Capricorn
Chapter 50

Lunar Years of the Rooster:
* 1921 (Feb. 8, 1921 - Jan. 27, 1922)
* 1933 (Jan. 26, 1933 - Feb. 13, 1934)
* 1945 (Feb. 13, 1945 - Feb. 1, 1946)
* 1957 (Jan. 31, 1957 - Feb. 17, 1958)
* 1969 (Feb. 17, 1969 - Feb. 5, 1970)
* 1981 (Feb. 5, 1981 - Jan. 24, 1982)
* 1993 (Jan. 23, 1993 - Feb. 9, 1994)
* 2005 (Feb. 9, 2005 - Jan. 28, 2006)
* 2017 (Jan. 28, 2017 - Feb. 11, 2018)
* 2029 (Feb. 11, 2029 - Jan. 25, 2030)
* 2041 (Jan. 25, 2041 - Feb. 6, 2042)

*

Craig looked at the woman who just walked into the East Village Bar and smiled, but he had no clue who this chick was. How did she know him? "Heeeyyyyy..."

"You forgot me already?" she asked him with a shocked laugh. He didn't say anything. She then took off her oversized shades, and then he realized.

"OHHHH," Craig said and laughed. 

"You said my name every night," she said with a wink as she sat beside him. "Coming to the stage, Laaaaa Laaaaaa Extraaaavaaaaaaganzaaaaaaa," she said, mocking him.

"Sorry, I didn't recognize you without all the..."

"Stripper gear on?" she asked with a laugh. But yeah, she was right. She was wearing a simple yellow sundress. Her long platinum blonde hair was in a half-up, half-down style, and she did not have much makeup on. She looked like a totally different person. At GRL XXX, her style revolved around G-strings, pasties, tall stripper heels, body glitter, huge lashes, and wigs in every color. "Yes, I do look a lot differently outside of my work clothes. So how have you been? We've missed you since that night everything went down. It's a shame Slim let you go."

"Yeah, I played myself on that one. Lost out on a big opportunity," he said as he downed his whiskey and motioned for the bartender to bring him another. "You want something?"

"Whatever you're having," she said, and he held up two fingers. "Anyway, don't worry; I'm sure you'll bounce back if you haven't already."

"Yeah, I haven't already. Thankfully I still have my Happy Hour gig, but Slim paid me twice as much."

"Maybe I can talk to him for you. It wasn't your fault. All you did was say hi to an old friend, and his ass went crazy on you like he did to me. Wherever that boy is, he can burn in hell," she said as the bartender brought over their drinks. 

"Yes, exactly," he said and raised his glass. "To hell, I hope that's where Tyrese goes."

"That was his name? Tyrese? To hell with him," she said as she clinked glasses with his. However, she noticed that he wasn't doing so well. He looked like he had been drinking for days. Did Slim firing him really mess him up that badly? "Well, I have tonight off, but when I go in tomorrow, I'll let Slim know to give you another chance-"

"That's alright, and you don't have to do all that for me. Slim was right, I was reckless, and I almost ruined shit for everybody. I deserved what I got. It was all my fault-"

"It was Tyrese's fault. He got banned, you know. So you'll never have to see him again."

"That's good, at least, but I'm banned too."

"Slim banned you?"

"Not exactly, but I can't really show my face in there either way," he said, and LaLa looked at him questionably. "It's a long story."

"Isn't that what sitting at the bar is for?" she asked him. "Maybe I can help?"

"I lied to my girl about working there, and when she found out, she let me have it. Which I also deserved."

"It's not like you were in there cheating and spending money. You were doing the opposite, right? I bet she didn't mind those checks and tips you were getting."

"Yeah, well, now she does," he said sadly. 

"So that's what's got you all messed up, huh? Girl trouble?"

"I guess you can say that."

"She's gotta stop being so insecure. She's dating a DJ. She's gotta know that you're gonna be partying every night in spots like that. You're a grown-ass man; if it's paying the bills and you're going to work and coming back home, that's all she needs to worry about. Sounds like she doesn't trust you much."

"She definitely doesn't," he said, thinking about their fight the night before. "But you guys are back open now, right?"

"Yeah, we were closed down for a week but trust me, we all needed the break. I got so much money but no time to really spend it on stuff I enjoy. I was there almost seven days of the week."

"I was there every damn night. Who do they got spinning now?"

"Different DJ's every night. He's trying to attract the crowds back and get new people in. Once a club gets shot up and cops are sniffing around, people don't want to come around. DJ Envy is spinning this weekend, though. That's gonna be fun."

"Good, and exactly my point. I fucked up his business for him, and I don't deserve to even be there."

"It's not like you shot the spot up," she said as she twirled the straw in her glass. "All you did was defend yourself."

"Yeah, I would love to know how a gun got into the spot. If he let me go, I hope he let go whoever let that motherfucker in and the motherfucker who shot the place up too."

LaLa winced. "Nah, you were the only one let go," she said, and Craig shook his head. They sat there in silence. She was about to speak again when Craig spoke up.

"Wow, no job, no girl. Karma."

"Wait, she left you? Just for working there?"

"Nah, I left her because she doesn't trust me, and I gave her reasons not to trust me."

"That's a smart move; without trust, you don't have anything. You shouldn't have to hide anything from the person you're with."

"Yeah, I should've been honest. That would fix a lot of things," he said sadly as he downed the drink again and raised his hand to order another.

"How many have you had, Craig?"

"How many what?"

"How many drinks."

"I don't know. I've been here for a couple of hours."

"How many did you have before you got here?"

"How you know?" he asked her.

"You're a lot different than I remember you. You never really drank that much at the club. I've never seen you this drunk before."

"It's been a tough 24 hours...it's been a tough few days," he said, and they sat there in silence once again.

"Well, maybe I should be honest with you," she said as she turned to him. "There's been something I've been wanting to tell you since that night, you know..." she said as she bit her lip.

*

Chinese tradition holds that Goats need the freedom to pursue their creative and artistic talents, which also means they need someone they trust to take care of the administrative aspects of life, like paying bills on time. 

*

Once Adena read Craig's breakup letter, she couldn't concentrate, and she stopped caring about everything. She was tempted to give up and go home, but she couldn't. She told Lloyd to make sure to let her mother and Mrs. Hill meet Richard Mayhew, and then she went to find a place to hide. She found the supply closet, turned the light on, and then locked the door behind her. She sat down on a big trunk and let it all out. 

She sobbed longer than she ever had, and she realized she was more heartbroken over Craig leaving than when she left Taye. Taye deserved to be left but did she? Yeah, she made a few mistakes, yeah, her hormones have been out of control lately, and yes, she had standards and morals. Does no one have those anymore? She can't be with someone who lies, who went to a strip club every night, who lied about why he got locked up and even how he got locked up in the first place.

She then realized they could've worked through all that. He would have to work hard, but her love for him was stronger than her distrust. 

This was different. Was Craig's distrust stronger than his love for her? Was he really doing them both a favor? Or just him? Was he just giving up on them? Why? Was he tired of her?

Why wouldn't he fight for her anymore? Was she not worth it now?

Then the door to the supply closet was unlocked and opened. She tried to wipe her face, but she couldn't stop the tears from falling.

"Adena? Here you are. Why are you hiding in here? What's wrong?" Kehinde asked as he rushed to her. "Is it the baby?" She shook her head no. What could be troubling her like this? Their event was more than a success. Was there a death in the family? "What happened? What can I do?"

Adena struggled to talk in between sobs. So Kehinde wrapped his strong arms around her and let her cry. They both sat there for some time as she cried it out and then tried to calm down. He didn't want her to stress herself out too much, and he was sure that the baby wasn't enjoying any of this either. "He left me," she said barely above a whisper, and his eyes widened. "I messed up. I messed it all up."

"Today? Of all days? Was that why he wasn't here?" he asked, and she nodded. He noticed her clutching an envelope, and he sighed. Damn, he couldn't do it in person? A 'Dear John' letter? "I think whatever it is couldn't be that bad. He's obviously lost his mind. Leaving you hanging professionally and emotionally? He must not be right in the head. Especially you being pregnant with his child."

"It's not his," she said, and Kehinde paused. Oh wow, maybe that was why. "He knew it was from my previous relationship, and he wanted to be with me anyway. He gave up a lot for me, turned his whole life upside down, and I flip out over nothing," she said. She was so mad last night. She's never been so mad at him, but she realized it wasn't something she would leave him for.

"I'm sure it wasn't nothing. Your body is working in overdrive right now. You're creating a human being. I don't know what happened, but if you flipped out and realized you shouldn't just apologize. How could he say no to you? How could anyone say no to you?" What was wrong with these young cats nowadays? He was a Gen X, but it seemed these Gen Z's were something different entirely. They were crazy. The father of the child wasn't around, and now her boyfriend left? While she was pregnant? This was the last thing she needed. "Maybe he's doing you a favor..."

"That's what he said," she said sadly. "I don't think he is. Maybe for himself."

"Let's get you home. Don't worry about a thing. You've got a great team, and I have a great team, and we can get the rest done. The event will be over in about 45 minutes anyway. You need to get some rest. Your little one needs rest, too," he said. "Did you want me to get your parents?"

"I just want to disappear, but I can't leave them hanging like that, can I?" she said as he helped her stand up. 

"Maybe this will cheer you up, but our painting was sold for ten grand. All of that is going to that clinic you wanted. For your mom."

She smiled through her tears, and it caused him to smile as well. "Ohmygod, that's amazing. Thank you, Kehinde."

"I couldn't have done it without you. I also made a smaller version just for you, or you can give it to your folks if you want or keep it. Free of charge."

"Thank you," she said as she wiped her tears.

He led her to the door, "Come on. Let's find your folks. I can have my driver take you all wherever you need to go." She thanked him once more, and he opened the door. However, they both paused in their tracks.

Standing a few feet away was Donatella, and she didn't look happy.

*

Capricorn Goats are practical and opportunistic. Financial wealth and status are important to them.

*

"There's something you want to tell me?" Craig repeated, and LaLa nodded. "I'm curious. What is it?"

"It was me. With the gun..." she said and then bit her lip again guiltily. 

"You have one on you now?" he asked, confused.

"No, I was the one who shot that guy, Tyrese. It was me. It was my gun." His eyes widened, and that took a lot of strength because he had been squinting all day. All the alcohol made his eyelids heavy. "I went backstage to change. I put on my favorite cowgirl boots. They're my favorite because I can fit my gun inside them. I wanted to bring them for protection. I wasn't too happy that security let him buy a room. I had a feeling he would try to pull the same shit he did with me onstage."

"You know you almost shot me, right?" Craig asked her. He lifted his sleeve and showed her the scar. "It was just a graze but still-"

"I'm sorry," she said as she caressed the scar on his arm, causing goosebumps to form. "It was so dark in the room. I walked in, and I saw him fighting someone. I heard him call you DJ Boy, and I saw him try to choke you. So I pulled the trigger."

"Twice," Craig said. "You shot him in the leg too. You almost shot me first."

"I'm so sorry. It was dark, and you two were rolling around on the floor. The shots went off, and some people heard and started screaming and running, so I put my little friend in my boot and ran along screaming with them. I went backstage, all the girls were hauling ass out of there, and I ran. I didn't want to. I didn't want to leave you there, but the cops pulled up immediately, and I didn't wanna go to jail. I'm not made for jail."

Craig put his head in his hands as the bartender brought over another drink for him. He asked her if she wanted another, and she shook her head. She was only halfway done with the one she had. Craig shook his head, sighed, and took more whiskey to the head.

"Craig, slow down. Again, I'm so so sorry."

"Does Slim know?"

She nodded. "Yeah, it was on the cameras. He was going to figure it out eventually. He didn't want me to get locked up too. I told him I was trying to protect you. So he erased the tapes, a whole week of tapes, so it wouldn't look suspicious. He told me not to tell a soul, but I feel you at least need to know."

"I guess I appreciate you trying to protect me," he said as he looked her up and down. "Never had anyone shoot some asshole for me, let alone a female."

"I wasn't trying to get you fired. That's why I feel the need to ask Slim to bring you back. It technically was my fault. You should come back. You're no longer with your girl anyway, right? You're free," she said as she ran her long fingernail up and down his thigh. He felt chills go from his head to his toes and back again. "I'm a ride-or-die chick. I'll ride, die and fight for the men I feel are worth it," she whispered in his ear. "You can count on me."

Craig didn't remember what happened after that. The next thing he knew, he was in an Uber with LaLa, and she brought him to meet her girlfriend. He thought she meant girlfriend, like a bestie, but when she led him into her bedroom and closed the door behind them, he sat on the bed, and he was soon watching the two make out. The room was spinning, and he chuckled as the two women started to take off their clothes. They soon fed him another shot, and the next thing he knew, they were sniffing coke off his chest, and he was sniffing it off of theirs...

*

Capricorn Goats are usually successful at their chosen careers. However, these goats find it very hard to be open emotionally with others.

*

Donatella stared at Adena and Kehinde with wide eyes. "Donatella, nice of you to join us. I'll go and find your folks," he said to Adena and walked away.

"Was I gone for that long?" Donatella asked her, and Adena realized she had been holding her breath. "You've turned my gallery into a circus, and I catch you in a supply closet with Kehinde Wiley, and...you're PREGNANT??"

"Donatella, I know this is a lot-"

"Have you completely lost your mind?!" she said. "You know what? Just get out of my sight. No, actually, I'll go. We will be talking about this FIRST THING in the morning," Donatella snapped at her. She then turned on her very high heels and disappeared into the crowd.

Adena could feel her chest getting tight. How could today be the best and worst day of her life??

"Honey, are you alright? Kehinde told me you weren't feeling well?" her mother said as she and her father approached her. "You look a little green, honey. Are you feeling nauseous?"

"I need to get out of here," she said. She could throw up right now.

"Alright, honey, let's get you home. You've been overworking yourself. You may need to slow down from now on. You got to prepare your body for delivery, and you need to be stress-free."

"I'll give you a call tomorrow, Adena," Kehinde said to her, and she nodded at him and thanked him again. He walked them out of the gallery and told his driver to take them wherever they needed to go. 

Since she didn't look well, her parents wanted to get dropped off at Grand Central and take her home to Long Island, but she insisted she needed to go home. "I have a meeting with Donatella first thing," she said. Her parents didn't press, and they took her home. Adena didn't notice the mess that Missy left behind when they walked into her apartment. She was still staying on Adena's couch, but she was at work. Her mother got to work cleaning up the living room and the kitchen, and her father walked her into her room. He put her purse on the dresser.

"You need anything?" he asked her as he put his hand on her forehead. She didn't feel warm. Maybe she was just exhausted. 

Adena blinked her eyes a few times like she was shaking herself out of a daydream. "Yeah, those piles of papers," she said as she pointed to the ones sitting next to her purse. He picked them up without looking at them. He was about to walk over to her when she said. "Read it."

"Read it?" he asked her.

"Read it, Dad," she said. "Out loud."

He started to read and then stopped, "This is Craig's-"

"Yes, read it, Dad-"

"I already have. Have you?"

"YES! But I didn't need to because I knew about everything that was on that background check. He told me all about his family and what happened to them, and I NEVER judged him. He's lost his whole family. That's not a crime."

"He's been in trouble quite a few times-"

"Stupid stuff, stupid stuff that I can forgive," she said to him. Her father sighed. "But guess who can't forgive Dad? Craig. He found those papers before I could talk to him about it. He thought I was going behind his back, that I didn't trust him or believe in him, but really that was all YOU."

"Yeah, and where is he now, sweetheart? He was supposed to help you with this event, and he is nowhere to be found."

"He's tired! He's given up! He's given up on me! He's given up on us," she said as she rubbed her stomach. "He gave up so much for us. He's been taking care of us. Yes, maybe he wasn't honest about a few things, but I LOVE HIM, Dad. But now he can't be with someone who doesn't trust him. He left Dad; he left me; he left us. Those damn papers were the last straw-"

"Sweetheart, remember that I did all of this to protect you-"

"You did it for your own peace of mind. Why is everyone trying to protect me by lying and going behind my back?! I can take care of myself, and now because of YOU, I have to do that all by myself."

"Sweetie-"

"I really hate you for this. I hope you're happy. Me? I'm fucking miserable. I hate myself for almost believing you," she said as she kicked off her shoes and lay in bed.

"Adena-"

"Go, Dad. I can't believe I have to kick you out of here twice in a row. Please just go. I'm exhausted." Her father nodded. "And take those fucking papers with you. I don't need them. I never did." She climbed under the covers and didn't want to look at him. She heard him say that he loved her, and then he walked out and closed the door behind him. She sighed. Did she just cuss out her Dad? She instantly regretted what she said to him, but she didn't have the strength to get up. She didn't want to get up ever again. She buried herself under the covers and cried herself to sleep.

*

Famous Capricorn Goat: John Denver (Singer; b. December 31, 1943)

*

Craig heard a door close, and he opened his eyes. His head was killing him. Once he was able to see straight, he realized that he was in his old bedroom. He looked around, confused. However, it wasn't his old bedroom anymore. There was different furniture in here. Wait, why was he in Carmen's room?

Did he somehow come back, and Ron let him sleep in here because he was so drunk and coked up? Shit, he couldn't believe he did that. He had quit. Now he had to start all over again.

He stumbled out of the bedroom, and Ron was in the kitchen. "Hey," he said as he scratched his head. Ron turned and looked at him like he had horns growing out of his head. "What?"

"What the fuck are you doing here, man?"

"I was going to ask you that. You let me in here, right?"

"No. I was at work. I got home in the middle of the night, and I could hear Carmen and her girlfriend having a good old time in there as usual...holy shit."

"What?" Craig asked as he stuck his head in the freezer. Why was it so hot in here?

"You don't remember?" Ron asked him, but Craig was only half listening. He then felt Ron pull his head out of the freezer and turn him around and practically shake him. "How can you not remember? Dude, it was you?! You fucked my lesbian roommate and her girlfriend?!"

The two looked at each other in shock. Both were stunned. Who knew who was more stunned than the other? Craig then turned around and threw up in the trashcan. 

Fuck, he was in trouble. What has he done!?

*

The next animal in the Chinese Zodiac, after the Goat, is the Monkey. In some parts of China, the monkey is worshipped as "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven." However, the monkey is also associated with adultery, justice, and emotional sorrow.

*

https://youtu.be/D2_A3Ia-69U