Chapter 3 #3
Portia giggled. “Can you unzip the back of my dress just a little to loosen it? I’m tryna pull the sides down some.” Portia pulled at the sides of her dress. “It keeps rising up.”
If Sage hadn’t been nervous all night, right now at this moment, she was.
“Yeah,” Sage said as she slowly raised her hands to meet the back of Portia’s dress.
She admired the frame of the back of Portia’s shoulders and the smoothness of her caramel skin. As she unzipped the back of her dress, just a little, it revealed the moon phases tattooed on her spine. The slight tone in Portia’s back mixed with her sweet scent set Sage’s senses off.
“I can’t wait to take this thing off,” Portia said, huffing in frustration as she adjusted the sides of her dress.
“Shit, I can’t wait to take that thing off,” Sage thought, drowning in the idea of what she’d do to Portia if she had the chance.
Sage arched her head back, overwhelmed with pleasure as Portia's hand encircled her neck. Portia moved her hips rhythmically, pressing her center against Sage's pelvis. Sage stifled a moan, driving her strap deeper inside. Portia cried out, "Oh Sa-"
“Sage,” Portia said repeatedly, snapping Sage out of her fantasy.
Portia was aware Sage wasn’t listening to her rant, but little did she know Sage was ready to fuck the shit out of her at any given moment. Sage longed for a reason, yet the multitude of reasons and accompanying risks held her back.
“Did you hear what I said?”
Portia had been talking for a moment, but Sage’s ears were too filled with the idea of bending her over. In just a few seconds, Sage could imagine all the things she would do to her.
“Yeah, yeah…” Sage zipped up the back of Portia’s dress.
Portia turned around to face Sage and placed her hands on her hips.
“Then repeat what I just said.” Portia raised an eyebrow.
“You can’t wait to take this dress off,” Sage said, motioning to her dress. “And you need a new seamstress ‘cause Maria charges too much for too little work.”
Portia nodded and smirked.
“Enough of this though,” Sage said, tired of hearing her complain. “You look fine. You better wear the fuck out of that dress for the sake of Maria taking all that damn money.”
“You got a point,” Portia said, shaking her finger as they walked out of the bathroom laughing.
As they entered back into the ballroom, “Love Like This” by Faith Evans blasted out of the speakers.
“Ayeeee! This my shit,” Portia said, bopping her shoulders back and forth. She reached out her hand to Sage. "Come on!" Portia invited Sage to dance.
Sage was hesitant, and Portia could sense her resistance.
“Come onnnn,” Portia motioned her hands for Sage to come closer as she backed onto the dance floor. “You’re supposed to keep an eye on me. Remember?” She winked and smiled.
Sage shrugged off any hesitation and joined Portia on the dance floor. She wouldn’t be wrong for having a little fun. They melded into the crowd, following Portia's lead to the center of the pulsing dance floor. For the next few songs, they moved to the rhythm, lost in the music and the moment.
“See,” Portia leaned over, speaking into Sage’s ear. “You’re having fun, aren’t you?”
Portia raised her arms with a smile, swaying her hips to the beat. Sage grinned, admiring Portia in her element.
That smile. Keeping an eye on Portia was easy. She was everything Sage enjoyed seeing. Although she was curious about the mysteries of Portia, it wasn’t worth the risk to jeopardize the operation. If she couldn’t experience her, the least she could do was enjoy the time she had with her.
Portia grabbed Sage’s hand and spun her around. She was coming out of her shell, and Portia enjoyed watching it unfold. She wanted Sage to enjoy being around her, considering the last few times were ones of pure embarrassment.
Portia hadn’t been feeling like herself for the past month.
Living with her father full-time, going to AA meetings every week, limiting time with friends, being followed around most of the day, and now processing the breakup of her life–it was all too much.
She hadn’t felt more out of control than now.
She knew change was inevitable, but she never thought it could happen so fast, all at once.
Portia was so used to being in her own space, on her own time, and having a say so over her own life.
So, she owed it to herself to enjoy what she could while adjusting to her new reality.
And shit, dancing with a fine ass woman made her new life a little more enjoyable.
“So you left me for this bitch?” a familiar voice directed at Portia.
Portia’s face frowned. “What are you doing here?!” Portia yelled.
Sage scrunched her face up in confusion. She turned around when she saw where Portia was looking. It was that bum ass bitch, again.
“You think she better than me!?” Shy shouted.
“What the fuck are you talking about!?” Portia said loud enough for the shrimp ass stud to hear because clearly, she didn’t understand the last run-in. “And how are you even here!?”
Portia was ready to light her ass up, but before should take two steps towards Shy, Sage put her hand up to stop her.
“Nah, I got it.” She gently moved Portia behind her.
Sage bent down to meet Shy on her level, looking her straight in the eye. “Didn’t I tell you not to bring your ass around her?”
Shy made a snarky smile. “I told you I’d find my bitch,” she huffed.
Sage shoved Shy backwards into the crowd as people stared. “I told you it was over next time I saw yo ass.” Sage grabbed Shy by the neck.
“Sage!” Portia said, trying to step in, but Salem stepped in front of her.
“Babygirl, you might want to sit this one out.” Salem led her a few feet away from the debacle. “Once Sage has made up her mind, there’s no stopping her.”
Sage was chill as fuck, but it was definitely not wise to get on her bad side.
Two things got under her skin: people who started trouble and people who came looking for it.
Sage was never one to willingly put hands on someone, but if the time permitted it, so would be it.
And when she made a promise, she always kept her word.
“Now, tell me why I should let you live?” Sage asked as she watched Shy struggle, trying to remove her hand from her neck. “See, I told you what would happen the next time you came around and yet you still took the chance.”
Shy tried to respond as she tried to breathe in air and her eyes watered.
Sage released her hand from around her neck and placed a firm punch to Shy’s face that sent her ass flying to the floor.
As much as Sage wanted to put a bullet in Shy’s head, it was the wrong time and place.
Her father always said that business was best handled in private.
“Beat that bitch ass!” Salem shouted from behind.
The music around them stopped as the crowd circled in on Sage, applying blows to Shy’s face. Shy could only get in a few scratches in defense. After a few moments, Sage felt a tug at her arm, trying to pull her off.
“Sage! Sage!” Portia yelled, trying to get her attention to stop.
“Alright, Babygirl!” Kannon shouted as he pulled her off top of Shy. “Let’s go.”
Kannon stood Sage on her feet and guided her out of the ballroom.
Salem and KJ followed behind as Shy was left on the floor, mouth bleeding and her eyes swollen shut.
Portia stood there with her hands over her mouth in disbelief.
She looked at Shy and, as much as she wanted to feel bad for her, her heart wouldn’t let her.
That bitch deserved everything she had coming to her.
She kept her word.
Portia ran off behind to the rest of the Washington family.
“What was all that about?” Kannon asked as he handed a bottle of water to Sage.
“She had it coming, Pops,” Sage said, as she took a few sips of the water.
“How? That’s one of my fieldmen!” Kannon shouted, ready to go off on her.
“Pops, wait!” Salem said, trying to stop him from continuing.
“No, let him have it!” Sage shouted, ready for the disappointment to spill from her father’s mouth.
“I trusted you with this mission tonight and you go out there and embarrass me!?” Kannon continued. “She’s one of the drivers that transports trucks at Washington Freight! Do you know any idea what this could cost me?!”
Sage gazed emptily as Kannon released his frustration.
It wasn't unfamiliar; her father often anticipated her disappointments in cartel matters.
He believed women had no place in the business, so her words hardly mattered.
His stubbornness meant he'd already decided he was right, making her unheard in yet another lecture.
Sage opened her mouth to respond, but then decided it wasn’t worth it. No point in explaining herself.
“Don’t answer that!” Kannon shouted.
Before he could continue, there was a knock on the door.
“Give us a minute! We’re handling business here!” Kannon shouted in the direction of the door.
Ignoring his father, Salem got up and answered the door. He knew it was Portia because he saw her trying to catch up to them.
“You can come in,” Salem said softly, motioning for Portia to come to the door.
“I’m sorry if I’m interrupting Mr. Washington,” Portia said, standing there with tear streaks down her face. “This was all my fault. I’m so sorry.”
Kannon looked at Portia in confusion. “Whatchu mean, your fault? You have nothing to do with this,” he said.
“That was my ex-girlfriend. We just broke up. She stalks me when she can’t get a hold of me,” Portia explained.
Kannon was so confused that he couldn’t make out any words. He realized he’d gone too far with all the things he had said to Sage.
“That’s what I was trying to tell you, Pops,” Salem said, placing his hand on Kannon’s shoulder. “We’ve been dealing with this girl for the past week.”
“I’m sorry, Babygirl,” he said, looking at Sage with sorrow in his eyes.
Sage looked at him, emotionless, with no response. She had shut down. Her father had gone too far, as always. Kannon read the room; she no longer wanted him in her presence.