Chapter 21
The twenty thousand dollars of free money was burning a hole in Olivia’s pocket. No soon than André drove off, she jumped in her Maserati and called April.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m at work,” April whispered. “Why?”
“You want to go shopping with me?”
April paused and then said, “Not really. All my credit cards are maxed out, and if I go, then I’ll dig myself into more debt.”
“What about Street? That nigga got paper. He should be taking care of you.” Olivia already knew the 4-1-1 on Street. She knew he was no longer checking for April and was spending his dough on some new chick.
“I don’t know what’s up with him,” April said honestly.
“What that mean?” Olivia said, pushing April to admit the obvious.
“He ain’t returning my calls . . .” April’s voice trailed off. Though embarrassed, she knew she had to face reality.
“Well, fuck him! Let’s go shopping and buy some knew gear so that when he sees you, you’re looking fly.” Olivia said. “You know Chanel got its new line out, and it’s to die for.”
“Olivia, I can’t. I just said I’m broke.”
April was trying not to resent Olivia and her great life. She had a man who’d married her, which April and most others never thought would happen. And also André was a great catch. Half of Harlem was slinging their pussy his way, and yet he was taking very good care of Olivia.
“I’m trying to get my shit together. I’ve been working overtime, whenever they let me, to pay my bills, and then I’m going to start saving. Maybe open up my own business. I’ve been thinking about opening up a hair salon.”
“A hair salon?” That didn’t sit too well with Olivia. She didn’t want anyone of her friends copying her moves. “But you don’t know how to do hair.”
“Neither do you.”
“But at least I’m bilingual, so the Dominican women don’t mind working for me!” Olivia couldn’t hide her annoyance. “They’d never work for an all-black chick.”
“Why don’t you let me worry about that?” April no longer wanted to discuss her future with Olivia. “Look, Olivia, I’m at work. My supervisor is looking at me crazy. I have to go.”
“Oh, OK, but real quick—If you come with me shopping, I’ll pick you up from work and buy you a few things.”
That piqued April’s interest. Was cheapskate Olivia going to take her shopping? Why? “Seriously?”
“As VD.”
“Olivia, thank you! I love you!” April couldn’t contain her smile. “You know where I am. I get off at four.”
***
The first stop in Bloomingdale’s on 59th Street was the pocketbook section. Olivia spotted a red leather and crocodile Louis Vuitton bag with a four-thousand-dollar ticket.
“I have to have that,” she exclaimed. “April, what do you think about this?” Olivia placed the bag over her shoulder and pranced around the saleswoman, smiling brightly. “Is this me or what?”
April studied the uniquely crafted bag and wished she could afford one. “You already know what’s up,” she replied. “See, this is why I gotta stay out these stores. Too much hot shit.”
Olivia managed to purchase three high-end pocketbooks totaling eleven thousand dollars before heading upstairs to the Chanel section. April’s eyes nearly popped out of her head when Olivia pulled out so much cash. Even the saleswoman was uncomfortable handling so much currency.
In the exclusive and quiet Chanel section, Olivia began pulling garments for herself as April just watched. She took a seat and watched as Olivia modeled several outfits for her. April wondered when Olivia was going to tell her she could pick out something or some things.
Finally, when Olivia was about to approach the cash register, April said, “Oh, you ready to leave?”
“Well, I gotta pay for this first.” Olivia gestured toward the saleswoman. “I can’t just walk outta here, right?”
The saleswoman joined in on the fun. “No, that wouldn’t be a good idea, not unless you want to get detained.”
April looked at the two and wanted to slap both their faces. “Well, I was asking because you said you were taking me shopping. That’s the only reason why I came.”
Olivia stopped midway through counting out over nine thousand dollars for her purchase. “You see me up in here buying all this stuff and now you gonna say you want something, after we’ve been in here all this time?”
“Excuse me?”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “I only got”—She counted out her last hundred dollars—“a little over a buck. And I know you can’t get shit up here for that.”
The saleswoman thought fast. If she could get that commission off the hundred dollars, why not? “Well, we do have some really cute headbands for just under a hundred dollars.”
April couldn’t believe her ears. “What do you mean, I didn’t say anything? You asked me to come and said you were taking me shopping. You think I was standing here for my health?”
“I thought you were standing here as my friend. I didn’t know I had to buy your friendship.” Olivia tried to shove five twenties at April.
“Nah, that’s all right. My bad.” April’s pride wouldn’t allow her to take the measly hundred dollars. Besides, there wasn’t much she could buy with it anyways. “I don’t know why I even thought you were serious.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
April shook her head. “You just sat in my face and spent almost twenty thousand dollars, and you’re gonna try and play me and throw me a hundred?”
“Wait, hold up. This here my muthafuckin’ money. I offered to do you a solid ’cause that nigga was doing you dirty. But you came up in here acting like I had to beg you to pick up something. You sat here watching me for hours and didn’t say shit. Now you want me to feel guilty because I spent my money?”
“Olivia, please. You can try to turn this around like it’s my fault, but we both know that you’re a cheap bitch.”
“And you’re a broke bitch! A dumb-ass, broke bitch!”
“I’ll take that.” April nodded. “But anybody can be in my shoes—including you. You have it all right now, but don’t get too comfortable, because what goes up must come down. You’re the same chick who cried on my shoulders when André was dissing you. The same way he stepped out on his first wife is the same way he’ll step out on you.”
“At least I got a man.”
“For now. My mother always said, ‘The same way you get him is the same way you’ll lose him.’”
“Really?” Olivia realized for the first time that April was jealous of her. “Really, bitch?”
“Really!” April began walking away. There wasn’t any way she was riding in Olivia’s car. “I got a train to catch.”
Olivia couldn’t be bothered with April’s tantrum. She had a million reasons to be on cloud nine and knew that she’d get a whole host of haters once her and André began spending the money. She’d only spent a morsel of the money and look how April had reacted.