Carl Weber Presents Full Figured 6: Plus Size Divas Read online

  “Please, don’t end up another statistic. I don’t want to turn on the news one night and see your face staring back at me as a murder victim and, whatever you do, don’t let him knock you up,” I cried.

  I realized I was making a complete fool of myself, but I couldn’t control my rant. I was on a roll and, besides, I had my mother’s sharp tongue.

  “Ray’s not worth it. Tonight, he’ll try to be extra sweet, talking about what you made him do, how he loves you so much and can’t live without you, and how it won’t happen again. Bullshit. It will, Destiny. I promise you it will.”

  Carla, Loretta, and Nobia dropped their heads while clients looked on in astonishment.

  “Tell her, Nobia.” I was desperate for someone to back me up and make Destiny see that she needed to get away from Ray before it was too late.

  “Come on, Erika,” Nobia said. “Let’s discuss it later. In private. When you have calmed down.”

  “Ray will cry on your shoulder and fuck you so good that you’ll think his dick is a magic wand, but don’t believe the hype. If he hits you once, he will do it again. And again, and again. And one day, you won’t get up from it. Either you will be dead, or your broken spirit won’t allow it.”

  “Come on, Erika. I’ll let you know when your client is dry and ready to come from under the dryer,” Nobia said, leading me away to my office by the elbow like I was a small child.

  “Destiny, heed my words,” I said, looking back as I was led away.

  After Nobia led me to my office and closed the door, after pacing back and forth, back and forth, I finally calmed down to a mild simmer. I was able to finish up my client’s hair and sent her on her way. I remained in my office for most of the morning after that, not because I was embarrassed, but because I couldn’t stand to see Destiny bruised and battered. She had managed to put on sunglasses to cover the damage to her eye.

  Around lunchtime I was trying to figure out what I would order from the Chinese restaurant down the street. I had a taste for shrimp fried rice, an egg roll, and some chicken chow mein; maybe even some egg drop soup. Suddenly I heard commotion in the front and I curiously ventured out to check out what was going on and causing the disturbance in my salon.

  “Destiny, I’ve been sitting in that fucking car for thirty minutes. Bring your ass on,” her boyfriend Ray screamed as he stood near the front door in a hoodie and black jeans that hung below his waist, showing his dingy boxers.

  “Baby, I’m almost finished. Just wait in the car,” Destiny said quietly and timidly, clearly frightened. “I’ll be right out.”

  I swiftly walked to the front. Every step I took, I felt like one of those cartoon characters with smoke fuming out of my nose and ears. I had tunnel vision because everyone in the salon but Ray had disappeared. It was me and Ray and it was on.

  “Ray? Oh hell no! You have the nerve to show your face. You are not going to walk up in my business ranting and raving like a lunatic. Get the hell out of here. Now.”

  The expression that crossed his face was one of utter surprise. He was clearly taken aback that a female was stepping to him like I was.

  “I’ll leave when I’m damn ready. And I’m not going anywhere without Destiny.”

  “You are going to leave, the easy way or the hard way, but you will leave.”

  “Bitch, shut the fuck up,” he screamed, coming my way with balled fists at his sides. “Who in the hell do you think you are?”

  “I’m not your bitch, bitch, and if you lay one finger on me, I’ll have your pathetic, weak ass behind bars so quick you won’t know what happened. Get it straight, don’t get it twisted; I’m not Destiny.”

  “You’d better go sit your fat ass down before I knock you down if you know what’s good for you.”

  “Try me, motherfucker. This fat ass has more punch than you might think,” I said, walking the short distance right up to his face and making eye contact. We were so close that I could smell the beer on his smelly breath.

  Ray hesitated, looking from one to the other of the scared faces that stared back at him.

  “Erika, do you want me to call the police?” Nobia asked, finally snapping out of shock and picking up the phone, ready to hit 911.

  “No, this motherfucker is going to walk away peacefully after he gives Destiny her car keys.”

  Ray laughed a bitter, cold laugh that chilled me to the bone.

  “You are out of your mind, bitch. You evidently don’t know who you are fucking with.”

  “No, obviously you don’t know who you are fucking with.”

  Ray started walking toward the door, turning his back to me. Dismissing me. “You ladies have a good day. Destiny, your ass better be outside in five minutes; we’ll finish this at home and you know what’s coming.”

  “Patrick O’Bryan, 404-555-1212,” I shouted.

  Ray stopped dead in his tracks and slowly turned back around. If looks could kill, I would have been dead on the spot.

  “Give Destiny her car keys, Ray. I know all about you. I’ve done my research and I know you wouldn’t want me to call your probation officer, Mr. O’Bryan. That wouldn’t be good for you,” I said between clenched teeth.

  The look he gave me was priceless. Even in his intoxicated state, he knew I had him by the balls and I was squeezing extra hard.

  “This isn’t over.”

  “Oh, but it is, Ray. You are going to crawl away quietly, like the snake that you are, without those keys. If you bother Destiny, or ever step foot in my salon again, I’m going to turn over to the authorities the video tape that just recorded your stupid ass,” I said, pointing to the far corner of the ceiling. He looked up.

  “Smile. You are on Candid Camera.”

  “Bitch.”

  “This bitch has you by the balls. Every client in here will testify against you, and I’ll turn in the photos of what your fist did to her face,” I stated, pointing in Destiny’s direction.

  She was frozen in place like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.

  Ray threw the keys in my direction; tried to hit me in the face but missed.

  “That’s a good mutt. Now get the fuck out of my salon. Men like you make me sick to my stomach; weak-assed, bitch-ass punks who get off on hitting helpless women. How many times did you come, Ray? Once? Twice? You’re a coward and a loser. Now get. Go back to the dark, slimy hole you crawled out of.”

  He took three steps and hesitated, glaring back at me. Anger wasn’t even close to what I saw.

  “Do something. I dare you. I double dare you. I have friends who will fuck your ass up so bad that your own mama wouldn’t recognize your ugly face lying in your cheap coffin. Make me call them.”

  “Fuck you, bitch,” he said as he finally exited the salon in a rage.

  Every client in the place exhaled and excited chatter started at once.

  “That’s what I thought,” I screamed out. I crossed the short distance to Destiny. “Are you okay?”

  Destiny shook her head.

  “Don’t go home tonight. Do you have anywhere you can stay? If not, you can crash with me.”

  Destiny didn’t respond as she was visibly shaken. I placed my arms tightly around her, until the trembling stopped.

  “Tomorrow, first thing, I want you to take out a restraining order on Ray. Now, let’s go in my office so I can take photos of your face.”

  Destiny followed slowly beside me.

  “I think it is over now. I have too much information that could send him back to jail.”

  “How did you know?”

  “I make it my business to know everything about everyone,” I said matter-of-factly. “We need to get you set up in another apartment ASAP—a gated community.”

  “I can’t afford that.”

  I hushed her with my right hand. “Let me handle all that. Don’t worry about a thing because everything is going to be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”

  And I always kept my promises.

  High Te
a

  Chapter 14

  I was surprised and caught off-guard when Erika called me into her office. That office was her sacred spot and we, her staff, were seldom asked to enter its sanctuary, with the exception of Nobia.

  “Loretta, have a seat. By the way, I love your hair that way,” she said with a sweet smile.

  “Thank you.” Erika was wearing a chic short bob and a designer suit that hugged her curves. “I’m loving that suit, Erika.”

  “Thank you. Just a little something I found in the back of my closet this morning,” she said smugly. “It still had the price tag and I had forgotten all about it and what a ridiculous amount I paid for it.”

  I nodded.

  “I guess you are wondering why I asked to speak with you in private?”

  “I am curious.”

  “I wanted to talk to you about an idea I’m considering.”

  “Okay,” I said as flashbacks of her and Reverend Hill suddenly played before my eyes. I could barely look at Erika. All I could picture was her with the reverend’s tool in her mouth and him sending praises up to heaven as he fondled her breasts.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes,” I said, shaking my head to clear my thoughts. I offered a weak smile.

  Erika looked at me curiously. “What do you think? I’d like to have a luncheon, an appreciation luncheon to be exact, for the ladies of the church.” She paused for effect, clearly excited. “And I’d like for you to co-host it with me. Of course, I’d pick up all the incurred expenses.”

  I stared at her, still in flashback mode. I had had many restless, lost nights of sleep over the scene that I innocently walked into. I couldn’t figure Erika out. On one hand, she was one of the most caring, giving people I knew. Yet, she’d willingly fall into the arms of a married man and a preacher, a man of the Lord, at that. And what about the other day when she flipped out and was going to beat Ray’s ass, and she probably would have?

  “I think it’s a wonderful idea.” And I really did.

  “Me too,” she said, clapping her hands together like an excited child about to start a great adventure.

  “The women of our church do so much without much recognition in terms of outings or events catered just for them. I want them to feel special, even if it’s for a few hours. We are literally superwomen. We work nine to five, volunteer in our community, cook dinner every night, own businesses, nurture and raise our kids, are lovers, friends, et cetera. We wear many hats.”

  “Very true. I couldn’t agree more.”

  “I was thinking of calling it High Tea and we could rent out a fabulous venue, dress up in fancy hats and dresses mid-to-late afternoon, and have a real tea party with bite-sized sandwiches, scones and sweets and, of course, tea.” She paused to catch her breath. “How does that sound?”

  “I like it. Actually, I think it’s an excellent idea.”

  “You are such a gracious, classy lady that I thought you would be perfect as a co-host. Are you interested?”

  “Of course. Count me in,” I said.

  “Great. I can’t wait.”

  “Me either. Sounds like fun.”

  “I think we will make a great team. It will be wonderful. Simply wonderful.”

  I nodded. Her enthusiasm was starting to rub off.

  “Start making out a guest list and don’t forget to invite our fabulous first lady. Maybe we’ll send her a VIP invitation and place her at a special VIP table.”

  “Of course,” I said. I was really thinking, of course you’d want to invite her so you can smile and smirk in her face and secretly gloat over the fact that you’ve slept with her man.

  Loretta’s Conclusion

  Chapter 15

  A few days later, I literally heard Erika before I saw her approach the front. She had on four-inch red stilettos with a bow on the back of each shoe. Sharp. However, I never understood how she could strut around in those shoes all day long; I knew I’d break my neck if I even tried. Plus, I had long ago traded beauty for comfort. Erika had paired them with a black dress that flared out from the waist and she sported a medium-length black wig that had a body wave that looked really good on her.

  “Anybody want anything?” she asked. “I’m walking to the corner convenience store for a cherry ICEE.”

  There were only myself and my client in the salon at the moment and she declined the offer. It was midday and Carla’s clients weren’t due for another hour or so. Destiny was out, and Nobia had stepped out for a few minutes to run an errand.

  My client had brought in a photo of a celebrity thirty years her junior and she wanted the exact same hairstyle. She failed to notice she didn’t have half the head of hair that the actress had, nor would the style do her any justice. I could only laugh inside, try to work with what I had, and convince her of a more age-appropriate, suitable style. Personally, I thought women of a certain age should mature gracefully and not try to look like a young’un.

  “How is she?” she asked as soon as Erika cleared the threshold of the door.

  I paused in curling a section of her hair. “What do you mean?”

  “What is it like working with Erika?”

  “I have no complaints. She’s fair.”

  “I have heard so many interesting stories about her.”

  “Really?” I said, not willing to take it any further. I refused to gossip about my employer.

  “What’s she like?”

  “Like everybody else. Surviving day-to-day.”

  That didn’t deter my client. “I heard she has been married about five times and all of them died tragically,” she said in a conspiratorial whisper, looking back at me. “Is it true that the police investigated her and seriously questioned the deaths?”

  “Erika has been married three times,” I said nonchalantly. “There are many actresses in Hollywood who have been married more times than that.”

  “And?”

  “And, what?” I asked, knowing full well what she was fishing for.

  “What happened to them?”

  “I honestly don’t know all the details.” I really didn’t. I had heard the rumors just like everybody else. Erika rarely discussed her deceased husbands and it was an unspoken rule not to bring them up around her.

  “But they did die?”

  “Yes. And she was investigated and cleared after the police didn’t find evidence against her to support foul play in any death.”

  “Ump. Interesting. Why does she wear black all the damn time? Almost every time I come in here she is in black.”

  “I don’t know. I guess it’s her favorite color, just like blue is yours.”

  “She’s a strange one to me, girl. You better watch your back and keep both eyes wide-open.”

  “Erika and I don’t have any problems. There’s a mutual respect. She’s actually a great boss. Believe me, I’ve had much worse.”

  “Ump,” she grunted, flipping through a glossy style magazine that showcased the newest trends in hairstyles across the country.

  “Girl, I heard about what happened in here the other day.”

  I thought, who hasn’t? “Really?” I asked again.

  “Yes, girl, everyone is talking about it and what went down. I thought this was supposed to be a classy salon, not some ghetto shop that brought in thugs from the street.”

  “It was unfortunate that the incident occurred, but I personally admire Erika for standing her ground and taking up for Destiny. Someone needed to.”

  “If you say so. Does she really think she is that big and bad? Somebody is going to knock the shit out of her ass. She should have simply called the police and let them handle it.”

  “I think Erika did what she felt was right and she is very opinionated and will let you know exactly what she thinks.”

  “I heard she was cussing like a sailor and was right up in the man’s face like she was a damn man.” I only murmured, “Did you hear what he was doing?”

  My client didn’t have too much to
say for a few minutes after that.

  Lately, I realized my opinion of Erika was slowly changing. No one was perfect and maybe I had seen and heard some things that weren’t Christian-like, but Erika had a good heart. The way she took in Destiny and paid a deposit and three months of rent on her new apartment was very telling. She even drove her to court and was there with her from start to finish. So what if she was married three times and her husbands died? What did that prove? Absolutely nothing.

  Erika wasn’t lucky in love. Maybe God placed those men in her life knowing she was a nurturer. Who knows? People needed to quit talking like they just knew she did something to her husbands. We weren’t there and she wasn’t locked up in a prison for any crimes she committed. The police investigation cleared her. I also didn’t agree with her and Reverend carrying on like that, but I guess a lonely woman could give into temptation and spread her legs based on the sweet words of a handsome, charismatic preacher.

  “Carla was telling me—”

  I laughed, cutting her off. “Now, I know you aren’t listening to Carla like she is a reliable source of information. Something happened between her and Erika back in the day, and now the two of them don’t really get along.” I still hadn’t heard the entire story, only bits and pieces, but lately they seemed to be getting along much better. That was a blessing.

  “How is Destiny? Poor baby.”

  “She’s doing okay and should be back sometime next week. Erika thought it was best if she didn’t work until her bruised and battered face was healed and she was feeling better.”

  “What happened with the boyfriend?”

  “It’s my understanding that he is back in jail for at least a year. I’m not exactly sure what happened, but he violated his parole. So, he’s off the streets. Thank God.”

  Of course, rumor had spread like wildfire that Erika had something to do with it; she snitched on him. If she did, good for her. The rest of the nonsense rumors I ignored. Personally, I didn’t think Erika was capable of such vile acts. Just like Madea, from Madea’s Family Reunion, said, “Honey, folks are gonna talk about you ’til the day you die. And ain’t nothing you can do. Let folks talk. It ain’t about what they call you, it’s what you answer to.”