On the Other Side (15 page)

After dinner, they watched television for a short while. Damita then excused herself and went to bed.

“I'll be in after the news,” Neal said.

“Okay.”

Damita hoped he would fall asleep on the couch, as he sometimes did. However, he got into bed with her sometime around eleven-thirty. She was happy she had mentioned that it was her time of the month; at least she wouldn't have to worry about him trying to have sex with her. However, it didn't stop him from pulling her into his arms as soon as he got into bed. Once he was asleep, Damita removed his arms from around her and moved as far to the other side of the bed as possible.

The next morning Damita made sure she was up and out of the house before Neal woke up. Her recent procedure still fresh in her memory, Neal was the last person she wanted to see. She figured she could use the time to fully commit her energy to her work. When she arrived at the office at seven forty-five, she was surprised to find that Mr. Underhill was already there.

“Now, that's what I like to see; my employees in the office bright and early and ready to take on the world.”

“That I am. Anything good going on?” Damita asked.

“Indeed. We're romancing Kushner and Sloate.”

“Are you kidding me? That corporation has been on my wish list since I got into this game.”

“I'm happy to hear you say that, because I want you to be the
one to bring them in. Despite the high praise you have given some of your colleagues, you're the woman for the job.”

“Thanks, Mr. Underhill. I appreciate your confidence in me. I won't let you down.”

“Please see to it that you don't.”

Damita said, “I'm on it.”

“And, Damita, there's a bit more to sweeten the pot.”

“Please, tell me more!” she said, excitedly.

“If you nail this, there's a VP spot with your name on it. Now, get to work.”

“I will!”

When Wendy got in the office at nine, she made a beeline straight to Damita's office and shut the door.

“Well, I hear congratulations are in order, you heifer!”

“You heard already?”

“You know the rumor mill around here. Not only that, Kevin Wilson is fighting mad that he's not in the running for that VP spot or that Underhill didn't think he was capable of getting Kushner and Sloate, especially since Kevin has been running screens and researching Kushner for years now.”

“Who hasn't? Any investment banker worth their salt has had Kushner and Sloate on their radar for years. I'm sure we're not the only firm that is trying to get their business.”

“Yeah, I know. I wanted to congratulate you and warn you that Kevin, and maybe even some other folks around here, might be less than cooperative given their resentment.”

“What about you? You still got my back?” Damita asked.

“Hell yeah, I got your back. You earned this. Before you got married and got in that car accident, you spent more hours in this place than you did at home. You deserve it.”

“But what about you? Didn't you want it, too?” Damita asked.

“Our goals have always been different, Damita. We don't want or need the same things. I told you. I'm good at what I do, but I don't need this. I would be just as happy finding true love and being a portly housewife.”

“No, you wouldn't.”

“Yes, I would. I work because I have to, not because I love it. That's the difference between you and me. That's exactly why you deserve it. As far as Kevin Wilson, he doesn't have the stuff. You do.”

“I most certainly hope you're right.”

D
amita hit the ground running. She did her homework and was soon working eighty- to one-hundred-hour weeks once again. Not surprisingly, Neal hated it and was constantly in a bad mood, but he left her alone and that was fine with Damita.

“Hey, Dee.”

“Hey, chica.”

Carmella and Damita hadn't been in contact much since Damita found out she was being considered for the VP spot at Underhill, Simpson and Whitehall. Her hours were long and her work so intensive, she seldom had time to talk on the phone while she was at the office and by the time she was home, she was too exhausted to do anything but sleep.

“I can't wait until you get that damn Vice Presidency. I was afraid to call you today. I didn't want you to be pissed off that I was interrupting your work. I miss your ass.”

“I would never be pissed off at you for interrupting my work. And, I miss you, too.”

“I'm so glad to hear that, because I'm going to use my influence, as your best friend, to try to get you out of that damn office.”

“Oh Carmella, I ca—”

“Before you say you can't, I have to tell you, I'm calling you for more than social reasons. I saw something last week that I thought you should know about.”

“What? What is it?”

“I'd rather talk to you about it in person.”

“Okay. An hour is all I can do. Meet you at Fitzpatrick's in an hour?”

“See you in an hour.”

Carmella greeted Damita with a hug. “You look pretty damn good for a woman who has been working eighty-hour work weeks.”

“Eighty? I'm up to one hundred hours.”

“That is crazy.”

“Crazy and well worth it,” Damita responded.

“It would have to be.”

“So what's so important that it couldn't be discussed over the phone?” Damita asked.

“Wow! What, no cocktail, no small talk?”

“If anyone ever comes over and asks what we want,” Damita commented impatiently.

Carmella motioned to one of the waiters and he came over.

“You ladies ready to order,” the tall, handsome young man asked.

Carmella eyed the waiter seductively. “Apple martini for me,” she said.

“I'll have the same,” Damita said.

“Coming right up,” the waiter added, with a smile.

Damita laughed. “You are positively incorrigible. I can't believe you; eyeing that jailbait.”

“He's got to be legal or he wouldn't be working here.”

“You hope.”

“Besides, you know I've never been able to resist a Brazilian man. They're so damn sexy. I mean, look at that beautiful tanned skin,” Carmella said, as he returned with their drinks.

“Shhh,” Damita cautioned.

“I hope he does hear me. That'll remove some of the footwork. Then he'll know how hot I think he is.”

Damita shook her head in mock disgust.

Carmella began to pout. “That job is killing your spirit. You're no fun anymore.”

“I'm sorry. I promise, as soon as work lets up, we'll do something fun.”

“How fun?” Carmella asked.

“How does a week in Cabo sound?”

Carmella grinned and clapped her hands. “I'm going to hold you to that.”

“So, now that Brazil is gone, what's going on?”

“Well, I was at a club downtown last week and who should I see in a bright red dress with boobs and ass hanging out all over the place, but your colleague Tina.”

“Carmella, surely you didn't talk me into rescheduling my conference call so you could talk gossip?”

“No, honey, this isn't gossip. I saw it with my own eyes.”

“So, she's grown. I'm too busy to worry about what Tina's been up to.”

Carmella raised her eyebrows. “It's not what she's been up to. It's who she's been up to that concerns you.”

“Did you see her with Underhill? That's old news.”

“No, it wasn't Underhill she was with.”

“Are we going to keep playing Twenty Questions? Who was she with then?”

“It was your husband.”

Damita looked at Carmella with shock. “You must be mistaken.”

Carmella shook her head. “Nope, I saw the two of them as clear as day.”

“Maybe they bumped into one another. I've been so busy lately that quite frankly I've been happy that he's staying out of my hair and doing his own thing.”

“That, he is. Trust me; they were clearly more than two people who
bumped
into one another.”

Damita waved her hand dismissively. “I'll admit that I'm surprised, but to tell you the truth, I was biding my time until this deal was over and I was planning on leaving him anyway.”

“Really? It has been a long time. The last time we spoke it seemed like you guys were doing okay.”

“I thought we were, too, until I found out he was as controlling and manipulative as ever.”

“What happened?”

“Do you believe that fool was replacing my birth control pills?”

Carmella's eyes widened. “Wow! Are you serious?”

“Unfortunately, I am quite serious.”

“How did you find out?”

“I caught him in the act, but only after I got pregnant.”

“You're pregnant!”

“Not anymore.”

“No way! You had an abortion?”

Damita shook her finger at Carmella, cautioning her. “Yes. And, don't you dare mention any of this to my mother. Everybody is waiting for me to have a baby and I don't even know if I
ever
want to have children. It's way too much pressure.”

“You don't have to worry about me. I won't say a word. And, as far as waiting for you to get pregnant, that's a huge personal decision that you have to make on your own. You won't catch me interfering where I don't belong.”

“Thank you. That's nice to know.”

“What did Neal have to say about sabotaging your birth control?”

“I saw him doing it, but he doesn't know I saw him. I didn't say a thing. I backed out of the room and quickly made my appointment at the clinic to end what would have been a
huge
mistake. Do you believe I was actually considering going through with it for him? I have been such a fool. I don't plan on continuing that trend.”

“I'm glad to hear it. Was he okay with you having an abortion?”

“He doesn't know and I have no intention of telling him. He doesn't deserve to know.”

Carmella pursed her lips and nodded her head in agreement. “That is so true.”

Damita looked at her watch. “I hate to cut this short, but I have to go.”

“I knew that was coming. Aren't you even going to finish your martini?”

Damita quickly downed her drink. Damita was already on her feet and waving goodbye. “I'll call you when things let up a bit.”

“Yeah, sure you will. I won't hold my breath.”

“You know I love you,” Damita said.

“Yeah, yeah, so you say.”

Damita blew Carmella a kiss just before exiting the bar.

Damita returned to the office and worked until sometime around one a.m. When she got home, Neal was enraged and their bedroom appeared as though the place had been ransacked. There were papers thrown about and there was furniture turned over. On top of the coffee table in the living room was a huge quantity of what Damita assumed was cocaine.

Damita's face was a mixture of anger and confusion. “Neal, what is going on in here? Anyone could look in the window and see that. Or, what if I had come home with someone?”

“Don't worry about that. You don't have the right to ask me any
questions. I'm asking the questions now. What the fuck is this?”

He was waving a piece of paper in her face and he was so angry the veins were popping out on the side of his head. He started pacing around the living room.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” she said.

Neal took the piece of paper and shoved it in her face and held it there.

“Neal! Stop it!”

Damita tried pulling the piece of paper away from her face, but Neal just kept shoving it at her.

“I will stop when you tell me what this is?”

Damita finally grabbed the piece of paper and read it. It was a cancelled check from her bank, made out to ParkMed NYC. Her face dropped.

“Judging from your expression, I assume this is not a mix-up. Since you have your own gynecologist, I can also assume that you didn't go there for a checkup.”

“Let me explain.”

“What is there to explain? You were either there for some sort of STD treatment or for an abortion. Judging from the hefty price tag, I'm going to assume it was for the latter.”

Her expression suddenly shifted from fear and confusion to anger. Damita remembered not only her conversation with Carmella but also the fact that the only reason she had gotten pregnant in the first place was because he had sabotaged her birth control.

She tossed the cancelled check angrily to the floor. “You know, you've got some nerve. I don't have to explain anything to you! I saw you replacing my pills! And Tina! How could you? You've been fucking my colleague!”

Neal waved his hand dismissively. “Tina is nothing. What did
you expect me to do? You stopped sleeping with me. As usual, your job was more important than your marriage. I have needs and Tina took care of those needs when you wouldn't.”

One look at Damita's face demonstrated that she was hurt by the betrayal. “You couldn't have picked someone other than a woman I work with every day?”

“That's all you're concerned about isn't it; your sparkling reputation? What about what you did? You killed my baby and you didn't even give me a chance to have a say in the matter.”

“You didn't deserve a say.”

Damita could see Neal gritting his teeth and knew those final words were a mistake. She backed up, but not in enough time to prevent the inevitable. He hit her hard enough to knock her out of her shoes. She quickly recovered and attempted to fight back.

“Oh, so you think because you might have broken the glass ceiling, that you're one of the boys now? Bitch! You want to act like a man. I'm going to treat you like a man.”

He punched Damita in the face, the stomach, even the side of her head; and anywhere else his fists connected. Each time Damita tried to get off the floor and at least protect herself, he knocked her back down again. He pummeled her again and again, so much so that she couldn't even run.