Scarlett (13 page)

“I think I’ll put on these pink
Madden Girl
high heels.” She picked the shoes up to put them on. “Do you like them?”

“Hell, yeah,” said Nina. “That whole outfit is the shit.” Scarlett laughed. She heard her phone ringing and walked into the bathroom to get it. She looked at the caller ID. It was Jay.

She threw the phone over to Nina. “I don’t wanna talk to him.”

“Hell, me neither,” Nina replied. “Kick his grimy ass to the curb and let him and
High Yellow
do their thang. Shit, you don’t need him.”

“I know I don’t. I felt so bad today when Sheila kept going on about how good their sex was, and what a wonderful weekend they had together.”

Nina rolled her eyes. “I can’t stand that bitch. She is such a phony heifer. Red, just let it go,” she advised as the phone stopped ringing. “Hell, if I were you, I wouldn’t be dodging his calls. I’d tell his ass that I was going out with a sexy older man, and that we’re finished.”

Scarlett laughed. “Do you think it would be that easy?”

“Hell yeah, it’s about as easy as you make it. He didn’t care about your feelings this weekend when he went and laid up with
High Yellow,
so fuck his feelings.” The phone rang again and Nina threw Scarlett the phone. “Here’s your chance. He’s calling back again.”

Scarlett stared at the caller ID. “I don’t know—”

“Just answer the damn phone,” Nina demanded.

“Hello,” Scarlett answered.

“Hey baby. What are you doing?” Scarlett was quiet while Nina rolled her neck and moved her hands like she was telling Jay off.

“Do it,” Nina whispered. “You’ll feel better.”

“Um, hey Jay,” Scarlett said.

“What’s good with you? I wanted to come through and see you tonight.”

“Sorry, Jay, tonight ain’t a good night.”

“Why?”

“Because I already have plans for tonight, I’m going out on a date.” She smiled because Jay had gotten quiet.

“Put it on speaker,” Nina whispered. Scarlett put the phone on speaker so Nina could hear their conversation.

“Hello?” Scarlett said since Jay still hadn’t responded.

“Who are you going on a date with?” he questioned.

“Someone that has had interest in me for quite some time now,” she said. She and Nina quietly giggled.

“Do I know him?”

“No, Jay, and why do you care? Didn’t you just have a great weekend with Sheila?”

“So is this why you’re going out? Are you trying to get back at me?” he questioned.  

“To be honest, no it’s not, and I’m not trying to get back at you.”

“Well, tell me something,” Jay demanded.

“Wow,” Nina whispered. “He sounds pissed.” They giggled.

“Jay, don’t be asking any questions about what I’m about to do or who I’m about to do it with.” Nina heard the confidence in her voice.

“Don’t act like that, baby. You know we got something special.”

Nina fell on the floor trying to muffle her laugh.

“Something special,” she whispered. They continued to laugh quietly. “Jay, quit lying. You know we have nothing special. We never have. Yes, I cared for you and you were the only guy I slept with in the past six months, but that has changed and I’m moving on.”

“What do you mean, ‘changed’?”

“I mean that the night you came to the hotel and made passionate love to me, I’d just gotten laid right before you got there,” she said with intentions of hurting him like he’d hurt her. Jay was quiet. “So, I’m not the gullible one here, maybe Sheila is, because she thinks you’re so caught up in her, but look at you trying to get over here to see me.”

Jay took in a deep breath. He was caught off guard by Scarlett’s candid attitude. “So, that’s how it is? As long as we’ve been messing around, you’re gonna act like that now. It wasn’t long ago when you were all nappy headed and shit. Popping Xanax pills trying to stay high so you wouldn’t know what was really going on around you. You used to let your mama talk down on you and shit, and you got the nerve to come at me like this.” He took in a deep breath.

“It doesn’t surprise me that you were with another man before I came to the room to see you. Hell, you were fucking out of both pants legs when I got with you.” Scarlett stood there with her hand on hip. She looked at Nina and rolled her eyes at his comments. His true colors were showing. “What kind of woman tells a man that she’d been with more than twenty men? Most of which was when you were a teen. And you got the nerve to try to dis me, because you done cleaned yourself up? I was just using you for that good pussy, because you definitely got that, but nothing more, sweetie. I could never take you home to meet my mama.”

Scarlett laughed, to Jay’s surprise. “Are you finished? Thanks for telling me how you really feel. I wouldn’t expect anything more from a bitch ass nigga who I actually confided in, only to have the shit thrown up in my face when he can’t have his way. I’ve considered this whole experience a wakeup call, and I don’t need your trifling ass in my life. Damn right, I’ve cleaned up, and it feels good to sweep your ass right out the door along with the rest of my past and my trash. Maybe you should take a Xanax pill now, so that you can wrap your mind around the shit that just happened. It’s over, bitch, and don’t call my damn phone no more or I’ll hand it to Sheila so she can see just how trifling your ass really is. Come to think about it, y’all deserve each other. It’s been nice knowing you, now I have to finish getting ready for my date. Ciao!” she said, ending the call.

She and Nina fell across the bed laughing so hard.

“You told his ass, Red! He needed to hear that shit.”

“Yeah, I guess he did. I’m glad he pushed me to go there, because I don’t need his whorish ass anyway.” They continued to laugh. Scarlett’s phone rang again.

“Is it him again?” Nina asked.

“No,” Scarlett smiled as she looked at the caller ID:
New Man Friend
. She already knew who it was. “It’s him, the Pizza Hut delivery guy.”

“Answer it,” Nina said.

“Hello, my new man friend,” she answered.

“What’s up, Red?” 

“Hey Luke,” she said looking over at Nina and blushing. It tickled Nina to see how much Scarlett was enjoying this newfound attention.

“I just called to make sure you didn’t forget about me.”

“Oh yeah?” Scarlett responded.

“Yeah, and clear your calendar for Friday night. I’m taking you to the movies and out to eat.”

Scarlett grinned. “Oh yeah?” she said again.

“Yeah, and wear something comfortable. I have plans for you.”

“You’re very determined, aren’t you?”

“I’ve been told that a few times. I just know what I want, and right now, what I want is you.” He sounded sexier than a muthafucka to her and she loved every minute of it.

“You are a trip.” She laughed.

“I wanna take you on a trip somewhere far from here,” he said.

How could you take me on a trip with a Pizza Hut budget?
She thought.

“Don’t let my day job fool you, ma,” he said, already knowing what she was thinking.

“I hope you’re not a dope dealer, then.”

“Dope dealer,” he paused. “Ma, I don’t deal dope. That ain’t in my blood.”

“Well, what do you do?” she asked sitting on the side of the bed watching Nina who had started polishing her toe nails.

“I go to school, for one.”

Scarlett laughed. “I knew you were young. What, you’re a senior or sum?” she said, trying to be funny.

Luke laughed. “I could’ve been, but I dropped out for a whole term, and now I’m back in it.”

“Huh?” Scarlett said.

“I attend Emory University in Atlanta. I’m a junior and a pre-med major.”

Scarlett’s mouth dropped. “Are you serious?”

“Why would I lie, ma?”

“Wow, I didn’t expect to hear that.” She was shocked. “How old are you?”

“I’m turning twenty-three this weekend.”

“Your birthday is this weekend?” she asked.

“Yep, and I want to celebrate it with you.” Scarlett smiled at the thought of what he’d just said.

“You know what, I gave you nineteen at the most,” she grinned.

“That’s a compliment. You look young yourself.”

“I’m twenty-five,” she said.

“You look good baby, and just so you know, it’s true when they say that age ain’t nothing but a number.” Scarlett laughed. “Be ready at six on Friday evening. I’ll call first, so I’ll know where to come pick you up.”

“I never said I was going.” She commented.

“You didn’t have to. I already knew you would.”

She smiled. “I’ll be ready.”

“Have a great night, Red. I’m sure I will, after talking to you.” He grinned and ended the call. His smooth pickup lines were making her more interested in him than she realized. The fact that he was in school to get his medical degree was even more inspiring.

Scarlett put the phone down on her bed.

“What are you all smiles about?”

“He calls me
Red
Nina, and he’ll be turning twenty-three this weekend.”

“I like him already, girl,” Nina commented. 

“Yeah, and he’s in college for his medical degree.”

“Even better, I say he’s a keeper.” Nina added.

“I don’t know about this one, but I am going out with him Friday evening.” 

“That’s a start, my sister! Red is going out on her first date. Wow, at the rate you were going I thought you’d be forty-five before you realized that time was gonna pass you right on by if you didn’t get with the program. I told you there was more to life than just lying up with a man behind closed doors and fucking his brains out.”

“You did,” Scarlett agreed. “But, that’s because no man ever wanted to take me places.”

“Red, I always tried to tell you that you had to fix yourself up and do something with your hair. If you didn’t want more for yourself, who else was gonna want it for you, besides me?”

Scarlett began putting on her lip-gloss and pink eye shadow. She was looking very sexy. “You’re right, Nina.” She looked down at her watch. “It’s time for you to go. I have a good looking sugar daddy waiting for me.” They laughed.

“A’ight then… Never thought I would see the day when I was being put out by my best friend because she has a date. Wow, things have really changed.” They shared another laugh. 

“I’ll call you tomorrow and tell you how he rocked my world.”

“You know I love juicy gossip. Be careful, Red and have fun. Love you, girl.” Nina got up to leave.

“I love you, too.” Scarlett followed Nina out of the house as they both left, heading in different directions.

Scarlett pulled up to the Holiday Inn. She checked her face in the review mirror. She paused and sat there staring at herself. In that moment, she felt like she wasn’t the ugliest girl in the world. She even thought that she may have even been considered cute. She grabbed her pink Prada purse and got out of the car.

Scarlett walked down the long narrow hallway toward Greg’s room. When she got to the door, she knocked lightly. Greg opened the door with a welcoming smile on his face.

“Come on in,” he said. Scarlett took a quick look at him. He had on black bedroom slippers and a thick white cotton robe pulled together and tied around his waist. She smiled when she saw the candle light dinner for two. There was a chilled bottle of Moet in the champagne vase, filled with ice.

“Since I couldn’t take you out to dinner, I thought I’d bring dinner to you.”

“That is so sweet. No one has ever done anything remotely as nice as this for me,” she said, walking over to the table.

“You look great and smell good too.” Greg pulled out the chair so Scarlett could sit down. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips.

“I ordered your favorite from the Outback Steakhouse, sirloin steak tips and a baked potato.”

She laughed. “You’ve been paying more attention to me at the office than I thought.”

“I keep telling you that I got you.”

She smiled. “And your actions speak much louder than your words.” They laughed and Greg poured Scarlett a glass of cognac on the rocks. She drank the whole glass in one gulp.

“Damn, baby. Slow down. It’s plenty where that came from.”

Scarlett wiped her mouth. “My bad, I was thirsty.” Remy Martin XO Excellence tasted nothing like her MD 20/20. It had a more sophisticated taste to it, and she reveled in feeling like royalty while she sat across from her Dark Knight.

Greg poured her another glass of cognac. This time he filled it up a little more and added a couple cubes of ice.

“This room is very nice,” Scarlett said as she looked around it.

“It better be. It’s a suite and I love nothing but the best.” He bit his steak tip and ate some of his baked potato. “Is your food good?”

“It always is,” she responded, trying not to talk with a mouth full of food.

“I’m gonna plan a weekend where we can get away together. I’ll give you the details later. Then I’ll be able to take you out to a nice restaurant and watch you shop until you drop.”

Scarlett laughed. She couldn’t wait for this trip to happen. Greg was so nice to her and she loved every minute of it.

She sat across the table from him and smiled. “I wish it could be like this all the time.” She whispered.

“Sweetheart, if you stick with me, you’ll never know what it’s like to be treated unfairly by another man. You’ll get so used to this treatment, until you’ll never want to settle for anything less. You deserve it and so much more. Drink up. It’s two more bottles when that one is gone.”

“I’m taking one of these bottles home. Nina is going to love this.”

“Nina… is that your home girl? She is the one that stops by the office sometimes, right?”

“Yeah, that’s her. She says you look like Denzel,” Scarlett chuckled. She was feeling the buzz from the drink.

Greg laughed at her comment. “I get that sometimes,” he said casually. He pushed his food to the side. “I’ve had enough of this. Now I want something a little more tasteful. Come over here when you’re done,” he said. Scarlett finished eating and drank some more of her cognac.

She looked over at Greg. “That was delicious.”

“I aim to please,” he said and patted bed. “Come sit down next to me.”