Authors: Eric Pete
Reality Check (9 page)
18
Max
An entire day passed and the woman from the employment office was still on my mind. Still. I never got her name. That was good ... I guess.
Last night, she was washing my Corolla in a T-shirt and thong. Everything was in black and white. Suds and ass everywhere. Then she blew bubbles at me.
In slow motion.
I’d been watching too many videos.
I considered telling Smitty about her, but felt pretty immature about the whole thing. Smitty would have either laughed his ass off or gone inside the place for a look-see. No, he probably would’ve done both.
But enough with the distractions. I needed to finish the application before tomorrow, and there was no time like the present. I walked over to my iPod boombox and found tracks by Vassy. Nothing like the smooth vibe of “Loverman” and imagining she was singing seductively to me, to spirit me away from all my concerns and cares. I found a pen and plopped down on the couch, grooving to the song.
Might as well start at the beginning, with my last name.
Guillory. G ... U ...
My cell rang, breaking my concentration. So much for being free from distractions.
I didn’t recognize the number, but hit the TALK button.
“Hello?”
“Hi. Max?” It was a female voice that I couldn’t place. Maybe a call from one of the companies I’d visited. I flew off the couch to turn down the stereo.
“Yeah—I mean yes, this is he.”
“It’s Velina. How are you?” I heard the smile in her voice, although it was a nervous one.
“Fine. I’m fine,” I replied, regaining my cool. “And you?” I plopped back down and rested the phone on my shoulder, determined to complete my application and return it today.
“I’m okay, Max. You know, I’ve been thinking about you. I was wondering if you were going to call. Probably not, huh?”
“I was planning on calling you. For real. I’ve just been busy with work and all.” I don’t
think
I’d told a lie. That night, while fun, was whatever it was. No hopes, no promises.
think
I’d told a lie. That night, while fun, was whatever it was. No hopes, no promises.
“I see. I thought maybe we could see each other. Talk some more. I like talking to you. You’re a very nice man.”
I’d reached the line on the application to check off “married” or “single.” I began thinking about the ring on the employment lady’s finger.
Never got her name.
Not good.
“Max? Are you listening?”
“Yeah ... I’m sorry. I’m trying to fill out something. That’s all.”
“Sooo?” she stressed, the Romanian accent asserting itself. I must have missed something she said. Uh-oh.
“So?”
“So, can we see each other tonight?” Damn. I’d missed that completely.
“Tonight’s bad, Velina,” I replied. “I’m about to head out the door. Not sure what time I’ll be back. Raincheck?”
“Raincheck?” she said, her mind processing the slang. “Yes. Raincheck would be good, Max.” I was the last person who needed to be giving out nookie rainchecks.
“All right. I’ll call you. Maybe we can catch up this weekend or something?”
“Yeah. That’d be nice,” she answered, as all enthusiasm was gone with the wind. “Take care, Max.”
“You too.”
Grabbing my keys, I ran out the door with the application, realizing how absurd I was to move Velina to the left for a fascination with an engaged stranger. I immediately returned to grab my resume before exiting a final time. The Santa Monica Freeway awaited.
I made it downtown without getting pulled over by five-oh. The employment office was bustling with activity this time. I guess everybody was showing up at the last minute.
No blur in sight.
Another sister at the front counter. Good looking as well.
Did they grow them in here?
I waited nervously in line, feeling like I was back in high school and waiting for my prom date to come down the stairs. I moved up to the counter.
“May I help you?” Her words rolled out so crisply. Damn, they put a polished sister up in here.
“Yeah,” I said as I looked beyond her, hoping for a glance. “I’m dropping off the application for the state job openings. I wanted to make it in before tomorrow.”
“Okay. Do you have a resume also?”
“Right underneath,” I pointed out while still looking other places.
“All right. Do you need anything else?” She looked at me suspiciously. I hope she didn’t think I was a crazy or something.
“No, that’s it. Thank you.”
I pushed off from the counter and walked away, cursing to myself for being so silly.
19
Glover
My alarm went off Friday morning. Always interrupting me from my fantasy, except this time I was close to making out his face. Perhaps the fact that it was definitely not Lionel was a harbinger of things to come.
I had to be at work in an hour, so I didn’t have time to dwell on it. I threw my T-shirt in the dirty clothes hamper, donned my shower cap, and then jumped in the shower.
I stood there under the spray with my eyes closed. Water rolling down my body as steam clung to the air around me. Trying to wake up yet still dazed, until a sharp whoosh of cold air hit me. Goosebumps mounted. Then I felt them.
A pair of hands came up slowly from behind me and grasped my hips. I knew I had to be to work, but this ...
Mmm. What was I saying?
I didn’t open my eyes for fear of it disappearing. Maybe the dream hadn’t ended. The hands . . . his hands slowly worked across my stomach then headed upward, tiny circular motions along the way. At last, they caressed my breasts as I bit my bottom lip. The water splashed me on the outside. His hands then plunged deep between my legs. My own splashing had begun in earnest. As I felt fingers enter me, all I could think of was a face.
And a smile.
From behind me, a deep voice whispered, “Forgot about me?”
I spun around in shock to see Lionel’s face. He was right. I’d let him stay the night and had forgotten him in bed. I really was in the shower.
And this was real. No dream.
After insisting that I drive myself over Lionel’s objections, I made it to work a little bit late. Mr. Marx had put Mona working the front until our personnel problems were solved. Charmaine was still bitching when I came in. My mind was still focused on the guilt I felt over fantasizing about a stranger while forgetting my fiancé was there.
“G-love, I’m gonna plant my foot in that white motherfucker’s ass,” she said, blissfully unaware of where my mind was at.
“Charmaine, you’re white. You could just say ‘motherfucker,’ y’know,” I offered, not having the time for this.
“Oh, hush. You know what I mean. Mr. Marx told Mona that she was gonna be up front for a whole week. A whole week! Now, does that make any motherfuckin’ sense?”
“Whoa. I need to get started at my desk, and you need to go easy on the caffeine. The DMV has a few openings, and I have to get to work on these files, so I’ll see you later,” I said as I eased away.
“You do that, girl. I’m not bustin’ my ass for anyone today. It’s Friday and I just got paid. Direct deposit is a blessing, but too bad I already spent it.” With that said, Charmaine marched off with a smile, having lifted her own spirits.
I sat down at my desk, poring over files of potential hires to pass on to the DMV. Then a stray thought hit me. I left and walked up front. Mona must have taken a break. I went over to the application bins. Embarrassed, I glanced around then ducked behind the counter, where I rifled through the most recent state employment applications. They were date-stamped prior to being entered and scanned into the system, so it was easy to go through the recent ones. For all I knew, the particular one I was looking for may not even have been turned in—and I didn’t have a name to go on. I was busted when someone behind me spoke.
“Looking for something, Ms. McDaniel?” Mona stood over me accusingly, even though she hadn’t a clue. She liked making people uncomfortable, and I was easy pickings right now. Hell, I was probably blushing.
“No big deal,” I replied as I managed to keep a straight face with my hand in the cookie jar. “Just looking over the apps for those state jobs.”
“Oh, yeah. Today’s the last day. I hope they’re finished bringing them in because I have to send them off to Sacramento later on. We got some online, but people really started pouring in yesterday with the paper apps. Including this cute brother.”
“
Oh?
” My eyebrow rose. “I’m surprised you didn’t try to make him your newest slave. What was wrong with him? Too short? Gold tooth?”
Oh?
” My eyebrow rose. “I’m surprised you didn’t try to make him your newest slave. What was wrong with him? Too short? Gold tooth?”
“No. Other than that whole ‘broke college student’ vibe, there was nothing wrong with him physically. Around six foot, tight little bod ’n stuff. Nice smile too. Just the nervous sort. Kept looking around like he was casing the place or something.”
“Oh, I see. Nice smile, huh?”
Bingo.
20
Max
I went by Del Amo Mall Friday. Something I had to do, I suppose. I’d gone by Denny’s to check the work schedule and found out I was working the weekend. Samir took care of a brother, but he had to put me on the weekend schedule sometimes. Besides, it would keep me out of trouble. Nothing like good, hard work to clear a man’s head. I drove across the street, spotting Jay’s Beamer in the mall parking lot. He must have opened the store this morning.
We hadn’t spoken since the night at El Ami, and my weak ass was beginning to feel bad. I didn’t agree with what Jay did, but I didn’t want to let stuff end on that note.
He was blood. My mom had taught me the importance of your peoples. I bopped on by the food court and took the escalator up to level two, where TruMale was located on the left.
There were a few customers browsing the racks and one at the register, but no Jay in sight. He was either in back or on break. I decided to hang for a second, digging through shirts on the sale rack. I had found a nice extra-large when I heard Jay’s voice. He was at the register, now ringing up the customer I’d seen before. Jay had to have seen me when he returned, but he wore his “work face,” all about getting that upsale, whether it be a pair of socks, a tie, or an extra shirt. I waited for him to finish the transaction before approaching the counter.
“Whaddup, cuz?”
“Whaddup with you, Country?” His intention was to bother me, but it wouldn’t work this time.
“Nothing. I was on this end checking my schedule and saw your ride. You stayin’ outta trouble?” Stupid question on my part, but it helped to break the tension between us.
Jay smirked and shot back, “You ever gonna get in any trouble, Country? Man, I’m ashamed to call you my cousin sometimes. That was some foul shit, nigga.”
“Foul? How was I foul? You were the one up there lying ‘n shit. Then you—” I paused, as I was starting to talk loud and there were still customers in the store. “Then you tried to ditch Smitty. You know that was cold, man.”
“All right. All right. You got me there. I had no choice, though. I mean, you saw how they looked. What was I supposed to do, leave that ass for someone else? Cuz, you should have been there,” said Jay with a big grin that told everything as he stroked his goatee with pride.
I stopped my imagination, as I didn’t need to be thinking about the three of them doing it big at the W—and my lonely ass standing outside El Ami.
Jay tensed in the middle of his bragging. New customers had entered the store, but they weren’t shopping. Four dudes, either bangers or affiliated, laughed among themselves while throwing hard glares at Jay. The gang situation out here was one of the things to which I’d never adjust. Call me simple, but Blacks and Latinos killing one another over territory or colors just didn’t make sense.
“You know them?”
“Nah, I don’t pay that shit no mind. I probably know their women, though.”
“Man, you’re crazy. I wouldn’t fuck around with that if I were you.”
“Hey, may I help you?” he asked aloud of the four, challenging them to buy something or leave. Their joking ended. For a tense moment or two, I thought something was about to pop off. Acting as if they hadn’t heard him, they simply started up with the jokes again and walked back out. No eye contact or acknowledgment. As if they knew it would fuck with Jay worse.
“That was something,” I offered as the situation defused.
“They’ll be back.”
“You ever thought about it?”
“What? Joining a gang? Shit, Pops would’ve stomped a hole in me if my momma didn’t. Lucy don’t play that. She’s real O.G.”
“Whatever, cuz. Hey, look, I’m gonna run. I gotta go home and get some sleep. You be careful, okay?”
“Always, cousin. Always,” said Jay with a laugh, strolling over to assist a customer.
A female customer.
Jay would always be Jay.
On the way home, I passed up my place when I realized I was riding on “E,” and filled up at the Union 76 just up the street. The gas prices out here were murder. I grabbed a turkey sandwich from inside, which I ate on the drive back to the apartment.
After I returned, I headed straight for the bedroom to catch some Zs. I threw my clothes on the chair and clicked on the nineteen-inch on my dresser. I sprawled across the bed while watching
The Price Is Right
crowd scream for someone to bid higher on a vacation package. I clicked the TV off just as I prepared to go unconscious, and turned on my side.
The Price Is Right
crowd scream for someone to bid higher on a vacation package. I clicked the TV off just as I prepared to go unconscious, and turned on my side.
Then I saw it, a flicker of light from my answering machine, just as my eyes closed. I suddenly reopened them. I was going to let the message keep until after my nap, but decided against it. It might be something important. Besides, I didn’t know how long it had been blinking. I pushed the button and waited for the machine to play.
It was a woman’s voice.
“Ummm, this is the California Employment Development Department downtown. I am calling for Mr. Maxwell Guillory. You completed an application recently for one of the state openings. I know you may not be interested in this, based on your qualifications, but the DMV has some openings to fill as well. Please call if you would be available to come by our office on First Street this Monday around eleven
A.M.
for a prescreening interview.”
A.M.
for a prescreening interview.”
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