Chapter 15
Dionne Henry
Stolen Joy
“That hoe better be lucky that I wasn’t there. I swear I would have tackled that bitch for you,” Tommie said on the group facetime call that we were on. It was her, Free, and me all on a facetime call.
I was catching them up on what transpired last night at the football game between me and Renee. I was home, cleaning up, while Bagel was down with the pet concierge service, getting groomed.
“The thing is, I knew that me, and her were going to have our run in. I’m not delusional to think that words between us wouldn’t be exchanged.
Damn. I just didn’t think that it would happen so soon.
This was one of the reasons why I was so hell bent on dealing with Tank because I knew that I would have to deal with her,” I expressed, pausing from washing the glass plate that was in my hand, so that I could look at them.
The phone was propped up on the counter, so I could properly see them, and they could see me. Free was home, and she was moving around her bathroom, fixing her hair, while Tommie was in the car, and she was driving, on her way to a hair appointment.
“Dionne, you saying everything but what we want to hear. Your location been off since two days ago. Did ya’ll fuck or not?” Free asked, wanting to know the real tea.
I wanted to slap her so bad for calling me out on that. I didn’t even want to answer the question because I knew that they were going to clown me on it. It’s like they both stopped what they were doing, as they awaited my answer.
“Girlllll, did we?” I eventually responded, and my sisters were on the other end of the phone literally screaming. Their screams made me laugh, while shaking my head at them.
“I knew it! The bitch Renee knew it too, and that’s why she got so mad when she saw you.
What was the dick hitting on? I remember the day we all met Tank.
That nigga was bold when he came to the table, looking you in your eyes, and talking to you in front of all of us.
Give us the details, bitch,” Tommie said, and I couldn’t even stop the way I was smiling, as I thought about her question.
“Heavy! That dick was big, and heavy! Our first night, I embarrassed the hell out of myself. I’m talking real life tears were falling from my eyes.
The moaning I was doing, the screaming, the fuckin running.
I never had dick like that before in my life.
As soon as I finish cleaning up this house, I’m about to go get Bagel, and I’m going right back over there.
Ya’ll not going to be able to see me as often anymore.
I’m going to have to get pulled off that dick,” I spat, dead ass serious.
My sisters were rolling in laughter as they listened to me carry on.
“I’m not surprised, and I love that for you sister. How did you end up over his house though?” Free wanted to know.
“I was on the way home the other night. Girl, my damn tire popped, flew off, and spun me around all on the highway. Don’t tell ma that happened because she’s going to get freaked out about it.
Girl, the weather was so bad that night.
I was able to get my car in the shoulder lane, and after having a whole panic attack, I called Tank.
Played that whole damsel in distress role, telling him how I was just a girl, and didn’t know what the hell to do.
He made me share my location, and he came right out there, and put my spare tire on.
Everything about that moment was so attractive, ya’ll.
He could have told me that he was tied up with his mom, and just sent someone out to help me, but girl, he came to do it.
In the middle of that bad ass weather, he was down on his back, putting a spare tire on my car.
I kept the shenanigans going, telling him how I was too afraid to drive the car, so we switched.
I drove his, and he drove mine. He had me follow him back to his place, and after all the hospitality that he offered me, we ended up getting down, and it was the best get down that I’ve ever had before in my life,” I couldn’t tell this story to them without smiling.
My sisters were smiling the entire time that they were listening to me go on, and on.
“See. You should know that we would never steer you wrong. We been trying to get you to get with Tank for months. You should have been took your ass over there to get some of that good dick,” Tommie responded first, making me chuckle.
“I think everything happened at the time that it was supposed to, you know? For me, I feel like everything gotta happen at the right time. Months ago, when we met Tank for the first time, I wasn’t in a good place mentally.
I was fresh off all that madness that happened between me, and Garrus.
After getting shot, I wasn’t in a good position to be dating.
I feel like I’ve healed from that situation, and I do think that I’m in a good place mentally to date Tank.
It’s just his hoe that I’m worried about.
As much as I like Tank, I can’t stick around, and allow a bitch to ruin my peace,” I was honest with them.
Free was the one to clear her throat, so I knew that she would respond first.
“I can speak on that because you know that June used to take me through all kinds of bullshit with him. At the end of the day, I know you want your peace, Dionne. You deserve it, but this is one of those things where you gotta accept that Tank had a life before you, and with that life came hoes. Hoes that’s going to hate the fact that he’s giving to you what he never gave to them.
They going to hate your guts because of it, and with that, they may try to stir up shit in your relationship.
You can’t leave the nigga off what a bitch is doing though.
The only way I would be all for you leaving is if that nigga is playing both sides.
Meaning, if he’s fuckin you, and fuckin other hoes, while lying to you, telling you that he’s only dealing with you.
The last thing you want is for a man to have you out here looking crazy.
Give him time to get the old hoe in check.
Ya’ll could really have a good thing going.
Don’t be so quick to throw the towel in,” Free shared, and Tommie jumped in, co-signing with her.
I took in everything that my sisters said to me, and we talked for a little more until I let them know that I would call to check in with them later.
After our call wrapped up, I finished washing the dishes, and I wiped down the counter.
I swept throughout the condo, and as I was in the living room area, fluffing the pillows, there was a knock on my door.
I quickly stopped what I was doing, and I walked over to the door.
Looking out of the peephole, I smiled big when I saw that it was FedEx on the other side of the door.
I was expecting a package, which was another reason why I’d come back home this afternoon.
I opened the door for the FedEx worker, and I signed off on the package.
I thanked him for it, and he lifted the heavy box up, and put it inside of the house.
He dropped it right by the door. I thanked him one last time and then closed the door.
My key rack was hanging by the door, so I used one of my keys to rip through the tape. My hands were moving so fast, trying to pry the box apart, and I screamed a happy scream, as I pulled out what was inside.
I pulled it out, and I stepped away from it, allowing both my hands to go over my mouth because I was in awe.
The first sample from Milan had finally arrived.
I literally was looking at my first product from ‘House of Henry’, and a wave of emotions came over me.
Seeing the gloss case, that held all the items inside felt unreal.
Standing here, seeing my picture across the front insert was proof that this brand belonged to me, and I’d worked so hard to get it.
This was something that I’ve kept to myself for months, working hard behind the scenes because when I came to the world with it, I wanted this moment to be perfect.
I paid attention to the other insert, which explained all the items that were inside.
This specific sample was a bundle, and it housed the comforter, fitted sheet, flat shit, four pillowcases, and a couple of decorative shams. All of this was secured with a gold statin ribbon, that looked so nice against the cream-colored bedding items. The zipper on the clear bag was even gold, and that’s what really made it stand out.
Everything about this looked expensive. Hell, it was expensive.
I wanted top quality items, so I paid a hefty amount.
This was the kind of set that you would look at, and you would know that Dionne would sleep in something like this, so it made sense that I would sell a product like this one.
I pulled my phone out, and I snapped a bunch of pictures, and videos of it. I planned to tell my family about it soon, especially since I had two things that I could show now. I had the keys to my warehouse now, and my first sample item was here.
I happily moved throughout my condo, picking the bag up, and I placed it in the guest bedroom closet. I went back to my bedroom, so that I could remove my house shoes, and slip on some sandals. I was going to head down to get Bagel.
I grabbed my keys off the rack and walked out of the house. I went over to the elevator, stepped on, pressing level 5, which is where the pet concierge was.