I know I said that the only reason I wouldn't update Revenge in Stilettos was if I was hit by a car or had no internet access. Well, you'll be happy to learn that my internet and my health are all intact! But I do have a good reason for not adding a new volume. It's really good...
I LAUNCHED MY OWN WEBSITE!!! I'm officially official with my own domain name and everything! When you check it out you'll see samples of my diverse body of work as well a blog. I've got screenplays, short stories and this is where the Revenge in Stilettos saga will continue.
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Monday, August 16, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Revenge in Stilettos Vol. 3
Sol is running late. She wasn’t happy with Greg for keeping her out late last night knowing she was meeting her girlfriends at 11. She shakes her head as she recounts her disastrous night with Greg’s friends. The sooner she can get to the restaurant and share her drama the better. Her friends always have good advice.
Sol pulls her white Audi S4 into the parking lot and runs inside as quickly as her 4-inch pumps will allow. The Belvedere is a posh, European bistro located inside the Peninsula Hotel. Candace and Sol meet their friends Tracy and Shawn on the patio every Saturday for brunch and mimosas.
Sol walks out onto the veranda towards her friends. They are already seated at their favorite table that looks out onto Santa Monica Blvd. The ladies all look up and greet their late arrival.
“Hey girl!” Shawn greets her with a smile. They exchange cheek kisses.
“You’re never late, Sol. Are you okay?” Candace questions with a frown.
Sol smiles, she expected the inquisition from Candace. “I’ve got a story for you guys but first I need a latte!”
Tracy looks down at Sol’s feet, “Damn girl, I’m feelin’ those Louboutins! What size do you wear again?” Sol stops and does a quick model for Tracy before sitting.
“You aren’t coming anywhere near my new shoes Tracy! Don’t even think about it!” Sol laughs and looks around the table, “So how is everyone today?”
Tracy smiles, “I’m fine but the question is, how is Candace?” She swivels in her chair to face her friend. “Soooo, I hear you got quit Miss Candy!”
Candace’s mouth drops open, “Wow, thanks for the support! You’re lucky you’re one of my best friends because don’t nobody talk to me like that!” She playfully punches Tracy in the arm. “You think because you’ve known me since the third grade that you can talk to me any ole way?”
“Uh, yeah! We’re damn near family! I’m just mad I wasn’t the first person you called about Ron dumping you! I mean shit, thankfully Sol here can’t hold water or who knows when I woulda found out!”
Sol chimes in, “There’s no secrets here. She was going to tell you Tracy.”
Shawn looks confused, “Ron left you? Where have I been in all this?”
Tracy cuts in, “At home with your fine ass husband! Don’t worry Shawn I wouldn’t even know the president was black if I had all that man at home with me!” She takes a sip of her water and directs her attention back to Candace, “Now back to you keeping shit from me.”
Candace rolls her eyes. “I was not keeping things from you! I was going to tell you today, I just didn’t want you showing up at Ron’s house with your pistol! We all know how crazy your ass can be!”
“Don’t act like you know me bitch! I woulda brought my knife, it’s harder for those CSI’s to trace!”
The women were laughing so hard that they didn’t notice that their favorite server, Warren, was standing at their table. “Uh oh! The cackling is starting early today! How about a round of mimosa’s to keep the party going?”
They greet him in chorus, “Hey Warren!” The women loved having Warren as their waiter. He was funny and had a body better than any athlete they’d ever seen! He made terrific eye candy.
Candace grabs her menu and hands it to Warren, “I’ll take you up on that offer, sir!” She looks around the table, “You guys know I already know what I want.”
Shawn chuckles, “Yeah, yeah, crab crepes.” She studies her menu, “I’ll take that mimosa, Warren, but I’m going to need a few more minutes.”
“No problem Shawn.” Warren smiles, “You’re looking fantastic by the way!”
Shawn blushes, “Thanks.”
Tracy smacks Warren with her menu, “You better quit flirting with my friend before I tell your man!”
Warren laughs loudly, “Shut your mouth Tracy! If I had a man to tell he’d compliment her too! Do you know what you’d like to order?”
“I’m feelin’ good today so I think I’m going to get some of that famous mac n’ cheese!”
He writes her order on his pad and peeks at her. “Do I need to even ask you about the drink?” Tracy winks at him
Candace looks at Tracy, “You’re trying to spend all day on the treadmill tomorrow aren’t you?”
“Mind your business woman!”
Sol looks at Warren, “I’m going to need a few minutes too hun. I’m having an indecisive moment but I will take a latte.”
“Aww, no mimosa today?”
“Not after the night I had!”
“Okay, I’ll be back in a few for the rest of your orders!” Tracy admires Warren’s behind as he walks back into the restaurant.
Candace directs her attention towards Sol, “So, what happened last night?”
Sol puts her hand on her forehead and groans, “Oh my god I’ve never been so embarrassed in my whole life! So I’ve told you guys how Greg and his friends at work have this weird money competition thing going on right? Well one of them just bought a new house in Brentwood, it’s actually a few houses down from OJ Simpson’s house. Anyway, I went along even though I really wanted to stay home and talk to Greg about our future. Do you know that he’s never brought up the conversation of us getting engaged? And every time that I do he starts some sort of fight and I always end up apologizing!”
Tracy cuts her off, “What the hell are you apologizing for? For doing everything his ass wants? Are you kidding me Sol?”
“Let her finish Tracy.”
“Thanks Candace. He’s really good with arguments Tracy. He IS a lawyer! He has a way of turning the conversation around to make me feel like I’m wrong for even bringing it up!
“But back to last night, we get to the house and I run into Shelly. She’s the girlfriend of one of Greg’s friends. We kinda had a connection because she’s another long-time girlfriend, she’s been with Nick for four years! We’d sit around at these get-togethers and talk about our men and how they won’t commit. Well, I was looking forward to another conversation with her and she shows up with a ring on! Nick proposed to her the night before!”
Candace gasps, “Oh no, really?”
“I tried to be happy for her but inside I felt like crap! But here’s the worst part; one of the wives walks up to me and asks me where my husband was! I told her that Greg and I weren’t married and she was like ‘Oh I figured since you’ve been together so long that you two were married. My mistake! I guess not everyone’s as lucky as Shelly!’ Can you believe her?”
“That bitch!” Tracy spat. “She knew what she was doing! That was intentional! You need to bring me to the next one of these functions and point her ass out! What’d you do after she said that?”
“I burst into tears and ran into the bathroom! I didn’t know what else to do!”
Shawn tries to console her, “I’m sorry you had to go through that Sol.”
“What is it with men and commitment?” Candace wonders out loud. “What’s a woman gotta do to get a ring on her finger?”
Tracy looks at Sol, “What you need to do is get pregnant! Trap his ass! If he don’t marry you at least you’ll have a steady stream of income for the next eighteen years! It worked with Trevor, his dumb ass didn’t see me coming!”
Sol laughs, “Stop it Tracy! How’s your lil’ man doing anyway?”
“Bad as ever! You know what his behind did yest—’’ suddenly a car driving down Santa Monica stops in front of the restaurant loudly playing W.T.P. by Eminem. “Wait a minute, that’s my song!” Tracy throws her hands in the air and sings along,
“So let’s have us a lil bash
If anyone asks,
It ain’t no one but us trash,
You don’t know you betta ask somebody,
Cuz we’re having a White Trash Party!”
Candace stares at Tracy, shaking her head. “You have to be the ghettoist white chick that I’ve ever met! Why must you insist on acting a fool in public?”
Tracy laughs, “Oh shut up Inglewood! We grew up on the same street!”
“Yes but we don’t live there anymore! I’ve managed to evolve, wanna join me?”
“Negative!”
Warren returns with their drinks and takes Shawn and Sol’s orders. Shawn orders the ahi tuna and Sol decides on the risotto.
The women all sit back in their chairs enjoying the sunshine and atmosphere. “You know what?” Tracy blurts out. “I’m tired of men! They get to come and go as they want and treat women however they want!” Her friends shake their heads in agreement. “I mean, Ron could’ve been steppin’ out on you Candace, you ever think about that? And Greg may be gay Sol, you ever think about THAT?”
Sol chokes on her latte, “What? Why would you say that? That’s terrible!”
“I’m not saying that he IS gay, Sol! I’m just trying to make the point that we women are subjected to these problems with our men and we have no solutions. We just have to sit around on a Saturday afternoon and bitch about so-and-so who’s doing us wrong. There’s no recourse is what I’m saying!”
Candace jumps in, “I see where you’re going with this girl! We have no power! I just wish there were a way to get back at the men who do us dirty. They wouldn’t know who it was or where it was coming from but things would just start happening to them.”
Tracy cuts her off, “Oooh yeah like their car gets keyed and tires slashed!”
Candace rolls her eyes, “No, not that ghetto shit Tracy! Anyone can do that! I’m talking about sophisticated, calculated revenge.”
Sol shakes her head, “I don’t like the sound of all of that. What’s the point?”
Shawn agrees, “That just seems like it’d be kind of desperate if women were running around trying to get revenge on all their exes. Just move on!”
“Says the happily married woman!” Tracy smirks. “We’re talking about all us other chicks that aren’t so happy!”
“But why would you want to punish a man because he doesn’t want to be with someone? That’s his prerogative.”
“You only say that because you managed to find the one good mad in all of L.A.! We haven’t all had the same kind of luck Shawn. They’ve either got a wife, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, crazy baby’s mamas, problems with drugs or an addiction to video games. That’s why I chase their money! Screw looking for the perfect guy, he doesn’t exist!”
“You can quit looking ladies, your perfect man has arrived!” Warren announces as he steps onto the patio with their food. “And I come bearing gifts!”
The women all laugh as Warren serves them their meals. After they’ve all been served they raise their glasses for a toast. “What are we toasting to today?” Shawn asks.
“To health!” Candace says cheerfully.
“Nope, wealth!” Tracy overrules.
Sol shakes her head, “How about to happiness?”
The four friends clink their glasses together, “To happiness!”
Tracy takes a heaping mouthful of macaroni and cheese, “Now let me at these carbs!”
Sol pulls her white Audi S4 into the parking lot and runs inside as quickly as her 4-inch pumps will allow. The Belvedere is a posh, European bistro located inside the Peninsula Hotel. Candace and Sol meet their friends Tracy and Shawn on the patio every Saturday for brunch and mimosas.
Sol walks out onto the veranda towards her friends. They are already seated at their favorite table that looks out onto Santa Monica Blvd. The ladies all look up and greet their late arrival.
“Hey girl!” Shawn greets her with a smile. They exchange cheek kisses.
“You’re never late, Sol. Are you okay?” Candace questions with a frown.
Sol smiles, she expected the inquisition from Candace. “I’ve got a story for you guys but first I need a latte!”
Tracy looks down at Sol’s feet, “Damn girl, I’m feelin’ those Louboutins! What size do you wear again?” Sol stops and does a quick model for Tracy before sitting.
“You aren’t coming anywhere near my new shoes Tracy! Don’t even think about it!” Sol laughs and looks around the table, “So how is everyone today?”
Tracy smiles, “I’m fine but the question is, how is Candace?” She swivels in her chair to face her friend. “Soooo, I hear you got quit Miss Candy!”
Candace’s mouth drops open, “Wow, thanks for the support! You’re lucky you’re one of my best friends because don’t nobody talk to me like that!” She playfully punches Tracy in the arm. “You think because you’ve known me since the third grade that you can talk to me any ole way?”
“Uh, yeah! We’re damn near family! I’m just mad I wasn’t the first person you called about Ron dumping you! I mean shit, thankfully Sol here can’t hold water or who knows when I woulda found out!”
Sol chimes in, “There’s no secrets here. She was going to tell you Tracy.”
Shawn looks confused, “Ron left you? Where have I been in all this?”
Tracy cuts in, “At home with your fine ass husband! Don’t worry Shawn I wouldn’t even know the president was black if I had all that man at home with me!” She takes a sip of her water and directs her attention back to Candace, “Now back to you keeping shit from me.”
Candace rolls her eyes. “I was not keeping things from you! I was going to tell you today, I just didn’t want you showing up at Ron’s house with your pistol! We all know how crazy your ass can be!”
“Don’t act like you know me bitch! I woulda brought my knife, it’s harder for those CSI’s to trace!”
The women were laughing so hard that they didn’t notice that their favorite server, Warren, was standing at their table. “Uh oh! The cackling is starting early today! How about a round of mimosa’s to keep the party going?”
They greet him in chorus, “Hey Warren!” The women loved having Warren as their waiter. He was funny and had a body better than any athlete they’d ever seen! He made terrific eye candy.
Candace grabs her menu and hands it to Warren, “I’ll take you up on that offer, sir!” She looks around the table, “You guys know I already know what I want.”
Shawn chuckles, “Yeah, yeah, crab crepes.” She studies her menu, “I’ll take that mimosa, Warren, but I’m going to need a few more minutes.”
“No problem Shawn.” Warren smiles, “You’re looking fantastic by the way!”
Shawn blushes, “Thanks.”
Tracy smacks Warren with her menu, “You better quit flirting with my friend before I tell your man!”
Warren laughs loudly, “Shut your mouth Tracy! If I had a man to tell he’d compliment her too! Do you know what you’d like to order?”
“I’m feelin’ good today so I think I’m going to get some of that famous mac n’ cheese!”
He writes her order on his pad and peeks at her. “Do I need to even ask you about the drink?” Tracy winks at him
Candace looks at Tracy, “You’re trying to spend all day on the treadmill tomorrow aren’t you?”
“Mind your business woman!”
Sol looks at Warren, “I’m going to need a few minutes too hun. I’m having an indecisive moment but I will take a latte.”
“Aww, no mimosa today?”
“Not after the night I had!”
“Okay, I’ll be back in a few for the rest of your orders!” Tracy admires Warren’s behind as he walks back into the restaurant.
Candace directs her attention towards Sol, “So, what happened last night?”
Sol puts her hand on her forehead and groans, “Oh my god I’ve never been so embarrassed in my whole life! So I’ve told you guys how Greg and his friends at work have this weird money competition thing going on right? Well one of them just bought a new house in Brentwood, it’s actually a few houses down from OJ Simpson’s house. Anyway, I went along even though I really wanted to stay home and talk to Greg about our future. Do you know that he’s never brought up the conversation of us getting engaged? And every time that I do he starts some sort of fight and I always end up apologizing!”
Tracy cuts her off, “What the hell are you apologizing for? For doing everything his ass wants? Are you kidding me Sol?”
“Let her finish Tracy.”
“Thanks Candace. He’s really good with arguments Tracy. He IS a lawyer! He has a way of turning the conversation around to make me feel like I’m wrong for even bringing it up!
“But back to last night, we get to the house and I run into Shelly. She’s the girlfriend of one of Greg’s friends. We kinda had a connection because she’s another long-time girlfriend, she’s been with Nick for four years! We’d sit around at these get-togethers and talk about our men and how they won’t commit. Well, I was looking forward to another conversation with her and she shows up with a ring on! Nick proposed to her the night before!”
Candace gasps, “Oh no, really?”
“I tried to be happy for her but inside I felt like crap! But here’s the worst part; one of the wives walks up to me and asks me where my husband was! I told her that Greg and I weren’t married and she was like ‘Oh I figured since you’ve been together so long that you two were married. My mistake! I guess not everyone’s as lucky as Shelly!’ Can you believe her?”
“That bitch!” Tracy spat. “She knew what she was doing! That was intentional! You need to bring me to the next one of these functions and point her ass out! What’d you do after she said that?”
“I burst into tears and ran into the bathroom! I didn’t know what else to do!”
Shawn tries to console her, “I’m sorry you had to go through that Sol.”
“What is it with men and commitment?” Candace wonders out loud. “What’s a woman gotta do to get a ring on her finger?”
Tracy looks at Sol, “What you need to do is get pregnant! Trap his ass! If he don’t marry you at least you’ll have a steady stream of income for the next eighteen years! It worked with Trevor, his dumb ass didn’t see me coming!”
Sol laughs, “Stop it Tracy! How’s your lil’ man doing anyway?”
“Bad as ever! You know what his behind did yest—’’ suddenly a car driving down Santa Monica stops in front of the restaurant loudly playing W.T.P. by Eminem. “Wait a minute, that’s my song!” Tracy throws her hands in the air and sings along,
“So let’s have us a lil bash
If anyone asks,
It ain’t no one but us trash,
You don’t know you betta ask somebody,
Cuz we’re having a White Trash Party!”
Candace stares at Tracy, shaking her head. “You have to be the ghettoist white chick that I’ve ever met! Why must you insist on acting a fool in public?”
Tracy laughs, “Oh shut up Inglewood! We grew up on the same street!”
“Yes but we don’t live there anymore! I’ve managed to evolve, wanna join me?”
“Negative!”
Warren returns with their drinks and takes Shawn and Sol’s orders. Shawn orders the ahi tuna and Sol decides on the risotto.
The women all sit back in their chairs enjoying the sunshine and atmosphere. “You know what?” Tracy blurts out. “I’m tired of men! They get to come and go as they want and treat women however they want!” Her friends shake their heads in agreement. “I mean, Ron could’ve been steppin’ out on you Candace, you ever think about that? And Greg may be gay Sol, you ever think about THAT?”
Sol chokes on her latte, “What? Why would you say that? That’s terrible!”
“I’m not saying that he IS gay, Sol! I’m just trying to make the point that we women are subjected to these problems with our men and we have no solutions. We just have to sit around on a Saturday afternoon and bitch about so-and-so who’s doing us wrong. There’s no recourse is what I’m saying!”
Candace jumps in, “I see where you’re going with this girl! We have no power! I just wish there were a way to get back at the men who do us dirty. They wouldn’t know who it was or where it was coming from but things would just start happening to them.”
Tracy cuts her off, “Oooh yeah like their car gets keyed and tires slashed!”
Candace rolls her eyes, “No, not that ghetto shit Tracy! Anyone can do that! I’m talking about sophisticated, calculated revenge.”
Sol shakes her head, “I don’t like the sound of all of that. What’s the point?”
Shawn agrees, “That just seems like it’d be kind of desperate if women were running around trying to get revenge on all their exes. Just move on!”
“Says the happily married woman!” Tracy smirks. “We’re talking about all us other chicks that aren’t so happy!”
“But why would you want to punish a man because he doesn’t want to be with someone? That’s his prerogative.”
“You only say that because you managed to find the one good mad in all of L.A.! We haven’t all had the same kind of luck Shawn. They’ve either got a wife, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, crazy baby’s mamas, problems with drugs or an addiction to video games. That’s why I chase their money! Screw looking for the perfect guy, he doesn’t exist!”
“You can quit looking ladies, your perfect man has arrived!” Warren announces as he steps onto the patio with their food. “And I come bearing gifts!”
The women all laugh as Warren serves them their meals. After they’ve all been served they raise their glasses for a toast. “What are we toasting to today?” Shawn asks.
“To health!” Candace says cheerfully.
“Nope, wealth!” Tracy overrules.
Sol shakes her head, “How about to happiness?”
The four friends clink their glasses together, “To happiness!”
Tracy takes a heaping mouthful of macaroni and cheese, “Now let me at these carbs!”
Monday, August 2, 2010
Revenge in Stilettos Volume Two
“Then this asshole walks out of the restaurant and leaves me, ALONE, in the most visible table in the house!” Candace screams into her phone. Sol Mendoza sits on the edge of her bed listening to one of her closest friends retell how her boyfriend embarrassed her the night before.
“Did you leave, Candace? I don’t think I could’ve stayed there and ate alone!” The thought of sitting alone at a high profile restaurant made Sol’s palms sweat.
“Girl, please,” Candace laughs. “I had been waiting to eat at Sake Fire for months and I wasn’t going to let some jerk ruin that for me! The food was fantastic too!”
Sol admired her friend’s strength but wondered if she may have been a little too forceful with Ron. She knew from her own relationship that men didn’t like feeling forced into things or told what to do. “Good for you, my friend! So what now?”
Candace shrugs, “I’m going to keep pushing along with my plan! Marriage by 30, kids by 32 and I plan to make partner no later than 35. I’m cutting it kinda close with this little set back but you know me, I gets what I wants!” They share a thunderous laugh.
Sol’s boyfriend Greg walks into their bedroom and rolls his eyes. He can tell by the way she’s laughing that Sol’s chatting with one of her girlfriends.
Sol looks up and smiles at Greg. “Hey honey, I’m going to go now. I’ll see you tomorrow at lunch, okay? Bye!” She hangs up smiling until she looks at Greg. Her smile disappears instantly. “What’s wrong?”
“Who were you talking to?” Greg asks accusingly.
“That was Candace, babe. Ron walked out on her yesterday and she was confiding in me. I can’t believe that happened!”
Greg laughs loudly, “I can! I just can’t believe that it took him so long!”
Sol looked hurt, “Why do you hate my friends so much?”
“I don’t hate them all, Sol, just Candace and Tracy.”
“So you hate MOST of my friends! What’s so wrong with them?”
Greg sighs, exacerbated. “We’ve had this conversation before. I just don’t think that you have much in common with them. I approve of Shawn as a friend more than those two!”
“I don’t understand why you can’t like my friends just because they are my friends. We enjoy each other’s company and I’ve known them almost half my life! Am I supposed to just drop them when they’ve never hurt me or given me a reason?”
Greg crosses the room to embrace Sol. “I never mean to upset you with this conversation but I just think you and Shawn are headed in the same direction. You two have settled down with men that love you and you don’t need to go out every weekend in search of a man. And above that, I just don’t like them!”
Sol pushes back from him, offended, “How can you say that? You barely say two words to them when they come over and you’re very antisocial at group functions! You don’t even know them and, if anything, they shouldn’t like you.”
“I don’t think I’d lose sleep over that Sol,” Greg chuckles. “I mean, Tracy is THE most annoying person I’ve ever met in my life! And Candace needs to let go of that “angry black woman” thing if she ever plans on finding a man!”
Sol looks shocked, “Can you even say that? You’re white!”
“Oh so that makes me a racist now?”
“No I know you’re not a racist, obviously, but maybe you shouldn’t get in the habit of calling black people angry.”
Greg shrugs, “Whatever, I’m not wrong.”
Sol sighs and walks into the bathroom. She was in the middle of styling her hair when Candace called. She stands in front of the mirror removing hot rollers and fluffing her hair.
Sol was a Cuban-American beauty with long, dark hair and a body that made men stop in their tracks. Her friend Tracy was always trying to convince her to “rock” her body more but Sol wasn’t quite sure what that meant. She thought it meant that she wanted her to show more skin but that wasn’t going to happen! Her ultra-Catholic parents would kill her! It was bad enough that she was living with a man that wasn’t her husband. Sol’s mother probably lit every candle in the city daily in prayer for her daughter’s sins!
She inspects her appearance in the mirror. Greg’s coworker was throwing a get-together to christen his new house in Brentwood and she was accompanying him. Sol had no desire to attend this “dick swinging” competition between Greg and his friends but he always expected her to attend and she never disappointed him. She knew she was tagging along as eye candy and she tried to be as attractive as possible for him.
Sol was having a hard time concentrating on her makeup. She kept replaying Greg’s words: You two have settled down with men that love you. She found it interesting that he used those words. Shawn was married to a man that loved her and Sol was shacking up. It wasn’t the same thing in her eyes.
Greg knocks on the bathroom door, “You almost ready babe? I’d like to leave in five.”
Sol opens the door. Greg has changed into a pair of jeans and a button-up dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. She admires how attractive he manages to look when dressed so casually. Her father doesn’t understand what she sees in this blonde-haired, green-eyed man but Greg is the love of her life and she plans to spend her life with him.
“I’m ready.”
“Great! Let’s go!” Greg turns and walks towards the door and suddenly stops and looks at Sol. “You look great, by the way!”
“Thanks babe!”
The couple gets into Greg’s BMW Z4 convertible and head towards Brentwood. Sol silently hopes that the night goes quickly, she’s not in the mood for schmoozing tonight.
Although Sol wants to confront Greg about their future, they drive in silence. She wants to ask why they weren’t so much as engaged after five years. Why he stresses how much he loves her yet runs from the discussion of marriage like the plague. Was she being a fool? Was she wasting her life on someone who wouldn’t ever totally commit? What was wrong with her that he wouldn’t marry her? Did she not make him happy?
“Hey Greg?” Sol blurts out, almost without thinking.
“What’s up babe?”
Sol stares at the side of his face yet can’t manage to say a word. Say something idiot!
“I, um… I was wondering if Shelly was going to be there tonight.” She wanted to slap herself for being such a coward!
“You know, I’m not sure. Nick is coming so she should be with him.”
“Oh okay. I hope so, it’s been a while since I’ve seen her.” Sol turns away from Greg and lightly bangs her forehead on her window. Tomorrow, she thinks, I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow. She reaches over and rests her hand on his leg. “I love you.”
Greg looks at her and smiles, “I love you too babe.”
“Did you leave, Candace? I don’t think I could’ve stayed there and ate alone!” The thought of sitting alone at a high profile restaurant made Sol’s palms sweat.
“Girl, please,” Candace laughs. “I had been waiting to eat at Sake Fire for months and I wasn’t going to let some jerk ruin that for me! The food was fantastic too!”
Sol admired her friend’s strength but wondered if she may have been a little too forceful with Ron. She knew from her own relationship that men didn’t like feeling forced into things or told what to do. “Good for you, my friend! So what now?”
Candace shrugs, “I’m going to keep pushing along with my plan! Marriage by 30, kids by 32 and I plan to make partner no later than 35. I’m cutting it kinda close with this little set back but you know me, I gets what I wants!” They share a thunderous laugh.
Sol’s boyfriend Greg walks into their bedroom and rolls his eyes. He can tell by the way she’s laughing that Sol’s chatting with one of her girlfriends.
Sol looks up and smiles at Greg. “Hey honey, I’m going to go now. I’ll see you tomorrow at lunch, okay? Bye!” She hangs up smiling until she looks at Greg. Her smile disappears instantly. “What’s wrong?”
“Who were you talking to?” Greg asks accusingly.
“That was Candace, babe. Ron walked out on her yesterday and she was confiding in me. I can’t believe that happened!”
Greg laughs loudly, “I can! I just can’t believe that it took him so long!”
Sol looked hurt, “Why do you hate my friends so much?”
“I don’t hate them all, Sol, just Candace and Tracy.”
“So you hate MOST of my friends! What’s so wrong with them?”
Greg sighs, exacerbated. “We’ve had this conversation before. I just don’t think that you have much in common with them. I approve of Shawn as a friend more than those two!”
“I don’t understand why you can’t like my friends just because they are my friends. We enjoy each other’s company and I’ve known them almost half my life! Am I supposed to just drop them when they’ve never hurt me or given me a reason?”
Greg crosses the room to embrace Sol. “I never mean to upset you with this conversation but I just think you and Shawn are headed in the same direction. You two have settled down with men that love you and you don’t need to go out every weekend in search of a man. And above that, I just don’t like them!”
Sol pushes back from him, offended, “How can you say that? You barely say two words to them when they come over and you’re very antisocial at group functions! You don’t even know them and, if anything, they shouldn’t like you.”
“I don’t think I’d lose sleep over that Sol,” Greg chuckles. “I mean, Tracy is THE most annoying person I’ve ever met in my life! And Candace needs to let go of that “angry black woman” thing if she ever plans on finding a man!”
Sol looks shocked, “Can you even say that? You’re white!”
“Oh so that makes me a racist now?”
“No I know you’re not a racist, obviously, but maybe you shouldn’t get in the habit of calling black people angry.”
Greg shrugs, “Whatever, I’m not wrong.”
Sol sighs and walks into the bathroom. She was in the middle of styling her hair when Candace called. She stands in front of the mirror removing hot rollers and fluffing her hair.
Sol was a Cuban-American beauty with long, dark hair and a body that made men stop in their tracks. Her friend Tracy was always trying to convince her to “rock” her body more but Sol wasn’t quite sure what that meant. She thought it meant that she wanted her to show more skin but that wasn’t going to happen! Her ultra-Catholic parents would kill her! It was bad enough that she was living with a man that wasn’t her husband. Sol’s mother probably lit every candle in the city daily in prayer for her daughter’s sins!
She inspects her appearance in the mirror. Greg’s coworker was throwing a get-together to christen his new house in Brentwood and she was accompanying him. Sol had no desire to attend this “dick swinging” competition between Greg and his friends but he always expected her to attend and she never disappointed him. She knew she was tagging along as eye candy and she tried to be as attractive as possible for him.
Sol was having a hard time concentrating on her makeup. She kept replaying Greg’s words: You two have settled down with men that love you. She found it interesting that he used those words. Shawn was married to a man that loved her and Sol was shacking up. It wasn’t the same thing in her eyes.
Greg knocks on the bathroom door, “You almost ready babe? I’d like to leave in five.”
Sol opens the door. Greg has changed into a pair of jeans and a button-up dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. She admires how attractive he manages to look when dressed so casually. Her father doesn’t understand what she sees in this blonde-haired, green-eyed man but Greg is the love of her life and she plans to spend her life with him.
“I’m ready.”
“Great! Let’s go!” Greg turns and walks towards the door and suddenly stops and looks at Sol. “You look great, by the way!”
“Thanks babe!”
The couple gets into Greg’s BMW Z4 convertible and head towards Brentwood. Sol silently hopes that the night goes quickly, she’s not in the mood for schmoozing tonight.
Although Sol wants to confront Greg about their future, they drive in silence. She wants to ask why they weren’t so much as engaged after five years. Why he stresses how much he loves her yet runs from the discussion of marriage like the plague. Was she being a fool? Was she wasting her life on someone who wouldn’t ever totally commit? What was wrong with her that he wouldn’t marry her? Did she not make him happy?
“Hey Greg?” Sol blurts out, almost without thinking.
“What’s up babe?”
Sol stares at the side of his face yet can’t manage to say a word. Say something idiot!
“I, um… I was wondering if Shelly was going to be there tonight.” She wanted to slap herself for being such a coward!
“You know, I’m not sure. Nick is coming so she should be with him.”
“Oh okay. I hope so, it’s been a while since I’ve seen her.” Sol turns away from Greg and lightly bangs her forehead on her window. Tomorrow, she thinks, I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow. She reaches over and rests her hand on his leg. “I love you.”
Greg looks at her and smiles, “I love you too babe.”
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