A Good Dude (24 page)

“Yes, Candace. I didn’t tell you that?”

“No.”

“I’m sorry.” He turned to face her. “I would like to hire you. Would you like to work for us?”

“Yes.” She glowed like a china doll. “What’s the B shift?”

“That’s six to close. On weeknights we close at ten. We stay open till midnight on Friday and Saturday. Sunday we stay open till eleven.”

“I can’t work Thursdays,” Candace said, remembering her parenting classes.

“Okay. Are there any other days you can’t work?”

“No. Just Thursdays. How much does this pay?”

“We pay two-fifty an hour.”

Candace’s face fell. “That’s not even minimum wage.” Jesse laughed. “You’ve never worked as a waitress, have you?”

“This is my first job ever.”

“Well, congratulations! You couldn’t have picked a better place to work. All waitresses, all over the country, get paid two-something an hour. Your real pay comes from your tips. You’ll make at least two-fifty on a Saturday night.”

Candace tried to keep her eyes from bugging. “That’s fine.”

“Great!” Jesse handed her the study menu. “Get started learning your appetizers and I’ll pair you up with someone on your first day. Is Monday okay with you?”

Candace couldn’t believe her fortunes. “Monday’s fine.”

“Okay,” Jesse said. He stuck out a soft hand for her to shake. “Be here at . . . .” He paused to see if she had the answer.

“Six o’clock.” Candace said.

“No, it’s a trick question. Be here at five because you’re training.” He smiled and Candace smiled back at him.

* * *

She left the restaurant with her head in the clouds. When she got back to the car, she looked over the paperwork her caseworker gave her. Her Service Plan was self
-
explanatory. Candace had only five requirements for getting her daughter back.

Complete parenting class from July 1 through September 1.

Attain gainful employment.

Obtain a place of residence and provide sleeping quarters, clothes, food, and other necessities for the baby.

Maintain a drug-free lifestyle. Possession, use, and distribution of any narcotic is prohibited.

Comply with visitation schedule set up by caseworker.

* * *

None of that sounded too taxing. Candace was somewhat offended they put number five on there as a requirement. What kind of low-life had to be forced to visit their child?

* * *

When she got back to her apartments, a car Candace recognized was in her parking spot. It was Rilla’s Fleetwood. The sight of it made her heart shoot up in her throat. The color drained from her face.

No way was he out. She hadn’t testified against him yet. Detective Judkins would have told her if there was a change in plans.

Maybe he bailed out.

But how? CC said he didn’t have that kind of money.

Candace parked behind the car, wondering if she should even get out. She didn’t want to be with Rilla anymore, and he might have a hard time accepting it. What if he interfered with the CPS investigation? Even worse, what if he found out about Candace testifying against him? What if he came to shut her up, for good?

All of these
what if’s
fell into a dark pit of panic when Rilla’s car door opened. But it was CC who stepped out of the Cadillac, not her ex-boyfriend. Candace didn’t want to see this thug, either, but dealing with him was a much better alternative to Rilla. Besides, it was broad daylight. What could CC possibly do?

Candace got out, and CC stepped around the car to meet her. He wore a black T-shirt with blue jeans. His Afro was puffed out, and his face was clean-shaven again.

“
Looka here, looka here
! Candace! Is it really is you? They done let you out the pen!”

She narrowed her eyes. “What do you want, Cordell? I don’t want to see you anymore.”

He grinned. “Damn, baby. It’s like that?”

“Yeah, it’s like that. You hit me. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

He shook his head. “I didn’t hit you, girl. I just pushed you a little bit. It wasn’t on purpose, though. My bad.”

Candace leaned against her car rather than head for her apartment and risk him following. It was a lot more wide-open in the parking lot.

“CC, I don’t want you over here.”

His eyes bugged. He looked her up and down and put a hand to his mouth.

“What the—you had yo baby?”

Candace just stared at him.

“Damn! You looking good, girl. Stomach all flat. I see you done got your figure back
.
I see ya!”

“What do you want?”

“Does Rilla know you had the baby?”

“I don’t know what he knows.”

CC lowered his eyes, but the smile never left his lips. “All right, girl. I was just coming by to check on my homeboy’s baby mama. I don’t think Rilla knows you’re out.”

“I’m not with Rilla anymore,” Candace said. “I don’t care if he knows or not.”

“What you mean?”

“I mean he’s not my boyfriend. We’re through. I’m moving in a couple weeks, and I don’t want to see either one of you again.”

CC shook his head. “That’s wrong, girl. My nigga took care of you. You gonna burn out on him while he’s locked up? He needs you now more than ever.”

“Whatever.”

“Where you going? Back to New York? You can’t take Rilla’s baby out of state.”

Candace was pretty sure she could take her baby, but didn’t feel like arguing.

“I’m not going to New York. I’m getting my own apartment here.”

“You screwing some other nigga?”

“Why do you always say something like that? You don’t think a woman can do anything without a man? I’m moving out by myself, and I’m going to live by myself. Just me and my baby. I don’t need help from anybody.”

“I know you’re not taking any of my homeboy’s stuff out of that apartment when you leave.”

Candace was stupefied. “I was with Rilla when we moved in here. I picked out most of that stuff myself.”

“You didn’t pay for it.”

“Well, I’m taking it,” Candace said.

CC nodded. “All right, girl. You a little feisty, ain’t you?”

“I’m through with the bullshit,” Candace confirmed. “And I’m not with Rilla anymore, so I don’t need you checking on me. You can tell him I said so.”

“That’s how you want to play it?”

“Yeah,” Candace said. “Just like that.”

“Cool.” CC turned and walked away, but Candace wasn’t moving until she saw him drive off.

He opened the door but didn’t get in the Fleetwood.

Instead he watched her with that same shit-eating grin.
“How you get out of jail so quick?” he asked.

“I shouldn’t have been in there in the first place.

How’d you get away from that bust at those apartments?” CC shrugged. “Maybe I got away the same way you did.”

Candace knew she was in murky waters, but couldn’t stop fishing.

“When you said you had something for me, I didn’t think I’d get arrested.”

But CC didn’t respond to that. He winked at her and got into Rilla’s car. A moment later he took off with a Tupac beat exploding from the Cadillac’s trunk.

* * *

The next couple of months went by with no further interactions with CC. Candace disabled her home phone, so she wouldn’t have to take any calls from the county jail, either. She knew Rilla would be on the phones twenty times a day once CC told him what she said. On one level Candace felt like she should talk to Rilla herself, but she just wanted to be through with him. Whatever he and CC had going on with the drugs and the police was much too messy for her.

In the meantime Candace had a few more visits with the Whitley family, and her interactions with Leila got better and better. When she was awake, the infant was very talkative, or very noisy, depending on whom you asked. Candace learned how to bottle-feed her daughter, and Mrs. Whitley showed her how to burp her and change Leila’s diaper.

Candace originally resented this stand-in mother, but she gradually learned to respect and even appreciate what the Whitleys were doing for her. In turn, the Whitleys came to love and respect Candace also. They knew surprisingly little about her case, and neither could understand how a girl as sweet as her could lose their child to CPS.

Candace’s waitress job went well from the very start. Always an apt pupil, she wowed the manager with her memorization skills. Candace had the entire appetizer menu down by her first day, and she picked up the rest of the menu with uncanny speed. Training normally lasted a full week, but Jesse cut her loose after only three days. Candace made $210 on her first Friday night and $240 the following Saturday. Jesse certified her a natural.

She called her parents every Monday as promised and had more good news for them each time. She sent them pictures of her and Leila taken at the Whitley’s house. They thought their grandchild was beautiful and agreed she looked like her mother.

On June 25 Candace filled out an application for the apartment complex next door. She thought her rental history would be marred by the drug raid, but she got a call back from the manager the next day. Her application was approved and she could move in as early as the twenty-seventh.

Candace got all of the utilities put in her name, and Trisha’s two burly brothers helped with the move. The whole relocation took only four hours, and on June 28, Candace had her very own apartment all to herself. She immediately began to fill it with things for her baby.

On the first of July she started her parenting classes. Some of the information the instructors provided was invaluable, but for the most part, Candace thought they should rename the class
Parenting for Dummies
. Not only did they teach her how to change a diaper, but they also taught her how to dispose of one.

They taught her that when baby is crying, that means she’s unhappy about something. When baby is green, she’s most likely sick. And when baby is blue and can’t make any sounds, she’s probably choking. Candace actually took notes before she realized her teacher was an idiot.

* * *

Midway through August Candace received a letter from the Overbrook Meadows Community College. It was time to register for her fall classes. She met with her counselor on a cool Wednesday morning and signed up for five core courses.

On the way back to her car, Candace spotted a familiar face heading in the opposite direction. She walked quickly to catch up with him and followed behind for a few paces before speaking.

“Wow, is that Johnny Depp?”

Tino stopped and turned to see who was teasing him. His face lit up when he saw Candace. Her face lit up, too. Tino looked a lot different from the last time she saw him. He had a thin moustache and a little hair on his chin, too. He wore black Dickey shorts with a white T-shirt. Candace wished her hair was as luscious as his. Celestino could star in a Pantene commercial.