Streetlife

21 - Working Girl

TESS POV

"You're such a good listener, Star.  I mean you always get me." Harry says as I light a smoke and lean back on the headboard of this shitty motel, and I turn to look at him. I force a small smile as he leans back as well with his large hairy chest exposed and small dick.

Harry was my regular and regardless of how little he turned me on I always liked when he made his way to 42nd to find me. He liked to fuck, but mostly talk and he'd pay me to listen, sniff dope, drink, and even watch movies.  Sometimes he'd be in town for two days and I'd spend both days with him and bank the most money. Warbucks now was depending on more money from this John, and I had to ask for it now for he said it was too convenient for me, and this guy wasn't paying enough.

"I'm happy to listen, Harry baby. You know I always have an ear for you." I sniff a line of coke he spread out for me as he does the same. Many times I'd space out and he didn't notice, at least I didn't think so. Plus Harry complimented me all the fucking time no matter how fucked I looked.

"I know." He says as the drugs hit me and I rest my entire back on the bed as he rambles on about his job. My mind once again really wasn't into hooking for no one and nothing anymore. And as much as I hated to admit I hated that my only friend and I were at odds. Not that Frankie, Julius and Callie weren't my friends, but Lena was different.

Honestly, I felt kinda bad for the things I had said to her, and I knew I had crossed a boundary. But she had seemed very off, super off and I knew what it was about. Even if she didn't want to admit that she was in love with Mike, I knew she was. I knew very well she was in love with him and that was no easy pill for her to swallow or admit. Me either for that matter.

I was never jealous of Lena, I just felt she didn't deserve this life and had so much going for her. If anything, I wanted to save her before she ended up like me...something I would hate to see because she was so much more than me and always would be. Smart, intelligent, wise and beautiful.  Why I thought time was up for me, I wasn't sure, but I didn't want her in my shoes, and I could see it happening and fast if she didn't wake the hell up and end up strung out on drugs like me and two seconds from ending up homeless or fucking dead. Hell, if it wasn't for Julius giving me a free roof over my head I'd be dead already. That much I fucking knew.

"And then I went to the break room, and wouldn't you believe it, the cleaning lady had dumped all the food in the fridge! I told her she better pay me for that because I had to go and grab a hot dog at a stand and was late back to work by ten minutes and was docked pay!" Harry rambles as I look over at him and lean up on my arms.

"I'm sorry, honey. I hate that happened to you suga."

"It's okay, doll. You make it so much better. You are the highlight of my life, Star. The absolute highlight. Here, come cuddle with me." He holds out his arms, and I move slowly over as my heart just wasn't in this. He was nice to me for sure, but I was so numb, so dead inside that I might as well be dead as hell. This man didn't deserve this either. He needed a nice woman that would love him, be good to him and not someone strung out like me.

"What's wrong, Star? You ain't yourself today. Want some more coke?" He holds up the baggie, and I shake my head, my stomach turning.

"I'm okay, Harry. Just a little tired is all."

He runs his fingers over the side of my face as he nods. "Well you can rest up you know. Get some sleep right here in my arms."

"Eh I'm all good. I rested earlier at my place."

"Yeah? I see your ankle is healing a bit?"

"Ya, that damn thing," I wave my hand as he smiles. "Giving me a fucking headache is all it is doing. That's all I fucking know. Making me crazy."

"Star, I worry about you out on these streets like this. There's alot of awful people out there and, I worry about your health and your ankle.  I worry you don't get enough rest." He gently strokes my cheek  as I shrug it off grabbing my smoke and taking a long drag. I really wasn't one to get all damm emotional about my life with strangers, especially not to some man for that got me in nothing but trouble since I was a little girl and I still haven't fucking learned. Not a dam ass thing. But I always knew Harry was different than any man I met before. HE was soft, kind, and for the past year I had never seen him act any different than that.

"I'm fine suga and I'm a big, big girl. And I've handled some of the worst kind out there. The worst." I say now looking up at the ceiling and feeling the hot ass August heat burn my skin. Even night wasn't any relief and Julius was nice to let me sleep in his room sometime with the AC when it got real bad.

"You know, I have to start taking you to nicer motels Star. You deserve more than this dump. I was hoping to get my damm promotion by this time and spend my extra on you." I look over at him as he smiles and I shake my head.

"Harry don't spend your money on me.  I ain't nothing but a strung out hooka." I laugh at myself as he now sits up a bit and looks right at me.

"Don't stay that. You are more than that. Way more and, and if you didn't want to be hooker anymore I would support you. You could come stay with me. In Pennsylvania."

"What in the world would I do there? That ain't no place for me. Philly maybe but not out in them woods." I laugh again as I feel him continue to look at me.

"It's not all woods, and I live far away from Philly, Star. I live in a nice area and you would be comfortable and happy. I swear to you I'd treat you like gold. At least think about it."

"And what about all your white friends? What would tell them about us? Huh? That you with some black former hooker?"

"The truth. That you're my soul mate Star. And maybe one day you will tell me your real name. When you're comfortable." I can tell he is serious as he has all but killed my damm as high and I put my smoke out  and take another swig of alcohol.

"Harry you don't know nothing about me and my life. I got alot of secrets and a nasty past. One I don't even wanna admit to my damm self."

"Star, we all have something. All of us. And I haven't touched a woman since my wife died twenty years ago. You were the first one since. And I'll share anything you want to know. I will and I'll never press you."

"You're a nice man, you know that. The nicest I ever met so you make sure you stay that way suga. Ok?" I wink at him as she blushes and kisses my cheek.

"Think about it."

"Yeah, I will." I say pondering the thoughts of getting the fuck out of hooking and finding my babygirl as I thought of telling Harry that but just couldn't get the nerve up to tonight for what if that shit backfired? What if?

"Well, if your in the mood again maybe fuck one more time? Maybe I can make you feel good, baby." He soothes as I swallow hard and turn to look at him.

"Ummm, Harry. I hate to do this, but I need at least fifty more dollars or 100 if I stay longer and we fuck again. It's not me. You know me, Harry. I'd never do that to you. Promise. But....

"Say no more. I know time is money and I will have extra for you. Maybe some you can put on the side for yourself." I smile at him as he leans on top of me kissing over my naked body once again for he really was sweet and I didn't understand why he was so kind to me. Why?