Cosmopolitan Girls (11 page)

Chapter 20

Cosmos and Conversations

I was glad Lindsay didn't flake out. When she called to confirm the time for our first official “Girls' Night Out,” I was shocked. Meeting and exchanging numbers was the “industry thing” to do, but following up was rare. I opened the door to the Shark Bar and Lindsay was busy typing away on her two-way. She looked stressed.

“Hey, girlfriend!” I greeted. Lindsay's phone was ringing off the hook. I looked at her oddly. “Aren't you going to answer that?”

“Nope, I know who it is.”

“You got it like that to be dissing a brotha's calls?” I asked.

“Please, I wish. It's my boss, and I'm just not in the mood to talk.”

“Then I suggest turning it off. It's Friday and you look like you deserve a breather.”

The phone rang again. I observed Lindsay's jumpy body language.

“Hello?” Lindsay paused, stiffening her back. “Yes, Robert.” Lindsay stood up abruptly. “Robert you're cutting in and out. I'm sorry, my battery is low.” She twisted her mouth and pivoted around listening intently. “Sure, no problem, I'll see you early Monday morning.”

I examined her as she hung up the phone. “What was that all about? You look so uptight.”

“Mind yours. That only took a minute. Besides, I'm doing as you suggested.” She held up the phone. “See, the phone is off!”

“Oh, I see, all right. You're one of those
workaholic
women,” I said. Sometimes I think all our electronics are merely fancy balls and chains.

“Please! I am
not
a workaholic!”

“I know one when I see one. Work-a-ho-lic!” I said teasingly.

“What you really ought to be calling me is an
al-co-ho-lic.
'Cause that's what I'm about to be!” Lindsay joked, anxious to change the subject.

“Well all right! Stevie, let's get this woman a drink!” I said, winking at him.

I was starting to glow from the Cosmo. I had the official “I'm tipsy” glint in my eyes. “So, Miss St. Louis, what made you leave the comforts of your background to join the pack of wolves in N.Y.C.?”

“The harsh realities of not having a chance at a big television career in my hometown. I was way too ambitious for poor pay and limited exposure,” Lindsay answered.

“I'm impressed.” I really was.

Lindsay raised her drink and winked. “I see myself as a combination of Faye Dunaway's character in
Network
and Oprah Winfrey. I worship that woman.” Lindsay's lazy tongue was evidence I wasn't the only one feeling my drink.

“You better work it out, baby FayeFrey!” I raised my glass to her. “Sounds like somebody's sticking to their plans,” I said, wishing I could say the same thing about myself.

“We'll see, but what about you, Miss Charlie Thornton?”

Now I had to figure out how to make my nothing sound like something, so I gave it my best shot. “I'm a copywriter for Imagination City, but I'm working on a movie script about the trials and tribulations of four best friends. It's been a struggle because I'm only able to write in the evenings and on weekends.” I tried to sound legit.

“Oh, my mother is a writer and she made lots of sacrifices too. But I'm proud to say that after all these years, she is the editor of
Black Writer's Journal.
Her very own poetry quarterly.”

“Wait, I've heard of that!”

“Really? Honey, my mother is a character. If it took her until she was a hundred, she was going to see her dream come true.” Lindsay took another intoxicating sip of her cocktail. “So what's the rest of your story, Charlie?”

I looked at her strangely. “How much time you got?”

“Plenty,” Lindsay said.

“Well, I'll try to make a long story short. I wanted to be a filmmaker. But living in Buffalo there was no way I was going to see that dream come true. Not in a small city like that,” I said, happy to see that my cocktail glass was somehow magically refilled. “My passion for writing got the best of me. It was time to make a change, get some courage and step out on faith.” I took a tiny sip to refresh.

“I worked two jobs for a whole year, saved my money, and took the next flight here. I was in a New York state of mind,” I said dramatically. “My mantra became, ‘If I can make it in the Big Apple, I'm the bomb!' ” I said, raising my glass once again.

“I heard that. So do you go home often?” Lindsay asked.

“I go back once or twice a year, and for the holidays. Mostly because my granny makes me feel guilty if I don't. That's my girl! Talk about inspiration. She's mine. That woman moved her entire family from the South to Buffalo to pursue her dream of becoming an entrepreneur,” I said, putting my glass down. “Granny opened a boutique, record store, and a restaurant. Betty's Texas Red Hots, best known for her famous Betty burgers and old-fashioned milkshakes. Chile, I could kill for one right now!” I said, savoring a time long ago.

“Charlie, sounds like you have all of her ambitious attributes. Look at you, you did the same thing. Left your hometown to go after your dream. I may not know you that well, but from one sista to another, I'm proud of you.”

“Thanks, Lindsay. You're all right with me. It feels good to have a black woman being supportive.”

Part 2

Chapter 21

Girlfriends

When Charlie returned from the ladies' room, I had moved from the now crowded bar area to a small corner table. I know she was wondering what the hell was going on. When she left I was fine, now I looked a hot mess. My nose was red and my eyes were swollen.

“Girl, you all right? I wasn't gone
that
long!” Charlie said.

I didn't let her get in her seat good before I hit her with it. “I told you my man broke up with me. But the truth is he did it because he found out I slept with my ex!” My eyes filled up with tears and I fell into Charlie's arms. Poor thing, I could tell she was at a loss, and trying her best to console me. “I'm sorry, you don't even know me that well and I'm hitting you with all my problems,” I sniffled.

“No, it's cool. It's just this female bonding thing is very new to me. But it's okay, and your situation isn't so bad,” she said, patting my hand lightly.

“You don't have to downplay it. I know it's bad,” I said, blowing my nose.

“But you feel crappy enough. I don't need to make matters worse. Listen, if you really love him, don't give up. There's got to be a way to work things out. Men do stuff like this all the time.”

I wiped my face and took a deep breath. “There's more.”

“I'm listening, but first let's get some more drinks. If you got a skeleton in your closet, best thing to do is clean it out!” Charlie shifted forward, encouraging me.

After two more Cosmos, I had laid it all out.

“This is like a soap opera! Don't you know, girl, there ain't nothing worse than a man who's got his ego on his ass, and the woman he wants dumps him? Sooner or later you were gonna have to deal with this Randy character anyway,” Charlie said, pained by my dilemma.

“Yeah, but see, men stick together. It doesn't matter that in the end Troy is the man I love and want to be with.” I was getting weaker by the moment. “I just want my relationship back with Troy,” I said, burying my face in my hands.

“You may have been wrong, but Troy and Randy did you in.” Charlie was charged up. “Chile, sounds like Troy is on a power trip. He had you on a string like a puppet and you didn't even know it! You can't build on a weak foundation,” she said, pounding her fist on the table. “He never had any faith in you from the beginning!”

“I feel so bad, Charlie,” I said pitifully.

“Don't you sit up here and feel guilty. I smell a rat. Randy played both of y'all.” Charlie was fuming. I took a hearty gulp of my Cosmo and swallowed hard. “Honey, if this ain't a bunch of bull, I don't know what is. All Troy did was turn things around on you, so that he could get out of this guilt-free.”

I took a napkin and wiped my face, giving Stevie the nod for another round.

Stevie returned with drinks in hand. “Ladies, this is round three. It's on me, and I made them a little weaker. I don't want you two beautiful women getting to a point where you can't handle yourselves.”

“More men need to be like you,” I said.

Stevie blushed, shaking his head as he walked away.

“I'm not going out like this, Charlie. I'm about to be on a serious mission,” I said, licking the alcohol residue from my lips.

“What's your mission, Miss Lindsay?” Charlie asked curiously.

“I'm not sure. I do know this, I've gotta get this monkey off my back and stop being jerked around by men!” I said, fueled by the mixture of the Cosmopolitans and my anger.

“Now, that's what I'm talking about.”

“I want to make Troy feel just as bad as I do right now.” I looked over at Charlie and I could tell something evil was lurking in both our heads. I know it was in mine.

“So you're talking about revenge?” Charlie grimaced.

“That's right. Payback is a mother!” I said. “The first thing I need is a plan, and I'm sure you can help me come up with a darn good one. We're two smart, attractive women.” I pulled out a pen and started scribbling on a napkin. I held it up. “Check it out! Our very own Code of Arms for bringing down the enemy! Listen, number one,
hit him
where it hurts!
” I said excitedly.

“I got one! Number two,
celebrate your newfound single
status by looking sexy as hell so you can meet a new man!
” Charlie interjected.

“Good one! Then, number three,
create a fabulously
scandalous rumor and make the ex jealous!
” I felt revived, as I feverishly kept writing.

“And lastly, number four,
keep it moving, don't look back,
and don't let old memories trap you in the sack!
” Charlie added, as I eagerly finished jotting down the Code of Arms and held up the napkin.

We were amped.

“To the Cosmo Code of Arms saving all womankind!” I said, putting my fist out.

“Our future depends on you, girl!” Charlie cheered with drunken enthusiasm, returning the gesture, giving me a rowdy pound.

Chapter 22

More Cosmos and Conversations

To women breaking the rules!” I raised my glass in a firery toast. Clink! I tapped Charlie's glass a bit too hard. I appreciated my new friend Charlie helping me get over my heartache.

“So, St. Louis, do you ever miss it?” Charlie said, slurring a bit.

“Miss what?” I replied, lighting the table candle. To no avail, I was zoning in to flickers of Troy.

“Home. Do you go back much?”

“Not as much as I'd like to. Work keeps me too busy. I miss my mother's entertaining, though. She's always having these soirees at the house with all her famous writer friends.”

“Really!” Charlie was intrigued.

“Honey, I know you're not going to believe it, but James Baldwin, Margaret Walker, and Gwendolyn Brooks all made our house a pit stop. Good food and spiritual nourishment. Everybody knew Mama could put her foot in some Creole gumbo.”

“Forget the food. I would've killed for all that history,” Charlie said.

“Yeah, but you haven't tasted her gumbo! Since I've been living here the
Zagat
guide has become my second mother.”

We ordered another round of Cosmopolitans. It was Charlie's turn to toast.

“To living!”

I remembered she had said that when we first met. I needed to get to the bottom of what Miss Charlie meant. From the looks of her hand, she
was
living to me. Certainly living the “Lindsay American Dream” with a 2.5 carat ring sitting on her finger. I was dying to know . . .

“So Charlie, what's up with that big fat rock on your finger?” And a rock it was. Clear, flawless, pristine.

“Oh, this?” she said, cracking a smile and holding up her hand. “Just a little engagement bling bling.”

“How'd you do it? It seems like half the men are in jail and the other half are gay. I can't figure it out. Men say they want a woman who has it going on. So you get it going on, and they go for the chicks with no aspirations.”

“You know what your problem is, Lindsay? You spend too much time worrying about a man. You know how I got mine? By not worrying about one.”

“So it's that simple?” I couldn't imagine.

“Men always want what they can't have. And with my fiancé Michael, I wasn't pressed. But I will admit, sometimes I envy single women. I miss the sport of hunting men.” Charlie winked.

“The hunt gets boring. At least you have a man sleeping in your bed every night.”

“Yeah, you do have a point, because my man does know how to put it on me.” Charlie fanned herself slowly while sipping her Cosmo.

“It's all that, huh?”

“All that and then some!” Charlie dramatically swatted me on my shoulder.

“Girl, does he have any brothers?” I laughed.

“Girl, please, I didn't say he was perfect.”

“Well, you've snagged one, so you clearly have them pegged,” I said, taking a sip from my glass.

“Nah, I'm just a pimpstress when it comes to men.”

“A pimpstress?” I was amused.

“I'm a pimp without all the stress.”

Charlie was trying her best to look serious. I had to do everything I could to keep from spitting out my drink. I swallowed hard, triggering us both to crack up.

“Please!” I rolled my eyes.

“You wish, softy!” Charlie hiccuped.

“I hope you do know something about men. 'Cause I can't figure them out to save my life!” We both let out rowdy belly laughs. “
Big-
talking Buffalo girl can't handle her drink, acting just like an amateur. I should have never turned you on to Cosmos because now you're spacing out. A pimpstress, whoever heard of such!” I teased, calling Charlie out as the laughter died.

“Girl, the pimpstress is retiring come this Christmas Eve. Even though I still haven't found my wedding dress.”

“That's a shame. You're way off schedule. Where's your wedding planner?” I asked.

“You're looking at her!” Charlie frowned.

“Okay, that's it! I'm officially your unofficial maid of honor and we are going to get that dress!”

“Cool! Now that we've gotten that settled, let's get back to the mission at hand,” Charlie said mischievously.

“Damn I just got a bad taste in my mouth thinking about Randy, and about Troy and Robin gallivanting around town.”

“Don't let Troy and that girl sidetrack you. The way to feel victorious is to attack what Troy cherishes most.”

“That's easy. Money, women, and his ego.”

“Hmm, we've got lots to work with,” Charlie said.

“We sure do,” I said, as we gave each other sly grins.

We exited the bar . . .

“Are you sure you don't want to share a taxi?” I asked.

“We're going in opposite directions. Thanks anyway. I'll be fine.”

“Okay, get home safe and I'll see you next week. And don't worry, I've got your wedding dress covered!”

“Bet!” Charlie gave a playful salute.

Our first mission was in place. I hailed a cab heading uptown, and Charlie headed for the downtown train. It had been a long time since I bonded with a sister who wasn't blood related and since I actually laughed aloud. Tara, Judy, and I spent more time gossiping, talking about the latest sample sales, and driving ourselves nutty with work. Hanging with Charlie was just basic fun.

Maybe something was missing with me and my crew? Maybe partaking in life's simple offerings—good conversation and laughter—was fueling my fascination with this new wild-haired, freckle-faced woman who had the arrogance of a man. Whatever it was, I was excited and wanted to know more about Charlie. Something told me the two of us together couldn't be anything but trouble.