Margo’s friend, lover, and confidant.
He shook his head to erase the new image that had forced its way into his subconscious. Angelica’s lips were touching his, and he was fighting, resisting the temptation to touch hers.
“Hold your horses,” Malik shouted at the car behind him. “I know the light is green.” Malik put his foot on the gas and headed down the street. He pulled into the parking lot of an Italian restaurant called Carrabba’s to get a bite to eat and be alone with his thoughts.
15
Donna pulled the car to the curb and jumped out, retrieving her camera equipment before placing her car keys in Ari’s hand. She looked back at Angelica, who seemed to be taking her time getting out of the car, and then disappeared through the door to the building.
Ari extended his hand and helped Angelica from the car. He got an eyeful as he let his gaze travel the length of her body. Angelica squeezed his hand, and she felt his fingers pulsate.
“This might be the last time I see you,” Angelica offered.
“Already tired of the penthouse?” Ari asked.
“Things are not right up there. Weird things,” Angelica replied.
Ari began to laugh. “Yes, Miss Donna has a lot of strange visitors to her house. Don’t tell her I said it. I thought you were another one of her lesbian friends. They have some wild parties up there. I’ve been to a few and had a great time.”
Angelica crinkled her nose. “No, I’m not like that, Ari. Donna is my ex-husband’s cousin, and she was supposed to be hiring me for a modeling job. Imagine my surprise when I got to the set this morning-women kissing women and posing in lewd positions.”
“Oh, you’re talking about that gay magazine Donna is shooting.”
“You know about that, Ari?”
“Yeah, Donna and I are tight. Like I said, I’ve been to some of her wild, girl parties. It’s not a place for the timid or weak of heart.”
“It sounds disgusting.”
“For some it might be. I kept the party going and was there to dance with the ladies if they wanted to. No one was intimidated by my presence, and I certainly posed no threat.”
“Well, since I can’t play the game, I’ve been given twenty-four hours to gather my things and remove myself from the premises,” Angelica said with a sigh. “If Donna had given me a week, I would have been very appreciative. I guess she wants me out of her sight.”
“Tell you what,” Ari said, “let me park the car and meet me downstairs in fifteen minutes. I may have a temporary solution to your problem.”
“Thanks, Ari. I’ll see you in a few.”
There was no sign of Donna when Angelica entered the condo. She went to the room she had called hers for the last few days and began pulling clothes out of closets and drawers, folding them and placing them in a pile. She looked around the room and then focused on the black and white pictures that adorned the walls. All were of women, beautiful women, Donna’s women, but Angelica would not be one of them.
Angelica turned to find Donna standing in the crack of the door that was slightly ajar. At first there was a battle of the eyes, each one daring the other to speak. Then it was their body language-Donna’s stance was defiant, saying
“You will not last a day in this city,” Donna began. “This is not a place for losers. I don’t know what you expected when you arrived here, but I was doing you a favor, doing my family a favor by offering you a job in the first place.”
Angelica clapped sarcastically. “Nice speech, cousin Donna. I didn’t ask for your help, and if I had known what I was getting into, I wouldn’t have agreed to come to New York. You sold me a bill of goods. Couldn’t be honest and upfront with me. So, because I had an attitude today and refused to subject myself to what I felt to be repulsive, you have exercised your right to dismiss me from not only a job that I had already dismissed myself from but also the refuge you promised while I’m in New York. You didn’t even have the decency to allow me a few days to at least find a new job and pay for my stay.”
“Mighty fine speech yourself, but listen up, sister, you won’t be able to find a job in this city that will pay you enough money to afford the room you are staying in. You may need to call your brothers to see if they can help you because your eviction notice still stands.”
Angelica looked at her watch. Twenty minutes had passed. She told Ari that she would be there in fifteen. “I’ve got to get some air,” Angelica said.
“You have less than twenty-three hours and counting.” Donna left the room, leaving Angelica to ponder her predicament for a moment.
Angelica looked at her watch again and headed for the door. Once in the elevator, she breathed a sigh of relief. The confrontation with Donna was not as bad as she had expected, and she hoped Ari would have some good news.
Exiting the elevator, Angelica looked around but didn’t see Ari. She walked outside and, after not seeing him, walked back into the lobby and paced. She was anxious again, and Donna’s words,
She paced for five minutes more and decided to go back up to Donna’s.
“Hey, Miss Angelica, I wondered where you were.”
“Ari, I’ve been waiting over five minutes for you.”
“You didn’t come down when we discussed, and when you didn’t show up, I had to park one of the residents’ cars.”
“I’m sorry, Ari. My nerves are on edge. I don’t know what to do.”
“Look,” Ari said. “Why don’t you stay with me until you get on your feet? My place is not fancy, but it will offer a roof over your head. And it’s near the subway.”
“I…I couldn’t. I shouldn’t. I…
“What other choice do you have? No strings attached.”
Angelica walked to Ari and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for being my savior.”
“I’m off in another thirty minutes. If you get your things down here by then, you can leave tonight.”
“I won’t be late, Ari.”
“All right. It’s been a long day,” Ari said.
The elevator closed. Angelica thanked God out loud for the miracle. She was only a half hour away from being distanced from the hell she had brought upon herself by accepting Donna’s invitation. Yes, she knew it was hell because the pain was worse than any menstrual cramps she had suffered growing up, and they had been awful.
Angelica moved swiftly inside the condo and retrieved her belongings. She placed the key Donna had given her on the coffee table and headed toward the door with her two suitcases in tow.
“So, is Ari rescuing you from the evil cousin?” Donna asked.
Angelica turned around and faced Donna, who stood at a diagonal on the dining room door-her right elbow touching the top part of the doorframe and her feet placed on the floor in the middle of the door opening. Donna seemed to have a thing for standing in doorways; in fact, she looked like one of the portraits that hung in the den that she had so beautifully captured with her camera lens.
“You said it yourself, I had less than twenty-three hours to remove myself, and I’m doing just that,” Angelica replied.
“Well, for someone who doesn’t know anyone in New York, you move mighty fast.” Donna smiled. “I’m surprised. You have twenty-two hours and thirty minutes.”
