Jay arrived back at the office just as Ricardo was being served with divorce papers. Ricardo didn’t even seem bothered by the turn of events. He just shrugged and threw the papers in the “To Do” bin on his desk. He gave Jay a quick once over and could just imagine what kind of mess he had gotten himself into now. He didn’t have to ask though. Jay volunteered this information without question. He went into great detail about how he had been set up by, Sasha and how he thought his marriage was really over this time. Ricardo in turn shared his divorce papers with him and gave him the news about Sasha becoming the head of their division.
Jay was upset but relieved when he heard the news of Sasha’s promotion verified by Ricardo. At least with Sasha getting the promotion she would be moving to an office upstairs and would be far away from him. He couldn’t believe how he’d let an affair that started almost two years ago with a one night stand ruin his marriage. He wished that he’d had just kept it a one night stand or better yet not even slept with Sasha is the first place. Sasha had been nothing but drama since the first time they’d slept together threatening to tell his wife and once the paternity of the baby was confirmed he was basically at her beckon call. But there was something about Sasha that he found irresistible and that something was her willingness to fulfill him sexually. He demanded sexual acts from Sasha that he could never fix his mouth to even consider asking of Robin. Robin was his wife and queen, the mother of his beautiful daughter, while Sasha was his private whore and the mother of his biggest mistake.
He went back to work on a proposal for network security for a potential client. He looked out the window at the cubicles located outside of his office, and wondered who could have given Sasha personal information about him. She didn’t know anyone outside of the office and she wasn’t the friendliest girl in the world. In fact, none of the other women in the office could stand to be around her let alone talk to her. Both of her parents were dead and her closest relative live two states away. Jay had played the events of day over and over in his mind and could still make no sense of them. He called Robin every fifteen minutes, pleading with her message line to return his call. The last time he made a call to her phone it was 3:30 and this time he wasn’t able to leave a message. Her mailbox was full.
When Monique came back from her extended lunch, she couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched and she was right. As she got her station ready for her next client, she just couldn’t shake the feeling and when she turned to go to the supply room she found out why. Both Will and Mark were staring at her with wondering eyes. “Oh my God. They really did sign with Nikki,” she thought as she walked pass Will’s station, where the two of them were standing. She felt like a magnet as she walked back to the supply room with both Will and Mark on her heels. Why were they following her? It was obvious that they had made their choice. What could they possibly want with her?
She walked into the back of the supply room to get some towels and shampoo with the guys, close behind. Mark closed the door once they were all inside the room and the confrontation began. The conversation was carried out in a hushed tone and started with Will asking, “Girl, so what you gon’ do?”
“Do about what?” Monique questioned trying not to allude to the fact that she had discussed leaving with Nikki until she was absolutely sure they had discussed the same thing with her. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb with us, Girl. We know you went to lunch with Nikki and we know she offered you a job. What we need to know now is if you are going to take it or not.” Will said.
Monique placed the towels back on the shelf and turned to face her friends. She didn’t know what she was going to do and so that is what she told them. They looked both shocked and disappointed at the same time. Mark, who seemed to be more upset with her answer asked, “Why don’t you know? I mean, she offering you five thousand dollars up front just for signing with her for a year. If you don’t like it after that you could leave.”
“And go where, Mark?” Monique asked visibly upset now, “Who would hire us after they hear how we about to leave Tia without half her staff?”
“Forget that Missy.” Will chimed in “We…Us three right here,” he pointed to the three of them and continued “we the best in this shop. Hell, We the best in this city. With the money we could make working for Nikki we could work for a year and start our own shop.”
“Hell yeah,” Mark added, “That sound like a sho-nuff plan anyway. This shop thing with Nikki is all about pay back for that Ricardo-Tia shit anyway. I personally, don’t care about none of that. I’m about getting this money and Mo the three of us could stack our cash and get our own. Be our own boss.”
“But this don’t seem right. To leave Tia out like this.” Monique said.
“Right? What’s not right is you putting this damn shop before yourself…before your little girl.” Mark replied.
“What is that suppose to mean?” Monique asked getting upset with the tactics the guys were using.
“It means.” Will said, “you don’t get a chance to do shit you want or need to do. You can’t even pick your baby up on time because you here locking up this shop. You don’t get paid no extra and you always doing extra shit. And you know you need the damn money. Hell we all do. I mean hell Monique, when you gonna wake up and see that Tia is using you. ”
“The same way Nikki is trying to use me?” Monique shot back, “Yall know she’s just doing this to get back at Tia.”
“I told you I do care ‘bout none of that. I don’t give a damn why she’s doing as long as it is benefiting me. I been looking for a way out of here for the last two months and Nikki is giving it to me...to all of us, Mo she giving it to us on a silver platter, no less. Baby girl damn, can’t you see that? You and your little girl deserve more than what this shop gives you.” Mark replied.
“Amen.” Will added.
“Think about it. Five Thousand Dollars. Matter of fact, forget the money, think about the time you’ll have to spend with your little girl. You can be there to pick her up everyday…on time. You can go to open house, P.T.A. and that Muffin Mommies…Mommy Muffin…Monday Muffin Mama day or whatever it’s called, like you always complaining about missing. Hell, you can go out on a much-needed date.” Mark said starting to feel like he was beating a dead horse. He wanted Monique to come to new salon with him, but he didn’t know what else it would take to get her to leave. He and Will turned to leave the supply room.
Monique returned to the shelf to get the towels and shampoo that she had come in for in the first place. She heard the door closing behind her and she started to relax at the thought of being alone for a minute to clear her mind. She bent her head down and started to replay the conversation in her head, but the door opened again before closing all of the way.
“Monique, if you want to see how much Tia really thinks of you tell her you can’t lock up tonight because you have to pick up your baby and see what she has to say.” Will said and closed the door leaving Monique alone in the supply closet, finally.
Mark and Will looked at each other with worried eyes. What were they going to do? They were only going to get their bonus if they could convince Monique to leave with them. Nikki had made that point extremely clear during lunch. Monique and Tia could probably keep the shop going just fine if both of them left. Monique would even be in a position to finally demand more money from Tia, who would probably be willing to give it to her just to keep her around. All of their hopes and dreams really rest squarely on the shoulders of Monique and whether she was willing to betray her boss to side with her boss’s future business rival. They couldn’t worry about that now they both had clients to do and the clock was ticking.
The day progressed as any other day would in the salon. The events of the morning had been forgotten and most of the clients were discussion their dinner plans. Tia had come in at around three thirty and had done only one head of hair. Monique who had seen people back to back and sometimes two or three at a time was starting to notice that her boss didn’t really do anything anymore. When Monique first started working at the salon Tia stayed just as busy as the other stylist, but now all she did was run in and out of the salon all day on what she called business.
Monique finished her last client at 5:30 and started packing her things to get ready to leave. If she could be out the door by 5:40 she would definitely be on time to pick up her baby. She looked at her watch. She felt nervous in the pit of her stomach. She just kept telling herself that Tia wasn’t going to ask her to stay tonight. She wouldn’t ask her after she’d been gone all day. Monique reasoned with herself all while packing her bag so quickly that she began dropping things. She picked up the combs off the floor and threw them in the container of Barbasol without washing them, afraid to go to the sink for fear of getting to close to Tia’s office.
Just as she was throwing her bag over her shoulder, she heard Tia calling her name. She stopped cold afraid to move. Tia positioned herself between Monique and her exit, pinning her in her station, in full view of Will and Mark. Mark sat down in Will’s chair and prepared for the show. Will leaned back on his station’s table and did the same.
“Monique, I need you to stay and close up for me tonight.” Tia said with her large hobo bag thrown over her shoulder.
Monique ‘s eyes quickly shot over to Will. She decided to test his theory and replied, “I can’t tonight. I have to pick up my little girl by six.”
Tia rolled her eyes and said “Not that excuse again. Every time I ask you to do something, you use that same old excuse. Don’t you have anyone else who can pick her up? You need to get a babysitter or something?’ Tia walked off upset that Monique had said no.
A rage that Monique had been suppressing for five years built up and was about to be released. Monique had done everything her boss had ever asked her to do. She had paid countless late fees for picking her little girl up from the after school program late. She had done everything from balance the book to ordering supplies. She dealt with irate customers and even made sure all of the checks were signed and distributed on time. Now she was actually about to pass up the chance to make more money, set her own hours and get a ten thousand dollar bonus. Had she lost her mind?
Monique wanted to quit on the spot but she had to make sure she had accepted Nikki’s offer before she did so. She grabbed her supply bag and opened a drawer in her station and pulled out her client books and shoved them in her bag. She walked over to Will and Mark and informed them of her plans to accept Nikki’s offer and suggested they take their client books to notify their clients that today was their last day. The guys took pleasure in doing just that and they all agreed that when they left the salon that night, that it would be their last night.
Monique left the salon and got into her car. She looked at the time displayed on her car’s dashboard clock. It was 5:47. She was 13 minutes away from missing her golden opportunity. She couldn’t get her cell phone out fast enough. She pulled Nikki’s card out of her car’s cup holder and dialed Nikki’s number hoping she was still there. As she drove out of the parking lot she heard the sound of Nikki’s voice on the other end and to Monique, she sounded like salvation.
