24. Chapter 23 #2
Women ran the dancefloor once the DJ dropped the next song which was Flap Your Wings by Nelly.
One girl in a rhinestone dress bent over near the center floor shaking ass while her friends screamed around her recording videos. Another woman climbed onto a section in silver thigh-high boots while her man grabbed her waist from behind rapping the lyrics directly into her ear.
The DJ then blended the song into the song Shake Ya Tailfeather by Nelly, P. Diddy and Murphy Lee and suddenly the whole club lost it.
“Ayeeee!” Angel shouted while throwing one hand in the air. “This my shit!!!”
June laughed while pointing toward Mercedes across the floor. “Look at her lil fresh ass, that’s why she pregnant now!”
Mercedes instantly yelled back while laughing. “Period!”
Everybody around them burst out laughing while the music kept playing.
Steelo grabbed Mercedes by the waist from behind while she danced up against him while smiling. Even though she was pregnant, Mercedes was still moving like a certified baddie from head to toe.
Meanwhile Johari and Angel nearly fell into each other laughing while trying to dance and hold drinks at the same damn time.
“Aye somebody come get Johari before she buss her ass!” Quinese yelled.
Johari pointed a drunk finger at Quinese. “Aht Aht, don’t do that sis. Hating don’t look good on you boo.” Then she stuck her tongue out and gyrated her hips to the song. Johari was out there on the dancefloor living her absolute best life.
The entire section cracked up laughing.
Waitresses had the alcohol on deck with trays full of Don Julio shots while sparklers burst beside bottles carried toward VIP sections.
Marcus was already drunk by then. He wasn't fucked up per se', but he was definitely feeling himself to the max.
“Nigga this party hard as shit,” Khalil admitted while dapping Marcus up.
Marcus grinned proudly. “I told y’all we was bringing the year in right.”
Another round of shots appeared almost immediately afterward.
“Birthday shot for Marcus!” somebody screamed.
Everybody lifted their glasses. “To Marcus!”
The liquor burned all the way down while music shook the floor beneath them.
By 11:20 pm the party had completely turned into the ultimate turn up. More shots were being taken, more ass was being thrown, and Confetti pre rolls were being smoked like crazy.
People sweated through expensive clothes while couples grinded recklessly near the dancefloor.
Women continued to dance on sections while men threw money into the air and shouted song lyrics over the music.
A dancer from the club nearly slipped trying to twerk on top of a booth while her homegirls held onto her with tipsy hands.
She screamed while laughing and held on tightly before she busted her ass.
The DJ spun an old Lil Jon song and the crowd went fucking bananas.
The entire club screamed every word to Get Low while jumping around spilling liquor everywhere.
Marcus laughed so hard he had to grab the wall and he watched Johari almost lose her balance dancing with Angel.
“Nah y’all drunk as shit?” he yelled laughing.
“And YOU ain’t?!” Johari shot back.
Marcus pointed proudly toward himself. “I’m celebrating.”
By then Mercedes suddenly rubbed her stomach and made a face. “Ooooh no.”
Steelo looked over at her with caution. “What happened?”
“This baby in here doing flips because of all these damn smells.” Mercedes groaned.
Steelo stood right up. “Aight we out.”
Mercedes rolled her eyes laughing. “Boy relax.”
“Nah. My child fighting for survival in there.”
“Our child dramatic like you,” she shot back.
June walked over laughing. “Y’all leaving already?”
Mercedes nodded while grabbing her coat. “Yeah before I throw up on somebody while tryna twerk.”
Everybody laughed again.
Marcus hugged Mercedes carefully before dapping Steelo up afterward. “Love y’all.”
Steelo pointed at him. “And stop taking all them damn shots.”
Marcus grinned instantly. “Nigga please.”
More guests packed onto the dancefloor while the countdown clock above the DJ booth crept closer toward midnight.
At one point confetti cannons accidentally burst early and people screamed while gold streamers floated across the crowd.
Near the VIP section, a waitress squeezed through holding a tray of shots high in the air.
“One more before midnight!” she shouted.
People instantly started reaching for glasses.
Marcus grabbed one easily while laughing with Khalil.
“Aight this the last one,” Marcus joked.
“That’s what drunk niggas always say,” Katina laughed.
Everybody lifted their glasses again while the countdown clock flashed above everyone's head.
Marcus threw the shot back before shaking his head afterward. “DAMN,” he laughed loudly. “What the fuck was in that?”
“Probably gasoline,” Dakeerah yelled.
Everybody busted out laughing again.
Marcus laughed harder than everybody else after that last shot, but this time the sound came out rough around the edges.
“Aight...” he muttered while rubbing the side of his neck. “Them bitches definitely trying to poison me tonight.”
Katina pointed at him. “See? I told your ass stop drinking.”
“Nigga been drinking since eight o’clock,” Khalil added laughing.
Marcus waved them off jokingly, but his balance shifted slightly when he stepped away from the section.
June took note of it and looked a little worried.
The club was still going up. Somebody nearby was screaming drunk lyrics into a microphone while two women danced on top of a VIP booth shaking ass hard enough to make the tables lean over.
Marcus rubbed his eyes slowly. “Yeah...” he muttered under his breath. “Ya boy is cooked for sure.”
June walked over to him, placing one hand against his chest. “You good?”
“Yeah.” He struggled to catch his breath. “I just need a second. It’s too hot up in this mothafucka.”
His words dragged together slightly.
June looked around at the crowded floor before grabbing his hand gently. “Come on. Let me sit you somewhere for a minute.”
Marcus laughed weakly. “Damn. Nigga can’t even enjoy his own birthday.”
“You old now,” June teased. “Your body tapping out.”
Marcus smirked tiredly. “Watch your mouth.”
June guided him carefully away from the section while everybody else stayed distracted partying. The music swallowed almost every other sound around them. Nobody paid attention to the two of them slipping away.
Especially not with the DJ screaming countdown warnings every few minutes. “FORTY MINUTES TILL MIDNIGHT!”
The crowd roared loudly.
June kept one hand around Marcus’ wrist while leading him through the hallway toward the private stairwell near the back offices.
Marcus tugged at his shirt collar while walking behind her.
“I ain’t gon lie...” he muttered. “That last shot fucked me up.”
June glanced back over her shoulder. “You probably mixed too much tonight.”
“Hell nah. I'm not new to this, I'm true to this.” Marcus said arrogantly.
“Mmm hmm.” June shook her head.
Marcus gave a weak chuckle before stumbling slightly against the wall. “Aight maybe I’m a little fucked up.”
June laughed softly. “You think?”
They walked further down the hallway and Marcus tipped his head toward the ceiling for a moment while trying to catch his breath. “Damn...”
June opened a door near the back stairwell. “Sit down here for a second. You probably just need some air.”
Marcus walked inside sluggishly while rubbing his face. The room stayed dim except for a small light glowing near the back wall.
“You got any water?” he asked.
June closed the door behind them. “I’ll go get you some.”
Marcus sat down resting his elbows on his knees while trying to steady himself upright.
Everything around him suddenly felt strange. His surroundings started looking blurry and distorted.
His hearing faded in and out beneath the muffled bass upstairs. “J...” he muttered.
But his own voice sounded distant now.
Marcus blinked hard trying to focus.
Then suddenly, everything went black.
The bass from upstairs sounded far away by the time Marcus opened his eyes again.
His head pounded violently.
For a second he couldn’t understand where the fuck he was.
Then he tried moving.
And realized his hands were tied behind a chair.
Marcus jerked hard instantly. “What the fuck?!”
The room was dark and unfinished with exposed pipes running across the ceiling. Storage boxes and shelves lined the walls nearby.
He realized he was inside the basement beneath Heaven's Door. Marcus's breathing started picking up. "AYE, WHAT THE FUCK?!!!" He tried with all his might to break free. Then he heard heels clicking slowly across the concrete floor.
Marcus looked up and froze in horror.
June came strutting around the corner like the damn devil herself. In one hand she held a 22 caliber and the other hand held one of Marcus' confetti blunts.
"I was wondering when yo ass was gonna finally wake up." She said coolly like she didn't do anything wrong. She took a puff from the blunt.
Marcus stared at her completely lost "June, baby… what the fuck are you doing?"
She ignored the question completely while exhaling smoke.
"You was right about these Confetti blunts boo." She glanced down at it before smirking. "This shit really do make you feel like it's a celebration. You da GOAT for coming up with that for real."
She took another puff. "I mean technically…. her red lips curved into a grin, "this is a celebration, well for me at least."
Marcus pulled against the chair harder now. "Aye yo J, stop fucking playing with me baby and untie me."
June cocked her head to the side pretending to think about it. "Hmmm."
Then she walked closer to him.
"You know.." she said casually, "I really should've left your ass on Christmas."
Marcus frowned. "What?"
"How the fuck was you about to have me playing step mama and I myself ain't even got kids yet?"
Marcus blinked confused as hell. "June what the fuck are you talking about?"