Page 58 of On Everything 2
I slipped into the locker room, changed out of my clothes, and placed my belongings neatly into the locker before pulling on the softest robe I'd ever felt. It was plush, almost like a cloud, every time it brushed up against my skin. The place had an air of calm sophistication, and with most amenities set up for self-service, I had the freedom to move around at my own pace.
I drifted in and out of the saunas, enjoying the steam, and then made my way to the plunge pools and the rooms that had salt rock therapy. It felt good to wander as I pleased, with no pressure and no rush, vibing and at peace. The only part of the Spa that wasn't a free-for-all was the specialized treatments they offered, which included facials, massages, and scrubs, all of which were available by appointment only.
Knowing that, I'd made sure to sign up for a facial when I checked in today, and my appointment was about to start in five minutes, so I made my way toward that section of the facility when the clock on the wall told me to.
When I arrived at the concierge counter, I gave the attendant my name and then took a seat on one of the beanbag chairs in the waiting area. The music was so peaceful; I closed my eyes for a second, eventually drifting in and out of sleep. Hopefully, this facial doesn't knock me completely out.
Time, however, passed so much that I started to get concerned about my time slot, and I approached the counter again, this time with a bit more assertiveness than before.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Hello, I am just checking to see when my facial will be ready. I was supposed to go in at 3:00, and it's now 3:30. When will I get called back?"
"What is your name again?"
"Pernelle, last name Jiminez."
"Hmm, Pernelle, I don't see a reservation here for you. I'm sorry."
"You're kidding, right? I just made a reservation at this exact same counter."
"Yes, ma'am, and I'm not sure what happened; maybe there was a glitch in the system. However, I can put you down for a later time if you would like."
The way she tilted her head and the smirk on her face let me know exactly what this is. I see what she is doing here.
"There is no need to play dumb. Just say you gave my slot away to a regular or something and stop wasting my time. If youall need to go viral on TikTok for being completely racist here, then I have no problem making that happen. My five hundred thousand followers would love to repost that."
I lied about my follower count, but she didn't know that.
"Just give me a moment. I'm going to go and ask a higher-up what to do in this case. Just give me a moment."
"Yeah, please do that."
Where the service here has been great thus far, I can now see that someone who looks like me isn't welcomed in their spaces, even if I have the money. My long eyelashes, weave in my head, and large thigh tattoo weren't their normal aesthetic.
I stood in line for way longer than I wanted to before that bitch and her boss came out.
"Hello, so this is my boss, Urlasah. She is going to override the system and squeeze you in for your appointment. We did see that we accidentally gave your appointment away to someone else here, sorry."
"Yeah, I bet. But how often does that happen?"
"Not often. There are cases where we do sometimes prioritize customers who are only here for the treatments. Customers who we service often.”
I rolled my eyes because they were obviously playing with me.
"Sounds about white to me. But while you are at it, go ahead and upgrade me to the deluxe facial and not just the seaweed one."
"The deluxe is about $539 on top of the spa package fee. Is that okay?"
"Of course, but it's going to be free because you are going to make sure that your business doesn't get sued for discrimination. I know I don't fit the aesthetic here, but I have long money, and money a good lawyer can buy?"
"No need for that, ma'am. Right this way." She pressed her lips together and led me to the back. I can see this type of shit happening a lot to me now that I have money, but I'm still a Bronx bitch at heart, and I will tear this bitch up. Shit, thinking about it, a discrimination lawsuit would have my pockets looking even better.
Once my final facial treatment was done, I went back to the locker rooms to retrieve my phone and let Ebony know that I was done. I entered the temporary code for my locker, which was my brother's birthday digits, and then the locker opened. When I grabbed my purse, I noticed right away that my phone was lit up from the inside. When I pulled it out, there were over fifty missed calls, all from different numbers.
The first person I felt I needed to call back was my mother. The phone rang and rang, but there was no answer, and I really started to become nervous. After pacing the floor in front of the locker for a few seconds, I sat on a bench behind me and dialed Ebony's number. I hate this feeling in my stomach right now, and this is the downside of being unplugged: you don't know what the fuck is happening in the world.
"Hello."
