The Night Before Thirty (20 page)

John came back. It was ten-fifteen.

“Earl's gone to work. I'm gonna have to find somebody else. Hold tight, Lashawnda.” He walked by the car and down the street of the apartment complex.

“I can't trust this,” she said to herself, and then took the keys out of the ignition. She got out of the car, opened the trunk, and lugged out her new suitcase and carry-on bag. It was cool out, what her mother called “jacket weather,” but the sun was shining. She pulled the handle of the large piece and put the carry-on on top of it. She sighed loudly and set out to walk down the street and up a block to the bus stop.

Her timing was good, because by the time she had gotten to the stop, the bus was in sight. Lashawnda boarded and sat at the front, gripping her luggage. Her hands were freezing, but her nose was perspiring and the liquid foundation on her face was separating and coming off. She could feel it. She reached into her carry-on and grabbed a tissue. She dabbed facial toner on it and began blotting her face. She looked around and noticed that everyone sitting near her was staring. She ignored them—they had no idea of where she was going or what she was trying to do.

She pulled out her compact and patted powder on her face to remove the shine. After she finished, she took a deep breath and lay back in the seat, letting her head fall back. She had so much to deal with when she returned—the first item of business was to look for a new job,
which wasn't going to be easy. Working for Cicely had been her first professional position, and the odds of Cicely being a good reference were slim. Then she needed to find a place and eventually try to get a car.

What am I doing vacationing?
she wondered.
I have too much to take care of.
Then she concluded that if Cicely could vacation, she could too. Her new life would have to wait until she returned from her thirtieth-birthday celebration.

OUISA MONTERO, JESSICA,
one of the show's interns, and Stan, the limousine driver, arrived at the Miami airport twenty minutes ahead of the first person's scheduled arrival time.

Locating a bar and grill, they found themselves a space, so as each woman arrived, one of them could help them retrieve their luggage and take them to the bar to meet Louisa. Once everyone had arrived, the women would have a long day ahead. There would be thirty to forty-five minutes between each person's arrival time and, contingent on there being no late arrivals, everyone would get to enjoy a brief time meeting and greeting before they got on with their busy day of shopping and being pampered.

Louisa walked to the furthest comfortable corner in the bar and claimed two tables. Then Jessica and Stan went to the waiting area for arriving flights. Stan held a sign that read: “melvin green and the morning show crew contest winners!” Jessica was prepared, wearing comfortable shoes—as the winners arrived, it was her job to escort them to baggage claim, assist them with their bags, and then take them to meet Louisa.

Lashawnda was the first to arrive. When she saw Stan holding the sign, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Am I ever glad to see you,” she said
to Stan. “I was so nervous that I'd forgotten where I was supposed to go. Oh, thank goodness.”

Jessica moved close to her. “Excuse me, hi. My name is Jessica, and I'll be escorting you to where Ms. Montero is waiting. You must be Lashawnda?” she asked.

“Yes, I am.”

“Okay. Follow me, and we'll pick up your luggage first.”

“I'm so happy the radio station had sense enough to have you help us. I know that I would have been running around like a chicken with its head cut off otherwise.”

“It's my pleasure,” Jessica replied.

When Lashawnda saw Louisa, her mouth dropped wide open. She covered it with her hands to contain her excitement.

Louisa stood up to greet her. “You must be Lashawnda,” she said.

“Oh my God. Louisa Montero. Girl, thank you for having this contest.” Tears began falling from her eyes.

Jessica excused herself.

“You just don't know how much it meant to me to win.”

“You're welcome, but it was actually Melvin's idea.”

“Louisa, make sure you thank Melvin for me. Oh my God. You just don't know how special this is,” Lashawnda said. Then she took a look at Louisa. “You're so pretty!” she squealed.

“Thank you,” Louisa said. “Come on, have a seat. You can order an appetizer. Drinks. Whatever.”

“Great. I'm starving,” Lashawnda said. She sat down and tried to concentrate on the menu, but she couldn't. She was just too excited.

CATARA AND TANYA
stood with Jessica and Stan. They'd walked up at about the same time and were waiting for Elise. They were both anxious and wanted to move forward.

“How much longer do we have to wait?” Tanya asked.

“Well, Elise's plane has already landed. She should be coming this way any minute now,” Jessica said.

“What about our luggage? Shouldn't we go ahead and try to get it?” Catara questioned.

Jessica became nervous. She knew that the moment that they left,
Elise would walk up. But she didn't want to upset the contest winners. The ladies had every right to be concerned about their luggage, but the timing was important. “Let's just wait a few more minutes,” she suggested. “I'm sure your luggage will be okay.”

“I don't know about that,” Tanya said.

“Why don't Tanya and I walk to baggage claim, and when Elise gets here, the two of you can meet us there and then we'll all go together to meet Louisa and the other lady. What's her name?” Catara said.

“Lashawnda,” Jessica replied, biting her bottom lip. “Well, okay. But please don't move once you find your luggage. If I lose you, I'll lose my job.”

“Oh, we'll be fine,” Tanya said over her shoulder as she and Catara left to go to baggage claim.

“And we'll be down there when you get there with Elise,” Catara assured her.

“Yeah, relax,” Tanya said, tickled at how nervous Jessica was. It was cute. Most of the women in her hood weren't so quick to let their emotions show, no matter how nervous they were.

She and Catara moved through the airport together like two young girls. They were both giddy and talked like old friends.

“I can't wait to get on that boat and get my party on. It is long overdue. I just hope all the other women who won aren't skinny like you,” Catara said.

“What did you say?” Tanya asked, offended. She was hoping to give Catara a chance to clean up her words before she went off on her.

“I don't mean it facetiously. I'm just a little self-conscious about my weight.”

“I don't know why. Skinny girls are not in style. They like 'em thick in my hood.”

“Well, I need to hang out in your hood, because where I stay, thin is in,” Catara replied. “I know everybody is going to be staring at me. But if I'm not the only big girl, it'll take some of the pressure off.”

Tanya didn't know how to respond, so she changed the subject. “I'm not getting to my massage quick enough. After the year I've had, I could use one every day for the next year.”

“Well, I've been so busy at work that I haven't had a pedicure or manicure in months,” Catara said.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute, girlfriend, you gotta find time for the two I-cures.”

“I know, but I haven't.”

“I thought I needed this, but maybe you need this trip more than me,” Tanya said.

They laughed.

By the time they found their luggage and made their way to the front of baggage claim, Jessica and Elise were approaching. The two women smiled when they saw her.

“What took you so long?” Tanya joked.

“I'm so sorry, but there was a mother and two kids on the plane and they didn't have seats together. Two of them were on the same row as I was, close to the front, and one of the seats was in the back of the plane, on the last row. I couldn't let them be separated like that.”

“So you gave up your seat,” Catara said.

“Yeah, which meant that I was one of the last people off the plane, and it was a full flight.”

“That was nice of you,” Catara said.

“Oh, by the way, this is Catara Edwards and Tanya Charles,” Jessica said, pointing to each. “And, of course, this is Elise Ross.”

The women shook hands.

“How was your flight otherwise?” Jessica asked.

“It was fine. Not bad at all,” Elise said.

“Elise carried her luggage on the flight, so we can go ahead on over to meet Louisa and Lashawnda.”

Jessica touched Elise on the hand. “Lashawnda Davis, the other winner, is already here. The final winner, Alecia Parker, should get here in the next fifteen minutes. She's coming in all the way from Los Angeles.”

The women walked into the bar where Louisa and Lashawnda were sitting down talking and sharing a basket of chips and salsa. Jessica introduced everyone. Then they all sat down and placed their orders with the waitress.

“So you're Catara,” Louisa said.

“Yeah?” Catara shook her head, unsure of what Louisa was getting at. “Girl, out of all the letters we received, yours was the best. We
had
to make you a winner.”

Catara laughed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank you!” she responded.

Louisa looked around. “Everybody else's letters were great, but, Catara, yours left such an impression I couldn't wait to meet you.”

Catara smiled, but she hated being the center of attention.

“Congratulations on opening your gym. It's not every day that you meet a gymnast.”

“Thank you,” Elise said. But I have to be honest. I didn't write my own letter. A guy friend of mine wrote it.”

“Disqualify her,” Lashawnda teased.

“Well, as long as we're playing true confessions, I can't disqualify you, Elise, or else I'd have to disqualify myself and my good friend Alecia. She's the fifth winner.”

“I'm telling Melvin Green,” Tanya joked.

Everyone laughed.

“Alecia is my girl, but let me warn you ladies, she is a bit of a diva,” Louisa admitted.

ALECIA WALKED TOWARD
Jessica and Stan. By the way Alecia was eyeing them over her sunglasses, Jessica knew that she was their final winner.

“Hi, you must be Alecia?”

“No. I'm Ah-
lee-cee
-ah.”

“Sorry, Alecia,” Jessica said, embarrassed that she had mispronounced the woman's name. “How was your flight?”

“Horrible. Why would the show not fly me first-class? Especially coming from L.A. I tried to upgrade, but there were no seats available.”

“I'm sorry to hear that,” Jessica replied.

“I haven't eaten anything at all today. The food in coach is horrible. I am absolutely famished,” she complained, handing her carry-on to Stan.

“So where is Louisa? Am I the first person to arrive?”

“Actually, you're the last. Everybody else is with Ms. Montero. They're all in one of the restaurants getting acquainted. You'll be able to have a bite to eat there.”

“Okay,” Alecia said.

“By the way, I'm Jessica. I'll be assisting Louisa Montero and the rest of you ladies for the weekend.” She looked at Stan.

“Stan, you can bring the car around, and I'll help you to start loading things up once I get Alecia settled.”

“Okay. Will you need this?” he asked Alecia, pointing to her bag.

“No, you can take it with you. But I do have another piece to pick up at baggage claim.”

“Stan, you might as well walk with us, so you can take her luggage with you when you go to get the car,” Jessica said.

“No problem,” Stan said.

They picked up Alecia's luggage and gave it to Stan, and then the two women went to join the rest of the group.

Alecia and Jessica walked up to the ladies, who were sitting around making small talk and waiting.

“Excuse me, but I have our final addition to the group: Alecia”—she looked at Alecia for approval for pronouncing her name correctly, and Alecia nodded—“Jewel Parker.”

Then she introduced everyone to Alecia one by one. When she got to Louisa, who stood up, she began, “And this is—”

“Louisa Montero,” Alecia said, and walked over to her and hugged her.

“Alecia, you made it! So how was your flight?” Louisa asked.

“Let's not talk about it,” Alecia huffed.