“You know I don’t like planned activities, but we will conduct our work-related business at the office, and our Sistah Girl friendship business here,” Tracee announced. “Is that cool with you?”
“Of course,” Ritz said. “Let’s get down to the sistah girl biz, then. Once upon a time, you told me that we were friends because we were wise enough to never work together. So what’s up with our new work relationship?”
The spa attendant approached to offer cool refreshments. The ladies each took a glass of purified water with mint leaves.
Tracee smiled. “The more Randolph and I talked, the more we realized that you’re my assignment. I could either walk away from you, or do what God wants me to do, and that is to be your friend and your sister.” Tracee flashed her engagement ring. “Your real sister!”
“Speaking of my new cocounsel,” Ritz zinged, “are you going to tell all of my business to my brother? Because if so, we’re going to have some issues.”
“Ritzy, I was scared of who you were becoming,” Tracee said between sips. “Honestly, I didn’t know how low you would go. I talked to Randolph about your trials in L.A. because I was so fearful of all what was going down. He’s so wise, and I didn’t think before I spoke. But I will from now on. Trust me, your listening party is still a party of one.”
“You put my shit in the vault.”
“That’s right,” Tracee said. “Never to be unsealed.”
“What do you mean, you were scared of who I was becoming? Damn, Tray. Ouch.”
Tracee politely conceded that she was harsh. “Here’s what I mean,” she said, trying to clean it up. “It’s good to be driven; it’s dangerous to be too driven. Your measure of success is ratings. And when you see ratings at the finish line, nothing else matters.”
Ritz took a sip and swallowed hard. “I think that is the mark of a successful person. If I make pit stops along the way or if I think too hard or too long, someone else can just swoop in and take it from me.”
“Take what from you, Ritzy?”
“My success. My name, my throne, my audience, my show, my ratings, my money, and my life. They just want to take it all. Tray, there are people who smile in my face every day and they secretly want me out of their way. It’s numbing sometimes. Everybody has an angle. Look at what Chas did; and everybody does it.”
Tracee threw up her hand in disagreement. “I’m not claiming that. There are rules and laws that we must follow in every walk, and if you sit back and be fearful about who wants to take something from you, well, baby, they’ve already won. See, here’s the thing. What is for you is yours alone, and nobody can take it. No matter how hard they try.”
“I don’t think you understand, so let me break it down for you. My own producer handed me over to the man who tried to kill me. He did that. Now, how does your theory work in that scenario?”
“Ritzy, I’m glad you asked. When you think about what Chas did, you zero in on his intent. I zero in on the outcome. Chas wanted you out of his way, and because what is for you is yours alone, he was removed.”
Ritz hadn’t thought of it that way.
“And,” Tracee continued, “when Hardcore wanted you dead, because what is for you is yours alone, he’s no longer here.”
That was a fact and Ritz knew it.
“And,” Tracee couldn’t stop now, “you had three little haters biting at your back, Michelle Davis, Abigail, and Ruff. They collaborated to publicly humiliate you, and kick you off your throne. Now, tell me what happened to them?”
Ritz didn’t need to say a word. Michelle Davis was so sure of taking over Ritz’s show that she’d reduced her hours at FOX. Now someone was in her prime position at FOX, and she had been relegated to fill-in duties for the V Spot. Abigail and Ruff had made it known in front of the owners that they had no idea how to handle the radio station in an ever-changing climate. Especially Abigail.
I never thought I’d hear someone say that the word on the street didn’t matter, Ritz thought.
Tracee interrupted Ritz’s private reflections. “It’s not hocus-pocus, Ritz. It’s karma. If you respect karma, it will protect you. And it works both ways. So now, you must do right by Jamie to put your karma on the right path.”
“What? You’re tripping, Tray. Jamie will be fine.”
Tracee was serious. “As your executive producer, I am firmly suggesting that you give Jamie her job back on the Ritz Harper Excursion…and you treat her well.”
Ritz nearly dropped her drink. “Not after what Chas did, no more stray dogs,” Ritz protested. “I’ll be nice to her, but that’s it. She’s a brat.”
“That brat is the only person who had your back in the meeting with the Three Suits. Despite all that you’ve done, and all that she’s tried to do, Jamie spoke up for you when the others were leading you to the gallows.”
“I’m not kissing her ass, Tray.”
“Fine, don’t kiss her ass. Just let her do her thing.”
“Not a problem. Not a problem at all.”
“And—”
“Oh, hell nawl, ain’t no more ands, Tray!” Ritz laughed. “That’s it.”
“And, give Jamie a space on your television show. Start her at the bottom and get out of her way and let her work her way up.”
“No, she’ll be hogging the camera. Absolutely not!”
“Ritz, be a woman of substance and stop playing bitch games. The more you do for others, the more that comes back to you. Use your voice, your mic, and your power to do a good deed every now and then, to deflect all that horrible gossip you spew!”
“You like my gossip.”
“Yes, I do, and I reach for my Bible immediately thereafter.”
“I appreciate what you’re doing for me, Tray, and I’ll work hard.”
“I already know that. I appreciate you luring me out of retirement. Now I realize that there’s a thin line between resting and resting in peace.”
The friends laughed.
Ritz took a sip. “Real talk. I want to see Derek again.”
Tracee shook her head and laughed. “Of course you do. But for what?”
Ritz’s eyes grew wide. “For conversation, I guess. I don’t know. I know that I am not supposed to see him anymore. I’ve promised myself that I wouldn’t hurt Jamie anymore by creeping with him. I don’t want that. Maybe I do…but that and more. I know it’s ridiculous. I mean, he’s shorter than me, he’s younger than me, he’s shady…”
“You’re shadier than him, though!” Tracee joked.
“I want your blessing on that, Tray. I like him.”
Tracee watched her friend. “You’re serious. Wow. I can’t give you that blessing…that has to come from Jamie.”
“I thought you would say that,” Ritz huffed. “Do you think she’d give it to me?”
“Something tells me that Jamie is going to be so grateful for what you’re doing for her, and she’s going to be so busy building her career with the exciting opportunities that you’re giving to her, that she won’t have time to run behind Derek’s yellow ass. That’s a new-age career girl, honey. They don’t sit around and cry in their Sapphire martinis like we used to. They’ve adapted to the game. They keep it moving!”
Ritz Harper Goes to Hollywood! Page 15