Pay Day Read online

  “Wow,” I said.

  “Are you guys buying a place?” Angelique asked.

  “No, she’s selling her condo because she moved in my place.” He let out a heavy sigh. “We didn’t even talk about it. I think that’s what’s bothering me. It’s like she just took over my life. And now she’s even trying to regulate how I spend my money.”

  Angelique attempted to hand him the five back. “Maybe you need to sit out the pool.”

  “Whatever. I’m in. I work every day. If I want to spend five dollars, I’m spending five dollars.” He shook his head in frustration as he headed toward the door.

  “Well, I got everybody’s money. Since Owen is out, I’ll only get twenty tickets instead of twenty-five,” Angelique said once Terrance was gone. I’d given her ten dollars last week, so I was covered. “Raquelle gave me her money right before they called her into the office, so I’ll go ahead and make this run before Evelyn comes hunting me down,” she said, referring to our supervisor.

  As if we’d talked her up, Evelyn stuck her head in the break room.

  “Janine, may I have a word with you?” Her tone let me know that ghetto-lady had indeed called back and they’d traced it back to me.

  I sighed heavily. “Coming…”

  “What are you in trouble for?” Angelique whispered as I was walking off.

  “I cussed out a customer,” I said with a raised brow.

  “You’d better lie and say you didn’t,” she called after me.

  I nodded. She was right. Cussing out customers was grounds for immediate termination. If I had any tears left, I probably would’ve cried because I needed my job – especially now that I was a single mother. Yep, I needed to play dumb because I definitely couldn’t get fired now.

  Chapter 2

  Raquelle

  This could not be happening, I kept mumbling to myself as I struggled to keep from rocking back and forth. But judging from the look on Mr. Perry’s face and the two other men perched behind him, there was no doubt, it was definitely happening.

  The disdain on my boss’s face made me feel like a child who had let down her parents.

  “To say that I am disappointed is an understatement,” Mr. Perry said. “You have been a trusted member of this team for eight years. A valued employee and you would dare do this?”

  I pushed back the tears that were fighting to make their escape.

  “We gave you extended time off to deal with your son.” Mr. Perry’s voice was stern and unwavering. “We worked with you when you ran out of sick days. I tolerated your tardiness, your excuses and this is how you repay me?”

  “I know that no words can excuse what I did,” I finally managed to say.

  “You are absolutely right about that.”

  “But… I was desperate.”

  “You know,” Mr. Perry said, “that’s what I kept telling myself. That if this prized employee that I know and trust could do something like this, it could only mean that she was desperate. So I did some research of my own.” He glanced down at a stack of papers in front of him. “I see insurance – that I pay a huge chunk of – covered most of your son’s treatment. The rest totaled about 65-thousand dollars.”

  I had no idea how he had access to my financial information. But who was I kidding? He was Lawton Perry, one of the richest entrepreneurs in Houston and the founder of Clearcast Cable. He could buy any information he wanted.

  “So, I’ll give you the 65-thousand,” Mr. Perry continued. He pounded the papers on his desk. “But please explain to me where the other 125-thousand came into play?”

  I opened my mouth but no words came out. There were no words to justify what I’d done. I was a former honor roll student, turned thief. I’d been a supervisor in the accounting department for the past five years. Two years ago, after seeing how much money was coming into Clearcast and the lack of oversight, I’d started syphoning off cash, making out checks to myself. At first, they were small checks, but when no one noticed, they grew each time. Soon, the easier it got to take the money, the harder it was to stop. And sixty thousand became eighty. Eighty became 100. 100 became 125 and honestly, I probably would’ve kept going if a surprise audit hadn’t derailed my spending.

  I’m not really a thief. Well, I never was until desperation drove me there and dropped me off with an unmonitored pass to syphon off money. But now, it looked like I was about to pay the ultimate price.

  “Mrs. Vargas, what do you think should happen?” That came from the HR director, Harry, who had been standing silently behind Mr. Perry the entire time.

  I had barely sat down at my desk this morning when I’d been summoned into the boss’s office. We usually had staff meetings on Wednesday afternoons, so I’d been praying that he wanted to talk to me in regard to something about the meeting. But my gut said otherwise. When you’re doing dirt, any word from the higher-ups can send your nerves into a frenzy. That’s why I’d had to duck in the bathroom and calm myself down before I made my way up to the twelfth floor and into Mr. Perry’s massive office.

  “They don’t know, they don’t know,” I’d repeatedly mumbled to myself. But as soon as I walked into that office, I knew that they knew.

  “Answer him,” Mr. Perry said. “What do you think should happen now?”

  I wanted to tell them that I wanted them to pretend this never happened. To let me go on about my merry way and I’d never steal another dime from anyone. But I knew that would never be an option.

  “I, I can pay it back,” I stammered.

  “Okay.” Mr. Perry casually held out his hand. “Give it here. All of it.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. I may have had a few thousand in the bank, well not a few. It was more like a couple. My nine-year-old son, Shaun, had been diagnosed with kidney failure. I took the first ten thousand to cover his mounting medical bills. Then there was the experimental treatment that didn’t work. Sam, my children’s father and my husband of six years, died three years ago, so I was doing all of this on my own. In the beginning, the money was just for Shaun. But once he got better, I wanted to do more. I wanted to celebrate life and I’d gotten caught up. I spent the money I’d taken more frivolously than I should have. My kids and I started living pretty well. We took vacations, and I bought Shaun all of the latest Jordan’s, along with any jersey that came out. My teenage daughter, Tiana, and I had regular appointments for mani’s, pedi’s, and spa treatments because I thought it was important that she didn’t get lost in all the attention that I gave to Shaun. I finally came to my senses and figured I should put the extra money to good use. I’d put a down payment on our house, I bought a new car, and just enjoyed life as an upper class woman. Shaun got better and the money got good. Then, Shaun took a turn for the worse, requiring a kidney transplant and that was my justification for bumping up the fake checks to five figures.

  “I-I don’t have the money right now.”

  “Of course you don’t,” Mr. Perry said, gathering his papers up.

  “But I can get it. I can pay you back,” I cried.

  “How will you do that when you don’t have a job?” he replied.

  The tears I’d been holding back finally escaped. I don’t know why I thought, why I hoped that they wouldn’t fire me.

  “Surely, you don’t think I was going to keep you employed here.” He stood up.

  “Please, Mr. Perry, let me work it off.”

  “Mrs. Vargas, there are two things I absolutely abhor. A liar and a thief. If you had come to me and explained the situation about your son, I would’ve been more likely to help you. Now, I have no sympathy for you.” He sneered at me as he finished with, “Please exit my building.”

  Security eased over to me. “Mrs. Vargas, your belongings have been packed up,” Harry, the HR director said as the guard helped me stand. “Dante will escort you to your office to retrieve your immediate personal items, then he’ll escort you out of the building. You should be grateful that Mr. Perry chose not to arrest you o
n the spot. I do, however, suggest that you get an attorney.”

  “An attorney?”

  “Yes,” Harry said. “We will be filing embezzlement charges. You’re looking at some serious jail time.”

  I collapsed back in my chair. Embezzlement? Jail? What would happen to my children?

  “No, please. I’m so sorry,” I cried.

  All of the men began gathering up their belongings, basically dismissing me. I could tell my tears moved none of them. And then, reality set in. Without this job, not only would I not have money, I wouldn’t have any benefits. How was I supposed to pay for Shaun’s kidney transplant? He was on a waiting list, but if he got a donor soon, we’d need to get it done as soon as possible.

  I begged, “Please, Mr. Perry, don’t press charges. I promise, I’ll pay back every penny no matter how long it takes. I need this job. My son’s life depends on it.”

  Dante, the security guard, whispered, “Come on, Raquelle, let me help you out.” I could tell he was trying to be gentle and me acting a fool would only make things worse so I just bowed my head in shame as I stood and let him escort me out.

  Tears streamed down my face as I let him lead me down the long hall, past the elevator and to my office. The place that I had worked for the past eight years became a blur as I walked toward my office. As I waited for the door to open, I prayed none of my friends were at their desks. In fact, I wished I had access to a phone so I could call in a bomb threat or something. Anything so that my friends and coworkers wouldn’t see my shame as I was escorted out the building like a common criminal.

  My mother always said, “Greed has been the death of many a man.” And now, because of my greed, my son could very well die.

  Chapter 3

  Angelique

  Terrance’s party had wrapped up. I knew because I’d poked my head back in so I could snatch a piece of that delicious looking banana pudding cake. I had been overweight all my life, so I was very self-conscious about eating sweets in public. The cake was sitting on a back table, calling my name. I smiled as I approached what was left of the sheet cake.

  I released a euphoric sigh as I scooped up a piece and popped it in my mouth. Just as I did that, I looked up to see Marcus, my live-in boyfriend of four years. Marcus was a field tech for Clearcast and was almost never in the office. So, why he would be here now, just as I was about to gnaw down on this cake? This had to be some kind of cruel joke.

  Marcus was one of the good guys. He loved me like little girls dreamed of being loved. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel the same way, because I did. I loved him, but sometimes my insecurities caused me to push away from him.

  Just a week ago, I agreed to us going on a strict diet to shed some of the pounds. Marcus didn’t have a weight problem, yet he agreed to make healthy eating choices so that it would be easier for me to do the same. Everyone that knew us, knew that Marcus loved me and he would do anything in order to protect me. So not only did everyone love him, he was handsome and looked just like that actor Lahman Rucker, but they loved the way he treated me. That’s why I felt like Tyler Perry stole my story in that “Why Did I Get Married” movie. I was Jill Scott, minus the singing, of course. I wasn’t bad-looking at all, but I did have a good one hundred pounds over Marcus. It bothered me, but not him. I just never understood why someone of his caliber would fall for someone like me.

  The look on his face was one of disappointment when he spotted me with the cake. His expression was enough to make me grab a napkin, spit the piece of cake back into the paper, and toss it in the trash.

  “Angelique…”

  I turned and darted out of the break room before he could finish his sentence. I ducked into the restroom, pushed into a stall, and let the tears flow. It was hard for me to understand why I didn’t have will power. If Marcus hadn’t walked in, I probably would’ve eaten everything that was left. And that made me ashamed. Why did someone else have to look at me in a certain way for me to put the cake down? Why couldn’t I want better for myself on my own?

  Finally, I walked out of the stall, wiped my eyes and looked in the mirror.

  You’re pretty for a big girl.

  The words rang in my head. I used to believe that needed to be my national anthem. My mother – God bless her warped, dysfunctional soul – told me that on a daily basis. I think she was trying to make me feel good about myself. But it hadn’t worked. I stared at myself in the mirror. All 285 pounds of my 5’6” frame.

  The one thing my mother’s “You’re pretty for a big girl” comment had done, was given me low self esteem. Growing up, it got to the point where I learned to hide how much the fat jokes bothered me. I’d even learned to crack a few of my own. But my self-esteem had been taking a beating over the last few years because my self worth tanked with each pound. Yes, I had Marcus, but I had a hard time accepting his love. I knew it was because I felt inferior to other women.

  People just didn’t get it. I’d tried every diet ever invented. Although, I had a sweet tooth, I wasn’t some ferocious eater. I’d like to think my metabolism was slower than most people’s. And yes, I’d diagnosed myself and found that I was severely allergic to exercising. So, yeah, I knew part of my weight was my own fault, but as soon as I got enough money, I was going to have gastric bypass surgery. I’d already checked into it and this bootleg insurance at Clearcast wouldn’t cover it, so I’d have to come up with $14,000 on my own. So far, I had about $3,000 saved.

  I shook off my tears and took my big behind back outside. I knew Marcus would give me my space. He knew my struggle and was amazing at stepping back until I could pull myself together.

  “Hey, are you all right?” my co-worker, Lorna asked as I made my way back toward my desk.

  “Yeah, I’m okay. My allergies are acting up.” I forced a smile.

  Lorna shook her head as she noticed the stack of lottery tickets on my desk. “I see y’all still wasting your money on the devil’s work.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh at Lorna, who we called ‘Oh Holy One’ around the office. She was the self-appointed pointer-out of everything sinful but was the first person to bring you the latest office gossip.

  “Come on, Lorna. If you win, you can give ten percent to the church,” I said, managing a smile in her direction.

  “Don’t play with Jesus,” she warned.

  “Can you at least say a prayer that we win?” I asked.

  “I’m going to pray for you all right,” she said, shaking her head like I had a one-way ticket to hell.

  We stopped talking as our coworker, my friend, Raquelle came marching across the room, her head bowed, her eyes puffy like she’d been crying as two security guards were flanked on both sides of her.

  “What’s going on?” I asked. I had just gotten her money for the lottery pool this morning and she seemed fine.

  Raquelle didn’t look up as they escorted her through our area. Her office in the finance department was in the back of the call center, so I assumed that was where they were going.

  “Girl, you hadn’t heard?” Lorna leaned over my cubicle and whispered.

  “Heard what?” I asked.

  “Word is that Raquelle apparently has been embezzling money from the company,” Lorna whispered.

  “Girl, shut up!” I exclaimed. I cupped my hands over my mouth and shook my head. I’d asked Raquelle if she had gotten a raise because she was shopping like I’d never seen her do before. Her job in the accounting department paid well, but the house she’d just moved into was much nicer than the one she’d lived in since I met her. And much more than I assumed she could afford on her salary. She was a single parent taking care of two kids, that’s why I questioned the decision to buy such a lavish house. I never would’ve imagined that she was stealing.

  Lorna was about to say something, but I ran over to Raquelle, who was standing outside her office as one of the guards went inside to retrieve her purse. “Raquelle, what’s going on?”

  My friend couldn’t even make
eye contact with me. She was shaking, like she was extremely scared. “I’ll call you later,” she said, her voice low.

  Before I could say anything else, they whisked her away.

  Chapter 4

  Terrance

  After work Sheray and I decided to grab a bite to eat at Cyclone Anaya’s. The margaritas there were bangin’. And once we got married I found myself wired up and needing to take the edge off by having a drink… or three, more often than usual.

  I turned into the parking lot and my mouth began to water when I thought about the cold, refreshing Tequila Gold I was about to enjoy. I’d become accustomed to meeting my buddies for a Friday happy hour every once in a while. But lately, I needed alcoholic beverages mid week.

  Yes, I loved Sheray, as my girlfriend. I could send her home when she started working my nerves, or even make up an excuse to get away and just get my space. But as my wife, I was now stuck.

  I grabbed the keys out of the ignition and glanced over at Sheray, who sat still with her hands on the straps of her purse. I reached for my door handle and when she didn’t move, I frowned. “Umm… aren’t you going to get out?”

  “Yeah, I am, but I’m going to wait for you to come around and open the door for me,” she said without even looking my way. “I was watching Steve Harvey and he said -”

  I wasn’t even up for the bull she was about to dish out. “Steve Harvey? Seriously? I don’t care what anyone has to say. If you want me to open the door for you, then say that. Don’t tell me what another man says, because that’s the quickest way for me not to do it.”

  She finally looked at me, a cheesy grin spreading over her face. “Well, I was just thinking that since we’re married now, we have to do things differently. You haven’t been the most chivalrous man toward me, but now that I am your Missus that’s gonna change.”

  She seemed proud of her statement. I would never understand why women thought putting on a ring and changing her last name would make a man think and act differently. If it were left up to me, we would have been dating for life. I shuddered as the words “Till death do us part” ran across my mind.