20. Chapter 19
Miss Loretta had been sitting at the picnic table for almost twenty minutes with her arms folded tight across her chest. It was hot as hell and that small cup of ice water she had wasn't doing the trick at all.
She watched joggers pass through Fairmount Park like she ain't have a hundred better ways to spend her evening.
The sun was starting to come down over the trees and a light breeze was blowing.
Couples walked their dogs nearby while kids laughed in the distance.
Everything around her looked too peaceful for the mood she was in.
She checked the time again and sucked her teeth.
“This stupid girl is late as hell,” she muttered as she shook her head in annoyance. “Young bitches swear the clock pose to wait for them.”
Right on cue, Allure came hurrying down the path in a black dickies jumpsuit with the hood over her head, dark shades, and a black face mask.
Miss Loretta noticed it off the bat and shook her head pitying the poor girl standing before her.
“Well look what the cat finally dragged in,” she said dryly. “I was startin' to think you got lost comin through the damn park.”
Allure rolled her eyes and dropped into the seat across from her. “I’m here ain’t I?”
“Barely.” said Miss Loretta.
“All right now,” Allure snapped while dropping into the seat. “Don’t start with me today cause I ain't in the fucking mood.”
“And I been waitin' twenty damn minutes. I’m already started.” Miss Loretta shot back.
Allure pulled the shades off slowly before looking around the park. “You picked a weird ass place to meet at.”
“And you picked a weird ass life to live,” Miss Loretta replied smoothly. “Yet here we are.”
Allure rolled her eyes hard. “You always got some smart shit to say.”
Miss Loretta gave her a sly look and said, "Honey my 'smart shit' has gotten me this far in life. What is your attitude doing for you at this very moment?"
Allure rolled her eyes and blew out an exasperated breath.
The two of them had exchanged numbers that night outside Heaven’s Door after Allure made a complete ass out of herself.
Miss Loretta normally didn’t entertain loud women for too long, but something about the humiliation sitting on that girl’s face had stuck with her. Pain always made people interesting.
Allure pulled her phone out and tossed it on the table carelessly. “This whole situation got me fucked up.”
Miss Loretta didn't even bother hiding the look she gave her. “Clearly.”
Allure sighed hard before crossing her arms. “That bitch ruined my whole face.”
“Mmm.” Miss Loretta grunted.
“That’s all you got to say?” Allure asked her with a scowl.
Miss Loretta took a sip of her water. “What? You still alive girl. What don't kill you will make you stronger.”
Allure let out a bitter laugh. “Easy for you to say, you got all your fuckin' teeth.”
Miss Loretta stared at the mask before she spoke. "Pull your mask down, let me see."
“Fuck no, I already know how I look.” Allure said in a snappish tone.
“Girl please. Ain’t nobody out here worried bout you but the squirrels and senior citizens. Pull it down.”
Allure hesitated before finally sliding the mask beneath her chin.
Miss Loretta's eyes widened in surprise.
“Lord have mercy.” She shook her head from side to side.
"That girl ain't just hit you, she ran up a whole medical bill on your mouth.
Instead of you worrying about what's coming outta my mouth you need to be worrying about what's missing from yours.
You got some nerve tryna check my vocabulary when you can't even smile for a damn picture.
" Miss Loretta shook her head again, pursed her lips and said "Mmm, mmm, mmm chile. "
Allure looked offended immediately. “See, I knew you was gon say some slick shit.”
“Well what did you expect me to say? You look beautiful?” Miss Loretta snorted. "Baby Stevie Wonder could see that she did a number on you.”
Allure covered her mouth fast and looked away. The embarrassment all over her face made Miss Loretta smirk a little.
“I hate that bitch so much,” Allure muttered.
Miss Loretta studied her quietly. “No you don't.”
Allure scrunched up her face. “Whatchu mean no I don't? I do.”
“No, you hate the way she makes you feel. You hate the fact that she walked in and made you feel forgettable.”
Allure’s face tightened realizing Miss Loretta struck a nerve. “Ain’t nobody forgettin' me.”
Miss Loretta gave her a long look over. “Baby… men forget women every day. Especially women who build they whole worth around attention.”
Allure laughed bitterly. “You really got a way of makin people wanna slap the shit out you.”
“And you got a way of proving my point.” Miss Loretta replied back.
Allure crossed her arms tighter. “She walk around like she better than everybody else."
“Mm-mm.” Miss Loretta shook her head slowly. “Girls who think they are better than everybody else are usually loud about it. But she is one of the quiet ones.”
“Exactly. That fake quiet shit gets on my fuckin' nerves.” Allure added.
Miss Loretta smiled faintly. “Baby quiet women scare people worse than the loud ones.”
Allure stared at her. “You always talking in riddles.”
“It's not a riddle girl it's just common sense, but I forgot you're a little short on things that are common right now.” Miss Loretta simply answered.
"Listen lady, ain't nobody ask you to bring your old ass down from the retirement home and give life advice, aight?" Allure shot back getting sick of Miss Loretta's smart ass mouth.
Miss Loretta waved a hand. "Chile, forget how old I am. Let's talk about how a woman half my age got you out here hiding behind a damn face mask."
Allure slammed her hand down on the table. “Yo, I don't give a fuck about none of that shit you tryna talk to me about right now. All I know is I’m tired of lookin stupid because of her and I wanna do something about it.”
Miss Loretta was unfazed by Allure's little performance. She directed her attention to watch people pass by in the distance. Then after a few minutes, she diverted her eyes back to Allure's whiny ass. “You know why you keep losin'?”
“Here you go with that advice shit.” Allure rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth.
“You keep swingin' at the outside.” Miss Loretta said.
Allure squinted her eyes. “What the fuck does that even mean?”
“It means you worried about how she carries herself and the attention she's getting.” Miss Loretta pointed her straw toward her. “Meanwhile, you ain't stopped to ask yourself what makes her so hard to shake in the first place.”
“And you said you knew her before all this, right?” Allure asked.
Miss Loretta’s expression barely changed. “I knew her a long time ago.”
“She always been like this?”
Miss Loretta looked out toward the trees. “June, Yoon-Ji, or whatever the fuck she goes by always had somethin heavy sittin behind her eyes. Even as a little girl.”
Allure frowned slightly. “What does that mean?”
“It means that hurt people hurt people.” Miss Loretta replied.
Allure sat there quietly letting the words sit with her, then she spoke again and she lowered her voice.
“You ever notice how people move different around her?”
Miss Loretta stayed quiet.
“It’s like…” Allure paused. “I don’t know. Like she got some kind of hold on people.”
Miss Loretta finally looked at her directly. “Everybody got somethin'.”
Allure looked down at her drink while Miss Loretta leaned forward just a bit.
"Sweetie, everybody's got that one thing they can't afford to lose. We just gotta figure out what hers is.”
Allure’s eyes narrowed. “So what? You think she hiding somethin?”
Miss Loretta stirred the ice in her cup. “Baby everybody's hiding somethin. Some people just hide it better than others.”
Allure traced a finger around her cup. “I just wanna see that bitch get humbled.”
Miss Loretta smirked. “See now that sounds better than all that unnecessary screamin and fightin yall young folks be doin' today.”
Allure looked over at her. “What?”
Miss Loretta folded her hands together and sighed. “You don't destroy women like June in public.”
Her voice remained calm. “You leave a mark they can carry home with 'em.”
Allure stared at her hard now, she had Miss Loretta's full attention.
Miss Loretta pin pointed it and grinned. “That girl walk around like she can't be touched. Women like that need somethin that reminds 'em that they can be.”
Allure leaned closer. "And how you remind somebody like that?"
Miss Loretta gave a cold smile. “You give her somethin' she gotta live with for the rest of her life.”
Allure pondered on Miss Loretta's words then many ideas suddenly came to mind.
Around them, people went on with their day like everything was good.
But at that table? The energy had turned dark.
Real dark. The conversation wasn't about how June made Allure feel anymore.
It was about what they planned to do to her.
Allure sat there with a smile creeping across her face for the first time all evening.
“You know what Miss Loretta?…” she murmured. “I think me and you gon get along just fine.”
Miss Loretta picked up her cup and laughed.
The funny thing was, she'd already come to that conclusion the first time they crossed paths.