Read Online Tea Leafing: A Novel by Weezie Macdonald - Free Book Online

eight would clear a girl and Lucille would radio
the valets, letting them know which cars should be brought around for pick-up.
If the test was failed, a cab was the way home.
    “Yeah, of course. We’ll
drive her.”
    Gio nodded as he lined
up a brick of money on the desk in front of each girl.
    “Whatevah the fuck you
three is doin’ to make this kinda’ dough,” he paused, chuckling under his
breath, “well, you must be good. Fuckin’ platinum pussy.”
    Sam stopped moving and
stared at Gio.
    Grace went into
overdrive, desperate to avoid a confrontation. She plucked the stacks of money
off the desk and tried to gather Birdie up from her slumped position.
    “Well, thanks for your
help! We’ll get out of your hair . . . Sam?”
    Sam clutched the arms
of the scratchy office chair, she said, “What did you say?” Tic .
    Gio looked up,
apparently having already forgotten his comment. He had the attention span of a
goldfish. “Wha?”
    “Did you just imply
that we’re hookers?” Sam’s eyes narrowed.
    Pushing himself back
from his desk, Gio straightened in his chair. A single pulsing vein began to
rise in his forehead. Grace had re-doubled her efforts to get Birdie up. Sam
felt the cool touch of Grace’s hand as she tried to urge her from the office.
    “I’d advise you to
watch your mouth Samantha. If I want to call you a whore, I’ll say it to your
face, not imply it.” He glared across the desk.
    “The name is Sam , not Samantha. It’s a fucking stage
name so don’t get all authoritarian on me. And you did just call us whores. You aren’t
clever enough to edit yourself, GIO! Just because we make better money than you
doesn’t give you the right to say we can be bought. And don’t you threaten me,
motherfucker. Ever .”
    “ Evah .” Birdie parroted under her breath.
    Gio sat for a moment
staring at Sam with dead eyes. Sam met his gaze, determined not to look away
first. “I think you need to take a week and think about whether or not this is
the right enviro’ment for you. Maybe the stress of working here is just too
much. Didn’t you hear Fedya say he doesn’t want you affecting morale here,
Sam?” He narrowed his eyes. “You need to be careful. Don’t invite trouble. I
know that’s not what you want.” His jaw clenched and a tendon in his neck strained.
    Sam’s vision wobbled
dangerously close to tunnel vision and colors faded to gray. Adrenaline rushed to
her extremities. Tense and ready for a fight, she heard the warning bells in
her ears, but ignored them. “Are you suspending me?”
    “Just take a break. Get
yourself in check, you can come back next week.” Gio hissed through gritted
teeth.
    Sam sucked in a deep,
bitter breath. “You’re right, maybe I do need to figure out whether or not I’m
going to allow myself to be ‘bought’ as
you say, and not just by customers.”
    Gio exploded. Jumping
to his feet, the chair he’d been sitting in slammed into the wall behind him.
“You’re a stripper. You’ve already been bought. You’re fucking expendable! Wake up! Why do all you bitches think you’re
so goddamn special? You’re all the same shit in a slightly different package.”
    “Expendable, huh?” Sam
fought the rage that told her to jump the desk and gouge his eyes out.
“Interesting choice of words, Gio.”
    Sam rose from the chair, biting her
tongue so hard she could taste blood. Grace had Birdie upright and was heading
for the door. She snatched Sam’s arm and pulled her along. Sam kept her eyes
locked on Gio. Boring holes through his skull with her stare, she tromped
backwards. A sleazy little smirk turned the corners of his mouth. He looked
pleased with himself, feeling victorious.
    “Goombah Macaroni
Fack!” Birdie had regained consciousness and shadow boxed the air.
    Sam grabbed Birdie’s
other arm and they forced her out the office door before she could launch
herself at Gio.
    “A week for both uh you
cunts!” Gio’s voice boomed after them.
    Birdie