Steel & Ice (25 page)

I went to Penny’s office to
tell her good bye. As I was walking out the door to leave I turned
back and asked, “Hey Penny, what’s
feria
?”

“
Feria? In Spanish?” I
nodded. “It’s like change or coins. You know, pennies and
dimes.”

“
Oh, ok. I get it.” I did
now. They didn’t want Penny to know. She was
la feria
. “Thanks. I’ll see you next
year.”

“
Thanks for your help and
yeah, see you next year,”
la feria
said with a giggle.

******

I dialed Chris once I was in the Monte. We
hadn’t decided what to do for New Years Eve.

She answered with her usual greeting.
“Yo.”

“
Sup. You got any ideas for
New Years?”

“
Nothing besides spending it
with Devon. That cool?”

“
Yeah. Let me see what J is
up to. I took Monday off work so we can get fucked up. I’ll call
you back?”

“
Bet.” We hung up and I
dialed J.

“
Hey babe. I was just
thinking about you.” I couldn’t help the stupid grin that spread
across my face when he said that. “But I’m always thinking about
you, so it wasn’t a coincidence.” With that my smile managed to get
even bigger. “Hello? Elle?”

“
Sorry. Guys don’t say nice
things like that to me. I’m not sure how to answer.”

“
Well, figure it out cuz I’m
going to be saying a lot of nice things to you for a long time,” he
responded playfully.

“
OK.” Yeah, I know ‘OK’ was
lame, but it really was the best I had. I was in unfamiliar waters
here. “So are you free New Year’s Eve? Chris wants to hang with
Devon, and I wanted to see if you were down to make it a foursome
night?”

“
Devon?”

“
Cup Booty.”

“
She’s still seeing
him?”

“
Yeah.”

“
Well, I could hook it up at
Eight Oh Eight for us.”

“
What do you mean?” I was
intrigued.

“
Do you like surprises?” I
imagined his eyebrow raising as he said this.

“
Surprises like roofies. Ah,
no. Surprises like homemade jewelry, yes.”

He laughed. “Alright. Just trust me. Meet me
at Eight Oh Eight around ten o’clock Sunday night. I’ll send a car
for you guys around nine-thirty.”

“
A car?”

“
Yep. My girl is goin’ in
style this New Year’s Eve.” I got that stupid grin again from
hearing him call me
his
. I was. Damn it, I totally was.

“
Alright. I’ll talk with you
later then?”

“
Yeah,
sweetheart.”

“
Bye, J.” A car? And a
surprise? I called Chris right back and told her everything. She
was over the moon. Whatever happened, I was sure this would be a
New Year’s I wouldn’t forget.

Chapter
12

In order to get New Year’s Eve and Day off,
I worked Saturday night, my usual Eight Oh Eight night. Because New
Year’s Eve fell on a Sunday night, Saturday night was much slower
than usual. There were six cooks on, but by nine o’clock Kevin told
three of them to start cleaning up to leave. Larry, José, and I
were closing down the kitchen, and made sure to get a “smoke break”
in before the other three guys left. As it was freezing outside, we
huddled in the utility room smoking in the dark, only the light at
the end of the joint shining on us.

“
So I heard you got some
flowers.” Damn. It didn’t take Larry long to find out about J’s
gift, and I knew he’d bring it up as soon as he did.

“
Yep.”

“
From that guy we saw at
Checks?”

“
Yep.”

“
So are you guys like, an
item now?”

“
We’ve been hanging
out.”

“
Really, Elle?” Larry
sighed, obviously unhappy with my answers. “Is that all you’re
going to say after a guy sends flowers to your job, AND gets the
piglets all riled up?”

“
I don’t know, Larry. Do you
want me to talk all about it? Ooohhh and then we can paint each
others toes and talk about our periods,” I mocked.

“
Ay, mami, no period talk,”
José chimed in.

“
I just want to make sure
that if you’re dating him, he’s doing right by you. If any guy laid
a hand on you or treated you wrong, I’d handle them just like I’ve
handled the cooks here who don’t treat you right.”

“
Larry,” I turned to him in
the dark and passed the joint. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m
really not trynna talk about dudes in my life with you. If at any
point he ain’t treating me right, I will let you know, and you can
go as caveman as you want on him.” I held in the laughter as I said
this. J would so whoop Larry’s ass.

“
Simon ese. I’d bust him up
too,” José said, making fake punches with the joint in his hand.
“You wanna eat this?” José passed me the roach.

“
Yeah. Let’s go in before
Kevin notices we are gone and comes bustin’ our balls.” Aaron
would’ve joined in if Kevin wasn’t on the clock.

“
You don’t have any balls,
Elle. No huevos, no cajones,” José taunted, grabbing his crotch as
we exited the utility room.

“
You wanna find out just how
big my cajones are?” I asked José, while fake kicking him in the
groin.

“
Ay mamacita, no need to go
loca on me. Don’t wanna damage the family jewels.” I shoved him in
the back door. José was fast becoming one of the core group in the
kitchen. He was a good cook, didn’t flip out too much, and was cool
as hell to kick it with. If I had to be closing on a Saturday
night, I’m glad it was with Larry and José.

******

“
So how’s the volunteer gig
going?” I was laying on Chris’ bed, flipping through one of her
fashion magazines while she tried on a variety of outfits. Once she
chose her outfit, we were going to my house so I could get dressed,
and we’d both do our hair and makeup there. Devon, AKA Cup Booty,
was meeting up with us later.

“
It’s good. You won’t
believe the convo I had with two of my teen girls.” I rolled over
onto my stomach as Chris emerged in her latest outfit. “Oh, I like
those pants. Are they new?” She had on a hot ass pair of red pants,
slung low on her hips, with a straight leg. It was New Year’s so
there was no question we were wearing heels. She had on some black
ankle boots.

“
Yeah. I got them last week.
Not sure if I’m feelin’ the top.” She had a black flowy peasant top
on.

“
Nope. Me neither. What
about just a black tank and then maybe a necklace. The red pants
are the star of the show here, so a frilly shirt’s too much. The
tank would be understated, but a longer necklace would spice it up
a bit.”

“
Brilliant. What did the
kids ask?”

“
Dude, one of ‘em wanted to
know why her man couldn’t keep his dick hard while they were
fuckin’. I almost launched into it like I was talking to you, and
then I remembered they’re sixteen and I’m supposed to be a “role
model” for them.” I made air quotes.

“
You’re a good role model.
You got you’re shit together. You got a job and you’re in
school.”

“
And you’re going to help me
bag up weed in a couple days.” I looked at her over the top of my
glasses.

“
Whatever. Cut yourself a
break Elle. You got it together better than most. You tell the
girls about whiskey dick?”

“
Yep. Well, first I lectured
them on birth control and condoms. I may not be the best role model
in terms of weed, but I’m on ten when it comes to keepin’ myself
baby and STD free.” I put my fist out as I said this and Chris
bumped it.

“
Word, bitch.”

“
And I even agreed to take
them to Planned Parenthood on Wednesday. Oh, and can we bag weed on
Tuesday? I have the day off and I’m going to pick it up around
noon. Aaron works until five and is coming over right after. That
cool?”

“
Yeah Tuesday’s cool. You
like this necklace?” She came over to me with long silver necklace
on. It was a series of circles connected with a silver bar between
each one. It was long enough that she could loop it around twice
and still have it hang low.

“
Yeah, stagger the length so
one round is lower than the other.” I fixed the necklace for her.
“I told the girls they couldn’t tell anyone about the appointments,
or the fact that I used the words ‘whiskey dick’ but I think they
have as much to lose as me if their parents find out.” I looked up
to Chris holding two bracelets, and pointed to the thick silver one
that looked like it’d been hammered on. “I’d go studs on the
earrings since you got the necklace and bracelet.”

“
Yeah you’re right. So the
girl’s man was drunk when they fucked and he couldn’t keep it
up?”

“
Yep. He tried to tell her
it was her fault.”

“
Fuck that! It ain’t our
fault mutha fuckas can’t hold their liquor and keep their dick
hard.”

“
That’s what I told them.
Only without all the cussing. Right at the end though, the other
girl told me her man kept it hard, but couldn’t nut. I wasn’t able
to ask anything else cuz Penny came into the kitchen. I’ve only had
that happen in one circumstance.”

“
Coke?”

“
Coke,” I sighed.

“
What are you gonna
do?”

“
I don’t know. Coke and
weed, for me, are not even close to being on the same level. Plus I
know her man. Well, boy. He’s a fucking teenager. At the Christmas
Party I saw him doin’ some kind of deal in the alley behind the
building. I don’t know what was going on, but I know some shady
shit when I see it. And it was definitely shady. I assumed he was
buying weed. But coke? Fuck. I don’t even know what to do with
that.” I rolled on to my back. I couldn’t go to Penny, and I wasn’t
sure about saying anything to Fernie. Chris saved me from my
thoughts.

“
Well, don’t think about it
tonight. Your hot ass man is hooking us up with a phat ass night,
so let’s enjoy it. I’m ready to go whenever. You wanna
bounce?”

“
Bet,” I replied, rolling
off the bed and onto my feet.

Chris and I took our time getting ready.
Sometimes getting ready was the best part of the night. Tonight I
hoped the fun would roll right into the club with us. Chris and I
sipped a bottle of Merlot she had brought while we finished getting
ready at my place.

I poked my head out of the bedroom, hiding
my body from Chris who sat in my living room. “Sooooo I bought this
dress.” I trailed off. I never wore dresses to Eight Oh Eight. I
always felt more secure in pants. But I planned on having some ‘out
of the bed’ sex at the club, and thought a dress would make it
easier.

“
Well get your ass out here
so I can see.” I gingerly tiptoed out in a cotton dress I found at
a consignment shop. It was royal blue and tied around my neck
halter style. The back was cut low, and it fanned out under my
breasts, which were pushed up with a heavily padded strapless bra,
giving me the most cleavage I’d ever had. The dress fell just above
my knee. I paired it with gold heels and gold jewelry.

“
WOW!” Chris’ mouth hung
open in an O. Yeah, I knew it’d be a shock. “That’s hot as shit. I
thought for sure you’d go sexy librarian as always tonight. Nice
boobage by the way.”

I did a twirl for her. “I’m so out of my
comfort zone, but fuck it. I’m ‘bout to be fuckin’ in the
bathroom,” I sang. I twirled until I felt dizzy. “Damn, I feel
weird. Fuck. Maybe I should stick with sexy librarian. I can
unbutton a couple buttons and still rock the boobage.”

“
Don’t you dare!” Chris
yelled, grabbing my arm and pulling me back from my room. “J’s
pants are gonna get prit-eeee tight when he sees you.”

“
You’re gonna have to keep
tellin’ me that cuz I feel so—exposed.” I did. At least in pants
and heels I could rip my heels off and run like hell if needed. Not
so easy in a dress. Who was I running from? I didn’t know, but you
could never be too prepared.

As if reading my mind Chris
took my hand and got serious. “
Nothing
is going to happen with J
there.
Nothing
. So
work it in your hot ass dress, and for one night don’t worry about
that shit. Let
him
take care of you.”

“
Easier said than done,” I
mumbled, but agreed.

After our makeup was done, and my curls
cascased down my back, we called Devon to come over. It was nine so
we were right on schedule, and a little buzzed already.

A car didn’t show up for us, a limo did. And
when it showed up, it was empty. I expected J to be in it.
Booooo.

“
Ooooh this is what I’m
talkin’ ‘bout,” Chris hollered, grabbing a bottle of Hennessey and
some cups from the side bar in the limo.

“
Is there Hypno?” I asked.
No Henny for me. I needed to be coherent when we arrived. This was
early for us to be out already.

“
Yep,” Chris said, grabbing
the blue bottle to pour me a glass. “And a note.” She passed it to
me.