Chapter 9
nine
. . .
Day Four
Cassidy
Grips on your waist, front way, back way, you know that I don’t play, Drake’s voice crooned through the Bluetooth speaker as the private yacht my girls and I chartered set sail across the glistening, pristine water.
Aside from the captain, there wasn’t a dick in sight, and I couldn’t have been happier.
Lauryn, my girls, Brielle and Shauna, and I were in for a half-day of snorkeling, jet skis, and straight good vibes.
Our squad was draped in all white bikinis, giving off serious Black girl magic vibes will all different shades of brown between us.
“Look what I’ve got, ladies,” Brielle cheered, waving a Ziploc bag in the air.
Lauryn’s freshly waxed brows shot up. “What the fuck is that?”
“It’s a weed brownie, bitch!”
“Brielle, you brought drugs here!” I blurted out.
“Shh! You goddamn opp! All loud and shit! Here, everybody break off a piece, eat it, and wash it down with a shot of tequila. Are we on vacation or not? Let’s start acting like it, bitchesssss!
” she squealed, before turning around to do a quick twerk to Drake’s One Dance blaring through the Bluetooth speaker.
Shauna shrugged while swiping her burgundy-tipped dreadlocks out of her face. “I’m in.”
Lauryn looked at me and then back at Brielle, who held the brownie in hand. “Fine, fuck it.”
“You in, Cass?” Brielle asked, coaxing me.
“Fuck it.” I shrugged. “Who would’ve thought a quarter of a weed brownie and shots of Case Migos would be my breakfast?”
“It’s the breakfast of fuckin’ champions, bitch!” Brielle hailed, smacking her fruit-scented lips together.
Forty minutes later, we were all high as shit out in the middle of the sea, getting white girl wasted and having the time of our lives.
With a mimosa glued to my right hand, I laid out on the front of the boat to soak up all the vitamin D the bright sun had to offer while enjoying the view.
I always been able to handle the dosage of the edibles I got from my weed man, but whatever Brielle had gotten a hold of was some next level shit.
I’d never been higher. The captain anchored the yacht a couple miles from an isolated island so that Brielle and Shauna’s high asses could start jet skiing.
As soon as I closed my mascara-spiked eyes and started to drift off into a light slumber, my phone vibrated against my thigh.
I lifted my glasses and looked down to see a number with a Florida area code.
A sour look paraded across my face as I quickly hit decline.
I knew it was Omar, and he for damn sure wasn’t going to bring me down or kill my vibe.
His lying, cheating ass could eat a hot, pickled dick as far as I was concerned.
“Bitch ass nigga,” I grumbled.
I contemplated tossing my phone into the water and watching it sink to the depths but decided to turn it off instead. I paced to the back of the boat and dropped my phone in the bottom of my bag.
“You good, Cass?” Lauryn asked, approaching me from the left.
I angled my face away from hers. “Mmhm.”
“You sure?”
I looked at her and shook my head. “It’s Omar. He called.”
Her brows creased as she rested her hands on her hour-glass hips. “Did you answer?”
“What you think?” I asked, rolling my eyes.
“I mean, maybe he wants to talk it out. You said he just up and left with no explanation. I’m not saying you gotta take his foul ass back, but maybe you should hear him out.”
I sighed, knowing she wouldn’t be saying that if she knew the truth. “Okay, listen. What I’m about to tell you, you cannot repeat to any fuckin’ body. Not Donovan, and definitely not Shauna or Bri, okay?”
“Um, okay. What the fuck are you about to tell me, Cass? And do I need a shot before it hits my ears?” she questioned.
“Yeah, go ahead and pour one for both of us,” I told her.
“Aight, let’s go sit down,” she said. “I’m baking under this sun.”
I nodded, feeling my own skin sizzling under the sun’s rays. Once we were seated and shots were poured, I spoke up. “So, um about Omar and me…he didn’t exactly just up and leave…”
“Well, bitch, I knew that!”
My face clouded with embarrassment. “How?” I asked.
“Um, because that’s some weird ass shit. I just thought that you would tell me when you were ready, and I guess now you are.”
As my best friend and blood, Lauryn knew me like I knew the back of my own hand. I was famous for putting off difficult conversations or making difficult decisions for as long as I possibly could. “He cheated on me, Lauryn. Me! And not only did he cheat, but he’s having a—a baby with the bitch!”
Lauryn’s almond shaped chestnut eyes widened as her eyebrows jutted in surprise. “Oh shit, Cass.”
“I was so fuckin’ embarrassed about it that I just couldn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want anybody to know. I just—I did a lot for that mothafucka, you know?”
“Oh, girl. I know. You sure love a good project. I’ve told you that before. Wouldn’t be me.”
“I’m a Libra, and I want to see the good in damn near everybody. It’s like my only downfall,” I admitted.
Lauryn smacked her bow-shaped lips. “It’s not but continue.”
I huffed. “I just thought it would pay off in the end, you know? I spent the last eighteen months of my life grooming a nigga for the next bitch. Well, not even. The bitch he cheated on me with is his fuckin’ ex!” I announced, dropping the next bomb.
Lauryn turned up her lips while shaking her head. “Girl, fuck him! Fuck him for life! You just need a nigga to match or exceed what you bring to the table, and that’s not just money. You just haven’t found the yin to your yang yet, that’s all. But he’s out there, I promise.”
“What y’all talking about?” Shauna asked, making her way over to us and plopping her mocha-colored body down beside Lauryn.
I cut Lauryn a quick look, and she shook her head. “Girl, niggas. Wait, what happened to the jet skis?” she answered, trying to change the subject.
“Bitch, Brielle’s high ass got out there and realized she couldn’t swim and started crying,” Shauna announced before bubbling over with laughter.
Lauryn’s eyes crinkled with laughter. “I swear she’s a trip.”
“Where is she now?” I inquired.
She pointed her white-painted nails toward the lower level. “In the bathroom. She’s okay.”
“Oh okay.”
“So, what about niggas?” Shauna asked, returning to the previous topic.
“Okay, okay. I got a question and all y’all gotta answer,” Lauryn declared.
“What did I miss?” Brielle asked, walking up on the three of us.
“Girl, you okay?” I asked, noticing her puffy, red eyes. I couldn’t tell if it was because she was high or if it was from her meltdown in the water.
Brielle bobbed her head, before running her fingers through her blonde box braids. “Yeah, girl. I’m good.”
“What happened out there?” Lauryn asked, giggling all over again.
“Bitch, I don’t know why I thought I was the lil’ fuckin’ mermaid or some shit. I got out on that jet ski shit and freaked the fuck out. I said ah hell no, get me back on solid ground, mothafucka!”
The four of us roared with laughter. “See? This is why I love you. You’re hilarious!” I told her, flexing my stomach muscles from giggling so hard.
“What can I say? My life is a film,” Brielle proclaimed. “But, c’mon, what did I miss? Tell me.”
Shauna spoke up and said, “Lauryn was about to ask a question and said we all have to answer.”
“Go ahead and ask it. I’m ready,” Brielle told Lauryn.
“Okay, so if you could build the perfect nigga, what would your top three must-have traits? And Cassidy has to go first because I asked her this shit once before, and she dodged me.”
“Honesty,” I blurted out.
“Mmm, yes. I can’t stand a lying ass nigga,” Shauna chimed in.
“Um, and he’s got to bring some level of success to the table. A nigga can’t expect me to bring the table and the chairs and put the food on it too,” I added.
“Mmm, preach!” Shauna boasted before turning the bottle of tequila up to her lips.
“And a third one…I mean, he gotta look good, right? So yeah, those are my three. I want an honest, successful, good-lookin’ nigga,” I broadcasted, secretly hoping the universe heard me and delivered. I wasn’t ashamed to admit I was big on appearance. I loved a sexy ass nigga.
Lauryn burst out laughing, her white teeth glistened just as brightly as her coppery-brown skin. “Well, good luck with that shit, boo.”
I sucked my teeth. “What’s the point of doing this if you gon’ poke holes all in my shit?”
She chuckled. “I’m just saying. If you find one, that nigga is a unicorn. If he’s good-lookin, that mean he broke. If he successful and he look good, then you know that mothafucka is a liar! That’s all I’m saying!”
“I hate to agree, but…she right,” Brielle agreed, propping up her pink-painted toes on the edge of the table.
“Right as fuck!” Shauna added, flashing her wide-gapped smile.
I sucked my teeth before my eyes crimped in laughter. “Ugh, shut up! Guess I gotta find me an honest, ugly nigga, but I don’t know if I can do it. Aesthetics matter, bitch.”
“Shit, he still might be broke anyway.” Lauryn snickered.
“What about the rest of y’all? All y’all got niggas except for me. What are three traits your men have that you absolutely love or you wish they had?” I asked, flipping the question on them.
Shauna spoke up. “I’ll go first—I’ll say I love a man that can use his imagination. Like, give me a nigga with a brain, a good one at that. That’s Trey up and down. It’s probably my favorite thing about him aside from the D.” She winked.
Laughter filled the open vessel once again, bellowing above the speaker. “Ain’t nothing wrong with that. If you would’ve told me I had four traits, a big dick would’ve been number four,” I affirmed.
“Shit, it should really be number one, but I’m just saying.” Lauryn shrugged, shaking her honey brown faux goddess locs from side to side.
I turned my attention to Lauryn and Brielle. “C’mon, Brielle, Lauryn? What about y’all? Answer the question!”
“Yeah, I did!” Shauna said.