The Dividing Line

by Victoria H. Smith

Margot voice came from behind me. She was shaking the sparkling purse in front of the shop owner in urgency. Rolling my eyes, I went over to her before she got us thrown out. This wasn’t the type of place one haggled in.

  “I’m sorry, Mademoiselle. The price stands,” said the owner, looking quite annoyed behind her square specs.

  I already had my pocketbook open by the time I got to the counter. “How much for the purse, Madam?”

  She stated the figure, and I nearly dropped my wallet. Margot was my friend, though, and if that’s what she wanted, I’d get it for her. She grabbed my arm and pulled me away before I could.

  “What are you doing?” she asked through gritted teeth. “You’re making me look weak.”

  Her reaction seemed strange. “I thought you didn’t have enough money.”

  “Of course I have enough money,” she brought her voice down. “I sold like a shit ton of weed to get here. You don’t think I thought to keep a little bit extra for shopping?”

  I chuckled. Margot and her weed selling. If one wanted product, she was definitely the one to hit up on the West Side of Chicago.

  “I’m just trying to work the old broad,” she said.

  “I hate to tell you, girl,” I said, patting her hand, “but these people aren’t the type to be worked over. Not even by you.”

  “Well, not now. Not after you just showed her we’re willing to pay full retail.” In a huff, she left my side. I followed and watched as she pushed the correct amount of euros into the saleslady’s hand. Margot had a sour look during the entire transaction. I’d laugh at my best friend if she didn’t look so pissed.

  Without a word, Margot took the sack the lady bagged her purse in and pushed her way out of the shop’s door. I couldn’t hold in my laughter as I caught up to her and wrapped my arm around her.

  “It’s not funny, Lacey.”

  I bit my lip, but only ended up snorting. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to mess with the master while she was at work.”

  Jutting out her chin, she charged ahead.

  I grabbed her arm, stopping her. “Stop pouting. You can’t be like this when you’re about to leave tomorrow. Who knows when I’ll see my bestie again?” I pouted my own lip now.

  This made her smile. She pulled me in close while I waved us a cab to get back to my flat. It was a good thing we grabbed one when we did. As soon as we threw our shopping bags into the cabin, the clouds opened up, dropping buckets of rain down onto the granite-colored streets.

  A bit windblown, Margot shook out her hair. When she was done, she cuddled up on my side. I did the same, just as tired as she was from the long weekend of sightseeing and shopping.

  “I can’t believe you’re not coming home.”

  Her voice pulled me out of the sleepy state I was dozing into due to my shopping fatigue and the soft patters of rain against our cab. I looked down at her rainbow tipped braids. “It won’t be forever. Right now, this is just the next step Drake and I agreed to take. This place has become home.”

  “He really wants to stay here as much as you do?”

  Her question made my eyebrows draw in. “Yeah. He said he did.” Kinda. In so many words. Basically. I shook my head. “Why wouldn’t he?”

  She shrugged, closing her eyes. “I don’t know. It’s just you’re the one living the good life. The celebrity. Performing in shows, making the big bucks, and handing out autographs. What about him? Does he mind that? You being the next big thing while he sits back and watches?”

  I thought about her question for a moment. “I guess it’s never really come up. He doesn’t seem to mind. He’s always been supportive of me. Of what I want to do.”

  Margot yawned, then went silent against my shoulder. She was looking like she was dozing off, but after what she said I couldn’t relax. I shook her. “Why would Drake be bothered by me being successful?”

  She chuckled, her eyes still closed. “Quit freaking out. I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wondered. Anyway, you said he wants to stay as much as you do so you’re good.”

  That’s right. He did say that during our talk. He said that he wanted what I wanted. What I wanted… That meant he wanted it too, right?

  “I’m so sad I won’t be here for your birthday tomorrow. It’s so crazy. The big one-nine.”

  I hugged her, letting go of my thoughts. “I know. I’m getting old.”

  “What are you and Drake doing tomorrow?”

  I shrugged. “He says it’s a surprise. He gets out of work early tomorrow so he can take me somewhere. I hope it’s not expensive. Financially, he’s not doing so well. The money isn’t great at his job, and he has to work a lot to make ends meet.”

  What was worse was I knew he probably would overspend on me. For his twentieth birthday, I did splurge a bit, taking us to London on the train for the weekend. I had the means though. He unfortunately didn’t.

  She nodded, curling up against my shoulder. “You should get him to bug his parents for what’s his. Someone like him has to have some kind of inheritance or trust fund. His parents can’t take that away. If he had that, neither of you would have to worry about working. You could live in Paris forever. The world is your oyster.”

  “I don’t know if he does, and I probably shouldn’t ask him about it. He’s really sensitive about money.”

  “Well he’s a guy, and up until your last paycheck comes in, you make more money than him. What do you expect?”

  I knew her words were true. Drake, though incredibly sweet and selfless, especially when it came to me, did have his flaws. Pride was his biggest downfall. I didn’t want to bother him about money anyway. I made enough for both of us for the time being; plus, I still had quite a bit in my savings. We’d be okay between what he and I both had. Even if I couldn’t find another job right away.

  “You could also think about downsizing,” Margot said, her words creeping sleepily out of the side of her lips.

  “Downsizing?”

  “Mmhmm. Move in together. You don’t need two apartments.”

  Why hadn’t that thought ever crossed my mind? It seemed like a very easy way to save money. “You don’t think that we’d be moving too fast for that?”

  She lifted a single lid open, arching an eyebrow with an ‘are you kidding me?’ look. “You guys are crazy sick in love. Why the fuck not?”

  I let her words linger in my head as I closed my eyes, allowing the cabbie to take us through the heavy drops of the downpour.

  Why the fuck not?

  Chapter Six

  Drake

  Many different emotions filtered through me as I read the French text on the paper in front of me. I couldn’t really focus on any particular one. They scrolled around, twisted and turned, and eventually triggered a myriad of thoughts in my head. Those were easier to interpret because, in the end, they landed on just one. Surrounded one person.

  What am I going to tell Lacey?

  “I can get you an English translation of that if you’d like, Drake. For your records.” My now former boss said, pointing to my release papers in front of me.

  Yeah. Like I really wanted multiple copies of this shit. I kept my composure and remained professional. “No, thanks, sir. This should suffice.”

  Mr. Chevalier leaned back in his chair, pushing his spectacles back to the top of his head with a grim look. “I really am sorry about this, Drake. I hate to lose you. You’re such a great asset to the team, but I have to think about—”

  “Seniority,” I finished for him. Truth was, I had a feeling this was coming soon after my conversation with François, but not days after telling Lacey we could stay here in Paris. The minute I was called into Chevalier’s office I knew something was up. Why? Because I passed François on the way in. He didn’t tell me anything, but he didn’t have to. The look on his face told me all that awaited me when I stepped into my boss’ office. He had a look of remorse for the both of us.

  “Exactly,” Chevalier said with a sigh. “I hope this won’t pu
t you out. You’re young. Healthy. You should be able to find something in the city.”

  Being young and healthy didn’t mean squat when it came to finding a job. It was about qualifications and hunger. I may have had the latter, but at the end of the day, I was twenty years old with a high school diploma and only this job under my belt. Being multi-lingual didn’t help either in a country where most of its citizens had the same trait on their resumes. It took me months to find this job without an in, and I definitely didn’t expect the same luck twice for a decent paying job that wasn’t in food service.

  “I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Chevalier continued. “It’s just you and your girlfriend here, right? No kids.”

  I nodded. “Correct, sir.”

  He stood and I did as well. When he reached out to shake my hand, I matched the firmness of the shake so he wouldn’t know how affected I was by being fired. “So you’ll be fine. I’m sure she can handle things until you’re back on your feet.”

  It was at that point I shot him a curious look. “Sir?”

  He released my hand and answered after he guided me to his office door. “She’s the opera singer, right? Word was going around a few of days ago that you played her music in the break room.”

  I guess I should thank my co-workers for the privacy intrusion when they decided to go flap their lips to my employer. “Yes, sir.”

  “Well, then,” he said, opening the door for me. “She can take care of you then. She’s become a pretty big deal around the city. My wife and I are huge fans. Tell her job well done from us when you see her.”

  He patted my back as I stepped out of his office. I was pretty sure I told him I’d relay the message for him, but all my awareness was focused on the fact that he assumed my girlfriend would ‘take care of me’ until I got back on my feet, and that definitely didn’t sit well with me.

  *

  “Ah, man. That sucks,” Derrick said into the receiver. “What are you going to tell Lacey?”

  The ultimate question of the day and the very one that had me pondering what the hell I was going to do from the moment I got my release papers to this very phone call with Lacey’s cousin, Derrick. He happened to call me right as I got home from work and thank God for it. I was hoping he might be able to give me some clues on how to deal with the situation. Not because he was Lacey’s cousin, but because he was my friend. I had a few from my hometown in St. Louis, but none that remained in contact outside of Facebook. Derrick had become a true ally and was actually responsible for me meeting Lacey in the first place when I moved to Chicago, her hometown.

  I tossed the paper my boss gave me on the end table then collapsed onto the itchy couch that came with my flat. My place wasn’t much, but it’s better than a studio apartment, which was basically a toilet, a sink, and closet. Oh yeah, and an outlet for a hot plate. Lacey’s two-bedroom was far superior, but her wages allowed for that. Mine unfortunately didn’t.

  “Dude, I don’t even know,” I spoke into the cell, running my fingers restlessly through my hair. “It’s her birthday so I’m sure as hell not telling her today.”

  “Damn. It sure is, isn’t it?” He chuckled. “Tell her happy birthday from all of us will you? I’m pretty sure Mama sent her a card, but let her know anyway.”

  “Yeah. Sure thing. She’ll like that.”

  “Where is she now?”

  “I think she’s cleaning out her locker at the theater and picking up her last paycheck. She spent the morning with Margot before taking her to the airport, but she said she’d stop at the theater before coming home.”

  “Ah, okay. So what’s your game plan on how to deal with your problem?”

  I wished I knew. “Well, I guess I’ll break it to her tomorrow. We’ll just have to see how she handles it. She won’t be happy.”

  “Yeah, I can imagine. But hey, y’all are coming back here anyway, right? Now that her show is over?”

  “Nah, man. She had her heart set on staying here. She planned to get another job and everything.”

  “Why?”

  My eyes shifted. “What do you mean why?”

  “I mean, why are y’all staying there? You don’t want to come home?”

  “Well, Lacey loves it here. She wants to stay.”

  “What about you? Do you want to come home?”

  There was that question again. The same one Lacey asked me the other night. “I told her I wanted what she did, but if I’m being perfectly honest with myself, I don’t know. And frankly, I don’t know why. There really isn’t anything for me in Chicago but a bunch of drama. You know how things are with my parents.”

  “But there’s nothing in Paris for you either from what you’ve been telling me. What have you been doing for the better half of a year besides working a job that doesn’t pay you hardly anything, attending Lacey’s shows, and playing the role of supportive boyfriend when you guys go to parties? Parties thrown for her I might add.”

  Well when he said it like that, my life sounded pretty frickin’ shitty. Did he really have to go there? Damn. Talk about real talk.

  “What you both got there is a vacation, not a life. Especially for you. You’re not really gaining anything out of it. Maybe deep down you know that, and that’s why you’re unsure about staying.”

  He had a point there. Had I just been hanging around? Putting my life on hold because I knew in the end it would eventually be over, and Lacey and I would go home and start the next chapter of our lives.

  “And don’t let your problems here dictate when you come back. All the drama will be here whether you come back now or later. You can’t run forever.”

  I laughed. “True.”

  “And if you come back, I can show you what Chi-Town truly has to offer. You weren’t here long enough to get a good feel for it. I can even put in a good word for you at the garage. The boss is looking for an office manager.”

  I sat up, shaking my head. “Now you’re sweet talking me.”

  His deep laugh sounded into the receiver. “I’m just trying to let you know you have options if you don’t want to stay there.”

  I leaned back, scratching my chest as I stared at the ceiling. “I don’t know. Lacey really loves it here, and it would be too much of a hassle to leave anyway. We’d have to pack up and move everything. Look for places to stay, figure out what part of town to live in—”

  “We’ve got a spare bedroom on the second level of the house Mama’s been trying to rent out. It has its own bathroom, separate entry, and everything—”

  “There is where I have to stop you,” I said, swiping my hand across my face. “You have to be crazy if you think I’m moving onto the West Side only to have to watch my back every two seconds for Tyrone.”

  That dude was fucking nuts to the tenth power—squared. He was into Lacey a while back, but she shot him down. Needless to say he wasn’t too happy when I came on the scene.

  Understatement of the year.

  “Eh. You don’t even have to worry about him. That fool got himself locked up.” He chuckled. “Lifted one too many Escalades.”

  I definitely wasn’t surprised by that one. But now that Derrick said that, his proposal sounded a bit sweeter. A job and a guaranteed place to stay—on the other side of town away from my parents—were two things I desperately needed right now. And saying the cost of living on the West Side was by far cheaper than Paris was a given. Lacey had lots set aside from her shows and could definitely stretch it farther back at home, at least until she found a job.

  “You’re thinking about it, judging by your silence.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m only thinking about it. You forget I have a very strong-willed, though incredibly sexy, black woman I have to propose this idea to first before I can make a decision.”

  There was silence. “Okay. I’m going to forget that you just referred to my younger cousin as sexy for a moment and take the route as your boy and give you some advice.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh.

/>   “Don’t get me wrong. Lacey’s opinion definitely matters. Especially since she’s your girl and all. But don’t let what she wants completely trump what you want. You’ve dropped everything to go be with her. So if you want something, make sure she knows that. Make sure you have a voice. Then y’all can make a decision together that’s good for both of you.”

  I smiled. “Will do. And thanks. But hey, I gotta let you go. I have to make sure everything is in order for Lacey’s birthday. I’m taking her out tonight.”

  “Special night, huh?”

  “I hope so. It’s her favorite restaurant. It will set me back a bit, but she’s worth it.”

  “For sure. ‘Aight. I’ll holla at you later. Don’t forget to tell her happy birthday from all of us. ”

  “I definitely will.”

  “And don’t forget what I told you. What’s good for both of you.”

  I laughed. “I won’t. Later, man.”

  “Later.”

  Chapter Seven

  Lacey

  “Are you serious!” I said, forcing myself to keep from freaking out. My legs shook so badly from the news I thought I’d leap from my chair.

  Madam Duval handed me the paper in her hand. “Very serious, Lacey.”

  I read the words, so flippin’ excited with every new sentence I read. “But an extension? Seriously, a whole new round of shows?” I looked up at her.

  Crossing her legs in her office chair, she nodded with a smile. “The show was a hit, and the public is demanding more, Lacey.”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but then a sudden thought occurred to me. She just told me the show was extended¸ but she didn’t tell me I’d be starring in it. “Will I be performing in the new shows?”

  Madam Duval couldn’t have looked more shocked with her expression. “Of course you will. Why do you think the public is demanding more? The critics are raving about the show, yes. But with you at the helm.” She grabbed my hand. “Production will pause for a little while to give the cast some time off and prepare for the new shows. But when it starts back up, we’d love it if you’d continue to lead us.”