Skeletons (9 page)

19

Jovanna

I
gnoring the intensifying ache in my thighs I hit the plus button on the treadmill to set the incline to ten percent which made my heart pump harder and sent my heart rate soaring to the target of one hundered and ninety beats per minute. With the sounds of Busta Rhymes ringing through my ears I pounded harder and harder on the machine as if I were running from something, but like in reality I was running on a treadmill, but getting nowhere regardless of how fast I ran my problems only followed me.

Ignoring the sweat that poured down my face I picked up the pace a little; my breathing was harsh and I was beginning to lose my form which made my workout even harder. Feeling a light tap on my shoulder I looked over to find my workout partner, Asteria, looking at me with concern in her eyes.

Turning down my iPod and the pace on the treadmill I slowed down to a brisk jog and took the ear buds out of my ringing ears.

“Hey girl you are going hard over there; is everything okay?” she asked as she walked holding on to the rails.

“Yeah, I’m cool; just trying to shed a few pounds before the wedding.” I lied.

I didn’t want to tell her that Chad had called me three times in the past two days. I didn’t want to concern her with the fact that he not only threatened my life, but also the life of my soon to be husband. I wouldn’t dare tell my best friend about my past life as a stripper turned prostitute. So I lied.

“I have to be able to fit into that five-thousand-dollar Vera Wang gown by June.”

“Girl you are the last person that needs to lose some weight, your body is perfect.” Asteria complemented.

“My secrets are well hidden.” I winked.

After our workout, Asteria and I went to lunch at Noodles & Company, but I found it difficult to concentrate while she talked about her troubles with this anonymous man that she has been dealing with. I guess she mistook my silence for me not wanting to hear her whine about him not spending the night, but my mind was in another place.

“I think that I’m going to fire Keisha.” She said changing the subject.

“Really, I thought that she was doing better.”

Asteria shook her head, “Her work is great, but she is too unprofessional and I’m sick of dealing with it.”

“Wow that was sudden Asteria, being how all of this time when Pandia wanted to fire her, you were the one defending Keisha.” I said in between bites of my salad.

“I gave her the benefit of the doubt, but now I don’t see a change in things with her ghetto ass so she has got to go.”

The look on my friend’s face was undeniable, she wanted Keisha gone and she wanted her gone now.

“Well if you say so, but just let the girl down easy.”

“I have to talk to my sister about it first, but Keisha will be gone by this time next week for sure.”

Just then a familiar face walked into the restaurant; dressed flawlessly in an expensive peanut butter and tan three-piece suit with matching peanut butter fedora Chad strolled in with a Don Diego cigar perched between his thick lips.

“I’m sorry sir, but this is a non-smoking restaurant.” The hostess said as she seated him two tables away from us.

“Don’t worry sweetheart, I am not going to light it?” his raspy Southern accent was undeniable.

I couldn’t believe my eyes as my antagonist sat only ten feet from me, I wanted to get up and run out of the door, but I didn’t want to raise suspicion in Asteria so I tried to keep my cool the best that I could.

“Wow look at that zoot suit!” Asteria joked. “He sure is clean.”

“Yeah that is a pretty nice suit.” I managed through the huge lump of fear that formed in my throat. “I’m finished, are you ready to go?”

Asteria couldn’t take her eyes off of Chad, he held the room’s attention with his good looks and Southern swagger, but I knew what kind of secrets that he had hidden in his closet. As I beckoned to the waitress to bring the check he turned towards our table and walked over, removing the fedora his devilish eyes pierced my skin sending a chill down my spine.“Good afternoon ladies.” His raspy southern drawl took Asteria by surprise.

“Good afternoon,” she spoke, “Nice suit I don’t see many men dressed like that around here, but judging from your southern accent you aren’t from around here.”

“No mam I come from Memphis, Tennessee home of the blues.” He smiled as he made his way towards our table.

I sat motionless unable to breathe, Asteria looked at me as if I were missing a screw in my head. Not wanting to look at his face, I glanced at the solid gold cufflinks that rested perfectly on his sleeve, my eyes making their way down at the peanut butter gators that embraced his size twelve feet. The scent of Versace Man filled the air around us as he stood close enough to touch. For what Chad lacked in morality he made up for it in presentation.

Looking at me through eyes that were as cold as the January wind in Chicago he said, “How are you?”

His dark skin was almost free of imperfections except the reminder that someone tried to kill him long ago then I remembered quickly what type of man that was standing before my friend and I. “I’m fine.” I said coldly, “We were just leaving.” I said as I pulled my credit card from my wallet placing it in the basket on top of the check.

“I have never been to this restaurant before, would you ladies be so kind as to recommend something to me.” He asked my friend.

“I just had the pasta Fresca, but you look like a man who likes meat so I’d suggest the spaghetti and meatballs for you.” Asteria suggested. “Their spaghetti is to die for, but since we just finished working out I decided on something light.” She flirted as she batted her thick lashes.

“That sounds great. What did you have pretty girl?” he asked with his icy eyes piercing my skin.

“I just had a salad.” I answered quickly.

“What brings a man like you to St. Louis?” Asteria asked.

“Business as usual.” He smiled. “I have to get with a former business associate of mine, but this associate has been rather reluctant to meet with me.”

“Well sometimes you just grab them by the throat and make them see things your way.” Asteria said.

“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” He said looking directly at me.

“Hi my name is Asteria by the way.” She said extending her hand.

Chad kissed the back of my unassuming friend’s hand, “Nice to meet you Asteria. What an unusual name.”

“Asteria is the Goddess of night and falling stars.” She flirted.

“Oh I see.” He said, “how poetic.”

“Poetic, you are the first person to say that my name is poetic.” She was already being wooed by his charm.

“What is your friend’s name?” he asked her as I signed the receipt.

They waited for me to answer, instead I ignored him.

“This is Jovanna, who has seemed to have gone mute on us.” She introduced me to someone that I knew all too well.

I stood in a hurry which took Asteria by surprise as she wanted to continue to flirt with danger. Chad stepped back to let me pass him, Asteria followed, but not before saying her goodbyes and handing him her business card.

“Girl what is wrong with you?” she asked as she rushed behind me trying to catch up, “I was about to get my flirt on.”

“You don’t even know him Asteria.” I said as I put my coat on while we made our way out of the restaurant door.

“Okay, I was trying to get to know him; maybe he is just what I need to finally forget about the loser that I’m dealing with now.”

“You need to be a little more careful with who you let in your bed.” I put.

That last statement stopped my friend in her tracks as she stood on the passenger side of my car with her mouth handing open, “What is that supposed to mean?”

“I’m sorry, that slipped out.” I apologized, “Let’s just forget that I said that.”

“No I don’t think that I can forget that Jovanna.” She fumed as she got in my car and slammed the door, “I feel as if you are judging me.”

“I’m not judging you Asteria and I apologize for what I said now let’s just forget it.” I started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot. I knew that I had to get Chad his money and I had to do it as soon as possible.

“You know what Jovanna, I’m hurt by what you said and I don’t think that I can just forget about it. Do you think that you are better than me because you are about to marry this white dude?”

“What does Justin have to do with any of this?” I asked.

“I’ve known you for ten years and it just seems as if since Justin asked you to marry him sometimes you act just like Pandia thinking that you are better than me.”

“I don’t think that I’m better than anyone Asteria, I was just distracted and I didn’t mean to say what I originally said.” I defended myself. “I’m not about to argue with you about this, I apologized and if you don’t want to accept it then so be it.”

Asteria looked at me through silted eyes, “I think that you’d better put the pedal to the metal Jovanna because I am feeling some sort of way right now and being that you are one of my best friends, I think that it would be best that you got me to my car as soon as possible.”

We rode back to the gym in silence, when I pulled alongside Asteria’s blue Avalon she opened the door and got out, “I don’t know what the fuck is going on with you Jovanna, but you really need to check yourself before you lose a good friend.” She slammed my car door so hard that my car rocked.

I couldn’t think of Asteria as I drove home, all that I could think about was seeing Chad; how did he know that I was there? I wondered. I questioned if he’d been following me and if he knew where Justin and I lived. I looked in my rearview mirror and no one was behind me, but to be safe I took a few detours before I was comfortable enough to drive to our home in the city where my future husband awaited me.

20

Asteria

I
couldn’t believe that the bitch had the audacity to speak to me when I walked into the salon Tuesday morning. Keisha may have known how good Keith’s dick felt inside of her the other night, but what she didn’t know was that I was five minutes away from knocking that stupid lip piercing out of her mouth. Making it my business to speak to everyone but her I held my head high as I strutted to the back office where I contemplated on how I was going to fire her crooked ass.

“Hey girl what’s up, I got your text.” Pandia said when she came into the office to put her coat away. My sister looked as if she hadn’t slept in days Keith was putting her through hell and for that I felt terrible.

“I think that we should fire Keisha.” I put bluntly.

My sister looked suprised, “Wow that was random; I thought that you were her number one fan.”

“Well I changed my mind she is not working out as I once thought and she needs to be let go immediately.”

Pandia sat down across from me, “Tell me the real reason Asteria.”

“The real reason is that the bitch is unprofessional as hell and I’m tired of having to correct her mistakes the other stylists are starting to complain about her. It’s not like she has dedicated clients so losing her won’t hurt the salon at all.”

“You know I’ve never liked the girl in the first place, but if we fire her that will leave an unoccupied chair in the salon and we need that rent money Asteria.”

My sister was right, we needed to keep someone in that station at all times. “It won’t be a problem getting someone back in that station; there are stylists graduating from beauty schools all of the time and those people are looking for a chair and an opportunity.”

Pandia tapped her unkempt nails on the glass-top desk and sucked her teeth while she thought it over, “You are right Asteria, let’s move forward and let her go, but since this was your great idea I’ll let you handle it.” She said as she stood to go out to her station where she had a client waiting.

I couldn’t wait to call that bitch in to my office and fire her ass.

Looking in the mirror I admired all of the hard work that I’d put in at the gym because unlike my sister I refused to get out of shape just because I had a baby. I kept my stomach flat, my ass and legs were tight as a runner’s and my arms weren’t flabby. Since I owned a salon I made sure that my hair stayed on point and I never had chipped nail polish on my feet or fingertips. I hate to be conceited, but a bitch looked good that is why it is hard to fathom why Keith would want to fuck around with a sloppy, broke bitch like Keisha.

I kept myself busy with paperwork until after lunch when I stepped out of the office and noticed that Keisha was sitting in her styling chair waiting on a client but this time she didn’t have the usual sour look on her face, this time she looked happy.

“Keisha, do you mind if I have a word with you?” I asked.

She got up from her chair and followed me into my office; I was feeling good about myself.

“Have a seat.” Keisha plopped down in the chair and looked at me with a slight smirk on her face.

“Keisha, you have come a long way here and I’m rather suprised at how much you have learned. Your hair cutting and styling techniques have improved greatly in the past six months.”

Keisha looked at me blankly, “And…”

“And, unfortunately with all of the improving that you have done you still lack the professionalism that it takes to work in a salon of this caliber. With that being said, I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to let you go.”

Keisha’s laugh took me by surprise. “You are something else Asteria.” She chuckled.

Growing angry and confused I asked, “What?”

“Please tell me that you are not firing me because I had a little piece of Keith the other night.”

I looked at her in astonishment.

“If that is the case then Pandia should have fired your scandalous ass a long time ago.” She continued.

Swallowing hard I rose from my throne of power, but felt as small as peasant. “Excuse me?”

Keisha smiled, showing off a set of teeth that were in need of dental work. “I saw you watching us the other night and I hope that you like what you saw.” Standing, she moved towards me “Keith is amazing, you have no idea how many times he made me come. Well come to think of it you do know, being how it is that you have been fucking your sister’s husband for the past three years and all. I wonder how well you sleep at night?”

Resisting the urge to slap Keisha back into her mother’s womb, I quietly listened as she went on.

“Now if I were you, I wouldn’t want my sister or my friends and family to know how devious I am so it might be in your best interest to let me get back to work.” Keisha winked at me with thick baby doll lashes and strutted out of the office, leaving me standing there with my mouth hanging open.

How did she know that I was watching them that night, I was certain that I was well hidden in the darkness of the salon. Furthermore, how did she know that Keith and I were seeing one another all of this time? Pissed off I grabbed my cellphone and dialed Keith’s number, but as usual he let it ring to voicemail. Hanging up I sat in my office for the rest of the day, not wanting to be bothered by anyone.

“You know that was real fucked up what you did to my truck the other night.” Keith said as he walked into my house. Still wearing his brown police uniform; it use to turn me on to see him in uniform, but tonight he sickened me. Many nights we played cop and robber while he was still in uniform having sex in the backseat of his squad car. He scooped Latif into his arms and kissed my son on his forehead.

“How is my little man?” He played with my son as I looked at him through hateful eyes. “What is the matter now?” Keith asked when he put Latif back down to play with his toys.

I slapped Keith across his face as hard as I could, “How dare you!” I spat. “I saw you fucking Keisha last night you dirty bastard.” I fought hard to keep the tears from my eyes.

Keith touched to the side of his face with one hand and he grabbed me around my throat with the other. Pushing my back against the living room wall knocking a picture of Latif and I onto the floor where it shattered scaring my son who started to scream. I tried fighting him back, but I was no match for Keith as he was much stronger than I was.

“I don’t give a fuck who you think you are and I don’t give a damn if that little boy is mine or not, but I do know that if you ever in your life put your hands on me again, you will regret it from your hospital bed!” he spat in my face slamming my head against the wall.

Holding my throat I screamed at the man who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, the man whom I betrayed my own twin sister for, “Get out of my house and don’t you ever come back!”

Keith bent down and kissed our crying son on his forehead, “Don’t worry little man, your momma is just tripping, I’ll be back later on.”

Keith looked at me with contempt written all over his face as he turned to walk out of the door leaving me crying and alone with no one to talk to because no one would ever understand. Latif came to me as I sat on the floor and kissed me softly on my face, I held on to my son as he was the only person who loved me because at this point I didn’t even love myself.