Billie stared at Dreux’s mother intently. She wasn’t rushing to tell Malachi about her relationship with his cousin anyway, but she knew her man. He was getting antsy. Tired of the shit being a secret. Billie feared that holding off Dreux would only cause more issues with her own relationship.
“But Dreux- “
“Needs to wait. Please,” his mom begged quietly with worried lenses.
Billie quickly nodded hating the sadness that covered his mother’s face. She rubbed her arm and smiled at her.
“I’ll find a way to convince him we need to wait,” she assured her.
Dreux’s mother sighed and patted Billie’s arm.
“Thank you so much sweetie,” she replied as Dreux walked over.
Billie’s eyes skated up to Dreux and she smiled as his mother stood up. He embraced his mom and spoke with her as Billie pondered over his mother’s request. Billie was already keeping so much from Dreux. She was now asked to manipulate his mind to keep their love an even longer secret and that didn’t sit well with her. Dreux was everything she ever wanted in a man and Billie was certain that if she didn’t let him know about everything that was going on soon it just might be enough to push him away.
6
#fomo
“What’s this?”
Normani smiled sheepishly as she placed the printed-up logo and business papers infront of Tru. He sat at the island in their kitchen with a plate full of fresh fruit. Dior Sauvage clung to his burly frame as he peered up at Normani. His down turned eyes gazed at her intently and he smiled.
“I see the papers and the logo. I asked you what it was?”
Normani swallowed hard. The last month had been hard as hell for her. She’d been forced to cut down her mommy time to attend school. Normani honestly didn’t like it but she was pushing through. However, while in school she saw her vision come to life. Hooking up with her old highschool friend had been a blessing. Together they’d created the perfect program for parents, and she was excited at getting it out there.
Now she needed…... money.
Contrary to what people believed it took more than a vision to build your dream. It took capital and to get her business off the ground she needed at least $50,000. Money, she had but didn’t really have because Tru only allowed for her to be on the checking account that never had more than $10,000 in it.
Normani blew that in a day or two. She’d been saving but it still wasn’t enough because she’d used most of her savings on school and daycare expenses for River.
“It’s my new business. I applied for the name and handled everything on that end now I need money,” she said quietly.
Tru stopped staring at Normani to look down at the papers. His brows drew together as he read over her business plan. He smiled at the logo before grabbing a piece of cantaloupe.
“Where River at and what I say bout them damn glasses? They big as shit ma. You need to burn them bitches,” he replied.
Normani groaned. She looked down at the papers infront of Tru and cleared her throat.
“She’s with your mom and I lost my contacts. I’m at home Tru. I can wear these damn glasses whenever I like.”
Tru nodded slowly. He sat back and peered up at Normani. Like always her stomach fluttered at the sight of him. Even with all his bad ways he still did something to her. In his simple get up of a white beater with black jeans he looked sexy. He licked his thick lips and she eyed the tattoo of River’s name that went down the side of his left brow in small cursive writing.
“You can but I thought we was in this shit together. The same way you like to shop, I make sure you can. The same way you like for a nigga to lick on that pussy, I make sure I do it just right. All I asked was for you to not wear some fucking glasses and it’s a problem? Huh?” he asked and slapped her ass.
Normani rolled her eyes and he pulled her close to him. He bit her nipples through her top and she moaned lightly.
“Do as daddy asked baby,” he murmured before letting her go.
Normani slowly took off her glasses and with blurry vision stared at Tru. She watched him stare down at the papers again and shake his head.
“First school, now this. And River the one suffering. I aint seen my baby girl in days. This shit is crazy. I thought you was focusing on our family. What happened to that?” he asked.
“Nothing but this is also important to me. You’re living out your dreams. I want to do that as well. This is making me happy. Now I just need the funds for it,” she responded squinting her eyes to see where she put her phone at.
Tru nodded. He ate a few more pieces of fruit before standing up. He tugged at his sagging Balmain jeans as he looked at Normani.
“I’ll see what I got in the accounts. I had to pay some bills and handle some other shit. I don’t hit you with my problems cause I don’t want you to worry but I’m in the middle of some legal shit right now.”
Normani frowned at his words. He was saying everything but the right fucking thing.
“Legal like what? What’s going on Tru and I know you have $50,000. Stop playing with me.”
“I said I’ll let you know! We been vibing good baby. No arguing and no fighting. Don’t start acting up cause you not getting your way. A nigga can’t always fucking say yes to you. I’ll let you know in a few days,” he replied.
Normani’s face screwed up tight with anger. She turned and briskly walked off. Tru caught her as she was heading up the stairs and grabbed her arm. He hugged her from the back as his lips pressed against her soft neck that smelled of Mui Mui perfume.
“I’ll get it for you when I can. I don’t wanna fight ma. Get dressed and ride out with me. We’ll grab River later on,” he whispered before letting her go.
Normani angrily walked off. She rushed up the stairs and stepped into her bedroom. All week she’d been anticipating Tru saying yes and giving her the money. They weren’t lacking for anything and the story of them suddenly being strapped for cash wasn’t believable to her.
“Stop pouting and get dressed. Maybe put on that blue romper I like ma. None of that weird Solange looking shit you like to rock,” Tru said stepping into the room.
Normani rolled her eyes as she walked towards her bathroom. She washed her hands and quickly put in her contacts. As her vision became clear again, she sighed. She wasn’t blind without her glasses, but her life was much better with her glasses or contacts on. She then went over to her closet. She grabbed the first outfit she came across which happened to be the navy bell sleeved romper that Tru loved so much and she pulled it off the hanger.
Normani quickly changed her clothes and slid on a pair of gold YSL heels. As Normani put on a light face of makeup Tru stepped into the bathroom’s doorway. He peered at her intently as she applied her navy colored liquid lipstick.
“I love you. From the minute I saw you inside of the club I knew you would be mine. What’s funny is that a nigga didn’t really have shit back then. All my shit was on lease even my fucking car, but you held me down. Left school to tour with me and helped me get us to where we at now. I appreciate you and I love you for that. I know that nobody is gone love me like you do. Shit that nobody loves me like you not even my money hungry ass momma.”
Normani ignored his words and finished fixing her face. She fluffed her wand curls that had been applied to her onyx hued hair and she stared at herself in the mirror. She looked beautiful and she was blessed but her happiness with Tru was fading. With each disappointment from him the love changed.
At one point in time she felt like he could do no wrong. He was perfect to her and maybe that was where she went wrong. Placing him on a pedestal that he quickly fell from. Tru had never been caught cheating but Normani had her doubts. She just knew that her man was slick enough to not get caught. He knew she was bat shit crazy and if anything, ever surfaced about his cheating ways she’d gut his ass like a fish.
“You ready?” she asked turning to him.
Tru stood up off the door and adjus
ted his chain. He’d put on a collard designer tee and his sneakers for the day. Sexiness oozed off him and Normani. Together they made a striking pair and the way his eyes devoured Normani in her outfit told her that he approved of her look.
Tru especially loved when she wore high heels.
“Yeah, come here.”
Normani frowned. Now wasn’t the time to play roles. She was mad and he would know it.
“No, let’s just go and get whatever you have to do over with so we can get our daughter. Since you so fucking perturbed about her being gone,” she replied.
Normani walked towards the door and Tru pulled her into his arms. He hugged her body tightly as her arms rested at her sides. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as he cupped her ass.
“We a family and I’ll do whatever for us to stay together. I know I’m not perfect but for you I can be,” he told her.
Normani moved from his arms and nodded. His words were flowing through one ear and leaving out the other.
“So, you say,” she murmured leaving him standing in the bathroom.
Quietly they exited the two-level home and got into Tru’s latest toy a burnt orange R8. Normani detested the loud ass colored he had painted on the car but loved the car itself. She rode beside Tru lost in her thoughts. Like always his two cellphones fought for attention. Ringing back to back as he played his latest mixtape that he’d produced. Normally Normani would be all in hyping up her man but it was hard to be happy for him and his success when he hadn’t asked her once about school or shown any interest in her business, she was attempting to get off the ground.
“How you like it so far? Is that Trill track hard?” he asked turning the music down.
Normani nodded still staring out of the window. She thought of Azariah. It had been a few days since she’d seen him and was already missing his handsome face.
“It’s straight,” she murmured.
Tru sucked his teeth. He turned the music back up and twenty minutes later they were arriving at Detroit’s latest happening restaurant Mon Amour. The owner happened to be in the building along with his brother, the platinum selling rapper by the name of Draye. Tru had worked with him various times over the last five years and was close with him.
Normani exited from the car and smiled when she noticed a few paparazzi people snapping photos.
“Wow, Draco’s crazy ass brought the paparazzi to the city tonight,” she noted.
Tru grabbed Normani’s hand and possessively pulled her to his side. He kissed her cheek lovingly and a few more cameras went off.
“Yeah, it’s a big party for his brother’s latest album. His lil ass done broke all kind of records with his newest shit,” Tru added and pulled them away.
Normani was happy that she was the kind of person that overdressed wherever she went because she fit right in with the crowd inside of the retro-urban chic five-star restaurant.
Inside the décor was black and white. Pop art large colorful photos covered the walls of the most notable hip-hop icons. Normani waved to a few people she knew in the industry thanks to Tru and her sister Novah. Tru led Normani over to a group of men all flanked in relaxed designer threads and Normani immediately noticed them. It was Detroit’s own Luca Gang along with the owner of the restaurant Draco and his beautiful wife Hill.
“Look at this nigga late like always and shit,” Draco mused while chuckling.
Tru chuckled as he dapped up Draco.
“Whatever, this my lady Normani. Y’all know her sister Novah. She used to be real big in the video scene and shit,” he said.
Everyone nodded and spoke to Normani. Hill gave her a quick hug and looked her up and down.
“I love that outfit. You too fine to be with him,” Hill joked.
Normani smiled as Tru shook his head.
“I know, I was thinking the same thing about you,” Normani replied and everyone howled with laughter.
“Oh, I see why she with your ass. She quick on her toes,” Draco said as Durand, one of the members of the Luca Gang stared down at Normani.
“Is your sis here?” he asked making everyone peer his way.
Draco smirked and ran his hand over his cleanly shaven head.
“Nigga you can talk? I never heard your ass speak before. I thought you was the Tito of the group. Just around for a check and shit,” he joked.
Durand smirked and waved Draco off.
“Whatever nigga but is she here?” he asked Normani again.
Normani stared up at the handsome rapper and slowly shook her head.
“She isn’t but I’ll make sure to let her know you looking for her,” she replied.
Durand’s brows pulled together at her words.
“Nah, you ain’t gotta do all that ma,” he said before walking away.
“Damn, she got that nigga in his feelings,” Draco chuckled.
A few people laughed and Normani found herself staring across the room at a beautiful, tall thickly built woman. The woman wore a look of anger on her pretty round face as she stared Normani’s way.
“You know her?” Normani whispered pulling on Tru’s hand.
Tru glanced across the room and his stance never changed. He shrugged before looking back to Draco.
“Girl these groupies do the most. Ignore her,” Hill told Normani and Normani shook the woman off.
Still in the back of her mind she made a mental note of how the girl looked.
Hours later the windows fogged up as Normani slid up and down Tru’s hard dick. His large hands cupped her bare ass as he stared up into her eyes. After drinking for the last few hours and toking back a blunt they were both like dogs in heat. They couldn’t get enough of each other.
“Tell me you never leaving me,” Tru demanded pumping into her aggressively from the bottom.
Normani held onto Tru tightly as her snug walls hugged his member. Her eyes slid down into his and for the first time ever she found herself stuck. Passionate as it was it still wasn’t enough for her to lie. All night she’d watched her man in action. Smiled on his arm, interacted with people she gave no fucks about while he lived out his dream. It stung to realize that she’d always placed him first and he couldn’t do the same for her.
Smack!
“Tell me baby,” he groaned and bit her neck.
Normani moaned. Her eyes closed and she gave way to the orgasm taking over her body.
“I…. I won’t,” she lied softly.
Tru grunted and within seconds her body vibrated for him. A deep moan erupted from her and Tru grabbed the back of her neck. He pulled her face to his and stared into her eyes.
“Give me another baby,” he demanded lustfully before shoving his soft tongue deep into her awaiting mouth.
Stacks of cash lined the maple desk. Behind the large desk sat the man that wouldn’t leave her mind. Normani slowly sat down as she eyed him in his element. Azariah was an investment banker. He worked for his cousin’s Qwote and Quamir at their finance company and was making big money for him to only be twenty-one. He was living out his dream. Doing things that he told her he would, and he was also helping her build her own dream up.
Normani smiled at him as she grabbed the money. In his brown three-piece custom suit, he looked daddyish as hell. His fresh haircut and handsome smirk had her wanting to kiss him.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
Azariah waved her off like giving her fifty thousand was nothing for him.
“Just make sure my homegirl knows who had her back in the end,” he said referring to Normani’s daughter River.
Normani smiled. She put the cash inside of her Hermes bag, a new gift from Tru and sat back in her seat.
“I promise I will. What have you been up to stranger?”
Azariah adjusted his tie as he peered her way.
“Working. I’m trying to reach a certain money goal this year, so I been grinding it out. I wanna be a millionaire before we hit twenty-five,” he replied.
Normani nodded knowi
ng that he could do it.
“I believe in you. I know you can do it,” she said as the doors opened.
Normani glanced back and was shocked to see a pretty, tall, chocolate beauty strutting into the office. In her hand was a large food bag. She offered Normani a big smile as she moved past her.
“Your receptionist said I could come in. Am I interrupting something?” she asked setting the food on Azariah’s desk.
Normani swallowed hard as she assessed the beauty. She was taller than her and had a lot more ass but that’s where the shit stopped for her. The woman’s face was average as hell and she had in a lace front that was kissing her brows. Normani hated when women wore unnatural looking wigs. She felt the weave field was far to advanced for women to be doing that petty bullshit.
“Nah, you good. This shit right on time. Thank you,” Azariah said and stood up. He walked around his desk and pulled the woman into his arms. He kissed her passionately for several minutes before letting her go. “Aye, baby this my bestfriend Normani. The one I told you about,” he said, and it was then that Normani was hit with the familiar perfume scent.
“Dollar Tree,” she murmured looking up at the pair.
Azariah held back his grin while the woman in his arms frowned.
“I’m sorry, what?” she asked.
Normani shook her head.
“Nothing. It’s nice to meet you.”
Azariah shook his head as he let the woman go.
“Normani this Camilla. I met her when I was in school in DC,” he said taking his seat.
Camilla walked over to Normani and shook her hand. She took a step back and Normani was again assaulted with the tacky scent of her perfume.
“Hi, well I should get going. I’ll meet you at your place later baby and it was nice to meet you Normani,” Camilla said.
Normani nodded not bothering to respond and Camilla smiled. She doubled back and gave Azariah another kiss before exiting the office. As Azariah pulled food from the brown bag Normani glared at him.
“Ugh! She’s ugly as hell and she wears cheap perfume. Really Azariah?”
Upside Down In Love Page 12