Episode Four: Envy – Wicked
Sean slowed down and put his arm around Prim. “It’s just kids celebrating the fourth of July. You’re fine.” Prim had forgotten about the holiday. Her phone was dry without a single barbecue invite.
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Prim couldn’t answer because to agree with him would be a lie. She wasn’t fine. She scrunched her face to hold her silent scream inside.
It wasn’t the gunshot that upset her. Prim’s old neighborhood in the Bronx was no stranger to gun violence. And it was hot outside, and these incidences tended to rise with the temperature.
Her adult years were not adulting. She was a grown woman of thirty-five with a vagabond lifestyle.
“Every end is a means. Better to light a single candle than sit forever and curse the dark.”
The darkness of the night was a shield. Her footsteps could be heard but her face was cloaked in shadows. You could hear her coming but there was no clue as to who she was. Light clashed against dark, and it all went up into a blaze. Her desire smoked through her consciousness leaving her resolve to ashes and her morality to dust. Her alliance with Clauneck stoked the fire. He whispered secrets to her. He told her she was the only one who mattered. The only one worthy of worship was her. The strength of her will fought to quell this inferno rage. But who would win? Would her humanity prevail, or would the darkness consume her?
Who was Sean to her? Why was her guide at this time?
“Raise up a stone and you will find me there.”
Prim was walking so slowly she might as well have been crawling. Her feet ached. The heels she chose to look cute with her sundress were at their bitter end. They scraped along the pavement with a sound more irritating than nails on a chalkboard.
Prim wanted this day to be over. But since she had nowhere to go, her night was just getting started.
Sean stopped in front of a modest two-family home. He walked around to the side entrance and opened the door. He led her down four steps into his basement bedroom. Prim looked around the room in disgust. She was a neat freak. And all around the room were discarded pizza boxes, papers and water bottles filled with murky substances. Her skin began to crawl, and her head itched.
Sean smoothed the navy-blue bedspread over his rumpled sheets. “Sorry about the mess. I wasn’t expecting company.”
Prim wanted to run out. But she had to go pee. She asked him where the bathroom was and entered the room grimacing.
The smell of mildew and unwashed clothes assaulted her nostrils though there was an open window. Prim squatted over the toilet. Inside the rim was a large brown ring. Prim wanted to gag. She looked around for scurrying insects.
Thank God there was toilet paper.
Prim examined her face in the toothpaste dotted mirror as she washed her hands. There were dark circles under her eyes, a prominent crease between her eyebrows and new frown lines forming around her mouth. She could have sworn she’d aged ten years.
“As within so without.”
She splashed water onto her face and dried it with the lone paper towel left on the roll on the windowsill.
With a heavy heart she exited the bathroom.
Sean had laid a dress and a towel and washcloth on the bed.
“My mom is at a church retreat this weekend with my sisters. I asked my mother if I could have company, and she said ‘No.’ But she won’t be here tonight, so you’re okay.”
Prim hadn’t planned on moving in. She wasn’t a stray dog looking to be taken in by strange dirty men.
Sean held up the dress. “My mom lost a lot of weight on the Ozempic she takes for her diabetes. She’s so skinny now a lot of her clothes are too big.”
Was he calling her fat?
Prim started to say it may be too big for her too, but the dress was Tory Burch and retailed for $300. She wasn’t too proud to accept a handout. “Thank you.”
Sean started up the stairs. “I’m going to take a shower. There is a washing machine right outside this door. And if you take the steps to the left, you will enter the dining room, and you can have dinner when you are finished. I’m too tired to go back out.”
Prim shrugged. She wasn’t in the mood for vegan Pad Thai. “That’s fine.”
Prim found a spray bottle of Tilex under the bathroom sink. She sprayed the walls of the shower stall down and scooped up his laundry and put it in the washing machine. She found cleaning supplies for the bathroom. She disinfected, scrubbed, and mopped until the room was clean.
Prim went into the bedroom, opened her suitcase, took out her own towel, washcloth, shower cap and toiletries.
She entered the bathroom, locked the door and stripped down. Her naked reflection in the mirror revealed a woman whose body was a disappointment. Her waist still had its shape, but she had the unwelcome addition of a fupa. The thigh gag between her thighs was disappearing. She sucked in her stomach, turned around and counted the dimples on her butt. Great. Five new ones.
Defeated, she stepped into the shower. The hot water poured over her body. Sean had liquid Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree Soap along with a bar of Dove soap under the sink. So instead of using her goat milk chai bar, she helped herself to some of his body wash. The steam-filled room was scented with the healing essential oil and after three scrubs and rinses she finally felt clean.
Prim used Sean’s Nivea body lotion and moisturized her skin. She slipped on the navy and white striped cotton dress he had left her. The natural fabric felt soft against her skin. The midi dress was cinched at the waist and loose and flowy. It was a size ten and fit perfectly. Her image in the mirror lifted her spirit. The dress emphasized the swing on her back porch and her waist looked tiny. She spun around. Prim ignored the waddle of her arms and focused on her positives.
Sean had left some white t-strap sandals for her to wear. She slipped her feet into them and padded up the stairs.
Upstairs was brightly lit and pristine. Not even a throw pillow was out of place. The brown leather couch looked brand new and the mahogany wood dining room table gleamed. Prim inhaled the scent of green apples. This was a world where everything was set up for comfort and the focus was on family. The wall unit in front of the couch held a display of Sean, his parents and his two brown sisters Kalina and Brooke at all ages and stages.
Prim drunk in the family’s history.
She calculated Sean was thirty-four by the year embossed on his kindergarten graduation picture.
His family had traveled. There were pictures of him and his family at Disney World, posing in between camels and sand dunes in Dubai and pyramids in Egypt.
She loved the photo of the family in front of the Eiffel Tour. Their faces beamed with smiles you couldn’t fake, and their arms were wrapped around each other. This was a family that couldn’t have been penetrated.
A framed obituary of his father revealed he had been a nuclear engineer and had completed his Master of Engineering at twenty-six. He worked for twenty-five years at the US Department of Energy before he succumbed in 2020 to COVID- 19.
His light skin and handsome face resembled Sean’s but his eyes were wise and his countenance confident.
His death had rocked the family. There were still travel photos. Their last trip was a cruise. But no smiles reached their eyes, and their posture was stiff and distant.
Sean’s mother was a critical care nurse. Prim knew this from her work schedule on the stainless-steel Blomberg refrigerator in the spotless kitchen.
His sisters attended Howard University. Brooke was an undergraduate for communications. And Kalina had just graduated from a master’s program in Social Work.
Prim looked at Sean. His father had died as did hers but at least when his father was alive, they lived well. If Sean was the new man of the house, his mother and sisters lived in a deck of cards that could easily tumble.
Sean was seated on the couch with a tray on his lap containing a large plate of spaghetti and a can of Coca Cola. “There’s more spaghetti in the fridge. You can heat it up.”
Prim didn’t want that. She looked in the refrigerator and saw nothing but yogurts, bags of salad and Eureka, a strawberry lemon Poppi soda.
Prim opened the freezer and spotted a Stouffers steak and mashed potatoes bowl.
Prim held up the soda and frozen dinner towards Sean. “Can I have this?”
Sean shrugged. “Help yourself.”
Prim turned on the oven and sat next to Sean on the sectional. He thumbed through the television and finally settled on Love Island. Prim watched the show with him. Her trouble slipped away as she laughed with Sean at the mindless entertainment.
She ate a Trader Joe's whole milk strawberry vanilla yogurt while she waited for her food to cook, and the rich and creamy tangy flavor was better than she expected.
When the meal was ready, she dug in. It wasn’t Brooklyn Chop, but at least she hit a mark. She opened the can of Poppi soda and took a sip. She grabbed a piece of Sean’s Texas Toast. She began to feel at home.
Sean finished his spaghetti and bread and cut himself a hunk of cake. With every chew, he left crumbs and dirty plates. After his meal was finished, he stretched out onto the couch and pulled a throw blanket over his body and went to sleep.
Prim felt sorry for his mother. She could tell she tried but her only son fell short of being anything of glory. By the time he was his age, his father had owned this home and had a wife and three kids to support.
Prim ate some 365 Berry Chantilly Ice Cream for dessert.
Prim nudged Sean’s shoulder. He stirred but didn’t wake up. She turned down the television and dimmed the lights. She crept up the stairs into a bedroom. Brooke established 2006 was spray painted over the bed in big bold sparkly fuchsia letters
The all-pink room smelled like baby powder. The walls were covered with posters of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Stranger Things and Euphoria.
Cute but way too sloppy. Books and clothes littered the floor. Prim picked up a pair of D squared denim jeans. Size 4. She sighed and dropped them back where they came from amidst the tangle of discarded kanekalon from her box braids.
The next room was yellow. The expired ID on her dresser proclaimed Kalina, the other sister, was twenty-five. She was tidier than her brother and sister but not by much. Her room needed straightening, a vacuum and good dusting.
A paystub sat on her dresser. She earned $77,600 a year.
Prim crumbled the stub and threw it on the floor. With her stomach clenched she looked around.
Clothes hung haphazardly on hangers burst from the closet. Prim checked the sizes. Mostly 6s and a few 8s. Kalina’s style was basic. Plenty of leggings and t-shirts and lots of body-con dresses from Fashion Nova and Shein.
A picture of Kalina in a one piece on her bookcase indicated she was on the small side. Kalina had no stomach, but she also had no booty and hips. Her hair was bra strap length and healthy looking and her teeth were straight courtesy of the braces Prim had seen in earlier pictures. Kalina was attractive but no one Prim would consider pressure. Her face was too big, and her smile was corny and over eager.
But what caught Prim’s eye was Kalina’s handbag collection displayed on a gold rack. In between Coach and non-designer bags, Prim spotted a MCM stark backpack, a Celine mini belt bag, a Prada re-edition Nylon minibag, a Gucci Soho disco bag, a large Louis Vuitton Neverfull, three Teflar shopping bags, a Marc Jacobs snapshot, a Longchamp Le Pliage tote and the piece de resistance a Chanel Classic Flap.
Prim was good at spotting fakes. She had dreamed of investing in a collection for so long, she knew every detail.
A quiet storm erupted in Prim’s chest as she ran her hands over the leather and examined the stitching. They were all real.
In the bottom of the closet amongst the Jordans, Reeboks and Air Force 1s were a pair of Balenciaga Speed Trainers still in its box. They were a size smaller than what Prim wore.
Prim tried them on. The toe box protested her disturbance. She took a few pained steps on the carpet and then took them off. She left a large crease on the top of the sneaker and threw them back in the box.
She turned off the light in the bedroom. She checked on Sean. He was snoring.
The mom’s bedroom was all cream. From the walls to the bed sheets, the mother must have been the darkest thing in there.
Her bedroom was Home Goods. Every nook and cranny was filled with a piece of furniture, a mirror or a chachki.
There were two dressers in the bedroom. Prim opened one dresser, and it was full of men’s clothes that still smelled of cologne. The large, framed photo of Sean’s father over the dresser communicated its disapproval. Prim carefully closed the drawer.
In the corner of the bedroom by the walk-in closet was the same gold purse display as Kalina. Her handbag collection was full of Coach, Dooney and Burke and Tory Burch. Prim walked into her closet and spied a leather Gucci 1961 Jackie bag and two Gucci interlocking belts on the top shelf.
Sean’s mother had a shopping addiction. With all the tags still on the clothes there wasn’t a clearance rack she didn’t miss. Prim fingered her silk, linen and cashmere. She felt like she was in a department store. The clothing was arranged in preselected outfits complete with shoes and accessories. Prim pushed her Chanel No 5 L’Eau, Tom Ford Black Orchid, and Creed Aventus for Her aside and picked up a bottle of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 and sprayed her pulse points.
A pair of black leather shorts and a silk blouse hung on a hanger. Prim tried the outfit on with a studded belt and matching black sandals.
“Ow,’ Prim said, as she posed in the full-length oval gilded mirror with her leg hooked to her hip. The shorts hugged her curves, though a tad too tight. Five more pounds and she’d be killing it.
His mother had a wig collection. Prim’s favorite was a long black one with a full lace cap. She named her Sinclair.
Sean’s mother was about Prim’s complexion. And in the back of her closet was a vanity covered with makeup. Prim sat down in front of the lit mirror and took off her ponytail and put on Sinclair. A new woman stared back at Prim and Prim winked at her.
She and Sinclair belonged together. If only Jerome had put more effort into their future relationship. With her plan for a 65/35 split she would have had something to show for her life as well.
A picture of Sean with his father buying his first car was in a compartment. Prim picked it up and bristled. She had no memories – no moments of consistent parental support.
Sean had a good life, but he didn’t appreciate it. He was slovenly dressed like a bum while living rent free. Prim wished she could have a secure home to come to each night. She would keep it spotless. Not a single spot of dust to be seen.
Prim’s hand tightened around the photo. She hated this dirty family. Why do they get all the good stuff?
“Carpe diem.”
And Prim did. She didn’t think about what she was doing, she just did. There was no time for moralizing. There was only time for action.
Prim stripped off Sinclair and the borrowed outfit and returned to the dress and flats. She slithered down the backstairs into Sean’s bedroom, dumping her suitcase contents.
She quietly tiptoed back into Kalina’s room and filled her arms with her Celine, her Chanel and her Prada.
Adrenaline coursed through her body. She grabbed a pair of leopard print jeans in her goal size of eight along with two bodysuits from Kalina’s Shein haul.
Sean’s mother’s makeup and brushes were next. She pilfered skin care products and hair tools. She stole bras and six dresses and four pairs of sandals. When she contemplated a fur coat but put it back because it was too bulky, her hand slipped into the pocket.
She felt an envelope. She pulled it out. The envelope contained a loving card for Valentine’s Day from Sean’s father and $4,000 in all hundreds.
“Jackpot.”
Prim was high off the drug of finally getting what she wanted in life. She packed Sinclair and the leather shorts and silk blouse into her suitcase. She quickly swiped the two linen pants suits for interviews and tucked them away.
She went into the bathroom and peered into the medicine cabinet. There it was. A two months’ supply of Ozempic. Prim was going to lose this weight.
She crept down the stairs, packed her suitcase and parked it by the side door. She scooped her discarded clothing and put it in the back of Sean’s messy closet.
With her hand over her mouth, she dashed into each bedroom to do a final shopping spree.
When she was finished, she washed the dishes and wiped and swept up all of Sean’s crumbs.
The sound of the vacuum cleaner woke Sean up. He sat up, yawned and stretched.
He rubbed his eyes. “Sorry about that. I had class all day and I worked tonight.”
He looked around. “Thanks for cleaning up.”
Prim shrugged her shoulders. “No problem.” She wanted to burst out laughing.
“Why don’t you sleep in my bed downstairs? I’ll crash out on the couch.”
Prim was ready to bolt. But something told her to be still. She continued cleaning while Sean patrolled the area like a security guard. He looked around the living room and checked his mother’s bedroom and then his sisters.
Prim took deep, shallow breaths and pretended to be engrossed with what she was doing.
Sean walked back into the living room. He patted her on the top of the head. “You’ll be fine. Tomorrow is a new day with new opportunities. In the morning, I’ll give you the information about the call center and you can probably start that day.”
Prim smiled at Sean. “Thank you so much.”
She walked down the stairs and tackled his room. Sean checked on her a few times before he finally left her alone. When she was done it was spotless. His clothes were folded. And his closet was neatly organized. She placed her clothes in a trash bag and hid them further in the back. She changed the sheets and sprayed the new set with Febreze fresh scent.
She took a second shower, this time washing and conditioning her hair with his sister’s Olaplex. She sprayed her hair with Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique blew it out with an Amika’s Blow Dry Brush and then coated her strands with Kerastase Resistance Ciment Thermique and finished the straightening process with one pass from a T3 Lucea ID Smart Flat Iron. She clipped in Bellami Hair Extensions; pin curled each section and topped her head with a The Life Wrap Bonnet.
After she got dressed in a clean t-shirt she found in Sean’s drawer, she plugged in her phone and set the timer for 6AM. Lying on top of his bedspread she planned her tomorrow. She found a weekday special for $150 at a Holiday Inn Express in Times Square and used her last bit of credit to book a room.
She went on the Rawthchild Industries website and signed up for the last interview slot to leave a lasting impression. She scrolled through the lengthy disclosure agreement and pressed to accept without reading.
Prim’s membership Blink was paid through the month. She would leave as soon as it was light out, workout, shower, dress, deposit the cash into her bank account, check into the hotel and prepare for her interview.
Prim kicked her legs up in excitement. “All hail Clauneck.”
She listened closely for a response. But all she heard was silence.
A text came into her phone. It was Selena apologizing for not getting back to her sooner. She said she was sorry to hear about her job loss and her housing troubles and she was welcome to stay with her as long as she needed. Prim had always been a great friend to her, she said, and she was honored to be able to return the favor.
Tears welled in Prim’s eyes. And she contemplated leaving her suitcase full of booty where it was and starting over fresh with her friend.
But the idea of a new life full of glamour and excitement was too strong of an allure.
“This is not the time to decide this is the time to be.”
“I’m okay. Something came through. I’ll hit you up later,” she texted back to Selena.
She didn’t want to sleep on Selena’s couch. And watch Selena parade around her apartment with her man while she makes peanuts at a call center.
Prim closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep. She dreamed of floating in a dark murky lake. Her feet touched the bottom, but strong hands held her underwater. She thrashed and struggled as she fought to breathe. Her lungs filled with ice water and burned. “I will not succumb.” With all her determination she heaved herself up.
Prim fought to the surface of waking and sat up in the bed. When she came to full awareness she was shivering and covered with sweat.
It was just a dream. She was fine. Whomever had tried to kill her didn’t win.
She grabbed another blanket from Sean’s closet and went back to bed.
Her phone alarm went off four hours later, but she hit the snooze button two times before she turned it off. Her sleep was peaceful. Dreamless.
The sound of Sean thundering down the stairs woke her up. “You gotta go. My mom is on her way home.” He ran his fingers through his wild hair. He scurried to the back of the room and peeked out the window.
Prim felt oddly calm. She waited for him to leave the room so she could get dressed, but he just stood there. Blinking at her like a stupid cow.
Prim’s stomach began to knot. She couldn’t open her suitcase in front of him and she would have to explain why her clothes were in the bottom of his closet. “I haven't washed my dress yet. I thought I had more time.”
Sean huffed. “Just put on the dress I gave you yesterday. My mom won’t miss it.”
A car pulled into the driveway.
“Sean. Sean! Help us carry these bags,” his mother called out to him.
He ran out of the room.
Her hand shook as she gathered her belongings. Her breath came in jagged edges.
“Are you the narrator or are you the main character?”
“I am the main character.”
She grabbed three beauty bags and went into the bathroom to begin her beauty ritual:
She washed her face with Paula's Choice RESIST Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser
She toned her skin with The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution.
She moisturized with Tatcha The Water Cream.
She dabbed on Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème.
She laid out her tools: Artis Brushes, Beautyblender Original Pro makeup sponges, Tom Ford Brow Sculptor Brush and a Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler.
She studied her face. What look would she go for today?
Her eyeliner would be double winged. She closed her eyes and pictured it. Her lashes would be gently curled but left natural to make her look both captivating and innocent. Her baby soft lips would be luscious and kissable. She would turn heads and stop traffic. It would be her everyday win look.
She smoothed on Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer.
She dotted on Pat McGrath Labs Sublime Perfection Concealer in Deep 32.
She blended Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Luminous Matte Foundation in Shade 540 R.
She filled in her eyebrows with Glossier Boy Brow.
She lit up her brow bone, the corner of her eyes, the tip of her nose and cupid bow with MAC Cream Colour Base.
She bronzed her cheeks, hairline, nose and jawline with Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream.
She brushed Nars liquid and powder blush on her cheeks in Taos.
She dusted her face with RCMA No-Color Powder.
She sprayed her face with Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist.
She stroked Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette on her eyelids in Fuego and Scorched.
She created a wing on her upper lash line with Kat Von D Tattoo Liner.
She lined her waterline with a Pat McGrath Labs Permagel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil.
She curled her eyelashes.
She feathered on two coats of Too Faced Better than Sex mascara.
She filled her lips with Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Intense Lip Cheat.
She then coated them with Chanel Lèvres Scintillantes Glossimer in 189 Impatiente
She blasted her face with Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray.
#Flawless Beat
She undid her pin curls. Her hair never looked so good. It flowed and bounced and looked like it was all her. She used Saryna Key Shea Butter Edge Control and Sean’s toothbrush to swoop her edges.
Between all three women, they had the good stuff. She was set.
Sean crept down the stairs, put his finger to his lip and motioned for her to follow him. When the stairs creaked beneath her weight, he made a face and whispered, “Step lightly.”
He handed her his phone. “Here, dial my number.”
Prim reluctantly pressed in her digits. When the phone rang, he took it from her hand and saved the number on the display.
Sean looked at her. “You’re really pretty, you know that.”
Prim wrinkled her nose in disgust. Was he stupid? She had taken from the women in his life he was supposed to protect, and she had become of value to him using their things. Didn’t he recognize his mother’s perfume?
“He hates them. He’s jealous of their success.”
Sean gave her a quick hug once they got outside. She gave him her biggest fake smile. He went into his wallet and pressed a card with the call center’s number into her hand along with a twenty.
The bill felt dirtier than the money she stole.
Sean bowed and gave her a few parting words, “Be safe. Never forget the road less traveled is the one that is less often seen.”
Prim didn’t know what he meant, nor did she care. She watched him as he bound down the street back to his newly cleaned cave. He was a spoiled, obnoxious know-it-all full of pithy statements and unused wisdom. He had never known a hard day, but he still walked the streets like a mangy dog.
“New opportunities come from unexpected places.”
Now that Prim understood. She tucked the $20 in her new La Perla bra. The money clung to her damp skin.
After a few minutes, the high she felt from her crime began to leave. Her shoulders slumped and she thought about what her mother would think. Mama always said if you’ll lie, you’ll steal and if you’ll steal, you’ll kill. Prim grew worried. She was going to get a hold of herself before she backslid too far down to get back up.
“The end justifies the means.”
A car drove by blasting, “Nonstop,” by Drake.
And Prim agreed. She had set a goal, and she had to do what she needed to achieve it. Sean’s family had surely sinned before. Maybe she was their karma. Besides, stealing wasn’t her lifestyle, she resolved, it was only a steppingstone to a better life.
“Don’t justify it. Be about it.”
Prim agreed with thought too. But she had barely jaywalked before and here she was fresh from a crime spree walking down the street with the stolen goods.
Despite the heat, she shivered and began to look around.
“Do not look back. A pillar of salt is nothing compared to what will happen next.”
Prim heeded the warning and strode ahead purposefully.
But she still couldn’t shake this feeling. Who was Prim to herself now? Was she still the same person or was she turning into someone else? She felt an emptiness in the pit of her stomach as she began to contemplate those questions. Her steps slowed and her shoulder slumped.
In the day, Canarsie looked almost picturesque. The manicured lawns and neat driveways gave the appearance of a middle-class neighborhood where only good things were supposed to happen.
Prim sighed. Sean was nice and Selena’s offer wasn’t bad. Maybe this was all unnecessary. She’d call Sean and confess her crimes and beg for his forgiveness.
She started to make a U-turn.
“Are you the lion or the lamb?”
She was not going to be slaughtered so she continued walking forward.
She had her checklist of tasks to accomplish, and her attention switched to that. Gym. Bank. Hotel. Interview. Success.
She thought about her life as a Sunday School assistant teacher. Didn’t Tamika get caught stealing and she counseled her? What did she say to her? Her mind drew blank. As much as she thought and thought, she couldn’t remember anything.
“There is only the power of now.”
That’s true but why couldn’t she remember anything.
“The one who preached the gospel is dead.”
Prim understood she would never be that woman again. She would have to atone for her sins and go through a trial and tribulation for forgiveness. She didn’t have time for that. What was done was done. She wasn’t going to get anywhere chasing her own tail trying to be a nice girl. She could only move forward and think of the new life that awaited her with Clauneck.
A car honked. Prim turned her head in the direction and the green Chrysler 300 C slowed down to a stop. The passenger stuck his arm out the window and beckoned for her to come over. She swayed her hips as she walked toward him.
A cloud of smoke floated from the passenger’s mouth. The sticky sweet smell of marijuana was so strong Prim coughed.
Mr. Shotgun Caller licked his lips, “Hey Sexy. You need a ride?”
Prim posed and placed a silent plea to the driver, but he ignored her. “No, I’m fine.”
Mr. Shotgun Caller’s eyes roved over her body, “Give me your number.”
She internally kissed her teeth, but she did. He was cute. And when the car pulled off the song, “No Scrubs,” blared in her head.
When her phone rang with an unknown number a second later, she promptly blocked it. Jerome 2.0. Not going down that route again, she thought.
The streets were quiet. Prim continued her walk down East 105th to the L station with her suitcase full of goodies rolling behind her with renewed confidence. The handle felt weightless in her palm. It wasn’t her old life she was hauling around anymore it was her future she was ushering in.
Her new sandals cushioned her feet and as she visualized what came next – nailing that interview – she began to hum and almost skipped.
As she passed each house, she gained more confidence. The idea of Sean coming after her disappeared. At the subway’s entrance a man carried her suitcase up the stairs for her. Prim was getting the princess treatment, and she liked it.
She arrived just in time. A cool breeze flowed past her as the subway pulled in.
Prim stepped onto the train and found a seat. She stretched her legs and relaxed.
The city awaited her. She was going to find her love.
“The deepest parts of your love are the darkest parts of your desires. Enter the shadows of your life and find the love that is hidden in plain sight.”
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