A Woman's Worth

by Nikita Lynnette Nichols

  Monique didn’t hear Theresa because her mind was elsewhere. The finance meeting had been canceled. That changed everything. She began locking her desk drawers in preparation to leave. “You can go home, Theresa. I don’t need you anymore today.”

  Theresa was stunned. “Say what?”

  “I’m leaving for the day. You can too.”

  “Monique, it’s a little after two. Are you for real?”

  “Forget the flower order and get Starr on the phone. See if she can fit me in for a wash and blow dry in fifteen minutes.”

  Theresa didn’t ask any more questions. Three minutes later, she buzzed Monique.

  “Starr says she’s booked.”

  “Tell her I need an emergency appointment right now, and I’ll pay double.”

  A few seconds passed. “She said come on.”

  “Thanks, Theresa. I need you here at seven in the morning to prepare for the finance meeting.”

  “Gotcha, boss lady. I’ll be here. Enjoy your dinner.”

  Suddenly Monique was on an emotional high. She knew it was wrong for her to accept Adonis’s invitation to dinner because of the feelings she was developing for him. But she couldn’t remember the last time Boris had taken her out. She didn’t even know for sure if Adonis would still dine at Houston’s that evening since she had declined to join him, but she was hopeful.

  “Excuse me, is this seat taken?”

  Adonis looked up from the menu he was holding. It was a good thing he was seated. He would’ve hit the floor if he hadn’t been. Monique’s beauty and scent took his breath away. He could do nothing but look at her.

  “Has the cat got your tongue?” she asked.

  Adonis stood. “Monique, you are breathtakingly beautiful. I love what you’ve done to your hair. And this dress; have you worn it before?”

  “No, I just bought it today.”

  “It looks lovely on you.” He stepped across the table and pulled Monique’s chair out for her. “I’m glad you are able to join me. How did you get away?”

  “My meeting was canceled.”

  “I love the scent you’re wearing. What is it?”

  “It’s Ralph Lauren.”

  Adonis couldn’t take his eyes off of her. “I really love your hair like that. Did you get it cut?”

  Monique ran her fingers through her new tapered look. Her shoulder length tresses had been introduced to a pair of shears. “Yes, I thought it was time for a change.”

  The waiter approached their table. “Hello, my name is Pierre, and I’ll be your server this evening. Would either of you care for a glass of wine?”

  Adonis quickly spoke. “No, we’ll have two pink lemonades.”

  Monique’s eyebrows rose. When Pierre walked away, she looked at Adonis. “What makes you think that I don’t want a glass of white wine to go with my dinner?”

  Adonis raised his hands. “My bad. I’ll go to the bar and get you one.”

  “I don’t want wine, I want the lemonade.”

  He looked at Monique like she was crazy.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I wanna know why you chose lemonade over wine.”

  “Because Boris told me that you only drink alcohol when you’re at home, away from the public eye. And I also know that you love pink lemonade and grape Kool-Aid. Those are the only two beverages in the house. I told you I did my homework,” he said.

  “When did you tell me that?”

  Adonis had to catch himself. Monique sitting pretty on the beach in the yellow sundress was messing him up big time. He’d told her that in his dream. “Uh, I, um . . .”

  Pierre returned with their drinks and set them on the table. “Here we go. Two pink lemonades. Are you ready to order?”

  “Yes,” Adonis quickly answered, thankful for the interruption.

  From his apron’s pocket, Pierre withdrew a notepad and pen. “What can I get you folks?”

  Monique looked at Adonis. “Why don’t you order for me since you did your homework. And you better not mess up, because I’m hungry.”

  “Don’t worry, I got this,” Adonis said most assuredly. He looked at Pierre. “I’ll have the full slab of barbecue ribs with French fries, and the lady will have the grilled chicken Caesar salad. She’ll also have a baked potato with sour cream and chives, cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and butter.”

  Monique sat across from Adonis in complete awe. She was grinning from ear to ear. Pierre waited for her approval. When she nodded her head, he walked away.

  Pride had Adonis’s chest protruding like The Incredible Hulk’s. He looked at Monique with a sure smile on his face. “So, how did I do?”

  “You’ve been following me around, haven’t you? You ordered exactly what I would have.”

  Adonis laughed. “Nah, I ain’t been following you around. It’s a man’s job to know what his date likes and dislikes.”

  Monique threw a ball into Adonis’s court to see what he’d do with it. “Is this a date, Adonis?”

  He knew what she was doing. She was trying to intimidate him, but he could do one better. “Do you want this to be a date, Monique?”

  She laughed out loud. “Okay, you got me. You’re good. I think we’re two friends having dinner and enjoying each other’s company.”

  Adonis picked up his glass of lemonade and held it across the table. “Touché.”

  Their glasses made contact, and they each took a sip without taking their eyes off of one another. Their meals were served, and they dined in style after Adonis blessed the meal.

  “Boris called me today,” Monique said.

  Adonis swallowed his food before he spoke. “I was wondering if he had, but I wasn’t going to bring it up.”

  “It’s okay, I don’t mind talkin’ about it.” Monique dialed her voicemail on her cellular phone and gave it to Adonis. “Listen to this.”

  After he heard Boris’s message, Adonis gave Monique the telephone. “Seven questions of blame; eight if he hadn’t gotten cut off. And not one of them was ‘Baby, what I gotta do to get you back home?’ or ‘I’m sorry, can we get together and talk?’”

  “How was he at work today?”

  “Boris and I rarely see each other at work. Our desks are in separate buildings and we hardly ever get assigned to the same job sites.”

  Pierre approached them again. “How is everything?”

  “Everything was wonderful. May we have two takeout containers, please?” Adonis asked.

  As Adonis was looking over the check, Monique’s cellular phone rang. “Yes, Arykah, my love,” she sang into the phone.

  “Don’t give me that my love crap. Did Theresa give you my message?”

  “Yes, she did. I was in a meeting when you called.”

  “Where are you now?” Arykah asked.

  “I’m at Houston’s having dinner.”

  “With who?”

  “By myself.” Monique looked at Adonis and placed her index finger on her lips.

  “Yeah right, Monique. You want me to believe that you went all the way downtown to Houston’s to eat by yourself?”

  “Arykah, I live downtown, temporarily. Have you forgotten?”

  “Okay, I’ll give you that. You owe me one hundred thirty-seven dollars and twenty-six cents.”

  Monique frowned. “What for?”

  “Because I bought you two pairs of sandals from Macy’s.”

  “You are so sweet, Arykah.”

  “I ain’t that sweet, because I want my money.”

  “Okay, I’ll bring it to you when I leave here. I’m on my way.”

  “Bring me a baked potato. You know how I like it.”

  Monique ended the call and placed her phone in her purse. “Adonis, the only reason I lied to Arykah is because she has a major crush on you. If she had a clue that you and I were here together, she’d bust a blood vessel.”

  In the back of their minds, Adonis and Monique knew they were sneaking around. What would seem like an innocent dinner between friends to an outsider
, wasn’t so innocent in reality. They were developing deep feelings for one another. Forbidden feelings that could create friction among family if the secret was ever found out.

  “I understand. I’m way ahead of you. No one needs to know we had dinner together,” Adonis said.

  When Pierre came for the check, Monique placed Arykah’s order to go. Pierre said it would take ten minutes.

  “So, you’re on your way to choir rehearsal, huh?” Monique asked Adonis.

  “Yep. And you’re on your way to Arykah’s house?”

  “Yep. She bought me sandals today. She does that so I don’t ask to wear hers. Our tastes are exactly alike, especially when it comes to shoes. We always buy each other the same pair of shoes when we buy for ourselves.”

  “Are you telling me that you and Arykah have the exact same shoes in your closets?”

  “Yes.”

  “Monique, I never heard of two friends doing that before. Can I ask you a question? Since you and Arykah are as tight as two friends can be, I’m curious as to why she didn’t offer you to stay with her.”

  “This isn’t the first time I’ve left Boris. I left twice before, but the first time I stayed with Arykah. She has a two-bedroom town home in Lansing. But that experience proved that two grown women can’t live together and remain friends. We fought over everything from who would cook on which days to not having enough respect to call each other when one of us was extremely late coming in. So to keep our friendship, we decided to never live together. And it works because Arykah and I have been friends for a long—”

  “You are so beautiful,” Adonis interrupted.

  Monique was caught off guard and mesmerized. Her deep dimples showed. “Thank you.”

  “I mean it. You are especially radiant this evening.”

  She couldn’t remember the last time Boris told her she was beautiful. Come to think of it, had he ever told her?

  Pierre set Arykah’s order on the table. “Here you go.”

  Adonis told him to add Arykah’s order to the bill.

  “Well, in that case, your new total comes to seventy-one dollars and sixteen cents.”

  Adonis gave him four twenty dollar bills. “Thanks Pierre, no change is necessary.”

  Outside of Houston’s, Monique tried to give Adonis the money for Arykah’s order.

  “Monique, put that money back in your purse. What’s eight dollars?”

  “What are you talkin’ about? As high as gasoline is these days, eight dollars can go a long way.”

  “Well, put it in your gas tank, because your money is no good to me.”

  The valet brought Monique’s car first. She stood on her toes and kissed Adonis’s cheek. “Thanks for dinner.”

  “You’re welcome. I know you’re on your way to Arykah’s, but when you get to your hotel room tonight, can you please call me so that I’ll know you made it to your room safely?”

  She looked into his eyes. The way Adonis cared for her made Monique feel warm and very secure. “Adonis, you are too much, and yes, I will call you; I promise.”

  He walked Monique to her car and closed her driver’s door after she got in. He stood in the street and watched her car turn left at the corner.

  Monique was on cloud nine when she got to Arykah’s house. She squealed in delight when she saw the sandals. “These are beautiful, Arykah. That’s why I love you, because you take such good care of me.”

  Arykah sat down at the kitchen table and dug into her baked potato. “Monique, I ain’t trying to hear that. Where’s my money?”

  Monique looked at her. “Do you hear me hollering about you paying me for that potato you’re eating?”

  “Give me my money, Monique. I ain’t playing with you.”

  “I don’t have enough cash on me.”

  “Write me a check,” Arykah said.

  “Arykah, you can’t wait until tomorrow? You’re gonna get your money.”

  “Uh-uh. I can’t wait. Write me a check.”

  Monique sat down at the kitchen table and wrote Arykah a check. “This is a shame. You act like you ain’t gonna get your money.”

  Arykah swallowed. “You act like I ain’t gonna get my money.”

  Monique gave Arykah the check and recorded the amount written in her register.

  Arykah looked at Monique’s hair and dress. “You look cute. Do you always cut your hair and buy a new dress when you go out to eat by yourself?”

  Again, Monique ran her fingers through her new short, wavy ‘do. “Oh, you like my hair? I didn’t think you noticed.”

  “Oh, I noticed all right. I couldn’t help but notice the way you sashayed in here looking good and smelling good. I don’t even remember seeing your feet touch the floor while you were walking. So who is he?”

  Monique’s heart skipped two beats. Was she wearing the high that Adonis was responsible for on her sleeve? “What are you talking about, Arykah?”

  “Monique, don’t play with me. You are glowing because you have a distraction.”

  “What kind of distraction?”

  “The kind of distraction that makes a breakup go a little easier. You don’t cry as much, and you’re not depressed like you would normally be if there wasn’t anyone to help take your mind off of your situation. So I’ll ask the question again. Who the he . . . heck is he?”

  “You need to take your mouth to the altar, because you almost cussed,” Monique said.

  “Oh, honey, you ain’t heard nothing yet. Yeah, I almost cussed. But I got an emergency key to your hotel room. You let me walk in on something, then you’ll hear some cussing.”

  Monique laughed at her best friend.

  Arykah was chewing fast. “Ha-ha, my behind.”

  Choir rehearsal had already started when Adonis took his seat behind the keyboard.

  “You’re late, cuz. Where you been?” Boris asked.

  “I stopped for a bite to eat and I lost track of time.”

  “Look, man, rehearsal starts at seven p.m. sharp. The choir members and musicians know that I don’t tolerate tardiness, never have. I don’t have time to keep going over the same material for latecomers. So you can drop me ten on the organ for being late.”

  Adonis didn’t have a clue what Boris was talking about. “Ten what?”

  Taj, the drummer, spoke up. “Ten dollars, man. That’s the fine we pay for being late.”

  At that exact moment, Adonis witnessed an alto walk up to Boris and place a five dollar bill on the organ before taking her seat in the choir stand.

  “What’s up with that? Why I gotta pay ten dollars?” Adonis asked Boris.

  “As a musician, you are in leadership. You set the example for the choir members to follow. Pay up so we can get back to rehearsal.”

  Adonis placed a ten dollar bill on top of the organ. Boris folded the money and put it in his pocket. The church’s new music equipment fund was now fifteen dollars richer. Adonis blew it off. Ten dollars was nothing to pay considering the reason why he was late. Dinner with Monique was worth millions.

  Boris spoke to the choir members and musicians. “I hope everybody left their problems outside of this church. Do not, and I repeat, do not bring the stress and worries of your day into my rehearsal. If I call your name to sing a note, don’t play with it. Hit it hard so we can move on. I’m not puttin’ up with anybody’s laziness tonight. If you cooperate with me, I’ll cooperate with you, and we can all be out of here no later than nine fifteen. If anyone has to leave early, sit on the end of the pew so that you don’t disturb me or the person seated next to you.

  “Everyone here is an adult, so I trust you took care of bathroom duty before you came into the choir stand. And from now on, if you’re late, do not walk into the choir stand while I’m teaching. Show respect and wait ‘til I acknowledge you. Please turn off all cell phones and pagers. We’re gonna run through a quick warm up, then we’ll touch on the song I taught last week. Everyone sittin’ straight up with your backs away from the bench, please. All
minds are clear?”

  “All minds are clear,” the choir and musicians responded as Boris opened with prayer.

  Ten minutes later, Kita strolled into the sanctuary laughing and talking on her cellular phone. Adonis watched as she took her time walking right past Boris, without placing any money on the organ, and took her seat in the soprano section. She finished her conversation, then put her phone in her purse. Adonis was stunned that he alone seemed to notice that she didn’t give up any money. Everyone behaved as though this was her normal routine. Kita openly disrespected Boris, didn’t pay her fine and no one said anything.

  Boris played a key on the organ. “Kita, sing what I just played.”

  “I don’t know it,” she responded with a bit of irritation in her voice.

  “I made you the section leader because I know you can hit high notes.” Boris played the note again. “Sing it, Kita.”

  She looked at Boris as though she were ready to attack. “I said I don’t know it.”

  Boris played a lower key and moved to the alto section. “Sing, Jennifer.”

  Jennifer did as she was told, and she did it perfectly.

  After choir rehearsal, Deacon Brown locked the church doors, and everyone stood outside talking. Adonis saw Boris and Kita down the street exchanging words.

  “Hi, Adonis.”

  Adonis turned around and saw Kita’s best friend. “Oh, hey, Cherry. How are you?”

  Cherry took a step closer to him as if he wouldn’t be able to hear her from where she was standing. “I’m fine.”

  Adonis took a step backward. “That’s good.”

  “That’s not what you’re supposed to say.”

  He didn’t understand. “I beg your pardon?”

  “You’re supposed to say, ‘I didn’t ask how you’re looking, I asked how you’re doing. ‘“

  Are you for real? “Oh, uh, sorry about that.” He thought Cherry to be plain looking.

  “Don’t you think I’m fine, Adonis?” Cherry asked.

  “Uh, you’re all right, I guess.” That was the best he could do. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

  Cherry placed her hand on her hip and rotated her neck. “You guess?”