“Thanks for meeting with me, Shi.” Tierra said nervously as Shireece sat down at the table.
“No problem girl. You sounded like you really needed to vent. What’s the problem?”
“Good afternoon ladies, my name is Jason, I’ll be your server today. Would you like to start with a drink, or do you know what you’d like to order?” the young man interrupted.
“Jason, please bring a bottle of your finest white wine, thank you.” Tierra said plainly.
“Ti, you ok? You’re starting to scare me now girl.”
“You! I mean, this man. Do you know what he did? I mean… first, listen to this,” she rambled on in half sentences. “First he calls me out of the blue, which is no problem. Then we go out, no wait; he shows up with lunch, my fault, I forgot about our lunch date, so he brought lunch to me. I’m in the tub when he gets there, right. OK, so I change clothes, no, wait, back up. He’s hogging the food and I try to reach for it, and his hand like falls into my robe. HELLO! IM NAKED UNDERNEATH!”
“What? Hold up, Qu tried to cop a feel?”
“No, it was an accident, but still. Anyway, we get to talking and I’m trying to get the 411 about him. Before I know it he tells me all this stuff about this girl, Beautiful.”
“Beautiful? Who is that?”
“His fiancée… well not anymore, she died.”
“What?!”
“Yeah, that’s what I said! OK, so she’s dead, and he’s here because she told him on her deathbed to come and see me. I mean… WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?” she asked, looking up at Jason like he had three heads.
“This is what you ordered.”
“Hmm, no I clearly said I wanted a bottle of your BEST wine not this $10 a bottle stuff. Please bring me what I asked for. Tell Jean Marc that Ms. Tierra is here, and he’ll give you what I want ok. Thank you.”
She unclipped her hair, and tilted her head back to shake her curls loose. As the layers fell down her back, she took a big sip of the glass of water on the table.
“Ti, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know what’s wrong. Whoa déjà-vu! OK, listen I’ll tell you like I told my mother, Qu left me the cutest little Cocker Spaniel in my office, along with some flowers and a damn letter that he knew would get me all riled up. I still don’t know how he knew I’d be in the office. I was scheduled to be gone for another week. Anyway, guess where this letter of his led me? Go ahead… just guess where I ended up!”
As Shireece began to respond Tierra jumped in.
“A DAMN CHURCH... IT LED ME TO A DAMN CHURCH!” she yelled again, causing a few patrons to look in her direction. “I can’t believe he tricked me. I am so furious with his ass right now, I swear I could… Arrghhhh!” she bellowed, pounding her fists on the table.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” Jean Marc said to the ladies in his deep French accent, placing a silver bucket of ice in its stand. He popped the cork on the bottle of Montrachet La Cabotte 2000, and filled their glasses. Before he addressed the duo further, he returned the bottle into the ice bucket.
“I am so very sorry, Ms. Rodriquez for the bit of confusion. Jason is new. Please, your lunch is on me. Order whatever you like, my treat,” Jean Marc offered, kissing each lady on the hand.
“Jean Marc,” Tierra cooed, taking a sip of the wine. She stood and gave him a kiss on the cheek, “Oh my Goodness, this is the stuff! You have no idea how bad I need this,” she was practically trembling in her shoes as she spoke.
“It’s ok darling. Drink up and let me know if you need anything else,” he said before he retreated to the kitchen, cutting his eyes at Jason as he passed him, who lowered his head.
“Why is it so bad Qu had you meet him at a church? It’s Qu, you’re talking about right?” Shireece asked, not knowing what Tierra’s issue with church could possibly be. But she was obviously physically upset over it to the point of drinking at 2 O’clock in the afternoon.
“Why? Why, you ask? One, he didn’t ask me to meet him at the church. Two, he tricked me into going there! He just gave me the address, and then dared me to show up. Made it seem like he was about to like jump off a bridge or something. He knew how I’d react to that damn letter he left me!” she blurted out, gulping down the glass of wine Jean Marc poured. Jason immediately refilled her glass. “He knew exactly what he was doing, had me calling his mother, and everyone. What in the hell was that all about?” she finished the second glass of wine in record time and Jason on cue poured another.
“Take it easy, Ti. It’s only two, you know,” she said with concern in her voice, taking Tierra’s hand into hers. She had never known anyone to be able to get Tierra so riled up, other than Qu that is. It seemed so innocent, yet her friend was clearly agonizing over it.
“I know, I know,” she took a deep breath and exhaled. “Aww man, you wanted to tell me something too. I’m so sorry,” she said as she swallowed the 3rd glass.
“It’s nothing. My issues can wait. You clearly need me more right now.”
“No way girly, what’s the deal? Spill it.”
“Okay well, I wanted you to help me put together a music demo. The only thing is you have to keep it between me and you.”
“What, why? You aren’t going to tell Sean?”
“I don’t think he’ll support me doing it. He’s so into having me at home, playing Suzy house-maker and all. But it’s killing me. I mean, how many times can a girl go shopping before she has everything that she needs and wants?”
Tierra shrugged her shoulders. The glasses of wine she quickly downed were beginning to affect her visibility, and speak.
“A good, supportive husband, children and my career, that’s what I have always wanted. Well, to have children Sean has to be home. You said it yourself a few weeks ago. So I don’t think a family is in our future anytime soon. The way I see it, I might as well fulfill my other dream. Do you think you can help me?”
“Shi, haf you really thought ‘bout dis? I mean, I never know you to lie or any ting back to Sean. This is gon come back in bite chu in ya ass you know dat rit,” she said making little to no sense, the wine clearly taking over her speech.
Shireece giggled inside and shook her head.
“Yeah I know. I’ve thought about it though. I just figure it’s only a demo, and if he hears how good I am, then he’ll remember the girl he met and her dream to sing. Right now all he can see is his dream. Don’t get me wrong, I love that man. He’s never done me wrong in no way shape or form. In fact he’s given me everything I’ve ever needed. But it’s my desires he doesn’t pay attention to.”
“Say no mo. I got chu. I’ll talk to my people,” she waved her empty glass in the air. Jason came over and chased her glass as she continued to wave it around before realizing he was standing next to her.
“Oops, I’m, I’m sorry… Jason… right?” he nodded as he re-filled her glass.
“Lissen don’t worry, Jean is a push ova. I’m sorree if I got chu into trouble wit him. I’ll talk to him K. Don’t worry.”
Jason smiled at her tipsy rant, and asked if the ladies were going to order.
“In a minute, but can you please take this glass back,” Shireece said removing the newly poured glass of wine from Tierra’s hands.
“Whaaaaattttt?”
“Don’t even go there girl. Stop it,” she looked Tierra square in her eyes daring her to object further.
“What eva!” she sucked her teeth, and rolled her eyes allowing Shireece to hand the glass to the waiter.
“Thanks Jason. Can you bring us a pitcher of ice water with lemon please?”
“Sure thing.”
“Thanks Shi,” Tierra said in a low voice, lifting the glass of water from earlier and drinking the last warm sip in it. Seconds later, Jason arrived with the fresh pitcher.
“No problem, you know I got your back. Now, are you sure you can find someone to help, willing to keep it under wraps? Or do I need to call you tomorrow and ask you when you’re sober?”
“You got jokes righ
t? Ok I got you! I guess I deserve that. But yeah, I’m sure I can help. If I can’t find anyone else, there is always Vito. He always asks when you’re going to let him produce you. He’ll be down. Besides, you know he and Sean aren’t as close as they used to be.”
“Yeah, and that’s sad. Thanks.”
“Well, since we have a free lunch, I say we order, what do you think?”
“I think you better eat and soak up those glasses of wine you just sucked down,” she laughed.
“Agreed.”
The truth shall set you free