The Ugly Girlfriend (The Lonely Heart Series)

by Nelson, Latrivia

  “The Hadley dinner?” she asked confused.

  “It’s this big deal. I was trying to figure out a way to get out of going until today.” He cocked his brow at her and took another drink. “Speaking of which, what are you doing on next Friday night?”

  “The Hadley dinner, I guess.” She raised her glass to him and grinned. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thanks,” he said as he grabbed his cell. “I have to call Zach and tell him. He’ll be so happy. I’ve been wearing his ear out about it for months now. Why don’t you finish up here, and I’ll get settled and be right down for dinner.” Kissing her on the forehead, he winked and walked away.

  ***

  The weekend came quickly, and on Sunday, LaToya and her friends decided to get together at Angela’s loft for drinks at dusk. This was the first weekend since Mitch and she had been dating that they were not together.

  She tried hard to focus on the women and not send texts revealing her ultimate boredom with them. Also, she had not shared with them yet that she was seeing him. There were many reasons for it, but mostly, she just wanted to see if their relationship was going to work first. So far, every indication said that it would. And she really hoped that it would. Her life had not been so easy in a very long time. She glowed in the morning now and went to bed every night feeling like she had just found the garden of Eden.

  LaToya walked around Angela’s swank, two-bedroom penthouse admiring how well she had done for herself. She was a successful CPA – one of the best-known women professionals in the city. On her walls were many accolades from different associations, distinguished degrees, articles written about her and awe striking pictures for all to see. There were even photos of all the famous people that she had met during her career and even dated. Angela had it all. And LaToya liked her friend, because even though she was incredibly charismatic and successful, she was down to earth and loving.

  Angela was the type to already be the center of attention at an event and still introduce whom many called her ugly girlfriend. LaToya hated the title she had picked up, but recently, she didn’t feel like that woman anymore. And the fact that she kept her love a secret made her feel all the more elusive.

  Then there was Deana. Deana was a petite black woman with short, curly hair and big brown eyes who never had a problem getting a man, even when he wasn’t the right one.

  But LaToya was the one woman at an event who hardly ever went home with a number, and normally even if she did get a guy’s number, she never called, because she knew in his book, she wasn’t the first choice, just the only choice who wasn’t already taken. And while to many she was the ugly girlfriend, she wasn’t desperate. So, she wasn’t about to pick a man who thought she was.

  The music playing was suddenly turned down low drawing her attention from the picture of Angela with a well-known actor to the current event. “Alright, we’ve had dinner. We’re having drinks,” Angela said, sitting down in the middle of her white Armani sofa and putting her feet up. “Now, it’s time to dish, ladies. What has been going on with you?”

  Deana chimed in first. During the last two weeks, she had stopped seeing her married man and had decided to give an old love interest one more chance to get it right. No one was surprised by Deana. She dated at a reckless rate and hardly ever looked for love. As a rep for a local record label, she spent most of her time looking for the next big thing and equated everything in life to the same standard.

  “Stony is back in town,” Deana explained. “It seems like this time, it might be a good relationship. Now, that he’s finally financially stable,” she continued, “he can start to really focus.”

  “But can you?” Angela asked her like a therapist.

  “I...think so,” she smiled. “I’ll try. You can’t ask anymore than that of me. Besides, he lost a lot of weight and looks really good. I think 40 is the new 30 for him.”

  Angela quickly moved the conversation to herself. “Well, Byron and I are really getting serious. And I just feel bad for him. He wasn’t chosen as partner. Mitch was. Everyone knows that it’s because he’s white. I mean, Byron works harder, smarter and the clients love him. Plus, he’s been there longer, but he’s not the right shade. He’s really thinking about quitting. Do you know that Mitch works from home most of the time? All the partners were so sorry about his breakup with his wife. Now, if he had been a brother, they would have told him to suck it up and be to work on time.”

  Both Angela and Deana looked over at LaToya. She listened attentively with a scowl on her face. She didn’t even realize that she was betraying her hidden relationship. It was obvious to everyone that the mere mention of him in a negative light frustrated her.

  “So have you heard anything, LaToya?” Angela asked as she tilted her head and batted her eyelashes.

  LaToya put down her glass and smirked. “You could have just asked,” she said, hitting IGNORE on her phone as Mitch called.

  “Well, I am asking,” Angela said softly. “I’m concerned about Byron and you know that this isn’t right.” Her voice changed as she saw LaToya’s eyebrows spike.

  “I don’t know about it not being right. Mitch works really hard,” LaToya defended. “And while sometimes, he works from home, he puts in a lot of time.” She felt terribly uncomfortable about explaining his business to them, but she tried hard to be sensible considering these were her friends. “The only people who can decide if he’s really qualified to be a partner in the firm or not are the partners, not us.”

  Angela rolled her eyes. “You can’t be serious. We’re all three black women in here. We know what types of prejudice bigots are out there.”

  “I’m not oblivious to the world, Angela.”

  “But you defend a man who clearly doesn’t deserve this promotion, because why?” She shrugged her shoulders. “Are you seeing him or something?”

  LaToya walked over to the couch and sat down. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. But that has nothing to do with my opinion of this situation.”

  Deana raised her brows. “Okay, touchy, touchy. Let’s change the subject.”

  “Let’s not change the subject.” Angela waved a finger in the air in protest. “LaToya, how can you say that a brother who is more qualified, has more seniority and is a product of Phoenix, should not make partner before a guy like Mitch?”

  “And what kind of guy is Mitch, Angela?” LaToya piped up.

  “Just another white boy who could fit in better at the golf course.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” LaToya said angrily. “Mitch works all day, not just at the firm. He works all night long, too. He graduated from Harvard with honors. He’s worked on sites all over the world, and regardless of his race, he’s an asset.”

  “And Byron’s not?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know anything about Bryon except that he has more black slacks than any man I’ve ever cleaned for, and he could use a new pool boy.”

  Deana laughed.

  Angela rolled her eyes. “I think your past relationship has jaded you against black men. So, now because you’ve been rejected so much by them, you would tend to side with the other side. How else could you sit here and defend Mitch over Byron?”

  “I’m not defending as much as I am saying that we cannot make that call as simply their girlfriends. Neither one of us has been in a relationship with either one of those men long enough to know. We’re on the outside looking in.”

  “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that this is the same good ole boy network working at its finest to keep good black men out of the jobs that they clearly deserve.”

  “Angela, that may very well be so, but I don’t know for sure. And because I don’t know, and because I’m in a relationship with him, I’m simply saying that from my point of view, his qualifications make him a viable candidate for the position as well.”

  “Well, let me ask you this then. Once he gets this promotion, do you think that he’s going to show up with
you on his arm? I mean, you are his cleaning lady. Do you think that he’s going to tell that story over dinner with his senior partners? Do you think he’s going to pass your card to a client and suggest that they try his girlfriend’s cleaning service? Do you think that he’ll even present you to his friends and his good ole boy network? I can answer all those questions for you, LaToya. Hell no. He is not. And while you’re sitting here taking up for him, no one will ever even know that he had a fling with the maid. That’s some old southern, plantation shit, okay. White men have always had a little black thing that they messed off with and no one knew. You two ain’t doing nothing new under the sun.”

  LaToya shook her head in disgust. “You don’t have a clue what he’s about.”

  “Neither do you. Do you think that just because he’s screwing you that suddenly he’s an honorary black man? Don’t be so blind. Most importantly sister, don’t be a sellout.”

  “Don’t you ever accuse me on the sly of being an Uncle Tom just because I don’t agree with you. Me of all people,” LaToya hit her chest. “The woman who is often too black for black men or too fat for the prime pick of black men. I will never sit in front of a woman like you, some Beyonce look-alike, and try to defend my position, because it’s women like me who know what it truly feels like to be denied and rejected by both races. I feel the way that I feel about Mitch’s promotion because I know the man. And for your information, not that it is any of your business, I’m not screwing him. We happen to be building a relationship, something that’s about more than just being a notch on his belt. And while you’re sitting here trying to read me my rights, what makes you think that he’s going to march your ass down the aisle and put a ring on your finger or for that matter just present you at his next dinner? You know because you know him, just like I know Mitch. And I don’t approve of you trying to belittle me or belittle my relationship just because a promotion didn’t work out for your boyfriend.” LaToya snapped. “You know what...I’m out of here,” she said, grabbing her purse. “You call me when you have more respect and not for my boyfriend but for me.”

  ***

  The next morning, on schedule, LaToya arrived at Bryon’s home to clean his house at nine. With her cleaning baskets in hand, she turned off his alarm and headed to the kitchen, where he normally left any important notes.

  His home was much cleaner than normal. Yeah for me, she thought. A sense of happiness came over her, knowing she could finish much sooner today.

  Placing her baskets carefully on his kitchen counter, she noticed an envelope waiting for her with her name elegantly written on the front. She opened it quickly, tearing the edges of the sealed paper and pulling out a small piece of stationary. Reading it quietly, she waded up the paper after she was finished and threw it in the garbage.

  Grabbing her baskets, she headed back out of the house and decided to go to Mitch’s place.

  ***

  LaToya unlocked Mitch’s front door and came inside without knocking. She didn’t need to do that anymore. He had told her that about a hundred times now. Every time that she announced herself, he would admonish her. Who else would be here if not me? he would ask. Just make yourself comfortable, he would say. My home is your home, he would remind. Setting down her baskets, she was surprised to see the alarm was off.

  Maybe I’ll feel better if I just make me something to eat, she thought. Her new diet was killing her, and although she had managed to lose five pounds, she still had an appetite like a lion.

  As she walked down the corridor to the kitchen, she halted when she heard two voices. Stopping in her tracks, she pushed against the side of the wall and listened, slowing even her breathing to hear them clearer.

  “Why now, Elaine?” Mitch asked frustrated. His heavy accent was thick with confusion and strained with annoyance.

  “Why not now? What would happen if I waited until it was too late?”

  “And what makes you think that it’s not already too late for Christ’s sake! We’re divorced. We’ve ripped our son’s heart out and torn it to pieces. Now, you want to come back? Do I have the word idiot written on my face? Is that what you take me for? Just because I try hard to be civil does not mean that I’m some push over. ”

  “I’ve always loved you, Mitchell,” she begged. “You have to know that.”

  “And I always loved you, Elaine, but it didn’t stop you from fucking my son’s pediatrician! It didn’t stop you from getting pregnant by him. It definitely didn’t stop you from ruining our family. Now, you want to come back? I’m in complete disbelief. I am. I can’t believe my ears.”

  LaToya held her heart. She couldn’t believe her ears either. In her mind, she had always prepared for competition outside of the home, but she didn’t know if she even had the ammunition to handle his ex-wife. They had so much history together. Hell, they had a child together.

  “But we could make it work,” Elaine pleaded softly. She walked up to him and held his face in her manicured, delicate hands. Her stiletto heels clinked against the tile and her gold bangles rattled as she moved into him. Melting into his body, she leaned in to kiss his lips, but he quickly moved away. “I know that you still love me,” she whispered.

  Grabbing her hands, Mitch shook his head. “Stop it, Elaine.” He swallowed hard.

  “Why?”

  Mitch smacked his lips, tired with the entire conversation. “I’m in love with someone else that’s why.”

  “What?” Elaine looked up at him confused. She searched his face. “The cleaning lady? I thought that you were just kidding to make me jealous. You actually love that fat bitch?” Her voice raised.

  Mitch pushed her away. “You have no right to say those types of things about her. She’s beautiful and she’s smart and she’s worth a hell of a lot more than you.”

  “Mitchell, she’s just looking for a payday,” Elaine said facetiously.

  “And you aren’t. It’s funny that you didn’t want a damned thing to do with me until you heard about me making partner.”

  There was silence.

  She finally looked up from the ground. “That’s not true. I wanted you when I saw you here the other day. It was just something about you that made me realize how foolish I’ve been.”

  Mitch listened carefully, never taking his eyes off of her.

  “The promotion just made me realize how hard we worked to get you to this point. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I had made a mistake,” she explained.

  Mitch leaned against the counter and sighed. His muscular chest caved in under his weight. “You made a mistake? Mistakes come in the form of forgetting to pay a bill or pick up the dry cleaning or even toying with the idea of leaving. What you did was a little more than a mistake, dear. It would be better placed under the classification of a catastrophic disaster. And that promotion was always your dream, not mine,” Mitch said angrily.

  He stood up. “I was happy to get it, but you were the one who pushed me. You wanted me to leave New York and come here. You wanted me to take on the hard projects to make partner. And then when I didn’t get it first off when I got here, you flew the coop and left me for the failure I was. Then you tried to make it be my fault. You told me that because I was never home, you had fallen in Felix’s arms. But it was you who sent me out to get the job done. I was damned if I did, damned if I did not.” He wiped the hot tears from his face. “Now you criticize the woman who literally helped me clean my life back up after you left me here to rot, because I wasn’t good enough.” He smirked. “You’re a fucking bitch, Elaine. You’re the ugly one.”

  Enraged, Elaine reached back and slapped his face. Her gold bracelets jingled as her sweaty hand made contact with his jaw. “You really are a world class loser, Mitchell. You always will be.”

  “That’s me. Your everyday, average, world-class, loser. Take care of the kids. Take care of the ex-wife. Take care of it all and get nothing.” He hit the table and made her jump, “Nothing in response except a slap
in the face. I have given you everything and you gave me nothing.” His face reddened. “Get out of my house. Go home to your Felix and play doctor.”

  LaToya wiped the tears from her eyes as their conversation ended. That was certainly more than she had anticipated on hearing, but she had to know if he cared for her the way that she cared for him. Now certain of that fact, she turned to walk away, to give him the privacy he needed, but he heard her footsteps and stepped into the hallway.

  “LaToya?” he said shocked. His voice echoed down the empty hall. “How long have you been here?”

  LaToya took a long, deep breath and then turned around. She had tears on her cheeks running plentifully down her neck. “Long enough,” she said, trying to smile. “I promise that I didn’t mean to pry. Really, I didn’t. It’s just been a long day. I just sort of found myself here.” She tried to dry her eyes as she explained.