A Hustler's Lust. — Jason Hooper

“Hey, is that Aaron?” A woman's voice caught me off guard from behind. I twisted in my chair and looked up to see Nicole. We both grew up on Grand and Baldwin back in the day. We were very close back then, but through the years we lost contact with each other.
“Oh, shit! I ain't seen you in ‘bout five years! What the f*** are you doing in here?” I asked surprisingly. “Just be working the bar a couple hours a night to make some extra money. I work from twelve until two. Shit is hard out here, Ace. I've been saving every dollar that I can get my hand on.”
She paused and let her eyes look me over. Nicole had sure grown up since high school. Her body had developed into its true erotic form. Her slanted eyes still made her look as if she had Asian in her blood. Her nose, small and pointed, complimented her full beautiful lips. Everything was small about Nicole except for her ass. She wasn't a Tom-girl anymore. She was the real deal nowadays.
Nicole laughed absurdly. “What you thought I was a stripper or some shit?”
“Yeah, I assumed. Most of the chicks in here are strippers.”
“Nah, not me I got too much respect for myself to do that.” Lil Rob retreated from the show on stage and joined me and Nicole. He looked at Nicole and examined her face. After a few seconds of scrutinizing her, he realized who she was. “Old, tom-boy, Nikki, what you doing up in here?”
“I'm not gripping dance poles with my ass-cheeks if that's what you're thinking. Hey, you're still little, Rob,” she said laughing.
“Shut up, girl,” Rob cracked back.
Nicole looked both of us up and down carefully. “Uhmhmm” she mouth and then pursed her lips.
“Uhmhmm,… what?” I asked.
“Y'all hustling, ain't y'all?”
“Hell, nah,” I answered before Lil Rob could start bragging on underworld success.
“Yeah, right you think I'm stupid, Ace? I saw this fool, Rob throwing up big money on stage! Where y'all getting all those expensive clothes from? And the jewelry too! A blind muthaf***a could see y'all are hustlers!”
“So, and, that's how niggas gotta get they money, Nikki,” Lil Rob spat boastfully.
Nicole looked at us both and shook her head sadly. “We are losing too many of our brothers to that shit. If y'all wanna clean some or all of that money, get at me Monday. I got a homegirl that promotes shows. She's looking for investors.”
“If this is real-talk, I'm with it, Nicole.” I replied.
“Okay cool, before you leave tonight, come to the bar and get my number,” Nicole told me.
“Aw'ight, I'll see what it's all about. Nice seeing you too, Nicole.” I said.
“Okay, Rob, Aaron, I'll see y'all later,” Nicole replied and walked off to start her shift.
“Damn, Nikki looking grown and fine as ever these days, Ace. I know you bout to get at her.”
“Nah, Rob. Nikki is almost like a sister. You know we all come from the same block.”
“You niggas kill me with that sister shit; knowing damn well you'd f*** the shit out of her. You can't fool me, Ace. I've known you for too long. Besides, we both know how long Nicole has had a crush on you.”
I laughed at Rob's words. He was right! I would f*** Nicole in a heartbeat, and she did used to have a crush on me. She looked like a damn model tonight, and she seem to have the smarts to go along with a banging body and a beautiful face. I was giving some thought to what she just had told us.