Chapter 10
Stassi was always the last to leave. It never failed.
At every event she had ever arranged, she hung around until the very last guest departed.
It was the perfectionist in her. She thrived on seeing a venue go from nothing to something, and then back to nothing again.
She had always known she wanted to become a chef.
She used to cook up meals in high school and sell them out of her mother’s kitchen in Styrofoam takeout boxes just to make money.
When she discovered that she could parlay that into a full-service event boutique, she had found her calling.
Her business was new and small but growing by the day.
This talent showcase was proof of that. What had started as baby showers and graduation parties was blooming into something so much more.
It was her baby, and she was proud of it.
“The kitchen has to be spotless and make sure we’re bubble wrapping anything glass. A lot of stuff broke at the last event during transit, so be careful,” she instructed. A young boss. Stassi was finding her way and it felt damn good.
“Anastassia Grant.” Day swaggered into the kitchen, giving a slow round of applause as he approached her.
“Did I do my job?” she asked, beaming because nobody could tell her shit. She knew she had done a great job; it didn’t matter what came out of his mouth next.
“You did that,” Day replied. “Time to settle up.”
Stassi held out her hand. “Pay up, pay up,” she said playfully. “Write me a big check with a lot of zeros.”
Day snickered. “Your bank account been blessed. You can believe that.”
“I swear I gave out my card to like 20 people. Thank you for introducing me tonight. You vouching for me really made a difference. I would never be in the same room with these types of people.”
“What type is that?” Day asked.
“Privileged, I guess. Bougie even,” Stassi said.
“Nah, everybody in this shit is the same. We all hood wrapped in new money,” Day said.
“Ten-thousand-dollar handbags, red bottoms on every shoe, sounds about right,” she said.
“Don’t judge. Niggas ain’t never had nothing so they want everything when they finally get it. When you see the tip I gave you, I guarantee you’ll be up at Somerset buying yourself something shiny. Everybody come with they shit.”
“Everything I have goes into my business. I could care less about a label,” Stassi said.
“You a different kind of girl then, Ms. Lady. Tell me something. How a nigga impress a woman that don’t like pretty things?” Day asked.
“Show her something different,” Stassi answered.
Day narrowed the distance between them, tapping the edge of the stainless steel table with his finger until he was inches away.
“You on your hustle, Stassi. I respect it,” Day said. “But I’d be a lie if I told you I was gon’ play by your little rules.” He bit down on his bottom lip. Restraint. Thank God he was showing restraint.
Breathe, bitch, Stassi said to herself. Day didn’t have even a little ugly on him. He was fine as hell and he smelled so damn good. Like liquor and cologne.
“I want to take you out, get to know you and shit,” Day said.
D’Ussé. He had been drinking D’Ussé. He was so close she could smell it on his breath.
Don’t even think about taking backshots from this brown liquor dick tonight, bitch. Don’t do it. I bet it’s big… Aht, aht, be professional.
The internal struggle taking place in her mind was ridiculous.
“Day, I can’t,” she replied.
“You’re fired then,” he said as he closed the space and leaned into her neck, kissing there, leaving goosebumps and a wet spot behind.
She whimpered; it felt so good.
“Day...”
“Hmm,” he groaned as he sucked on her neck, kissing his way to her ear and then down her cheek until his tongue was in her mouth.
“We can’t do this,” she protested weakly. He lifted her onto the table, the steel kissed her bottom, freezing her as a chill shot up her spine and stiffened her nipples. Day slid her panties aside and Stassi grabbed his hand. Day paused long enough to speak.
“We stopping or going? Swear to God if you press play, I’ll eat this pussy to perfection but it’s your call. These your rules not mine. You want the dick or the opportunity.”
The dick.
Her inner ho was out of control. Her mind answered first but thank God she spoke a different answer.
“The opportunity,” Stassi whispered.
“Smart girl,” he scoffed, taking a step back and lifting his hands in surrender.
“Smarter than most.”
Stassi quickly hopped down from the table when she realized someone else had entered the room.
“What up, Lo?” Day greeted.
When Lauren Sky stepped out of the shadows, Stassi’s heartbeat quickened.
“I really hope this isn’t the girl you’ve been dying to get me to meet. Anybody who ends up getting fucked in the kitchen after their own event has no business being anywhere near one of my productions,” Lauren said.
“Easy, sis,” Day defended. “You said you couldn’t make it.”
“I changed my mind,” Lauren said. “The showcase went well. Everything looks beautiful. Everybody who matters is talking about it. I’m sorry I couldn’t come through this time.” Lauren met Stassi’s gaze. “It looks like you were in capable hands, though. Congrats. You did good work.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it and it’s nice to meet you. I’ve followed your work for a few years and love everything about you and your company. You’re literally goals.”
“You’re sweet, hun, don’t let this one corrupt you,” Lauren said jokingly.
“There will be no corrupting,” Stassi answered, blushing because she wasn’t sure if she could resist Day if he kept pushing up on her.
“I’ma let y’all chop it up...”
“No, I’m not staying,” Lauren said. “Anastassia, right?”
Stassi nodded, smiling because she couldn’t believe that Lauren even knew her name.
“Just Stassi,” she answered.
“I will definitely be in touch about bringing you on. This business is one of friends. Nobody can do every single event, but we look out for one another. I help you; you help me, and we build. Your work is good. I think we can collab on a few things. Maybe bring you on at my company for one event to see if the chemistry’s there first? You good with that?”
“Oh my God, yes. Absolutely. I’d love to work with you,” Stassi answered.
“Day vouches, so it’s a done deal,” Lauren answered. Lauren went into her handbag and removed a card. “Call me first thing Monday morning.”
“I will,” Stassi said eagerly. She could barely hide her excitement.
“Alright, bro, I’m out of here,” Lauren said. Her heels clicked across the kitchen floor until she reached the door. She paused. “I’m looking for my husband. Have you seen, Demi? He claims he had some emergency. Some meeting out of town? What you know about that?” Lauren asked.
Husband?
Stassi had to stop her mouth from falling open at the revelation. That lying-ass nigga. Ain’t no way Charlie knows he’s married.
“Oh, um, yeah. We had something come up with the execs at the distribution company,” Day said. “Nothing to worry about though, Lo.”
Stassi was amazed at how easily the lie left Day’s lips.
Lauren lingered, staring at Day in the eyes but she didn’t speak. She simply nodded before walking out.
“Demi’s married?” Stassi asked.
Day finessed his chin, looking off as he blew out a breath of discontent.
“First rule of being in this business,” he paused as he deadpanned on her.
“Mind your business.” Day walked out of the kitchen, leaving Stassi with a conflicted soul.
Her sister had no idea that Demi was married, but Stassi knew she couldn’t tell her.
If she did, she would ruin the opportunity she had been given.
She’s not even serious about him. She just met him. I shouldn’t have to give this up because of who she’s sleeping with, Stassi thought. I’ll just convince her not to see him anymore. This is too big to turn down.
Charlie stood behind Demi. Her arms were wrapped around his waist as she rested the side of her face against his back as he faced the hotel clerk.
“How was your stay, Mr. Sky?” the woman asked.
“Everything was good,” he answered. “Thanks for going to grab my lady a few items. You get that tip?”
“I did. It wasn’t necessary, but thank you,” she answered. “I hope I’m not overstepping here, but you guys are a beautiful couple. I see a lot of people come in here and I’ve never quite seen love look like this. Enjoy your day, Mr. and Mrs. Sky. Come see us again.”
“You hear that, Demi? Mrs. Sky,” Charlie teased as he turned toward her.
“That name a little big for you, Bird,” he replied. “You might grow into it one day. We’ll see.”
Her cheeks warmed as he placed his hand on the small of her back and led her outside to the valet.
They hadn’t seen the sun for two days. With the blackout shades drawn, they had drowned in darkness all weekend.
Weed, sex, and food. They had overindulged, ignoring everything and everyone except one another.
Charlie felt like she was floating as they stood in front of the hotel.
Demi’s brow knitted as he responded to messages he had ignored for days.
Charlie didn’t care to power her phone back on yet.
She wouldn’t until she was in her car and out of his space.
“So, now what?” she asked.
That question jarred him, pulling his eyes up and to her instantly. He stuck his phone in his pocket.
“I mean, now that this is a thing. What happens next? Is it a thing?” she wondered.
“It’s a big thing,” he said.
Her car putted up to the curb and Demi frowned. It was old and the exhaust could be smelled from a block away. The loud tick of the engine told Demi it was something wrong under the hood, but he didn’t want to embarrass her.
The valet hopped out of the driver’s side and Demi walked Charlie around the car, tipping the valet guy.
“I got it, man,” he said. “I’ma get with you, a’ight. I got to catch up on what I missed so I might be busy, but that don’t mean I’m absent. I’m coming back to you, just wait to hear from me.”
She was so hung up on his every word that she felt queasy a little. She could feel him finessing the common sense right out of her.
“You trust me?” he asked.
“I don’t know you, babe. It bothers me that I’m in love with a stranger,” she answered honestly. “It scares me.”
“I don’t want you to do nothing you don’t want to. I don’t want your fear, Bird. I can’t do nothing with that,” he replied. There was still a space between them, and Charlie knew it was intentional. She looked down at the inches between them. It felt like a canyon.
“You want to touch me, don’t you?” he asked.
“I’m trying hard not to,” she replied.
“Say, man,” he said, a little lost for words.
“Say, man,” she replied, just as lost.
“I’d like to head out without feeling the need to take another shower if that’s okay with you,” he said.
She scoffed.
“I’m in love with you,” she said.
“You sure about that?” he asked.
Shock took over her face. “What’s so unlovable about you? I know what I feel.”
“If you’re sure, then a nigga got to give that vibe back. That’s the expectation. That’s what you want to hear?” he asked.
“I don’t want to hear anything you don’t want to say,” Charlie replied. “If it’s not real, don’t give it to me. I only want what’s true,” she said.
“Then you got it, Bird. What’s true,” he answered. “A nigga in love with you.”
He said it so naturally that her eyes widened some before a huge smile melted over her face. “You love me, Demi?” she teased.
“Yeah, here you go,” Demi grimaced. “Gone with your bullshit, man.” He scratched his temple, unable to contain the stubborn smile that pulled at the corner of his mouth.
Demi always led with his head. He was always calculating, always logical.
With Charlie, he was leading with straight emotion.
It didn’t even make sense the way he was taken with this girl. “Get ya ass in the car, Bird.”
Charlie obliged but didn’t turn her feet inside. She smiled up at Demi.
“I never want to shorten it, okay?” Charlie said, grabbing at his hand and forcing him to bend over to be closer to her face. She kissed him. He didn’t like it, but she didn’t care.
“Whatever you want, Bird,” he agreed. He feared she would talk him into anything her heart desired because he couldn’t see himself telling her no to anything.
“I’m serious, Demi. Like, don’t ever say ‘love you’ to me.
If it gets to the point where we’re so lazy that we have to shorten it to “love you” we can just end it because that’s not enough.
“I want to know your roots, Demi, not just the flowers. So, when life gets cold, our love won’t die,” Charlie said.
“All roots, no flowers,” he responded. The valet pulled his car up behind hers and Demi tapped her thigh to get her to put them inside. “Let me know when you make it home,” he said as he shut the door.
“Will do.”
She pulled away and Demi gritted his teeth with bawled fists on top of his head before swinging at the air in angst. He was walking a fine line and he knew it was only a matter of time before things blew up in his face.
He would have to figure out how to balance time with Charlie and time at home, because if he had learned nothing these past 48 hours, it was that not having Charlie wasn’t an option.
The problem was, he couldn’t quite see his life without Lauren either.
He knew it was wrong, but he promised himself he would try his hardest to make them both happy until he could figure out how to clean up the mess he had made.