Chapter 4 #2
I sighed and shook my head. “I’m so sorry.
I’m trying so hard not to let my personal stuff follow me to work.
Being completely transparent, I recently separated from my significant other.
I was with him for seven years, and we have five-year-old triplets.
The adjustment is hard I can’t even lie.
But I swear it won’t affect my job. If my energy is off or rude, I'm so sorry.
" My emotional ass was ready to cry again because I had to get it together. I couldn’t let my feelings get in the way of my bag.
London grabbed my hand and held onto it as she gave me a reassuring smile.
“Not once have you come across as rude. My mother always told me the eyes are the window to the soul and even when you smile, you seem sad. It was a personal observation. And might I add, you just scared the crap out of me saying you have triplets. Isaac wants kids so bad but my God. You had three at one time?”
I had been getting that same reaction from people since I found out I was having triplets, and it was still funny.
I laughed, and it was genuine because I appreciated London’s kindness.
She was rich as hell. We were sitting in a bathroom that was bigger than some people’s apartments, and she didn’t have one stuck up bone in her body.
“Please don’t be scared. I don’t have triplet fairy dust that will rub off on you. I don’t know anyone else that has triplets. It’s very rare unless you use fertility drugs.”
“Whew chile,” London fanned as if she was hot. “And I’m sorry about your relationship. I love, love.”
“Me too.”
“My first question still stands. Are you hungry? I can run downstairs and make sure you get a plate.”
“Um sure. I could eat.”
The night before, I just didn’t have it in me to go to Alisa’s house and celebrate.
Whether Corey got the girls or not, I was going.
I had cried enough, and I had moped enough.
Seeing other happy couples made me sad. Seeing families together made me sad.
Everything made me sad, but I had to get over it.
Sitting around acting as if the world ended wasn’t going to help me.
I had just got my appetite back. Corey’s infidelity literally had me to the point of not being able to eat.
Even if I could stand to lose a few pounds, that wasn’t the way I wanted to achieve it.
The moment we stepped into the kitchen; my heart fell into my ass.
There were at least four men sitting spread out around the room.
I had only caught a glimpse of one of them before I looked away, but my God in heaven.
He was fine as hell, and I was looking like who did it and what.
My attire consisted of gray sweatpants, a white tee that was wrinkled, and my hair was slicked back into a low bun.
Black framed eyeglasses were helping me to see, and I didn’t have on a drop of moisturizer or makeup.
Hell underneath my sweats I was probably ashy as hell.
I had in no way shape or form even attempted to be cute, and there I was in a room full of muscular fine ass men.
Rich, muscular, fine ass men. My face burned with embarrassment as London introduced me as her makeup artist.
I wasn’t even making eye contact with anyone as I gave an awkward wave and a shy smile.
At that point, I didn’t even want any food, but I had to see the mission through.
London pointed out various aluminum pans.
“We have steaks, burgers, hot dogs, grilled prawns, pasta salad, corn, chicken, macaroni salad, and baked beans. Help yourself.”
“Thank you.”
The men were talking about football, and London joined in on the conversation.
Her and her husband were so cute together.
A sinking feeling took over my gut, and I chuckled inwardly.
It would bring me so much joy when I could wake up in the mornings and be genuinely happy.
Not triggered, not sad, not angry, not bitter.
Just happy. I could literally be in the grocery store and flashbacks of Corey with his face buried in the crook of that woman’s neck would make bile rise in my throat.
This was some shit I never wanted to feel again.
“Is it too early for shots?” a deep voice sounded off behind me.
“Hell nah, it’s never too early for shots,” London chimed in. “Brion, you want a shot boo?”
“Sure.” I didn’t even turn to face her. I just kept fixing my food. Despite the fact that I was more than ready to flee from the room filled with fine jocks, a shot didn’t sound too bad.
I didn’t have any plans for the rest of the day aside from going to Alisa’s house, so I could get shit faced.
From my peripheral, I saw her moving toward a cabinet to get shot glasses out.
As I was closing the lid on my Styrofoam container, she pulled a bottle of tequila from another cabinet and began pouring shots.
The camera crew was setting up, and more people were arriving.
I was ready to get the hell out of dodge.
Lauren passed me a shot glass, and I gladly accepted it while still refusing to make eye contact with any of the men.
“To a winning season. Let’s get to the Super Bowl my niggas.”
“Fa sho!” Isaac shouted.
All of us except for one, tapped our glasses on the counter before placing them to our mouths.
“Oh no, Hymn, you gotta fix that. If you don’t hit the shot glass that’s seven years of bad sex.”
“Shiiiiiiit,” I don’t even believe that,” a sexy man directly across from me drawled, but he hit the glass anyway making everyone laugh.
He had to be at least 6’4. Hymn had skin the color of melted caramel and his long hair was in cornrows going straight back. His full beard glistened, and his thick, dark brows only added to his sexiness.
“Thank you for the food,” I turned to London. “And I’ll see you, Tuesday.”
“Sure thing, babe. Let me walk you out.”
As I walked to my car, I passed three women that were walking to the door.
I wasn’t sure if they were WAGS or not, but they definitely fit the criteria.
Perfectly made up faces, perfect bodies, expensive purses, designer shoes.
They didn’t give me a second look. More than likely, they knew I was the help, and that was fine with me.
The tequila had me slightly buzzed, and I promised myself that if Corey didn’t get the girls, I’d just take them with me to Alisa’s house.
I finally had to tell them that mommy and daddy didn’t want to be boyfriend and girlfriend anymore, and they did not take it well.
Star cried and kept saying she didn’t understand why we couldn’t get back together, so she could go home to her own room.
Serenity kept asking what happened and asked me to call her father.
Sky was the only that asked me if I was okay.
All three girls looked like they wanted to cry.
I was drowning with the questions. It was so bad my father came in and offered to take the girls for ice cream.
As soon as they were out of the house, I erupted into tears.
We all couldn’t be crying. I was quite sick of it.
My babies didn’t deserve to suffer. They wanted to go home and when Corey promised to get them and didn’t show, they pouted while my blood boiled.
I hated what he did to me but him hurting my girls would make me hate him.
The moment I turned on my parents’ street, I held my breath.
I didn’t want to go to Corey’s tattoo shop and show my ass, but I would.
Opening the door, my eyes darted around the living room. My mother was sitting on the couch doing a crossword puzzle, and the girls weren’t in sight. “Did he come?” I asked cautiously.
“Yeah, about an hour ago. He said he was going to take them to school Monday morning.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “I was not in the mood to deal with crying and pouting if he lied again.”
“I know that’s right. How was work?”
“It was good. I’m really happy that London chose me to do her makeup the entire time she’s filming. I definitely need the extra money. It came right on time.”
“And I need you to know that whatever you and those girls need will always come right on time. God sees you. He loves you, and He hasn’t forgotten about you.
Man will let us down every time, but He won’t.
I know every time one of those girls cries or asks why they can’t go home it hurts, but don’t ever for one second doubt that you did the right thing. ”
With a small smile on my face I walked over, bent down and hugged my mother. “I needed that. I’m about to take a shower and go to Alisa’s. I was supposed to go yesterday to celebrate the job, but I was so mad at Corey that I didn’t go.”
“Go have fun. You deserve to celebrate. Tell Alisa I said hello.”
“I will. Thank you, ma.”
In the shower, I closed my eyes and let the water pelt onto my skin.
Life was different now. I had to get used to my new normal.
I missed my home and my bed, but wherever I moved to would just have to become home.
One time for a split second, I wondered if I had done the right thing by leaving Corey.
It didn’t take me long to conclude that I absolutely did.
Fuck his cheating ass. I deserved better.
Love might not be easy for me to find with three kids, and if I was meant to be alone so be it.
I’d never be desperate enough to settle for a man mistreating me.
I already gave one seven years of my life and never even got proposed to.
I damn sure didn’t have to be cute to go to Alisa’s house, but I challenged myself to wear something besides leggings or sweatpants.
After about five minutes of pondering, I decided on a black, silk, sundress and white sandals.
Putting curls in my hair wasn’t a task that I felt like completing, plus I wanted to give my hair a break from heat, so I redid my bun.
It was neat and slick. A coil hung by each ear, and I placed diamond studs in my ears.
I got cute to go to Alisa’s office, but any other time, I walked around looking unloved and tired of life.
Alisa lived fifteen minutes away from my parents.
When I walked into her house, she had a charcuterie board set up with pastrami, salami, turkey, pickles, various cheeses, crackers, grapes, strawberries, chocolate covered peanuts, and pickles.
She also had mini red velvet cupcakes and three bottles of wine.
Our canvases sat on mini easels that she had placed on her kitchen island.
“This is nice,” I gushed grabbing a strawberry. “All of this for me?”
“All for you my dear.”
“I’m flattered.”
Alisa had everything all set up. Easing onto the barstool, I took the wine glass she handed me. “Corey the cunt came through and got the kids?”
Her comment made the wine I swallowed go down wrong and for two point five seconds, I thought I was going to die.
I was literally gasping for air. Beating on my chest didn’t even help, but I refused to go down without a fight.
By the time I gathered myself tears were streaming down my cheeks, and Alisa was staring at me with wide eyes.
“Girl, are you okay?!”
“Please don’t say shit like that when I’m drinking. Jesus, if I would have died you would have been financially responsible for my kids,” I sniffed and patted my tears away.
“Sorry. Damn, I don’t want you to die. Especially not in my house.”
“Yes, the kids are with their father, and I pray that he keeps them through the night. I keep looking at my phone expecting to see a text. My babies are five, and that man has never kept them alone overnight.”
“I should have stopped by the house and got the girls hyped up on sugar before he came and got them,” she sat down beside me and sipped her wine.
Alisa’s newfound disdain for Corey had me chuckling.
Before he cheated on me, she’d never had one bad thing to say about him.
Even when I was angry with him, she would listen to me vent and give me unbiased advice.
The moment I decided to leave him, she had nothing good to say about him, and I appreciated that because fuck him.
Alisa unlocked her phone and went to Apple music.
The first song that came from the blue tooth was FNF by Glorilla.
If I knew Alisa, there would be no sad, sappy love songs.
We were going to vibe to every man hating song she could find, and I loved that for me.
I couldn’t imagine going through a breakup with no support while having to be strong for three kids.
I was grateful for my parents, my sister, and Alisa.
I was also grateful to London for giving me a chance and being so kind to me.
Maybe it was the wine I was sipping but for some reason, I had a feeling that everything was going to be alright. Eventually.