“Luca told Baisleigh I quit.” I sighed as I pressed my back against the wall in the hallway.
“And how does that make you feel?”
“Scared. Relieved. Confused. He wants me to go into business for myself.”
“Is that what you want?”
“More than anything. I just never thought it would happen for me.”
“Now that you have the chance to make it happen, are you going to?”
“Yes.”
Lyric jumped up and down, squealing as she used her hands to cheer.
“I know that’s right, friend. I was secretly hoping you invested a small portion of the money I’d given you but I understood when you didn’t. You wanted a cushion for you and the girls.”
“And I have one. I checked my account yesterday evening after we’d made it back to Luca’s. Lyric, I’ve managed to save almost seven thousand dollars. Three of which is thanks to you. The other two, almost three are from my tips and the one check I’ve gotten from Baisleigh’s. I can’t remember a time when I had this much money saved. Shit. There hasn’t been one. That is my security blanket. I’m making a cake for a customer of Baisleigh’s who is having her brunch there, and she wants me to make cakes for her family as their birthdays roll around. She told me that if I brought up some business cards, then everyone would staple them to the customer’s receipts. That’ll probably bring in tons of customers.”
“It will. So what are you waiting for? Let’s make some cards.”
“I want to go to the Apple store first.”
“OK. But for what, love?”
“Luca is sending me to get a new computer and phone so that I can add a business line to my account.” I removed the card from my purse and held it in her face.
“Baby, you ain’t said nothing but a word. We’re getting you more than that. This man gave you his card, we’re getting a laptop, phone, iPad, and AirPods.”
“How much will all of that cost?” I worried about the prices adding up.
“Who gives a damn? You’re sucking rich dick now, babe. Let him worry about the bill.”
“Your car or mine?”
“Mine,” she responded, grabbing my hand and pulling me back out of the door.
The excitement that filled my bones made me feel like a little girl. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so giddy inside. It was as if I’d deactivated survival mode and initiated a new, more palatable mode. One that allowed me to lean into my softness without worries or fears of what was to come or the disappointment that was waiting around the corner for me.
Lyric and I climbed into her truck and hit the expressway. We made it to the Apple store in just a few minutes. I left the store with a large Apple bag in my hand that contained anything that I thought I’d need to help make starting my business easier. My total had come to less than four thousand dollars meaning that I still had six to spend before the month ended. Even the thought of having so much at my fingertips sent my thoughts spiraling.
When I made it back to the comfort of Lyric’s home, I bathed and talked to the man above while resting beneath the bubbles. I was walking into foreign territory and wanted to make sure that I was fully covered. My faith led me to believe that everything would be okay, lifting a huge burden off my shoulders by thetime I was dressed in my night clothes and in bed. It was still mid-day, but I knew I had a lot of work to do, and I wouldn’t be going anywhere, anytime soon.
Two hours into my work session, and I was surrounded by gadgets, paper, and almonds. I wasn’t 100 percent sure what I was getting myself into but it felt good. That was pretty much all that mattered.
I’d linked a new cell to my T-Mobile account and had received a secondary line. It was the number that I placed on the business cards and flyers. I’d reserved the domain and anything close to it in case I ever wanted to branch out.
This is all going to move so fast, I thought to myself as my chest tightened.
Luca had made it very clear that he was willing to do whatever to kick off a successful business of mine. I knew he would; I just wanted to be prepared for it all.
Luca. I missed his face and his smile. Though I didn’t see it often, when I did, it was a treat. It had been hours since he’d dropped me off, and I couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing. I pulled out my cell phone and punched his name into my contacts. It wasn’t until it didn’t come up that it registered in my head. We never exchanged numbers.
As much as I wanted to laugh at the irony of it, I felt pathetic. The man had been inside me, not a few times, but so many times that I lost track over the last three days. He’d cooked and cleaned for me. He’d washed me from head to toe. He’d showered me with tenderness and adoration, but I didn’t even have his number.
It wasn’t hard to come by, but still. The fact remained. I gathered my thoughts and decided that I’d take the walk of shame to ask Lyric for the number, but before I could get off the bed, she came bursting through the door.
“I’ve made my decision,” she blurted with the small stack of papers in her hand.
