14. Ozyris Brentley
The video shoot had finally wrapped, but the building was still loud as hell.
People were breaking down lights, moving equipment, yelling across the hallway, and trying to figure out where they left shit after being on set all day.
I had been in my dressing room for all of five minutes, trying to come down from everything, but my mind wasn't on the video.
It was on Noree.
I had barely gotten any real time with her all day. Every time I looked up, somebody was pulling me in another direction. But I watched her, probably more than I should've. She looked too damn good not to.
PB said some shit about her sister making their outfits, and the shit Nourah put Noree in fit every curve. How was it even possible for her to look ten times better today than she did yesterday?
I grabbed my phone from the table and texted Ky.
Grab Noree for me and send her back here.
A few seconds later, she replied with a thumbs-up.
There was a knock at the door about ten minutes later. Ky stuck her head inside first. "I found her."
"Send her in."
She stepped aside, and Noree appeared in the doorway. I smiled before I could help it.
"Come here, love."
Noree walked in nervously, her smile now matching mine. "Why do I feel like I'm in trouble?" she joked.
"Nah, unless you wanna be."
"Boy, no." She pointed at me, and I laughed as I walked toward her.
I so badly wanted to hug her pretty ass earlier, but between the cameras, the people, and Ginger damn near trying to attach herself to my hip, everything had been rushed. So, I pulled Noree into me the second she was close enough.
Her arms slipped around my neck, and mine wrapped around her body. She smelled good—soft, sweet, and clean. I held her longer than a regular hug required, and she didn't rush to let me go either.
"You had fun today?" I asked.
"I did, and honestly, your music videos make the ones I made seem like low-budget films, with the budget being five dollars," she said, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"I'm sure yo' shit wasn't bad, love."
"I'ma have to show you one of these days."
I licked my lips, peering down into her eyes. She held eye contact with me, and I said, "Yeah, I wanna see whatever you wanna show me."
She blushed and looked away.
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." I paused, letting a little smirk play on my lips. "I got something for you, too."
Her eyebrows shot up. "Something for me?"
"Yeah, I told you I was gonna do something for your birthday since I missed it."
She waved her hand. "Ozy, you didn't have to do that."
“I know, but I wanted to. Turn around.”
She looked at me for a second, a small smile pulling at her lips before she slowly turned around.
Her eyes landed on the balloons first, then moved to the cake and the little gift bag sitting beside it. She froze, her lips parting as she took everything in.
“Oh, wow…” she said softly, walking closer to the table. Her eyes stayed on the cake as she leaned down to admire it, smiling even harder when she saw her name written across the top. “This is beautiful. You really didn’t have to get me a cake.”
“I wanted to.”
She glanced back at me, looking touched, then turned toward the table again. “This is so sweet.”
Her fingers brushed over one of the balloons before she finally reached for the gift bag. She picked it up, peeked inside, then pulled out the box.
When she opened it, the diamond earrings caught the light.
Her eyes widened. “Ozy… wait…” She looked up at me, shock written all over her face. For a second, she just stood there, staring at me like she didn’t know what to say. “But we just met.”
I shrugged. “So what, love?”
"Well, I… you…" She stammered over her words. "This is too much."
I shook my head, walking over to her and pulling her body against mine again. "Nah, it ain't too much if I say it's not. I just wanted to celebrate with you and make you smile."
"Thank youuu! I really appreciate it. These are beautiful." She hugged me tight, tighter than before, and I let my hands drift a little lower on her backside, still respectful.
When we pulled away from the hug, I sat on the arm of the sofa while she put her gift away. As soon as she was done, I reached for her and pulled her between my legs.
“So, you ready for the club tonight?”
She gave me a look. "Maybe. What's it to you?"
"I'm just wondering what you gonna put on, that's all."
“Boy, don’t be tryna match with me.” She smiled, placing her hand against my chest and giving me a playful push.
"Aight, I see how it is." I nodded toward the cake. "You gone cut me a slice though?”
"You want some of my birthday cake, huh?" She walked over to the table laughing, and I joined in, shaking my head. She was a trip.
"I want some of yours, yeah."
The look on her face was priceless. She blushed hard again, cut a slice, and a few short moments later, she walked back over to me.
She took the fork, cut a small piece, and held it up to my lips. I never took my eyes off her as I opened my mouth, letting her feed it to me.
"Damn, that's good as fuck," I said, licking my lips. "But you know what else would be good?"
Before she could answer, I swiped my finger through the icing and smeared it on her lips. Her eyes went wide.
"Ozyyy! Now, why would you—"
"Come here," I growled, pulling her in slowly. Her eyes immediately went to my lips, and I leaned in, licking and sucking the icing off her mouth, real slow and deliberate.
She moaned a little, and I took the chance to bite her bottom lip, ready to deepen the kiss.
That little sound almost made me lose whatever self-control I had left, but my dressing room door burst open, with Ginger standing there looking stupid, her eyes bouncing back and forth between us.
For a second, I just stared at her. Earlier, she’d made a whole scene about not being my lead girl and said she wasn’t showing up, but I knew she was on the same bullshit as always—just talking. I paid her no mind, so I wasn’t surprised when she showed up.
I thought she’d dipped after we wrapped for the day, though, but clearly, her weird ass hadn’t.
"What the fuck is this?" Gin shouted.
Noree jumped back, but I could tell it wasn't because she was scared. It was because she was tryna be ready for whatever. I was on my feet in a second, putting myself between them.
"Aye, calm the fuck down and get out. You know better than to bust into my dressing room like you lost yo' fucking mind," I spat, annoyed with the way she'd been acting since yesterday—since Noree came around. Her behavior was always on ten, but these past two days, shawty had been at a hunnid.
“No, fuck that. Why the hell you in here embarrassing me, kissing all on this bitch?”
Ginger’s eyes moved past me and landed on the cake. She read what was written across the top, then let out a bitter laugh.
“Oh, wow.” She tried to push past me, but I stepped in front of her before she could get in Noree’s face. “You bought her a whole fucking birthday cake, but forgot my birthday?”
She looked at me like she couldn’t believe it. “Wow, Ozy.”
Then she leaned around me, staring at Noree with disgust.
“And you think because he bought you some cheap-ass cake, that makes you special?”
"Girl, fuck you," Noree snapped, holding her ground. "You don't know shit about me."
Ginger scoffed. "Please. I know men like him don't want big bitches like you in public for real.
" Then, she looked at me. "Since when you start doing charity, Ozy? You don’t even like women built like her.
" Then, just like that, her head snapped back in Noree’s direction.
"Why you think he got you hiding in the back instead of showing you off? "
"Hiding?" Noree’s eyes narrowed as she stepped around me. "Girl, fuck you. Bitches like you always think a man can’t want a big girl. News flash, my weight ain’t stopping shit. Pussy still getting ate, toes still getting sucked, and ass still getting ate from the back, boo."
I slowly looked over my shoulder at her, my eyebrows raised. I wasn’t expecting her to take it there, but I damn sure wasn’t mad at it.
"Girl, bye! Ain’t nobody eating that funky cat!"
"Funky?" Noree wasn't having it. She reached around me and smashed the slice of cake right in Ginger's face. "Since you so worried about me and my cake, have some."
The scream Ginger let out was loud enough to hear in outer space. Shawty was tweaking. She lunged for Noree, but I caught her, holding her back.
A laugh slipped out before I could stop it.
Ginger’s head snapped toward me as she wiped icing from her eyes, smearing it deeper into her hair and makeup while peeking at me through the cake. "You think this shit funny?"
"Nah," I said, even though the smile was still pulling at my mouth. "But you brought up her weight for no reason. Stop fuckin’ with her, Gin. Yo’ ass been doing too much lately," I said, my voice low and serious.
"Aye, the fuck y'all got going on?" PB ran in, taking in the scene—Ginger with cake dripping off her face, me holding her back, and Noree standing there with her arms crossed and lips pursed together.
"Get her outta here," I said, shoving Ginger toward him.
"This ain't over, you fat bitch!" Ginger yelled as PB pulled her out of the room.
The door slammed behind them, leaving me and Noree alone again.
“You good?” I asked, reaching for her.
Her eyes dropped to my hand, and before I could touch her, she stepped back.
“Yeah…” She nodded slowly. “I’m good.”
I lowered my arm and studied her face. She looked at me for a long second, her expression shifting to something I couldn’t quite read.
“But this is a lot,” she said quietly. “I just… I need a minute.”
She looked away from me and walked over to the table. After hesitating for a second, she picked up the gift bag and held it against her side.
“Thanks again for my gift.” She glanced back at me. “I’ll, uh… see you later, Ozy.”
“Wait… Noree—”
She walked out before I could stop her.
Fuck!