Playthang

by Janine A. Morris

  Jordan knew that Donovan had a couple of drinks at the restaurant, and he seemed a little touched when he was getting in the cab afterward, but now she could tell that he must have been feeling really free.

  “So that we can see if we want to do business together?” Jordan asked, trying to regain control of the conversation.

  “Yeah, that’s why,” Donovan said in a sarcastic tone.

  “I’m right by the tunnel,” Jordan blurted out, realizing how tired she was and how she really didn’t feel like hanging out any longer.

  “Oh, come on.You live once. The night is still young and so are we. See you soon?”

  Jordan let out a loud sigh and slowed her car down.

  “See you soon, Donovan, but I’m not staying long,” she said.

  “OK, that’s fair. See you soon.”

  The black BMW truck made a slow, cautious U-turn on the wide city street and headed away from the tunnel. All the lights were green or were just turning green as Jordan approached,so the drive was going quite quickly. There were no moments for her to sit still and think about her decision and change her mind. The farther away from the tunnel she got, the more she felt that there was no turning back. In theory she wanted a good reason to turn back around and go home. The problem was there wasn’t any really good reason. There was nobody waiting at home for her. No one waiting on her, period,other than maybe her mother who would prefer a call from Jordan to let her know that she got in safe. The closer Jordangot to the W, the more depressed it made her that her life had become one with no “reason to turn around.”

  She stepped out of the car once she found parking and then reapplied her Covergirl wetslicks lip gloss as she headed toward the dimly lit lobby of the W Hotel. Once she stepped inside, the variety of faces reminded Jordan she was out of her realm. She was there to meet a guy that she barely knew, and she didn’t know where he was, either. She thought to pick up her phone and call him, but she knew with the loud music that wouldn’t help. She was going to text him, but she figured she would look around for him for a bit first.

  All the swanky New Yorkers were chatting it up with the friends and colleagues that they had decided to spend their Fridayevening with. Most of the ladies and gentlemen had drinks in their hands, some also typing into their BlackBerrys. Jordan knew the look of “being important” with the usage of one’s BlackBerry a mile away. It was a look that she mirrored quite often, not intentionally but essentially. Jordan excused herself past several people, trying to make her way to the back where there seemed to be more available space than there was in the front. One woman looked as if she didn’t want to move for Jordan. She was dressed in a gray and black sweater dress, that must have been hot to death, if Jordan had to say so herself. She was rocking the new Gucci bag with the gray mink all over it, and some black Gucci stilettos. Something about this woman’s attireand attitude told Jordan that she thought she was somethingextra special. Jordan wasn’t impressed by much, though, so she pushed her way past the lady when she didn’t move after Jordan’s second request.

  “Did she just push me?” the lady said to someone she was standing with, once Jordan made her way past.

  Jordan overheard her and was very tempted to turn around, but she figured if the lady wanted her attention she would have directed the question at her. Jordan kept heading toward the area in the back, by the second bar. As she looked over some people, she recognized Donovan sitting by the bar talking to a young lady. Jordan walked in his direction without him having noticed her just yet.

  Once she got within his eyesight, he looked up and appearedquite surprised to see her before him.

  “Hey, Jordan,” he said.

  “Hey there. Why do you look so surprised to see me, like you weren’t expecting me or something?”

  Donovan giggled at Jordan’s blunt comment and dismissal of any games he may have been trying to play in front of his little female company. Jordan didn’t come all this way to be bothered with any nonsense, and she was making that very clear.

  “Not at all,” Donovan replied. “I was expecting you, I just didn’t know that you had made it here so fast,” he continued.

  “I wasn’t that far away,” she replied.

  The young lady sitting at the bar beside Donovan pretendedto not be paying attention as she sipped her drink and looked at her phone.

  “Come take a seat,” Donovan said as he patted the stool beside him.

  As Jordan walked toward the stool that was waiting to relieveher feet from the pressure of the three-and-half-inch elevationin her shoes, Donovan gestured toward the young lady.

  “Jordan, this is Nicole: Nicole, this is Jordan,” Donovan said to the two of them.

  Jordan extended her hand to shake Nicole’s. “Nice to meet you,” Jordan said as the girl shook her hand. Jordan then sat on the stool, still curious as to who this Nicole was, but she knew she didn’t care enough to be so curious.Whoever she was, this was Donovan’s web that he had woven, and all she knew was that he better find a way to fix it without putting her in any drama.

  “Can I get a Malibu pineapple, please?” Jordan asked the bartender the second he came over to Jordan’s area.

  “Not wasting any time,” Donovan said to Jordan in a jokingmanner.

  “Well, I see you are, so no, I’m not.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” he asked.

  “You had company, so why did you call me to come join you?”

  “Do I sense jealousy?” Donovan asked.

  “No, you sense irritation.”

  “Jordan? What’s wrong?” he asked.

  Jordan realized that she was being quite nasty. It was a mixtureof the crowd that annoyed her on the way in, her anger from not having anyone waiting at home for her, and a variety of other personal issues—none which had to do with him.

  “Nothing. Just a rough day.”

  The bartender sat her yellow-colored drink down in front of her, and Jordan began to sip on it.

  “You were fine a little while ago at dinner,” he said.

  “Yeah, I know. Just been going through a lot of stuff. It keeps me a little bit moody.”

  “I understand. Well, let’s try to work you back into a good mood tonight,” Donovan said.

  Jordan just looked up at him, letting him know that she had her eye on him. She didn’t bother looking past him to where his friend was sitting, and for a moment she forgot she was sitting there. Nicole must have felt she was forgotten as well, because as soon as Jordan turned back to her drink, she noticed Nicole rising up from her seat in her peripheral vision.Still unaware of who exactly she was, Jordan watched as she gave Donovan a not-so-sincere good night.

  Once she was out of sight, Jordan looked back over at Donovan and cracked a smile.

  “Oooh, you are in trouble,” she said through her slight smirk.

  “Oh, you think you’re funny, don’t you?” he said.

  “Me? No one told you to try to be a player and have a double date with two women.”

  “I wasn’t trying to be a player,” he said in defense of himself.“And who said that either of you were a date?”

  Jordan cut her eyes over at him to catch his expression and determine whether he was being funny or trying to play her. Before she could reach a conclusion, he continued.

  “I was on a phone call and she just sat down beside me. When I was done with my call, she was still sitting there and the bartender had brought me over a drink and said it was orderedby her. I began to have light conversation with her, but by no means was it a date or me trying to be a player. It was just conversation.”

  Feeling a little silly about her accusation and his explanation,Jordan replied, “You don’t have to explain anything to me.”

  “Whatever,” Donovan said.

  Jordan didn’t even really care if he was bothered by her comments. A large part of her didn’t want to be there in the first place, and she definitely wasn’t in the mood to be treated like some jealous crazy chick. H
e invited her back; she didn’t ask to be there. Still, she didn’t take the time to come back just to have a miserable time with Donovan, so she decided to change her tune and make the best of it.

  “So you come here often?” she began.The attitude-imprinted expression she had been wearing for the past ten minutes was erased.

  Donovan looked at her; it was obvious he was curious where this change of heart was coming from. He didn’t ask any questions, though, or provoke her anymore.

  “From time to time, it’s real chill on Friday nights.”

  “Is it? I have been here a couple times, but the crowd has never been the same, so I couldn’t tell.”

  “Yeah, I usually enjoy the crowd and the music. It’s a cool after-work spot.”

  “It’s your own little Cheers?”

  Donovan chuckled. He seemed to be enjoying the lighter side of Jordan much more. Jordan was reaching in her purse looking for her BlackBerry when she felt a nudge. Jordan’s eyes scanned the room in the direction the nudge had come from. She caught Donovan’s eye as she scanned, and he was looking to the left of Jordan. Jordan looked to her left and noticedthe woman in the gray and black dress from earlier steppingon the stool beside Jordan, trying to get the bartender’s attention. Jordan could only assume that this was the person who accidentally nudged her, and although she knew it could’ve been innocent, she figured it was childish, intentional retaliation.Jordan knew that she was just as noticeable as this chick in gray, and the girl was probably threatened by that, as ridiculous as it may have been. Jordan was rocking her black high-waist pants with the suspenders over a white ruffled button-down shirt and her black Gucci stilettos with the Swarovski crystal heels. She was looking quite sassy and chic herself, so she wasn’tthinking about that lady once she passed by her.

  “Did she just push me?” Jordan asked Donovan, pointing behind her with her thumb and imitating the scene from earlier.

  Donovan laughed and didn’t respond.

  “People got issues,” Jordan said as she went back into her purse and pulled her phone out.

  “Are you talking to me?” the lady in gray asked Jordan.

  Jordan looked up and stared the lady dead in her eyes.

  “Did I say your name? Did I look in your direction? If I was talking to you, trust me, you’d be the first one to know it.”

  Donovan stood up to get ready to stand in between the two ladies if need be. He could tell from the looks on their faces that their interaction wasn’t going in a productive direction.

  “Oh, it just appeared that you were speaking about me,” the girl said back with an attitude.

  “About you, yes. To you, no. Like I said, if I was speaking to you, you’d be the first one to know.”

  “Oh, about me, yeah?”

  “Listen, I don’t stutter. If you have a problem or want to ask me a more direct question, get to it. Otherwise, I’m not interestedin getting to know you better.”

  Jordan wasn’t sure why she was so short-tempered this evening, but she knew that she wasn’t hesitant in any way to let this woman know that she wasn’t in the mood for her antics. Donovan finally stood in between the ladies, as he realized more people were noticing their unfriendly contact.

  “Come on, ladies, let’s be nice.”

  “Whatever,” Jordan said as she dropped her eyes to check her BlackBerry.

  Next thing, out of nowhere, Jordan’s head was jerking backward. The lady in gray had grabbed a handful of Jordan’s hair and pulled her head backward. The sudden move startled Donovan and surprised Jordan. Jordan quickly wiggled and turned her body around and off the chair, while both ladies began shouting obscenities. As Donovan tried to pry the woman’s hands off Jordan’s hair, Jordan reached her long fingers around Donovan, grabbed the chick by the neck, yanked her backward,and began swinging with the other arm. Donovan was trying to create room between the two, but with their grips on one another, it wasn’t working. Both women were trying to swing for the other, making a few light connections here and there. By this point, another gentleman stepped in and helped Donovanseparate the two ladies. He was trying to take a hold of Jordan’sarms and loosen her grip, but Jordan’s fists were swinging so rapidly he was struggling to get a hold of her. The two of them were both infuriated and cursing at one another, swingingfor each other, and creating a very unladylike scene. The second guy that was helping out finally managed to get Jordan’sgrip from around the girl’s neck, moments after Jordan’s hair was freed.

  The lounge’s patrons that were sitting nearby had moved out of the way and were watching in disbelief as these two grown women, who appeared to be quite classy, were acting like ghetto-class teenagers. Jordan finger combed her hair as she tried to regain her composure. She was still in defense mode and pissed off that this woman had the nerve to not only start trouble with her but put her hands on her. Jordan hadn’t fought in ages, and never would she think as a grown professional she would be engaging in a bar fight. She was both pissed at the woman and herself, but she was still too angry to stop her madness.

  “What a punk ass, grabbing my hair from behind,” Jordan said as she fixed her clothing.

  “Whatever, bitch, you said people have issues. I was giving you an issue.”

  “I don’t have the issue. I’m good.You just better be glad I was too busy whopping your face up and didn’t grab that weave from out of your head, you bootleg bitch,” Jordan said.

  “Whatever,” the lady said, repeating herself over Jordan numeroustimes.

  The security guard from the front door came walking up to where the ladies were as if he was actually making a record-breakingreaction time. Overhearing the ladies’ exchange of words and seeing the looks on their faces and their displacement,he could tell that their was tension. The onlookers gave it away even more with the stares that were waiting for round two of the thirtysomething-year-old tackle.

  “I’m going to have to ask you ladies to leave,” the security officer said.

  “We have a room here,” Donovan interjected as he stepped beside Jordan.

  Jordan looked up at him. He looked back at her to confirm his statement visually.

  “Well, ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to go,” the securityofficer said, speaking to the lady in gray.

  “Whatever. She’s probably a high-class prostitute, and becauseshe has a room she can stay. Whatever,” the lady said as she gathered the things that had fallen out of her purse.

  “Prostitute?” Jordan laughed. “I’m an attorney, bitch, and you better be happy that I don’t press charges.You’re wearing all you’re worth, anyway, so I won’t bother ... but you got one part right: high class. As long as you know.”

  “Whatever. I know you ain’t talking. That Gucci bag is so last season.”

  Jordan burst out laughing.

  “Actually, this one just came out two months ago, but of course you are going by what the bootleggers are selling you,” Jordan said, laughing at her own joke.

  The woman repeated her safe response of “whatever.”

  “The simple fact that you analyzed my entire wardrobe and broke it down into seasons just explains why you came over here in the first place. Hate is an ugly color on you. Sad thing is when you get escorted out of the hotel, I will still always look this good. What a waste of hate,” Jordan added.

  Donovan looked amused at Jordan’s slick comebacks, but he seemed more annoyed with the delay of removing this woman. The security guard inched closer to the woman every time she stood up from picking up one of her belongings. Finally,she was done and began to walk away, mumbling more junk as she went.

  “Let’s go upstairs and get you cooled off,” Donovan said.

  “Oh, you really do have a room?” Jordan asked.

  “Yes, I do,” he replied as he placed his hand behind her arm and walked her toward the elevator.

  Jordan was so eager to get away from the scene and get all the eyes off of her that she was easily convinced to change locations.They steppe
d inside the elevator and there was no one in it but the two of them.

  “I’m so sorry about that,” Donovan said.

  “You? I’m sorry about my behavior and temper getting the best of me like that. I’m supposed to be a professional. I’m actually quite embarrassed.”

  “You did kind of take it to the street, Jordan. I was surprised.”

  Trying to release a laugh, Jordan just dropped her head.

  “What are you sorry for?” Jordan asked.

  “For causing such a terrible night for you. I called you back; you had to deal with my uninvited company at first and then the psycho chick. I just feel bad. You would’ve been in your bed already if it wasn’t for me.”

  Jordan laughed at him taking the blame.

  “You are right. You did put me in this situation,” Jordan said, laughing his comment off. “But how do you assume I would have been in the bed by now? You just assume that I have no life at home.”

  Donovan made a face. He realized Jordan was right, that was an assumption. The elevator door opened, and ahead of them was the view of the shiny marble floors.The two of them stepped off the elevator and headed down the hall. They stopped in front of room 7614, and Donovan pulled out his key card. Jordan looked down the hall to see if anyone else was on the floor or could see her entering a hotel room with this man, but she didn’t see anyone.

  She stepped inside the room and the scent of vanilla-cinnamonfilled her nose. She walked in and turned the corner that separated the bed area from the corridor. Across the way was the bathroom, and she looked at Donovan and gestured to him that she was going to use the bathroom. He nodded his head in approval. The awkward feeling of being in the hotel room together must have caused the suddenly silent form of communication. Jordan went in the bathroom and witnessed the scratch above her eye and her frazzled hair. First things first, she couldn’t stand to see her hair like that. She pulled the comb out of her purse and began fixing her hair back into place. Once she was done, she reapplied her Lancôme juicy lip gloss and used a cotton swab from the countertop to tend to her scratch. After some time had gone by, she realized that she had been in the bathroom for a bit and was leaving ample time for Donovan to get comfortable and make a plan of action. So she finished up and headed toward the bathroom door.