Chapter Thirty-Two
MONIQUE
––––––––
Cas released the breath in a rush and then opened his eyes. "I'm leaving before I get the urge to call this whole thing off," Cas told them. "Plus, I still have stuff to do at work. I'll be back tomorrow around noon." His gaze moved to Meka. "If anything comes up, call me."
"I will. Oh, tomorrow, we'll be at the boutique for our makeup session," Meka reminded him.
"I know. I'll stop by and take you all to the boutique. Call me if anything comes up before then."
"What could possibly come up, Cas?" Meka asked.
"Anything can happen in twenty-four hours. So, if Frederico comes by or anything like that, call me right away. In fact, I may come back after work and stay the night here..."
Meka shook her head. "Not happening. Go to work, baby. We'll be fine."
A smile crept across Cas's face. "Don't think calling me baby will make me do whatever you want me to do."
"Is that right, baby?" Meka whispered.
Cas grabbed Meka's hand. "I think you should come with me. I'll bring you back in the morning."
Laughing, Meka shook her head. "Go to work, Cas."
"Alright, alright. Call me if anything happens. Anything at all."
"We've practiced what to do if someone breaks in. We got this." Meka kissed Cas's cheek.
"I'll call every few hours. If you don't answer the phone, I'm rushing over," Cas told her.
"Yes, sir." Meka saluted him.
Cas slowly rose from his seat. "Keep an eye on her," Cas said, nodding to Monique. "Don't let her sneak off in the middle of the night."
Monique chuckled. "I am not a child, Caspari Cattaneo. I don't have to sneak anywhere. I can come and go as I please."
"This is why you and my brother are a perfect match. You're both so fucking stubborn."
Cas headed to the front door, with Meka following him. Meka locked the door behind her man before facing her friends.
"He worries more than a woman does," Meka complained, smiling while striding back over to the couch.
"Now that we're alone, Mo," Toya started. "Are you ready to tell us how your date with Mr. Zaddy Miconi went?"
There was that smile again, creeping across Monique's face like the rising sun. Why was she freaking smiling?
"It must've gone well. You smile whenever we bring him up," Meka teased.
"While I'm mad at y'all heffas for leaving me alone with him, I'm also glad you did."
"See!" Toya exclaimed, facing Meka. "I told you a little alone time would help her feel better about going to the gala with him."
"What do you mean feel better?" Monique asked.
"Wellll...." Toya drawled. "You seemed uptight and nervous around him when he was paying for our stuff and talking with the clerks about setting us all up for the glam squad treatment. If you had gone to the gala with him while acting like that, Raz wouldn't have been jealous at all. He would've known you were doing it to spite him. However, if you're relaxed around Frederico, laughing and flirting, that will piss Raz off to the highest level of pisstivity."
"While that may be true, you should've given me a heads up before abandoning me with Frederico. What if I would've done something like that to you?"
"Please do," Toya begged. "Find me a zaddy and abandon my ass."
Monique couldn't hold in her laughter.
"Now, tell us," Meka encouraged. "Tell us what you and Frederico talked about."
"Y'all nosey," Monique teased, knowing full well she was ready to tell them everything.
"Come on, Mo," Meka whined. "I'm dying to know. Did the older gentleman sway you even a little bit?"
"I'm not going to say he swayed me. But he did surprise me. Apparently, today wasn't the first time he's seen me."
Monique proceeded to tell her besties how her wine date with Miconi went. The looks on their faces let her know they were being swayed just as much as she was. Meka's next words proved it.
"At first, I was team Raz," Meka mused. "Now, I'm leaning more toward Team Miconi."
"Girl, Raz who?" Toya added. "I don't know anyone by that name."
"Don't be like that," Monique told them.
"Like what?" Toya asked. "I'm serious. Frederico seems like a great catch. The only problem is that his daughter is his life."
"As she should be," Monique countered.
"Yeah, well, I don't date men with children for a reason. I don't have any, and I don't want any. Plus, I'm an attention whore. I need all my man's attention on me."
"Toya," Meka whispered.
"What? At least I know what I like and don't like. I won't ever be mean to a man's child. Or any child, for that matter. I love kids. But I don't want to raise any. That's my preference. Luckily for Mo, Frederico's child is grown. However, if Monique is interested in Frederico, there are some questions she'll have to ask herself first."
Toya's gaze returned to Monique. "Can you handle spending holidays at the Miconi family villa with Raz and your stepdaughter-in-law? Can you handle seeing Raz with another woman? Can you handle Raz and your stepdaughter-in-law having kids and making you a grandma? Can you handle seeing Raz kiss her or say sweet things to her, the same things he used to say to you? If you can handle that, then hey, I'll root for Mr. Suave Frederico all day, every day. I like the way he looks at you, and I like how you smile when you think of him. However, if you can't handle that, Frederico isn't the man for you. I never want to see you unhappy again. So, Mo, can you handle it?" Toya asked, leaving Monique feeling a bit lost.
But the answers to those questions were clear in her mind and heart. Would she be able to handle seeing Raz with another woman? The answer was... Hell No!
Monique shook her head. "Honestly, no. I wouldn't be okay with that. It would be awkward for everyone, Frederico included. Raz is still my end game for now. I don't even want to think about Miconi yet. Right now, Raz still has my heart. Tomorrow evening, he'll either accept it or finish breaking it. And if he breaks it, I'll take a few days to nurse my hurt feelings, and then I'll move on. Simple as that."
Damn, why did her voice have to shake on that last sentence? Monique swallowed back tears and forced a smile for her friends. But they saw through her facade.
"You know what, thinking about Raz is making me angry. How about some drinks to take our minds off tomorrow night?" Toya suggested. "Who wants my famous dirty Bahama-mamas?"
"I'm down," Monique agreed, feeling like a strong drink was just what the doctor ordered. "But I may not have all the juice ingredients you need in my refrigerator."
"That's fine. I can make it work," Toya told her.
"Make me one, too," Meka called out.
The ladies spent the rest of the day listening to music and sipping Toya's famous drink. When night fell, they watched movies while reviewing their plan again. It was late when Monique finally began yawning and decided to shower and go to bed.
That night, she didn't sleep well. Her mind was on the gala and Raz. She dreamed of him looking right past her when he saw her at the gala. She dreamed of him being so enamored with his date that he didn't even notice her on the arm of another man.
Even in her dreams, she felt there was a chance of that happening. How would she react if it really did? Would her emotions take over, causing her to burst out crying right then and there, embarrassing herself amongst Orazio's associates?
Or would she find the strength to pretend she was indifferent to him and proceed with the kidnapping plan? In her dream, she'd cried like a baby, embarrassing herself while everyone pointed and laughed at her.
Raz's date had smirked while saying, "What made you think a man like him would want a woman like you anyway? Your husband didn't even want you. And my dad is just using you to keep you out of my way. You're just a country mouse in a room full of killers. Leave now while we're all being nice. Or end up like your husband."
Monique awoke in a cold sweat, heart damn near beating out of her chest. Struggling to catch her breath, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to calm herself down. It was just a dream. It wasn't real.
In the end, Raz would choose her. He loved her. His love for her would prove to be greater than his fear of something bad happening to her. She trusted him. She believed in him. Monique stared at her phone, which was resting on her end table.
Against her better judgment, she reached for it, desperately needing to hear his voice. Even if it was just in a voicemail. She scrolled through her phone and found his name. She was just about to press CALL when she remembered something.
He'd blocked her. Blinking back tears, she returned her phone to the nightstand and laid back down. Was she a fool for wanting this man that badly? She was starting to feel foolish as hell. And desperate.
She hated this feeling, and she hated Raz for making her feel this way. Closing her eyes, she let the tears fall. Tears of anguish stained her pillow as she tossed and turned, trying to take her mind off Orazio Cattaneo.
All night, Monique was plagued by bad dreams that caused her to wake up several times. By the time the sun rose, she felt restless, disheartened, and frustrated. Even coffee hadn't helped her chaotic emotions.
However, those negative feelings started melting away a few hours later when the glam squad called and reminded them of their appointment at the boutique. As if they needed a reminder!
They were ready to get dolled up. Meka called Cas, who told her he was in a security meeting to discuss the gala plans and emergency procedures again. He told her he would be late picking them up.
Late? Not happening. Being late for their hair and makeup would mess up their entire day, throwing off all their carefully laid out plans. They could drive themselves. After showering and getting dressed, they drove to the boutique.
When they arrived, they were escorted to a private room with a wall-to-wall mirror and makeup station. The designer of her dress hadn't been lying when she'd promised to make Monique stand out at the event.
She felt like a pampered princess as they readied her for the Cattaneo gala. What made it even better was that she had her best friends beside her, getting glammed up also thanks to the enormous amount of money Mr. Miconi spent at the boutique.
Draped in warm white towels, they were shaved, lotioned up, and then had pedicures and manicures while listening to music and drinking champagne. Then, their hair and makeup were done. They were given books to choose hairstyles from.
Monique let the staff choose her hairstyle while Meka and Toya stressed over which hairstyles they wanted. Hours later, when their hair and makeup were done, they were escorted to separate rooms to get dressed.
The glam team took their time draping Monique in her dress. She wasn't allowed to look into the mirror until after they were done with everything. And then it was time for the big reveal.
They escorted her out into the main area of their private room, where the wall-to-wall mirrors were. Meka and Toya were already there, looking in the mirror. Monique saw them before they saw her, and she was blown away by how good they looked.
Meka was draped in a one-shoulder, long-sleeved, black evening dress with a high slit. The dress clung to her curves as if she'd been melted down and poured into the ensemble. On her bare arm, there was a silver bracelet encircling her wrist, and she was holding a black clutch.
Her necklace and earrings matched the bracelet. She was wearing black high heels, and her hair was parted down the middle and pulled back into a sleek, twisted, low bun. She looked stunning.
Monique's gaze drifted to Toya, who was wearing a sleeveless, black, high-neck dress with a deep dip in the back and black high heels. Her hair was also parted down the middle and slicked back.
But instead of having it in a twisted bun like Meka, her hair was straight, falling to the middle of her back. The hairstylist had really done her thing today. Toya wore very little jewelry, choosing only long silver earrings that almost reached her shoulders and a ring.
Toya didn't need much jewelry. Her curves were an accessory that would make her stand out in any room. Her besties looked so good in their black dresses that Monique wondered if she should've chosen a black dress, also. However, when her friends faced her, she was once again happy with the dress she'd chosen.
"Mo!" Toya exclaimed. "You look like a model."
A huge grin stretched across Monique's face. "Stop exaggerating."
"I'm not," Toya told her, gaze roaming over Monique's form. "Those curves are curving! Girl, you are beautiful and snatched." Toya touched her own stomach. "These ladies got us looking like we work out."
"I'm going to start working out because I love this snatched look," Monique told her. Monique's gaze drifted to Meka, who was blinking back tears. "Meka, what's wrong?"
Meka fanned her eyes, trying to keep the tears away as she whispered, "You look so pretty. And your smile is so bright."
Ah, hell! Meka was going to have them all tearing up.
"No tears," one of the makeup artists said, rushing over to them. "No crying, ladies. This is a happy time. Plus, you all have your photo shoot next. Don't mess up your makeup."
Meka swallowed then took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Okay. I've gotten it together."
Monique smiled at her best friends. Even if the entire world turned on her, these two never would. Even if no one else told her she was pretty, these two always would. Ah, hell! She was tearing up again.
"No tears," the makeup artist said again. "Think happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. Happy, happy. Now, move over to the mirror and take one last look at your gorgeous selves and then we must move into the other room for photos. Chop. Chop."
Monique stood in front of the full-length mirror, her breath catching in her throat as she took in her reflection. Love . That was the first word that came to mind when she saw herself. She loved the woman staring back at her.
Seeing herself looking her best made her feel stronger, mentally and emotionally. Yeah, last night was a bad night. But the sun had risen, and she was blessed to live another day. She wouldn't let the bad energy from last night intrude on her today.
Today, she was happy. Way happier than she'd been with Trevor. And she knew she'd be happy with or without Raz. No man was the key to her happiness. The woman she was looking at was that key. That woman was beautiful. That woman was worthy.
That woman deserved everything that was good and beautiful in the world. Monique's gaze roamed over her reflection. She didn't mean to toot her own horn but toot-toot . She was a vision in gold. It complemented her skin so well. She looked like a goddess.
The gold dress shimmered under the soft lighting, hugging her curves like it was crafted by the gods themselves. The mermaid cut flared gracefully at the bottom, the high slit revealing her thigh. But her thigh wasn't completely bare.
There was a barely-there sheer overlay under the slit. There were intricate rose designs etched into the sheer fabric. Each rose seemed to climb up her leg, adding a touch of delicate elegance to the bold slit.
The one-shoulder design framed her neckline beautifully, the fabric sweeping across her chest and accentuated by roses that seemed to bloom right over the swell of her breasts. The dress dipped low in the back, stopping just above her butt, where more rose patterns danced along her skin, leaving just enough to the imagination while celebrating her natural beauty.
Her hair was styled to perfection, pulled up into an elegant updo that allowed loose ringlets to cascade around her face. The curls framed her high cheekbones and full lips, softening the boldness of the dress with a touch of playful femininity.
A few stray tendrils fell along the nape of her neck, adding a romantic allure to her overall appearance. Monique's ensemble was completed with gold high heels that elongated her legs and a set of gold jewelry encrusted with diamonds that sparkled with every slight movement.
Her earrings dangled charmingly, catching the light and drawing attention to her graceful neck, while a delicate bracelet adorned her wrist, glinting with every heartbeat. She adjusted her earrings, her fingers trembling slightly as she gazed at the woman in the mirror.
She was a vision of strength, beauty, and undeniable sex appeal. The gold of the dress perfectly complemented her rich, brown skin. In fact, the entire look made her feel like a queen ready to reclaim her throne.
That's precisely what she was, a jilted queen, ready to reclaim her king and her kingdom! And that's exactly what Monique planned to do. Because even a don had to bow in the presence of a queen.