A Pimp In Pumps (11 page)

              I agreed with a nod. “You’re right. They always seemed a little bit too close. I wonder how long they’ve been fucking right under my nose. What if they fucked in my bed?”

              The thought made my skin crawl. I’d have to get rid of our marital bed asap. There was no way I could keep laying there wondering.

              “Let’s hope not.” Cherie frowned as I passed her the blunt. She took a pull and blew the smoke out of her nose. “So, what are you gonna do?”

              “About what?”

              “Your situation. Ain’t you gonna sue him for alimony or something. He can’t leave you to fiend for yourself like that. You need a lawyer asap.”

              I agreed with her, but I hadn’t thought past my heartache.

              “Yeah, but I haven’t got the divorce papers yet.”

              She looked at me like I was crazy. “Do you need them? Shit, you need to be divorcing him. Shit, you can prove he cheated.”

              “Yeah, but…” I rubbed my temples in frustration. “I don’t even want to think that far ahead.”

              “Well you have to. Look around. All this expensive ass shit that you two accumulated together is not going to pay for itself.”

              She was right, but I’d deal with all of that later.

              “I know Cherie, but right now I just want to get myself together. I’ll deal with a divorce and all of that later. Right now, I need to be able to pull myself out of the bed in the morning.”

              “I second that. I hate to see you like this. It ain’t you. Bitch, you’ve been through worse. This shit here is a piece of fucking cake and you know it. I’ve never seen you let shit get you down before. Don’t start now. I don’t hang with weak bitches. You know that.”

              Taking the blunt from her outstretched hand, I let out a sarcastic laugh. “I know I have been through worse, but, Kamal and Jordan were so close to me. My husband and my bestie. Damn, I ain’t superwoman. I’ve been holding in my feelings for so long that I feel so overwhelmed Cherie. A person can only take so much before they break. It’s part of being human.” As I took a hit of the blunt, Cherie put her arm around my shoulder.

              “You have me and I’m your bestie too. I’ll help you in whatever way I can. Don’t worry. I’ll find you a good divorce lawyer and we’ll make sure you get every penny back that you deserve from that nigga. I can’t believe Jordan though.” Cherie shook her head. “She need a bullet in her ass. I’m gonna be straight up with you. Divorce is the cute, legal way I’m sure you want to deal with it. If it was me though bitch, I’d kill them both.”

              I believed her and as much as I played out several scenarios of murder in my head, my survival was more important at the moment.

              “Girl, you just don’t know how bad I would love to torture them and then make them stop breathing, but right now, I have to think about me. It’ll be stupid for me to do something rash and unplanned. Shit, I know I ain’t getting none no time soon, but I love dick too much to be in somebody’s prison. Fuck Kamal…and Jordan, as much as I love them both. I gotta find a way to let it go, but damn Cherie. This shit is hard.” The tears started again and she pulled me into her for a hug.

              “I know it is. Shit, no matter how hard we try to be, sometimes we have to cry. That’s all fine and dandy, but after you let it all out, I want you to do something about it. Okay. I don’t want you sitting in here in a funk. You have to keep going no matter what else is going on. Do you hear me? You gotta make it, because you’re still breathing and you’re still beautiful. As long as you’re healthy and you have life in you, you can love again Sasha.”

              Damn, that was some real shit coming out of my friend’s mouth. She was absolutely right. I had to let it out and then climb out of the dark hole I’d buried myself in. It was time to join the land of the living, because like she had said, I was still alive.

              “Why the fuck did I let you in here?” I smiled at her after we separated from our hug.

              Cherie laughed as she wiped the tears from my face. “Because you already knew that you needed me. It’s okay to need somebody Sasha.”

              I nodded. “Thank you Cherie.”

              “No problem boo. That’s what friends are for right? Now let’s get out of here and go grab something to eat and some drinks. I know the perfect place.”

              “Uh, like you said bitch, I look a hot ass mess.”

              She waved me off. “Bye Felicia. You got mad wigs in there. Pick one. You got a walk in closet full of shit. Pick something. You got make up galore. Put on some and let’s fucking go.”

              “Damn, you a bossy ass bitch.”

              “Yup and that’s why I’m single. Chop chop!” She snapped her fingers.

              I jumped up from the sofa and ran off to get ready.

* *  *

              That Monday morning I was up early, ready for a new week. It was time to get back to life like my girl Cherie had said. There was no need to crumble and let what had happened defeat me. You could never get a good woman down and although two more of the most important relationships of my life were over, I was not. As a matter of fact, my life was just beginning.

              Staring at my curvaceous frame in the mirror, I couldn’t help but to be feeling myself. I had to admit that I looked damn good in my gray pencil skirt, money green blouse, gray suit jacket, and, money green booties. My makeup was flawless and I was ready to work toward that promotion that I wanted.

              The way I saw it, Cherie was right. All of the luxurious shit around me wasn’t going to pay for itself. I had a mortgage, car note, utilities and the expensive ass lifestyle that I was used to. There was no way that I was going to fall off and let Kamal and Jordan think they had won. That was some bullshit that I wasn’t going to let happen.

              After brewing some coffee and eating a croissant with eggs and bacon, I headed out. Traffic was heavy as usual, so I was glad that I had left early. Thirty minutes later and a few laughs from listening to Ricky Smiley’s morning show, I was about to pull into my designated spot. That’s when I noticed a black Mercedes CLK convertible in my space.

              Oh, hell nah. That was my designated spot and I had been parking there for the past two years. Everybody knew that. I drove off trying to keep my cool and found an empty spot that was a little bit further than I wanted to walk in my six inch heels.

              With my attitude in tow, I stormed inside of the building ready to find out who had decided to get on my bad side for the day.

              “Hey John,” I said to the tall, dark skinned security guard.

              “Hey Mrs. Montgomery. How are you?” He was polite as usual.

              “Not too good. Somebody’s parked in my spot.”

              His smile suddenly faded. “Oh, I’m sure it’s a good explanation for that.”

              “Well, I guess you’re telling me that you don’t have one.”

              He shook his head. “No ma’am. I don’t. Uh…”

              “It’s alright. I’ll get to the bottom of it myself.” I dismissed him and walked off toward my office.

              My boss, a middle aged white man named Mr. Kenneth Bradley, was standing right there at my door when I walked up.

              “Oh, good morning Mr. Bradley. Perfect timing. You’re just the person I want to see.”

              I was relieved to know that I would be getting to the bottom of everything expeditiously.

              “Mrs. Montgomery…”

              Damnit, I was sick of hearing that shit already and I couldn’t wait until I legally changed my name.

              “Please, call me Sasha.”

              He nodded. “Sasha. We need to talk…now.”

              “Yes, we do. Somebody parked in my space and…”

              “Can we go in your office please. I don’t think this is the place for that talk.” He looked around.

              “Oh, of course. I’m sorry sir.” My heart started to beat erratically as I pulled out the key to open my office door.

              I sat behind the desk and he sat across from me.

              “Okay, let me begin,” he said after clearing his throat.

              My complaint about my parking space was put on the back burner. I guess what I’d just told him didn’t matter. Then it occurred to me that he wanted to talk to me about something. My nerves were really bad. Maybe I’d taken way too much time off.

              “Your parking space has been taken for a reason. Your position is no longer needed here Sasha. I’m sorry. We’ve been downsizing and at first I was going to promote you. That was before you started taking so much time off. I saw so much potential in you, but now all I can see is that you’re not as reliable as I once thought. You’ve been calling out for two weeks straight and I can’t build a business around people who are not here. I’m so sorry…”

              At that point he started to sound like the teacher on the Charlie Brown cartoons.

              “Whomp whomp whomp whomp whomp whomp whomp whomp…”

              “Are you firing me?” I cut him off wanting him to get past the bullshit.

              “Yes, we no longer need you, so you can clear your office and…”

              “What the fuck!” It didn’t matter if the real me came out at that point. “Are you serious? I’ve busted my ass for this company for four years and I can’t even take my PTO when I need to. Do you know what I’ve been through Mr. Motherfucking Entitled Ass Bradley? If you did you wouldn’t be in here firing me right now! My husband is divorcing me! He left me for my best friend because I put this sorry ass job before him! You think I’d just take time off for nothing when I’ve never done that shit before! Fuck you, this job and that fucking parking space!!”

              As I stood up, I knocked everything off my desk including the computer.

              “Mrs. Montgomery!” He yelled as he moved out of the way. “I will have you escorted out of here by security if you don’t get yourself together. Now, I understand that you’re upset. I didn’t know about your personal…situation. I’m sure you’ll need time to get all of your…issues in order. In the meantime, we’re offering you a very good severance package.”

              He passed me an envelope and then gave me a sympathetic look. I was trying to get my breathing and my temper in check, but that shit was a task. All I wanted to do was slap him with that damn envelope that was now in my hands.

              “I hope you know that this is really fucked up. You just don’t know what I sacrificed and it was all for nothing!”

              “Please, just leave while you still have your dignity Sasha.”

              I stared up at the man who had hired me with daggers in my eyes and thought about stabbing him in the throat with one of my ball point pins. Instead of reacting, I took his advice. There were a few personal items that I did want to pack up though, so I asked for him to excuse me.

              “Can you give me a minute to get my things together.” My voice was calm.

              He fixed his tie before turning to leave.

              “I do apologize that things worked out this way…Sasha. I’ll be happy to give you a reference in the future.”

              After that I heard the door close behind him.

Chapter 7

A month later…

             
“A rooftop party. Now that’s hot!” Cherie said excitedly as I filled her in on what I’d come up with for Serg’s party.

              It seemed that I didn’t have anything else to do with my time, so planning the event of the year was my task. After losing my man, my best friend and my job, I felt hopeless. At least my girl trusted in me enough for me to help her. It made me feel like I had a purpose.