Eric waited for a response. After he got it, he hung up. Josephine walked in as soon as he closed the cellphone.
“Remember me? Your sweetheart that you’ve abandoned all day…” Josephine’s voice trailed when she saw the sneer on Eric’s face. “Okay, what’s wrong? I didn’t neglect you. You were the one who wanted to play Mr. Producer all day. And by the way, Tina and Kim wanted to know if they should go home or what?”
“Oh I totally forgot. But I wanted to talk to you about sending texts from my phone,” Eric said, standing and hurrying out the office.
“Well I want to remind you that it’s impolite to have people waiting like that all day.”
Eric stared at Josephine, trying to figure her out. It wasn’t hard to tell she was way too young for him and she was becoming too bossy. What he wanted to say to her would take a very long time for her young mind to comprehend. It slowly dawned on him there had to be boundaries and he had to be the one to draw the lines. Josephine pranced like she was on a fashion runway.
“See anything you like, mister?” she asked in her most infantile tone.
“Where are…?”
“They’re right where you left us all day,” Josephine said with attitude.
“Where, Josephine?”
“Sitting in the lounge, Eric,” Josephine deadpanned.
Eric walked out the office and bumped into Tina immediately outside the door. He held Tina to prevent her from falling.
“I’m sorry,” Eric said, holding Tina so close, he felt her breath on his chest and the hyped beat of her heart.
“I was just looking for the ladies room.” Tina started to say but Josephine came up behind Eric and she fumbled for another excuse. “I mean, I was trying to find Josephine. Did you get a chance to ask him?”
“Yes, he was just on his way to see you guys,” Josephine said, with a wink.
“Yes, ah, please get, ah…”
“Kim?” Josephine and Tina chorused.
“Yes, Kim,” Eric said. “Bring her to the office, please.”
“Excuse me,” Tina said and Eric watched her as she disappeared down the hallway.
“Josephine, you cannot use my phone to send messages or anything else,” Eric said. “As a matter of fact, you cannot use my cellphone in no way shape or form. Do you understand?”
Much to his chagrin, Josephine was miming everything he was saying. “Exactly what I’m saying. Ain’t shit I’m talking ‘bout getting through to you” Eric said, sounding exasperated as he walked down the hallway. He bit his lips when he realized Tina and Kim were waiting for him. “Let’s go inside the office.” Eric opened the door for Tina and Kim but Josephine tried to squeeze her frame into the office. “Here. Catch a cab home,” Eric said, giving her a C note.
“Oh! This is the way you show gratitude after I waited on you all night and day. I was the one there to rescue you when she left you cold. I warmed you up when you came calling. I won’t be there all the time. And she will leave you cold again.”
Their eyes locked in another stare down. This time, Eric’s glare was ice-cold instead of understanding. Josephine realized she had pissed him off and any minute now, Eric was about to go off on her.
“Josephine, I’ll talk to you later,” he said.
The striking five-foot-eight, long-legged, teenage beauty held her ground. Josephine returned Eric’s stare of indifference before finally wheeling and strutting down the hallway. Eric watched her curves for a few beats longer than he intended. He was almost swept away by her backfield in action. Eric quickly closed the door and walked to his desk.
“Again, my apologies to both of you. My attorney called last night but unfortunately there are only so many hours in a day. It was a scheduling issue,” Eric said.
“Mr. Soto told us you were very busy and you keep different hours, so we kinda expected this type of thing. Not so much on the first day though,” Tina said.
“Right,” Kim said.
“My apologies ladies. So what have you done besides sitting in the lounge?”
“Josephine had us fill out these employee forms,” Tina said, handing Eric two separate stacks of papers.
“Oh, she did, did she?”
Eric accepted the forms and perused them briefly. Then he looked at Tina and Kim with a friendly smile.
“Any children?” he asked casually.
“Sons, both of us,” Tina answered.
“You both have children,” Eric noted, placing the forms on the desk.
“Yes, but we can adjust the babysitter’s hours as long as we pay her,” Tina said.
“Yes, she’ll do it for the money,” Kim said with a smile. Tina glared at her.
“You two have known each other for a long time, huh?”
“Since we were three-years old. We went to every school together. We’re mad deep into each other, you know. We really be getting it on…” Tina’s voice trailed. “Wait a minute, I might be saying too much.”
“I think so,” Kim said.
“Alright, I do have sump’n open but there’s only one problem. I can only hire one of you.”
“No. We’ll share the position and you can have two for one. This is how we get down,” Tina said, smiling and winking at Kim.
“You can give the job to Tina. What does the job entail though?”
“It’s a receptionist position. The other girl was really great but one of the engineers married her and they started some business together,” Eric said. “You know what? I can split the salary and both of you can come and do duties on a part-time basis if you like.”
“Isn’t there anyway you can work it where we both stay?” Tina asked. She reached over and kissed Kim. “We like to do everything together,” she said.
Kim stared at Tina, wondering how far her best friend would go to get the position. It was Tina’s show. Kim decided to go along as much as she could with the plan.
“Yeah, I guess it would be real cool,” Kim said, smiling at Eric, then Tina.
“Alrighty, it’s settled then. You’ll both work here. Look, I got to get out of this place for a minute or so, maybe grab a bite to eat, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“That’s it? I thought we were gonna be partying, meeting singers and rappers and all that. You mean this is all you do day-in and day-out?” Kim asked.
“Sometimes, but my day is just beginning. From here I usually go all night or until I’m spent.”
“Doing what?” Kim asked.
“Usually I’m in the studio or I’m home, trying to relax, shoot pool. I used to… Well, it’s not important now…”
“Josephine is your girl or daughter?” Tina said.
“I heard you had a niece. Is she Josephine?” Kim asked.
Eric paused for a beat before answering. He was still contemplating if Josephine had told Kim and Tina about him and her. Eric then got up and turned the volume up a notch on the office stereo. He had them waiting too long for his answer, Kim seized the opportunity and jumped in.
“She was saying you’re really hot. Don’t worry, she didn’t tell us everything,” she said and laughed.
“But judging from the way you’re acting and the fact that you took so long to answer, she’s probably right. She might just be your lil’ mama.” Tina joined in the laughter.
“You probably right, girl,” Kim said.
“You too have time to go grab sump’n to eat?” he asked, walking to the door. “I’m getting hungry.”
“Oh sure,” Tina said.
“Shoot, I better start watching my figure before they have to roll me outta here in a wheelbarrow,” Kim said, rubbing her derriere.
“We get gym membership or anything, Mr. Ascot?”
“I’m sure we can work it out,” Eric said smiling. “Are you ready to go ladies?”
“Yes. Can you wait a while? I’d like to use the restroom first,” Kim said.
“It’s in the lounge. Remember, Josephine showed us earlier,” Tina reminded Kim.
Eric watched both of them disappear down the hallway. He was engrossed in a salacious stare when Tina abruptly turned around.
“Are you looking at our asses? Don’t lie. I can always tell when a man is staring at my ass.” She chuckled at Eric’s look of embarrassment and disappeared into the lounge area.
“Big C.” Eric shouted to his bodyguard. “We’re going to Nobu for some grub. Follow us in a cab,” Eric said, walking to the lounge.
CHAPTER 16
“The last time I saw you, you just pass out right there, Deedee, flat on your back, girl. I was so surprised I didn’t know what to do. First, I couldn’t believe it. I just heard all this commotion behind me and when I turn I see you flat on your back. Oh my God. I started screaming for the nurse. I thought you hadn’t eaten like myself. I haven’t got my appetite anymore since Coco been up in this hospital,” Ms. Harvey said to Deedee.
One look at the emaciated frame of Coco’s mother and the teen immediately recognized the similarity to her own mother.
“It was scary.” Deedee smiled uneasily.
“Did you have anything to eat? You young girls are all alike, dieting, trying to look good. You damn well should eat what you wanna. Just eat before you get anorexia and you best believe it is not a good look. Have you seen these skinny ass white bitches trying to pass themselves off as models? Models for what? Damn anorexic. Hang the clothes on wires and let them walk around like they actresses and models.”
“I’m feeling better now, thanks.” Deedee smiled, realizing this was Ms Harvey’s way of caring.
They got off the elevator and walked down the hallway of the hospital. Sophia walked behind the pair while her fingers were busy sending text messages from her Blackberry. She agreed to accompany Deedee on a visit to see Coco. They walked into the room where the teen lie recovering.
There were fresh bandages on her face. The room was quiet and clean except the drone of the air-vents. Coco stirred when all three entered the room.
“Ma, I could tell there are other people with you,” Coco said, sounding hoarse.
“Hi Coco,” Deedee said, moving closer.
“I guess the other person must be Jo. I can’t see but I could smell her, yo.”
“It’s Sophia, Coco. How’re you doing?”
“I’m coming along, thank you. Damn! I’m sorry, Sophia. I thought my sense of smell was developing, yo.”
“You need to be developing some manners,” Ms. Harvey said. “You keep cursing and your eyesight won’t be the only thing these doctors will be working on.”
“It’s alright, Coco. I understand.”
“Understand what? She’s got to stop the cursing. By the way, the doctor told you when they’re sending you home yet?”
“No…” Coco’s voice trailed.
“Well,” Deedee said. “She just had the surgery and—”
“You don’t know Coco. She’ll be up in this hospital, lying down, taking her own sweet time. The doctor said it’s up to her. I don’t know why they told her that. Now she’s gonna be laid up until she’s got bedsores. And it’s gonna be some expensive ass bedsores.”
“She’s doing alright and I understand that it takes some time for her to be healed enough to be discharged,” Sophia said, temporarily putting down her Blackberry.
“You don’t know how hard it is to get Coco up and out to school in the morning. I’d have to go in her room and fight the Z-monster off her. She’ll sleep through the entire day and be up all night listening to music and writing rhymes.”
There was a pause and Coco used the remote control to turn the music on. The Freeway track broke into the silence like the feds on a raid.
Oooh…Now cut for me mami, oh just cut for me mami…
Just Blaze…Ok que tu quiere …she says she blow la..la…la She says she’s my baby mama….
“Turn the damn music down!” Ms. Harvey shouted. Coco complied but the beat continued with Freeway O’Sparks doing their thing.
It’s the Roc in your area…post up…
Freeway movin’ rock in your area…
“Damn rap music. That’s all Coco listen to. I don’t know how she concentrate on anything with the damn banging in her ears all day. What are they saying? Get wild and a whole of style is all it takes to be in the place… I don’t understand the music these kids listen to. What about Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, Teddy Pendergrass?”
“It’s a different era,” Sophia said. “I find it hard to keep up with all the changes myself.”
“Oh Sophia, please. Not you too,” Deedee said with a chuckle.
“And sometimes I have to wonder about the messages,” Sophia admitted.
“Some of the music is raunchy but it depends on what you like, yo. You have the right to change the dial,” Coco said.
“Change the dial and you switch to a video with young girls damn near buck naked and shaking their asses in the camera. You can’t escape it. It’s everywhere. Immorality is taking over the whole damn world. I remember when people really cared about how things are going. Now it’s all about making money,” Ms. Harvey said.
“Are you hatin’ mother?” Coco asked.
“And whenever you start putting things in its right place, the first thing they wanna call you is hater. Hater?”
“That’s hatin’, yo,” Coco said. Deedee and Sophia laughed. Ms. Harvey was about to start speaking when Josephine suddenly walked into the room.
“Oh I see you’re all here,” she noted as she came in.
“Josephine? Is that you, girl?”
“Yes, Coco it’s me. How’re you feeling? I brought you some flowers.”
“Flowers? Okay, that’s cool. What kind are they? Wait, don’t tell me. Don’t tell me. Let me use my super sense of smell, yo.”
Josephine waved the bouquet of flowers across Coco’s face. The teen sniffed.
“It’s, ah… Don’t tell me. Ah, they’re tulips, yo,” she said after a few beats.
“You’re right. I got different colors,” Josephine said. “I got them in red and purple, white…”
“Wow, how many did you buy, yo?”
“Two dozen,” Josephine said.
“Girl, you got dollars like that, yo?”
“Just a little sump’n, sump’n to show my girl some love,” Josephine answered.
“She don’t need no flowers. She need to get out of the bed and start moving around before the summer ends,” Ms. Harvey said.
“Ah mom, stop hatin’, yo.”
“Hatin’? See what I mean? If you don’t agree with the thing they doing, you hatin’. Look at this young girl and how she’s dressed. When the men outside see you, they can’t keep them minds off nothing but sexin’ you,” Ms Harvey said about Josephine. Deedee started to pull down her mini skirt. “And I’m talking bout you too Deedee. That’s why that hooligan wanted to come after you. You have his testosterone way over the limit.”
Deedee held her head down and looked away, trying to shield the embarrassment she felt. Josephine was shaking her head with a smirk on her face. Sophia’s fingers were busy sending text.
“Don’t hate on my sexy figure. Anything you wear is gonna fit you loose. You’re a sandwich away from anorexia,” Josephine shot back. For a few seconds nothing else was heard. Coco’s hoarse voice broke a taxing, nail-biting silence.
“I knew Jo was coming and she’d put you in your place. You’re asking for it mother.”
“You think it’s me they gonna rape? Never that! It’s a fast girl like her who’s gonna get it at the end of the day,” Ms. Harvey said, looking directly at Josephine. “And I’m not talking ‘bout nothing but raising them fatherless babies. You’ll see this one on Maury, searchin’ through the list of sperm-donors tryin’ a find her damn baby daddies! And you Deedee don’t sit there snickering. You quiet and shy but shit happens.”
“Okay mother, ahight already. Cut it, yo. Stop insulting my visitors,” Coco said .
“How many times I have to tell you, I’m not no y
o-yo. Address me by my right title or don’t say nothing to me.”
“I see you’re in rare form Ms. Harvey. It feels like back in the days when you used to chase us out your place and curse at us,” Josephine said.
“And back then it was the four of you. The other child, you know, the light skinned one…”
“Danielle…”
“Yes, she was with you and where is she now? If you’re not careful and carry yourselves right on these streets, you could be next,” Ms. Harvey said, looking around from Josephine to Deedee then to Coco. “See, first one get killed. Then the other was raped. Coco gets shot and could lose her eyesight. Who you think is gonna be next? Y’all gotta realize that y’all not immune to dying. When are y’all gonna realize that hanging out all hours of the night is not the move?”
The nerve-racking silence was disturbed by a knock on the private room door. The nurse walked in and checked on Coco. Then she looked at the charts, fixed the bed, then attended the bandages covering Coco’s face.
“Please. I’ll have to ask you to hold the noise and laughter down a notch,” she said, fixing the curtains, then walking out.
“All they get paid and that’s what she does, fix the drapes. Anyone can do that.”
“Mother, please let’s not have anymore hatin’ okay?”
“Whatever, Coco. I’ll just continue to pray for you and hope God give you the wisdom and strength you need to survive this cold, cruel world,” Ms. Harvey said.
They stayed in the room chatting with Coco and left together after Coco had fallen asleep.
“Anyone besides me is down to get sump’n to eat?” Josephine asked.
“Sounds real good to me. I don’t think I’ve eaten all day. I can’t even remember if I had breakfast…” Ms. Harvey pondered and immediately started to ramble. “Come to think of it, since Coco’s been in the hospital, I don’t really feel like cooking anything.”
“Yes, I’m down. Let’s go and find sump’n to eat,” Deedee said, grabbing Sophia’s arm, which was busy on her Blackberry.
Ghetto Girls IV Page 11
