by Parker Paige
Camina was sitting at her desk, very busy at her computer when Blue Ivy approached and stood over Camina’s desk and stared down at the top of Camina’s head. Camina was so good at vanishing whenever they shared words but this time Camina would have nowhere to run. She would be forced to acknowledge Blue Ivy’s presence and listen to the banter from Blue Ivy’s mouth that Blue Ivy so loved to dish out.
Patiently, Blue Ivy pushed her hair behind her left ear and waited for Camina to look up from her computer screen.
Only a few awkward moments elapsed before Camina finally lifted her head. “What do you want?”
“That’s not a very nice way to greet someone,” Blue Ivy said to her.
“Who said anything about greeting you?”
“I just wanted to tell you that I saw Bruce in the elevator this afternoon, and he was looking pretty hot.”
Camina didn’t respond. Instead, she rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the computer screen in front of her.
Blue Ivy continued to stand there, hoping Camina would snap or do something, but nothing. Obviously, Camina wasn’t going to match wits with her that afternoon.
“I just thought you should know,” Blue Ivy said, before she made an elegant exit down the hall.
Blue Ivy left work early. She was full of energy and not quite ready to retire to her apartment just yet. She quickly remembered something that she was always in the mood for─shopping. Right away, she headed for Macy’s on State Street. Never before did she make such a big fuss about her attire, but she saw things so differently now. She wanted to look good all the time because when she looked good, she felt good.
At the perfume counter, she sampled her late sister’s favorite perfume: Cool Water Woman. She sprayed it lightly against her wrist and enjoyed the tropical scent. Though she wasn’t much of a perfume person, things were changing for her so rapidly, and she found herself evolving more into her sister every day.
As she made her way to the jewelry counter, a pair of looped silver earrings caught her eye. She held them up to her earlobe while she studied herself in the mirror, admiring how exquisitely they complemented her looping red hair.
The price for these darling gems was $60, and only twenty dollars remained in her wallet. Both of her credit cards were maxed out, and her checkbook was at home, but she needed to have those earrings. They would look perfect with her new silk dress, but unfortunately, she was short of cash. Suddenly it hit her. She would simply walk away with them. They were overpriced anyway. She remembered how her sister used to shoplift all the time, many times just to see if she could pull it off. Blue Ivy was engulfed with a daring spirit, and she decided she was going to do it. It was something that she never did before, and the idea excited her. She shifted her eyes around the store to see if anyone was watching. It seemed safe enough, especially since the two sales girls behind the counter were busy assisting other customers.
Very slowly, she extracted her tiny earrings she was wearing from her earlobes and slid them into her pocket. She then inserted the loop earrings into her ears and stuffed the packaging down her coat sleeve. Casually, she stepped away from the counter and headed for the State Street exit. She was just about to go through the revolving doors when two security guards approached her, one on each side. On her right, the security guard gently tugged her arm and stopped her. “Excuse me, Miss, we’d like for you to come with us.”
She was not the least bit frightened and knew exactly what to do. She would play the dumb-dumb game. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“Will you just come with us, please?” he stated.
The security guards and Blue Ivy escaped through the cluster of people, and all Blue Ivy could do was absorb the attention she drew. Down the escalators, they escorted her to the basement as shoppers ogled and teetered. To her surprise, Macy’s did, indeed, press charges against her, and she was soon picked up, arrested and en route to the police station south on State Street. Though she maintained a callous exterior, a different feeling was brewing inside her as she found her ride in the back seat of the police car to be a novel experience. Even after they handcuffed her, the entire experience still proved well worth it and more exciting than she anticipated. She was just so proud of herself for having the guts to do something so daring and out of character for her. It wasn’t about successfully getting away with it. It was about the joy of the excursion. This was something that had never happened to her before. When she said she wanted excitement and adventure, she was not kidding.
Luckily for Blue Ivy, the sergeant in charge allowed her to sit with him at his desk, while she waited for Lee to post her bail. In no hurry to leave, patiently, Blue Ivy waited as she observed the ins and outs of what goes on in a police station. Instead of being concerned with tainting her flawless record, she was overcome with a bizarre urge to write a story about a woman awaiting bail who takes the entire police department hostage. Though she was no writer, never wanted to be, never planned to be and never would be, she wanted to tell that story. And as bizarre as it appeared even to her, she saw herself as that woman who could pull off such a mischievous act.
When Lee finally arrived and posted her bail, he was quiet, and she sensed his annoyance. She knew he was just waiting for the perfect moment to let loose. As they strolled towards his Jeep, Blue Ivy anticipated any moment that she would hear his cute voice. But with each step they made, it seemed it wasn’t going to happen.
Finally, Blue Ivy broke the silence. “Thanks for coming to get me, Lee. I’ll definitely pay you back.”
He didn’t display any sign of acknowledgment, and Blue Ivy thought maybe he didn’t hear her, or worse yet, maybe he didn’t want to hear her.
“I don’t care about that,” Lee said. “It’s you I’m worried about. This is totally unlike you, and I just don’t understand why you did it. Why would you do something like that?”
A faint smile graced Blue Ivy’s face, and she forced herself to remain serious even though she clearly found the whole experience exceptionally amusing.
“Maybe I didn’t have the money,” she said to him.
“Oh you had money to buy all of those expensive suits, dresses, perfume and makeup, you could have afforded $60 earrings.”
Blue Ivy opened her mouth to speak and tried to sneak a word in, but Lee continued over her.
“You could have bought those earrings,” Lee said. “Hell, I could have bought them for you at the least.”
“What’s the big deal? I didn’t get into any real trouble. It’s not like I killed anyone.”
Abruptly, Lee stopped in his tracks and said, “No, you didn’t kill anyone,” he said.
Lee continued towards the parking lot, while Blue Ivy trailed a few feet behind him. This shoplifting incident obviously upset him to no end, and it was making her very uncomfortable. When they reached Lee’s jeep, Lee opened the door for her and then asked, “Why did you do it?”
Blue Ivy smiled and pushed her hair behind her left ear. “There’s nothing wrong with experimenting, having a little fun, Lee.”
“You mean seeing what you can get away with.”
It was like Lee was reading her mind as he so often did with keen accuracy.
After Blue Ivy settled herself in on the passenger side of his Jeep, Lee stepped around to the other side and climbed inside. He slammed the door behind him, then peered over to Blue Ivy. A stern look oozed from his eyes, and Blue Ivy didn’t want to hear anymore. He was blowing her high, distorting the thrill of the entire experience.
Then he asked it. “What’s going to be next, Blue Ivy?”
Episode 10
BLUE IVY DIDN’T HAVE AN ANSWER to his question as she didn’t know what would be next, except she hoped it would be lots of fun, even more exciting than the shoplifting. She tried to roll down the window, then realized he had yet to start the engine, forcing her to do nothing but hear him out.
“You changed everything about yourself, Blue Ivy, and I don’t mind saying so, but you
are no longer the woman I fell in love with.”
She was well aware of his feelings for her, especially since dedicating that beautiful song to her. The words I love you had a different feel to it, mainly because he never voiced it before. The song, I Just Want to Be Your Everything should have been enough of a clue for her to realize the depths of his feelings, but she was continually learning about his feelings for her. Maybe she didn’t want to know his true feelings because then she might be forced to reciprocate.
“I know that you love me, Lee, and I love you too.”
“But you don’t know how I love you.” Lee started the engine and pulled out of the parking space.
He was correct in his assumption because she did not comprehend the message, though she was trying. Most importantly though, she was not about to return to the mousy little girl she once was to please him or anyone else.
As they traveled down Lake Shore Drive, Blue Ivy drifted into space as she stared out the window. They shared no words until they reached the front of her apartment building.
“Lee, that was very sweet what you said back there, but that is as far as it can go. I’m so different now.”
“Are you really?”
“I am, and I’m not the one for you even though you might think that I am.”
“We’ll see.”
It was as if Lee was threatening her or making her some type of long-term promise.
“What does that mean?” she asked.
“This little phase of yours... It won’t last.”
“And you know this how?”
“You’ll just have to find out, won’t you?”
Did Lee know something that she didn’t?
After Lee stole most of her joy, Blue Ivy entered her apartment in less than a bubbly state. His words of wisdom weighed heavily on her mind so much that she didn’t bother returning Laura’s call left on her voicemail. Instead, she drank herself into a stupor and went straight to bed.
With Blue Ivy’s boss out of the office until noon, Blue Ivy crept into work an hour late the next morning. She spent way too much time in the ladies’ room teasing her hair, but it provided her with something to do.
In the hallway, she ran into Laura. “Did you get my message last night?” Laura asked her.
“I got it.”
Laura’s eyes darted at Blue Ivy as if awaiting an explanation.
“What?” Blue Ivy asked.
“Why didn’t you call me back?”
“A lot of crazy stuff happened to me yesterday. You wouldn’t believe.”
“Crazy stuff like what?”
“I would tell you, but I don’t think you could handle it.”
“Try me.”
“Let’s just say I got into a little trouble last night with the law.”
“You want to tell me about it?” Laura asked her.
“No, I really don’t.”
Blue Ivy continued towards her desk and Laura trotted alongside.
“None of this sounds like you,” Laura said. “And it’s definitely not like you to not return my call.”
“I’m so tired of hearing that. Well, it is me and what’s the big deal? I knew I would see you today and if it were that important, you would have called back.”
Blue Ivy’s voice had elevated by the time she finished the last word of her sentence, and Blue Ivy saw Laura about to step away.
“Wait Laura. I’m sorry. It’s not you. I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just that no one wants me to be who I am, and I’m constantly reminded over and over of who I used to be and it’s starting to unnerve me. I find myself wanting to say to everybody ‘move on,’ but I never say it.”
Laura was about to say something, then didn’t.
“Anyway, I’m sorry I didn’t call you back, but what was it you wanted to talk to me about?”
“Nothing really. I was just going to ask you if you wanted to see a movie after work, but of course, you probably already have plans.”
“Actually, I don’t, but I’ve seen enough movies for a while. Maybe some other time?” Blue Ivy asked with a silent question mark.
“Sure.”
As Laura walked away, Blue Ivy was suspicious of Laura’s invitation, believing that the movie was a cover-up for something else, but she couldn’t be absolutely certain.
Back at Blue Ivy’s desk, just as she was filing her nails, she saw Camina trampling through the hall carrying a handful of file folders. Not many minutes would pass before Blue Ivy’s boss requested her in her office. Supposedly, Lillian was not due in until noon, but obviously her plans had changed. Blue Ivy headed towards Lillian’s office, wanting to keep an open mind and not assume anything.
Across from Lillian, Blue Ivy sat, her legs crossed, waiting patiently for Lillian to voice her reason for calling her into her office.
“I felt I needed to bring you in here again and talk to you about this new attitude of yours,” Lillian said. “I’m glad that you’re feeling good, I really am, but you still have a job to do. This is so unlike you to be so absent and lax on the job.”
“I’m so tired of hearing that, ‘this is not like you, Blue Ivy,’” Blue Ivy said in a mocking voice.
“Well, it’s not. There are people in this office, very busy people who are here to work. You sit at your desk filing your nails while everyone else is busy working, you’re late coming in, you leave early.”
“It’s not like I leave anything undone.” That was Blue Ivy’s only defense.
“That’s not the point,” Lillian said. “If you finish your work early, that’s a good time for you to help someone else.” Lillian paused, then stood up. “And I’m well aware that you didn’t get in this morning until after ten.”
A streak of guilt coursed through Blue Ivy, having no way to explain her dishonorable act.
“I’ve spoken with you about this before. Don’t you like it here anymore?”
“I like it.”
“Well I expect to see something different if you’re really serious about your job here. I haven’t spoken to personnel about this because I was hoping this was something we could handle ourselves, but lately, I have my doubts. You’re a good worker, Blue Ivy, when you work.”
“I understand.”
Not only did Blue Ivy find her boss to be more than fair, she was also absolutely right. Blue Ivy was not the model employee. At that moment, she made a concentrated effort to do something about her behavior. No matter how difficult, if only for the sake of not letting Lillian down.
Everyone around Blue Ivy seemed to stifle her joyous spirit. They were constantly complaining ever since she made the decision to do away with her boring existence. First there was her psychologist, Dr. Kern. Then there was Lee. Then, Laura. And now, her boss.
Why was everyone resisting her change?
Didn’t they want her to have fun and enjoy herself?
One thing was for sure. Blue Ivy knew exactly how her boss found out about her coming in late that morning. It only took two words to tell the whole story.
Camina Givens.
Though Blue Ivy’s boss had not long ago reprimanded her for coming in late and leaving early, at four thirty that afternoon, Blue Ivy was tempted to leave anyway. Her boss having left for the day, she was without anything to do.
She shut down her computer, grabbed her coat from the closet and headed for the elevator. To her surprise, Camina stood there waiting, her coat hanging over her arm. This was the first Blue Ivy saw Camina since Camina trampled past Blue Ivy’s desk earlier that afternoon. Their wait together would certainly prove to be an interesting one, and the timing could not have been more perfectly arranged.
Blue Ivy stared straight ahead and saw Camina glance over at her.
To avoid an even more awkward moment, Blue Ivy said “Hello.”
The elevator arrived and instead of Camina returning Blue Ivy’s greeting, she stepped inside the elevator. Blue Ivy was about to step on behind her, then decided not to. She wasn’t ready ju
st yet. Just as the door was about to close, their eyes locked into each other and Blue Ivy stopped the door before it closed, happy to witness the annoyance on Camina’s face.
In the back of the elevator, Blue Ivy stood, Camina’s back to her. Blue Ivy couldn’t resist the urge to toy with Camina as she found great pleasure in agitating her. Only because it was so easy.
When the door closed on the forty-fourth floor, it was obvious Camina was not talking. In an effort to garner Camina’s attention, Blue Ivy pretended to cough to see if Camina would turn around. But it warranted no attention from Camina. This was Blue Ivy’s strange way of letting on that she was aware of Camina’s report to her boss. Soon Camina would know exactly how Blue Ivy felt about people who fibbed.
Again Blue Ivy coughed, this time longer and louder. Camina soon turned around, peered at Blue Ivy. It was the moment Blue Ivy awaited.
“Do you have a problem?” Camina asked.
As Camina was about to turn around, Blue Ivy reached out, grabbed Camina’s earlobe and pulled her backwards. A shallow scream escaped from Camina’s mouth and she dropped her coat.
Very calmly, Blue Ivy placed her ear to Camina’s. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out about that shit you told Lillian about me?”
Camina yanked Blue Ivy’s hand away from her ear, then smacked Blue Ivy in the cheek, knocking Blue Ivy to the floor. With the wind knocked out of Blue Ivy, she remained calm. She was not intimidated, and not the least bit threatened. Blue Ivy picked herself up from the floor, her hand against her bruised cheek. So much she wanted to pull the red hair from Camina’s head, but just when Blue Ivy’s heated eyes met with Camina’s, the elevator stopped on the twenty-ninth floor, and two businessmen stepped on. Blue Ivy composed herself and straightened her coat, not giving much attention to the two men in the elevator. Instead, she was more concerned with the price Camina would pay for striking her.