Page 8 of Read the Room

I didn’t necessarily care for the job, but it helped me keep my head above water to take care of my son Lucas. My baby was my life. When Lucas was born, I did what I said and called his father to have him relinquish his rights. He came and signed the papers as expected. What I didn’t expect was him to give me an envelope with twelve thousand dollars. He said that it should be enough to cover a year’s worth of rent or anything I wanted to use it for. He never asked to see Lucas, but he did ask if he was healthy. I haven’t seen him since that day. However, I do know that he lurks on my social media page because he accidentally liked an old picture once.

I thought smart and used the money to buy a car since I was approved for Section 8 housing. I didn’t live in the best neighborhood, but my rent was right at eight hundred dollars for a two-bedroom, two full bathroom single family home. I had a backyard for my baby to play in and a garage to put my car in. I ended up dropping out of school. I meant to go back, but time got away from me. Now, if I go back, I have to get financial aid instead of using the funds from being a ward of the state since I aged out.

“Alexi, I apologize if I’m being rude. Would you like your usual?” I asked her with the same damn fake smile.

I didn’t like to fight, but I could. I had taken some self-defense classes that were offered at Leota Fitness and Fight and been taught by some of the girls in the group home that I lived in as a teenager. One throat chop would drop that bitch.

Her face turned up. “Bitch, don’t say my usual like I’m in this hood ass place all the time!”She’s here at least four days outof the week.“I want the number four with all the toppings and toasted.”

Her usual.

Connie came over to help with the other orders. After all of the ladies’ orders were fixed, they sat at the table that was closest to the counter. I realized early on that this was strategic because they wanted me to hear about their fabulous lives. Since they wanted me to hear, I would lean against the counter if I didn’t have any orders and listen. If you wanted to tell your business, then I would oblige you to listen.

“Girl, I can’t believe your ass is not going to Paris with us,” Alexi said in GeGi’s direction.

Oh, Paris! That’s going to be nice.

GeGi took a sip of her drink. “Girl, I know. My babysitter backed out at the last minute, so you know being a mommy comes first. I thank God I was able to get some of my money back.”

“That’s exactly why I’m not trying to have any rugrats. The one time I was pregnant, I sent that lil fucka to the upper room so fast,” Alexi said callously.

All of the girls at the table chortled, except GeGi. If I had to read her face, she was offended. One of the girls pushed Alexi’s shoulder.

“Yeah, you didn’t want it, and that baby wasn’t AK’s. Don’t forget about that part.”

Say it ain’t so!AK’s girl was a cheater. I had never met the man, but from the way the streets buzzed about him, he didn’t seem like the type that would take kindly to his girl being a harlot.

“Even if it was AK’s, it would still have to go. I was not put on this Earth to be anyone’s mama. I’ll leave that for you basic bitches,” Alexi quipped.

Wow!

GeGi sucked her teeth. “You claim one abortion, but I know better. You’ve probably had too many abortions to hold a baby in there.”

Now, that is funny.

I didn’t mean to laugh as loud as I did. They definitely knew that I was listening now. Alexi’s head spun around so fast, I thought it would disconnect from her body.

“Bitch, don’t you have a counter to clean?”

“Alexi, you’re doing too much. All that shit isn’t necessary,” GeGi scolded. “Let’s just go.”

The other girls must have agreed with her because they didn’t argue as they stood up and gathered their things. It was actions like this that made me wonder why GeGi hung with Alexi. It was like they tolerated each other more than they liked each other.

With a tight face, Alexi stood, grabbed her purse from the table, and put the strap on her shoulder. She hadn’t finished her sandwich, which was on top of the paper wrapping that I’d placed it in. She looked dead in my eyes before she pushed the sandwich and drink onto the floor, which made a huge mess.

“Oops. Now, you have some work to do, stupid bitch.”

She strutted her ass toward the door. GeGi glanced at me with sympathetic eyes before she mouthed “sorry.”

After they left, Connie told me that she would clean up the mess while I helped the new customers with their orders. I was officially ready to carry my ass home.

I was ready to get my baby from day care and go the hell home. Since I didn’t work at the club tonight, I closed Louie’s.The sandwich shop closed at eleven at night Monday through Thursday and one in the morning Friday and Saturday. We were closed on Sundays. I thanked God that I found a day care center that I was able to work out an overnight schedule with. At-home day cares were the best.

“Mommy!”

My baby boy Lucas ran to me when I walked into Mama Bee’s house. When I lowered myself to receive him, he jumped into my arms.

“I miss you!”

---