Chapter 15 #2
Kiara started to laugh—clearly at Serena, Luna, and their ridiculous pronouncement.
“Well, love, I’ll tell you what. Let’s head on over to my reserved banquette.
” She motioned with her chin at the most crowded area of the room.
Photographers were going crazy, trying to shoot whoever was sitting behind the crush of onlookers.
“Puff is already hanging over there, along with Paris, Usher, and Gisele. Oh, and you can leave your champagne glass here. I’ve got bottles of Cristal coming all night. ”
I threw a triumphant backward glance at Luna and Serena, who couldn’t hide their envy, and followed Kiara to her table.
“Don’t worry about those party hags, love,” she whispered when we were out of sight.
“They’re over-the-hill former models who have already played musical chairs with every rich modelizer in New York City.
Now everyone’s seated and they’re still left standing—with no man and no prospects. You’re their worst nightmare.”
MC RedHot got up on a table and yelled into a mic, “Who throws the best muthafuckin’ parties in New York?”
“You do!” we screamed back.
“Who throws the best muthafuckin’ parties in the world?”
“You do!”
“Who throws the best muthafuckin’ parties in the universe?”
“You do!”
“Then party, muthafuckas. Party!” he shrieked.
And we did. I spent the next couple of hours hanging out with Kiara at her table, thinking about how surreal it was that I was doing shots and dancing on a table next to Jay-Z and Naomi Campbell.
Every now and then I would catch a glimpse of Luna slinking through the crowd in her red catsuit, pretending to ignore me.
I was feeling smug, until I saw her head my way—with Alonzo.
As the president of Groove Media, Alonzo had a lot of influence and power—so much so that he had ignored the red clothing rule, opting for a black suit with a crisp white shirt.
The red polka dots on the handkerchief tucked into his jacket pocket were the only nod to MC RedHot.
The crowd was clearly feeling his defiance and juice as a small throng of sycophants gathered around him to pay homage.
Puff stood to greet Alonzo as he approached, leaning forward to exchange a few private words. Alonzo laughed and clapped him on the arm as Mary J. stepped up to say hello. No one spoke to Luna, but she didn’t seem to care. Her eyes were fixed on my face, waiting for my reaction.
As I looked for an opening to step away from the far end of the table, hoping for a quiet exit, I could hear Alonzo’s deep voice booming over the music: “Have you met Luna, Groove’s new deputy editor?”
As Alonzo introduced Luna around the table, I tried again to slip away. I’d managed to get off the table, but I couldn’t get out of the banquette without literally bumping into him. Luna smirked as the introductions got to me.
“It’s so good to run into you, Nikki,” he said, raising an eyebrow at my short skirt and sheer top. “I just knew we’d see each other again. And I know you and Luna have met.”
“Nice to see you both,” I lied. “Excuse me,” I said as I attempted to squeeze past Alonzo.
“Oh, don’t leave. I see you’ve already got this area staked out, so we’ll go. And it’s your very first Red Party,” he said condescendingly. “I want you to have a good time. Enjoy this while it lasts, babygirl.”
By the time Alonzo and Luna sauntered off, I had sweat through my shirt, exposing my red bra even more. I asked the hovering waitress for a glass of ice water, then held it to my forehead.
“That was hella uncomfortable, love,” Kiara said low in my ear.
“But you and I both know that Alonzo is a notorious prick. And he’s gotta be pissed that the ether he tried to spread about you didn’t relegate you to obscurity.
It’s driving him crazy to see you at a RedHot party!
Don’t worry about him, at least not right now. ”
“Agreed. I would definitely like to enjoy the rest of this night,” I whispered back, wondering how much of Alonzo’s smear campaign had reached her and how long it would actually last.
The party was still raging at 3:00 AM. And given all the drinking and drugs and hooking up that was still going on, it could have continued for hours. But suddenly, the DJ lowered the music and MC RedHot got back on the stage with a mic.
“Everybody chill out,” he yelled. “Five-O is in the hizz-ouse.” One of his many red-suited flunkies went over to him and whispered something in his ear.
“Ah, shit,” he said, turning to look at the club’s doorway.
Through my slightly buzzed haze, I could see some uniformed guys streaming in as RedHot said pleadingly in the mic, “Please, Mr. Fire Marshal, please don’t shut down the sexy.
Come on, man. Look at all the honeys up in here. You and your boys stay. Drinks on me.”
But the fire marshal was having none of it.
The lights turned on and folks started making their way toward the door.
I found Barbara, who looked like she’d been enjoying the open bar, with a mystery woman wearing a crimson tuxedo.
Barbara didn’t bother to introduce me, just climbed into the waiting Denali with the woman and slurred, “You don’t mind taking a taxi, do you? Brooklyn is so out of the way.”
“Of course,” I replied, unsure that they’d even heard me since the door to the SUV had slammed shut. “It’s all good.”
As I hobbled toward the corner in my too-tight boots to look for a cab, a white Bentley pulled up next to me.
A bald guy with a thick beard whom I vaguely recognized from Kiara’s banquette leaned out the back window, the diamonds in his ears and encircling his neck in thick ropes gleaming in the streetlights. “Yo, Nikki, right? You want a ride?”
“Oh, hey. No, thanks, I’m okay.”
“Nah, climb on in.” He opened his door and motioned for me to get in. “I’ll have my driver drop you wherever you want.”
I hesitated because I was spent and buzzed and in no mood to hail a yellow cab. But my Spidey senses were going off. “Honestly, I’m alright.”
The guy’s expression darkened. “What, I’m not good enough for you? Shit, Alonzo said you’d be down for anything. But now you want to be shy?” He sucked his teeth and slammed the door. But before he took off, he left me with these choice words: “Bitch, imma see you again.”
The Bentley sped off into the night. The second his taillights disappeared, I leaned against the wall of the nearest building, willing my heartbeat to slow down so I wouldn’t pass out. “It’s all good,” I whispered again to myself as tears formed in my eyes for the second time that day.