Pretty Woman Moves

My name is Charles "Chess" Parker....Few people know my government name....I've been called 'Chess" since I can remember. My father taught me the game when I was about six or seven and by the time I was ten..I was beating him and the neighborhood men on the regular..Have played all my life... I have a son and a daughter...They are still babies...but when they are old enough...I'll be teaching them this game I love so much.

At the moment, I was playing Chris Thompson's new girlfriend, Rita Davis...and winning handily, while Chris , Owen Todd and Conrad Nelson sat at a table across from us in our office and discussed business...

''My Chess...Chris told me that you were good...but I didn't know you were this good..That's three games straight you've beaten me." said Rita Davis.

"He told me that you were an avid chess player and fan." I said with a smile..

"Yeah...seems like I can't get away from people who play chess...My partner and now my woman." laughed Chris Thompson, who overheard us...

Rita just looked at Chris and blushed...I didn't know what he had done to her, but he sure had changed her overall demeanor since he'd been seeing her.  Not only that...Chris had been with her longer than any woman, since I'd known him and I've known and ran with Chris since we were little kids..

Chris had also stayed in the same apartment without moving, longer than anytime since he'd been an adult..Incredible..

"Okay...So you guys want to break ground behind your shopping center?" asked our attorney ,Conrad Nelson...

"Yeah man...We got offers from Gap, Old Navy,Banana Republic, Wendy's and another bank to put shops there and pay us rent." said Chris....

"Not to mention...we are able to keep to rent down because of cashflow we got comin fom our other ventures." said Owen Todd...(He was talking about our quasi legal gambling operation.) Chris gave him a look...One of those looks that meant for him to shut up... I smiled , Conrad knew about our card game..He had played there himself...But he understood the need for that to not be mentioned when discussing our legitimate businesses such as the shopping center, the apartments, the condos , the gym and the juice bar...

"Hey where is Donald Smooth?" asked Chris to no one in particular.

''He's on the way." I said as I continued to play Rita...

''How do you concentrate with all this talking going on?" she asked me...

"Oh I've played chess in all sorts of situation...I have supreme concentration." I told her...From a distance, I saw Chris look at both of us and smile.

II-

Speak of the devil...We heard Donald "Smooth" arguing with a woman in the hallway...The voice sounded familiar ....

''Hey look, you just can't go busting up in here." he said.

"Donald...don't give me your foolishness...Let me go...I need to see Chess and Chris." she said.

She barged into our office...Both Chris and I stood up...Owen was getting ready to go for his piece, but stopped when he saw it was a woman...Conrad Nelson and Rita were surprised...Both Chris and I smiled  upon seeing her...

"Theresa!!!! What's shakin baby?" I said with out stretched arms as I embraced her.....

She smiled, then she hugged Chris.....

"Oh my God...You guys are still hangin together....and legit too!! who woulda thunk it.... I saw your shoppin center...and I heard that you guys own some pretty nice apartments and condos around here...Wow!! You guys really came up!!! Chess, did you and Rell ever get together?" she asked.

"We are married..We have two children." I said.

''Lord Jesussss...I knew you two was eventually going to get together." she said.

Chris put his arms around Rita and announced...

''Theresa...This is my woman, Rita Davis....You know Donald Smooth....This is our attorney,Conrad Nelson and this is Owen Todd...another associate of ours..." he said.

''Ohhhh..nice to meet the woman who tamed THE MAN..." she said as she nodded towards Theresa.

Theresa Dickenson- Fontaine had been a neighborhood girl...She had grown up with us...We had all gone to the same schools... Her and Chris had been hot and heavy and on and off back in the day...And like a lot of folks, we had all gone our seperate ways..

"Heard you was livin in New York." I said.

"Yeah...I still do." she said.. ''Brooklyn" she said.

"How's Frankie?" asked Chris dryly...

The mention of that name made everybody kind of grow silent.... Frankie or Frank Fontaine...was Theresa's Husband..He too was a neighborhood guy...Had been a major playa in Philly...Had been moved out by Fathead Newton and found himself in New York working for Mikey Snow....a New York playa who had moved up by default....A recent rash of arrests and killings had wiped out most of his competition. Chris had no love for Frankie...Frankie had taken Theresa from him...Maybe the only guy who had ever taken a girl or anything from Chris...

''That's why I'm here Chess, Chris...I have no one else to turn to...Frankie's in trouble." she said.

"Why am I not surprised?" said Chris dryly...

"Mikey Snow's girl made a play for Frankie...Frankie told her that he wasn't interested because he's married..
She said that if he didn't do her, she'd say that he raped her, which is what she did and Mikey believed her and now he's got goons lookin all over New York City for Frankie...Frankie got ghost...I'm pretty sure he's here in Philly." she said.

''Gee, that's tough." laughed Chris.

''Come on Guys..Frankie was your friend." she said.

"He was never my friend...just a guy I knew." said Chris...Which was true...Frankie and I had a few classes together, but we were never friends either...We just knew each other and was cool with each other. I mused.

"Chess and me can't help you...As you've no doubt noticed...We are legitimate businessmen now...I personally been out of the game for close to five years now...I'm no gangster." said Chris.

"But you know people...You tight with Fathead...You could talk to Fathead...he could offer Frankie asylum." she said.

"Nah...I'm not gettin involved in no gangster mess...I'll give you a phone number...call Fathead yourself...See if he can do somethin for you." Said Chris..

"Please Chris...Chess...please...Talk to Fathead....Or help me find Frankie...Maybe we can arrange a sitdown with Mikey Snow...sort this whole thing out." she pleaded...Tears were streaming down her face....

Chris looked at me....I shrugged my shoulders....

"Alright listen...I'll get in touch with Fathead....I'll see what can be done, if anything....If you see Frankie..Tell him to keep a low profile." said Chris.

''Oh thank you guys...Thank you...Here is my phone number and an address where I'll be staying." she said.

"Okay...We'll be in touch." I said.

"Thank you Chess." she said...she looked at my board...Then she took Rita's peices and made a couple of moves and captured a few of my pawns...Rita smiled...

I laughed......

''I was the last person to beat you Chess." she laughed.

She was...and that was some 20 years ago.

''Still got that touch girl." I said with a chuckle.

She smiled ....Rita winked at her and then she was gone....

"I always said that that broad had more guts than Frankie ever could." said Chris as Donald Smooth and Owen Todd nodded their approval... He was right.

Rita got up...She was tired of losing in chess to me..She shook my hands

''Nice game Chess..We have to play again sometime...Chris...Can I take the car?  I need to buy a few things." she asked.

"Sure babe...Chess and the guys will drop me off." he said.

Wow! Chris was letting Rita drive his car....He barely let me drive his whip and I was his closest friend...They really were serious.

III-

I was driving Chris home... We had already dropped Donald Smooth and Owen Todd off...

''What did you think about seein Theresa today?" I asked Chris as I drove through the city streets...

''I didn't think nothin....I'll tell you one thing..I wish she and Frankie both had stayed the hell in Brooklyn...Both of them aint nothin but trouble." said Chris.

"You gonna call Fathead?" I asked.

"Yeah....But you know, he's got no love for Frankie...He ran him out of Philly....But he sure does have a thing for Theresa...Always did...Told me the only reason he never cracked on her was because I was on her...For her...he might protect Frankie or at the very least...Arrange a sit down with Mikey Snow." said Chris.

''Do you know Mikey Snow?" I asked.

"Yeah...Me and Basil both used to buy product off of him back when we was slingin...Arrogant little guy...He used to be a lieutenant for Joey Porter...That cat that came down here and was practically about to take over the city." said Chris.

"That guy Kevin put on ice??" I said.

"Yeah...Then he went back to New York and alligned himself with Geechie Dan...Remember him?" asked Chris...

''Yeah..Whatever happened to him?" I asked.

"One day he met some guys at a Dunkin Donuts for a sitdown and was never heard from again...I suspect that he sleeps with the fishes...ya feel me?" said Chris..."Anyway...after the mess Joey Porter, his would be successor made here in Philly, a lot of folks got whacked or went to jail and that made Mikey Snow's rise that much more easier...With Allejandro presently under federal indictment...Mikey Snow is the man in the apple right now." said Chris...

"Wow...Hey Chris ..isn't that where old girl is stayin?" I said as we drove by a hotel....

"Yeah...That's where she said she'd be." said Chris...

Just then...we heard a horrific explosion!!!!


"What the hell?" asked Chris..

"It's Theresa's hotel! or part of it." I said....as we looked on incredulously!

''Looks like the fun has begun eh Chris?." I said.

Chris just shook his head and looked on ruefully!

(To Be Continued...)