The Diamond Syndicate

“What can I do for you today?” Shakeeda asked, taking her seat and placing Diamond’s file on her desk.

Diamond settled into the hard plastic chair and placed her Coach purse on the desk. “I wanted to visit you and see how you were doing.”

“I’ve seen better days, Diamond, really I have.” Shakeeda exhaled.

“How are the kids?” Diamond asked, trying to show concern.

“Bad as hell. I swear, I want to send them back to the fathers they came from.” Shakeeda rolled her eyes as she pecked away at the computer. She figured since her and Diamond were having small talk, she would finish her notes from the last file she was working on.

“Girl, you should send them back.” Diamond chuckled. She was easing her way up to the real reason she came to see Shakeeda, but she wanted to feel her out first. “When was the last time you been out?” she asked.

“The last time you and me went out months ago. Please . . . I don’t get many of them anymore. Why?”

“You need a break.”

“Don’t I know it.” Shakeeda continued to type.

“You wanna go out with me sometime? My treat.”

Shakeeda stopped typing and looked at Diamond.

Got her, Diamond thought.

“Sure, I’ll go.”

“Why don’t we go tonight?” Diamond said. “I need some ‘me time’ anyway.”

“Well, I don’t know. I need to find a babysitter. Plus, I don’t have any money to pay a babysitter tonight. Maybe next time, Diamond.”

“Don’t worry about that. I got you.”

***

Later that night, Diamond and Shakeeda sat at a table in a lounge, sipping on their second drinks. The waitress walked over to the table and placed two shots of tequila in front of them.

“Come on, girl,” Diamond said and picked up her shot.

A partially drunk Shakeeda picked up her shot, and the two women clinked their glasses in a toast. Then they threw back their heads and downed the shots. They tapped their shot glasses on the table and drank from their bottles of Corona.

“Diamond, thank you so much for bringing me out. I am so stressed at work, it ain’t even funny.”

Diamond waved her hand. “You know how we do it, girl. It’s all love.”

“It’s sad how two women gotta go out on a date ’cause none of these trifling-ass Negroes gonna spend their money,” Shakeeda said, looking around at the small crowd in the establishment.

“You better preach, girl.” Diamond gave Shakeeda some dap.

Shakeeda looked at her sideways. “What you talking about, Diamond? You can get any man you want. Shit, you know I know the deal. You got all them Negroes spending money on you.”

“Yeah, that’s what you think.” Diamond downplayed Shakeeda’s comments. It was all part of her plan.

“Yeah, whatever, Diamond. Girl, don’t forget I know how you get down.”

They both laughed.

“You know, Shakeeda, it’s like you said. Men ain’t tryna spend no money on a sister, so shit ain’t like it used to be.”

“Really?”