Page 7 of Desperate Measures
There was an awkward pause before she stepped inside, arms crossed, glancing around the boutique. “This is different.”
“That’s a backhanded compliment,” Zahara scoffed from across the room.
“Hello to you, too, Zahara,” Venus replied, rolling her eyes. “I didn’t come to start anything,” she added quickly, turning back to me. “I just wanted to wish you well. Rashad told me about the boutique. And I wanted to see it. Maybe say what I didn’t get to say before.”
My hands were still on a roll of fabric, fingers pressing down too hard. “Which part? The secrets you kept? Or the part where you threw my VERY personal business in my face in front of Jahsir? That was clown behavior, Venus. I still can’t believe you did that.”
Venus winced. “I deserved that. I told you, I had to keep Rashad-”
“Look, Venus. I don’t care about that. You chose your man. It is what it is.”
“So what's the problem!?”
“The problem is the‘You got secrets too, Crim,’ comment. That was wack as hell. And for that reason, I’m not fuckin’ with you no more.”
“That’s crazy. So you’re really about to act like the last four years didn’t happen? Like I wasn’t there for you? I put money in your pocket when-”
“When what? Say it.”
“Girl, okay,” Zahara cut in, snapping the arm onto a mannequin. “Because I can’t stand when a muthafucka brags about what they did for somebody.”
“Hell, and if they're going to brag, it has to be the truth.” I chimed in.
“So I didn’t help you out, Crimson?” Venus snapped.
“You keep trying to paint this picture like I've been struggling since Jahsir left. Was I going through it mentally? Absolutely. But the money problems started after I messed around with Que. A dude YOU introduced me to. That YOU encouraged me to date.”
“I didn’t know he was gonna do that shit to you! Why would you give him money to pay your rent anyway? You practically opened the door for him to steal from you.”
“So it’s my fault now?” I scoffed, shaking my head slowly. “A manyou vouched for, I mean,went hard as hellfor, stole from me, and that’s my fault.”
“It ain’t mine!”
“Didn’t say it was!”
“Then what are you saying?!”
I let out a breath and calmed myself. I realized Venus was an energy vampire. One thing about them energy vampires is they do not care about being right or wrong. Their one and only goal is to get you riled up, out of character and drained. Venus definitely wanted my energy, but she was on my turf so it wasn’t happening.
“Look, let me make this clear, because I don’t want to confuse the issue. Stop acting like I’ve been suffering for years. When I was evicted when I was pregnant, YOU offered to helpme move. Yes, I called you a few times for a ride from work. And Ialwaysoffered gas money, even when I barely had it. And what did you say? ‘I got it,BFF, you goodBFF.” I mocked her. “So stop acting like I was out here depending on you. And bitch, if Iwas? A real friend would allow that shit and not throw it in my face. Trying to make it seem like-”
“I’m not trying to make it seem like anything,” Venus cut me off.
“You are! Every time you bring up what you did for me, you paint yourself as a savior. That's crazy to me.”
She threw her hands up. “So where do we go from here?”
I folded the fabric in front of me neatly, as I organized and compartmentalized my rage. “Venus, look, I don’t have a problem being cordial. I have no choice as long as you’re with Rashad. But I can’t trust you anymore. It is what it is.”
Venus stood there quietly. Her expression shifted, somewhere between shocked and offended.
“So you become friends with Zahara again, and I get pushed to the side?”
“Keep my name out your mouth, Venus,” Zahara warned, not even looking up.
The two of them had been at odds for years. So this little back and forth wasn’t surprising.”
“Just saying it makes sense,” Venus muttered.
