Page 25 of On Everything 2

Pernelle

The Cared Spa looked regular from the outside, but once I walked in the glass doors, it was a whole different world inside.

The noise from the city was left behind as soon as the door slammed behind me.

There were dim lights, soft music, and the water trickling down the indoor water fountain, with the scent of lavender and eucalyptus filling the air.

It was as if the air inside was telling me to relax and calm down almost instantly.

I hadn't even had a treatment yet, and I was already feeling good.

I found this Spa last night on TikTok, and I came because they had everything you could dream of. There were saunas guaranteed to melt my stress away, cold plunge tubs that could make my body feel brand new, and massages and body scrubs to keep me feeling fresh.

Growing up, I always wanted to experience shit like this. I wanted to be married to a famous football player or even a man who plays for the Mets. My goals and dreams were beyond what I had, and that always bothered me. I think that's why I smoke so much.

But right now, life is good. That's why I haven't thought about smoking weed all day. That may also have something to do with me and Emoney staying away from everyone.

I begged Emoney to come to the Spa with me today, but she kissed me on the cheek, and said she had something "more important" to handle.

I could tell that being able to spoil me was making her day.

She was spending money left and right, and I hadn't seen that smile leave her face.

Her smile felt good, and being spoiled felt even better, but she didn't understand that her presence would mean more to me now than anything.

Especially since I was distracted the other day by someone else.

Reminders of her are so, so needed right now.

I don't want to think about my experience with Crew at all, but it was so addicting that any time I closed my eyes, I saw Crew with his big ass dick in his hand watching me get my pussy eaten.

The way he licked his lips, focused with his eyes, and pleased himself was such a turn on that I even thought about it when Emoney and I had sex last night.

She was wondering what had gotten into me when I threw her down on the bed and started sucking her strap on dick as if she could physically feel it.

That's because the whole time I was doing it, I was picturing it to be the man that I knew I had no business going there with.

Shit, I shouldn't even be visualizing him, but I did it without trying.

"Hello, welcome to Cacred Spa. How can I assist you today?"

"I'm here to check into the all day experience. The one with every amenity included."

"Oh, okay. Let me get you checked in."

"What is your name?"

"I'm Pernelle, Jiminez."

The lady behind the counter seemed shocked, but I could tell that black women didn't often come through those doors for service. I mean, I can see why most women don't say the spa package I am receiving today is $1200. Hell, I would never be here if it wasn't for Emoney’s plot on Hov.

Once she got me completely checked in, I sat in the lobby, admiring the atmosphere because I'd promised Emoney that I wouldn't get distracted by my phone even with us being apart.

I waited for about twenty minutes before I was called to the counter and given my robe and directions to go through the double door to the right, where the experience began.

I slipped into the locker room, changed out of my clothes, and placed my belongings neatly into the locker before pulling on the softest robe I'd ever felt.

It was plush, almost like a cloud, every time it brushed up against my skin.

The place had an air of calm sophistication, and with most amenities set up for self-service, I had the freedom to move around at my own pace.

I drifted in and out of the saunas, enjoying the steam, and then made my way to the plunge pools and the rooms that had salt rock therapy.

It felt good to wander as I pleased, with no pressure and no rush, vibing and at peace.

The only part of the Spa that wasn't a free-for-all was the specialized treatments they offered, which included facials, massages, and scrubs, all of which were available by appointment only.

Knowing that, I'd made sure to sign up for a facial when I checked in today, and my appointment was about to start in five minutes, so I made my way toward that section of the facility when the clock on the wall told me to.

When I arrived at the concierge counter, I gave the attendant my name and then took a seat on one of the beanbag chairs in the waiting area. The music was so peaceful; I closed my eyes for a second, eventually drifting in and out of sleep. Hopefully, this facial doesn't knock me completely out.

Time, however, passed so much that I started to get concerned about my time slot, and I approached the counter again, this time with a bit more assertiveness than before.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Hello, I am just checking to see when my facial will be ready. I was supposed to go in at 3:00, and it's now 3:30. When will I get called back?"

"What is your name again?"

"Pernelle, last name Jiminez."

"Hmm, Pernelle, I don't see a reservation here for you. I'm sorry."

"You're kidding, right? I just made a reservation at this exact same counter."

"Yes, ma'am, and I'm not sure what happened; maybe there was a glitch in the system. However, I can put you down for a later time if you would like."

The way she tilted her head and the smirk on her face let me know exactly what this is. I see what she is doing here.

"There is no need to play dumb. Just say you gave my slot away to a regular or something and stop wasting my time. If you all need to go viral on TikTok for being completely racist here, then I have no problem making that happen. My five hundred thousand followers would love to repost that."

I lied about my follower count, but she didn't know that.

"Just give me a moment. I'm going to go and ask a higher-up what to do in this case. Just give me a moment."

"Yeah, please do that."

Where the service here has been great thus far, I can now see that someone who looks like me isn't welcomed in their spaces, even if I have the money. My long eyelashes, weave in my head, and large thigh tattoo weren't their normal aesthetic.

I stood in line for way longer than I wanted to before that bitch and her boss came out.

"Hello, so this is my boss, Urlasah. She is going to override the system and squeeze you in for your appointment. We did see that we accidentally gave your appointment away to someone else here, sorry."

"Yeah, I bet. But how often does that happen?"

"Not often. There are cases where we do sometimes prioritize customers who are only here for the treatments. Customers who we service often.”

I rolled my eyes because they were obviously playing with me.

"Sounds about white to me. But while you are at it, go ahead and upgrade me to the deluxe facial and not just the seaweed one."

"The deluxe is about $539 on top of the spa package fee. Is that okay?"

"Of course, but it's going to be free because you are going to make sure that your business doesn't get sued for discrimination. I know I don't fit the aesthetic here, but I have long money, and money a good lawyer can buy?"

"No need for that, ma'am. Right this way.

" She pressed her lips together and led me to the back.

I can see this type of shit happening a lot to me now that I have money, but I'm still a Bronx bitch at heart, and I will tear this bitch up.

Shit, thinking about it, a discrimination lawsuit would have my pockets looking even better.

Once my final facial treatment was done, I went back to the locker rooms to retrieve my phone and let Ebony know that I was done.

I entered the temporary code for my locker, which was my brother's birthday digits, and then the locker opened.

When I grabbed my purse, I noticed right away that my phone was lit up from the inside.

When I pulled it out, there were over fifty missed calls, all from different numbers.

The first person I felt I needed to call back was my mother.

The phone rang and rang, but there was no answer, and I really started to become nervous.

After pacing the floor in front of the locker for a few seconds, I sat on a bench behind me and dialed Ebony's number.

I hate this feeling in my stomach right now, and this is the downside of being unplugged: you don't know what the fuck is happening in the world.

"Hello."

She answered almost on the first ring while sniffling.

"Baby, what the fuck is going on?"

"I just got a call that Princeton got shot. I was chilling by the river unplugged by myself and pulled out my phone only to take a picture when I saw your mama's message. I'm on my way to the Spa now to get you, baby!"

"NO! NO! What happened? Is he okay? Is he okay?"

"I don't know, baby! She said he is at Bronx Hospital! I'll be there in five minutes, baby!"

"Hurry, Ebony, hurry up!"

I crouched down even further to the ground, scrunching up in a fetal position.

For a moment, the room seemed to go silent.

It was just me and my thoughts playing so loudly that the sound went deaf in my ears.

This was, in fact, one of my biggest nightmares living in the Bronx, especially Castle Hill.

My brother isn't supposed to be a statistic.

God, please, if you let him make it, I will change my life.

I will devote myself to you completely for him to live.

When I finally pushed myself to get up from the floor, my body moved like I had no control over any parts. And legs felt heavy, my hands shook as I gripped the locker just to hold myself up.

My fingers slipped against the metal, trembling as I pushed in the code to grab the rest of my things. When it finally clicked open, I yanked my clothes out and threw them on without a thought, rushing as if the building was on fire.

When I left the locker room, the hallway to the front seemed stretched out longer than before. As I wiped silent tears from my face, all I could hear echoing in my ear was what I'd just been told about Princeton being shot. The words kept replaying in my head, each time heavier than the last.

My chest felt tight, and my heart was racing faster than my legs could carry me.

Walking back into the lobby that brought me peace now felt off.

The spa music, the calm voices at the front desk, and everything positive around me all sounded fake.

How could the world still be moving like normal while mine just flipped upside down?

My eyes were burning from the pain, but I kept my head down, pushing toward the glass doors, feeling like I could actually breathe again.

"Excuse me, ma'am. We still need to get payment from you."

The attendant at the counter tried to stop me, but I kept going. It's funny now they see me, but when it was time to serve me, I wasn't prioritized. She can really miss me with that shit especially right now.

As soon as Emoney pulled up to the curb in our new car, tires barely touching the pavement, she killed the engine and jumped out the driver’s seat before the car even settled.

“Baby, are you okay? You good?” she rushed, her voice trembling as she ran up to me.

Her arms stretched, ready to wrap me up before I even answered, and the fear on her face mirrored the panic in my chest. I could see her eyes glossed over, like she was fighting back tears, already imagining the worst. One thing about Emoney, she loved Princeton too, probably just as much as I did.

Yeah, sometimes they’d go back and forth, trading little jabs and smart remarks, but it was never out of spite. Everybody had that kind of relationship with him, but you grew to love it when you loved him.

"I'm okay. Let's just get to my brother! That's all I want to do! My baby can't die. He can't die like this." My voice broke because that's exactly how I felt, broken.