Phoenix Rising

Chapter Two

“You know Lucy is going to put arsenic in your mimosa one day right?” Nya was saying to Phoenix. They were sitting at their regular table at the Honey Pot waiting for Camille to arrive for their weekly “girls” lunch.

“I agree, Phoenix,” Vixen said. “There are three people you don’t piss off; your chef, your assistant, and your hairdresser. They can all make your life a living hell.”

“Lucy better get her act together.  I am working on a 100 million dollar contract for a fast-food chain and I really have no time for incompetence right now,” Phoenix said doing her usual search for the waiter and her mid-day martini.

“Ok, what has your panties in a knot?” Nya said to her.

“My panties are NOT in a knot.  They are resting happily in my lingerie drawer at home.  I am going commando today,” Phoenix started to say, but Vixen interrupted saying, “Pineapples” with her hand in the air not even looking up from her menu.

“So you are sitting there with your jingly bits exposed where I am supposed to eat lunch,” Nya said with her face contorted into a disgusted look.

“Didn’t I say PINEAPPLES?” Vixen said putting her fingers in her ears.

“Forgive me but I have not had s*x in four months and it’s starting to get on my nerves,” Phoenix said. Just as the waitress was bringing their drinks, Camille walked in. She spotted them and immediately came to the table. So many things had changed for all of them the past couple of years. Nya was happily engaged and in love with Sal, and she was willing to admit to strangers she was engaged to him and was planning her wedding with Vixen’s help. Vixen was married with three sons and Camille had just finalized her divorce and cut her hair into a pixie cut and dyed it a dark brown. Her normally bright and perky demeanor was gone and in its place was an over-worked single mother. Her husband had managed to get away with giving no support except child support for the children and had not made a payment in months so Camille had gone back to work and was now a junior associate at a law firm. Jackie was still on everyone’s s**t list and, last but not least, Phoenix was dating Nick. Well, at least she thought she was.  Nick was so closed down and all over the place that Phoenix did not know what they were doing.

“Hello, ladies, how are you?” Camille said as she got to the table and plopped down in her seat.

“Well damn, Camille! You sound like that teacher in that movie Ferris Bueller’s Day off, Bueller, Buller,” Nya said imitating the actor.

“Hi, honey! How are you?” Vixen said leaning over to hug her friend who had been so depressed lately she was really starting to worry about her.

“Hi, V. I am fine,” Camille said.

“Ok, Giggette. What’s up?” Phoenix said to Camille.

“Why does something have to be up?” Camille said irritably.

“Because your face is drooping on the table and you look and sound constipated!” Phoenix said. Nya and Vixen tried to hide their laughter.

“Ladies. I really would prefer to NOT talk about my disastrous life right now,” Camille said taking a sip of the water on the table. She was avoiding looking at any of them in the eye.

“Well, we can respect that, Camille. Just know that we are all here for you,” Nya said to her with a small smile.  Every head at the table whipped in Nya’s direction staring at her.

“What?” she said looking at all of them like they were aliens.

“We are all here for you?” Vixen said to her smiling.  She was so glad that Nya was happy and was seeking therapy about her hurt from the past.

“Ok, who are you and where did Sal put the real Nya?” Phoenix said laughing. “I feel like I am in an episode of the Twilight Zone. Camille is depressed, you are happy, Vixen’s not getting any and I was getting plenty but stopped it because I wanted to know where it was “going” and my man seems to be happy with being horny as hell,” Phoenix said quickly.  

“Wait! What did I miss?  Vixen, you aren’t getting any?” Camille said to her friend.

“Um, Lil’ Bit, when did you plan on telling me that you and your husband are not having s*x?” Nya said to her with her arms folded across her chest. Both Nya and Camille were looking at her like ‘why does Phoenix know and we don’t’ and Vixen was making the ‘I am going to cut your throat’ signal to Phoenix.

“See how I did that smooth transition and got the topic off me and on to you and Camille?” Phoenix said winking at her.

“Heffa, I know where you sleep!” Vixen said to her cousin laughing. “Daniel is still really freaked out about the accident and the coma,” Vixen said taking another sip of her wine. “We have not made love since I came home from the hospital. I think he is afraid I will get pregnant again. BUT, Momma has a plan and it involves the stripper pole I had installed in our bedroom this morning, massage oil, incense, music, and a nightie that might as well be called a string cause that is what it looks like,” Vixen said laughing.

“Wow, Lil’ Bit, I am sorry.  I know there was a time Daniel could not keep his hands off you before the pregnancy. Are you worried?” she finished.

“No! I know it’s just fear. He told me last week that while he realizes that I was in a coma, he had to live through me being in a coma and our sons being sick. So I get it,” Vixen said smiling. She was portraying a false sense of security right now because she was very worried that the real problem was that her husband was no longer attracted to her.

“So Camille is not ready to talk and Vixen has shared.  So we are back to you, Phoenix.  What is going on?” Nya said after they had ordered their lunches. Taking a deep breath and a sip of her martini, Phoenix said, “Well I have a twit trying to replace me,” Phoenix started putting the words ‘replace me’ in air quotes.

“Wait! Phoenix, you are a partner.  How can they replace you?” Camille said to her.

“Well, they can force a buyout, which is essentially firing me,” Phoenix said to them pausing to take the glass of lemon water the waiter had brought her. She had gotten a lot better with coping and not drinking too much, most of the time she ordered a drink took one sip or two and then drank water.  “I am not really worried about it. I go and so do my clients.  I was smart enough to put that in my contract, thanks to a great lawyer,” she finished smiling

  at Camille. “It’s just the fact that I have to deal with this wench daily. Then there is Nick and the fiasco that is our...” Nya cut Phoenix off before she could finish because Jackie had just walked in the door and was coming toward their table.

“I am sorry to interrupt you, Phoenix, but here comes the devil’s mistress,” Nya said to them under her breath.

“You know this heffa is evil.  She can smell her prey,” Phoenix said. “I swear the last three times we have been to lunch, she has been there. I think she might be stalking us!” 

“I want to know what she is wearing. None of that is Jackie,” Vixen said. Jackie was wearing black running shoes, black leggings and a white, which looked like cotton, button-down shirt. And her usually immaculate hair was in a ponytail pulled back from her face and, miracle upon miracles, no makeup.

“Are those sneakers?” Camille said with her mouth open just as she got to the table.

“Hello, ladies,” Jackie said humbly.  None of them could believe what they were hearing. The table was silent.  No one knew what to say or how to say it. Camille and Phoenix were sitting closest to Jackie.

“Vixen, I am so glad to see you doing better,” Jackie said, trying again.

“Um, I hate to ask, but what is that smell?” Camille said covering her nose.

“OH! You don’t know that scent, Camille? That is Eau-de-homeless-hoe bag,” Nya said.

“Uh, Thank... Thank you, Jackie,” Vixen said finally looking up at her attempting to get past what Nya had said. “Daniel told me that you came to see me when I was in the hospital.”

“Yeah, I did,” Jackie said fidgeting. “I know that we are not friends anymore but I really wanted to make sure you were ok,” Jackie finished.

“Excuse me. I am sorry to break up the moment but are you wearing polyester?” Phoenix said with a disgusted look on her face as she touched her pants and then wiped her hand on Camille’s shirt. “And why do you smell like fried chicken and spam?” she finished looking Jackie up and down.

“I could be wrong but I think her sneakers might be Air Walks,” Camille said looking at the ladies at the table smirking and then mouthing, ‘What the f**k?’  Just as Nya was about to say something, the manager approached the table.

“Jackie, you are ten minutes late for your shift and when you get here you start chit-chatting with friends?” he said to her nastily.

“Excuse me.  She is not our friend.  We do not know this disaster!” Nya said.

“No, Nya, you, the doctor that killed my defenseless nine-year-old son, don’t know me at all!” Jackie yelled at her.

“Wait, you work here?” Phoenix said starting to laugh. “Wait, wait, I need to get a picture of this. Princess Suck-a-d**k for money has a J.O.B! This is too good!” she finished as she snapped photos.  Jackie stomped away putting on her apron. “Wait, Wait. Toss your hair and look over your shoulder,” she finished as she continued to snap pictures of Jackie as she walked away.

Laughing so hard tears were streaming down her eyes, Nya snatched her phone and said, “Give me that phone, fool!”

“Did she say that she works here?” Camille said with her mouth open.

“Yes, yes she did. As a matter of fact, she is servicing table 8 right now,” Phoenix said still laughing.  “When you think about it, she has been servicing under and on top of tables for money most of her life so at least she has experience!”

“STOP THAT!” Vixen said. “You guys, this is not who we are. I know what she did was wrong and none of us trusts or likes her, but she is having issues and Daniel told me that Parker was her son. It’s wrong to laugh,” Vixen said to them looking behind her at Jackie waiting on one of her tables.

“Then I am going to confession tomorrow because those pants are a mess!” Phoenix said laughing.

Chuckling with her but trying to hide it, Nya said, “Phoenix, you are just simple!”