Alejandro Read online

  She laughed at her coworker’s suggestion. “Know any cuties I could borrow?”

  “All the cuties I know are beach bums and surfers. You don’t swim, so...”

  “You’re right, me and the ocean had a falling out back in ‘98.”

  Carmen chuckled. “Speaking of falling out,” she leaned closer and lowered her voice to a whisper, “Boss Lady got dumped by her girlfriend last night.”

  “Oh no. Really? They’ve been partners for years.”

  “Three years.”

  “Damn. I think our office got cursed by an opposing counsel or something. Do you know what happened?”

  “Nope, but I’d love to know the details. That’s why I was thinking we should all go out tonight, drink, forget about our troubles, forget about men—In Ally’s case, forget about women.”

  “Sounds tempting.”

  “Drinks are on me,” Carmen offered.

  “Then count me in.”

  “What are you two worker bees buzzing about?” their boss bellowed as she stepped out of her office, a permanent wrinkle set between her perfect dark brows.

  Veronica smiled. “Ms. Kokkinos, we were discussing a company outing tonight involving the three of us showing support to our local business owners, the owners of clubs, bars, pubs, and other establishments of that nature.”

  Ally Kokkinos folded her hands behind her back. “You mean you were discussing getting shitfaced?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” said Carmen. “And I’m willing to pick up the tab.”

  Ally smirked. “Allow me to take care of the tab instead and you can count me in.”

  Both Veronica and Carmen clapped and whistled while their boss casually walked back into her office and closed the door.

  Carmen squealed. “Veronica, I have a feeling tonight is going to be epic!”

  ***

  Ugghhhh. Where am I?

  Veronica peered at her surrounding through the slits of her heavy eyelids. The room was so bright and the comforter was a bright white and soft as a cloud. She let her eyes close again. This definitely isn’t my bed. But, mmm, it’s so comfortable. Veronica attempted to shift her head on the down pillow. Did I roll down a flight of stairs last night? I think my brain is swollen. I should maybe go to the hospital, I think.

  “Do you like your eggs fried or scrambled, Nica?” asked a familiar voice.

  Veronica shot up and her eyes became saucers. “Oh my God!” She immediately grimaced and cupped her temples. “Owww, my head.”

  Ally burst out laughing, standing in the doorway. “Relax. You can’t catch gay just by sleeping in a lesbian’s bed.”

  Veronica averted her eyes from Ally’s sleepwear, a silky black tank and matching shorts. “I-I’m sorry, Ms. Kokkinos. I thought something happened. But nothing happened. Right?”

  “Well...”

  “No, no, no,” she said in a panic, “Tell me we didn’t.”

  “We didn’t make out or anything like that. You’re the one that snuggled up to me while you were asleep. You were like a rabid koala bear. I couldn’t get you off of me.”

  “This is so embarrassing.”

  Aletia chuckled. “It’s okay. We’re friends. Completely platonic friends. And you work for me.” She smiled. “I would never cross that line, no matter how beautiful you are. So, how do you like your eggs?”

  Veronica’s face was scorched with a blush. Then she felt the acid in her stomach begin to roil. “Thanks, but I’m not sure I can keep anything down.”

  “Alright. We’ll see. Brunch will be ready soon. I set everything up for you in the bathroom. Toothbrush, aspirins, etcetera.”

  “Thank you.”

  Her boss nodded and returned to the kitchen.

  Veronica sat in bed for a minute, going over the foggy snippets of last night in her mind: pulsing music, a smoky lounge with shiny furniture, all three women shimmying in glittery dresses, Carmen getting carded, empty shot glasses and chewed wedges of lemon, Carmen getting carded again, the contents of her purse spilled across a sticky bathroom floor, someone’s scratchy beard rubbing her cheek, pungent cologne and a gold chain, Carmen dragging her by the arm across the dance floor, stumbling in high heels, darkness. She didn’t remember how she got to Ally’s house at all. There was no way her friends let her drive drunk. Where did she leave her car? Her head hurt even worse trying to remember.

  She eased her achy limbs out of the bed and realized that her thong was twisted up and jammed into a place she feared she may need tweezers to extract them from. She waddled to the bathroom and freshened up but she still felt like a mess walking around fresh-faced in a hoochie dress in the middle of the day. Squinting, Veronica tiptoed barefoot up to the kitchen island in Ally’s high-rise condo. Because she felt out of place and indecently dressed in her employer’s home, she seated herself as quietly as she could on the stool and wrapped her arms over her chest. The two plates of food on the counter looked appetizing. Scones, strawberries, bacon, and soon eggs. “You’re house is gorgeous.”

  “Thank you.”

  Veronica glanced around at the décor. The brown and white spotted cowhide couch looked very chic. She’d expected to see her diminutive colleague curled up on it. “Where’s Carmen?”

  Ally turned away from the stove holding the sauté pan of soft scrambled eggs. She scooped some into each plate with the spatula. “She ran into some old college friends while we were out last night. She sent me a text message this morning that she was safe. Hung-over, but safe at home.”

  “Thanks for breakfast, Ms. Kokkinos.”

  “Please don’t call me that in my own house.”

  Veronica chuckled. “Sorry.”

  Ally took the seat next to her. They ate in silence for a while, until Ally noticed that Veronica was doing surgery on her strawberries. Veronica was cutting them in half, scoring the flesh on the inside with the tip of the knife, and then scooping the tart center out and into her mouth with a spoon. Amused, Ally smiled, but there was a hint of sadness. “My ex, Michelle, didn’t like strawberries. She said she didn’t like the seeds on the outside. Guess she wasn’t crafty enough to use your method.”

  “Figures my OCD would trigger my boss’s breakup flashbacks. I’m sorry, Ally.”

  “It’s not your fault. She’s on my mind so that’s all I see.”

  “Well, I hope you know you can talk to me about it.” Veronica knew Ally didn’t have a lot of close friends. Since the woman spent so much time working, she didn’t have time to maintain many relationships outside of her career. “I know all about relationships crashing and burning. I can wallow with you and start cryin’ in two seconds flat. Snot-nosed, wheezin’, the whole deal.”

  “Ha! I appreciate that, but I haven’t been able to cry about it. I know it’s for the best.” She sipped her coffee.

  “How so?”

  Ally inhaled deeply. “Michelle told me that the reason she was leaving me was because after two years she never got over the feeling that she would never compare to Sasha. Michelle felt I was responsible for allowing her feel that way and she was tired of trying to ‘earn what should be given freely’. If I’d known I was making her feel so insecure I would have let her go a long time ago.”

  Veronica nodded. “Do you still talk to Sasha?”

  Ally improved her posture, held her shoulders broader. “Sasha passed away before I met Michelle.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss, Ms., um, Ally.”

  “Thanks. She was my first love. Maybe my last. I never guessed a Vietnamese girl with a crew cut would be the love of my life but she was, and I spent the best eight years of my life with her,” she smiled.

  Veronica studied Ally’s expression, awed by the fact that Ally was able to smile when thinking of the love that she’d lost. The connection they had must have been something transcendent and beautiful. Veronica couldn’t say that her time with Quincy was the best years of her life. There were some good days, sure, but mostly there was the pain that Quincy caused her. “H
ow did you two meet?”

  “I met Michelle—”

  “No. Sasha.”

  “Sasha...We were Internet pen pals throughout high school. We didn’t meet face to face until we graduated.”

  Veronica’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

  “Weird, right? We met online in a Star Trek chat room. We were such nerds,” she laughed. “And we each had no idea that the other was a lesbian until two years into the friendship. She was my best friend. We’d talk on the phone for hours. Laugh with each other, run crying to each other. She truly understood me on a level that was scary sometimes. After graduation, I got my own car, so I took a road trip to Fresno to finally meet her. The rest was history.”

  “Wow.”

  “After she passed away, I didn’t think I could ever be with someone else. Two years later, I met Michelle. I really was happy with Michelle. But I didn’t feel that joy I felt with Sasha. That magical spark.”

  Veronica’s heart went tender. “I can see it in your eyes when you talk about her. You had something so many people are struggling to find.”

  “Neither of us was perfect, especially not me, so it wasn’t as if we were more deserving of finding love. I always say that if it could happen to me, a husky lesbian from Carlsbad, it could happen to anyone,” she laughed.

  “To joy.” Veronica grinned and held up her mug.

  Ally smiled, held up a blueberry scone and tapped it against Veronica’s coffee mug. “To joy.”

  ***

  That afternoon, her boss drove her back to the parking garage where she’d left her car. Once she was finally home, showered and casually dressed, Veronica realized that the rest of her Saturday was not going to be eventful. This day and the days ahead all looked like a vast uninhabited desert she would have to crawl across alone. Afraid to rest her mind, Veronica went to her computer in search of distractions.

  Her email inbox was crowded with sales copy from her favorite department stores. “Retail therapy?” The thought of running into Quincy at the mall made her dismiss the idea. An advertisement on the right of the screen caught her eye as she emptied her junk mail. It was for that dating website she’d cased a couple nights ago. ‘The One may be One Click Away!’ it read, above some rotating pictures of smiling singles. Red rose petals decorated the edges of the vertical ad.

  Veronica clicked on it without much hesitation. If Ally had listened to all her fears and judgments, she would have never met Sasha. In less than ten minutes, Veronica’s profile was complete, with the inclusion of some very cute pictures Quincy took of her, during the one ‘vacation’ they’d taken together to a nearby beach resort, wearing an orange halter-top with her long black hair in mermaid waves.

  Username: Queen_V

  Age: 31

  City: Vista, San Diego, CA

  Height: 5’ 11”

  Ethnicity: Black

  Education: Some college

  Profession: Paralegal

  Intent: Ready for Marriage

  Religion: Christian

  Body type: Curvy

  Sign: Taurus

  About Me:

  Hello people :) My name is Veronica. This is my first experience with a site like this and I feel awkward talking about myself, so bear with me. I’m a loving, respectful, educated woman looking for a man who is the same. I’m tired of little boys who play games and have no real plans or life goals. I need a man who knows what he wants and who isn’t still ‘playing the field’. I want a happy home and a big family with a happy husband. If you love cats, that’s a plus :P I speak a little Spanish and I appreciate Latin cultures. I appreciate culture in general, and I’d love to travel and learn more. A man who can cook will be my Superman because the stove is my kryptonite lol Send me a message is you’ve got what it takes and you want to know more ;)

  Finally, Veronica clicked the ‘Create My Profile’ button. One second later, her palms were damp and her heart beat quicker. She turned the computer off, her feelings split between worry and excitement, and hid from her computer until late that night, at which time her curiosity became as stubborn as a hyperactive toddler at bedtime.

  Dozens. There were at least thirty messages in her Plenty-of-People inbox! So many men had taken an interest in her profile in so little time. Veronica was stunned. Who knew she was such a babe?! “Hell, I should’ve signed up sooner for this confidence boost,” she said with a grin. “Alright. Let’s see what mama cat dragged in.”

  Three

  MrRomance: Hello beautiful. I would love to be the man that treats you like his queen.

  Queen_V: Thank you :)

  MrRomance: I’d cook you dinner, massage you, rub your feet, clean the dishes, and clean your car for you gorgeous.

  Queen_V: Damn. No man has ever offered to clean my car lol. That’s impressive. You’d really do all that for me?

  MrRomance: Yeah, if it needs to get done. Whatever I need to do. As long as it’ll get me a kiss or something later, I’ll go above and beyond.

  Queen_V: You’d definitely deserve a kiss for that.

  MrRomance: You should let me take you out one night. I’ll show u a good time.

  Queen_V: I would appreciate that. So, your profile says you’re in Mission Valley. I live in Vista.

  MrRomance: Oh. Vista huh. Kind of far :/

  Queen_V: It’s a 30 minute drive. Is that really too far?

  Mr. Romance: ...

  ***

  ImUrMan: How u doing?

  Queen_V: Good. You? :)

  ImUrMan: Good. You got DSL.

  Queen_V: ...You want to know about my Internet speed?

  ImUrMan: Naw lol I’m talkin about yur lips.

  Queen_V: DSL?

  ImUrMan: Look it up baby

  Queen_V: Ok...?

  Queen_V: Fuck you

  ImUrMan: lol Its a conplemint. Ur lips look so good.

  Queen_V: Never speak to me again

  ImUrMan: Dang lol

  Queen_V: What’s so funny? You should be ashamed of yourself! You’re disgusting and you can’t spell.

  ImUrMan: Lol Alrite. Im not hurt

  Queen_V: I wish you were.

  ***

  PartyRok93: Hey cutie :) We should chill.

  Queen_V: You’re cute but do you know how old I am?

  PartyRok93: I c that. I like older women tho. I prefer it :) Do you like white guys?

  Queen_V: I like all kinds of men. If I had a problem with ‘white guys’ I wouldn’t speak to you at all lol

  PartyRok93: True lol How about we chill tonite?

  Queen_V: What do u mean by “chill”?

  PartyRok93: Chill. Watch a movie or whatever boo. I got Netflix.

  Queen_V: You want me to come to ur house? Right now? After exchanging three messages with me?

  PartyRok93: Yeah. I’m sayin. YOLO.

  Queen_V: What’s that?

  PartyRok93: You only live once, boo. Plz come chill with me Beautiful. No worries. My folks aren’t home.

  Queen_V: I can’t, Boo. Sry.

  PartyRok93: :(

  ***

  JuanRico19: Hi. How was your weekend?

  Queen_V: Decent. How was yours?

  JuanRico19: It was cool. I took my niece to the beach. Went to a show with some friends. I wish I had a girl like you on my arm last night.

  Queen_V: Yeah? :) What kind of show did you go to?

  JuanRico19: A techno dj from NY

  Queen_V: I can’t handle that kind of music lol

  JuanRico19: Haha! That’s okay.

  Queen_V: Do you speak Spanish?

  JuanRico19: Not much. I understand more than I can speak. Why?

  Queen_V: Just wondering if I’d be able to practice with you lol

  JuanRico19: Aw lol I can tell you are a real sweetheart. It’s hard to find that.

  Queen_V: Yeah. It’s hard to find someone genuine nowadays

  JuanRico19: R u going on dates with anyone?

  Queen_V: No. Not yet.

  JuanRico19: Good. Give me
your number :P

  Queen_V: It’s too soon for that

  JuanRico19: I want to be able to tell you goodnight and wish you good morning.

  Queen_V: How sweet :) Let’s keep sending messages this way first. I’m gonna go take a shower. I’ll brb.

  JuanRico19: When will you be done? :)

  Queen_V: Um... I don’t know the precise time...

  JuanRico19: Hurry back :P Message me as soon as ur done. Okay?

  JuanRico19: Wow. You’re taking a long shower lol I miss u! lol :P

  Queen_V: ...

  JuanRico19: You’re not gonna talk to me anymor? :(

  Queen_V: ...

  JuanRico19: We can’t at least b friends?

  ***

  BigJohnson2: What up. You want a man dat luv cats? I luv pussy. Do dat count?

  Queen_V: Nope.

  ***

  Arab33: I can handle you sexy lady ;)

  Queen_V: Oh really?

  Arab33: You need lot of man to keep u happy and full

  Queen_V: Full?

  Arab33: Yes. I feed you. I like woman with meat on her bone

  Queen_V: I like myself with meat on my bones too lol

  Arab33: I love black women like you. Not so stuck up like Arab women.

  Queen_V: Why do you say that?

  Arab33: They are so materialism. They want everything for nothing. Stuck up bitches LOL

  Queen_V: Is that what you think of your mother?

  Arab33: Of course not. Why you say that?

  Queen_V: Your mother is an Arab woman so you should be careful what you say about Arab women.

  Arab33: I never ever say that about my mother. It’s the young women my age today that are so bad and materialism.

  Queen_V: Materialistic? What kind of car do you drive?

  Arab33: A Lexus GS 450. My baby LOL

  Queen_V: Do you wear jewelry?

  Arab33: I have a Rolex a gold one. Some rings too.

  Queen_V: Where do you like to shop? JCPenney?

  Arab33: No way! LOL I look good.

  Queen_V: ...

  ***

  WeednLiqr: Hey

  Queen_V: ...

  WeednLiqr: How u doin?