Aviana
Chapter Nine
I was annoyed that I had to actually go out here and start this fuckin’ business that I lied to Hendrix about.
It was a lie that rolled off my tongue and now I had to uphold it.
Him finding out about what I’ve been doing and how I’ve been moving in these streets would literally have me back in them quicker than I could blink.
Because he was a prideful man, he wasn’t going to like that I’d been playing on his top for over a year. He was going to strip me of everything, even down to the car I drove and leave me with nothing. Woods was a damn good fuck, but he couldn’t provide what Hendrix could and that was that.
I sought out someone who already had a vision with a shoe line and collaborated hoping to speed the process. The terms were me putting up the bread and they came with the game plan for everything else. I found a chick named Portia and took advantage.
“The company to make the prototypes is here. Where do you want them?” my COO walked in asking.
Being a businesswoman wasn’t in my life plans.
I was a kept type of bitch that wanted to sit around and spend my man’s money.
I hated that I pressed him about cheating the way I did because now I was in a situation that was whooping my ass.
If it wasn’t for Portia, I would still be lost on what went into this kind of thing.
“I guess in the conference room so we can speak with them together. Give me a minute and I’ll join y’all.”
She nodded and exited my office.
“Girl, I can’t believe you’re doing this. This is a mess,” she said cackling as if something was funny.
“I can’t believe it either but it’s the only way Hendrix will stay off my ass. Plus, I lied about waiting to have a prototype done and now I really have to get some shit made so he won’t come questioning me again. This shit is stupid as fuck.”
“Stop lying all the fuckin’ time then. Why don’t you just tell him you out here doing you because he wanted to go do him? I mean, it seems only right since he revealed he cheated.”
“See that’s your problem. You’re so used to dealing with ain’t shit niggas that if you had a nigga like Hendrix, you would fumble the bag.
Out of the four years we been together that nigga ain’t never stepped out of line.
I wish I would leave him for this one mistake.
The commas in his bank account said he can cheat again, and I still wouldn’t be upset. ”
“I don’t care how much a nigga make, he gon’ do right by me or I’m gone.”
“Bitch please. Kenny messed around on you how many times and you’re still there? Oh okay. Let’s just shut the fuck up talking about mine.”
I wasn’t mad with Jamilla for voicing her opinion.
I knew the kind of man I had at home, and I would be a fool to leave him.
That nigga had my bank account laced and I walked around in the flyest gear and pushed one of the flyest whips.
Hendrix could do whatever he pleased, to be honest. Hell, I was doing me anyway.
“Whatever. I’m at the shop and Daria is calling for me. I’ll holla at you later.”
I hung up without saying bye and carried on about my day. My relationship with JaJa always seemed to be a competitive one. When I got with Hendrix, it all started, and she couldn’t tell me anything different.
While I was with my baby daddy, she thought we were equals and had no issue with me asking to borrow things and vice versa.
However, once Hendrix came into my life, I was upgraded damn near overnight and she hated that Kenny couldn’t dish out money the way my nigga could.
I never missed her shady ass comments, but I also knew it would satisfy her greatly if Hendrix and I broke up.
I was smart enough to know she was a frenemy, so I kept her close.
Gathering my notepad, their file, and a pen, I headed to the conference room to see if they were a viable candidate to join the team.
Walking in, I took the vacant seat beside Portia and listened to the conversation before chiming in.
They were discussing the time frame of the physical product and outlines.
“You’re saying in a month’s time, we’ll have a prototype for each shoe we have outlined?” They nodded and I thought that was fantastic until Portia carried it a little further. “Explain that to me when I have a connect at Nike that couldn’t even get it done within that time frame.”
“Well, since we are a smaller company and have more time on our hands, we’ll dedicate that to your products.
You’re paying to skip the line so we’re going to handle you as a priority.
We want the best for you and just because we aren’t a worldwide company that doesn’t mean we aren’t of quality. You can trust us with your vision.”
She sat in silence mulling over his response, and I didn’t know what to think. Spades was the only thing I brought to the table besides the funds and thankfully Portia agreed to the name. Other than that, I didn’t know what to ask or think about what was just discussed.
“Uhm, so are shoes the only thing you make?” I questioned.
“Yes. I’m Vincent by the way and this is my partner, Frank.” He stood and extended his hand. We shook and took our seats once more. “We’re shoemakers and cobblers. We’re who people come and see before they pitch their ideas off to people like Nike. We brought our portfolio with us.”
“Nice to meet you both. I’m Aviana.”
They handed over a folder to each of us and waited for us to assess them.
I was thoroughly impressed. Thye made any shoe you could think of and that was the kind of person I needed.
Since we were trying to become a well-known house name for shoes, we needed to go in business with someone that could handle it.
As I scrolled, I couldn’t contain my smile. Their work was good, and I loved the diversity they carried. Sneakers weren’t our only form, so it made me happy that they knew how to do more than that. I was completely sold but the ball really lay in Portia’s court.
“Give us a minute to discuss this privately,” she said as she stood and headed for the door. I followed behind eager to hear what she had to say.
“So, what you think?” I inquired.
“I think we have a partnership, but I have to do a little bit more homework before I sign any contracts. What you think?”
“I’m rocking with whatever you say. You know more about this than I do. I’m just the cash cow,” I jested.
“You’re more than that. Thank you for letting me have full control over this. It’s really appreciated Aviana.”
“Ain’t no thing.”
We hugged it out and rejoined the fellas in the conference room.
One reason I didn’t want to go against Portia and her vision was because she was doing me a huge solid without knowing.
I would pay for whatever it was she needed.
Through her, I was able to breathe a little more without Hendrix asking unnecessary questions.
Plus, it was his money making her dreams come true, not mine.
“Okay. If you don’t hear from us within the next week, we’ve found another creator. Thank you so much for coming in and meeting with us.”
“Hope to hear from you soon.” Both men carried a smile on their face as we shook hands once more and walked them to the front door.
I headed back to my office and Portia followed behind me.
I wasn’t even supposed to have a business under my name for real but me lying about starting one low key had my full attention.
I was looking forward to people saying I was more than a pretty face that spent Hendrix money all day. Now I had a purpose.
“So, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out later. My man wanted to club tonight so I was going to see if you and yours wanted to join. It’s going to be in Coppins,” she stated.
I froze up because bringing Hendrix to Woods’ stomping ground was going to be risky on my end. I be all up and through Coppins with Woods moving around like it was the right thing to do. People knew us.
“Uhm, sure. I’ll let you know when I get home if it’s a go. Hendrix usually wants to relax after a long day at work.”
“No problem. I’ll send you the details around seven and you can just let me know what’s up.”
“Will do,” I responded.
I wasn’t telling Hendrix a damn thing. I was playing with fire as is.
I knew better than to test him more than what I was because regardless of him cheating on me, if he ever found out about Woods, that was going to be a closed case and nothing I could do to justify it.
He slipped once while I’d been doing me for over a year.
Pushing that to the back of my mind, I continued on with my workday.
Usually, I would be laid up under Woods some damn where or spending Hendrix money on him.
The regular schedule I kept changed for me and I honestly liked it.
Time got away from me when I was doing something productive.
It was five o’clock before I realized it.
Gathering my things, I made sure to lock up then walked three doors down to the liquor store to grab a bottle of Dussé. I hadn’t spent any real time with Hendrix ever since he unlocked my card, and I knew I was wrong. Tonight, I planned on getting tore up with my nigga and fuckin’ him silly.
He’d been stressed since Akeera gotten sick.
Somehow, she caught the flu and whenever that child isn’t running around happy, his world is upside down.
This was going to relieve him and take his mind off our daughter.
Plus, I hadn’t allowed him to fuck me since he confessed to the shit he did behind my back.
It was time to give him something great again.
The point of fuckin’ Woods wasn’t because Hendrix was a terrible pleasure but because he had no time for me.
I would prefer to get thrashed out by my nigga but in order for that to happen I damn near had to schedule an appointment.
I didn’t like that, so I gave a man that had the time to put in work instead.
As I pulled into the driveway, Siri alerted me I had a call from JaJa. I didn’t really want to speak to her hating ass at the moment, so I declined the call, and she called right back. At this point, I was getting aggravated, so I answered.
“What? Damn.”
“I’m going to bypass that attitude because you’re going to want to hear this. Girl, Woods is here with—”
“Look, I’m about to walk in the house. Don’t call me with shit regarding that man. Bye.”
Woods was my man when I was around him and in his city.
While I was in Reedsburg, the only information I wanted to hear about regarding a nigga was Hendrix.
She knew that and she still wanted to blurt shit out.
She didn’t know how to hold water and if I ever got caught up, it would be because of her.
I hopped out and made my way inside. It smelled good as usual, and my stomach growled from the aroma. Sorimah was the best addition to this house. She cooked, cleaned, and looked after my daughter. She did everything a woman was supposed to and I appreciated her.
As I made my way upstairs to change, I noticed Sorimah holding a conversation in the hall with her back turned. I wasn’t going to eavesdrop until I heard her mention Hendrix’s name, so I stopped and waited patiently to see why my nigga’s name was in her mouth.
“I’m not pregnant Daria and Hendrix was a onetime thing.”
Pregnant? By my nigga?
“I did. Hold on and let me check my calendar.” She went to pecking on her phone and she was taking longer than one would who kept track of their menstrual. “There’s no way, right?”
I wasn’t the smartest, but I was pretty sure the fat bitch was hinting at my nigga being her baby daddy.
She said it only happened once meaning the woman that Hendrix was apologizing for stepping out with was her.
Me and my bad decisions always brought trouble to my doorstep.
I planned on holding this information for a little while.
“Hey Sorimah,” I said startling her.
She hung up on whoever and put on that fake ass smile people put on when they were trying to fool someone. I couldn’t believe I trusted her around my nigga. There was no telling what they were doing under this muthafucka when I was away.
“H-hey Aviana. I didn’t hear you come in.” I know. “How was your day?”
“It was good. How is my family?” I asked with sarcasm dripping from my tongue.
“They’re great. Akeera should be back to school on Monday since she’s up and moving around and Hendrix is in the shower. He got home not too long ago.”
“Cool. Is Akeera well enough to join us for dinner?”
“Of course. Her appetite is back so she should be fine.”
Nodding, I walked inside my bedroom boiling.
It was clear that nigga didn’t have a type because although Sorimah was a cute girl, she had more stomach than a little and more potholes in her skin than the roads in Atlanta.
I’ve never seen Hendrix deal with a bitch so big.
All of his ex’s were either slim or thick. This was new.
Throwing the bottle of alcohol and my purse onto the bed, I walked into the bedroom getting ready to go off but stopped myself.
She said they only happened once but something in my soul told me that was a lie.
I knew the perfect way to test that theory.
He told me about him cheating a while back and finding out it was with Sorimah, I had to make sure they weren’t still at it.
I undressed and slipped inside wrapping my arms around his waist. Small kisses were applied to his back and he low key shrugged me off. I tried a different approach which I knew would get a reaction out of him.
Stepping in front of him, I dropped down to my knees and inserted his dick in my mouth. He never could resist my head. It was what made him cuff me in the first place. I was skilled and knew how to deep throat his shaft without gagging. However, he stopped me before I could even get started.
“I’m not in the mood Avi.”
“Not in the mood huh? Yeah, aight.”
I stood and washed my body and let him be. I didn’t have solid proof but that told me everything I needed to know. My next step was seeing if the bitch was really pregnant or not.