Chapter 7 #2
"So you fucked CC last night during the bachelorette party, fucked Teresa right after and woke up with her before breakfast, then met with Brenda after breakfast and got fucked dom style?"
Tyreek dried his face. "Yes ma'am." He licked his dry lips. "I wish I could take it back."
She paced, with thoughts and memories colliding in her head, then stopped. "Stay here. I'll come get you when it's safe for you out there."
"You told me not to go in there," Teresa said, standing near the bar, a blanket hanging from one shoulder, her eyes red and swollen from crying.
The room went quiet. Brenda slowly turned toward her.
"What?" Brenda said.
She looked at her, not blinking through burning eyes. "You told me not to check on CC."
A few women exchanged looks.
"Bitch, are you accusing me?" Brenda's face hardened.
"I hear you over there whispering with my name in your mouth. I know how you get down."
Brenda took a step forward. "For all I know, you did do it, bitch."
The room erupted.
Teresa's mouth dropped open. "What?"
"I'm not gonna waste my time arguing with the help." Brenda waved her hand dismissively. "Go clean something, hoe."
The words landed like a slap. Teresa's face changed. Her hurt turned into anger. She took a step forward. "You already cleaned it." She moved closer. Close enough to kiss her. "Yeah... I know you fucked Tyreek. What does my pussy taste like? He said it tastes like candy."
The room exploded. The air seemed to crack open with overlapping shouts and sharp gasps, bodies shifting and bumping into one another as tension snapped.
Brenda's fingers curled tight around the stem of a half-full wine glass, knuckles whitening as she yanked it off the table.
The wine hit Teresa full in the face — cold, sticky, and stinging — splattering across her cheeks, soaking into her lashes, dripping down her chin and neck, staining the front of her clothes as the sharp scent of alcohol filled the space between them.
Darius screamed, "Hey!" He never moved from the entrance, his voice booming across the room. "Vicky! Stop them!" His eyes stayed on both doors. "Sky! Help! I got both exits covered."
Vicky pushed through the crowd, bodies brushing against her as she forced her way forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Teresa's waist just as she lunged again.
Sky moved in from the other side, catching Brenda's arm mid-swing and holding it there, her grip firm as Brenda struggled against her.
The security guards shifted instinctively, their bodies tensing like they were about to intervene, but hesitation flickered across their faces as they remembered their weapons were no longer in their possession, and neither man moved.
Around them, the room unraveled. Women screamed over one another, voices sharp and panicked, some climbing onto chairs to get a better view while others stumbled backward, trying to put distance between themselves and the fight.
The Indoor Golf Wing, once controlled and polished, dissolved into loud, frantic chaos that seemed to swallow the entire space.
Then—
"SHUT UP!"
The microphone screeched, and everything stopped.
Celeste stood in the doorway, her eyes sweeping the room.
Teresa stood soaked in wine, Brenda was crying, Sky held Brenda's arms, and Vicky restrained Teresa.
Darius stood at the entrance, shoulders squared and eyes sharp, scanning every movement like he expected danger to break loose at any second.
The room had been all noise — voices overlapping, hands waving, bodies shifting in agitation — and now it was nothing.
Her jaw tightened as she took in the disorder.
She closed her eyes for one long second, drawing in a steady breath. Then opened them.
"If I have to walk through this damn hurricane and swim to my car," she screamed, "I will personally call Palm Police Department and have every last one of you locked up until I figure out what happened to Ciera."
Silence settled over the room. No one moved. No one even seemed to breathe. She lowered the microphone.
"We are not doing this." She pointed. "Vicky, let her go." Then at Sky. "Release Brenda." Her eyes found Teresa. "Let's talk like civilized people." Then Brenda. "Don't go missing. We talk next."
She took a breath. "We're about to start over." She reached for Teresa's hand. "Come with me."
Teresa didn't argue. She let herself be guided away from the noise, past the cluster of arguing guests, past the bar, until Celeste steered her toward a small sofa tucked into a quiet corner of the room and eased her down onto the cushion, sat beside her, close enough to keep her grounded but not crowding her.
Teresa clutched the blanket tighter around her shoulders. Her mascara had run down her cheeks, and her face was still pale.
Celeste studied her for a moment. "You found the body?"
Teresa nodded and a fresh wave of tears threatened. "I thought she was sleeping."
Celeste let the silence sit for a moment. "Did anything unusual happen this morning?"
Teresa looked up. Then nodded. "Ms. Brenda."
"What about her?"
"She told me not to bother CC."
Celeste frowned. "What do you mean?"
"She said CC drank too much. Told me not to clean her room. Not to wake her up. Said she would check on her herself."
"When did she tell you this?"
"At breakfast."
"Then why did you go anyway?"
She swallowed. "Sky asked me to check on her." Tears slid down her face. "And honestly..." Her voice cracked. "I was gonna check on her eventually anyway."
Celeste leaned back. "Did Brenda say why she wanted everyone away from that room?"
Teresa slowly shook her head.
"No."
Silence filled the space.
Then Teresa looked at her. "You don't think Brenda had something to do with this... do you?"
Celeste's expression didn't change. "I think somebody murdered my friend." She stood. "And right now, I'm trying to figure out who."
"I'm sorry." She wiped her face. "I liked CC. We were close."
"How long have you known her?"
"For a few years. I met her here whenever her and her fiancé came to Brenda's parties. She treated my team and me with respect. Not like Brenda. She can miss me with that Ms. Brenda shit."
"Stay focused," Celeste reminded her. "Is there anyone here who you think would harm Ciera?"
"CC is one of the sweetest people I ever met. I know that I wouldn't."
"What got you and CC close, other than treating you nice?"
Teresa dropped her head, then looked up. "Don't judge me for what I'm about to say."
Celeste touched her hand. "Whatever you say will be between the two of us."
"Whenever CC and her fiancé came here, I was theirs at the end of each night.
" Tears began sliding down her face again.
"I loved CC, no matter how ridiculous it sounds.
Her fiancé is cool as fuck. They did a lot for me and I never asked for anything.
" She used the corner of the blanket to wipe her face.
"I loved them both and they loved me back. But CC was my heart." She paused.
"Take your time," Celeste said.
"I did it for CC. I would've done anything for her."