19. Lee
Lee
By the next weekend, I was in New Orleans trying my best not to think about JB. Anika’s bachelorette weekend had come right on time. Me and Nina drove down Friday, and by Saturday evening I had already decided two days away from Mobile wasn’t nearly enough.
Friday night had been dinner, drinks, and Melissa dragging us from one place to the next because apparently being maid of honor came with a whole itinerary.
Now we were back at the Airbnb getting ready for night two, and the place looked like a tornado had hit it.
Makeup covered the counters, flat irons and curling wands were plugged in everywhere, and Melissa had clothes spread across half the living room like she was still deciding what to wear.
“Act Up” by City Girls played from the speaker in the corner while somebody yelled from the hallway about a missing fringe jacket.
Everybody had committed to Anika’s Last Rodeo theme. Denim, fringe, western belts, cowboy hats, and boots cute enough for pictures but comfortable enough that hopefully nobody would be crying about their feet twenty minutes after we hit Bourbon.
Anika, of course, got the bride version. She had on a cream western set with white boots and a matching cowboy hat, complete with a little veil hanging off the back.
Melissa checked the time on her phone for about the fifth time in ten minutes. “If y’all make us late again tonight, I’m leaving somebody.”
Princess didn’t even look away from the mirror while she fixed one of her lashes. “You ain’t leaving nobody. You gon’ need us to carry you back later.”
Princess had been Anika’s best friend since high school, so she talked to her and Melissa like family anyway. Serena, Anika’s old college roommate, was standing near the bed debating between two jackets she had already switched twice.
“I’m telling y’all now,” Serena said, “if my feet start hurting, we sitting down.”
Nina looked at her boots. “Your feet hurt and we ain’t even left.”
“Exactly. I’m planning ahead.”
Alize, Anika’s work bestie, was in the kitchen pouring shots and mostly staying out of everybody’s mess. Nina wasn’t even in the wedding, but somehow she had planted herself right in the middle of everything like she belonged there.
I was sitting on the couch zipping up one of my boots when Melissa finally stopped pacing.
She looked over at me. “You know what I still can’t believe?”
I glanced up. “What?”
“You and JB.” Melissa gave me a look. “I never thought I’d see the day y’all broke up.”
“Me either.”
I pulled on my other boot.
“I thought by now y’all would’ve been married with about four or five kids.” She folded her arms. “Aunt Maisie tried to tell you.”
“Girl, I know.”
“She been saying it since we was teenagers.”
“And I thought she was just hating.”
That part still irritated me because Mama had warned me plenty of times, and every time she did, I defended that man like somebody was paying me.
Melissa laughed. “That man did keep you spoiled, though.”
“That he did.”
“Bags, trips, jewelry,” Melissa said.
“Cars,” Nina added.
I lifted the little plastic cup. “And apparently a whole second family.”
Serena stopped messing with her jacket. “A whole family?”
“A son and another baby on the way.”
Her mouth dropped open.
“Oh, nah,” Princess said from the mirror.
Anika leaned halfway out of the bathroom with lipstick in one hand. “And the girl used to work for Lee.”
That got everybody talking at once.
“See, that’s dirty,” Alize said.
Serena shook her head. “I would’ve lost it.”
Anika pointed her lipstick at me. “I still think we need to go to that nail shop with bats.”
I looked at her. “Girl, you tripping. I ain’t going back to jail for nobody.”
“Prison.”
I stared at her.
Anika started laughing before I even had to say anything.
I flipped her off. “Fuck you.”
“Love you too.”
I couldn’t help laughing as she disappeared back into the bathroom.
After that, everything turned into final touches, group mirror pictures, adjusting hats, checking purses for IDs, and making sure nobody left a phone charging in one of the bedrooms.
By the time we finally made it outside, the night air felt good against my skin.
Bourbon Street was already packed. Music came from every direction, people yelled from balconies, and damn near everybody walking past had a drink in their hand.
Every few feet, the air smelled like food, weed, liquor, or some combination of all three.
There were tourists, locals, other bachelorette parties, street musicians, and people standing around just watching the madness.
As soon as we hit the main strip, strangers started yelling congratulations to Anika.
A group of men walking past made a big show of clearing a path for her, and some random tourist bought her a shot from one of the outdoor window bars.
Melissa tried her best to keep all seven of us together, but Nina was already dancing while she walked, and Princess kept trying to pull everybody toward a bar with a live band.
We bounced around for a while, drinking, dancing, taking pictures, and talking to people we would probably never see again.
Somewhere in the middle of all of it, I realized I was actually having fun.
My phone wasn’t in my hand every five minutes.
I wasn’t checking to see if JB had called again or wondering whether his truck was gonna be sitting outside my house when I got back to Mobile.
For a little while, I was just outside with my girls.
By the time we made it to the next bar, Anika was halfway gone and Nina was arguing with Princess about what song the DJ needed to play.
I left them near the dance floor and headed toward the bar for another drink. I had been standing there waiting for the bartender to make his way down when something at the other end of the room caught my attention.
I looked once.
Then looked again.
Ain’t no way.
Van was standing over there with a group of men.
He must’ve felt me staring because a second later, his eyes found mine. He looked surprised for all of two seconds before he started laughing.
I laughed too.
At this point, what else was I supposed to do?
“Nah,” he said as he made his way through the crowd toward me.
I crossed my arms. “What?”
“You following me?”
“Boy, please. I was about to ask you the same thing.”
He laughed and nodded toward the men behind him. “Saints game tomorrow.”
Then his eyes moved over my outfit before landing on the sash across my chest.
“Bachelorette party?”
“Yeah. My sister.”
Before he could say anything else, Anika came wobbling over with a drink in her hand and threw an arm around my shoulder.
“Oh, my God. Not pumpkin-patch man again,” Anika announced.
“Anika,” I warned.
She looked from me to Van, then back at me. “I’m just saying. This the second time.”
Van laughed. “I swear I ain’t following her.”
“See?” Anika pointed at him. “He already defending himself.”
“Girl, go somewhere,” I told her.
“I’m going. But every time I look up, here he come.”
I shoved her toward Princess, who caught her by the shoulders before she could keep embarrassing me.
Van watched Anika disappear back into the crowd, still smiling. “Your sister funny.”
“She drunk.”
“Both can be true.”
I rolled my eyes, and he nodded toward the staircase. “Walk upstairs with me for a minute.”
“For what?”
“Let’s chop it up.”
I glanced back toward the girls. Anika had already forgotten all about me and was dancing with Princess like she hadn’t just come over being nosy.
“I’m coming right back,” I called.
“Take your time!” Anika yelled without even turning around.
I shook my head and followed Van upstairs while he laughed behind me.
The second floor was quieter, with a balcony overlooking the street. The bass still came through the floorboards, but up there we could actually hear each other without yelling. Van leaned against the railing, and I stopped beside him.
“You good?” he asked.
He was still checking on me after everything with JB.
“Yeah. I’m getting there.”
He nodded and left it there. “What you been up to?”
“Trying to find somewhere to work. I’m ready to get back to doing nails, but finding a suite has been a mess.”
“What happened?”
“I got the money for rent, and I already got people asking when I’m taking appointments.
Everything be good until that background check comes back.
” I leaned against the railing beside him.
“One place was basically mine. Then the owner found out about my felony and suddenly she needed to think about it. Ain’t heard from her since. ”
“That’s messed up.”
“Tell me about it. I did my time, but apparently that don’t mean everybody else done with it.”
Van was quiet for a second, and I could tell he was listening instead of just waiting on his turn to talk. I liked that.
Then I remembered something.
“So where your girlfriend?”
Van turned his head toward me. “My who?”
“That girl you was with the other night.”
“She wasn’t my girlfriend.”
“You ain’t gotta lie.”
“I know I don’t.” He gave me a look. “I’m single.”
“So what was she?”
“A date.”
“Oh.”
The little smile that pulled at Van’s mouth irritated me immediately.
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Nothing.”
“No, what?”
Van looked at me. “You asking a lot of questions about a woman you don’t care about.”
I rolled my eyes. “I never said I cared. I asked a question.”
“Mhm.”
“Don’t mhm me.”
Van laughed and turned back toward the street. “So how single life treating you?”
I thought about it for a second. “Weird.”
“Just weird?”
“I been with that man since I was fourteen, Van. What you want me to say?” I rested my arms against the railing. “Some days I’m mad. Some days I miss him. Then he call me fifteen times or show up somewhere acting crazy, and I’m mad all over again.”
“That sounds exhausting.”
Van looked at me for a second. “Are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Gon’ go back.”
I looked out over the railing. “I don’t know.
I miss him sometimes, but then I think about everything he did.
He named his son after our baby, Van. I know he always wanted a junior, but damn.
That’s the kind of betrayal you don’t just get over.
” I shook my head. “And now he got another baby on the way. I ain’t built to be nobody step-mama or side chick while he go back and forth between two houses. That ain’t me.”
Van nodded. “Sound like you might not know how you feel about him yet, but you know what you ain’t willing to live with.”
I looked at him. “Yeah.”
“That’s enough for right now.”
I studied him for a second, and he caught me looking.
“What?” Van asked.
“Nothing. You just be sounding real sensible sometimes.”
He smiled. “Sometimes?”
“Don’t ruin it.”
That made him laugh, and when he looked back at me, his eyes took their time this time.
“You look good tonight.”
“Don’t start.”
“I’m just saying.”
“Well, stop.”
I looked him over too before I could help myself. White graphic tee, tan pants with black crosses running down the legs, black Chucks, chains at his neck. Simple, but it looked good on him, especially with all them tattoos showing down his arms.
“You don’t look bad yourself.”
His smile widened. “Oh, so you been looking?”
“Don’t push it.”
Before he could come back with something else, Nina yelled my name from the bottom of the stairs.
“LEE!”
Her head popped around the corner. “Come on! We finna go. Melissa found the next spot.”
I looked back at Van. “Duty calls.”
“Go have fun.”
“I was already having fun.”
“I can tell.”
I pointed at him as I started toward the stairs. “And stop following me.”
Van laughed. “You keep showing up where I’m at.”
“Boy, bye.”
I made it back downstairs, and Anika grabbed my arm almost as soon as she saw me.
“What y’all talk about?”
“Nothing.”
Nina looked at me. “That was a long nothing.”
“Mind your business.”
Anika lifted her drink. “I’m still watching y’all.”
“You need water.”
She ignored me and grabbed my hand instead. Princess grabbed hers, and the seven of us spilled back out onto Bourbon with Melissa trying to keep everybody headed in the same direction.