Chapter 19
New Danger
Weeks flew by before I even realized it, and Atlanta started to feel more and more like the right decision.
Work was smooth, and I was locked in. My patients loved me, I had my own flow, and the girls. They made that shit even better. Lunch break turned into laughs, inside jokes, lil’ conversations that made the day go by fast.
Outside of work… I had a life again. No, taking care of a man, cooking dinner, counting money, and cutting bricks. Now I was making plans for activities in the city; I had a nice place that I got on my own. Everything felt a lil’ too good to be true.
It was early on a Friday morning, and I was washing dishes and hanging up clothes when Kenya sent a message to the group chat.
“Everybody get up! We outside today!!”
I looked at the screen and laughed.
“I’m with it. What’s the plan?” I asked.
Renee and Deja chimed in, asking the same thing while waiting for Kenya to respond.
“Let’s meet at Islah so we can ride out together. So get y’all asses together!”
I hearted the message with a smile on my face. I never had a day out with some friends, and I was down for it; it was more than needed.
About an hour passed, and the girls started to show up one by one, Deja first with everything to make mimosas. I turned on some music while she made some drinks. Rene came in next, hugged me and Deja, and started to roll up.
“Where the fuck is Kenya?” Deja asked.
I looked at my phone, checking the time. “Yeah, Ms. Thang put this together, and nowhere to be found.”
We all laughed and passed the blunt around while trying to think about what she had planned for us.
As we bounced ideas off each other, she walked into my place.
“Hey, my ladies, oou, I’m so glad that y’all have started drinking.”
We laughed and walked over to my island, refilled our glasses, and made Kenya one.
“Iight girl, what do you have planned for us?” Renee asked.
Kenya took a sip from a glass and looked off to the side.
“A lil’ bit of this, a lil’ bit of that. I have a truck waiting for us out front, let’s go.”
She started to walk toward the door while Deja and Renee looked at each other.
“Truck?!” we all said at the same time.
She laughed.
“Yesss, we’re doing big things today, on our Latto shit.”
We laughed, and with glasses in our hands, we followed her out the door, took the elevator down to the lobby, and saw a black Suburban truck waiting with the driver standing by the back door, waiting for us.
The driver opened the door for us like we were somebody important, and Kenya ate that shit up, sliding in first.
“Period,” she said, fixing her shades as we climbed in behind her.
I laughed, sliding across the seat, pulling my dress down a lil’ as the door shut. The truck smelled clean, leather seats cool against my skin, music playing low through the speaker low.
“Okayyy, Kenya,” Deja said, looking around, you’re doing your big one today.”
“I told y’all,” she said, crossing her legs. “We outside today, and it’s gonna be real classy.”
The truck pulled off smooth, and just like that, the day started.
The first stop was shopping. We hopped out like we had somewhere to be, walking into the store laughing, already loud. I was grabbing dresses, holding them up to myself in the mirror while the girls hyped me up.
“Yeahhh, that’s the one,” Renee said, pointing.
“I’m telling you,” Deja added. “That black and cheetah go crazy on you.”
I looked at myself in the mirror, turning side to side, seeing that it hugs me in all the right places.
“Yeahhh… I think I’ma have to go with this one,” I said, smiling. “I like this.”
After everyone found what they wanted, we left outta there and went to the nail shop. We all sat side by side, feet up, hands out, talking shit while picking colors. Kenya kept switching her every five minutes, making the lady sigh.
“Girl, pick something!” I said, laughing.
“This is permanent!” she shot back. “I gotta make sure.”
We all shook our heads, laughing at her.
I kinda fade to the back, listening to the girls talk while I thought about how my life had changed in a matter of weeks.
My mom was right, the love that I had for Gio was so unhealthy. I thought life with him was normal, but in reality, the life that I created in Atlanta was the real normal.
On the car ride back to my place, Kenya cleared her throat with a smile on her face, making us all look at her.
“Deja, in the trunk I also got some hair supplies. You feel like doing our shit for the night?”
Deja squinted her eyes at her. “Where the hell are we goin’?”
Kenya laughed. “Out, something…different.”
By the time we got back to my place, the sun had started to dip down; we had bags and boxes, and energy still going. Renee turned the music on while Deja set up all the hair supplies that Kenya brought.
I had just gotten done rollin’ up when Deja looked at me, pointing.
“You, come sit.”
I tilted my head at her.
“Girl, calm it down,” I said, walking over to the chair.
“But you came over and sat your ass down,” she said, pulling my hair.
We laughed, sipped, and talked about everything and nothing at the same time. Work stories, niggas, random shit that had us crying laughing.
Time flew by.
By the time she was done with all of us, the sun was done, and it was time for us to get dressed.
And that’s when the energy shifted.
It got quiet for a second, not in a bad way; we were all just focused. Doing our makeup, adding the finishing touches to our hair.
Once I finished, I stepped back and looked at myself in the mirror.
I looked good.
We all came back together, standing around looking at each other.
“Yeahh… we did that,” Renee said.
“Badd!” Kenya added.
We grabbed our things and headed downstairs, laughing all over again like we weren’t in full glam mode.
The truck was already waiting when we walked out. We slid in, trying to cross our legs in our tight-ass dresses and laughing because it really wasn’t working.
As the driver pulled off, Kenya cleared her throat again, making us look at her.
“I have a surprise.”
I squinted at her. “Oh, Lord.”
She grinned at us, “Y’all are not ready for this.”
Deja shook her head. “Kenya, what is it?”
“We are not going to the club…”
She paused, looking at us, still smiling.
“Girl, what the hell are we doing?” Renee asked.
“We are going to a singles event.”
The whole truck went up.
“A WHAT?!”
I laughed, shaking my head. “You got me all the way fucked up. Sir…”
Deja nodded her head. “Islah, I’m with you when you’re right. Man, turn this truck around!”
The driver was confused about what to do, looking at us through the rearview mirror.
“Keep driving to the location, sir. They are crazy,” Kenya said to the driver before looking at us. “You need to calm down, this shit is not gonna be what you think. It is at an art exhibit, grown vibe, drinks, music, and niggas that actually got something going for themselves—”
“Yeah, that’s what you think,” Deja said, cutting her off.
We all laughed, sat back, and enjoyed the ride, and I low-key got over it.
It was different, but different was what I needed.
After about twenty minutes, we pulled up to a building. I looked out the window first. It wasn’t a club line, no loud ass music blasting outside.
Just a smooth spot, people going in dressed nice, talking, laughing.
“Okayyy, Kenya,” I said, feeling like it might be a vibe.
“Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, it is not what I expected,” Deja added.
We got our heels hitting the ground in sync as we walked together up to the door. Once inside, the vibe was not what I expected at all.
The lights were low, only shining on the art, and the music was soft but flowed with the room. People were mingling, drinks were flowing, and conversations were happening all over the room.
It felt easy.
We headed to the bar and got ourselves a drink while taking it all in.
“I think we should walk around alone and meet back here in twenty minutes.”
We all looked at each other, agreed, and split up.
I started walking around slow, heel clicking soft against the floor, with a drink in my hand, while I let my eyes move across the room.
The art was cool, real cool actually. Different styles, different moods. Some pieces felt calm, others felt like they had a story behind them… like pain dressed up to look pretty.
I stopped in front of one that caught my eye. Dark colors, gold running through it like cracks. Like something broken trying to hold itself together.
“What does this painting say to you?”
The voice came from behind me, not too close, but not too far.
I turned my head slowly.
And that’s when I saw him.
Tall… like tall, tall. Had to be about 6’2. Braids pulled back neat, skin clean, and those eyes, he had hazel eyes locked right on me like he already knew something about me.
He was dressed simple, all black, with gold chains around his neck and gold rings on his fingers.
I turned my body a lil’ more so I could face him fully, letting my eyes take him in without rushing it.
He ain’t look away either.
Just stood there, calm…like he had all the time in the world and already knew I wasn’t going nowhere.
I glanced back at the painting for a second, then back at him.
“I don’t know, to be honest.”
He nodded. “Is art not your thing?”
“It is, I just wasn’t expecting a singles event for my girls’ night out.”
“I can see that, but I’m glad you are here. I’m Love,” he said, reaching for my hand.
I gave it to him and responded, “I’m Islah.”
“Different, it fits you, beautiful.”
I smiled, taking the last sip of my drink.
“Can I buy you another drink?”
I looked at my glass and nodded. “Sure.”
Love took my hand like it belonged to him, and he walked me to the bar. He got me D’ussé and lemonade, and got Hennessy and Coke for himself.
I watched as he talked to the bartender and how everybody around him stared at him. He got our drinks, handed me mine, and took my hand again, leading me to an open table.
After we both took a sip of our drinks, I asked. “Why is everybody staring at you?”