Ready for Love

Potential paying customer, potential paying customer… Do not cuss out a potential paying customer. Maritza repeated the mantra in her head and tried to make her smile a little less icy. She knew it was the cold and brittle smile taking shape on her lips because it hurt like hell to do it.

“I don’t see what my past or my partner’s past have to do with it—”

“Well, not so much hers since she was hardly as out there as you were, but definitely you. Chick, you would have given me a run for my money in your heyday. Let’s be real.”

Let’s be real, indeed.

Wasn’t her scandalous past the reason she never allowed herself to want to have a relationship with the dynamic and domineering music mogul Terrill Carter? But she would be damned if she would let Lace have any leeway when it came to telling her story.

Maritza’s coldest smile chilled down several more degrees and her eyes narrowed. The other reason she opted for a glacier-white office was about to come to bear. The ice queen had to get deep-frozen in order to give Maritza a challenge when some poor unsuspecting fool got her started. And Lil’ Freak Lace Monroe had fool written all over her if she thought Maritza was going to let her keep on.

Her Los Angeles professionalism took a back-seat to Maritza-from-the-block and the Bronx Nuyorican Blacktina came out.

“Chick, you don’t know me. So let me school you on the subject since you seem to want to persist with this line of discussion. While I may have had my share of lovers in my past, the one thing that I have always had is discretion. People may have speculated or wondered, but they could never say for certain who I might have slept with. I’m particular like that with my personal business. You, on the other hand, have chosen to put your own business out there for the world to see. And hey, I can’t knock your hustle…” She shrugged nonchalantly for emphasis.

“But if you want more than your tawdry tales of sex and scandal being gobbled up by the masses and want to move on to something that showcases more of—should I say more than—your talents, then you need to leave the attitude at the door and listen.” Maritza paused for emphasis and to catch her breath.

Lace’s face became increasingly twisted in anger and attitude. The woman seemed to be bubbling up and seething. Maritza took another calming breath.

“Listen—” Lace started.

“No, you listen.” Maritza cut her off. “People can speculate all they want about my past. But that’s all they will ever do. You won’t ever see me letting them into my personal life like that.”

The words I’ll never tell took on new meaning as far as her past was concerned. She didn’t want to talk about it, revisit it or have anything to do with it.

Lace sighed and rolled her eyes. “What-the-hell-ever! I knew this was a bad idea. Chicks are always quick to judge when they know they are just as scandalous and have enough skeletons in they closets to fill a cemetery.”

Maritza took a deep breath and then exhaled. This woman would be work. This woman would also work her nerves and test her religion on the regular. But something inside of her was demanding that she give Lace a chance.

It must have been Maritza’s own little inner ex-video-vixen acting up. It was a good thing she’d stopped letting that child make decisions in her life years ago. But still…

Maritza sighed. She simultaneously hoped she wouldn’t regret what she was about to do and knew without a doubt that she would.

No good deed goes unpunished.

It was her favorite saying and she repeated it like a mantra. Too bad it never stopped her from doing good deeds and trying to help folks who probably weren’t worth helping.

Maritza knew Lace Monroe. Hell, but for a few digit differences in the number of men they had both supposedly slept with or had affairs with, she used to be Lace Monroe. And in her heart Maritza knew that Lace Monroe was nowhere near ready to change her lifestyle. Truth be told, it had taken a traumatic experience that she wouldn’t wish on any woman to make her change so many years ago.

“Okay, Lace, we will take you on as a client, but what we need you to do and to stop doing is firm unless you like throwing your money away. We can’t help you clean up your image if you are bent on continuing to be that scandalous tell-all video ho.”

Lace smiled a real smile that made her look like the young twentysomething she was. “You won’t regret this, Maritza. I swear. This is going to be lucrative for all of us. Because if New Images by Keys and Morales can clean up my image, just think of all the Hollywood and hip-hop clientele you will be getting.”

“We’ll see about that. In the meantime, I am going to set up some shopping trips for us. You will need a new wardrobe. You know the saying ‘Dress for the job you want, not the job you have’? Well, it’s time for you to start dressing for the life you are aspiring to live.” Maritza took a minute to take in Lace’s popping red, super tight and extra short spandex micro-minidress.

“So that means we’re going to need you to be a little less video vixen and a little more businesswoman slash rising starlet. On top of that, it’s time to stop doing moguls and time to start concentrating on becoming one. Your mindset is going to be the hardest thing to change.” Maritza kept her face stern and no-nonsense. She knew she was laying it on heavy with Lace. But she wanted the young woman to know that this wasn’t going to be an easy thing to accomplish.

Changing people’s perceptions of you was a damn near impossible endeavor. But as far as Maritza was concerned, New Images by Keys and Morales dealt in possibility and faced the impossible down until it flinched.

“Am I paying for this lecture or is it a bonus service?” Lace twisted her lips to the side and rolled her eyes.

“Oh, the lectures are free. One thing you should know about me is I keep it real. I shoot straight from the hip. I will always be up front with you and tell you exactly what I think. Some people say I’m bossy.” She gave her signature shrug. “But I tend to think I am well versed in knowing what can and should be done—”

Lace busted out laughing and Maritza couldn’t help herself, she had to join her.

“What’s so funny about that.” Maritza made her face as expressionless as possible considering the fact that she wanted to break into a fit of laughter again. “Am I wrong for thinking that the world would be a much better place if everyone just did what I told them to do?”

Both women laughed at that and Maritza was glad the weird energy between them seemed to be gone.

“I should warn you, Maritza, that I suffer from the same affliction. I’m cursed with knowing what’s best for every situation and unable to keep those thoughts to myself. Something tells me that unless we are on the same page all the time, we are going to bump heads often, maybe even clash.”

Maritza stood up and held out her hand to seal the deal. “Oh, I have no doubt we will clash, Lace. But hopefully we will be able to move past the clashes and get you the results you want. Remember at the end of the day, my suggestions are only meant to help you present the image you say you want to present and get you where you say you want to be.”

Lace shook Maritza’s hand and the genuine smile that surfaced transformed her into a sweet and almost likable woman. “I’m looking forward to working with New Images by Keys and Morales. If anyone can help me get where I want to be it would be Penny Keys and Maritza Morales.” She paused as if considering what she wanted to say. “I really do look up to you two. You both made me want to be a video model and when I look at the successful business you’ve built, you make me want to become more than some rapper’s prop.”

“And you can. You will.” Maritza really did believe that Lace had the tenacity and drive to make it at whatever she put her mind to. The only question was if she was really ready to put her mind and energy on cleaning up her act. Only time would tell.

She walked her to the front door of the office and picked up the stack of pink memo slips her receptionist had left in her in-box. There was a message of a call from Terrill marked urgent.

Without thinking she rushed to her desk and dialed his cell phone number.

“What happened? Is everything okay? Is Penny okay? I knew I should have gone to the funeral. We could have cancelled everything for a few days—” Maritza went off into a barrage of questions as soon as Terrill picked up the phone.

“Calm down, calm down, nothing is wrong. Everything is fine. I just wanted to hear your voice. How are you?” Terrill’s voice sounded strained and a little weary.

Maritza sighed. He didn’t sound like everything was fine. And why the heck did he want to hear her voice?

Kissing him had been such a bad idea!

Yet knowing that and stopping the big old grin that started to form on her face seemed to be impossible to get together. She plopped down on her white leather office chair. It rolled just a little and stopped.

“I don’t understand, Terrill. If it is not about Penny or our business, why would you want to hear my voice?”

Terrill chuckled. It was a sound that normally would have grated her nerves and gotten under her skin. But for some reason in that moment she was relishing the sound of it. It sounded sexy and made her insides get gooey.

Not good.

Change the subject.

“How is Penny? I haven’t had a chance to speak with her since she left.”

“She’s doing as well as can be expected.” He sighed and she could hear the stress in his voice. “Big Mama’s death was unexpected and sudden and Penny is going to need time to cope.”

“She can take as much time as she needs. I can certainly hold down the fort here at the company.” It would be hard, because she and Penny were a perfect team. But she would do whatever she could to help her friend out in her time of need.

“We know you can handle things, Maritza. But I didn’t call to talk about business. I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“You just wanted to hear my voice and that was urgent?” Maritza winced at the breathy sound of her voice.

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