Around the Way Girls 9 (25 page)

“Come on, girlie, let's go. Somebody just pulled up,” Cori said, starting to panic. “Now who's the greedy one?”

Throwing the lady customer's purse over my head, swooping up the bags of weave I'd dropped plus grabbed up in gluttony, I ran out with Cori holding the store's door open. Thankfully, I was able to quickly toss everything into the opened trunk, slam it shut, and hop in the driver's seat ready to burn rubber. “Thanks, my baby, let's be out,” I yelled, breathing hard, trying to get my composure. I didn't want to chance anyone catching a glimpse of my plate or a description of my car. If so, me and my ride or die would make breaking news. Nobody in the city had a silver Taurus with a red hood, blue passenger side door, and silver spray-painted fender but me. Don't judge me; I got where I needed to go, and we coasted up the side streets, making our way back to the hood.

“No doubt, I got you all day every day. But um, what in hell really went down back there? I walked in almost tripping over Sam Lee's body, Sue a few feet away, and the customer I ran past laid out in the aisle.”

“It's a long story, Cori. Let me just calm down so we can get home. We can blow through a fat one while I tell you all about it.” Checking my rearview, making sure to stop at all stop signs, I didn't need any lurking police to flick me seeing the stolen stuff linking me to Hair City. I didn't plan on driving past that corner let alone shopping in that beauty supply ever again in life.

“I got you on that. But real talk as ya girl I gotta keep it one hundred, and from what I saw with Sue, you couldn't be contained. You went crazy up in there and we both got an eyewitness in this Kelly Tandy woman.” Cori pulled the woman's ID out her purse holding it up to read it.

“Please, Cori, let me get back on the block first at least,” I screamed at her needing to focus. My heart was still racing from taking down two Koreans and one black lady, plus stealing enough stock to fill my pockets. This getaway was a must so I needed my girl to lay low, text Mike, and be cool until I was at least a safe enough distance from Hair City for comfort.

“Damn the block; you better pull into the first gas station you see so we can start burning through these cards.” Looking over into Cori's lap, she was pulling out Visas, Master Cards, and Discovers, multiples of each. “I wonder if they all work?”

 

 

Ta'Nique did her thang in the hair weave section; but I had makeup, knock-off jewelry, undergarments, countless boxes and bottles of hair care products, a tray of eye contacts, plus a few pairs of ceramic flat irons. I wasn't even done taking inventory of the stolen goods I'd personally lifted and had already made up for what Ms. Donahue had taken out of my pocket. It was the eye contacts that got me red flagged ending up with chink boy Sam chasing behind me. I couldn't help myself though; girls and now the flame-throwing guys out here were starting to rock them dry. Of course the hustler in me saw potential money being flipped and couldn't resist the risk. Once she told me all of what went down, how my greed had her slightly caught up, I felt a tinge of regret for not thinking twice about going behind the roped-off counter to snatch the tray.

There was no doubt in my mind this story would get light press, but nothing major. No way in hell these two chinks could go down in the heart of the city without anyone blinking an eye, especially with the mayoral election around the corner. Nique and I both decided to lay low from hitting beauty supplies for a while. But that didn't mean we couldn't clean up in other territories.

 

“Hey, what up, Sam,” I said, walking into the gas station nearest our house. Nique might've been shook up but stupid she was not. Seeing the cards in my lap made her drive like she had some sense, flooring the pedal so we could make this unexpected opportunity lucrative. This gas station was so ghetto and trifling, down for whatever; you could fill up your whip with your government assistance card if you gave them a few extra dollars on top. They got robbed so much for fifty cent bags of chips and juice that they put a fence over the entrance to the first two aisles. All about making smash-and-grabs less convenient, but all about scamming the system and those who spent money on a daily basis with them.

After grabbing a few snacks, juices, and crackers for Nique's upset stomach, I was back out the door right as she swiped one of Kelly's cards for the first two fill-ups: ours and some young chick dressed in medical scrubs, on her way to school or work.

“What up, Cori? Let me get a dollar or two,” I heard my junkie neighbor begging me. “I can pump your gas.” A fiend could be tricky; she was included in the pact. Having the option to have the nozzle hold itself on, there's no need to pay someone like back in the day. No work, no gain; I didn't care what come up I'd just gotten down on.

“Damn, woman.” I lied with a straight face like it was nothing. “You caught me at a bad time. I just spent my last on this. I ain't got shit on me but a bridge card and you already know I sell my stamps as soon as they post.” Keeping it real by giving her real-life circumstances she was familiar with, hopefully she'd get back to digging through the trash for cans or possibly tossed food.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, if you say so. You young girls nowadays is always holding out on a li'l something.” Walking away with much attitude and deflation, it was clear the old head was hip to my lies.

Sitting in the car, I broke the seal of my Pepsi, gulping it down fast. Nique had gotten another fill-up request and was taking care of business in spite of the on-looking gas station attendant. He wasn't new to serving customers around the way, so seeing a gas scam going down shouldn't have had him on the phone dialing for help. “Get your half and let's go, Nique.” I rolled the window down, alerting my girl of the attendant's move.

“Fuck his 'rab ass. He wasn't talking about giving me no job to run the lottery machine, so whatever. I've gotta get all of mines and not a penny less.” Looking at the attendant dead on, she gave him nothing but the meanest ripped mug. Not caring that she was flat-out stealing the gas, she wanted him to react to her with the upmost respect.

“It's too many stations out here for your greedy ass to burn a card out already on this one or possibly get caught, come on.” As I rolled the window back up manually, I was now the one beyond anxious to get out of dodge. Getting caught wasn't worth it.

“Wow, look who wants to flip the script and play the momma now. Bitch, you already know I ain't about to slow my cash flow down for his pig-faced ass. Get your scary ass out and start seeing if they want fill-ups. You could be swiping too!”

Knowing she was right, especially since this was my idea, I got on the grind, jumping out, getting two sales instantly. Gas was at an all-time high at almost four dollars a gallon in Detroit, so people were overjoyed to see me at the pump charging half for whatever amount their fill-up came up to. Trucks were the best profit for us of course but I took any amount from a person down to their last five bucks. After I inserted the card into the pump on one side starting a transaction, I moved around to the other side to get two sales going at once. With four pumps going at one time, I had an assembly line of cars pulling in and out, all cash-paying customers. When I saw the same bum from earlier still hovering around for work, I called her over and promised her a handful of spare change if she could help pump gas until this well ran dry. She was more than eager to oblige and helped the entire process move faster. I was able to clear twice as many cars.

“I call the police on you three! They take you to jail for stealing gas.” Sam's square-shaped head popped out of the gas station's door. That was a dumb move. He never should've warned us about his plan to alert the boys in blue. When I saw my impromptu worker's eyes light up when I tossed her a crisp ten dollar bill, I knew every bum within the city limits of Detroit was going to be knocking on my door looking for work.

“Leave my girls alone, Sam, damn,” she yelled over to him, shoving the single bill into her worn pocket. “You always fucking with somebody over this rat infested–ass gas station.” Just a few minutes ago she was attacking my head. I couldn't help it. I had to laugh at the bum to myself as I watched her walk away strutting with much swag like George Jefferson. It was easy to tell she felt like a million bucks, able to fund her own morning package: black coffee and blow.

“Get away from here, shoo,” he said, throwing his hands up, waving her away; then he walked back inside.

I collected the last of my money from the fill-ups currently going down before running back to Nique's car. I knew Sam was serious as a heart attack about calling the boys on us because every fraudulent dollar made during any of our transactions would actually turn into a loss for him. When Kelly reported these cards stolen, none of this gas could be paid for, or recovered. We were a thorn in his side in the worst way.

Both jumping into the car at the same time, Nique started the ignition and watched the notch glide from below E all the way to full. “Fuck that, I'm about to rush you to your car so we can hit a double whammy before these cards get cancelled.”

“Say no more. You already know I'm down with it.”

 

 

Me and Nique split up going separate ways but with similar things on our minds: burning these cards dead. She was going to hit the strip of gas stations up and down Livernois Avenue while I planned on hitting a lick all around east Davison. Ms. Donahue thought she'd put an axe in me but that prissy-acting bitch hadn't stopped nothing, and that's fa'sho.

As Drake's song “All Me” played as my ringtone, I threw my hands up, having a party in the car by my damn self. Hype and not wanting to answer, I didn't have a choice since it was Wally calling.

“Hello,” I answered nonchalantly.

“What's up, beautiful? You and ya girl still out in the streets?” His voice was deep and raspy.

“You know we stay on a paper chase. We are in separate cars though.”

“I feel that, baby girl. You coming through here in a few or what? I've got business on the east but wanted to hook up with you first.” Wally was a busy man but he probably didn't really have anywhere to go. He thought with his dick the majority of the time, so he probably wanted some.

“I've got a few more stops before I make it over there, babe. Can you please wait on me? I'm trying to burn these cards out before they get cancelled. If you've got some people trying to get some gas, I'm over here off East Davison near the housing projects.” Wally wasn't about to get on with this good-good right now; him and whatever he secretly had planned for me would have to wait.

“I'll put the word out for you, ma. Hit me up when you're on the way. I'll be here.” He'd tested his luck coming up short. Too bad the tables would be flipped on me later. I needed something from him so he for sure was gonna demand what I was equipped with between my legs.

The BP gas station was small but known to usually have lots of traffic. Not having any eighty-seven octane, their fill-up spots were empty. Since I wasn't using my money anyway, I treated my old beat-up Grand Am with premium today. With a gang of teenagers being turned around for not being allowed to skip on the premises, I pulled them to the side offering to buy their products for them. I could use every dollar, especially since this place was super slow; and that was a quick twenty dollars made. While inside, I managed to sway away two paying customers but otherwise the station was dead. Not wanting the attendant to flag me for suspicious behavior, after making a simple fifteen dollars from one person and twenty from the other, it was time to be out.

“Ay, li'l ma, let me get the hookup,” one dude said, approaching me as I got ready to get into my car.

“Well, you're going to have to follow me to another gas station because I think I've just about burned this motherfucker out.”

“I'm down for that, baby. I'll follow you off the earth with yo' fine ass.” He eye fucked me in slow motion.

“Well, that's not called for. You can just follow me to another gas station.”

After I jumped in my car, I hightailed it a few blocks down to a Speedway. Ol' boy was on my bumper each time I came to a stop sign. Acting desperate for some gas, something told me he was only about to get a few dollars and it probably wasn't my time to even stop. And I should have followed my first mind. He only got ten dollars in gas with his broke ass so that was only five bucks for me, and he wanted a deal on that. I sent him on his merry way. This gas station was turning out to be a way worse bust than the other one. Mixed in with a few grannies that refused to be a part of my illegal activities and the corner boys with their own burned out debit cards, I'd only lucked up on one middle-aged woman gripping her man's truck willing to pay forty dollars for an eighty dollar fill-up. I checked my phone once I got back into the car and saw that Nique was blowing me up. I wondered what the urgency was since we both had two cards apiece. Hopefully there hadn't been a glitch in the plan and neither of hers had stop working. “You better be making money, ho.” I laughed when she picked up.

“Most definitely but I've got a client about to meet me at the house, so I'm about to head back on the block.”

“Oh okay, I feel you. I'm about to drive around to see where it's some stations popping. It was slow over here today, not even worth my time for real.” The disappointment was clearly noticeable in my voice.

“Damn for real? Well go to the ones downtown. You should have more luck down there since the prices are spiked toward the wealthier parts of town. That's where I would go if I were you.”

“You're right; I should've went down there first. Not only can I catch a few taxpaying workers on their lunch breaks looking for a deal, but the high school teens skipping as well. My pockets are about to be fat.” I turned my car around and headed in the direction toward the most affluent part of the city.

“Make sure you answer your phone, chick. Did you get in touch with Wally yet about what we talked about?” Nique wasn't letting the issue die down.

“Yeah, we're supposed to be hooking up later so you can take a quick chill pill. Ya girl is on it.”

“That's what's up. I knew you weren't gonna leave us hanging. We need this come up badly.” She spoke into the phone with urgency.

Nique was highly anticipating what I was dreading but I was used to taking sluggers for the team. Hell, let me not be selfish; we both were.

“After you get us right, you can start focusing on being faithful to Mike since that's your main goal.”

“Girl, bye, let you tell it. He ain't checking for me like that.” I nonchalantly played her comments off, knowing that regardless of what she really thought to be true, Mike was feeling me. Each time his toes curled in bed, I was moving closer up to his heart.

“I know better, Cori. I just wanted you to get your mind wrapped around doing business with Wally. Mike probably really is into you; he don't run around giving dick to just any hood ho so you better feel honored it was you who got blessed since you feeling him so tough. But, back to business, answer your phone like I said. Peace,” she yelled out before finally hanging up the phone.

Damn, she was rude as fuck. Nique was playing like my pimp, but in the back of my mind, I knew her greed for the money was right. It was gravy though because I was in money mode also. Seeing a lot of police changed my mind about following Nique's advice about pulling a gas scam on one of the hottest streets in the city of Detroit. But they weren't about to send me back to my neck of the woods without trying my luck with at least one. I parked my car on the side street in an attempt to remain discreet then jogged over to my destination. If anything was to go south, I'd be able to get out of the overcrowded lot with quickness and ease.

I walked up on a few patrons as they were exiting their vehicles letting them know the deal I was bringing. Only one snobbish white man turned his pointy nose up at me thinking he was either too good for what I was offering or I was too low to be in his presence. Either way, I was sure I heard him mumble something about me being a degenerate thief but I let the harsh truth roll off my back. The other two men gave fifty dollars without question for their SUV fill-up. Come to find out, some white people loved a hookup too. After getting over the initial point of being scared and not seeing a dangling fiend around to help me, I got into an easy rotation like earlier having cars move in and out. I had to start the transaction, load and unload the nozzle, and get my cash but things were moving like clockwork. If caught though, we'd all go down. Making it my business to keep my eyes on both the attendant and my surroundings, if anyone seemed like they were on to me, I'd dip in a heartbeat.

I'd made close to $1,000 before the card burned out. I had to send willing customers away.

I shot Nique a text message back in the car letting her smart-mouth ass know that the first card crapped out; but not before I took off $200 for my own pocket. I knew she was probably out in these Detroit streets taking off the top too, so fuck it. It was an unspoken mutual understanding.
So, I'ma do me, you better believe it.