by Tiana Laveen
“Don’t make me come over there.”
“And do what? Take more of my clothes? That threat has already been cashed in. Between you and my brother, I don’t know who mooches off me more. Maybe I should take a tally. You’re lucky I care about your trifling ass.” She giggled as she picked up the remote control and turned the station.
“You’re so damn negative.”
“Are you positive about that?”
“See, you used to be reliable, Promise, like your name, but now you just blow people off like your name is Tornado, instead. You act like you’re always a walk in the park—easy to get along with.”
“If you can’t get along with me, baby, then you can’t get along with anyone!”
“Girl, you are delusional. You can be snappy, cruelly sarcastic, your expectations of other people are far too high, it’s your way or the highway, you hold grudges like them mothafuckas belong in a basket, and—”
“Fine! But I’m only going to be out for a couple of hours, Aria, and then I’m coming right home. I’ll call you when I’m leaving.”
“Hurry your ass up. I don’t have all day.”
Promise ended the call. Angry, she quickly tore off her pajamas, cursing the whole time, and threw on a black turtleneck sweater, leggings, and a pair of thigh high boots. She paired her outfit with a gold chain, wet and gelled her hair back, then put it in a braid. At the last minute, she decided to get fancy with her baby hairs, then tossed on a pair of gold bamboo earrings. Keeping her makeup to a minimum, she wore a nude matte lipstick, black eyeliner and some wispy lashes. A few spritzes of perfume behind the ears, and she was ready. She grabbed her oversized alligator skin red purse and oversized black puff coat with the black and red fur collar and headed out the door to wait on her Lyft.
A black Honda pulled up, and she slipped in the backseat. The roads were a bit icy, the sleet slowly drifting like white specks in a snow globe. Trying to get her attitude in check, she watched people hurrying to their destinations, likely someplace out of the cold. The driver, a middle-aged White man with a thick German accent, chatted a little over some classical music. She forced a smile when he told her she smelled nice and offered her mints and water. Once he pulled up to the Rumpus Room on Eldridge Street in Manhattan, she gave him a cash tip, thanked him for braving the elements, and stepped out. Much to her surprise, the place was packed with a line of people waiting outside, shivering their asses off. She slipped her phone out of her purse and called Aria.
Maybe I won’t be able to get in, and then I can go back home. Yeah!
“I’m here. Where are you?” she yelled over the noise of chatter and thumping music.
“I’m inside with everyone else! Where do you think?”
“Bish, I don’t have a crystal ball! How should I know where you are?!”
“You’re always in my business, Promise, so you should know where I am before I even know where I am!”
“You’re one to talk. Keep gettin’ smart, Aria, and I will walk my ass right down to Lucky’s, get some sushi and an eggroll, and go right back to the crib without a second thought.”
“Oh, shut up, Promise. Just stay put. I’ll get you in.”
She ended the call and looked about, holding herself as she trembled. Visions of watching ratchet television shows while drinking a great, vintage red wine gifted to her from Rebecca, then falling asleep with her vibrator by her side, danced in her head. She’d gotten practically addicted to sex with Gutter. She craved the son of a bitch. Promise had always been the type of woman who was more interested in pleasing her partner than getting her rocks off. With Gutter, she had no choice but to receive multiple orgasms and feelings of complete physical euphoria. It had been over a week since they’d had sex, due to their hectic schedules and the awful weather. The man fucked like no other, and it didn’t hurt that he could eat her pussy so well, her mind felt as if it was going to explode. His kisses were intoxicating, and that Moby Dick of his… DAMN!
She began to heat up with thoughts of that big, jackhammering magic stick of his pounding within her, slamming her against the bed as he pulled on her hair and sucked on her breasts while he shoved his long, fat rod in and out of her pussy, and—
“Hello! Earth to Promise! I’ve been calling your name.”
“Huh? Oh, hi!” She looked over to her left and saw Aria standing there, giving her the stink eye. The woman grabbed her wrist, dragged her past the crowd, and brought her inside.
“How’d you get me in so easily?” she questioned as they navigated through the crowd.
“They realized your evil ass was the Grim Reaper, so there were no questions asked!” She giggled.
“Ha-fucking-ha…”
“I know the DJ and paid in advance. Come on.”
Much to her surprise, a VIP table had been set up with black and red cloths trimmed in gold and lights all around the seats. Many of her girlfriends were already sitting there, loud and silly, looking pretty, and having fun. Several buckets of wine and liquor lined the table, begging to be poured.
“Oh, it’s party-party time! Okay now!” Promise laughed as she took a seat next to Aria, feeling more up to it now. “I know you spent hundreds of dollars on this, girl. Nice!” Promise snatched one of the wine bottles out of the bucket and poured herself a glass of something rich and purple. Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello’s, ‘Bad Things’ burst through the speakers. She drank, laughed, and joked with her friends, falling into a nice groove and comfort zone as great songs played back-to-back, people danced and got freaky, and she was thoroughly entertained in watching every second of it.
Suddenly, the DJ got on the mike, speaking over the crowd as the music went to a mere whisper.
“We’ve got a special guest tonight, folks. Put your hands together for Red Hook’s own, Brooklyn in the hoooouse! Our man with the plan, GUUUUU-TTEEEER!”
The crowd went wild, clapping and going bananas, completely crazy when the son of a bitch she’d been lusting over in her mind materialized through a door from the other side of the club, wearing a black fur vest—no damn shirt—baggy black and silver camouflage pants, and combat boots which made his already intimidating height cause him to look like the Jolly Green Giant. His black hair was shaved down military style, beard long and glistening like the shit had been oiled, and with all of his piercings, he looked formidable. A mischievous sparkle shone in his dark brown eyes.
“What the hell?! He said he was in Miami!” Promise yelled, not caring who heard her, though it was obvious no one did over all the commotion. She got up from her seat like everyone else, clapping slowly, and deciding making a scene wasn’t in her best interest. The man had an entourage around him as his first hit song, ‘Pringle’, boomed through the club speakers.
She looked at Aria, who only offered a weak smile and flimsy shrug. “I guess he came back early!” she finally yelled over the music. Promise turned back in his direction. He was quite a distance away, but as he walked past their table, he winked at her, and kept it pushing.
You son of a bitch…
Gutter got behind the DJ booth. His song, ‘Tongue and Cheek,’ started to play, and everyone went apeshit, erupting like human volcanoes, including her crazy friends. The music was similar to House of Pain’s, ‘Jump Around.’ Complete mass hysteria. The screaming and carrying on made her ears ring. The man had a way of amping up an already high and inebriated mob to the point that they all seemed possessed by his mere essence. Gutter rocked out on the keyboard as he sang, him and the DJ tag-teaming the computers and controls.
She shot Aria another glance. The woman looked suspiciously sheepish.
She knew he’d be here. That’s why she was hellbent on me coming. What the hell is going on?
Gutter went on to perform another song.
No, I’m not about to let this slide. I want answers.
“Aria… ARIA!” she yelled over the music, but the woman didn’t appear to hear her as she clapped her hands and danced around, some
what intoxicated. When Gutter finished his performance, she noticed he had stepped back from the front of the booth and was speaking to someone off to the side while the DJ kept playing the music. The person was whispering in his ear, and then Gutter nodded, they fist-bumped, and he walked back to the controls. He grabbed a microphone and turned the music abruptly off.
“Yo, yo, the party has just started, but I wanted to talk to y’all really quick. Is that okay?”
“YEAH!” the crowd screamed.
“Cool… cool. I’m so happy to be here, everybody. This year has been great and hard, at the same time. Not going to get into all of that, but y’all already know!”
People whistled and cheered.
“WE LOVE YOU, GUTTER!”
“I love y’all, too. Thanks for coming out to this cold Christmas Eve to party with me.”
The space gushed with handclapping and shrieks of joy.
“DJ Ice, give me a beat…”
Suddenly, Big Daddy Kane’s, ‘Taste of Chocolate,’ the introduction, began to play, soon merging into ‘The Lover in You,’ by the same artist, and ‘Prince of Darkness.’ She loved the nostalgic vibe of the old-school Hip-Hop legend’s music. Something she and Gutter might listen to while playing cards or cooking together in his kitchen.
Behind the man, curtains began to move, revealing a white pull-down screen. The music kept playing, and it was as if no one else noticed. The lights got lower, and then, a picture of Emily from the ‘Corpse Bride’ movie showed up on the screen. Her heart began to pound. The image glowed like glitter, then flashed to a picture of her.
“What’s going on… what’s going on?!” She looked at Aria, who did nothing but wink at her. And then, all smiles, her friends surrounded her, hugging her. Her damn heart was beating so hard, it hurt. Gutter looked towards her now as a spotlight shined over her head. Her man started to sing a song she recognized: The Weeknd’s, ‘Earned It,’ from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack.
“YES, BABY!!!” someone yelled.
The crowd began to whistle and clap as he slowly crossed the floor towards her, singing the hauntingly beautiful, sexy lyrics. At the end of the song, he was standing before her, intensity in his eyes, and claimed her lips in a kiss. The crowd cheered as she wrapped her arms around him, her body hot, her heart open, and her mind full of stars and wonder. When he released her, he brought the microphone to his mouth once again, and began speaking. That deep ass, husky voice almost made her cum from the very first syllable he uttered.
“Everybody, this beautiful woman is my girlfriend. Her name is Promise. I love her more than anything in this whole crazy ass world. As the title of the song I sang says, she earned it… She and I know what that means. I don’t talk about my private life much, but I wanted to make this moment public, with my fans and friends, because she means so much to me, and I want everyone here to know it.” People started to cheer and go wild.
“Hey, everyone, let him finish speaking, okay? Go ahead, Gutter,” The DJ cut in.
Once everyone settled, he continued. “Sometimes, people can be together for decades, then get married, and it falls apart after the first year or two. Sometimes, people can have a one-night stand, get married the following day, and be together for the rest of their lives. Happily. Other times, people can go through a crisis, and they thought they were looking for one thing, but found something else altogether. Life is unpredictable.” His eyes glossed over as he stared into hers, and he blinked his emotions away. “It can’t be taken for granted, it can be taken away… and nothin’ is promised to us.” The mood went from jovial to somber as he caressed the side of her face with his thumb. “Promise, I have a Christmas Eve party to host tonight, all of these great people want me to perform, but you’re my guest of honor. I called Aria, and she helped me get this arranged. We planned this because it was important to me that I get this right the first time.”
Promise found it hard to reign in her emotions, too. She fought a smile. Aria’s sneaky ass is on my shit list…
He began to sing the song he’d written for her—the one she’d first heard him play on his piano in his home. When he was finished, none of her friends had a dry eye. He took her hand, kissed, then held it.
“I don’t want to keep you waiting, so let me get right to it.” He slipped a small wooden box out of his pocket, then dropped to one knee. The applause and shouting were deafening. She could now see that almost everyone was filming what was happening on their phones and taking pictures. He ignored them, focused on her, and opened the box. She saw a gorgeous oval-shaped diamond ring, surrounded by rubies and other smaller diamonds. The jewel in the center of the setting was so big, it didn’t even look real. She gasped as he took her hand.
“Promise, you are everything that I want in a friend, lover, and life partner. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and make a family. Will you marry me, baby?”
The tears fell, and she couldn’t stop them.
The emotions poured, and she couldn’t reel them in.
The butterflies in her stomach took flight, and they couldn’t be contained.
“Yes! I will marry you.”
Complete hysteria reigned as he slid the ring on her finger, got up, and hugged her tight. He picked her up in his arms, spinning her around as he kissed her. This was so surreal…
When he set her down, he wrapped his hands around her face and kissed her with such intensity, it practically knocked her off her feet. And then, he began to sing another song, ‘Love Song,’ by 311, making his way back across the room to the DJ booth. People were cheering and clapping, strangers were coming up to her to offer congratulations. Her friends surrounded and hugged her, kissing her cheek as she grinned from ear to ear. So full of joy. She showed them her ring and they all commented on how stunning it was, and how happy they were for her. They sat back down at the VIP table as Gutter performed for the audience.
Aria leaned in close.
“I’m so happy for you, Promise. You so deserve this!” The damn woman was crying happy tears.
“Awww, don’t cry, Aria! You’re going to make me cry, too!” They hugged one another, squeezing tight.
“You said his brother is married, but if Gutter has a cousin, celebrity pal, or best friend that’s like him, you know what to do! Hook a sista up!”
They had a good laugh at that.
The night went on, and at one point, she felt her phone vibrate. She pulled it out and cringed. It was a text message from Trevor.
Her heart sank, and a feeling of dread churned inside her when she clicked on it to see what he’d written:
It’s me, Trevor. Congratulations, Promise. It’s all over the celebrity news blogs and social media that Gutter asked you to marry him today. Well, aren’t you lucky? I wish you all the happiness in the world.
…And that was it.
How in the hell did he get my number? She looked around, paranoia creeping inside her. A bad feeling overwhelmed her; one she couldn’t shake.
She forced herself to move past it and not allow the text message to ruin her wonderful evening. She sipped more of her wine and replayed the events of the evening in her mind. Checking out her ring again and again, she smiled as the loud music and her baby’s singing captivated everyone. What a dream she was living. Too amazing to be real… but oh boy, it was real, indeed.
One of her favorite quotes popped in her head.
‘If you want to be fearless, choose love…’
– Rune Lazuli
…And that’s what she did.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Where do You Want it?
Promise heard his key turn and the lock click. Gutter stepped inside his home, where she’d been waiting for him for what felt like an eternity—although it couldn’t have been more than twenty minutes. She lazed about in his massive penthouse, sporting her wine-colored crop top and a pair of white flared pajama pants, which she’d packed in her overnight bag. He was suggesting she move more of her things
in, as they’d live at his place when married. He slipped his scarf and hat off, hanging them on a hook in the foyer. His black coat was next, the shoulders covered in snowflakes, and he took a moment to warm up from the harsh weather outside. His beard glistened with moisture from the sleet and snow.
“All right, baby. I got it,” Gutter announced. He looked behind him, noticing his front door was still ajar, and pushed it closed with his foot, then locked it. Bag in hand, he darted to the kitchen. “The wine is at the right temperature, too. So that’s good.”
“Thank you, baby.” She returned the music magazine she’d been perusing to the coffee table.
“You’re welcome.”
When he went to the bedroom to change, her thoughts wandered like the lonely and the lost. It was the day after Christmas, and they’d spent the past thirty-six hours together, some of that with his family. When she called her mother to swing by with gifts and introduce her to Zake, things didn’t go as planned. Oddly enough, Mama said she wasn’t feeling well, and preferred to postpone. Before the engagement, she’d tried several times to introduce the woman to Gutter, but she never seemed to be available.
Mama had been acting odd the last couple of weeks especially, but was being tightlipped about it when asked. Promise looked out the big, wide windows, loving how empty the city looked at that moment. That sense of peace only lasted an hour or two each day. Though Christmas was different this year, there’d been some golden moments…
I got to sit and talk with Zake’s dad, and another time exchanged gifts over at Jenny’s house. Her homemade eggnog… hmmmm, to die for. Zina looks so much better now, color in her face, new hair, and gained some weight, too. Beautiful.
Finally got to meet Zach. He and Zake look somewhat alike, more like cousins than brothers. Their personalities are so different, but they sound similar when they speak, like the father. Isn’t that odd how that works?
As she lay back on his big black couch, looking up at the recessed lights above, Gutter returned to the kitchen, then came out holding the wine glasses, clad only in a pair of white satiny shorts. He joined her on the sofa, handing her a glass.