Chapter 28 Geneva #2
“Oh, please,” I said, really not wanting to hear the truth. “He’s far from a man; he can barely wipe his ass right. Believe me, I know. I still do his laundry.”
“TMI, Geneva, TMI,” Crystal said as she shook her head and looked down at the menu.
“Well, it’s true.”
“Whatever. Let’s move on to something else.” Crystal’s tone was exhausted, and then suddenly she piped up, “This place is really nice. I liked the spot they had in Chelsea, but this new Soho location is fabulous.”
I had to admit, it was very nice. I hadn’t been out in so long that I had trouble keeping my mouth closed as I gazed at the people that moved fluidly around us.
“Hello, ladies, and welcome to Lola’s,” a young woman with auburn locs said as she placed a square napkin in front of each of us. “What can I get you to drink tonight?”
“Um,” I said as I reached for the specialty-drink menu.
“I’ll have a raspberry martini,” Crystal said.
“Excellent choice,” the young waitress responded before turning her smiling face on me.
“Um,” I said again, unable to make a choice, even though I really truly wanted to have a Corona, but I didn’t want Crystal to flip out.
“Two,” Crystal finally said, holding up two fingers and then turning to me and saying, “You’ll like it, trust me.”
“Okay.”
When Eric finally arrived, I was busy trying to shove my feet and the ugly shoes I had on as far under the table as I could, and hoped and prayed to God that I wouldn’t have to get up and go to the bathroom.
I wouldn’t be able to deal with the whispers and finger-pointing these ugly shoes would attract.
“Hey, Ma!” Eric said, leaning over and embracing me. “Glad you made it.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I said, beaming.
“Hey, Auntie Crystal.”
“Hey, big man,” Crystal said as she embraced her godchild. She was cheesing so hard that I had to cover my eyes against the glare.
“Is the table good enough for you?”
“Perfect,” Crystal and I said in unison.
“Well, we’re going to get started in about ten minutes, okay?”
Crystal and I nodded.
Eric started to walk away, but I caught him by the elbow and indicated with a nod of my head for him to come closer.
“Yeah, wassup?”
“Uhm, I met your little friend,” I whispered in his ear.
“Who?”
“Juuuuuuuuulie,” I sang.
Eric blushed and pulled himself erect again. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I said, and folded my hands across my bosom.
“A’ight, and?”
I didn’t have to say anything, the smirk I gave him said it all.
“Oh c’mon, Mom, gimme a break,” Eric whined.
“Go on, Eric,” Crystal interrupted. “Meditate, pray, or whatever it is you musicians do before a gig. Don’t pay your crazy mama any mind.”
Eric seized the opportunity and fled. I shot Crystal a hard look and said, “Can’t you mind your business?”
“No,” Crystal laughed, and started bopping her head to the music that was swirling out of the speakers.
The waitress returned with the drinks, set them down, told us that her name was Sugar, and said to let her know if we needed anything else.
“Sugar,” I said when she was out of earshot. “What kind of name is that?”
“Sound like a stripper’s name,” Crystal commented between sips of her drink.
“You think her mama gave her that name?”
Crystal shrugged her shoulders.
“Shit, sound like a name for a whore.”
“Yeah, it does. In fact, I think I read a book by the same title.”
“Sugar?”
“Yeah, and in the book the woman was a whore.”
“Get out!”
“Uh-huh, I think I got it at home. I’ll lend it to you if you want.”
“Sure, why not?”
We sat sipping and people watching for a while, and I have to admit, once I’d sipped half of my drink, I started feeling comfortable.
“Oh, damn, that brother is fine,” Crystal breathed as she leaned in. I followed her eyes and saw that she was looking at Deeka.
“Oh, that’s um, Eric’s manager,” I said nonchalantly.
“Oh, really? Well, girl, he is gorgeous!” Crystal said, her eyes crawling hungrily over him.
“Yeah, he’s all right, I guess.”
Crystal made a face at me. “All right? The boy been blessed about five times over.”
It was true; Deeka was a specimen.
“If I were a few years younger…” Crystal moaned, and licked her lips. “They just didn’t make them like that when we were that age.” Crystal laughed and tilted her drink to her lips.
“They sure didn’t,” I agreed.
“The brothers we grew up with couldn’t keep their hair combed—”
“Or cut for that matter!”
“Shit,” Crystal whispered as she leaned in close. “I’m not saying that I’m a freak or anything,” she began, and I nodded my head. “But I can sort of understand why some of these teachers are dipping in the honey pot, if you know what I’m saying.”
I did know. But who the hell wanted to admit that out loud? Some of these sixteen-year-old boys looked like twenty-one-year-old men. Women were facing the dilemma that men had been knee-deep in for years.
“You ain’t saying nothing but a word, girl,” I said, and we gave each other some dap across the table.
When I looked up, Deeka was standing over me.
“Good evening.”
“Hi,” Crystal sang, her eyes rolling seductively over him.
“Hello, Deeka,” I said, barely looking at him. “This is my friend Crystal Atkins.”
“Ms.Atkins,” Deeka said, taking her hand in his and shaking it.
“Deeka. That’s a very different name.”
“Well, it’s common in the Caribbean.”
“Really? So you’re from the islands. Which one?”
“Well, my parents are from Tobago.”
“Tobago. Oh, the sister island to Trinidad.”
“Oh, you’ve been?”
Was she hitting on my man—I mean, my son’s manager?
“No, but I’ve seen pictures and it looks beautiful.”
“It is. You should really plan on visiting sometime.”
“I will.”
“And you must bring Ms.Holliday with you,” Deeka said, resting his palm on my shoulder. The heat from his hand was so intense, I had a hard time not squirming in my chair.
Crystal’s eyebrows climbed. “Oh, I’ll be sure to do that.”
“Ms.Holliday, I have to say, you look beautiful.”
“Oh, thank you,” I responded, still not looking at him.
“I think you are the most beautiful woman here tonight,” he added, and those words finally got me to lift my head. When I looked into his eyes, they were warm and sincere.
“Thank you, Deeka.”
We just stared at each other until Crystal made a sound in her throat, breaking the trance.
“Well,” Deeka said, as he slapped his large palms together, “the band is about to get started, so I’m going over to wish them good luck.”
Crystal and I nodded.
“Anything you ladies require before I go?”
“I’m fine. You, Geneva?” Crystal said.
“I’m good.”
“Okay, then. See you after the first set.” Deeka tipped an invisible hat at us and then moved off.
“Whew!” Crystal said as she dramatically fanned herself with her hand. “He is one suave, good-looking brother.”
I just smiled.
“Girl, and I think he got it for you.”
“Got what?”
“The hots!”
“I’m old enough to be that boy’s mother.”
“He don’t look like no boy to me, Geneva.”
“Look, I thought we were off men.”
“Oh, yeah, yeah, but it don’t hurt to dream, do it?”
A few minutes later, a tall woman with vicious curves and fire-engine-red hair walked to the front of the restaurant and took the mic. “Esteemed guests, you’re in for a treat tonight. Lola’s has the immense pleasure of welcoming Soiree to the stage. Let’s give them a loud Lola’s welcome!”
The crowd around us applauded enthusiastically as the band members, Eric included, made their way from the back of the restaurant and took their places behind their instruments.
The lead singer was a short, brown-skinned man with bulging eyes and tiny lips.
It didn’t look to me like he could hum a decent note, but when he opened his mouth and began his rousing rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,” I knew I’d better stop judging people by their appearance.
An hour passed, and the singer belted one soulful song out after another. I’d gone through two cocktails by the time the lead singer announced that the band would be taking five.
“How’d you like it?” Eric asked as he stood beaming over me. His face was drenched in sweat, and he was rapidly flexing his fingers as he stood waiting for my response.
“Oh, baby, it was wonderful!” I said, jumping up out of my chair and giving him a big hug.
“You were wonderful. The best one in the entire band!” Crystal squealed, clapping her hands together like a two-year-old.
“Ma,” Eric said, a little embarrassed as I behaved like the proud mother I was and covered his face in kisses. “Come on, now. Not here,” he said as he gently pushed me back down into my seat.
“Okay, okay,” I gushed as I held on to his hand. This was my baby. My son! I wanted the world to know that. “I won’t embarrass you in front of your friends,” I said as the band members filed past us, grinning.
“We’ve got one more set and then we’re done. Do you think you can hang out for another hour and a half?”
“Of course we can,” I chimed.
“Good. I’m going to get me some water,” Eric said, looking toward the bar and the crowd of people who congregated around it. “Y’all need anything?”
“I’ll take another one of these raspberry things,” I said.
“Me too,” Crystal added as she lifted her glass and drained the remaining sweet liquid.
“A’ight,” Eric said, and started toward the bar where Julie was waiting with open arms. I watched as she hugged my baby so tightly, I felt my breath steal away.
“Umph!” I said.
“Stop it, Geneva!” Crystal warned.
By the time the band ended their last set, my head was swimming and my legs felt petrified. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to stand up.
Crystal’s elbows were on the table, her hands folded beneath her chin as she tried hard to look alert, but it wasn’t working, her eyes were slits.
“They were great, weren’t they?” she said through a yawn.
“Uh-huh,” I yawned back. We laughed. “It’s contagious,” I said, putting my palm against my mouth, stifling the one that followed.
“Yeah, and they hit in sevens, like waves,” Crystal said as she covered her own mouth.