Chapter 9 #2
When they finally made it to their VIP section, she felt like she could breathe for exactly three seconds before arms wrapped around her neck.
“This shit is so dope!” Sophie screamed into Iskyiah’s ear.
Iskyiah grinned. “You made it!”
Moolah kissed her cheek and moved further into the section to greet everyone.
“Bitch, of course the fuck I did! You been MIA since you found this man again, which, I’m still not clear on the details of who he even is. How else was I supposed to see you?”
Guilt crept in, and Iskyiah’s face showed the apology she was about to verbalize. “I’m sorry, Sophie. I have been kind of caught up. Lunch next week? On me?”
Sophie propped her hand on her hip. “Says the woman without a job. Let me find out . . . It’s a date, as long as you bring my god baby.”
“Deal.”
The two hugged again. Iskyiah knew Sophie was really happy for her.
She had just dropped the ball on filling Sophie in on the details.
She needed to get her head out of the clouds and remember there were other people that were important to her.
Moolah just made it hard to remember that sometimes because he completely consumed her, and she let him.
Her eyes landed on Hassan, who was currently speaking to Moolah. They hadn’t talked in years, so she would let them have their moment. They’d never been as close as she and Moolah, but Hassan always looked at him as an older brother and was crushed when he left town way back when.
“Let’s take a shot.”
“A shot? Bitch, we are not in our twenties anymore,” Iskyiah said, though she reluctantly followed Sophie to the bar. She knew the hangover would be hell the following day.
“Iskyiah Nathans. I thought that was you, girl,” a voice called out when they made it to the bar.
Iskyiah turned around and then smiled when she spotted Teyanna and a handsome man at her side.
“Tey! Hey, girl.”
The two hugged. When they pulled away, Teyanna held Iskyiah’s arms out and looked her over. She nodded approvingly. “You look good, sis.”
“As do you,” Iskyiah complimented.
There was never any bad blood between Iskyiah and Teyanna. They were just two girls who had a hard time trusting other girls. They loved each other because Moolah loved them, but when he left, that bond kind of drifted.
“I can’t believe y’all found each other again.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about Lah way back then.
” Iskyiah eyed her playfully. She wasn’t all that serious with her statement, though there was a bit of truth there.
She wasn’t mad, though. She understood Teyanna better than anyone because if Moolah asked her to do something, she would do it without question.
“Uh-uh, Sky. Don’t do that. Besides, it all worked out in the end, ain’t it?”
Iskyiah had to agree with that. “It did. Tey, this is my best friend, Sophie. Sophie, this is my old friend, Teyanna.”
The two women shook hands before Teyanna looked up at the man beside her. “This is my husband, Julien. Baby, this is Iskyiah. Moolah’s girl.”
He nodded at them. “Never thought I’d see the day Moolah got into a relationship.”
Before Iskyiah could respond, a man walked up behind her and tapped her waist before he looked at Teyanna. “Aye, Tey, you ain’t gonna introduce me to your friend?”
“Benny, no—”
Teyanna’s words got cut off when Moolah brushed by her and grabbed Benny’s hand. Iskyiah could barely keep up with what happened, Moolah moved so fast. He grabbed the Benny guy’s hand and snapped it back. Benny’s knees gave out, and he fell to the ground.
“You touchin’ what ain’t yours, Benny?” Moolah asked. His voice was calm, but the way his chest rose and fell told Iskyiah he was everything but.
Benny’s eyes grew wide. Iskyiah cringed when he made the mistake of glancing at her.
“I didn’t know she was—”
Moolah kicked him in the ribs before he crouched down. Iskyiah could still hear him over the loud music; she was that in tune with him.
“You lookin’ at what ain’t yours, Benny?”
“Lah . . .” Iskyiah put her hand on his broad shoulder, and she felt some of the tension leave his body. He didn’t turn to look at her, but she knew he was listening. “It’s okay, baby. He didn’t know. Look around. Everyone knows now.”
She watched as Moolah slowly took his eyes off Benny and looked around the space.
Everyone had stopped partying and looked directly at him.
Iskyiah’s heart hammered in her chest. She’d only seen this side of him when they were younger.
They were grown now, and she could tell Moolah had become much more dangerous.
She shuddered thinking about what he could do to this poor man.
Not only did she not want that, but she also didn’t want Moolah to get in trouble for harming someone with so many witnesses.
Moolah leaned down and whispered something to Benny before his fist shot out and connected with Benny’s jaw. The sick way it hung open as Moolah stood up made Iskyiah’s stomach churn.
As soon as he looked down at her, his eyes softened. “You good?”
“Yeah,” she murmured.
“You ready to go?”
“What? No. We just got here, Lah. It’s your birthday.”
His jaw twitched at that, but he simply nodded, kissed her cheek, and said, “I’ll be right back.”
He moved through the VIP section toward the private bathrooms. She made a move to follow him, but a hand on her arm stopped her.
“Let him go, sis. He’ll be good in a minute.”
It was Teyanna. Iskyiah looked back in the direction Moolah had disappeared before she nodded.
“I need another shot,” Iskyiah said.
“Shit, how about two?” Sophie said, handing her over two shots the bartender must have poured while Moolah was beating poor Benny to the ground.
Iskyiah accepted them and then glanced at Benny once again.
A couple of men had helped him off the ground and ushered him toward the exit.
Sophie leaned close and said, “One thing about that man, Sky, he don’t play about you. ”
They clinked their shots together and took them to the head, Iskyiah worrying about Moolah the entire time.