“Well, you’re wrong. How in the world did you think that I got all my children? I have some sexy clothes. I just think that it’s time to step up my game. I don’t want to become predictable. It’s time that I give Russell a new wife, a better wife, and a better me.” Randi became emotional and Stacey realized her sincerity. “I’m on a budget, so I need to make small changes first,” stated Randi.
“Don’t worry about the money. This is on me. You deserve it, Randi, and this is my gift to you.”
“Are you serious?” Randi asked to confirm that she understood Stacey correctly.
“Yes, I’m serious, and since you don’t know where to start, let’s go to ‘Victoria’s Secret’ first.”
“‘Victoria’s Secret’?”
“Yes, honey! You need to feel sexy. Feeling sexy will help you with your confidence. There is nothing about you that says sexy right now. All I see is Mommy. You need to switch that to Mami.”
Randi blushed, but knew that Stacey was right and trusted her advice.
“First, we’re going to change your undergarments, then your shoes, your clothes, and then I’ll schedule an appointment for your hair. No, scratch the hair appointment, I’ll just call Sasha. Besides, she owes me money anyway; she’ll do it.”
“Stacey, slow down. I don’t have time to do all of this today. Not to mention the mall closes in two hours.”
“So I guess we better hurry up,” Stacey suggested as she grabbed Randi’s hand to hurry her along.
A couple of hours passed and Stacey had kept her word. She paid a total of twenty-six thousand dollars for Randi’s makeover. The more Stacey swiped her credit card the more uneasy Randi felt. Although shopping carelessly was fun, Randi had a bad feeling about the amount of money that Stacey was spending.
“Stacey, I know that you offered to pay for all this stuff, but I’m not going to let you pay for everything.”
“Randi, it’s ok,” Stacey reassured her as she thought about hurting Larry the only way that she knew how.
“I appreciate it, but my husband is not going to be ok with you spending all this money on me.”
“Girl, bye. I’m your sister and he should be ok with me doing whatever I want to do for you. Just tell him that it’s a late birthday present.”
“No. I’m not lying to him.”
“Ok, well I’m telling you right now that this is your late birthday present,” Stacey replied with a genuine smile.
“I really appreciate that, but I really have decided to lose weight as part of my transformation. I may not be able to fit into these clothes in a few months.”
“Well then, I guess we’ll have a reason to go shopping again,” Stacey grinned.
Randi saw Stacey in a light that she hadn’t seen her in for years. For once, something seemed important to her other than work and money. It made her feel special that Stacey was looking forward to hanging out with her again. Then from out of nowhere, her cell phone began to ring. She expected it to be Russell, but was surprised to see that it was Sasha.
“Hold on, it’s Sasha,” Randi announced as she held her index finger up in the air, excusing herself from the conversation.
“Hello!”
“Hey, Randi. I forgot to ask you something when you were here.”
“Oh? What’s up?”
“You know that I just got that job and start tomorrow.”
“Yes,” Randi nodded.
“Well, I need a sitter. I wasn’t expecting to start so soon. I don’t have childcare lined up yet.”
“What happed to that childcare center Tia was going to a few months ago?”
“They were too expensive and I owe them a balance.”
“Ok, so you’re calling me for…”
“Well, I was going to see if you could keep Tia for me.”
“Are you serious? I love my niece, but you’re not about to use me again, especially after the stunt you just pulled.”
“I thought that you weren’t mad at me.”
“I’m not mad at you. I just learned that I can’t trust you. Sasha you have to learn how to stand on your own two feet. That means that you can’t continue to mistreat people for your own selfish needs. You burn bridges everywhere you go.”
“I hear you, but I really need this job. Can’t you just watch her until I get some childcare? It should only take a week or so.”
“I can’t do it, Sasha. I also have other commitments.”
“Whatever, Randi, like what?”
“I’m in charge of a ministry at church during the day.”
“Why can’t Tia go with you?” Sasha asked sulkily.
“No Sasha, I can’t. I’m sure that you’ll find a sitter.”
Before Randi could say “bye,” Sasha hung up on her. Randi was not surprised that Sasha’s mood had changed back to being nasty and disrespectful as soon as she did not get her way.
“She hung up on me.”
“What’s she pouting about this time?”
“She asked me to watch Tia for her and I said ‘no’.”
“Oh, Lawd, this is her calling me right now,” Stacey announced as she answered the phone.
“Hello,” Stacey answered calmly.
“Stacey, I got the job that I interviewed for.”
“Really! Congrats, sweetie. You know that I’m happy for you. Now you can pay me back.”
“I’m going to pay you back. I promise. The only problem I have is that I can’t find childcare that I can afford.”
“I see where you’re going with this.”
“I was wondering if you could help me with half the childcare expenses,” Sasha suggested with a tone of entitlement.
“Girl, now I know you’ve lost your mind. Larry isn’t going to go for that. That’s why we don’t have any children now. The last thing we want to do is pay for childcare. I’m sorry, sweetie, but I can’t help you with that.”
“Well then, can I borrow about five hundred dollars to pay my back balance?”
“You already owe me close to four thousand dollars—three thousand, eight hundred and seventy-five dollars to be exact, and now you’re asking for more money? You’re tapped out,” Stacey lectured her.
“Whatever. I’ll figure something out. Trust me when I tell you, I can’t wait to pay you back every dime.”
“That’s great to hear, Sasha. I look forward to it,” Stacey said sarcastically as she hung up the phone.
She folded her arms and sighed.
“Why is it that when people owe you money, they get an attitude whenever you refuse to loan them more?” Sasha asked rhetorically.
“Exactly! Or why do people get an attitude if you no longer offer to babysit for them because they don’t pick their kid up until days later. Not to mention, don’t even call to say ‘I’m going to be late,’‘ kiss my butt,’ or anything,” Randi laughed.
“I’m happy that Sasha found a job, but she has to learn how to be responsible, point, blank, period. I will not enable her any longer.”
“We’re on the same page. I’m tired of her using me and taking my kindness for granted.”
“Aren’t there some sort of services that can help her?” Stacey asked.
“Yes. She used to get assistance for childcare but lost her benefits.”
“What? How did she lose her benefits?” Stacey asked, curling her upper lip. “She needs all the help she can get. I take that back, she’s more than capable of helping herself.”
“She was leaving Tia there all day and it wasn’t working. I guess someone reported her.”
“She was probably laid up with some bum,” added Stacey.
Randi nodded her head in agreement and knew exactly who Sasha had been seeing.
Chapter Eight
Sasha hung up the phone; she was frantic. Feeling rejected by her sisters, she was desperate to find childcare before the next day. She was sure to be fired if she had to call in sick on the day of orientation. Although she made amends with Randi, it never crossed
her mind that she could not count on her for help again. She had to do something and quick. Staying upset with her sisters was not going to help her find childcare. With no time to waste, Sasha began to look through her phone and call any and everyone that she felt could help her with Tia.
After making over a dozen phone calls, Sasha still had not found a sitter. Everyone whom she called was either too expensive, had no openings, or was closed for the weekend. Sasha glanced at Tia as she sat in front of the television occupied with a Dora DVD that she had watched several times already. Feeling helpless and discouraged, she began to think of all the excuses that she could tell her new boss in the morning. The more she tried to come up with a lie, the more she began to feel like a failure. At the end of her rope, she began to look through her contacts just one last time.
For Sasha, reality was finally setting in. She hated the way that people had started to perceive her. Half the people that she had called did not answer and the other half did not care to help her. Convinced that a job was the answer to all of her problems and determined to get herself out of debt, she needed to be at that job in the morning. She owed more student loans than she could remember and her job search was difficult because she had not obtained a college degree. The idea of attending college pleased her at first. However, without the motivation to go along with it, it became more of a burden and she was embarrassed that after six years of college, she did not even have an associate’s degree. Sasha was hopeful that life had more to offer than what she had already received.
Just as she began to look through her contacts again, she received an incoming call from her partying buddy, Christina. Sasha perked up, knowing that Christina had two children and must know about other babysitters.
“Hey, Trick!” Sasha answered enthusiastically, greeting her friend in their normal manner.
“Hey, Miss Lady! What are you doing?” Christina asked.
“I was just sitting here going through my phone, trying to find a babysitter.”
“A babysitter for what? There’s nothing going on tonight,” Christina implied.
“For my job.”
“Since when did you get a job?”
“Well, it’s for a temp agency. But anyway, it’s something.”
“I know that’s right,” Christina replied.
“Who do you use for childcare?”
“My momma keeps my kids for me. But I do know someone who watches kids.”
“How much does she charge?” Sasha asked.
“I think she charges around seventy-five dollars a week.”
“FOREAL! Girl, I need her number. Because I have called all these other places and they are trying to charge me almost two hundred dollars a week. My last name is not Jones, and I’m not trying to keep up with them,” Sasha exclaimed as she took off her bra and pulled it through the sleeve of her shirt to get comfortable.
“Yes, girl, I know. I’m going to text you her number and just tell her that I sent you. Her name is Miss Susie.”
“Ok, girl! Text it to me now so that I can call her right away. I start my job tomorrow.”
“Ok, call me later,” Christina replied.
“Sure thing. Thanks so much, Tina.”
“No problem,” Christina answered then hung up.
Sasha stood up and danced around the coffee table. Then suddenly she heard her phone chirp, alerting her that she had a new text message. She called the number immediately. As the phone rang, her anticipation grew.
“Hello?”
“Hello, my name is Sasha and I received your number from my friend Christina. She told me that you offer childcare.”
“Yes, I do. How many children do you have?”
“I have one daughter.”
“Ok, honey. How old is she?”
“She’s eighteen months.”
“Alright, sweetie. Well, I charge seventy-five dollars a week and also provide meals. I only watch kids Monday through Friday, from 7am to 6pm. Do those times work for you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You’re more than welcome to come by my house to see how I operate here.”
“Well, that would be great, but I start my job tomorrow morning and need childcare right away.”
“Ok, honey, I understand. You can start bringing her tomorrow if you’d like.”
“Really?”
“Sure, sweetie. I’ve been watching kids for over twenty years,” Miss Susie stated proudly.
“That’s great. Thank you so much for watching Tia on such short notice.”
“Pardon me, who?” asked Miss Susie.
“Tia. My daughter’s name is Tia.”
“Oh, ok. I wasn’t sure what you said,” Miss Susie laughed.
Sasha laughed along with her and felt relieved to have finally found a babysitter. Miss Susie continued on and then gave Sasha her address and directions. The conversation ended, leaving Sasha extremely excited about her new babysitter. She picked up Tia and began to give her Eskimo kisses. All of her worries seemed to have vanished in an instant and her evening of peace and quiet was looking promising. With the new job on her mind, Sasha began to prepare for her new workday. She was no stranger to procrastination and she wanted to do everything that she could to keep from being late the next day.
Chapter Nine
It was bright and early and Sasha had arrived in front of her new babysitter’s house right on time. Feeling good and professionally dressed, she got out of the car confidently and unstrapped Tia from her car seat. She placed Tia’s feet on the street and held her tiny hand as they walked towards the front door to Miss Susie’s house. After just one knock a beautiful woman with salt and pepper hair opened the door and let them in.
“Well, this must be Tia!”
“Yes, ma’am, and I’m Sasha. I called you last night.”
“Of course, dear. Come in. Have a seat,” Miss Susie offered. “So, before you leave, do you have any questions for me?” Miss Susie asked as she smiled and exposed her missing teeth.
“Not really. Oh yes, actually I do. Exactly how many kids do you watch during the day?”
“Right now, Tia will be my only child. The other children have just gone to kindergarten. A couple of my former kids have siblings on the way and I’ll be keeping those babies when their mothers go back to work.
“Oh, ok. Well, thank you again for agreeing to keep her. I’ll be back to pick her up around 5:30,” Sasha stated as she stood up and began to walk towards the door. Tia seemed to be comfortable with Miss Susie until Sasha was about to walk out the door. Then she began to scream. Sasha’s heart melted as she heard Tia’s crying increase.
“She’ll be fine. Go ahead on to work,” Miss Susie exclaimed as she scooted Sasha on her way.
Sasha walked away feeling relieved that she had found someone to look after Tia so that she would arrive at her new job a couple minutes early. Although it was a temp position through her agency, she remained hopeful that if she performed well, she could be hired on fulltime. Motivated and excited, she pulled into the MacDonald’s drive through to order a cup of coffee for her morning commute. As she rolled down her car window to place the order, the morning breeze filled the air. Sasha’s attitude towards life was beginning to change and she was happy that she did not have to rely on her sisters after all. Just as the cashier took her money she looked at her phone as it began to vibrate in her lap. Startled, she grabbed the phone immediately to see who was calling her so early.
I hope this isn’t the babysitter, she thought. However, it was an unexpected surprise instead. It was Lance. I should answer the phone and cuss him out. Instead of giving into the urge to argue with him and getting into a bad mood, Sasha rolled her eyes and pressed ignore to dismiss his call. She had not heard from him or his wife since the day that she found out he was married. Lance did not even come back to look for the cell phone that he had left at Sasha’s house. Sasha grinned as she reminisced about breaking the phone. She sipped on her coffee and turned on
a morning radio show to shift her thoughts. Lance was the last person that she wanted to think about and she refused to waste any of her energy on him.
As she pulled into the company’s parking lot, her stomach started to bubble and her nerves ran wild. She found a nearby parking spot and reapplied her lipstick. She was looking her best and was confident that she would impress her new boss and co-workers. Her long weekend was behind her and she could see nothing but her future. As she opened the door, the feeling of success smacked her in the face. She was mesmerized by the main lobby and could see herself walking into work there daily. She skimmed her tongue over her teeth a final time, making sure that no lipstick had gotten on them. Adjusting her skirt and sticking out her chest, she approached the front desk.
“Good morning? How can I help you?” the receptionist asked pleasantly.
“My name is Sasha and today is my first day.”
“Great! Follow me and I’ll take you to the orientation room.”
Sasha followed the young receptionist and began to size her up without any effort or thought. The receptionist opened the door and there were several people waiting inside the room. Sasha entered and took the seat nearest to the door. She glanced around the room, crossed her legs, and waited for her new supervisor to arrive. The door finally opened and the newly-hired people put a halt to their awkward icebreaker conversations. An extremely handsome man entered the room and Sasha gave him her undivided attention. She was not sure if he was a new hire or her supervisor.
“Hello, and good morning, everyone. My name is Seth and I will be passing around your new hire paperwork. If you are with a temp agency, you won’t need to fill out this packet. If you want some coffee or need to use the restroom, please feel free to do so at this time,” the neatly dressed man instructed.
Sasha was still uncertain who Seth was to her exactly, but she was intoxicated by the scent of his cologne as he passed her. She tried to avoid eye contact with him, but the attraction was so thick in the air that she almost felt it. There was no denying that Seth was interested in her as well.
As Seth passed out the packets, Sasha glanced at his left hand to see if he was wearing a ring. The last thing that she needed was to have another married man end up in her life and her bed. Dealing with Lance made her more aware of the deceit that came along with dating. She was determined not to waste her time on another man who had nothing to offer her. Her heart was still broken and she knew that she was very vulnerable. Flirting with Seth was not appropriate, but she had to make a move. Whenever Sasha wanted something, she got it. And she felt a strong desire to get to know Seth on a more personal level. Sasha had a weakness for a lot of men and she did not doubt that she could have Seth too.
Sasha: African American Romance Page 4
