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Her driver, Benny, is here for me? Excitement, reservations, and other motions filled her.
She gathered the box and paper, tossing it into the garbage nearby. She took the phone, wanting to be sure to give it to Benny or to Freda when she saw them. She thought about tossing out the note from Freda, but something made her hold on to it. For some strange reason she felt like her life was about to seriously change.
She walked out of the building with butterflies in her belly and her backpack slung over her shoulder. Sure enough, there was a black stretch limo. Before she even made it out of the building and to the sidewalk, an older gentleman got out from the driver’s side and immediately welcomed her.
“Miss Sparketta, I’m Benny, your driver.”
“Hi, Benny,” she replied, feeling completely awkward. Especially since some workers began to exit the building and saw her now.
“Shall we?” Benny said then opened the back door to the limo. She stepped inside and her mouth gaped open.
The car was huge and luxurious. There were fancy crystal bottles of liquor, an ice bucket, and multiple types of crystal glasses.
Benny got into the driver’s seat and spoke to her from the rearview mirror.
“If you’re hungry, Miss, there are some small sandwiches in the refrigerator and some bottles of water or soda.”
“Oh, thank you,” she replied, and he began to pull away from the curb and head into traffic. Her belly was in knots. She was nervous, excited, but also starving, and once again, she hadn’t had time to stop at the grocery store. She located the small refrigerator that was hidden behind the matching black trim she thought was part of the fancy cabinetry.
The assortment of sandwiches was amazing. She chose one along with a bottle of water and chowed it down quickly, knowing that Sassy’s was only a few blocks away. Just as she finished up, easing the ache in her belly somewhat, they arrived. The limo pulled into an underground parking garage she didn’t know existed. When they parked, Benny got out and led her through the garage to an elevator.
“Just take the second door on the right. Mrs. Mulsberry is waiting.”
“Thank you for the ride,” she said, and Benny smiled then tipped his hat at
her before heading back to the limo.
As she made her way to the door, she had some reservations. She was taking a chance here. She didn’t know any of these people. Was she becoming so desperate for a better life that she was taking such a risk like this? What if Freda wasn’t legit? What if she operated a prostitution business or something? As the panic set in, the door opened and she immediately recognized the man.
“Good evening, Mariana. Mrs. Mulsberry is waiting.”
Her bodyguard escorted Mariana into another room and then the back room to Sassy’s. There stood Freda, wearing a velvet jumpsuit in black and sipping champagne with a very beautiful woman in a red dress.
“There she is,” Freda said, and she walked over, grabbed Mariana’s hand, and hugged her.
“Isn’t she beautiful, Margarete?”
“My God, she’s stunning,” the woman said as she looked Mariana over.
“I’m wearing skinny jeans and a sweatshirt,” Mariana replied to their comments, as she felt really awkward.
“Nonsense. I’ve seen you dressed up before. You’re gorgeous and it’s natural beauty. Now, meet Margarete. She is the owner of Sassy’s.”
Mariana was in shock. Freda must be loaded.
“So Mariana, you’ve attended some of these art events before. You know how the attendees dress and conduct themselves. I don’t believe you will have a problem with that at all,” Freda said then smiled.
“No, ma’am. In fact, I’ve often dreamed of attending the events as a guest and having ample time to view the art and really see some famous originals close up.”
“Well, you are going to get your chance. I know you’re going to do fabulous and Margarete is going to help you look the part,” Freda stated and Margarete smiled. Mariana clasped her hands and took a deep breath as she anticipated what would happen next. Margarete and Freda went back and forth about colors that would suit Mariana and certain styles. They weren’t quite arguing but it did seem as though the women knew one another well.
But as the evening went on, she came to realize that Margarete and Freda were actually friends and she designed many of Freda’s gowns she wore to fancy events. They went through the clothing, everything from undergarments to hair accessories and products.
She felt incredibly spoiled and completely uncomfortable. Especially as Freda told her she was taking this home. Her apartment was bad, and if anyone saw her bringing anything inside, their curiosity would bring trouble her way. But how could she explain this to Freda?
* * * *
Freda was enjoying this time with Mariana. She was such a sweet and quiet young woman, and she adored her immediately. But something seemed to be bothering the woman. She became awfully quiet.
