CHAPTER NINETEEN

"Is this table okay, ma'am?"

"Yes, it is. Thank you," Vivian said as the waiter pulled out the chair for her and she sat down. "I'm expecting two more," she added. He stated that he'd be back when her guests arrived, and he left.

It was Vivian's first time in a restaurant in over seven months. She arrived back in town yesterday and her best friend Nayla, of whom she was so grateful, agreed to put her up in a motel until she got a paycheck coming in. She even got her a cell phone so they could stay in contact. But the first thing Vivian did was to contact Theo Goldberg's office to see if there was anything he could do to help her get at least visitation with her baby brother. But they wouldn't let her talk to him. They took her name and number and said he would call her back. He never did.

But who was she kidding? That lawyer did his job. He got her out. Now he was out of her life for good and she knew it. But she just missed her brother.

But when Nayla entered the restaurant, Vivian was so happy to see her that she forgot about her misfortunes and stood up smiling. Nayla hurried over to her, they hugged, and they sat down.

She removed her sunglasses. "Let me get a good look at your sorry ass," she said still smiling. "I've only seen you behind glass for the last seven months. But you look good, Viv. Real good. Especially for an ex-con," she added.

Although Nayla grinned, Vivian couldn't find the humor. She didn't know if she'd ever be able to find anything funny about that ordeal. "Where's Mason? I thought he was coming too."

"He is. He had to make a stop first. I came over from the office."

Vivian smiled. "We always wanted to have our own business office. Remember that dream?"

Nayla nodded. "You know I do, girl."

"Now you've got it with Mason. I'm happy for you."

Nayla nodded again, but Vivian could see the hesitancy in her eyes. "Everything okay?" she asked Nayla.

"Yeah, it's good." Then she jumped defensive. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"You just look . . . different, that's all."

"Different how?"

Different beat down , Vivian wanted to say. But that would only beat her down more. "Just different. I haven't seen you in person-person for months, remember?"

That was enough to put that smile back on Nayla's face. "It's good to have my ride or die back. Real good."

"I thought Mason was your ride or die."

"Ha!" Nayla said as if that was a joke, but that was all she said.

"I'm still feeling some kind of way about Mason taking over our company." Vivian decided to confide in her best friend. "He could have let us keep a stake in it, even if it was just ten percent."

"Why you keep harping on that? He wasn't gonna do that and you know it. He wanted it all or he was walking away. And if he walked away, we were gonna lose the business anyhow."

"We had that contract with HOJ."

"We had to hire forty maids, Viv. We had to get supplies to cover all ten of those long-ass floors. Me and you together hustling, yes, we would have found a way. But after they locked you and Rog up, what was I gonna do? Joe wasn't giving me no money. He could barely pay the bills at the house. And he was working two jobs!"

Vivian stared at her. "I can't believe y'all divorced."

"Sometimes I can't either," Nayla said. "It was so fast."

"And how in the world did he get custody of your two boys when he isn't even the biological father?"

"They didn't wanna go with me. They wanted to live with Joe, so that's what we told the judge or whoever was hearing the case, and he was granted custody."

"You have to pay child support though, right?"

"No."

"So you pay nothing for your own children's care?"

"Mason came up with that. I was shocked when Joe went for it. But he wanted the boys to stay with him. He didn't wanna be lonely."

Vivian could relate to that. She'd felt nothing but alone ever since she was incarcerated. "Roger's dad has a restraining order against me. I can't even call Rog on the phone and check on him."

"That's a shame." Then Nayla shook her head. "We had so many hopes and dreams when we were those cute and wild party girls who flunked out of college because we were partying so hard and who just knew shit was gonna work out for us because it always did."

"Now it never does," Vivian said, and they started to laugh but neither of them could. They glanced at each other.

The only thing to break the sadness of that moment was the waiter bringing three glasses of water. He asked if they were ready to order. "Not yet. We're waiting on one more," Nayla said, and the waiter left.

"Maybe you can call him," Vivian said to her best friend.

"Can call who? Mace?"

"My brother. There's no restraining order against you."

"I went to see him in jail the day before he got released. I was going regularly to see him you know, even though he never liked me."

"He always liked you. He just didn't understand you. But thanks for visiting him. You're a great friend. You came to see me, too, every single week. Thanks for that, Nay."

"You know I got you. But the last time I went to see Rog, his quote unquote " father " showed up and I got a chance to talk with him. I asked if I could get his phone number so I could call and ask how Rog was doing once he got released. But he said no. Never been in Roger's life at all, and now he's acting all in charge of his life. He said Rog was cutting ties with people like us, as he put it. He didn't want you or me or any of our friends attempting to contact him. He had to undo all the damage we had done, was what he told me."

Vivian shook her head. "He's awful. But he's successful and has a stable home and family. I'm hoping and praying Rog will excel with him."

"I hope so too, girl. Then at least one of us would have made something of themselves."

Vivian looked at her. "You left your husband and your children for Mason. You put all your eggs in his basket. I figured you'd at least have a ring by now."

"Don't start, Vee."

"But what is he waiting on? He took over your business. He helped you rush through that divorce. He even came up with the scheme where you didn't have to have your kids around him and you didn't have to pay a dime of support for them. And he still hasn't put a ring on it? That's foul. I'm sorry, Nay, but that's foul."

"You just don't like him."

"What's there to like? Joe was a good husband to you. And a great father to your kids. I just hope you don't end up alone like me, that's all I'm saying Nay. I want better for you."

Nayla looked at her. "You talk like it's over for you."

"It's beginning to look like that."

"No, it's not, Vee, don't say that! Why would you even think that?"

Vivian used her fingers to count the ways. "I'm an ex-con. I'm broke. Don't even have a place to live outside of that motel you're paying for me to stay in temporarily. I fooled around with so many losers who I knew I didn't want to be the father of any child of mine, so I'm childless. I'm jobless. I'm pushing forty."

"Thirty-seven is not pushing forty."

"You know what I mean! I'm running out of runway. If I don't fly soon, I'm not flying ever. If it's not over for me yet, it's getting there."

Nayla reached over and took Vivian's hand. A desperation was in her eyes. "Don't change like that, Vee. Don't let them change you! You've always been the practical one. You've never taken risks. But you've always been hopeful too. Optimistic. Don't lose that."

Tears appeared in Vivian's eyes. "It's hard."

Nayla squeezed her hand tighter.

"I feel like I've lost everything. And guess what? I have. Yes, I wanna get back on my feet. But how? I don't even have a job to get back on my feet with."

"Mason's gonna hire you, I told you that."

But Vivian knew Nayla. "He said he was, or is it just you saying it?"

"That's what this meeting is about. He'll hire you. He knows what a good worker you are. He even told me so."

"Girl bye," Vivian said as they stopped holding hands. "I doubt seriously if that man ever said two good words about me in his life. You say I don't like him. And you're right about that. I don't. I think he's out for nobody but himself. So yes, I don't like him. But he can't stand me."

"And I don't know why that is."

"Because I can see right through his bullshit and he doesn't like that. That's why! Something about him makes my skin crawl."

"Never mind," said Nayla, sitting up in her chair as if he would criticize her for being slouched down. "He's here."

Vivian didn't bother to look at Mason Washington, a tall, attractive black businessman made his way to their table. She, instead, took a sip of her water. Anybody taking over her business would have set her back a step even though she knew Nayla wasn't going to be able to sustain it on her own. But for him to take over of all people? And for him to be able to make money from that contract with HOJ she was so thrilled to get, still made her blood boil. But there was nothing she could do about it now, and she desperately needed a job just to be able to take care of herself. She had to get over it.

"Hello ladies," Mason said in that charming way he had with ladies as he sat down beside Nayla. "Long time, no see, Vivian."

"Hey."

"So you think you can dance?"

Vivian looked at him puzzled. Nayla did too.

"With me, I mean," said Mason. "You wanna tangle with me."

They both still looked confused.

"Dang y'all slow. You want a job from me, right?"

"Yes, I do," Vivian answered him, "but why couldn't you just say that from the beginning?"

Nayla swiftly kicked her from underneath the table. And she quickly realized she actually needed this buffoon. "I mean, yes, I want a job."

"You want a job from me ? Correct?"

Her blood was boiling again. "Yes."

He nodded. "I don't like your ass, you know that?"

Vivian nodded. "I know it."

"But because Nayla thinks so highly of you for reasons I still can't fathom, I'll see what I can do."

Vivian couldn't believe he was going to string her along. "Really, Mace? That's what we're doing?"

"Mace, she needs a job right now," Nayla intervened. "I figured she could supervise our motel contracts."

"She ain't supervising shit!" Mason said angrily. "She don't run this. I run this. She wanna work for me, she'll clean toilets just like everybody else." He looked at Vivian. "You'll get maid work and nothing more."

Vivian wanted to cuss his ass out. But she maintained her cool. Mainly because he wasn't worth it. But also because she really did need employment. Cleaning toilets never bothered her as long as she got paid cleaning them.

But before she had a chance to respond to Mason at all, her cell phone began ringing.

Which surprised Nayla. "I just gave you that phone yesterday. Who would be calling you already?"

"I don't know," Vivian said as she pulled it out of her jacket. When she saw that it was Goldberg and Rahm Law Firm, she gladly answered. "It's my lawyer."

"You got a lawyer?" Mason asked.

Vivian ignored him. "I called his office yesterday to see if he could help me get visitation with Rog."

"Put it on Speaker," Nayla said.

She put it on Speaker and then she answered. "Hello?"

"Hey Miss Ellis, this is Theo Goldberg."

"Hello, Mr. Goldberg."

"I understand you want me to assist you in getting visitation with your brother?"

"That's right, yes sir."

"Not going to happen. I told you the judge agreed that your brother needed separation from his prior life. Total separation until he was of age. Only his father can override that ruling."

Vivian exhaled. "I just thought there might be something more you could do."

"There's nothing more to be done. That order is final."

Nayla could see the disappointment in Vivian's eyes. "Yes, sir," Vivian said.

"But I do have some good news."

That was surprising. "You do?"

"Yes! Have you accepted a job yet?"

Vivian looked at Mason. "No, I haven't," she was happy to say.

"Then don't. I have a job for you."

Vivian and Nayla looked at each other. Nayla was already smiling. "What job is it?"

"You've been hired to work at the Janardi estate."

Wait, what ? Both Vivian and Nayla were confused. Mason was too. "The Janardi estate?" Vivian asked. "What's that?"

"The man that hired me to represent you owns the House of Janardi."

Mason was shocked to hear that. He knew Nayla had mentioned something about it, but he rarely paid her babblings any attention.

"You were aware of that, right?" asked Theo.

"Yes, I know that."

"His secretary told me this afternoon that he needs a housekeeper at his residence in White Plains."

" White Plains ?" Vivian had never even been to White Plains.

"Getting away from the city might do you some good," Theo said. "It's a live-in position, which means it'll give you a roof over your head and food in your belly and money to save for your future. It'll be on a trial basis of course, since they will need to confirm your work ethic. But if you do a great job, which I'm sure you will, then they will consider keeping you on in a more permanent position."

A permanent maid? Vivian didn't think so! But it would do until she got back on her feet, and until she got her business back from Mason Washington!

"What say you?" Theo asked her.

"I say yes," Vivian said. She had nothing in Newark to hold her back. She had nothing.

"Report to work tomorrow evening. That's when Mrs. Kabecky will be able to meet with you. I'll send a car to pick you up five pm sharp. Text me your address."

"I will. And thank you so much, Mr. Goldberg."

"Don't thank me. I'm just the messenger. Have a good day," he said, and ended the call.

Vivian quickly text him her address and then sat her phone on the table: stunned. She looked at smiling Nayla and she smiled too. Then they high-fived.

"This is crazy," Nayla said. "First he gives you that contract at his fashion house. Then he hires that hotshot lawyer to represent you and Rog. Now he's giving you a job at his personal residence? Girl, I don't wanna hear that I don't know him shit. You have to know him!"

"But I don't!" At least not enough for him to show her all those kindnesses.

"If you don't know him, why is he being so good to you, Vee?"

"You know why," said Mason. "And it ain't because she's a good worker either. No, I take that back. She is a good worker. A good sex worker."

Vivian angrily took her glass of water and threw it in Mason's face. "Say it again, motherfucker?" she said angrily to him.

Nayla was mortified. She knew Vivian would kick ass if she had to. And Mason wasn't above kicking ass either. Female ass included.

But Mason started laughing. "You got yourself a limp dick, white sugar daddy. Don't get mad at me. It's not my fault you're stuck with his tiny little dick as opposed to us brothers and our Mandingos. What can I say?"

Vivian was upset with herself for letting him get to her.

But he stood up. "I got to go," he said, wiping the water from his face with a napkin.

Nayla looked at him. "Go? You just got here, Mace."

"And I'm just leaving. And don't you be here long either. I need you back at the office getting on the phone and making sure those bitches doing their jobs."

"Bitches?" Vivian said, shocked that he would call his maids that derogatory name.

But Nayla gave Vivian a look that was begging her not to make it worse. And then Mason left.

Vivian felt bad for her friend. "How do you put up with him?"

"What choice I got? I gave up a good marriage to a good man for him. It's got to work, Viv. It's got to."

"There's always a way out, Nay. And he's so domineering and nasty. Is he worth it?"

"Yes, he's worth it!" Nayla was offended. "At least I know who I'm dealing with. But you, on the other hand, has this white man doing all this shit for you and you don't even know why. So don't even go there," she said as she gathered her purse to leave. But she stood there, staring at her friend. "Sometimes he's worth gold to me," she said, "and sometimes he's not worth a damn." Then she stood there a moment longer, gave Vivian a hug, and then she left.

But as Vivian continued to sit there, she knew Nayla had made a good point. Why would a man she'd only had brief encounters with, and when they last met she all but cussed him out in his own office, be so good to her? And it couldn't be because of that connection they had nine years ago.

Or could it?