double.”

“I don’t know about that, Victoria,” Liddia said with hesitation. “Royal don’t be playing about his money. Plus, he just took us shopping. He wants a bitch out there working to get all that back plus more.”

“He ain’t pay for them clothes. You did. You don’t owe him nuthin’,” Victoria argued.

“Royal takes care of us,” Liddia retorted, defending him.

“Oh yeah? Well, tell me where’s your Benz? Where’s your house? I bet you don’t even know his real name.”

“I might not know his name, but I know one thing…he ain’t in jail,” Liddia shot back.

Penny interceded. “Oh, Liddia, now that was a low blow. You don’t even know Victoria’s man.”

“And she doesn’t know Royal, either.”

“It ain’t like she wasn’t telling the truth,” Penny said.

As the girls were talking, Royal’s horn beeped out front.

“Well, Victoria, that’s our ride. I’m sorry we can’t help you, but if you tryna survive, come out here with us so you can meet Royal.”

“Nah, I don’t need no pimp, Liddia. Babyface is all I got, and besides, ain’t no nigga gonna be shaking me all out in public,” Victoria replied.

“Yeah, well, you stupid then. Come on, Penny, let’s go.”

As Liddia walked toward the door, Penny sat on the bed with tears in her eyes.

“Come on, Penny, before Royal gets mad.”

Penny looked Victoria in the eye and said, “Promise me you won’t ever leave me again.”

“I promise, Penny. I swear to God I won’t leave you.”

“Bring your stupid ass on,” Liddia said from the doorway.

Penny looked at Liddia. “Tell Royal I’m not coming. I choose Victoria. There can never be a greater love than her.” Penny then turned to face Victoria again. “I hope I’m doing the right thing, and Babyface better be a cool ass nigga,” said Penny as she smiled with tears in her eyes.

As Victoria and Penny embraced, Liddia expressed her anger. “Y’all some stupid-ass bitches! Look at the two of you broke-ass bitches with a broke-ass pimp in jail who don’t even know he’s a pimp yet. Y’all got to be the dumbest bitches on the face of the earth.”

Beep…beep…beep!

Bitches, y’all better hurry y’all asses up out here. It’s money to made,” Royal yelled from his car.

Before Liddia slammed the door, she looked at both her friends one last time.

“Liddia, you don’t have to go out there if you don’t want to. Come with us. Y’all can come live with me,” Victoria pleaded.

“Bitch, please! You think you can just pop up in a muthafucka’s life after five years and run shit. Victoria you got me all fucked up, and Penny you’s a dumb bitch. She ain’t gonna do nothing but leave you again after she get that nigga out. Fuck both you dizzy ass bitches.”

With that, Liddia slammed the door in their faces, crushing both their hearts. They loved her more than she could have ever known.

 

* * * * *

 

After reading a little more of Victoria’s diary, Babyface smiled from ear to ear. “Damn, baby girl, you worked your shit, huh? Turned a nigga into a pimp overnight, and got bitches choosing me that didn’t even know me. You’s a bad muthafucka. Your loyalty is what got us this far. If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t be here. I’d be somewhere stuck for twenty years. Can’t a pimp in the game fuck wit my pimpin’, and ain’t a ho out there that can fuck wit you.

 

* * * * *

 

After Liddia left, Victoria and Penny spent hours talking, with Penny running down the ho rules for 14^th Street.

“Never look a pimp in the eyes?”

“Why, Penny?”

“‘Cause once he gets your attention, he’ll think you’re disloyal to your pimp, and then he’ll be tryna cop you all night long.”

“Well, we don’t have a pimp, Penny,” Victoria reminded her.

“Oh, yes, we do. They just haven’t seen him yet. Another thing, don’t let these hoes know how much you got from a trick.”

“Why?” Victoria asked.

“‘Cause if it’s a lot, then the next time that trick rolls up, she’ll be taking your clientele. Also, and most importantly, never suck a dick without a condom on it.”

“You ain’t gotta worry ‘bout that one. I’m strapping up twice on every trick.”

Both girls laughed.

After a few hours, Penny had schooled Victoria on most of what she needed to know when it came to the art of hoeing. Now, it was time to put everything she had learned to a test.