A Street Girl Named Desire: A Novel (14 page)

Everyone in the section began looking into the folds of the long gowns hanging from the racks. Another saleswoman walked
over to Tiah and the salesgirl who was helping her. She went to get security, while Tiah led the salesgirl to the fitting room. The coast was clear for Desire to make her move.

Quickly, she slipped into the large window that was dressed with the beautiful gown. The security guard responsible for that section had joined everyone in searching for Tiah's bag. Desire heard Tiah shouting from across several aisles, “Somebody has to look … the person could be gone by now!”

Desire worked quickly. It was hard for her to squeeze behind the partition that barricaded the window off from the rest of the store. She slithered in between, however, and though she had to work fast, she needed to do it without panicking. There was no sense in displaying her thievery for all of Seventh Avenue to see. She carefully but swiftly disrobed the mannequin so no one looking from the outside would become suspicious. The dress was a combination of light silk and even lighter chiffon. Once Desire got it off the mannequin, she rolled it up and threw it into the large Macy's shopping bag that was merely part of her disguise. She continued to hear Tiah's shouts, so had no reason to believe that she wasn't covered. She checked the roll of fabric for the feeling of a hard square that could be a store alarm. But she had inside knowledge from one of the pickpocket gang members. Loss Prevention rarely bothered to alarm-tag display items. One, most people weren't bold enough to attempt to loot store-window items. Two, the precaution would certainly ruin the beauty of the display.

Desire peered out of the barricade and into the store. The commotion Tiah had created was winding down. No one was suspicious that Tiah could have been lying, but everyone had gotten
bored with the drama. Tiah pretended to break into tears as the two saleswomen and a security guard tried to explain to her the procedure for reporting a bag as stolen.

“But I just got paid and I had all my money in that bag,” Tiah whined, as she watched Desire wriggle from behind the display-window barricade. She waited for Desire to walk out of the revolving doors, onto Seventh Avenue, before she composed herself. She continued listening to the instructions before she began to walk hopelessly away. It was necessary for them to get out of the area now. Tiah interrupted the security guard. “I'll handle it,” she assured them, and she hurried toward the revolving doors to catch up with Desire.

Without speaking, the girls ran to the D subway stop on the corner to catch the express train to Harlem. As they sat on the train, Desire thought about her scheme, and how easily it had worked. She began to imagine what else she could take, and what she could do with the money. She brushed away the thoughts, though, thinking how much better off she was now—in school, with Carvelas and Tiah and, most importantly, Hattie Mae. But the seeds had been planted for her to slip right back into the life she had escaped.

D
esire and Carvelas pulled up in front of prom in a limousine. Desire stared out into the crowd through the tinted window as her fellow classmates hovered around, waiting and watching everyone who arrived. This had been a tradition for many years in Harlem. A high school affair took on the debauchery of a player's ball when it came to the clothes. Those that came to the prom looking busted and broke would never live it down for the rest of their young adult lives. Kodak didn't lie. But all whose wears were tight got a pass from being talked about. If they were dressed fly, they got a ghetto status as someone to be reckoned with. Desire wanted that status.

The chauffeur opened the car door, and Desire stepped
out of the vehicle. She took a deep breath. She felt naked and out of place as everyone stared at her. Carvelas clutched her hand as they entered the party. The latest song from Blackstreet was blasting from the DJ's speakers. The closer she and Carvelas got to the gymnasium door, the more she wished that she were invisible. Desire was baffled when all the young boys from her school that never spoke to her before looked like they now had something to say. Then it hit her. When they spoke, they did not look her in the face—they all were looking at her breasts. The dress made good on its promise to bolster her cleavage, and everyone took notice. Desire had never exposed her body because she was always rail thin and preferred to dress in baggy clothing. Her body's growth spurt had happened so fast that she barely had time to adjust. With newfound confidence, she purposely began poking out her chest for all eyes to see.

Carvelas asked Desire if she wanted to go get some refreshments. Desire wanted to make the night special for Carvelas, so she decided to be as agreeable as possible.

“Okay, boo,” she told him.

As they walked toward the food line, they ran right into Chanel and Tony. Chanel's dress was fly—tight, short and black— but it was not nearly as dramatic as Desire's ensemble. It took Chanel a moment to recognize Desire. Tony's eyes bucked, and he looked like he was salivating. It was as if his girlfriend wasn't even standing there. Like everyone else who knew her, Chanel and Tony related Desire to a tomboy who wasn't very feminine. She'd stood out in the crowd of girls who had their hair perfectly coifed and were dressed in outrageous outfits. Tonight, Desire had proved even her worst enemy wrong.

As the evening wound down, Chanel began to fume. It had become obvious that Desire was the object of Tony's attention. Although Desire had come with Carvelas, they both had their own socializing to do within the partygoers. Each and every time Tony spotted Desire alone, he made his way toward her while Carvelas's back was turned. Tony kept finding excuses to leave Chanel's side, and each time she went to look for him, he was in heavy conversation with Desire.

“Why every time I turn around you all up in that bitch face?” screamed Chanel once she was able to get her man back and alone.

“Why you keep sweating me?”

“ 'Cause you playing me! We suppose to be together and all you doing is sniffing up her ass all night and dissing me in front of my friends. So you better make up your mind right now who you want to be with,” Chanel threatened.

“You're right, Chanel. Here's five dollars, take a cab home.”

Chanel stood stunned as she watched him walk away. The DJ announced that it was time for the last dance. Carvelas slipped him a twenty to play Lenny Williams. But when Carvelas went to get Desire, he saw her in the arms of someone else.

Time seemed suspended as Desire danced in the warm, strong arms of the most popular guy in school. Desire smiled wickedly as she watched Chanel storm out of the prom. She put her head back down, closed her eyes and savored the moment. Abruptly, in the middle of the song, Desire pulled away from Tony. She felt the excitement of trumping her enemy making the blood pump through her veins. She had secretly admired Tony for the longest time, and here she was, getting the last dance with him at the
prom. She needed to pull back to get her bearings. True enough, Chanel was gone. What she didn't know was, so was Carvelas.

Desire beamed as she walked off the dance floor thinking of how she must have crushed Chanel. Desire went searching for Carvelas, but he was not in the gym. She went outside to see if the limousine was still there. When she opened the door she saw him sitting alone, with his head down.

“What, you mad 'cause I was dancing with Tony?” Desire sucked her teeth. “I just did that to make Chanel mad, I didn't want him.”

“So you gave him the last dance and ruined my night just so you could get back at Chanel?”

“I tell you what: if you got somewhere for us to go, I let you get some,” Desire responded. She had no intention of really sleeping with Carvelas. She only said what she thought would make him feel better. Desire felt bad about hurting him, but she knew she needed to look out for number one first. Anything and anybody else came second. She was already three steps ahead, thinking of how she was going to get out of fucking Carvelas, when he let her know she didn't have to.

Carvelas shook his head and frowned, “I don't want no sex from you, Desire, because you feel you owe me. I told you already, I respect you more than that. All I wanted was to have the last dance. Take us home, man.”

The driver responded, heading down the avenue as his charges sat in awkward silence. Desire decided to speak as they neared her building.

“Carvelas, I really didn't mean nothing—”

He put up his hand to shut her up. Desire was shocked by the gesture. Carvelas normally catered to her every whim, even if it was only to speak. She felt rejected. Carvelas must be like all the other cats who just wanted to pump her and dump her. When niggas don't get what they want, they change. When the limo pulled up in front of the building, Desire knew she wouldn't be needing a ride home after telling Carvelas off. So she let it rip.

“Fuck you, then!” she shouted with her hand on the door. “Fine, be a pussy nigga like that.”

She waited for Carvelas to snap back at her, but he didn't. He looked hurt, and simply shook his head.

“Don't call me anymore,” Desire said. “We can't be down like that if you can't just chill over a stupid mistake.”

“Go in the house, Desire,” Carvelas said. “I don't want to see you anymore either.”

“Fine, then,” Desire shouted, running away in the six-inch heels she had bought behind Hattie Mae's back.

Inside, Hattie Mae had waited up. Tiah had gone to bed, resigning herself to getting the details in the morning. At first, Hattie Mae looked overjoyed to see Desire walk through the door like a stunning princess. Then she noticed the shoes.

“Now, I know we agreed that you could wear that dress your friend loaned you, but chile, I don't know 'bout them shoes …”

Desire wasn't in the mood to talk.

“Nothing wrong with my shoes.”

Hattie Mae's mouth stayed open as Desire shoved past her. Watching her from behind, Hattie Mae couldn't help but think how much Desire moved like her mother had. For two people
who had never known each other, they were almost the spitting image of each other. Suddenly, the feeling she had when Desire's mother had begun to steal from her years before came back. Out of the blue. She followed Desire into her bedroom. Desire was attempting to undress quietly, so as not to wake Tiah.

“How was the prom?” Hattie Mae asked. She was eager to get in on a little of the girls' lives. They were both growing up, fast. She wanted a connection that was stronger than one they had, which seemed to be hanging on by a thread just because they all continued to go to church together.

“It was all right,” Desire muttered.

“Just all right?” Hattie Mae asked. She watched Desire carefully put the six-inch heels into a sturdy box. Just as Hattie Mae was thinking how much they looked like “hooker shoes,” she remembered that Desire had supposedly borrowed the shoes as well, supposedly from the friend's mother. The box looked brand-new. What type of mother would loan her daughter's friend a pair of expensive, brand-new shoes?

“How did Carvelas act?” she asked. She tried to think of a question that might be exciting for Desire. “Did he give you a good-night kiss?”

Having slipped on a nightgown and tumbled into bed, Desire didn't seem to be in the mood to talk. “No. I don't like Carvelas like that. We went as friends, that's it.” She spit the words out with so much attitude, Hattie Mae felt like she had been stabbed. What was going on? It was as if Desire's entire personality had changed in the last couple of weeks. Hattie Mae didn't want to think the worst. Growing pains, she told herself.

“I'll tell you about it tomorrow, okay?” Desire said, and mustered
the smile that she knew Hattie Mae lived for. Hattie Mae nodded, and turned off the bedroom light.

“Don't forget to talk to the Father tonight,” she said, before closing the door.

Tony's interest in Desire was more than fleeting. He knew he had Chanel in his back pocket, eating out of the palm of his hand. He didn't even bother to explain to her where he was on the nights that he was sniffing behind Desire. He showed up at her door one evening dressed in a freshly pressed Karl Kani shirt and crisp black slacks. Hattie Mae was not impressed. It was almost as if she could smell the dog inside him.

“I'll go get Desire,” she said after she let him in.

“Thank you very much, ma'am,” Tony answered, then sat down on the couch. Tiah came from the kitchen and tried to hide her amazement that
the
Tony Evers was actually sitting in her living room.

“ 'Sup, Tony?” she asked, admiring his outfit. She had rollers in her hair and was embarrassed. She hadn't expected a man to be early to pick up someone for a date.

“Hello … Tiah, right?” They heard Hattie Mae huff from inside the kitchen.

“Yeah, it's Tiah.”

Desire emerged from her bedroom dressed like a goddess. Tony's eyes bucked when he saw her outfit. Desire normally wore her hair in a sloppy ponytail. But tonight she had curled her shoulder-length tresses into dozens of ringlets. After prom night, she had figured she couldn't go wrong with red. She had gone to
Modell's on 125th Street and found a red body dress, with holes in the sides hugging her tight waist. Hattie Mae came from out of the kitchen and her mouth shot open.