CHAPTER SEVEN

It was their last room to clean at the Happy Time Motel, and both of them couldn't wait to finish. As the owners of V and N Cleaning Services, they had a contract with the motel, which was a good thing. But to get it they had to outbid everybody else. Which meant that contract barely covered their expenses. It was supposed to be a steppingstone that would lead to bigger, better contracts with other motels around town. But that never materialized. They were on either side of the bed putting on clean sheets.

"And I said why don't we go to a movie for a change. And he said a movie this time of night. I said it's not even seven yet. We can catch the eight o'clock showing. You know what he said to me? He said there's nothing good is in the streets that late at night."

Vivian laughed.

"And that answer alone," said Nayla, "is reason enough for me divorce his boring butt."

"You married an older man," Vivian said as they continued to make the bed. "An older man, I'll remind you, who help pay the bills and who also takes care of your children, who are not his biological children, more than you do."

"But dang, Viv. Eight o'clock? Nothing's good in the streets at eight? I remember when we used to be party girls central. We used to party hardy until three in the morning and still got up and went to work. Now I'm with a man who thinks eight o'clock is the new midnight." Vivian laughed again. Nayla grinned. "I'm in trouble, girl."

"You're always complaining about Joe lately. Always got something to say negative about that man. So what's the answer, Nay?"

There was hesitation.

"Nay? What's the answer?"

"You don't wanna hear this," Nayla responded, "but it's not what. It's who. And you know who."

Vivian shook her head. "Not again."

"He has his own business that is actually successful. Unlike ours. He has a brand-new car, girl! And I'm not talking about no Kia either."

"There's nothing wrong with my Kia," said Vivian.

"I didn't say it was. But I'm talking luxury car. He's got himself a Bentley girl. A Bentley! And I won't have to work anymore cleaning these filthy motel rooms if I go with him. I'll have it made, Vee. Can't you see that?"

"Oh, I see it alright," said Vivian. "They always promise you the moon when they don't have you. Then when they get you, they shoot the moon and pretend they never even saw it, let alone promised it to you. Don't leave that good man on a flimsy promise from a player like Mason Washington."

"And Kirby ain't a player?" Nayla asked her friend. "Girl bye. He's been playing you for years."

"That's what you say."

"That's what I know, Vivian Ellis. That's what I know! I saw him at the club with Latrisha just last week."

"What you doing at a club? I know Joe didn't take you to no club."

"Great deflection," said Nayla. "You have all the insight in the world when it comes to me fooling around on my husband. But your man fooling around on you? You can't see it."

Vivian fell into silence.

"Well?" asked Nayla. "What you got to say? Why can't you see what Kirby's doing?"

"I can see it," Vivian admitted. "You think I'm blind?"

Nayla stopped and exhaled. Her heart went out to Vivian. "But let me guess: you love him?"

"My baby brother loves him. Rog says he feels happy when Kirby's around. He's like a father figure to him since his own father is too busy to be bothered with him. He's good to Rog. Takes him places. He treats my brother like he's his son. Rog needs him."

"But what about you, Vee? Don't you need a man who'll look out for you ?"

"He does look out for me. He bought me that Kia I'm driving, remember? He bought all that brand new furniture for my house, a whole new wardrobe for Rog when he told him kids were picking on him at school because he never wore designer clothes. I can't afford no designer nothing. But Kirb stepped up. He even bought Rog a Play Station 5. A 5, Nay. He looks out for both of us."

"But he's a cheater, Viv. A cheater!"

A look of resignation came in Vivian's eyes. "He's good to Rog. And I'm not going to let the best thing that ever happened to my baby brother slip away from him. Because I know how it goes. Rog got attached to my other boyfriends too. And as soon as we broke up, they never looked back. If I dump Kirby, he'll leave and never give Rog a second thought. I'm not letting that happen."

"So you're prostituting yourself for the sake of your baby brother?"

"I'm doing what I have to do. Just like you," Vivian reminded her friend.

Nayla shook her head. "We're pitiful, you know that? We settle for less all the time. We used to be two popular, badass sistas coming out of high school with every boy at that school wanting us, and we just knew we were going to set the world on fire. We were eighteen and wide-eyed then. Now we're thirty-seven years old, cleaning toilets for a living, and the only thing we set on fire was ourselves." They both laughed. "What happened to us?" Nayla added, still grinning.

But it was a truism to Vivian. "We got stuck," she said. "That's what happened. I got stuck in bad relationship after bad relationship only to hook up with a guy like Kirby who treats me and Rog like royalty, but who has some serious issues of the fidelity kind, let's face it."

"And I married a man like Joe who don't wanna do anything but work, eat, and sleep. And hang around the house. And now that fine-ass Mason Washington wants to rock my world and I'm still stuck with Joe?" She shook her head. "We missed out on a lot of opportunities being stuck with the wrong men. I'm not missing out anymore. I'm not going down like that. I'm taking my piece of the pie. And you need to forget about that brother of yours and do the same. Because believe you me, as soon as Rog turns eighteen, he'll kick you to the curb and roll all over you."

Vivian frowned. "He will not and you know it."

"Oh yes he will. I hear him talking all his trash every time I step foot in your house. Y'all don't have the same daddy and he's always throwing that in your face. Every time he gets angry with you he's always saying at least I know who my daddy is. Your daddy won't even claim you . He says that all the time. You take great care of him, I'll give you that, but that boy takes advantage of you just like Kirby does. Just like everybody does."

"Rog is fourteen years old, Nay. Cut him some slack. He's not selfish like that."

"Every man is selfish like that. Including your precious baby brother. Don't even get me started."

Vivian exhaled as they finished making the bed. Then a frustrated look appeared on her face. She knew her brother could be self-centered. She knew Kirby was that way too. Neither one of them bothered to even ask how she was doing. But it was what she was used to. It was all she'd ever known. She wouldn't know what good treatment felt like.

Except for once, she thought. But that was a long, long time ago and it only lasted a minute. "I'll clean the bathroom," she said. "You take out the trash."

"You're the one need to take out the trash," Nayla said with a smile. "And his name is Kirby Drayton."

Vivian smiled at her clever little joke and threw a pillow at her. She threw one back. And they were laughing and back to themselves again.

"Next year will be our year," Nayla said. "You'll see."

"If we can't get more contracts," said Vivian, "we won't make it to the end of this year. We'll go belly-up like all these other tiny businesses are going. For real though."

"That's why I'm going to that cattle call today."

Vivian turned around and looked at her friend. "What cattle call? What's that?"

"That's what we call a go-see."

Vivian was still confused. "What's that?"

"It's when you, as a model, audition for a gig. They're hiring in-house models over at the House of Janardi, and since I'm a model, or at least I used to be, I'm going."

"Oh you're a model now?"

"Yes I am."

"Didn't you try to be a model twenty years ago and you couldn't make a living at it even then? Why would you torture yourself by trying to get back into that crazy world?"

"Because I may get a shot this time. Because they pay better than this kind of work will ever pay. And when I leave Joe, and I am leaving Joe , I'll need to make way more money than what we pulling in with this so-called business of ours. Mason will help me, and I know he will. But I can't just rely on that. Besides, Mace says I still got what it takes."

"Girl, you listen to Mason Washington if you want," Vivian said as she turned back around and entered the bathroom to clean. "He'll tell you anything to keep you under his thumb."

"You should come too," Nayla yelled as she gathered up the trash in the various waste baskets around the motel room. But Vivian didn't respond back.

After she had gathered up the trash in one big black garbage bag, she went to the bathroom and stood at the entrance. "Viv? You heard me?"

"No. What you said?"

"You should come with me."

Vivian, who was cleaning the sink, looked over at Nayla. "Come with you where?"

"To the cattle call. You look like a model without even trying to look good. Without even having makeup on. You have what it takes too."

"Child please!"

"I'm serious."

"No you aren't, either, if you think I'm model material. Models are skinny as rails."

"You're skinny."

"Quit lying. I'm not skinny in any way, shape or form. Not with all these curves. And I'm not tall enough either."

"If that's all it takes then I got what it takes. I'm tall and skinny."

"Yes, you are. But let's face it, Nay: We are not model material."

Nayla was offended. "And why not? Because we're black?"

Vivian frowned. "No! Why would you even think that with all these black supermodels running around?"

"Then why? We're both beautiful women. Why aren't we model material?"

"Because we're thirty-seven years old and they don't hire models that are pushing forty. That's why! Get real, Nay-Nay," Vivian added as she began to clean the toilet. "For once in your life get real!"

Nayla was offended. "Maybe that's your problem. Maybe you're too real."

Vivian looked at Nayla.

"That's why you're gonna spend the rest of your life cleaning other people's toilets while I spend the rest of my life living my dreams. I've always outdone you, Vee. I've always gotten out there and tried new things. I failed every time, yes, I did, but at least I tried. But you? You always play it safe. Never take any risks. But look around you, Vee. We're cleaning this stank hooker motel that's gonna still be stank after we clean it. This is what safe gets you. You think just because we own our little cleaning service means we're successful. We aren't successful. We're losers. We have nothing to show for all our years on this earth. Nothing! And I'm tired of it." Then she frowned. "Aren't you?"

Vivian had a distressed look on her face too. She understood what Nayla meant. But she also understood what life meant too. "You see life as a hill to climb," Vivian responded. "You see life as a battle. As something to constantly get over and improve and toss aside for higher heights. I see life as something to live. That's all. That's it. I'm healthy. I'm reasonably happy. I go to church every Sunday. I take good care of my baby brother. That's enough for me. That's a win for me. If you think I'm a loser, then go right ahead. But I don't see it like that."

"That's because you aren't looking around," Nayla said. "You aren't seeing how other people like us are doing. All these black sistas driving luxury cars and living in nice neighborhoods. Owning their own homes, unlike us. They've got it made. That's what I call living. That's what I want too. And that's why I'm going to The House of Janardi this afternoon and I'm going to become one of their in-house models if I have to sleep my way up there. And if they don't want me at their main headquarters in Manhattan, then I'll work at one of those new, smaller houses they're opening up for their new divisions. I'll go wherever they send me rather than stay here with you cleaning toilets for a living. And barely making a living at that."

But Vivian heard something different. "When you say they're opening up new houses, what do you mean? And who are they?"

"Dang, Viv, do you ever listen to me? I've been talking about The House of Janardi all week. That's who they are."

"And they're opening up new houses?"

"Yes," said Nayla. "They're known for making very expensive men's suits and some ladies' suits too. They're opening up smaller fashion houses specifically for their new clothing divisions that'll be devoted to more ladies' wear beyond the Janardi suits line. A full-figured division. A youth division. And even a division for mature adults like us." Then Nayla got suspicious. "Why do you suddenly care so much?"

"These new, smaller houses. Are any going to be here in Jersey?"

"Not here in Newark, no. But one's going to be in Harlem. And the rest will be in big cities like Chicago, L.A., Philly. Why?"

"I'll bet you they haven't signed a contract yet for their new one in Harlem."

Nayla was confused. "What kind of contract?"

"What time is this cattle call?"

"Three this afternoon. Why, Vee?"

"I'm going to go and offer my services."

Nayla frowned. "What services?"

"V and M cleaning services."

"Vee, you can't!"

"I'm going to offer to clean their new fashion house in Harlem for a price they can't refuse. If I can get in before they do any bidding for contracts, I may just get us the biggest gig we've ever had. I've seen the House of Janardi in Manhattan. That building is like thirty stories high. It's huge! Their smaller houses might be smaller in comparison, but they'll probably be bigger than anything else we've ever cleaned."

"It's just the two of us, Vee. Where are you going to get all these workers to clean this big building?"

"I get the contract? Oh I'll get the workers. You can rest assured of that." Then Vivian smiled. "Yes, I will go with you this afternoon. It'll be my pleasure," she added cheerfully, and then went back to cleaning the toilet.

Nayla looked at her friend and shook her head. But she smiled too. You gotta love Vee , she thought, even though "Vee" got on her last nerve.

And she got back to work too.