Let Me Love You Down (X Rated Trilogy) [ON HOLD]

New Year, New Me

Keisha shuddered at the thought of Lauren. Hell must've been better than the seven years she spent in jail. Well, now Keisha had to put on her big girl panties and get ready for work. If someone told her seven years ago that she would've worked at The Plaza hotel as a maid, she would've looked down on you. And if you worked for her, she would've had you fired.

After those few years in jail and the struggle to find a job, Keisha learned how to be humble and say shit happens and fuck it. She's not about to find herself in the middle of some dumb ass scheme. She got up from her bed and stood in front of the mirror. She began reciting the words to Maya Angelou's Phenomenal Woman. "Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size, but when I start to tell them, they think I'm telling lies. I say, it's in the reach of my arms, the span of my hips, the stride of my step, the curl of my lips. I'm a woman phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that's me." Repeating this poem every morning boosted her self esteem and made her feel like she can do anything. Keisha got dressed and was out the door.

"Ugh, another day at this dreadful job," she muttered under her breath while waiting for the bus. She looked acrossed the street and saw a woman walking in her business suit and holding her child's hand and smiling. What Keisha would've gave to have a little bit of that in her life. Then something caught her eye. A help wanted sign posted on one of the few branches of X Rated Records studio in New York, "HELP WANTED. Assistant needed with mangerial experience." An assistant to a recording studio, don't mind if I do. Keisha thought and crossed the street to get an application. As she walked in the receptionist gave her a dirty look and said, "We are not looking for maids. We need someone with a degree and who knows how to manage their time." Keisha rolled her eyes and said, "Well, I graduated top of my class at Cornell University. And I majored in business and finance, so can you hand me an application?"

The receptionist swallowed all her words and handed Keisha an application. Keisha strided away with pride on her shoulders, especially for leaving that sassy receptionist with her jaw dropped. No one was going to make a fool of her, especially someone who just sits in the lobby answering phones and giving directions. When Keisha arrived at the hotel she was 15 minutes late, but wasn't in any rush. She'd applied to many other stores and businesses across Manhattan and Brooklyn, and if that didn't work she had some money stored away. So if she was fired she still had money. Linda her co-worker/friend stormed towards her, "You're late again miss. What if Martin catches you coming in late again? You know he hasn't been getting any love from his missus, he'd snap on your ass in a second." 

"So what? Linda I'm tired of getting up early to kiss rich people's ass, and cleaning up what they leave behind. This is not what I'm meant to do." Keisha sighed as she put on her apron and nametag.

"Well, whatever you were made for missed it's opportunity and you're stuck here with me. Now is that so bad?"

"Yes Linda, it is." Keisha stressed. Linda was a real cool person, but Keisha swore she was made to get on her nerves. Every single day it was a constant reminder on how bad she hit rock bottom. Linda would lecture her about how she should just stick to this job because the pay isn't bad, but at the same time it isn't good if Keisha wanted a family. 

"Keisha, you know I believe you can do anything. But right now look at what's in front of you a feather duster and some Windex. That's what our life is about, and until one of those other stores get back to you saying you got the job, we are both maids." We'll see about that, Keisha thought. Hopefully, all these other stores took her into great consideration, cause it was tiring to sit at home and check her email and see nothing, but junk mail and spam.

When Keisha got her break she filled out her application for X Rated Records. She read the application thoroughly. Keisha hoped she'd get the job because it involved something she loved to do, sing. Even though, she wouldn't be singing she'd be as close to it as she can get. Oh, how she would love to sing. That's what she aspired to do when she was in college with that backstabbing bitch Layla, who pushed her to go for business cause "that's where she'd make money." Ugh, just the thought of Layla sickened her. Hopefully, she was getting interrogated or already in jail for what she did. She couldn't believe this girl, who was her supposed best friend, would do that to her. Especially, after all the years they've been through since they were 7 years old. No such thing as a true friend and there would never be one for Keisha Brown.