Read Online Riding the Corporate Ladder (Indigo) by Keith Thomas Walker - Free Book Online
Authors: Keith Thomas Walker
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Deena wasn’t staying home and Sheila wasn’t, either, so, for the last ten years, they both had to grin and bear it.
There was no dress code at Mama’s house, but Deena always wore something nice so she wouldn’t look out of place next to all of the religious folks who came right after church. She pulled a gray skirt and a white blouse from her closet and completed the outfit with black stockings and black pumps. She usually had her hair pulled back when dressed like this, and it felt good to be loose and flirty today.
She straightened her locks and curled the ends for a nice flip. She left her shirt unbuttoned midway down her chest and wore a solitaire diamond pendant that came to rest right above her cleavage. Deena didn’t have a wedding band, but she made up for it with two other twinkling rings of greater value, one on each hand.
Her only regret was not being able to take Boogie with her, but she gave him a nice snuggle on the way out and promised to bring him a big plate of leftovers when she got home.
* * *
Bernice Newman still lived on the south side of Overbrook Meadows, in the very house she single-handedly raised all four of her children in. It was an old brick home with three bedrooms, a carport, and a perimeter fence Deena had installed four years ago because of an outbreak of stray dogs in the neighborhood. The front yard was small, the backyard was small, and all of the doors and windows had much-needed burglar bars, but it was still a beautiful place to Deena; a place of fond memories, warmth, and nurturing.
She pulled her Denali to a stop behind her uncle’s F-350 and was immediately greeted by one of Pete’s boys when she got out of the car.
“Hey, Dee Dee.”
Rodney was twenty-three years old, moderately handsome, and always thuggish. He was light-skinned with thick corn rows and a struggling moustache. Deena knew he harbored an unnatural crush on her, but she still spoiled him. Rodney was the kind of guy who was always going to say exactly how he felt, and Deena respected that.
“Look at you, getting more and more handsome,” she said, and leaned forward to give him a hug. She kept her pelvis as far away as possible during their embrace so he wouldn’t try anything slick like he did when she was in college. “What’s your daddy in there doing?” she asked.
“Running his mouth, as usual,” Rodney said and walked with her to the front door.
“You bring Michael?”
He shook his head. “Naw. She wouldn’t let me see him today.”
Deena shook her head, too. She took her cousin to the child support office last year to get his visitation rights established, but he was still allowing his baby’s mother to go against the court order. Deena wondered if he ever really wanted to see his child in the first place. She led him to water but couldn’t force him to drink.
“Yo brother here,” Rodney said.
“Really?”
Getting Spencer to show up at a family gathering was always a struggle, but he was somewhat faithful when it came to Sunday dinners.
“What he look like?” Deena asked.
Rodney put a hand to his mouth to muffle a snicker. “You just have to see for yourself.”
Deena climbed her mother’s steps eager to see what foolishness her big brother was up to, but Spencer left her mind completely when she opened the front door. There were over twenty guests in attendance this afternoon, and every one of them was in the living room. They were gathered around Bernice’s television watching, of all things, Deena’s press conference from the day before. They cheered like they saw a celebrity when she walked in.
“Hey! It’s Dee!”
“You did yo thang, baby girl!”
“Yeah, you did good!”
One of her nephews ran up and grabbed hold of her hand. Jimmy was seven years old and missing both of his bunny rabbit teeth.
“Dee Dee, you on TV!”
“I am?” Deena bent and scooped him up for a big kiss on the cheek. “What are y’all watching that for?” she asked the
There was no dress code at Mama’s house, but Deena always wore something nice so she wouldn’t look out of place next to all of the religious folks who came right after church. She pulled a gray skirt and a white blouse from her closet and completed the outfit with black stockings and black pumps. She usually had her hair pulled back when dressed like this, and it felt good to be loose and flirty today.
She straightened her locks and curled the ends for a nice flip. She left her shirt unbuttoned midway down her chest and wore a solitaire diamond pendant that came to rest right above her cleavage. Deena didn’t have a wedding band, but she made up for it with two other twinkling rings of greater value, one on each hand.
Her only regret was not being able to take Boogie with her, but she gave him a nice snuggle on the way out and promised to bring him a big plate of leftovers when she got home.
* * *
Bernice Newman still lived on the south side of Overbrook Meadows, in the very house she single-handedly raised all four of her children in. It was an old brick home with three bedrooms, a carport, and a perimeter fence Deena had installed four years ago because of an outbreak of stray dogs in the neighborhood. The front yard was small, the backyard was small, and all of the doors and windows had much-needed burglar bars, but it was still a beautiful place to Deena; a place of fond memories, warmth, and nurturing.
She pulled her Denali to a stop behind her uncle’s F-350 and was immediately greeted by one of Pete’s boys when she got out of the car.
“Hey, Dee Dee.”
Rodney was twenty-three years old, moderately handsome, and always thuggish. He was light-skinned with thick corn rows and a struggling moustache. Deena knew he harbored an unnatural crush on her, but she still spoiled him. Rodney was the kind of guy who was always going to say exactly how he felt, and Deena respected that.
“Look at you, getting more and more handsome,” she said, and leaned forward to give him a hug. She kept her pelvis as far away as possible during their embrace so he wouldn’t try anything slick like he did when she was in college. “What’s your daddy in there doing?” she asked.
“Running his mouth, as usual,” Rodney said and walked with her to the front door.
“You bring Michael?”
He shook his head. “Naw. She wouldn’t let me see him today.”
Deena shook her head, too. She took her cousin to the child support office last year to get his visitation rights established, but he was still allowing his baby’s mother to go against the court order. Deena wondered if he ever really wanted to see his child in the first place. She led him to water but couldn’t force him to drink.
“Yo brother here,” Rodney said.
“Really?”
Getting Spencer to show up at a family gathering was always a struggle, but he was somewhat faithful when it came to Sunday dinners.
“What he look like?” Deena asked.
Rodney put a hand to his mouth to muffle a snicker. “You just have to see for yourself.”
Deena climbed her mother’s steps eager to see what foolishness her big brother was up to, but Spencer left her mind completely when she opened the front door. There were over twenty guests in attendance this afternoon, and every one of them was in the living room. They were gathered around Bernice’s television watching, of all things, Deena’s press conference from the day before. They cheered like they saw a celebrity when she walked in.
“Hey! It’s Dee!”
“You did yo thang, baby girl!”
“Yeah, you did good!”
One of her nephews ran up and grabbed hold of her hand. Jimmy was seven years old and missing both of his bunny rabbit teeth.
“Dee Dee, you on TV!”
“I am?” Deena bent and scooped him up for a big kiss on the cheek. “What are y’all watching that for?” she asked the
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