Trickery & Envy Read Free Page B

you’re about to shed tears.”
    “So, I can cry if I want to and who turned the heat on,” Jennifer said and started crying.
    “The heat on,” Vivian uttered and was perplexed because it was eighty-eight degrees outside. Did she mean the air conditioner?
    “Why am I crying? Okay. I’m going to make an appointment to see my gynecologist to see why I’m crying.” Jennifer sniffled. “She better not tell me I’m going through no damn menopause. I’m just emotional because I haven’t had any in a long time,” she said referring to sex. “You know how it is when you don’t get any.”
    Don’t I, Vivian thought and looked at her pork chops frying. “Girl, I’m about to burn my dinner listening to you. I’ll call you back when I’m done eating. Bye Jennifer.”
    * * *
    It was 9:45 the next morning and Vivian had donned a powder blue sleeveless silk shirt and dark blue-colored vest. She slid into her matching skirt and pantyhose. Instead of heels, she opted for tennis shoes.
    It was a bit cloudy out, but her outfit was perfect for the 75 degree weather. As Vivian backed out of her driveway she saw Jennifer’s garage opening. She stopped until Charles backed out and they exchanged a wave.
    About twenty minutes into her drive down to her salon Vivian mumbled, “I’m sorry, but not today Mary,” referring to the Mary J. Blidge song that started to play on her car radio. “I do not feel like going down because someone’s not around,” and using one hand to steer the car opened her armrest console for a CD. She lifted one from the console closing it with her elbow.
    Vivian glance d at the CD trying to concentrate on the road. Sticking out of it was Toni’s business card. “Umm...coincidence or you just happen to slide your way into Smokey Robinson’s CD case? Are you trying to tell me something,” and Vivian smiled as she thought back to them meeting.
    “Morning, ladies,” Vivian said after walking in her salon and heading to her office.
    “Good Morning,” her assistant Patricia Green and a few clients responded. A couple of clients watched Vivian walk past them and to her office. Vivian just seemed to command attention when she entered a room. Confidence was in her stride.
    Vivian unlocked her office and after going inside closed the door behind her. After settling her things she turned on her computer. Not seeing any messages she hit the intercom button on her desk phone. “Patricia,” she said.
    “I’ll be there in a second ,” Patricia responded.”
    “You’ve got mail,” Vivian’s computer told her just as Patricia walked up and tapped on her door.
    “Come in Patricia."
    It was Vivian’s routine to check in with her assistant once she got settled into her office. Today the only message she didn’t want to get from Patricia was that Tracie wasn’t going to make it in today. Not to say that she wasn’t sympathetic to people having emergencies and needing to take a day off here and there. Tracie went overboard with calling off two and three times a month. Though Vivian listened, she was not interested in the drama that seemed to trap itself in Tracie’s life. She had a business to run; clients that needed taking care of. This was not a profession where your clients could wait until the next day to be taken care of. So despite Tracie’s outstanding cutting and styling skills, she needed to get it together before she walks up to the shop one day and see a “Beautician Wanted” sign in the window.
    Vivian picked up her red coffee mug that was engraved with her initials from her desk. “Give me a minute,” she said to Patricia and headed to the small break area near the ladies restroom. As she poured coffee into her cup she heard what sounded like weeping in the restroom. She tilted her head some toward the soft sobs. Curious as to whom it was, she sat her mug down and walked a few feet over into the restroom where she listened further.
    “Where am I going to get that kind of money