Abnormal Lives (24 page)

Kenneth knocked on the bathroom door. “Simone, I know what y'all did. Just give me my shit back and everything will be awright.”

Jana stood there, clueless. “What are you talking about?”

“Simone and her little friends stole all Kenneth's coke and his money,” Jamal answered.

“I've been with Simone all day so she couldn't have had anything to do with it,” Jana said.

“Why she ain't answering me?” Kenneth asked.

“I don't know; she's been in there for a while,” Jana said. “Maybe something's wrong with her.”

“Maybe she knows she fucked up,” Kenneth said.

Kenneth kicked the door open.

Jana was shocked to see that the bathroom was empty.
Damn, I can't believe she played me like that,
Jana thought.

Kenneth pounded his hand against the wall. “They said they're from Virginia, right?”

Jana nodded her head.

“Yeah, I'm gonna find these muthafuckas,” Kenneth said. “Ain't no way I'm gonna take a loss like that and let it ride. They're gonna pay out their asses for this shit.”

21

S
imone stood back, looking at the outfit she had designed for Paris to wear to the beauty pageant. She was so inspired by her trip that she'd stayed up all night working on it. She was sure Paris would be pleased. It was a jumpsuit that flared out a little below the knee and it was zebra print, like the dress he had worn their first day at the decadence celebration. It had a deep plunge in the front and a red tie across the back and Simone had taken a red belt from one of her outfits for Paris to wear along with it. She hoped Paris hadn't gained any weight since she had taken his measurements.

Stefan made his way up the stairs. He had just gotten back from the beauty salon and wanted to jump in his bed and take a nap.

Simone caught sight of Stefan out the corner of her eye and screamed. She paused to look at him for a moment, taking in his new hairdo.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Stefan asked.

“My bad; I ain't know who the hell you were, walking through here like that.” Simone ran her fingers through Stefan's long, layered auburn weave. “Why didn't you tell me you were taking your dreads out?”

“I hadn't planned on taking them out,” Stefan said. “It was a last-minute thing. I was getting tired of the same ol' thing.”

“But you had those things for years and they were long, too,” Simone said. “I can't believe you cut them out just like that.”

“It's only hair,” Stefan said. “It's not hard to come by. If it were, I wouldn't have a head full of it right now and neither would you.”

Simone laughed. “Yeah, it's amazing what you can buy.”

Stefan caught sight of the outfit hanging on the door of Simone's closet and shoved her aside to take a look at it. “Oh, what is this?”

“That's Paris's outfit for the pageant.”

“I didn't know you had started on it.”

“I started working on it last night.”

“You're shitting me!” Stefan exclaimed.

Simone shook her head.

“You mean to tell me, you started working on this last night and you're already finished.”

Simone nodded.

“What prompted that?”

“I got the idea for it when I saw him wearing that zebra print dress,” Simone said. “All I had to do was put it together.”

“I ain't trying to be funny or nothing, but that dress Paris had on was ugly as all hell.” Stefan turned the jumpsuit around to look at the back of it. “But this right here is the bomb.”

Simone smiled, happy that the first comment about her creation was positive and the fact that it was coming from Stefan, who usually had a mouth full of negative comments about everything she did, meant a lot to her.

“Let's go out for lunch to celebrate, my treat,” Stefan said.

“That's something you don't hear come out your mouth too often,” Simone said. “I can't pass that up.”

“I suggest you hurry up before I change my mind.” Stefan giggled. “I'm having second thoughts already.”

The doorbell rang as they were on their way out.

Stefan pulled down the blinds and peeked out the window. “Aw damn.”

“Who is it?” Simone asked.

Stefan looked at Simone and rolled his eyes. “Mrs. Sandra.”

“Who?”

“Mrs. Sandra, you know, from down the street; Anthony's mama.”

Simone frowned. “What the hell she want?”

“I don't know,” Stefan said. “Open the door and see.”

Simone walked out of the door and Stefan walked out behind her and locked the door, not bothering to look Mrs. Sandra's way. Simone looked Mrs. Sandra up and down. The long, lavender floral print dress that hung down to her ankles was out of the ordinary for her. Simone was used to seeing Mrs. Sandra wearing tight booty shorts or mini-skirts. She couldn't help but wonder what had prompted the change in Mrs. Sandra's attire.

“How have you two been doing?” Mrs. Sandra asked.

“Fine,” Simone answered.

Mrs. Sandra smiled. “That's good. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Stefan smirked. “You wanted to make sure she was okay. Why? Since when are you concerned about her well-being?”

Mrs. Sandra paused for a moment, trying to think of what she could say to smooth things over. “Come on, don't be like that. I know some things have happened between us in the past but I can't change that. All I can do is try to make things right with you two now.”

Stefan and Simone looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

“Come on, you two. Don't give me such a hard time,” Mrs. Sandra pleaded. “I came over here with the best intentions. I know what you've been going through the last few years since you lost your grandmother and I see you two over here taking care of yourselves and watching out for each other and I am so proud of you.”

Mrs. Sandra reached in her purse and handed Simone a pamphlet.

Simone looked at it and turned up her nose. “What is this?”

“It's a handout about how to deal with a crisis.”

Simone looked down at it and took a deep breath.

“You don't have to read it now; you can wait to you get alone and look through it,” Mrs. Sandra said.

Simone sucked her teeth. “I don't know how it'll help me, but awright.”

“Simone, I know there's been a lot of disappointment in your life but sometimes you have to give things a chance,” Mrs. Sandra said. “By the way, do you two attend church?”

Simone and Stefan shook their heads, anticipating what was coming next.

“I'd love to have you two attend service with me one day,” Mrs. Sandra said. “As a matter of fact, your father is a member of my church, Stefan. I'm sure he'd love to see you. Just think about it.”

Mrs. Sandra smiled and then walked off toward her house.

Simone got in the car and sighed. “I thought she would never leave.”

“You should've told her to take her ass up the street,” Stefan said.

“Why you couldn't tell her?”

“She ain't come to talk to me. She came to talk to you,” Stefan said. “Besides, the shit was so touching, I didn't want to interrupt.”

“I wonder when she started wearing long dresses and going to church.”

“Probably around the time she found out Anthony was gay.”

Simone sucked her teeth. “I hate people like that.”

“Like what?”

“People who walk around downing people, being all trashy and
shit, but as soon as they got a problem and people start criticizing them, they want to hide behind a Bible like it's a bulletproof vest or some shit.”

“Girl, you better watch your mouth,” Stefan said. “The Lord hears all.”

“So what,” Simone said. “He ain't gonna do shit. If He had as much clout as everyone says He does, there wouldn't be a Hell and you damn sure wouldn't have on that dress.”

“You can talk all the shit you want but don't underestimate God,” Stefan said. “Just 'cause you feel like He didn't save you from some of the shit that happened to you doesn't mean He doesn't have any say-so in the scheme of things.”

Simone sneered. “Yeah, whatever.”

Stefan folded up his menu and slid it to the side. “You brought me to the most expensive restaurant you could find.”

“Jana took me to the one in New Orleans and she didn't have a problem with it,” Simone said. “So I didn't think you would have one either.”

“Jana probably didn't mind 'cause you gave her some butt.”

Simone rolled her eyes. “You know I didn't sleep with Jana.”

Stefan chuckled. “Then why was she in your room sleep at two o'clock in the morning?”

“You know what? I'm going to the bathroom on that note.”

Simone was shocked to see Wayne standing against the wall waiting for her as she walked out of the bathroom. She tried to sidestep him and head back to the table but he stood in her way.

“I've got one question for you,” Wayne said. “What the hell is this about?”

Simone was intimidated by the rage in Wayne's eyes. “I don't think it's a good idea for you to talk to me.”

“I don't think it's a good idea for little girls to run around saying things that aren't true,” Wayne said. “We both know what happened in that room.”

Simone nodded. “Yeah, you raped me and if you haven't heard, the state has all the evidence they need to prosecute you.”

Simone turned around to walk off and Wayne yanked her by her arm.

“Let go of me,” Simone snapped. “I would hate to have to call the police and let them know I had another run-in with you.”

Wayne released his grip on Simone's arm.

Simone smiled. “Yeah, that's what I thought.”

Wayne reached in his pocket, pulled out five hundred dollars, and handed it to Simone. “Is this what you want?”

Simone's face turned red; the nerve of him offering her five hundred dollars as if it was the solution to his problems. It would take a lot more than that to persuade her to drop the charges. “You've got to be kidding me.”

Wayne reached in his pocket and pulled out three hundred dollars and raised his offer. “Here, it's my final offer.”

“Your final offer?” Simone giggled. “Don't worry; I'll get whatever money I need through civil court after the trial.”

Simone stomped off, leaving Wayne in the hallway, mad as shit.

Simone sat down at the table and sipped her drink.

“What took you so long?” Stefan asked. “I was starting to get worried. I thought you'd flushed yourself down the toilet. I'm too cute to be running around the James River looking for yo' ass.”

Simone sucked her teeth. “Naw, I'm awright. Guess who I saw leaving the bathroom.”

“Who?”

“Wayne.”

“What? He's here?”

“Yeah, he's here.”

Stefan stood up from the table, scoping the restaurant for Wayne. “There he is, over there.” Stefan grabbed his butter knife off of the table. “I'm gonna whip his ass.”