Crissy whistled smoke into the air then smashed the cigarette into an ashtray. “The big deal is my record speaks for itself. Over the past few years, I’ve only lost one case. One, Sylvia, and that’s because the prosecutor and judge had something going on behind my damn back. I can’t prove it, but I know for a fact they did.”
“Yes, your record is stellar, but so is Jonathan’s. He was here way before you came on the scene, and, as you know, your father and he put this firm together from scratch. He will always be considered one of the best, and many people prefer to have a lawyer with his experience and expertise. I think you’re taking this too personal when you shouldn’t.”
She sighed then dropped back in her egg-shaped chair. “Maybe I am taking things too personal. But hear me when I say I will not be run over by anyone. We women have to stick together around here. All this ill treatment in the workplace needs to stop. I can’t believe this country has an issue with equal pay for women, and, starting today, every freaking woman here is going to get a raise.”
“I don’t know how Jonathan and Brennan will feel about that, but good luck. As for me, I’ll happily take my raise and call it a day.”
Crissy smirked then picked up her phone. She buzzed Jonathan’s office. When his secretary connected him, Crissy asked if he could come to her office.
“Not right now,” he said, as if he didn’t want to be bothered. “Within the hour, possibly.”
Crissy looked at me and rolled her eyes. Jonathan was a little snooty. I was surprised by his tone.
“I’ll be gone in an hour,” Crissy snapped. “We need to speak as soon as you can.”
“Soon as in within the hour. Need to take another call, so good-bye.”
Jonathan hung up. Crissy gazed at me with madness in her eyes.
“See what I mean? I don’t know what’s been up with his attitude. He acts as if his shit doesn’t stink. I’m fed up with the treatment around here.”
“Listen. I think you’re blowing this way out of proportion. Jonathan is a busy man, Crissy. And you can’t be demanding a meeting with him without scheduling it.”
“Like hell I can’t.” Her voice went up a notch. “He may operate that way with you, sweetheart, but he won’t with me.”
Just that fast, she touched a nerve. I crossed my arms and took my voice up a notch as well. “And what is that supposed to mean?”
She didn’t back down. “It means that he may have to schedule appointments with you, but not with me. When I snap my finger, he needs to come. This is business, and business should always take priority over playtime.”
I was flabbergasted, as she continued to rant and take jabs at my relationship with Jonathan. It was apparent that not much had changed with some folks in the Lou. They still had problems controlling their slick mouths.
“Playtime?” I said with my hand on my hip. “What in the hell is that? And just so you know, I don’t have to schedule a darn thing with Jonathan. He’s on my time; I’m not on his. So wherever you’re getting your little information from, someone is being very incorrect.”
Before I could say another word, I saw Crissy’s eyes shift toward the door. When I turned around, Jonathan was standing in the doorway with the meanest mug I had ever seen on his face. He cut his eyes at me, and then looked past me to address Crissy.
“What is it?” he said in a sharp tone.
Crissy fired back. “I need for you to approve several pay increases for all of the hardworking women around here. It’s something my father would have wanted, and I hope you don’t have a problem with my request.”
Jonathan’s arrogance was on display. He knew that Crissy didn’t have a damn thing coming because he owned more of this firm than anyone. “I have a huge problem with it, and any raises around here will be decided upon by me. I’m not feeling it right now, so unless you have something else we need to discuss, I’m out.”
Crissy’s eyes shifted to me. “Sylvia, please excuse us. Feel free to go home for the day. I need some privacy as I clear up a few things for Jonathan. Obviously, he doesn’t seem to understand that when I want something, I get it.”
Jonathan stepped farther inside and didn’t even look at me. I walked past him and closed the door behind me. Almost immediately, I could hear him and Crissy going at it. I gave them all the privacy they needed and went home for the day.
The second I put the key in the door, I could tell something wasn’t right. The door wasn’t locked, and the whole place felt sweltering hot. I rushed to the thermostat, seeing that it had been raised to nearly ninety degrees. I clicked the heat off, and as I started to open some windows, I heard a bubbly sound coming from the kitchen. I wasn’t sure what it was. I was almost afraid to go to the kitchen to check it out. I tiptoed on the hardwood floors, causing them to creak. As I poked my head in the kitchen, I saw an aluminum pot on the stove with water boiling to the top. The lid on top rattled, and as the hot water hit the flattop stove, it sizzled. I immediately thought about the movie Fatal Attraction. I wondered if there was some kind of animal boiling in the pot. My stomach was tight and my heart raced with each step that I took forward. With my cell phone in my shaky hand, I stood in front of the stove, ready to dial 911. But that’s when I noticed a folded piece of paper on the counter that displayed the word OPEN on top. I snatched the paper and read the contents.
BITCH, SOMETHING STINKS IN HERE. I DID MY BEST TO CLEAN HOUSE.
Unsure of what that meant, I reached for a potholder then snatched the lid off the pot. Inside was an array of my panties and bras tied together. I hurried to turn off the stove, and knowing that someone had been in my bedroom, I rushed to it. It was trashed. My comforter was slashed, cotton was all over, and every single one of my drawers was open. Clothes were strewn around, my flat-screen TV was busted, and my curtains were snatched from the rod. The mirror to my dresser was cracked, and BITCH was scribbled on it with red lipstick. I covered my mouth, and in tears, I nervously dialed 911. In an instant, I changed my mind and ended the call. If I had to retaliate because of this, I didn’t want the police getting involved. I quickly called Jonathan but got no answer. In a panic, I left a voicemail, asking him to call me back ASAP. Two minutes later, he did.
“What’s so urgent?” he said.
“Someone trashed my apartment. I need you to come here and see this now. I also want you to give me Dana’s number. She’s the only one, aside from your girlfriend, who has a reason to do something like this. My money is on Dana, and I’m getting her to stop this madness today.”
“Calm down, and tell me what you mean by trashed.”
Jonathan’s voice was flat. It didn’t even seem as if he cared. I was too pissed, and where was the fucking urgency?
“I’m not going to calm down! What is her number, Jonathan?”
“I have no problem giving you her number, but please don’t go out there and do anything stupid. It’s not worth it, and there are other ways to deal with this. I’ll be done in about two or three more hours. I’ll stop by before I go home.”
I was in disbelief. Two or three more hours? What the fuck! It was so apparent that Jonathan didn’t care about me the way he used to. I didn’t know why I kept hoping and praying that he would eventually come around and do the right thing. If the shoe were on the other foot, I would be there for him in a flash. He would have my full support and then some. This was totally ridiculous, but I refused to cuss him out for not wanting to come sooner.
“Don’t bother to stop by, Jonathan. Whenever you get a chance, please text Dana’s number to me. I will deal with this by myself.”
I hung up on him, not knowing if he would text Dana’s number to me or not. A few minutes later, he did. I called, but her husband answered the phone.
“Hi, I’m trying to reach Dana. Is she there?”
“Who’s calling?”
“Deysha. I’m an old friend of hers from college. We found each other on Facebook, and she told me to contact her when I came to St. Louis. My
plane touched down a few hours ago, and I was trying to catch up with her before things get too busy.”
“Oh, I understand. She’s not here right now. She’s at the beauty salon, but I can tell you where it’s located.”
“Please do.”
Her husband gave me the name and directions to the salon Dana was at. I locked my door, rushed to my car, and drove like a bat out of hell to get to my destination.
Forty-five minutes later, I arrived. Without a care in the world, I charged inside of the not-so-busy salon, expecting to find Dana. I spotted her sitting underneath a hairdryer, reading a magazine. This time, I caught her off guard as I snatched her by the hair and yanked her from underneath the dryer.
“Miss Stalker, we need to talk. Now!” I dragged Dana by her hair, pulling her across the floor.
“Bitch, are you crazy?” She scratched at my hands with her long nails and swung wildly at me. “You are done! So done!”
“Not as done as you are!”
Many looked on, but no one interfered. They were all too shocked. The mad look in my eyes brought about much fear. I tossed Dana outside, causing her to fall hard on the concrete pavement. I was sure she regretted wearing high heels today, along with a short skirt and thong.
“You slimy bitch!” She charged at me, but I shoved her so hard that she fell again. This time, to keep her in check, I slightly opened my purse and pretended to have a gun.
“If I have to use my gun on your ass, I will. I’m here to tell you to stay away from me and Jonathan. If you ever come to my place again and pull the shit that you did, I will hurt you. I will have you arrested for harassing me, and with your ex representing me, I can promise you jail time. I’m on my way to get a restraining order against you. You’d better abide by it or else.”
Dana laughed. “You have lost your damn mind. That’s what happens when you mess around with men like Jonathan: you can barely see or think straight. I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, but just like I told him, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
“Lies, lies, lies. I don’t want to hear your lies!”
“I’m not lying! And if you keep this up, I won’t be the one going to jail. You will. Why? Because I’ll be represented by a man who has waaaay more power than Jonathan. He’s called my husband, so you’d better think before you act again.”
Dana got up slowly. She looked down at her bloody, scraped knees, shaking her head. That’s when we heard sirens.
In less than two minutes, the police had me on the ground with handcuffs on. Several women from the salon explained what had happened. According to them, I was the aggressor. Dana gave her side of the story, and it wasn’t long before I was arrested and thrown into the back seat of a police car. A mean mug covered my face, and as the car slowly drove away, I looked out the window, only to see a smug look on Dana’s face. She was thrilled.
I regretted going after her. Maybe I should have listened to Jonathan and approached this in a different way. It was too late now. I had to deal with the repercussions. I was sure the outcome wouldn’t be pretty. Nonetheless, I had calmed down and listened to the officer lecture me while at the police station.
“You shouldn’t be out there behaving like a kid,” he said as he fingerprinted me. “What were you thinking?”
All I could do was lower my head in shame. What had I gotten myself into? Why was I acting like this? I wasn’t even sure if Dana was the one who had trashed my apartment, but somebody did. Possibly Lesa. I was sure that Jonathan wouldn’t hear me out if I told him my thoughts about her. Maybe I’d get around to it, but for now, I was still hurt that he didn’t drop everything to come see about me.
I guess I couldn’t be too mad, huh? Remaining calm would be in my best interest. I had a cash-only bail of $10,000. He was the only person close to me with that kind of money, aside from Crissy. She had already done so much for me. I surely didn’t want to bother her. I had to, though, because Jonathan didn’t answer his phone. Yet again, she came through for me. Within the hour, she came to the police station to pick me up.
“They didn’t hurt you or anything like that, did they?” she asked.
I looked at my scraped elbows from when I was wrestled to the ground. Other than that, the officer who arrested me wasn’t too rough.
“No, I’m okay.” I looked out the window as Crissy drove down the street. Jonathan hadn’t even returned my phone call. By now, I had hoped to hear from him.
“Well, you don’t seem okay. What’s on your mind? Are you still upset with me from earlier? And please tell me exactly what happened to your apartment.”
“I’m not upset with you, but I would like to know how you knew Jonathan and I were seeing each other again. As for the apartment, I want you to see for yourself what someone did.”
“That’s fine. And no one told me anything. There are cameras all around our offices, sweetheart, and you and Jonathan are busted. Lucky for you, I’m the only person, aside from security, who looks at the cameras often to see what’s going on. That’s how I knew you all were lovers again. I’m a little disappointed, because I really wanted you to move on with your life without him.”
“I am moving on.”
“With a man who is planning to marry someone else? Jonathan isn’t the same man you were with years ago. He’s changed. That’s why he and I can’t see eye to eye on anything these days. I respect the man, but to be truthful, he’s an asshole.”
“I guess that means we women in the workplace won’t be getting raises anytime soon.”
“No, it means that you won’t be getting a raise anytime soon. The other women will.”
I cocked my head back and crossed my arms. “Why’s that? Was that his decision or yours?”
“Mine. I pay you too much already. You don’t need a raise. The only thing you need is a decent man who loves you and only you. One who is honest, as well as respectful. A man who doesn’t belong to anyone else and who can provide for you like no other person has.”
“Please tell me where to find him, and I’ll leave Jonathan alone.”
Crissy laughed. “I’m still looking too. God help us.”
Minutes later, we arrived at my apartment. Crissy was stunned by the looks of things, and she moved slowly around my bedroom with her mouth wide open. “You should have choked the life out of that hussy. Dana has always been a little wacky, but I’m not so sure about this Lesa chick either. I’ve only met her a few times. There’s something about her that I don’t like, and it has nothing to do with her being gorgeous.”
I put my hand on my hip then pursed my lips. “Gorgeous? I don’t think so. She is not cute—at all.”
Crissy threw her hand back at me. “Oh my God. Yes, she is! Her figure is to die for. And of course you’re going to say that because you’re screwing her man.”
“If I weren’t screwing him, she’d still be unattractive to me. And exactly what figure are you talking about? She is as bony as it gets. Just flat all over. Jonathan doesn’t have much to work with, and that’s why he can’t get it up.”
Crissy covered her mouth and laughed. “Did he tell you that? Please tell me he didn’t say that to you.”
“It slipped one day, but I don’t think it was his intention. Regardless, you need to redefine gorgeous. Please.”
“You have your opinion; I have mine. The woman works out and it shows.”
“Hell, I work out too. My body shows curves and sexiness that any man in his right mind would appreciate.”
“For the record, you are gorgeous too, but let’s give credit where it’s due. Now, on another note, sweetie, what are we going to do about this little sticky situation? No one should be allowed to cook your drawers and get away with it. I say call the police to file a report, and then it’s time for you to get a private investigator involved.”
“Are you serious? Are they really able to find out what’s up, or do they just charge people a fortune and take their money?”
“Over the yea
rs, I’ve worked with some of the best. I’ll give this one I trust with my life a call tomorrow. Let’s find out who’s really behind this. That way, you don’t have to keep going out there and beating people up.”
“If you think a private investigator will help, I’m all for it. Take the money I’m supposed to get from my raise to pay him. That should cover it.”
We laughed. I was so thankful for Crissy. She helped me clean up, and we drove to the store to get another TV and some curtains. I also purchased some new bra and panty sets. Afterward, we had dinner, but all throughout, I was hurt because Jonathan hadn’t called to say one word.
CHAPTER 10
JONATHAN
Sylvia had to know that I was frustrated with her for running her mouth about our relationship. I asked her not to, but there she was, standing in Crissy’s office, telling her things that weren’t her business. I didn’t know how to handle our relationship anymore. Shit was starting to spiral out of control. The incident at her apartment let me know that someone was angry and watching us. I couldn’t put my finger on who it was, but I planned to hire someone to assist me in finding out what in the hell was going on.
In the meantime, I had spoken to the young man, Taye, who allegedly had drugs in his car. I didn’t believe the officers’ side of the story not one bit. They were wrong for trying to pin something on any young man, especially one who was smart and had a promising future ahead of him.
I shared my thoughts with Jaylin as we walked around a new home he was having built in one of the most elite and exclusive neighborhoods in Missouri. It was almost done, and I had never seen anything quite like it before. I questioned what he would do with a 25,000-square-foot home with two swimming pools, a twelve-car garage, three kitchens, a bowling alley, massive theater room, elevators, tennis courts, tree houses, and so much more. Obviously, money wasn’t a concern for some people.
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