Chapter 8
Celeste
“How do you think Erick has been doing so far? I talked to him earlier and he said everything was fine, but is there anything I need to work with him on?” I asked Jade as we ate our lunch.
Erick had completed his first week of working at Luxe Addiction and he was a great fit.
Just like I hoped, he was great when it came to interacting with customers and did everything I asked when we had any downtime.
Jade worked more with him when I wasn’t present, so I wanted to make sure he was still doing okay even when I wasn’t there.
“He’s good. The first day I met him I was a little iffy, but he’s grown on me. He’s very sweet and funny. Any time he goes to get coffee, he brings me something back as well. He’s also pretty good at helping with the online orders when he can.”
“Good. I told you I liked him. He was always sweet when I’d go into Coffee King. I’ll check in with him at his ninety-day mark and go from there.”
“Girl, fuck all of that. I need to know what’s going on with you and Allen. When are you leaving that nigga, Celeste? I feel like things will only get worse from here. How many times does this man have to publicly embarrass you before enough is enough?” she questioned.
Exhaling, I put my fork down and relaxed my body into the booth.
I’d been doing my best to keep this conversation off the table.
Since the night everything happened, I made it my business to keep my distance from Jade.
I knew how the conversation would go. Since I had no solution, I wanted to keep quiet.
“I’m coming up with a plan. I sat down the other day and calculated all my bills.
I make enough to cover everything, but shit will be extremely tight.
I’ve been trying to find a location I can afford that will still be in a decent area.
I don’t have a problem changing my lifestyle, but I need to keep my mother’s facility the same.
I hate that I let Allen pick that expensive ass place, but it truly is worth the money.
The nurses and doctors are on top of everything. Like, I truly couldn’t find better.”
“Have you looked into an at home nurse? I’m sure it has to be much less than paying for a facility.”
“I thought about that. If I go that route, I need the new store location already up and running. You know I never moved my mother under Allen’s roof.
I’d move her into my townhouse. Every avenue ends with me having my new location first. He’s gonna pull the plug on everything he helped me with as soon as I end it.
I think he knows it’s coming, but he’s trying his hardest to keep me under him right now. ”
“Girl, I can’t wait until you have everything together. I hate that he’s holding you and your mother’s livelihood over your head. A real nigga would’ve at least put the building in your name.”
“I know. I swear not pressing him to do that is my biggest regret. He didn’t do it out of spite, but I never asked because we were good at the time,” I expressed.
“I understand, friend. That man isn’t your husband though. That right there makes all the difference.”
“Trust me, I learned my lesson. Had someone told me two years ago we’d be here, I would’ve told them to kiss my ass.”
“You can still tell a motherfucka to kiss your ass. It’s your life at the end of the day. I’m only giving my input because you’re my best friend. I actually give a fuck about your well-being.”
Before I could respond, my phone dinged, alerting me of a text.
Confusion swept my features when I realized I didn’t have the number saved.
Outside of my mother and Jade, not many people tried to contact me.
I had a business phone for Luxe Addiction, so I knew it wasn’t business related.
Picking up my phone, I tapped and pulled the text thread up.
“Who the hell got you smiling from ear to ear?” Jade questioned as she took a bite of her chicken salad.
“I’m not even smiling that hard,” I countered.
“Girl, I’m looking right at you. Now, spill the beans. Actually, don’t tell me shit if it’s a message from Allen’s baldheaded ass.”
“Allen wishes he could make me smile. Him making me smile sounds like a nightmare,” I said with my head tilted in disgust.
“Well, proceed.”
“So Allen’s jeweler—”
“Bitch.”
“Girl let me finish, damn. Allen’s jeweler came by the house not long ago and brought his nephew with him. Jade, that man is so fucking fine. I wish I could show you a picture of him. He’s caramel skinned and muscular as fuck. Tattoos from the neck down and smells so damn good.”
“What’s his name?”
“Shane. The only thing is, his ass is also a producer and I don’t know if I wanna open that can of worms. But anyway, he ended up bringing his mother into my store the same day we met.
It was a crazy coincidence. The night the shit went down with Allen, he saw me outside the club and gave me a ride.
I was out of my mind and didn’t wanna go home, so he took me to his mom’s house.
“Remember when I called you that morning from that random number? Well, that was his number. He took me to get a new phone, then I had him drop me off at my townhouse. I haven’t talked to him since then. I forgot I even gave him my number.”
“Damn. You just been keeping all the tea from me, huh?”
“Jade, please. I’ve had so much going on that I don’t know left from right. I would’ve told you eventually, but there’s really nothing to tell,” I admitted.
“Shit, it’s something to tell if a nigga got you smiling. You know my motto. If you wanna get over your old nigga, go lay up under a new one,” she stated with a shrug.
Laughing, I finished catching Jade up on everything I knew about Shane.
I didn’t know why I was expecting more judgment from her, but she didn’t have much to say.
That was better than her telling me I was out of my mind for even having another man on my mind with everything I had going on.
Once the two of us finished, we walked back to the store and got back to the online orders.
Erick was ringing up a customer and he looked nice in his three-piece suit.
Jade and I were in the zone until it was time for me to head to the assisted living facility to check on my mother.
Today, I was taking her a new throw blanket and a few other things I’d picked up from the store.
I like to switch up the decorations in her room every now and again to keep it feeling like home.
It was bad enough she had had to spend her last days in a facility.
I was approaching a red light when my phone rang with a call from Allen.
Ignoring it, I went to the music app and turned to my favorite playlist. The tune didn’t even have a chance to play before I received another call.
My face scrunched up in annoyance, thinking it was Allen.
I relaxed when I realized it was Shane. Right before I answered, I remembered I’d never responded to his text. I had been so busy talking to Jade about him that it slipped my mind.
“Hello?”
“Celeste?”
“Yes. Hello, Shane.”
“If you knew it was me, why you ain’t text me back?”
“My bad. I was at lunch with my best friend and it slipped my mind.”
“Aight. I was only callin’ to check on you. When you didn’t respond, I wanted to call to make sure this was really your number,” he said.
“Yeah, it’s me. How you been?”
“I been straight, shorty. Same shit, different day. What you up to?”
“I’m on my way to visit my mom. I try to see her as often as possible,” I informed him.
“My mom was asking about her last night. She told me to tell you she was sending you prayers and shit.”
“That’s nice of her. Tell her I said thank you again for allowing me under her roof without knowing me from a can of paint.”
“Listen, I’m not about to be the messenger. Y’all asses got too much to say to each other. I’ll send you her number and you can tell her all that shit yourself.”
“Okay. That’s fine,” I stated with a chuckle.
When the line went silent, I tried to think of something else to talk about. It was nice talking to him and I didn’t want our conversation to end so quickly.
“Are you at the studio right now?”
“I am. The person I’m working with just went on a break, so I’m chillin’ until he gets back.”
“How long will you be there?”
“Only for the next few hours. I should be out around eight. Why you ask? You wanna see a nigga or somethin’?”
“What if I said yes?” I asked boldly.
“We can make that happen. You know where the lakefront is off fifth avenue?”
“I do. Downtown, right?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll meet you there when I leave. There’s usually not many people there on a weeknight, so we should be good on privacy.”
“That’s cool. Text or call me when you leave the studio and I’ll leave from visiting my mom then.”
Once the plan was finalized, I ended the call and drove in silence the rest of the way to my mom.
I didn’t know what the hell I was thinking right now, but I’d be meeting Shane.
Allen crossed my mind, but only because of the fate of my store.
I couldn’t care less about how he’d feel knowing I was with another man.
As far as I knew, he was laid up with Serenity at this very moment.
When I made it to the nursing facility, I parked in the visitors’ lot and grabbed the bags from my back seat.
After hitting the lock button on my key fob, I walked in and signed in at the receptionist desk.
I made my way down the hall once I had my pass.
“Knock, knock,” I sang as I lightly knocked on my mother’s door.
“Hey, baby. How you been?”
“I’ve been good, Momma. I just came by to put up new decorations and change your bedding.”
“Celeste, what I tell you about always spending money on me? You spend all this money on decorations and clothes I hardly ever get to wear,” she complained.