“Thank you, thank you! I’m not going to take up too much of your time. As you can see, our man of the hour is here, and I know everyone wants to get into that catered extravaganza! There’s plenty of food, plenty of fun to be had, and plenty of beautiful people to have it with! But tonight, the most beautiful of all is my Godson, Mr. Trevor Rossi!” She chuckled. “I wanted to take the time to acknowledge this beautiful soul. It’s twenty-six years of life on earth for this gorgeous specimen, and I for one, am thankful that he’s here to see it!” Another roar of applause erupted. “Indeed! That feat is to be applauded. Trevor, you are the son I never had, and I’m honored to know you, sweetie!”
“Love you more, Mama CiCi!” I shouted in response.
“As you all know, Trevor had a situation recently that was touch and go. Yet, here he stands. Against all odds. So, today we celebrate a life that the world needs to know. I salute you, Trevor! Happy Birthday! And now, I’m done y’all! Now, as the young folks say… ‘Turn up!’”
On cue, the DJ spun Lil’ Jon’s “Turn Down for What!” and the room went crazy.
I proceeded to shake a few hands and give out a few hugs. Minutes in, my cellphone began rattling in my hand. I looked down and saw both my parents on the screen attempting to connect on FaceTime.
Shit.
With everybody having returned to partying, I took the opportunity to sneak off in another direction. I didn’t plan to be gone long; I just wanted to call them back to see what they wanted.
Out of nowhere, I heard, “Happy birthday, man. Runnin’ away from your own celebration?”
“Hey! What’s up?” I walked toward my boy, Chris, so we could dap-up. “Didn’t know you were here.” I looked around to make sure we were alone. “How you been?” I tugged at the collar of his sports coat. “Lookin’ all dapper and shit.”
“Me? Man, you rockin’ the fedora. All GQ for the occasion.”
“So, what’s up?” I asked him.
“Not much. Just wanted to check in. I know you heard about…” He paused to make sure there was a healthy amount of distance between us and everybody else. “That li’l situation in Reno.”
“I heard. A cop showed up at my place around the same time asking about Reggie and then pulled out a picture of you right next to him.”
Chris laughed. “Let me guess… Matheson, right?”
“Yeah, that’s him,” I said.
“Maan, they swear they got all the answers.”
I laughed along with Chris. “When they don’t have the answers… or the power.”
“Right?!” Chris brought his glass up to the air. “And not just that,” he continued. “We got some bad-ass women on our team too. More vicious than any alpha I know.”
“Exactly. That Matheson dude showed up to my house unannounced and tried to trip me up. And apparently, it was after he came from Reno. But he didn’t say shit about that.”
“What fucks me up about these fools, is that they put more energy into finding out who did something to the bad muthafuckas, than they do when some shit happens to regular, tryin’-to-do-right-by-society ass mofo’s. Backwards as fuck. But now they can bark their asses up another tree, because levels way above their pay grades have spoken.” Chris reached over and patted my arm. “And shit, between Cicely and Melody, shit’s gonna always be tight.”
“Yeah, presa canarios in skirts! They play no games!”
“No games at all!”
“But let me get back to this lavish-ass party Cicely hooked up. I’ll catch you later,” he said.
We dapped again and headed in opposite directions—him to the party. And me, to make my call.
26 | DINA LAMPKIN
The chef’s kitchen inside of the Benson estate was a bright, and spacious mecca of supreme beauty. Boy, oh boy, the life… Dina pondered in silence, as she looked around her temporary work environment. With its sophisticated layout, it certainly qualified as a cook’s… or even a wife’s dream. As she admired all that she was surrounded by, Dina secretly envisioned herself being woman of the manor to a place as grand as this one.
Two lengthy islands Three cooking ranges, an indoor grill, and a large sub-zero refrigerator. The ceilings were miles high with three, strategically situated glass domes that offered a clear view of the sky. The décor was lavish with 24-carat gold on stainless steel, and black granite. The area was about as big as a restaurant. Probably even bigger.
Dina stood in awe watching the busy staff move about as they prepared trays of food for the attending guests. As she contemplated and searched every corner to make sure that all was running smoothly—from their attire to how they handled the serving utensils, she bit down on her lower lip. Everything was riding on the success of this event. It was smaller than a lot of events that she led, but it was probably one of the most important, since the requesting client was a friend of Queen’s. Not one piece of it could afford to be off.
Dina was eager for the food to be ready. Then she’d be able to relax a bit and maybe sneak a peek at how the young folks partied. She was actually excited about that part. For, in Dina’s world, these events served as her only outings. She didn’t get out as much as she would have liked to; and with the last drama-filled indiscretion she had endured, dating had long ago been off the table. For her, the emotional turmoil, just wasn’t worth it. What never failed her were her toys. All they required of her, were batteries needed to operate. That would suffice until she decided that trusting another man was worth the risk.
“Looks like you pulled it off, lady.”
Dina whipped around at the sound of the familiar voice; her eyes wide with confusion. No, no, no. It can’t be, she told herself. She almost choked on her own spit when she came face to face with Alyssa. She looked absolutely beautiful decked out in silver, diamonds and white. Dina had always admired the girl’s beauty, but just the same, had always felt sorry for the lost soul inside of her. She seemed hell-bent on being the worst version of herself. Nothing like her sister… at all.
Dina plastered a fake smile on her face before asking, “Alyssa, what are you doing here?” She was trying her best to remain calm, and not cause a scene.
“Now, what kind of question is that to ask a girl holding onto the most delicious dessert these people will ever taste? Where should I sit it?”
Dina placed a hand around the small of Alyssa’s back and ushered her into a separate area near the second island. “Place it here,” she instructed, pointing to an empty space on the counter that had been reserved for sweets.
“Come with me,” she ordered, tightly locking her hand around Alyssa’s wrist.
“So rough, Dina,” Alyssa expressed in a menacing tone, as they headed away from the kitchen staff.
Together, the two women walked to privacy, in a long hallway that sat far enough away from the kitchen. Dina wanted to avoid being seen by any of the staff. And far enough away from the party area that the music didn’t drown out what needed to be discussed.
“What are you doing here, Alyssa?” Dina asked again. This time, her tone was much harsher. Dina rarely got mad, but this situation was one of those rare moments where she wanted to put her hands around a person’s throat.
“You look pretty, Dina. That white really brings out the brown in those pretty eyes of yours. Though, you look a little upset right now.”
“What kind of games are you playing, girl?”
“Girl? Whew…” Alyssa tiptoed back a few steps, then waved her hand in the air. “You’re mad-mad, huh?”
Dina exhaled an exasperated sigh, then swallowed the lump in her throat. She took careful steps toward a smug-faced Alyssa. The look that Alyssa wore was taunting. It was one that revealed that she was there for one reason and one reason only—to stir up bullshit.
“I’m not the person you want to play with, Alyssa,” Dina threatened. “You can play those games any other day, but you come for my reputation, I’m a whole other woman.”
“Oh wow.” Alyssa’s head twitch
ed side to side as a snicker fell from between her lips. “Is … uhhh… that a threat, Dina? Because it sounds a lot like one.”
Dina’s eyes narrowed, her temples throbbed, and the devil on her shoulder was urging her to do damage to the bitch standing in front of her.
“What it is, Alyssa… is a promise. A promise that I will deliver on if you came here to fuck up my event. I don’t play those kinds of games. Your sister lets you get away with bullshit. Sable let you get away with shit. I’m not them. I think you’ve taken my kindness for weakness way too long.”
“I get it,” Alyssa said, dismissively.
“I don’t think you do. If you did, you would have done what I told you and not showed up here. You’re not welcomed. Your invitation was revoked.”
“Don’t you want me to talk to my sister, Dina? Wasn’t that part of the reason that you agreed to let me come? Because I said I would talk to Elise?”
Dina appeared to soften at those words. It really was something that she wanted to see. Because she knew that it’s what Sable would have wanted. At this point, though, since Dina had already confided in Cicely McCall about what was going on, she didn’t think Alyssa being there was a good idea. Yes, she had divulged family business. But she only did so because the woman was a close friend of Sable’s, and appeared to genuinely be concerned.
Dina’s first mind told her to stand by her decision for Alyssa to leave. At the same time, if this could lead to the sisters coming together, she wanted that. So, she caved.
“Are you going to talk to her? Because if so, then that changes things. And I don’t see a problem with you being here.”
Looking past Dina, something in the distance caught Alyssa’s attention. She leaned her head slightly, her focus completely shifting from the conversation in front of her. Soon, her face opened up into a huge smile. “Umm… hold that thought, Dina,” she said, before starting in the direction of what had caught her attention.
“Wait, Al! Where are you going?” Dina shouted, at Alyssa’s back. She was worried. Something felt off. “Alyssa!” she shouted again.
“Dina!” Alyssa stressed, glaring over her shoulder. “Chill on that. Just give me one minute. I’ll be right back.”
But after battling with the gnawing at her chest, Dina followed her instinct and took off to catch up to Alyssa…
27 | TREVOR
Like the majority of our interactions, the FaceTime call with my parents was brief, uneventful. A few questions about how things were with Lewis, a “live” happy birthday wish and then it was over. As soon as I was done, the plan was to hit the party and finally live it up with everybody else. But that plan was halted when I saw a familiar, but unwelcomed face, approaching where I stood. I hoped like hell that it wasn’t her, but there was no mistaking the walk. I knew Alyssa’s walk anywhere. She took slow, careful steps, and strutted like one of those chicks that walk on the runway with an extra sway to her hips.
It was definitely her.
Instantly, I was pissed. She wasn’t on my invite list. And I knew for sure that CiCi wouldn’t have invited her. They had a couple of encounters when I was in the hospital, and CiCi let me know very soon after the first one, that she didn’t like her. The world is small, and Vegas is extra small, so she could very well have been somebody’s plus one. But whose?
“Of all the places in Vegas… here you are. Is this fate or what? I mean, if it’s fate, then you’d need to unblock me from all paths leading to you, baby.”
She looked sexy as hell in her tight, short dress. The dropped neckline did a nice job of accentuating her full breasts. I couldn’t help but stare at her protrusions. They’d been nice to me on a few occasions. Cradling my dick during some of our freakier moments. Alyssa Brown was a freaky one, for sure. She just wasn’t for me. Not in the way that she wanted to be.
“What’s up, Alyssa? What are you doing here?”
The smile on her face faded, and her eyes narrowed at me. Her weight shifted to one side, as she gave me a hard look, head to toe. After staring me down for a few seconds, she let her eyes roam the area around us. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s my birthday. That’s what I’m doing here. You still haven’t answered my question.”
She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. “I don’t know if I’m going to answer your question, Trevor. I’m kind of offended. Is this why you blocked me? So that you wouldn’t have to invite me to this party of yours?”
“Alyssa, listen. You weren’t invited here, and it might be best for you to leave. Especially, if you don’t plan to play nice. This here is a positive environment with—”
“You got me so fucked up, Trevor.”
“How is that exactly?”
“How? I’m not even gonna take you seriously right now. I’m good enough to fuck, but not celebrate your birthday with you? Okay. Received.”
“That’s good. Since it’s received, when exactly is it that you’re walking—?”
“Wait one goddamn minute…” I heard from over my shoulder. “Trevor, what is she doing here?”
Fuck. Just what I didn’t want to happen.
I shrugged. “No idea. But she’s about to leave, CiCi. So, it doesn’t matter.”
“Not just yet I’m not,” Alyssa sassed, strictly focusing on CiCi. “Lady, this conversation has nothing to do with you. So, you can leave now.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. This has nothing to do with you.”
“Little girl. Sweetheart… it has everything to do with me.”
“I’m not your little girl, and for damn sure not your sweetheart.” Alyssa turned back around toward me, and shot venom. “Tell this geriatric bitch to get away from me, Trevor. I had to deal with seeing her fucking face every damn time I came to see you in the hospital. And now, she’s here at a party for you… that I wasn’t invited to.” Then out of nowhere, Alyssa’s eyes grew in size. “Are you…?” She gasped. “Ohhh my God! Are you fucking her?” She started to laugh out loud placing both hands on her hips.
Honestly, in that moment, I didn’t know whether to drag Alyssa the fuck out of the party, or usher CiCi to another part of the party. The look in CiCi’s eyes I knew well. If Alyssa didn’t get away, she would find out soon what kind of consequences came with a look like that. And as bad as I wanted her gone…
“Trevor, get her out of here. Or I will.”
Alyssa trained her eyes on CiCi. “I’d like to see you try it.”
“Is everything alright here?”
“No, it’s not,” Alyssa shot, addressing a woman that I had never seen before.
“She’s right, Dina,” CiCi stated firmly. “It’s not. She needs to leave. I’ve said it a few times, yet she’s still here. In a minute she’ll be removed. And she won’t be handled nicely when that happens.”
“I’m not going a muthafuckin’ place.”
“Trevor…” a fed-up CiCi called out. “I’m going to let you deal with this.” She then looked at the woman and said, “I’ll be calling A Queenz Plan first thing in the morning—”
“Please . . . please don’t do—”
“Don’t be begging, Dina. Fuck this old ass—”
Whop!
The backhanded slap struck Alyssa before I even knew what was happening. All I saw was her head jerk toward me, and the back of her neck crease, in response.
“Ohhh shit…” I whispered.
It seemed like it took Alyssa a few seconds to realize what happened. The dazed look in her eyes said as much. But once it dawned on her, a delayed reaction ensued. She jerked forward, both hands in mode to fight.
“Alyssa, no!” the woman, Dina, yelled in horror. As quickly as I could, I sprang forward and wrapped my arms around her from behind. In an instant, she was locked in my grasp, cut off from any chances of a fight, and being carried in the opposite direction of where my party was happening.
“I knew you were fucking that old bitch!” Alyssa barked, as she kicked and screamed. �
��Trevor! Put me . . . thee fuck . . . down!” she screamed.
“I’ll put you the fuck down when you’re outside of my fucking party!” I growled at her.
“I’m really very sorry…” the woman continued to repeat, as she followed behind us.
“Dina, is it?” I asked, addressing the apologetic woman. “That’s your name, right?”
“Yes,” she responded, with a tone of sadness and remorse.
“Did she come with you?”
“I drove my muthafuckin’ self!” Alyssa yelled, as I deposited her at the bottom of the stairs.
I snapped my finger in the air, then whistled toward valet. “Get anything she brought with her and make sure you watch her drive the fuck off the property!”
“Are you serious, Trevor? This is how you do me?!”
“Just go, Alyssa,” her friend Dina pleaded. “Please… just go.”
Alyssa looked at me, then at the woman asking her to leave. “Fuck both of y’all!” she screamed.
“Fuck me? Tuh! Never again. Never… ever again,” I said to myself.
28 | TREVOR
I stood with my arms folded firmly across my chest. I was disgusted watching Alyssa put on her show. I couldn’t believe that she was acting like a fool… in public… in front of so many people. The shit was unattractive. I was turned off even more than before. I wouldn’t ever be laying another hand on her. The tragedy in it all was that Alyssa was a beautiful woman; so, for her to appear so ugly to me in that moment, was a huge deal. I knew right then, that cutting her off was the right decision.
“They better not put their fucking hands on me,” Alyssa threatened.
“Better them than—”
“Than who, Trevor? You? I wish the fuck you would.”
“Than the police,” I quickly corrected her. “Why the fuck would I ever put my hands on a woman?”
“You just did. When you carried me—”
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