by Parker Paige
Blue Ivy stood and hefted her purse upon her shoulder, and just as she was about to step away, Rod stated with a faded smile, “You don’t know what you’re missing.”
Without giving his statement any thought, she stepped away and stood at the edge of the dance floor where she enjoyed a better view of the vigorous dancers. When she glanced back over at the bar, she saw Rod hitting on another woman. It was people like Rod that kept Blue Ivy from frequenting places like this. It was her eventful conversation with Rod that helped her see the evening for what it was―a disastrous night out, soon to be buried away in her memory forever.
She’d given the night’s adventure her best effort. She endured the loneliness of sitting alone, sipping drinks to pass the time and the unfortunate experience of being annoyed by Mr. Bigg. She soon headed for the coatroom and collected her coat. Just as she was slipping her arms through the sleeves of her coat, Camina and Laura approached her.
“You’re leaving?” Laura asked.
“I’m going to go on home.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay a little longer?” Laura asked her. “You haven’t even danced yet.”
Camina interjected. “Let her go. If she doesn’t want to stay, we can’t make her.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow, Laura, but I’m going to go anyway.”
“Now I feel bad,” Laura said to Blue Ivy.
“Please don’t,” Blue Ivy said.
This must have been the highlight of the evening for Camina as she now had concrete proof that Blue Ivy was not like she and Laura at all. They were in a completely different class. They were first-class as she was coach all the way.
Upon reaching the outside, Blue Ivy was overcome with a sense of relief. The autumn air was just what she needed as it always had a way of lessening the potent effects of the alcohol in her system, something she was attuned to from lots of experience.
She stood at the corner of Dearborn and Ontario and flagged down a taxi. Though she made up her mind to go straight home as she sat in the back seat of the taxi, she decided to drop by Lee’s place, if only to cleanse herself of her spoiled evening.
At Lee’s classy high-rise in the Gold Coast, the doorman helped Blue Ivy from the taxi and escorted her inside. Through the revolving doors and across the marble floors, Blue Ivy headed towards the front desk and waited for the security guard to announce her arrival to Lee.
Blue Ivy stepped off the elevator and Lee awaited her, wearing a dark suit fit for a prince.
“Hey, Sunshine,” he said. “What do I owe the pleasure of this surprise visit?”
His exquisite attire this time of evening aroused suspicion. She found herself bitten by the bug of jealousy, especially after his marvelous display of affection towards her a few days ago.
As they headed towards his unit, she said, “You look nice. Hot date?”
He stepped to her and kissed her cheek. “I’m taking my father to see this new musical.”
“I didn’t know your father was in town.”
“He just got in this morning.”
Lee was very close with his father. Despite the fact that they lived thousands of miles apart, they spoke on the phone almost daily and saw each other several times a year.
Upon reaching his condominium, Lee stood in the hall mirror and straightened his tie. Blue Ivy watched him in admiration. He was an attractive man. Because it was a rare occasion when she visited him, she had forgotten how nice his placed looked as her eyes spiraled around the room. She took notice of the floor-to-ceiling windows, the off-white European sofa and octagon shaped coffee table. Eccentric paintings of make-believe climates, sunshine and fallen snow hung on the wall, stylishly and expensively framed.
“So, what’s up?” he asked her.
“Do you think I’m pretty, Lee?”
“Of course you’re pretty. Very pretty.”
She didn’t respond.
“You don’t agree?”
“I don’t know sometimes,” she said.
“Did you come over here just to ask me that?”
Blue Ivy raised her shoulders, didn’t really know exactly where to begin. He was on his way out and would not have much time to talk.
“Are you excited about your birthday tomorrow?” he asked her.
“Not really.”
A sigh of sadness oozed from Blue Ivy’s lips. “I just stopped by to talk, just came from Excalibur.”
“You?”
“Don’t look so surprised.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to sound like that. I’m just surprised. I didn’t think that was your forte.”
“Neither did I.”
“You want to join me and my father, and we can talk afterwards?”
“No. That’s okay.”
“Are you sure? You know, I can cancel with my father if you want.”
“I can’t let you do that.” She smiled and headed towards the front door. “We can talk tomorrow.” She moved her purse upon her shoulder, all the while thinking Lee was on the other side of the room. But when she turned, she found him standing directly behind her, causing their bodies to meet in a swift jam.
Blue Ivy’s forehead flourished with perspiration and out of nowhere, she found a web of courage thrive through her and said, “I love you, Lee.”
An unusual smile covered Lee’s face.
“You believe that, don’t you?” she asked him.
Lee nodded.
Blue Ivy opened the door, slipped through and didn’t look back. She wasn’t at all sure what possessed her to make such a bold revelation to Lee. Of course she loved Lee, but how did she love him? That was the question.
To top off Blue Ivy’s unfortunate evening at Excalibur, tomorrow was her thirtieth birthday. Those were the first thoughts to spring to mind when she returned to her dark apartment. She was going to be thirty and she was not yet married, and it bothered her. Marriage never seemed that important to her until she lost her family. Then it became very important. But how was she going to get married when she wasn’t even dating seriously?
After she showered and slipped into her burgundy bathrobe, she popped in one of her favorite detective movies and snuggled up on the sofa in her living room. She could not continue at this pace, drinking all the time, doing the same things, and living the same humdrum existence. Something needed to change, and the change she sought would have to come from the inside.
Blue Ivy held the remote control in hand, increasing the volume as she absorbed herself in the movie before her. Ten minutes into the movie, she zeroed in on a scene: A gorgeous woman was being questioned about the murder of her boyfriend. Though Blue Ivy had viewed the movie numerous times, she was mesmerized by the nonchalant and callous manner in which the female suspect answered the detective’s questions. Blue Ivy was bewitched by her.
Suddenly, it hit her, like a long-awaited epiphany blooming into fruition. That woman was the who she wanted to be, the female character on screen before her. This woman reminded her of her late sister in a dark and disturbing sort of way. Not that her sister was ever a suspect to a murder, it would not be out of the realm of possibility to find her sister in such a notorious situation.
Blue Ivy kept her eyes focused on the woman in the movie when suddenly she heard her sister Sandy calling out to her from the hall mirror.
“Blue Ivyeeeeee? Blue Ivyeeeeee?”
Blue Ivy quickly hurried to the hall mirror, and a beautiful and breathtaking image of Sandy appeared in Blue Ivy’s reflection. Sandy’s timing could not have been more perfect as Blue Ivy so needed to talk to her.
“Tonight was just horrible, Sandy.”
“Was it that bitch, Camina, or that jerk, Rod?”
“How do you know about them?” Blue Ivy questioned.
“We’re sisters, remember.”
“People would never disrespect you the way that they disrespect me,” Blue Ivy said.
“It will get better. I promise.”
“I guess. It
’s been months since you left me, and since then my life has been so dull. It’s so dull without you.”
“What about your birthday? That’ll be exciting.”
“Not without you, it won’t. I’m so bored, Sandy. I think I’m in a lull.”
“What are you going to do about it?” Sandy asked her.
“I do have a few ideas. I’m in the process of putting something together.”
“I can’t wait to hear about it,” Sandy said. “We’ll talk again soon. Okay.”
“But I want to talk to you now.”
“Soon Blue Ivy. We’ll talk soon.”
Moments later, Sandy was gone.
Blue Ivy stood before the hall mirror, hoping Sandy’s image would reappear. But after ten minutes, Sandy failed to appear.
Blue Ivy resumed her comfortable position on the sofa. For long and continuous moments, she spaced out, remembering the nasty comments that reverberated from Camina’s mouth. The more she remembered, the more her anger elevated. Why had she allowed herself to be so different, so separate from everyone else?
Why had she been singled out as the ugly duckling?
Why had she allowed Camina to speak such harsh words against her even if they did deserve merit?
Why had she allowed Laura to speak for her like she was some frail potato?
Blue Ivy’s memories elapsed back to when she was a little girl, recalling how her late, but naughty sister reaped all the attention at home and from men.
But not Blue Ivy.
She was the quiet one who everyone liked but paid little attention to. Her sister lived a carefree life, did what she wanted to do and was well respected and still very much loved for it. Though Blue Ivy found no comfort in these distant memories, somehow the memories inspired her to stand up for herself. Her memories made her desire to change even stronger, and, more importantly, the courage to stop complaining and actually do something.
For several days she considered reinventing herself, but it wasn’t until that very moment that she knew she had to do it.
Never again would she allow herself to be ridiculed by Camina.
Never again would she allow a stranger in a bar or, any man for that matter, to insult her and not suffer the consequences.
Never again would she retire to an empty boring apartment while everyone else was out living and enjoying life.
And now for the first time, she knew exactly how to do it, and it would be totally painless.
Episode 6
A DRASTIC OCCURRENCE TRANSPORTED BLUE IVY into this dark cloud of immobility, and only a drastic move, maybe even outrageous one, could rescue her from it.
And she was ready─so ready.
In every way she would be like her sister. She would dress like her sister, act like her sister and become her sister. There was also a good chance that she might even get a tattoo, something she never thought about before. No longer would she be Blue Ivy, she would be Blue. She was reminded of a movie, Thief of Hearts, where this character had two different personalities. When the character was with her husband, she was Mickey, but when she was with her boyfriend, she was Michelle. The name Blue also possessed a naughty ring to it, which Blue Ivy liked, as she was more than capable for the task at hand.
As all of these thoughts came to her, she felt a spirit of elation and a whopping dose of euphoria that led her up from the sofa and into the bathroom. It was like a rebirth as she stood at the bathroom mirror. She dropped her robe to the floor, scanned over her slender body and round breasts. She released the ponytail ring from her hair, allowing her brown hair to splash against her shoulders. Through her limp hair, she ran her fingers. Her boring hair was in serious need of body, curls and a touch of color. A breath of rejuvenation exhaled from her mouth.
Tomorrow her life would truly begin.
And now was the perfect time. It was going to be her thirtieth birthday.
The night passed fast.
Not only did Blue Ivy sleep well but she awakened high-spirited. She needed the entire day to make herself over and going to the office clashed with her schedule. So she called off and didn’t hesitate for a moment.
Luckily on such short notice, Blue Ivy secured an appointment at Vidal Sassoon. She saw it as a sign that she was on her way. Though she and Lee made dinner plans for her birthday, she chose a date with herself instead. After a quick oatmeal breakfast, she threw on some jeans from the fresh laundry in her drawer and dressed. After checking her wallet for both credit cards, she left her apartment on a mission.
At the ritzy Vidal Sassoon on Michigan Avenue, Blue Ivy anxiously waited in the reception area. She flipped through the pages of Glamour magazine, all the while relishing in the tropical shampoo scents and hair sprays that ruminated up her nose. The shiny black chairs and white marble counters warranted it a star status flavor, which seemed more than appropriate for her unique endeavor.
She imagined herself as one of the models who graced the pages of the celebrity magazines and fantasized about how she would feel after her makeover, causing a warm, tingly sensation to pass through her.
She already knew exactly what type of style she wanted. Something curly and something red.
Definitely red.
Two hours had passed by the time Blue Ivy’s stylist finished her hair and Blue Ivy eagerly waited to see the end result with her eyes closed. Her stylist swiveled her chair around towards the wide mirror. Upon opening her eyes, she was in awe with what she saw.
It was like looking through a mirror with Camina and Laura and her sister revealing themselves in her reflection. Her curly red hair was identical to theirs. Her only regret was that she failed to transform herself a long time ago. A huge glowing smile arose from her perfectly decorated face as she ran her fingers through her silky hair. Not only was she gorgeous, but she possessed a new attitude and saw the world as definitely a place for her. Her new look filled her with confidence―confidence she didn’t know existed. She didn’t think there would ever come a day when she would feel this sure of herself as if she owned the world and just allowed others to live in it with her.
She was Ms. It.
The morning would not be complete without a French manicure to complement her jazzy new hairstyle. This was only the beginning of much more to come. Today was off to a magnificent start. And Blue Ivy didn’t know how it could get much better. She departed from the salon but not without leaving her stylist a much-deserved $40 tip. She headed towards Macy’s department store, which happened to be in the same building as Vidal Sassoon.
Now it was time for the wardrobe.
On the main floor of Macy’s, Blue Ivy stopped at every mirror in her path. She wanted to constantly remind herself of the marvelous masterpiece created─herself. What she needed now was a theme song, and she had just the perfect tune. It was 33 Flavors and Then Some by Alana Davis. This is the song that she would continually play in her head as a reminder of the dream that she had created.
Up the escalator, Blue Ivy strolled. She made her way to the DKNY department and tried on every outfit that caught her eye: dresses, suits, blouses, long skirts, short skirts and pants. There would be no more polk-a-dot dresses. No more turtleneck sweaters. No more polyester and no bland colors. But, there would continue to be red. Lots and lots of red.
Blue Ivy sought adventure and excitement, and the clothes in her closet would not do her justice. Engrossed in esteem, a particular double-breasted designer pantsuit captured her attention. She would do the world a favor by sporting it out the door for everyone to see, the public having waited long enough.
Her shopping spree would not be complete without the purchase of several pairs of shoes and some leather boots to match her new $400 ivory coat. The coat would not only keep her warm during a typical Chicago winter, but more importantly, it looked good on her, and from where she stood, looking good meant everything.
After she maxed out both of her credit cards to five thousand dollars each, she needed to write a check for her new
earrings and makeup. She exited the store looking like two million dollars, much too good to wait for a bus. This invigorating experience elevated her to the top of the hemisphere, and she was completely in control for the first time in a long time.
Twenty minutes later, Blue Ivy reached her apartment after she hailed a taxi from the Loop. She dropped her shopping bags to the living room floor and couldn’t wait to talk to Sandy and show off her new look. She knew that her sister would be so proud of her. For all of fifteen minutes, Blue Ivy stood in front of the hall mirror calling out to Sandy, but Sandy was nowhere to be found.
Where was she?
Blue Ivy decided to try again later to contact her sister, but for now, she would focus on her new look. Most of what Blue Ivy purchased would be delivered because she could only carry so much with her. After having adored herself for several minutes in the hall mirror, she hurried to the bathroom to try on her new earrings. She posed in her new outfits, modeling everything that she brought home with her. She visualized her friends at work falling over themselves when they saw her. As she fiddled with her hair, a stream of arrogance flourished through her. She absolutely could not enjoy enough of what she saw. It was her new hair, her new clothes and, most of all, her new attitude that she just could not get enough of.
After she tore herself away from the mirror, she listened to the messages on her voicemail, most of which were birthday wishes.
She was thirty years old and a new woman.
This was definitely a defining moment, and she needed a drink. As she sipped her wine, one sip at a time, an image of Mr. Rod Bigg came to her. If only he could see her now, speak to her now; she would have a few choice words for him. She was engulfed in resentment for the way that he spoke to her on that unfortunate evening. As she replayed Rod’s offensive words in her head, a wonderful idea came to mind. She would make another visit to Excalibur and hopefully meet him a second time. After all, it was still her birthday, and the day was still fresh and new.