Backroom Confessions

by Rose Jackson-Beavers

“Are you okay, girl?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine, but we’ll talk this weekend.”

  “Hey, you’re my girl, and if you need me for anything, just call me and you know I’ll be there in a second. You do know that, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I do, and you know I will call if I need you. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.” Deborah hung up the phone.

  Now I want to know what is going on, Jerickca thought. Then she picked up the phone and dialed Deborah’s home. After five rings, Danny picked up.

  “Danny, is Deborah home?”

  “Nah, she is in court today,” he said.

  “All right. I’ll call her this evening.”

  “No, as a matter of fact, stop calling here at all. She doesn’t need some nosey bitch getting into our business, so please leave us alone,” he said.

  “Danny, nothing is going to keep me from my best friend, and you can take that shit to the bank and deposit it.” Now it was her turn to hang up the phone, and she did—hard!

  The nerve of him! Does he think I am going to let him alienate her from her friends so that he can manipulate and beat her? Because if he does, he’s got another thing coming, she said loudly. This has been a day! she thought. “What in the world is going on with these people?” she asked.

  “Hi Jerickca,” Kelvin, the janitor, said as Jerickca walked down the hall to the ladies’ room.

  “How are you today, Kelvin?”

  “I’m fine,” he responded.

  “Good,” she said as she walked toward the back of the building. Just as she turned the corner, she heard loud laughter. As she listened, she heard Megan ask Phoenix if she had heard about Denver and Jerickca discussing the new contracts. Phoenix told her that she didn’t know what she was talking about. Just as she completed her last word, Jerickca pushed the door open.

  “Hello everyone,” Jerickca said as she moved inside of the wooden door.

  “Hi.” Everyone seemed to say in unison.

  Jerickca wanted to confront the question she had heard Megan asking Phoenix about the contracts. “I was walking down the hall and I heard Megan inquiring about the contracts. What seems to be the concern?”

  “Nothing,” Megan quickly said.

  Jerickca looked at Phoenix and asked her, “Are you sure you have no concerns?”

  “Not really.”

  “All right, then, I guess I will leave. But as I told you guys in the past, if you want to know something, please ask me.” Jerickca walked out the door.

  “She is such a bitch with her think-she-is-all-that ass.” Megan said with her top lip twisted up as if she could smell Jerickca shit.

  “You didn’t say shit when she was in here, so don’t start now,” Patches said.

  “Fuck ya’ll, she was just testing to see if I’m discussing what she told me.”

  “You need to quit Megan, ’cause Jerickca ain’t told you shit about nothing.”

  Just then, Denver walked into the room. “Hi all,” she said, smiling.

  “Hi your own ass. What can we do back here for you?” Megan wanted to know.

  “Just stopped through to chat.”

  “Well, sorry Denver,” Megan smiled. “We are really busy and don’t have time for chatting today.”

  “What’s on your mind, Denver?” Patches asked. He was tired of the group alienating Denver.

  “Nothing, I’ll come back later when you all don’t have so much to do.”

  “Yeah, you just do that,” Megan said without so much as even trying to make Denver feel accepted.

  “Come back whenever you feel like it, Baby Girl.” Patches smiled.

  “I will,” Denver said as she walked out of the office.

  Patches turned to Megan and the rest of the gang. “You guys need to stop tripping with that girl. She is a nice person, and you all treat her bad for no reason.”

  “I just don’t like her!” Phoenix and Megan snapped at the same time.

  “You’re only doing that to her because of Megan.” Patches got up to leave the room.

  “I don’t need Megan’s approval for nothing.”

  “Are you sure? Because that is not the way it seems to me.”

  Megan hunched her shoulders and completed her case notes.

  Patches just shook his head and glared at both women before walking out of the room.

  Chapter 25

  Jerickca cleared her desk and grabbed her black leather organizer. She picked up the phone and pushed the intercom button. “Karen, please hold all my calls. I’m heading to a meeting in the conference room.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Should I hold the calls for the rest of the staff?”

  Jerickca responded, “You have to check with each of the staff. They may have calls from clients that they are expecting.”

  “All right, I will talk to each of them,” Karen stated.

  As Jerickca walked toward the conference area, she was met by Megan, who wanted to talk.

  “I need to talk to you.”

  Jerickca started walking slowly and Megan tracked quickly behind her.

  “It’s important.”

  Jerickca stopped and walked into the storage area. Megan followed.

  “I’m sorry I haven’t said anything and I certainly didn’t want to tell on my coworkers, but I think the families in our program deserve the best and unfortunately, I haven’t had much help from my peers. They haven’t followed through on anything. I can’t do this by myself. I mean I could, but I shouldn’t have to,” Megan whined.

  Jerickca was surprised that Megan was reporting her peers, and she was shocked that Megan had even told her, because usually she would make reference and not come straight out to make her complaints when she felt someone else was not doing their part. “Well, I will bring it up in this meeting,” she said.

  “I would prefer that you not do that unless you let them know without disclosing that I said something. After all, I have to work with them and they can get pretty angry.” Megan thought about the last time her peers had become angry with her, and she didn’t feel like going through all that drama again. No, she thought, I definitely don’t want to go through that again.

  Jerickca understood what Megan was saying, and she said, “I’ll bring it up my way.”

  “Thanks, Jerickca. I knew that you would be able to handle that because you are an excellent director who really knows how to talk to people.”

  Jerickca smiled, because whenever she talked to Megan, she never failed to brown nose. As a matter of fact, Jerickca didn’t mind at all.

  Jerickca walked to the conference room and Megan followed. Once inside, she placed her organizer on the table, took a seat, and patiently waited for everyone to arrive. At exactly 2:00 p.m., Phoenix, McNary, and Denver walked through the door, followed by several other workers.

  Jerickca started the meeting by informing everyone that she wanted to get an update on the banquet to ensure that everything was in order. She began by polling each person. “Phoenix, can you give me an update on the entertainment?”

  “Sure,” Phoenix said. “I have two parents who will be singing one solo each, and one of the fathers will be reading a poem. I have also asked McNary to read a poem, and Karen will be saying the welcome. Jerickca, you are also down for the occasion. I’m working on other things that I haven’t quite finalized yet.”

  “You must have worked hard on that today, because yesterday you didn’t have anything,” Megan stated with a surprised look on her face as she turned to look at Jerickca.

  “Dang,” Patches said. “How you gonna bust a sister out?”

  “I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just surprised that’s all,” Megan said defiantly.

  “Okay, what about you, McNary? Have you finalized the transportation list?” Jerickca inquired.

  Patches looked at Jerickca and smiled, “I got that under control. Don’t worry about it. Patches knows what he has to do,” he said cockily.

  “Well, I would like to see the list by Friday,”
Jerickca said.

  “What list? I know that my people are not on any list because you didn’t ask me anything,” Megan said boldly.

  “Girl, you have issues,” Patches said to Megan as if he could knock her out of her seat. “As I said, the list will be completed by Friday.”

  “Very well,” Jerickca sighed.

  “Denver, your report please,” Jerickca said.

  “Well, I’m not sure what I was supposed to do.”

  “I know you are kidding, girl. You have to be kidding,” Megan said with her shoulder hunched up.

  “Well, I don’t remember what it was.”

  “Denver you were supposed to get the keynote speaker, remember? Your friend, the big-time football player, Marshall Faulk,” Megan said as though she didn’t believe her.

  “I’m sorry if I said that, but I know he won’t be able to come to the banquet because they are in training now.”

  “I knew that wasn’t going to happen,” Megan laughed.

  “Well, do you have any suggestions, Megan?” Jerickca asked.

  “Why don’t you do it, Jerickca? The clients don’t see you that often, and it is way too late with the banquet being next week for us to ask someone else. You speak better than those other people do anyway.”

  “That’s a great idea,” everybody said in unison.

  “I guess I can do that, and one of you can do the occasion,” Jerickca said looking at Patches.

  “We’ll get that together,” Megan said as she turned to her peers. “We can get together briefly after this meeting.”

  “Okay, then this meeting is over. By the way, the banquet will be catered by B and F Soul Food cafeteria.”

  “Good job, people. We’ll get back together in three days to confirm everything,” Jerickca said as she walked through the door. She could hear the room buzzing, and she knew what was about to happen.

  Patches turned to face Megan, “You are a trip. Why did you dog us like that? What were you trying to do, bust us out? You need to get a grip on yourself,” he said angrily.

  “I wasn’t trying to bust you all out. I was just surprised that all of a sudden you all had information, but when I asked you all earlier, none of you had done anything. But let Jerickca come in here and ya’ll act like you been working hard,” Megan said with disgust. “Ya’ll know me, and I don’t like anything I work with to be messed up, so you all can get mad at me if you want, but I just want the banquet to be the best for our parents. You know how I feel about them.”

  “Megan, you are full of shit,” Patches said.

  “Whatever, but I guarantee that we will have a great banquet,” Megan said as she stood to leave. “What’s for lunch?” They were eating lunch late today due to their heavy schedule.

  Denver and Phoenix said that they wanted some fried chicken from Popeye’s.

  “I’ll pick it up. I should be back in twenty minutes,” Megan said. “I will get your food and you can pay me when I return. You all want the usual?”

  Denver and Phoenix both responded with a yes. Patches walked out without saying a word. Megan just stared at his back. She knew that he wouldn’t stay mad long, because he never did.

  After the meeting, Jerickca informed the staff that she would be leaving the office for a couple of hours. She walked to her office, grabbed her purse, and informed Karen that she was going to be out of the office for a while but she could reach her by cell.

  Once she arrived at St. Clair Square Mall in Fairview Heights, which was approximately twelve minutes from the office, she parked and walked into the Famous Barr Department Store. As she browsed through the women’s department, she bumped into Deborah.

  “Deborah girl! What’s up?”

  “Nothing,” she said as she turned around to face her friend.

  “What happened to your eye?” Jerickca asked loudly.

  “Nothing, I bumped into a door.” Deborah said in a low voice, trying to hide her face as if she didn’t want anyone to notice her.

  “It looks like someone socked you in the face. Did Danny hit you?” She asked.

  “No,” she said coldly.

  “You can discuss this with me. You know I would help you in any way that I can. Please let me help you.”

  “Jerickca, I don’t need any help. Just stay out of my relationship and we will get along just fine,” she said as she stormed off.

  Jerickca just stood there staring long after Deborah had walked away. How could a lawyer who knows the ropes, allow something like this to happen to herself? Jerickca was perplexed. I have to help my friend, she thought.

  When Jerickca arrived home, she went straight into the living room. Standing in front of the fifty-two-inch television, she said, “Anthony, Deborah had a black eye and she wouldn’t talk to me. I know Danny hit her.”

  “I’m trying to look at the news and you are blocking my view,” he said.

  “My friend is being abused. Did you not hear what I said?”

  “Yeah, I heard you but that is her business. If she allows a man to knock her around, there is nothing you can do about it, so please let me look at the evening news.”

  Jerickca walked away frustrated. Fucking men!

  Chapter 26

  Phoenix pulled up in front of the house and thought about how she had almost lost Devante when she ran out the house last week. It didn’t take her long to find out that she didn’t have anywhere to go and she didn’t want to show up at her mother’s little house. Once she walked out the door with Simone, backed out of driveway, and left her subdivision, she realized that she didn’t have any money or a place to rest her head. Juan had made it clear that he wanted her to work on their marriage and that he was willing to step out of her life if need be.

  She was very hurt and felt abandoned when he told her that he would let her go so easily. Since that time, she had started to see Juan only when she wanted to. Now she was working intensely to make her husband love her. She wasn’t complaining nearly as much and had agreed in her own mind that rather than getting left out in the cold, she would just suffer. It was better than being without money and a nice home. Once she could convince Juan that she would be good for him she would make her move.

  As she sat in her car in deep thought, she noticed that the heavy burgundy curtain was open. Devante was on the phone looking out the window. He was a good husband and a great provider. It wasn’t his fault that she wanted more than he had to offer. It wasn’t that they didn’t have money—they just didn’t have enough. They were just the typical all-American family, and that wasn’t what she dreamed she would become. Her dreams were of lavish parties, expensive designer clothes, and fast, exclusive cars. She wanted to mingle with the rich and famous, not the meager and barely surviving.

  As she got out of the car and walked through the house, she noticed that Devante was smiling as he hung up the phone. She walked toward him and kissed him on the lips, “Hi sweetheart,” she said.

  “Hi, Phoenix,” Devante said as he grabbed his car keys and headed toward the door. “I gotta make a run and I’ll be back later. Don’t cook anything for me. I’ll grab a bite later.”

  “All right. See you later.” Phoenix didn’t worry about where Devante was going because he was as straight as the Nile River.

  After cooking dinner, eating, and putting Simone to bed, she picked up the phone to call Juan. “Hey, baby. What’s up?”

  “You, baby,” Juan said. “Are we still going to the Ozarks next weekend?”

  “Yeah, Devante is going to keep Simone,” she said. “I can’t wait. I have never been there. What is it, about three hours away?”

  “It is just about that many hours or less. There is so much to do there with swimming, horseback riding, boating, and dancing. That’s why I like it—because of the variety of activities they have to offer.”

  “I can’t wait. I miss you so much. I just want to touch and suck your body all over,” she said while smacking kisses through the phone.

  “You really tu
rn me on. I couldn’t stay away from you if I wanted to.”

  “I love you Juan.”

  “Don’t do that, Phoenix. I am not in love with you. I do care about you, but I don’t love you. Remember, I am not about to get emotional with anyone right now.”

  “I can handle that but it doesn’t stop my feelings,” she moaned.

  “I’ll talk to you later,” Juan said as he hung up the phone without waiting for Phoenix to respond.

  Phoenix looked at the phone and slammed it back into its cradle. “Just wait and see, I’ll get that nigger,” she said out loud.

  As she stood to walk to the kitchen to retrieve a glass for her sparkling white wine, the phone rang.

  “What’s up dawg?” Megan shouted.

  “Nothing but you, girl. What’s up?”

  “I called to ask you something. What did you think when Denver came in to work with those stretch pants on with that little ass top?”

  “Megan, girl, you are a fool and you know it.”

  “I know, but she ought to be ashamed of herself, wearing those little bitty ass clothes with her flat ass. Aren’t those stretch pants for women with shapes? What is on that girl’s mind?” Megan said, as she laughed.

  “I don’t know what’s on that girl’s mind, but I know one thing: she sure is a space cadet. How in the world does she have so much book sense and no street sense?” Phoenix said, shaking her head as if Megan could see her.

  “I don’t know,” Megan stated, “but she is stupid. She really needs to change the way she is dressing. I don’t care if she is in her twenties, she should dress more professional. I wonder why Jerickca hasn’t said anything to her about her attire?”

  “You know Jerickca ain’t gone rub her feathers since Denver helped write that proposal to get us all employed,” Phoenix interjected.

  “Well, eventually I’m going to say something to her trifling ass. It doesn’t make sense that we are out here teaching people how to get a job, and then they come to the office, they see someone with stretch pants on making good money,” Megan said bitterly. “You know our people. They think they can wear stuff like that and get away with it on a job.”

  “Hey, did you see Precious and Patches leave for lunch the other day?” Phoenix asked.