Chapter 1 #2
“Aht, aht, I don’t think you’re in any position to ask questions, honey. Listen, I’m just as clueless as you. I didn’t know Reese had a girlfriend, but now I do. If you want to take a trip to the hospital or the morgue, take another step.”
My threat halted her in her tracks. She turned her attention back to her man. Smart girl.
“Reese, who the fuck is this?”
“I’m a woman who was misled and lied to, just like you. Now, if you two would excuse me, I would love to be on my way. Thanks for being a disappointment,” I said to Reese as I passed him on my way to the door.
Once I stepped out into the night air, I finally lowered my gun. When I made it to my car, I put it in my armrest before cranking up and getting the hell away from Reese and his lies for good.
“Girl, you pulled a gun on them folks?” My friend Lottie cackled.
“Hell yes! I should have shot his ass. I was tired of standing around in the bathroom listening to them argue. My show was about to come on.”
“So, you pulled a gun on them!”
“Would you rather I have to fight my way out of there? I had shit to do today. You think I was about to let that little ass girl pull my hair when I just got this bob done?”
“I’m just tripping on how you think that shit is so logical.”
“Logically, I should have at least shot Reese in the knee for leaving me even more sexually frustrated than I started out. He had a big one too! I weep for the part of me that wanted to take on that task, but I’m glad I didn’t give him none. I really don’t know if I’m relieved or disappointed.”
Lottie rolled her eyes. “Please don’t start singing Mary J. Blige.”
“ I’m not gon’ cry. I’m not gon’ cry. I’m not gon’ shed no tears ,” I sang before laughing under my breath. “I’m stressed the fuck out, girl. I don’t even know why I’m laughing. This is really not a laughing matter.”
“You gotta laugh to keep from crying. I’m glad you didn’t shoot the poor man, Jrue.”
“Poor man my ass, Lottie. He was a fuck boy. I should have put a bullet in him and taken that poor girl out of her misery. She don’t deserve that.”
“Now, I agree with you there. You know she’s back with him right now. If you would have took him out last night when you had the chance, she would be free right now. That could be a business, girl. Fuck boy disposal service. We could do it.”
“Trademark that. Don’t let anyone steal it.”
“I know, right,” Lottie said as we both burst out laughing. “Seriously, though, Jrue, I thought he would be the one.”
“I wasn’t worried about finding the one, girl. I’m just mad I never found out if he could back up all that talk. I wanted to get freaked.”
Lottie thought that was hilarious.
“Girl, you stupid.” She cackled.
“Next time, I’m giving it up on the first night. I don’t have the time or energy to play. I’m embracing my ho-ness.”
“Girl, bye. Didn’t Steve say think like a man?”
“Yeah, and he also said ‘I Do’ to three different women. He’s not exactly the rock you want to build your foundation on. I’m giving up on finding Mr. Right. As long as I can find a Mr. Right Now, to get my back twisted, I’m good being alone. I’m happier alone actually.” I shrugged.
“Really, Jrue?”
“For real, girl. He doesn’t get to make the rules for everybody.
You better learn how to control your own narrative.
Start whoring these men, girl. Get them before they can get you.
Stop spreading your flower because you think you’re in love, and do it just because you want to feel good. Control your own show.”
“You can’t control everything, Jrue.”
“I don’t have to control everything, but I can control what happens to me .”
“You cannot control what happens to you, Jrucilla. The only thing you can control is how you react to it.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“I think you want to control everything because you think if you lose control, you might never get it back.”
“If I’m not in control, who can I trust to take care of shit, Carlotta? You see what depending on Jrake got me?”
“You’re so worried about losing control that you are going to miss the one thing worth losing control for.”
“Is this lecture Jrue day, or is this the final checkoff for the biggest event of Mahogany Visions history?”
“Everything is in order, Jrue. You’ve checked the list and checked it twice. Don’t get snippy with me because you didn’t get laid last night. I keep telling you to come to The Menagerie with me.”
“You still dealing with the cuddler?”
“Once a week like clockwork. I’m thinking about quitting my job as Jade’s assistant. The money is good, and all I have to do is cuddle once a week with a sexy, sweet man who smells like heaven. I actually think I love him. Is that crazy?”
“Considering you don’t know his real name or how he looks, I would say so.”
“You pick your own poison. This is just what works for me. You want to get your brains fucked out. They got that too.”
“I’m not even on that anymore. This is a brand-new day. This party has to be perfect.”
“It will. You know it will.”
Four hours later, the party was in full swing.
The garden side event was a surprise birthday party for the client Sage’s younger brother.
She was still hush-hush about who the guest of honor was.
My nosy ass tried to look her up, but I didn’t find anything about her.
So far, he hadn’t made it yet. I lingered around, trying to overhear who the party was for.
I deserved bragging rights for this one.
I had outdone myself, putting it together.
I usually tried not to crowd the guests, but I was more curious than ever because of all the extra measures they were taking to make sure the party was private.
We weren’t allowed to bring any phones or cameras inside the venue.
There was top-flight security of the world posted at the door to ensure that only people from the guest list made it inside the building.
Eventually, I stopped lingering. As nosy as I was, I didn’t want to be in the way of the surprise when the time came.
There were black and gold decorations throughout the building, thanks to my wonderful decorating team.
Liquor flowed abundantly, thanks to the mixologists at the open bar pouring top shelf liquor.
The DJ played all the latest hits, making sure that the dance floor was full the whole night.
Everything was so beautifully orchestrated that I wished I could get a picture now that everyone was here. Sage promised to tag my business in the photographer’s photos once they were up. I wanted my own pictures, though.
Everyone was having a blast, and things seemed to be running smoothly. I usually only hung around to make sure everything was in place before letting myself off the hook and leaving an event for the night.
Once I had given birth to one of my babies, there was nothing left for me to do but let the people enjoy themselves.
Typically, I ducked out the first chance I got.
Curiosity got the best of me this time, though.
I hung around well into the party, trying to get a glimpse of the top-secret guest of honor. All I needed was to know who it was.
“Wine?” A server I recognized approached, balancing a platter of red wine.
Red wine was the first thing I usually indulged in once I was finally done with an event. The servers that I staffed usually knew this. Caroline was one of the usuals. Her offering me a glass was my cue to make my exit.
The six-inch stilettos killing my feet were fierce in their own right, but they were a bitch and a half after a couple of hours of strutting around, giving orders. I needed a seat and fast.
“Thank you,” I said, smiling as I plucked a glass from the tray.
It was the perfect time to sneak out. First, I was going to enjoy a glass of the expensive ass wine they were serving. With that in mind, I made my way to the garden that sat at the back of the building. It was secluded enough for me to be able to sit in private.
It was beautifully decorated, with grass walls covered with vines of roses. I was surprised to see that the flowers were real. I loved fresh roses. The sweet scent of them met me before I reached my destination. I welcomed the gentle aroma that happened to be one of my favorites.
When I finally made it to one of the stone benches in the garden, I plopped down and stretched my feet out.
They felt much better once they were elevated.
I closed my eyes as I took the first sip of my drink.
The instant relief that I felt irked me.
I hated to think that I might end up like my freaking dad, which was why I only drank in celebration. Tonight deserved a glass of wine.
Before the rim of the glass reached my lips a second time, the sound of the door slamming almost made me jump out of my skin. It had been a long time since I had been busted doing something wrong, but this felt like one of those moments.
“Listen, man. Tell them I don’t want to hear that shit. You gotta get those dates finalized. I didn’t even want to come to no fucking party. You know they tricked me, Pop.”
The realization that I wasn’t actually in trouble for anything set in a little bit at a time.
The guy yelling on the phone didn’t even seem to notice me as he gave someone the business about upcoming meetings and dates.
I knew the stress of making sure everything was in order, so I didn’t blame him for stressing his issue.
I was glued to my seat as he paced back and forth listening to the person on the other end. They must have said what he needed to hear, because the tension in his shoulders uncoiled as he rolled them backward a few times.
Thankfully, his call only took a few minutes. Just when I thought he would finally go back inside and give me the privacy I needed right now, he reached behind his ear and removed a blunt. Without missing a beat, he stuck it in his mouth and fired it up.