Alicia had goals she wanted to achieve once she settled in America. After obtaining her American citizenship and her associate degree in Fashion Design, she had two crucial goals: Bringing her sister to America. Second, open her seamstress shop. Alicia knew the money she had saved was considered untouchable for her sister's trip, so she looked for another way to jump-start her business.
On one of her days off, she went to a bank to apply for a loan. However, bank policies saw Alicia as a financial risk. For one, she was a Cuban immigrant on green card status. Moreover, she did not meet the income requirements. She sat across the desk from a Caucasian banker who looked over her loan application and quickly rejected her request due to her low levels of liquidity. His name was Trevor.
"I am sorry, Ms. Sanchez. You don't meet the bank's minimum requirements. You're considered high risk." Trevor replied.
"Why can't I have a loan? I have two jobs." declared Alicia with a look of confusion.
"Yet you don't have what we call collateral. If your business goes belly up, we are the ones who take the risk of losing money."
Disappointed by those words, she thanked Trevor and politely rose from her seat to leave. Seeing Alicia's curvy shape, the banker decided to give her another opportunity to obtain her loan. He calls Alicia back to her chair. Alicia sat down while the banker looked around to ensure no one would be privy to their conversation. He leaned toward Alicia and talked to her in a lowered voice.
"Listen, I might be able to pull some strings to get your loan to go through."
Alicia became very excited to hear Trevor reconsider her request.
"Thank you. It means a lot to me."
"However, there is one thing you must do." the banker replied with a sly grin.
"What is that?" Alicia attentively inquired.
"You have dinner with me."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"C'mon! Do you want this loan or not? I want to have dinner with you." Alicia looked at the banker with suspicion.
"Just dinner and nothing else?"
"Just dinner!" Trevor reassured me. Alicia quickly agrees to the offer.
"I'll see you tonight at eight." the banker replied as he shook her hand.
Later that night, Alicia and the banker went on the agreed arrangement. Alicia found whatever dress that was not ragged. She applied dollar store makeup and perfume to present herself decently. The banker was a gentleman as he wined and dined her. After dinner, they walked and talked for a while. Alicia felt comfortable in the banker's presence and considered going out with him again. Alicia and the banker went to his apartment. The banker urged her to come inside.
"I don't know, it's getting late, and I have to get up early for work tomorrow."
"C'mon, hang out with me a little more. Just one hour and I'll take you home."
Against her better judgment, she agreed. The banker's apartment was nicely decorated and furnished. The banker invited Alicia to take a seat on his couch. Alicia sat down and admired his large TV and the many paintings that adorned his living room walls. He brought two glasses of wine and sat next to her. They talked well into the midnight hour. Alicia got up from the couch and went out onto his balcony. She began to gaze up at the stars. Moments later, the banker went outside on his balcony. He leaned against the railing as he continued to stare at Alicia.
Alicia noticed his stare after a moment of silence and asked him what he was thinking. The banker thanked her for coming out with him and hoped that this would not be a one-time thing. The couple went inside to return to the comfort of the room. They both sit on the large couch in the middle of the room.
Just as the night was going well, Trevor started rubbing her leg. Alicia removed his hand while smiling uncomfortably. Trevor smiled and again attempted the same action. Alicia again lifted his hand from her thigh. Trevor leaned in and started kissing her neck. Alicia felt uncomfortable, so she pulled away.
"I think I should go," said Alicia as she set her half-empty wine glass on the table.
"What's the problem? You want your loan or what?"
"I am not that type of woman."
Trevor grabbed Alicia, pushed her down onto the couch, and forced himself on top of her without warning. Alicia struggled to break free of his grip as he aggressively kissed her. Her screams were muffled by the banker's lips tightly pressed against hers. Alicia bit Trevor's bottom lip out of desperation with enough pressure to sever it in two.
As the banker screamed, "YOU WET BACK BITCH!"
Alicia pried the bloodied mouth banker off her with her high heel in the middle of his chest, applying pressure on his sternum, causing him to tumble over the couch. Alicia quickly jumps up.
"PENDEJO! NUNCA TOCARME SIN MI PERMISO! (Asshole! Never touch me without my permission). Alicia yelled, panting in rage. The banker held his mouth as blood poured between his fingers and dripped onto his expensive carpet.
"BITCH GET THE FUCK OUT. YOU CAN FORGET YOUR LOAN!" Alicia stormed out of the apartment and slammed the door, causing the glass paintings to rattle on the wall.
*****
Two weeks had passed, and it was time for another of Carmen's manicure appointments. As she decided to drop in for a cuticle touch-up, she was looking for more than just getting her nails maintained. Carmen overlooked her regular manicurist and sat in Alicia's chair. Alicia hurried to finish Carmen's manicure, hoping to avoid a conversation.
"Have you thought about what I was telling you?
"No! To think of it is unimaginable!" After Alicia finished her manicure, Carmen had no problem paying her this time. Alicia took off her apron and walked to the owner of the salon.
"I am going for my lunch break."
Across the street from the salon, Alicia became a regular customer at one of the local restaurants. She orders a poor man's meal, A bowl of soup and crackers, a small salad, and a glass of ice water. The owner thought she was on a diet since the meal she ordered was light. Carmen sat at the table with Alicia. Alicia ignored her. Carmen ate her small cheap lunch at her table.
"What's your story?" Carmen inquired with curiosity in her eyes.
After seeing the rude woman who dared to sit at her table uninvited, Alicia was slightly repulsive.
"Excuse me!"
"Tell me about you. Where are you from?"
"Why are you so interested in my life!?" Alicia asked coldly. Carmen smirked!
"Because I am a curious black kitty cat."
The waitress saw that Alicia was no longer alone at her table. She approached the table with her order notebook in her hand.
"May I take your order?"
"I have coffee, black, no sugar!" Carmen replied without looking at the waitress.
The waitress wrote down her order and left to retrieve Carmen's request.
"So, are you just going to sit there and not say anything, or are you gonna tell me about you," Carmen asked with a luminous smile.
Not long, the waitress returned with a cup of coffee and set it next to Carmen.
"My life is not that interesting."
"You let me decide that for myself." Alicia hesitated for a quick second.
"If I tell you, will you leave me be?" asked Alicia.
"Only because you asked me nicely," replied Carmen with a smile.
"I am from Cienfuegos, Cuba. I moved to Miami then here once I got my green card and my associates in fashion."
"Any brothers or sisters?"
"A younger sister in Cuba. She's 16 years old. I am working to bring her here with me."
"Tell me about her!"
Alicia remembered her childhood with her sister and the sexual abuse her father put her through.
"I don't want to talk about her."
"Fine! What about your parents?"
Alicia briefly thought about her traumatized childhood.
"I don't want to talk about them. I have to get back to work.
"Your break doesn't end for twenty minutes. I am sorry. I didn't mean to pry in your life. I can be a bit nosey," Carmen replied while lighting a cigarette. She inhaled the soothing menthol smoke in her lungs and exhaled through her nose and mouth.
"Let me show you something." Carmen pulled out five one-dollar bills and neatly laid them on the table.
"What would you say if I told you that you could make this in one night? If you multiply this by seven days, you can make $3,500 per week.
"I say you're full of mierda (shit)! Carmen laughed." I swear to you, high rollers are willing to pay for a good time for some foreign companionship.
"Yeah, it sounds perverted."
"Maybe so, but with $14,000 coming every month, you can get your sister here quicker than you intended. You're lucky even to make 125 dollars at the nail shop."
"I have another job at the cleaners." Carmen slightly giggles in ridicule.
"Yet after taxes, you bring home about another $150 a week?"
"I have to get back to work!" Alicia quickly darts up from the table as she waves her hand to dismiss Carmen's proposal.
"Wait before you go!" Carmen gave Alicia another glossy black card imprinted on the surface with her number. Alicia condescendingly snatched the card and made her way to the door.
"Before you go, I want you to know I normally don't ask twice. You lose that card; you lose your chances." Alicia continued to head for the door.