Chapter 4
Suzanne loved Mexican food which was why she took Tatiana, Nydia, and Augusta to lunch at El Rancho restaurant. Augusta, of course, mentioned how unimpressed she was with the place, but she knew everyone else liked it, so she would sacrifice herself and not complain. Suzanne smiled and nodded, buying everything Augusta was saying. Tatiana and Nydia shook their heads, each wondering why they hadn't come up with an excuse good enough to avoid this frustrating situation. But Suzanne had insisted she wanted to reward them for a successful Garcia account, and neither had had the fortitude to keep fibbing about why they couldn't have lunch with her. Nydia especially was inept at lying, even white polite lies were impossible to her. She much preferred the direct approach, even when it had to be razor-sharp blunt, but she could never get through to Suzanne about the head administrative assistant.
Tatiana had broached the subject earlier that it may be better if only Nydia, Suzanne, and herself go to lunch. After all, even Judith hadn't been invited, but Suzanne had declared that Augusta had been working so hard lately.
Yeah, gossiping in the office, Tatiana had thought to herself.
“Everyone in the office is working hard,” Nydia had stated with spiked edge in her voice.
“She'd have her feelings hurt if I didn't invite her,” Suzanne had explained.
“You mean she'd be jealous of us if you didn't invite her and give you the silent treatment because of it,” Nydia had declared, grumbling.
Suzanne's face had flushed. “I'm like a mother to her. She feels protective of me.”
“She's got a mother already. One who doesn't particularly like her,” Nydia had sniffed.
“That's why she needs me,” Suzanne had asserted.
“You know Suzanne, there's a good reason her mother dislikes her own daughter,” Nydia had retorted.
The door of Suzanne's office had swung open and in walked Augusta. Nydia had met her eyes with coldness and disgust. When any of the agency personnel were in the office with Suzanne, Augusta always found a reason to barge in. She never knocked, just came barreling in.
“Suzanne, I don't want to interrupt, but we'd better get going to lunch or else your schedule will be off, and then I'll have to find a way to get it back on track,” Augusta had stated, sighing her ‘I am working so hard’ sigh.
“Let's go ladies,” Suzanne had said, trying not to look at Nydia who was shaking her head.
This was how Tatiana and Nydia found themselves in their favorite restaurant with their least favorite person. And to make matters worse for Tatiana, they bumped into Tristan when they first arrived there. He promptly introduced them to his business associate.
“Johnson Advertising is now handling my account,” he told Bernie Sumner. “These two in particular,” he said, indicating Tatiana and Nydia. Augusta visibly grimaced.
Bernie Sumner raised an eyebrow. “Pierson’s isn’t your ad agency anymore?”
“I didn’t care for their customer service,” explained Tristan. “Besides, Suzanne’s agency is in my building.”
“We’re thrilled to have your account, Tristan,” declared Suzanne.
Fortunately for Tatiana, Tristan and his business associate were seated at quite a distance from them. But unfortunately, she and Nydia were still stuck with Augusta.
“That man is so handsome,” gushed Suzanne, ogling Tristan from across the room.
“Yes, he’s good looking,” stated Augusta. “But he’s not as handsome as my Kenneth.”
“He’s gorgeous and very intelligent,” commented Nydia, ignoring Augusta.
“Yeah and he doesn’t care much for you, Tatiana,” smirked Augusta.
“I don’t care much for him either,” Tatiana returned. “But he’s a client and I’m a professional.”
“Still, it must be hard not being worshipped,” continued Augusta, sneering.
“I don’t need to be worshipped,” snapped Tatiana.
“You must know what it’s like not being worshipped, Augusta,” Nydia chimed in. “After all, Kenneth doesn’t seem to be enamored of you at at all. He practically treats you like a piece of furniture.”
“I’ll have you know,” Augusta rushed furiously, “that my husband doesn’t need to treat me like a fragile flower in order to love me.”
“Of course not,” Suzanne rushed in. “We know how much Kenneth loves you. It’s so obvious.”
“It’s not obvious to me,” stated Nydia, smirking. “Not obvious at all.”
Suzanne became chatty, trying to make light of an uncomfortable situation. “Your shoes are so nice,” Suzanne told Tatiana.
“I just got them.”
“I saw them at the mall but I didn't buy them because I didn't like them,” Augusta chortled.
“It was good you didn't get them. They wouldn't go with your style,” Nydia blurted. “Tatiana's professional shoes would've clashed with those clashing outfits you wear.”
Suzanne shifted in her chair. “Everyone dresses well in our office. . . Aren't Judith's tailored suits beautiful?”
Augusta grimaced. “I suppose they're nice and appropriate for the office, but aren't they a bit too conservative?”
Tatiana felt bile rising to her throat. “I thought you told her you liked her clothes?”
“I . . I . .I was being nice,” rushed Augusta. “There's no reason to be rude in the office. We all have to work together. “
“I thought you liked conservative,” Nydia retorted.
“I do, but there's such a thing as too prim and proper,” Augusta declared.
“I thought your husband makes sure he dresses you every morning so you look prim and proper all the time,” Tatiana remarked dryly.
Suzanne shifted in her chair again. “I love Mexican food. I wish my Rodney loved it too.”
“He's like my husband,” announced Augusta. “Kenneth doesn't like Mexican food. He says—”
“Rodney is an investment banker, isn't he?” Tatiana asked Suzanne.
“Yes, he's very successful,” she murmured with dreamy eyes. Suzanne always fell fast and hard, and even though she had only known Rodney for a month, she was already thinking marriage.
Augusta sighed deeply. “Kenneth was going to be an investment banker, but he decided to go into teaching instead and apply his enormous talents and off the charts IQ to students who need him.”
Please Louise! Por favor! Tatiana thought to herself with disgust.
“Kenneth is such a genius, he can do anything,” Suzanne asserted.
I'm going to barf before I even get a chance to eat, Tatiana said to herself.
“My dog played dead the other day,” commented Nydia with a mischievous voice. “Isn't it amazing how like certain people, dogs learn how to obey without questioning?”
Augusta ignored Nydia. “Kenny takes after Kenneth. The other day, he said—”
“The salsa is really hot today,” Tatiana stated, dipping a chip from a basket in the middle of the table into the green salsa.
Augusta kept talking. “Kenny wants a dog, but Kenneth tells him if he's a good boy we'll get one for him on his birthday.”
“That's good parenting,” asserted Suzanne. “You and Kenneth are the best of parents.”
Uuugggg!!! I need some breathing room.
Tatiana stood up. “I've got to go to the restroom.” She left while Petra served their plates. More than a few people stared at her as she made her way to the back of the restaurant, including Tristan and Bernie. Augusta looked at all the admiring glances and grimaced.
“Nydia, I've really got to hand it to you. Many women would never be friends with someone like Tatiana,” asserted Suzanne.
“What do you mean?” asked Nydia, puzzled.
Suzanne glanced at Tatiana stepping into the lavatory. “She's so beautiful. She'd give most movie stars a run for their money.”
“She's pretty, but she's not that good looking,” blurted Augusta.
Nydia eyed
Augusta furiously. “Yes, she is.”
“All I'm saying is that to me, she could stand to lose some weight and lighten her hair, even cut it instead of wearing it long and straight,” Augusta declared. “And the way she dresses. She could use some help there too.”
Suzanne smiled nervously in her 'how do I smooth this over' mode. “Maybe—”
Nydia had had enough. “Who died and made you God, Augusta?” she snapped with smoldering fire. “Why do you think your opinion is so much more superior than other people's?”
Augusta sighed. “I'm just saying—”
“You're always just saying,” retorted Nydia. “The truth is that Tatiana is better looking than the three of us put together. She runs circles around most people, and she doesn't need to lose weight, change her hair, or dress differently to do it. You’re the one who needs a change in personality.”
Augusta’s cell rang, slicing into the highly heated conversation. She hurriedly took her phone out of her purse, enormously relieved for the interruption. “It's my husband,” she stated as soon as she had answered. Jumping up and rushing outside the restaurant, Augusta grinned the whole way.
“How dare she opened her rotten mouth with her vicious observations and cruel comments,” Nydia snarled.
“I think you've hurt her feelings,” Suzanne asserted.
“Hurt her feelings? C'mon Suzanne. Give me a break.”
“We're all human with feelings. She didn't mean any harm. She was voicing an idle opinion, that's all.”
“She was doing what she always does, offend people,” burst Nydia with frustration. “She can't stand anyone getting complemented. She can't stand anyone being better looking than her but because of her evil personality, almost everyone is, so she's jealous of everybody. She's especially envious of Tatiana. Can't you see how much she insults her?”
“I know Augusta doesn't have much finesse. She's somewhat curt, but she's a good person inside.”
“Wake up and smell the coffee, Suzanne. I'm curt, but I don't go around trying to make everyone around me feel bad about themselves. I don't go around stepping on people and creating trouble, so I can stay on top of everybody. She is most definitely is not a good person inside.”
“You just don't understand her,” Suzanne asserted.
“You’re the one who doesn’t understand about her.”
Tatiana and Augusta arrived back at the same time to Suzanne's enormous relief. Tatiana observed Suzanne and Nydia. There was something definitely in the air— deep tension. She wished she hadn't gone to the bathroom and left a blunt Nydia with a clueless Suzanne.
“Kenneth is going to take me and Kenny to White Sands Missile Range for the day,” Augusta gushed. “I can't wait. It's our first trip.”
“How wonderful,” Suzanne expressed, smiling.
“Your first trip? You didn't go anywhere for your honeymoon?” Tatiana asked.
“No,” Augusta burst defensively. “He had a bowling tournament that week.”
“A bowling tournament?” questioned Nydia, guffawing.
“I'm not weak like those women who need presents and vacations,” Augusta snapped. “I don't whine about such things. I take care of my man without wondering what he's going to do for me.”
“It doesn't bother you that he's taking you for a day trip when you could go to Mazatlan?” Tatiana asked. “Because he’s a teacher he's off for the whole summer, isn't he?”
Augusta sighed. “He doesn't like the beach.”
“Do you?” inquired Nydia.
“I. . . I . . . No, I don't.”
“You told me once that you had always dreamed of seeing the ocean,” Tatiana announced.
“I was just making small talk,” Augusta blurted quickly.
“These fajitas are wonderful,” Suzanne expressed with a nervous timber in her voice. “Would any of you like to try them?”
Tatiana and Nydia finished their food as swiftly as they could. Suzanne and Augusta discussed the upcoming trip to White Sands. When they finally arrived back at the office, Nydia whispered to Tatiana, “Never again.”
Witnesses to the palpable tension at the Johnson advertising table had been Tristan and Bernie. As they had lunch they discussed a distributing contract between Bernie’s trucking company and Segovia foods. Tristan was a little unfocussed wondering about the conflict coming from those of his new advertising agency’s table, but then he snapped back to business.
“I think I can live with the terms,” stated Bernie Sumner.
“I’ll have my lawyer draw up the contract and send it to you.”
“As soon as my lawyer takes a look, we’ve got a deal.”
Bernie’s eyes bounced over to Tatiana. “Do you think she’s got a boyfriend?”
“Who?” asked Tristan with a steely tone.
“Tatiana.”
“I wouldn’t know,” stated Tristan, his voice icy cold.
At that point, Bernie realized that his business associate had more of an interest in Tatiana than he led on and out of respect for him and to keep good business relations, he decided not to ask Tatiana out.
“Did I say Tatiana? I meant Nydia,” Bernie announced.
“Nydia?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know much about her either,” Tristan muttered with relief.
Bernie noticed Tristan’s voice much less tight. Bernie then decided not to ask either of them out because on second thought, it would be intertwining business and pleasure. With a big contract like Segovia Foods, he couldn’t risk anything going wrong.
It was a long, long day, and Tatiana had survived a dreadful lunch and a severe mental block. What do I do with the Segovia account? Humor or warmth? What would that arrogant Tristan like? Maybe both. It’s impossible to guess. But now it was time to leave. The workday was over, and she hoped tomorrow she wouldn't be stuck. Nydia had left an hour ago with an acute headache but not before she invited her to have dinner with her and her family.
Tatiana climbed onto the elevator to find a man already on. At first she felt relieved that it was not Tristan Segovia, but then she wished she had waited for the next elevator because he didn't seem to care anything about etiquette. He didn't hide his eyes but gazed at her not caring that she knew he was doing it. Tatiana casually checked to see if her blouse was buttoned and that the zipper on her pants was zipped.
“Can I help you?” Tatiana asked gruffly.
“I’m Randy Durbin,” he said, extending his hand. “I'm pleased to meet you.”
She wasn't sure how to take him but without thinking she gave him her own hand. He took it and shook it while placing his other hand over it.
“I'm Tatiana.”
“I know.”
“What?”
“I work on the floor above you at the radio station. I've seen you before and asked about your name.”
“That's scary.”
He laughed a pleasant chuckle. “I'm not a stalker. I just think you're very beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Tatiana said, remembering how her father had given the same line to her mother when he first met her.
The elevator stopped, and they both stepped off. Apparently this non-stalker was at the end of his workday too.
“Can I invite you for a drink?” he asked.
“I've got to be somewhere.”
“A date?”
“A friend.”
“A male or female friend?”
“Female.”
“Great! I thought I was going to have to slash my wrists or poison myself by eating stale ho hoes out of the vending machine downstairs.”
Tatiana laughed. “I've never seen anyone change anything in those machines. I'm sure they’re toxic.”
“Go to dinner with me tomorrow and save me from them.”
“I don't—”
“Please. My life is in your hands.”
“I don’t—“
“Pl
ease. Do you want me to die from toxic ho hoes?”
He's corny but funny.
Tatiana laughed. “Oh, all right. I’ll go out with you and save you from the killer ho hoes.”
They made arrangements, and Tatiana went off to Nydia's apartment wondering what has just happened. Did I really accept a dinner invitation?
“Is your headache better?” Tatiana asked Nydia as soon as she saw her.
“Much better. That lunch was just too much. What was Suzanne thinking getting us together like that?”
“I'm sure she's hoping she can convince us to get along. She knows we don't like her.”
“And she thinks the more we deal with her the more we'll like her?!” Nydia asked incredulously.
“I know, it's actually the opposite, but Suzanne doesn't see that.”
“It's unbelievable.”
They climbed into Nydia’s tan Ford pick-up and headed to her parents’ home. Tatiana decided to ask her about this new man who seemed to have slammed into her life.
“Do you know a guy named Randy from the radio station above us?” she asked.
“Tall guy with blonde hair and green eyes?”
“That’s him,” Tatiana said.
“I don't know him, but I've seen him around. He recently started there as an advertising salesperson I believe.”
“I bumped into him tonight in the elevator. He asked me to dinner.”
“It was about time,” Nydia said.
“What?”
“He's been staring at you since he got there.”
“Are you serious?”
Nydia shook her head and laughed. “”Girl, you’re so blind. He's so obvious.” They arrived at her parents’ house, and Tatiana had to catch her breath. The house was huge and beautiful with an immense porch in front. It had so many trees that the backyard could be classified as a forest.
“This is your home?” Tatiana asked.
“It’s my parents’ house.”
“You're rich, Nydia, rich.”
Nydia was irritated. “My parents have money. I have a big truck.”
“What kind of business are your parents in?”
“They came from Mexico way before I was born and labored in the fields. Then little by little they started getting better jobs until my mama and papa bought an import/export business.”
They walked into her house, and a horde of people assailed them. Tatiana was introduced to Nydia's four brothers, their wives and children, and finally to her parents. The kids kept yelling Auntee Nydia and swung on her. She happily took each one in her arms and kissed them.
“They love their tia,” said Nydia's mother. “Do you have any nieces and nephews, Tatiana.”
“I wish I did, but I'm afraid I'm an only child.”
“You can borrow some of mine,” said Nydia, smiling.
They sat down at the family table and started eating enchiladas with pinto beans and guacamole on the side. They drank an agua made from watermelon.
“This is all so delicious,” Tatiana told Nydia's mother.
“Thank you. It's those old family recipes from Mexico.”
There was no question that the food was scrumptious, but Tatiana's highlight of the evening was watching all the healthy commotion so many people could make in one sitting with plenty of laughter and hugs. What would it be like to belong to a group like this? It wasn't that Tatiana didn't love her own family but through the years she had wondered what it would’ve been like to belong to a functional one where the females didn't call the males smelly crap and the males didn't call the females 'God's left over creation'.
Later that night when Nydia and Tatiana were outside her apartment in the balcony drinking Margaritas, Tatiana asked her about her family.
“Your parents seem to be happily married,” Tatiana said.
“They are.”
“They seem to actually like each other.”
She looked at Tatiana strangely. “I never thought about it, but I guess my parents do like each other.”
“Your brothers seem happily married too.”
“They are.”
“Are they first marriages for all of them or have any of them been divorced?”
“No divorces.”
“Nydia, do you think that they're actually happy?”
“Yes. Why are you asking me all these strange questions?”
“It's just that my parents were so unhappy in their marriage, it's hard for me to believe people who have it otherwise.”
“Tatiana, marriage is a great thing for a lot of people.”
“Then why don't you ever want to get married? You have incredible role models.”
“I've never wanted to be married. I had other dreams like seeing the world.”
Nydia was one of the most well-traveled individuals Tatiana had ever met. She had been everywhere. Tatiana was a little jealous that Nydia had already been to Europe, her dream destination.
“Do your parents pressure you to get married and have kids?” Tatiana asked.
“No, they know who I am. I'm not status quo. I don't do things because other people do them.”
“You're for sure not status quo.”
“I've never envisioned a prince rescuing me or kissing me out of a deep sleep.”
“Not even when you were a child?”
“Not even then. Don't get me wrong. I have true respect for the institution of marriage. Look at my parents. But because I like watching ice skating doesn't mean I actually want to do it. Marriage isn't for everybody. I used to live with a guy, and I hated it. I hated having to compromise, to share everything. When I get home, I like that I can decide what I want to eat and what to watch on my T.V.”
“That's what I like about living alone. Sometimes I do miss being in love though.”
“I'm not a romantic. I don't even sigh when I watch the Titanic movie, much less cry. I think she should've kept the necklace and sold it for a lot of money. Throwing it in the ocean was a complete waste.”
Tatiana laughed. “Yeah.”
“I don't eat, drink, and wait for romance. The whole 'you complete me' business never worked for me. I'm a complete person without needing someone to define me or even validate me.”
“Seeking validation is poison,” Tatiana asserted, thinking about her mother trying to get it from her father when her parents were married.
“Absolutely. Look at Augusta always begging for validation from her husband. Then she has the nerve to criticize me for being forty-one and single.”
“She's so misguided.”
“She thinks I'm defective because I've never been married and have no children. I love children. You saw me with my nieces and nephews, but I don't want to have any. I resent the idea that a woman is only a woman if she has children.”
Tatiana nodded. “As if that's the only reason we're here on earth.”
“I like myself and have no problem at all being myself or being by myself.”