“That sounds more like something you would say.”
“You’re right, I did think you were absolutely extraordinary today. He did say you were fantastic. It was just questions he had, procedures he wants to put in place.”
I looked at CJ. Even with the black eye, she still looked good to me. “What’s up with that?” I asked and pointed to her eye.
“I told already told you what happened, Chris. I walked into a door.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, we can talk about all that later. I’m hungry. Come on ride with me.”
“That’s okay, I’ll drive my own car. I hate being a passenger.”
“No, you just hate being taken for a ride,” I said as I walked to my car.
CJ started her car. “You just don’t know how much!”
CJ followed me to Huey’s on Peachtree. Along the way I painted several elaborate scenarios about how she got the black eye. Each ended with the same conclusion. There was no doubt in my mind that her husband, Manny, hit her. I only needed to hear why.
Once we got inside, CJ proceeded to talk about everything but what happened. We talked about the day and the agenda for the morning. Then she forced me to go back to the car to get the notes I took during my meeting with Ivan. CJ continued to focus on how important this was to us.
“We can’t mess this up,” CJ said.
I sat back in my chair and rubbed my beard. “I’ve been noticing something about you today, CJ.”
“Something other than my eye I hope.”
“Nah. Your eye ain’t that bad. I just wanna know what happened. But that’s not what I been noticing. All day you have been talking up this we thing. You tryin’ to tell me something?”
“Yes, but you want to know what happened, don’t you?”
“The thought had occurred to me.”
“Me and Manny got into it on the way home the other night.” CJ let out a little laugh. “The parking lot really.”
“What’d y’all get into it about?”
“He’s been drinking a lot lately. Anyway. He was drunk, again. Too drunk to drive and that’s what started it. I didn’t want him to drive home. Some guy walked up while we were arguing. It was getting pretty ugly by then. I don’t know who he was, but he finally convinced Manny to let me drive. He passed out in the car on the way home. But when we got home, we got right back into it. Chris, now you know I don’t like to argue.”
“I know. You keep it all to yourself.”
“Not that night. Chris, I went off.”
“You, CJ, went off? Say it ain’t so.”
“Every complaint I ever had with him, I threw it at him.”
“Get outta here.”
“I told him I was tired of him drinking so much and him embarrassing me in public was getting real old. I told him I was tired of carrying all the weight financially. That he needs to get off his ass and start making some money. I’m losing respect for him, Chris. And that’s not good.”
“I thought he got a new job and a big raise?”
“Big raise, my big ass. You know they aren’t paying any money out there, Chris. That’s why we left. You know that. Even with the raise, I still make twice what he’s making. He makes enough to pay for that Acura he didn’t need and his high-ass insurance. He can handle a bill every now and then. He’s always crying broke, but he always got money to buy a bottle or hang out with drunk-ass friends. But when I bring up his drinking or that car, he gets annoyed.”
“I’m sorry, CJ. I knew he was an oilman, but I didn’t know it had gotten that bad.”
“I keep stuff to myself, remember.” CJ took a sip of her drink and dropped her head.
“Why do you stay with him?”