The Truth
Gia
“No ma’am. Our flight leaves at seven and I’m not going to be late. Get yo’ ass up and pack. Now!” I was getting fussed at by one of my best friends when all I wanted to do was sleep. We’d been day drinking and I felt like I was deserving of a nap to muster up some kind of energy.
“Toya, please. The sleep just started getting good,” I complained putting the pillow back over my head.
“And? You’re always the last one and one thing I don’t want to do is rush. You have time to get your shit together so get up and do it.”
I really hated having my sleep interrupted and LaToya was always the one to do it. It didn’t matter how my day went; she would call nonstop or show up and piss me off with the stunts she was pulling now. All I wanted was a little time to recuperate.
“I can really just go shopping when I get down there. I don’t know why you’re waking me up for irrelevant shit. I’m about to take my key back.”
“You are beyond lazy bro. Why spend extra money when you have a perfectly good wardrobe? Just because you have the bread doesn’t mean spend it recklessly,” she continued to fuss.
“Don’t start with me Toya damn!” I shouted.
We’d had a good afternoon but leave it to her to be the one to try and make people do shit when they were just drunk out of their minds a few hours prior to. She was aggravating me and would soon get some unkind words if she didn’t leave me alone.
Rolling over onto my back, I kept my eyes closed and pointed in the direction of my door.
She needed to get out my face and she knew it too because she didn’t debate with me.
She simply kissed the back of her teeth and exited the room.
I loved her but she wasn’t going to make any progress fuckin’ with me while I was still under the influence.
My intake of alcohol was quite excessive, and my little body tried to handle it. However, I suffered defeat on several occasions. I tried to stay lit to stay away from the grey clouds that seemed to follow me around.
What I didn’t get about Toya was how she tried to manage everybody’s money.
We were all successful women and made six figures without the help of a man.
While me and Arin were on the scene, she chose not to be.
It was her prerogative, and we never told her how to live. We wanted the same respect in return.
Picking up my cell off the nightstand, I checked my notifications. I had calls and texts from everyone I didn’t want to talk to. This trip was planned months in advance, but it was so needed. As much work as we all put in on a daily basis, we deserved a week of relaxation.
In the mist of me scrolling through, I received a call from my ace boon coon Arin. I answered eager to hear what she had to say. She always called with something juicy to say.
“What’s good thug?”
“Girl, tell me why that crazy ass man is trying to tag along? He said he’ll pay for everybody’s room and cover any bill we accumulate while we’re down there. I had to let him know I plan on fuckin’ and I didn’t need him on my hip.”
I laughed because we all had someone we were entertaining but didn’t know what being faithful meant anymore.
At the age of thirty-one, I’d had my fair share of men that didn’t respect the woman that was all about them and loved the females that threw loose kitty in their direction.
Call me a hoe but I was simply playing a man’s game nowadays.
“No, you can’t come Kane. We got shit to do and it doesn’t involve you,” I said cackling at the idea of him assisting us on this trip.
“Exactly. I am going to fuck him before I go though. He’s been a good boy lately.”
We talked about men like the dogs they were and treated them even worse. They didn’t care about our feelings, so we damn sure didn’t care about theirs. It was a dog-eat-dog world, and the bitches were winning.
“That’s why his head fucked up now. You keep giving him pussy when he honestly doesn’t deserve it. Anyway, Toya is here getting on my nerves about packing.”
“Well, she’s going to hate me because I’m not packing a thing. I was going to hit the strip when we got there and go from there.”
“Same thing I was thinking but you know her.”
“Listen, this nigga gon’ get fucked and he gon’ cough up the funds for me to have a good time. This trip on him, not me so I’m going to do whatever the fuck I want to do. I hate how she tries to police everything.”
“She’s going to be so mad,” I said laughing right after. It tickled me at how pissed Toya was going to be when she realized both me and Arin were on the same type of time.
“I knooooooow!” she squealed. We loved Toya but she needed to lighten up.
“Anyway, are you coming to my house in the morning so we can ride together or what? Toya’s spending the night as well.”
“Yeah, I’ll have Kane drop me off. How you feeling though?”
“Girl I’m still drunk. I’m about to order me some food, take a shower, and get right back in this bed. I don’t know who she thought was about to pack something.”
“Aight then. I’ll be over there in the morning then.”
“Bet.”
With that, the call was disconnected, and I dreaded getting out of bed.
All I wanted to do was sleep but Toya hindered me from doing so for the time being.
I stood and went to the bathroom barely maintaining a straight walk.
I had this to look forward to because I planned on being torn up from the time the plane landed until it was time to board again.
I started the shower before taking a seat on the commode.
Releasing a deep breath, I began to think about my life.
I was in a place where I was financially stable, but my family wasn’t around to witness my success.
I’d always been the black sheep of the family but now I was wondering when they would ever come around again or even pay a call to check on me.
My dog ways came from my father, but it was my mother that I wanted by my side.
However, she thought my lifestyle was shameful enough.
She wanted grandkids and expected me to be the one to deliver them.
I wanted no parts of being a parent. That path wasn’t for me, and I’d expressed that to her any time she was around to listen. She had sons to deliver them to her.
“You’re going on vacation Gia. Stop worrying and enjoy yourself. You deserve it,” I said aloud. I quickly ordered me some food from a local Mexican spot before bathing.
As much as I wanted to spend the week home and, in my bed, I promised my girls that we could have some uninterrupted fun in the sun, so I had to suck it up and keep my promise. They’d been there for me answering the phone for me any time I called so this was the least I could do for them.
Finally, I stepped in the shower and allowed the hot water to relax my body.
The shower was needed to bring some kind of energy forth because the alcohol had me in a zombie state.
I was done for and didn’t feel like doing a damn thing.
I shampooed my hair as well while I tended to my hygiene.
Twenty minutes later, I was wrapping both my body and hair up with a towel.
A notification came through my cell saying my driver was approaching with my food. I shot a quick text to Toya asking if she would be a doll and grab my food as I got myself together. She quickly texted back saying she would, and I continued doing what I was doing.
I walked out into my bedroom, throwing my phone on the bed.
My closet door was already open, so I walked inside and fished out a moo-moo.
Big shout out to my granny because she introduced me to them.
I grabbed one off the shelf and took a seat at my vanity to moisturize and all that good stuff before I put it on.
“Knock, knock. I got your food bestie.”
“Come on in Toya. I’m somewhat together,” I said granting her access.
She entered and took a seat on the bed. She also had an extra bag in tow. She took a seat on my bed and got comfortable.
“I ordered something as well. Mine came before yours but we can eat together.”
Nodding, I finished up quickly and joined her on the bed.
Normally, she would sleep in one of the guest bedrooms but lately when she spent the night, she looked for some attention.
That could’ve been due to her great aunt passing or the fact that the dude she entertained didn’t care for physical touch unless they were fuckin’.
We sat eating in silence. There wasn’t a need for conversation because we understood one another’s peace.
Right after we finished, she cleaned up and we were dozing off shortly after.
Our flight was early, which meant we would be waking up around four or five in the morning to tie up things before dipping out.
&
“Do you have any luggage to check ma’am?”
“I don’t. I’ll be going as is,” I replied, and Toya rolled her eyes. I gave a light chuckle because she was pissed the fuck off about me and Arin choosing to spend extra money on this trip.
“You’re at Gate 4. Enjoy your flight to Italy, Ms. Mowers.”
“Thank you and enjoy the rest of your day.”
I stepped away from the desk and headed toward my designated area. Toya was going to be upset regardless of what either of us did. She was just that kind of person.
“She mad as hell ain’t she?” Arin quietly asked.
“Girl, her feathers been ruffled since we left the house. You ain’t hear all that shit she was mumbling in the car?”
“Hell no. I had my AirPods in. I love Toya but baby knows how to work a nerve.”
“You ain’t lying. What Kane say about you leaving?” I questioned.
“He still wants to tag along. He texting me now saying he’ll pack fast.”
“Fuck it. Let him come. Jay ain’t even said two words to me since I told him about the trip.”
“Damn, for real?” I nodded and returned my cell to my pocket from putting it on airplane mode. “Wait, we’ve had this trip planned for damn near a year. When did you tell him?”
“A week or two ago,” I replied as I applied some ChapStick to my lips.
“Bitch, you can’t blame the man for being upset. You delayed telling him until you couldn’t anymore. So, are y’all done or what?”
Her guess was just as good as mine. Jason was a sexy ass chestnut skin toned man with the perfect set of locs on his head.
His eyes were brown and dreamy to the point where you could get lost in them.
He was perfect on the outside as well as the inside with certain irritating flaws, but I was over relationships.
He got the Gia the previous occupants developed me into.
“It wouldn’t make me no never mind. You know I’m not convincing a soul to fuck with me. It’s been cool not communicating. Hell, the only thing he did worth talking about was transfer a few bands to my account before cutting off communication. I prefer it that way anyway.”
My feelings were low key hurt because I didn’t get to be the dog in this situation. Instead, he got what he wanted and thanked me for my services. At least that’s how I looked at it. I didn’t have the gun so what me and Jason were doing wasn’t fun.
“You better than me,” she said shaking her head.
I was used to the neglect from men. My father was the blueprint for it, so I was comfortable with being left behind. Shit didn’t go the way you planned, and I quit doing that a long time ago. I went with the flow because people showed you their hand voluntarily nowadays.
“So, y’all couldn’t wait for me either?” Toya caught up to us and we released a small chuckle. Oh, the fun we had with pissing her off.
“Stop nagging bestie, we’re about to go to Italy and relax. Don’t bring all that across seas,” I commented patting her head.
I was the tallest out the crew and it didn’t help that I felt the need to wear heels damn near everywhere I went. I was often called a life size Barbie. All that did was make my head bigger than it was. I ate those type of compliments up. Being five foot ten inches wasn’t for the weak.
She piped down long enough for us to get situated in the lobby and boarded the plane shortly after.
I was confused by our seat arrangement because I could’ve sworn when we booked our seats, we purchased them all next to each other.
However, there were no complaints. This was a vacation we wanted as well as needed.
I was going to enjoy the book I brought along in my purse. This was the perfect time to catch up on my to be read list. I placed my headphones on and began to read. This wasn’t my first flight, so I knew the procedure.
I paid no attention to the other passengers that began to sit, not even the one that occupied the seat next to me.
That was until the cologne they wore triggered a familiarity.
Quickly glancing to my right, the man I called myself being done with sat there still ignoring my presence.
Maybe I was tripping but I knew for a fact he saw me.
“Jay, what are you doing here? And why the fuck are you sitting next to me?” I inquired with a hushed tone.
“My woman going across seas, so I figured I’d accompany her.”
“She on this flight too? Boy, this a small world for sure. Well, I hope y’all enjoy your trip.”
I placed my headphones back on as he wore that hypnotizing smile. I couldn’t lie, the man was fine as hell and the more I focused on him the wetter I became. He brought something out of me the others didn’t, but I refused to express it because I wasn’t a fool. More power to him and his bitch!