I'm Doin' Me

by Anna Black

  After a while, she saw them. Kory and Tressa walked out to the party tent hand-in-hand and her heart dropped. She knew he’d probably be there, but she thought she’d be able to handle seeing the two of them. She kept her distance, but before long, Kory spotted her and made his way over. When Darryl saw him approaching, he went MIA.

  “Tiff, how nice to see you,” he said.

  She smiled. “Hi, Kory, nice to see you too.” Her heart thumped. She really was happy to see him.

  “How are things? I heard your show is going to be a series to remember and Julia tore the house down the other day.” He took a sip of the drink he held.

  “Yes, I think we are going to do very well. I mean, my team is awesome. The cast is at the top of their game. From makeup to wardrobe, this is the best season thus far.”

  “That’s great, and I am so sorry you didn’t get the contract at TiMax. I thought for sure it was yours.”

  “No worries, it is what it is right?” she said. She saw Tressa approaching.

  “Kory, darling, I need you. I have someone I want you to meet.” She pulled his arm, urging him away. “Oh, hi,” she said as if she’d just seen Tiffany. She gave him another tug. “Come on, babe, I need to introduce you to someone.”

  Tiffany watched as Kory allowed himself to be dragged off, his eyes on her the entire time his fiancée pulled him with her. When he made it over to another couple, he turned his attention to the introduction, but she saw him watching her. She moved around and mingled and tried to get his gorgeous face out of her mind, but it was too late. Seeing him made it harder. She found Darryl and he caught her up on the new celeb connections he made, saying he knew he wouldn’t be out of work for long.

  The party transitioned from a kid’s party to an evening adult soiree and Tiffany was glad she and Darryl stuck around. The clown was gone and the child festivities were taken away. The bars went up and the buffet tables were loaded with adult food. Tiffany was impressed. She and Darryl sat in a set of lawn chair recliners and gossiped about outfits and who was with whom. Tiffany spotted Stephen, and in a matter of seconds, Tressa was stuck to him like glue. She saw them whisper back and forth and then they eased away together. Tiffany knew there was something going on now, but what? She decided to ask her only source.

  “So, Dee, don’t think this question is provoked by jealousy, because that’s not the case. A couple weeks ago, when we started taping, I came out and saw Tressa going to Stephen’s trailer. Now I’m sitting here watching them whisper back and forth into each other’s ear. Am I overreacting, or do you detect affair?”

  “Okay, honeydew, you are not overreacting, and affair, boop, ummm, no!”

  “Well, what could it be? People don’t be up on each other like that unless there is something going on.”

  “And I think you’re right, honey bun. Affair, no, but coke, maybe.”

  She was shocked. “Drugs, no way. She is supposed to be clean. Kory would never marry a coke head.”

  “Well, that is the only thing I can think of. Stephen likes to swing on poles, FYI, and I know he ain’t tapping that. Everybody in the gay community knows that Stephen don’t like cat.”

  “But, he is, like, the sexiest motherfucker on television now,” she said in disbelief. “Women are all over him.”

  “And that is for image only. Trust, pee-wee is gay,” Darryl said, holding up his pinky finger.

  “Nooooo. You hooked up with him?”

  “Good girls don’t tell,” he said and she burst into laughter.

  “Bitch, please, you’re as bad as they come,” she said playfully.

  “Yeah, you’re right,” he confirmed. “Just trust me. Stephen is a powdered-nose whore, and if she is tight with him, she is powdering hers too.”

  Tiffany wanted to run to Kory and tell him. She wanted to give him the heads-up. Darryl seemed to know what she was thinking.

  “No, no, no, watermelon,” he said. “You will not be the morning news. You will stay out of it. If you run blabbing your mouth, she is going to deny it and act like you are trying to move in. You don’t want Kory to think you’re trying to abolish his relationship with accusations that his fiancée is a coke head.”

  “I don’t see it as blabbing, Dee,” she protested. “Kory is my friend, and he should know who he is marrying.”

  “Well, let the coke heads stand up, because that addiction is not going to stay a secret for long, trust me. Just stay out of it, Tiff, and if and when he does find out, he will be all yours.”

  Tiffany disagreed, but she didn’t dispute his advice. She didn’t want to make waves, so she promised Darryl she wouldn’t say anything to Kory. But he didn’t say anything about talking to Keith.

  She hung around a little while longer and as she was about to make her exit, Kory called out her name.

  “Yes,” she said turning to face him.

  “You’re leaving?”

  “Yeah, it’s late and I’m tired.”

  “Can I walk you out?” he offered.

  “Yeah, sure,” she said and smiled. They walked toward the door.

  “Listen, Tiff, I have tried to respect your wishes and give you your space, but I think about you constantly and I miss you,” he said and she was touched. Darryl bumped her arm and gave her a look before walking ahead.

  “I miss you too, Kory, but this is for the best,” she said.

  “The best for who? I thought I meant something to you.”

  “You do, Kory, and that’s the problem.” She looked away.

  He turned her to face him. “Why can’t we just be friends like we were back in school?”

  “Because back then, I was able to hide my feelings and not act on them. Now, I am a grown woman with needs, Kory. I can’t play around with you and crack jokes like we used to do when we were teens. If you are in my life, I want you to be my man and not just my friend.”

  Her car pulled up and she went to get into the driver’s seat. He stood there and watched her. As she pulled off, she heard Tressa yelling for him. She sounded drunk.

  When Tiffany dropped Darryl off, she promised him again that she wouldn’t put Tressa and her drug habit into Kory’s ear. She would keep that vow, but she knew she was going to put the information into his cousin’s ear.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kory sat and watched the MMA fight, trying to process the information Keith put on him about Tressa using drugs. Since she and he had decided to live apart until the wedding, he didn’t see her as much as he wanted to anymore. She always had wedding stuff going on or plans with her friends. He had noticed a change in her behavior, but he thought it was because of the stress of the wedding planning. It was like she had a split personality at times. One minute she was super nice and mellow, the next she was acting erratic. He tried to give her space because he had no idea what wedding planning was like, but for her to be using drugs didn’t sit right with him. He prayed it wasn’t true. Yes, she was beginning to drink a little more than she normally did, but she had promised him she’d never touch drugs again.

  “How do I confront her?” he had asked Keith during their phone conversation.

  “I’m not sure, cuz. I suggest you just pay attention to her and the company she keeps. I heard the person you need to worry about is that Stephen guy.”

  Kory wondered where he got his info. “Where did you hear this? I thought you said you weren’t up on celeb gossip.”

  “Well, let’s just say a friend of mine heard some things and thought you should know.”

  He knew it could only be one person. “Tiffany?” he asked.

  “No, not Tiffany,” Keith said.

  Kory knew he was lying. “Then who? Who? Who do you know that would be concerned about me and my fiancée?”

  “Look, someone we know knows she is hanging with Stephen a lot, and they know he is a coke head. So since you are the only one who didn’t know, I’m telling you to check up on your lady. We both know that Tressa has a past with drugs, Kory. She’s been i
n and out of rehab over the years and she may be using again.”

  “I know she has a past, cuz, but she has changed. So fucking what if Stephen is a coke head? That . . . that doesn’t mean Reesy is using. She promised me, man, and I believe her.”

  “Okay, I’ll leave it alone. But as your cousin and best friend, I had to say something.”

  “Well, thank you, but I got this,” Kory said and hung up.

  He told himself that that wasn’t true about Tressa. He knew she changed and he also knew she was on the road to happy. She promised him that she was done with that lifestyle and he believed her. He decided to ignore Keith’s accusations and not even entertain his theory. He knew Tressa had a past, but he felt that everyone deserved a second, third, even fourth chance.

  He knew it was Tiffany who said that horrible shit about Tressa and he wondered how she could stoop that low, to call his fiancée a coke head. He dialed Tressa’s number, wondering how Tiffany could be so jealous that she would say such a horrible thing.

  “Hello,” she answered.

  “Hey, babe, what are you up to?”

  “About to hit the strip. I’m ready to party,” she screamed.

  Kory didn’t want to hear that. He wanted to see her. “Why don’t you come over and let me run you a bath, pour you a glass of champagne, and make love to you. I’ve been trying to see you all week long. Your man is missing you.”

  “Awww, come on, Kory, don’t call and fuckin’ sour my mood. I am feeling good, and right now, I want to hit L.A. and party, not lay up and cuddle.”

  “Reesy, I haven’t seen you all week. It’s always the wedding this, Stephen this, or ‘I got plans.’ When are you gonna fit me into your plans, babe? I miss you; don’t you miss me?”

  He heard her blow out a breath of air. “Yes, Kory,” she said. “I do, but I already made plans with my girls. I’ll tell you what, I’ll go out for a couple hours and come back to your place and let you have your way with me.”

  He smiled. “Okay, that’s a bet. Just please, Reesy, be a woman of your word. The last couple times, you were a no-show. Your man is horny. My dick is harder than a slow kid trying to learn algebra.” She burst into laughter, but he was serious. He couldn’t go another night without sex.

  “Okay, nasty boy, by one a.m., I’m there.”

  He let her go on her word, happy that he was going to be able to bust one. He was never the one to masturbate, so he was looking forward to her visit.

  He lay down to wait for her. When he woke up, it was eight a.m. He realized he had fallen asleep waiting for Reesy to show up. He still had his phone in his hand from the night before. After a few drinks of Scotch and Coke, he had begun to text her back to back. He looked at some of the text messages he sent, the last one at three-thirty asking her why. He wanted to know why she was doing him the way she was, when she claimed to love him so much. He scrolled through his phone and saw that she had finally texted him back after four saying she wasn’t going to make it. He tossed his phone, went to the bathroom, and then went downstairs and got the Sunday paper. He was surprised to see Tiffany on the front page.

  The headline read BOY CRAZY’s FINAL SEASON. He sat and read the story of how Tiffany Richardson, born and raised on the south side of Chicago, came to L.A. with dreams of becoming an anchor woman or radio personality, but had walked into the wrong room and landed a job as a writer for the show Boy Crazy. He read on to learn that she took the lead by pulling the show from the number six slot to number one in just one season and found herself being promoted to executive producer and head writer for the show in less than two years. The paper expressed how sorry they were to see the show come to an end. They had a Q&A with Tiffany being positive and saying she was confident it wasn’t the end.

  Kory smiled. He was proud of her and wished she was his fiancée. He knew she would have shown up the night before if she said she would, not like Tressa’s busy, lying ass. He knew Tiffany would have put his needs first, before her friends and the night life. Tressa was addicted to the life. She was a rich, spoiled brat, and she loved the fact that L.A. loved her.

  When she and Kory were out together, they never paid for anything. Everything was always on the house wherever they went. L.A. loved Tressa and Tressa loved L.A. Sometimes, he felt that she loved L.A. more than she loved him, and he now wondered why she was marrying him. He decided he’d call the person who was closest to her. He wanted someone to tell him the truth. Was she using him or did she love him? He knew Amber was the only one who was sincere enough to tell him the truth.

  He called and left her a message and then he called Langley Green. It was a long shot, since Tressa had already asked, but he had to try asking him again. He’d beg if had to, because Tiffany deserved a chance.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Tiffany’s limo pulled up and she got out and walked the red carpet at Boy Crazy’s premiere party. Since this was their final season, they decided to go all out and the party was ten times larger than the previous years. She was dressed to kill in a stunning backless red dress, with sparkling diamond accessories and her diamond-studded shoes. She took her time posing for all the cameras, hating that she was single with no one on her arm. She’d normally be dating somebody around season premiere time, but not this time. This year, she was solo.

  Party attendees enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres before they were moved to the media room to watch the season’s first episode of the show. It was an hour long and when the credits began, people were on their feet applauding.

  The show was a hit and those who had viewed the first episodes commented that they couldn’t comprehend why the show was ending. Tiffany glowed with pride when she heard them say the cast was fresh and beautiful and the writers kicked ass on the new season. This season would be funny, sexy, emotional, and witty, with a lot of chemistry and the viewers were going to be in for a treat.

  Tiffany wanted to inform the show’s supporters during her speech that the network was now run by one of the biggest racists on the planet, but she held her head high and said great things about the network and thanked them for giving her a chance to be a part of their team. She gave a personal thanks to William Keiffer, the network’s true owner, and Todd Daniels, the man who had given her Tracy’s position. She thanked her cast and crew individually and begged anyone she forgot to mention to forgive her. After they allowed the main cast members and a few others to speak, the party began. Tiffany was tired of greeting and talking, but she kept up her appearance, praying that the night would end soon, because her feet were aching.

  She was out on the terrace, taking in the lovely view, when she heard someone behind her clear their throat. She turned around.

  “Do you mind if I join you?” the man asked. He walked over with a glass of champagne in his hand for her.

  “Don’t mind at all, Mr. Grant,” she replied and took the glass. Colby Grant was not a newcomer to L.A. His last role on the big screen attracted more success than any other in his entire fourteen-year career. He was so hot that scripts were coming at him left and right since that movie. He was on the list with Denzel, Will, and Blair now. And he was just as fine, she thought.

  “What a vast night it has been for you,” he said

  “Yes, you can say that. Everything was spectacular, but sadly, this is the end of the road.”

  “So sorry. I mean, I didn’t catch a lot of episodes of your show, but the ones I did manage to catch were great.”

  “Thank you. Maybe if I could have gotten you on as a guest star, the network would have reconsidered our contract.” She smiled.

  “Maybe. You never know.” He smiled back.

  “Well, it’s a bittersweet moment, I’ll tell you. I’m proud of myself for the success the show had, but I’m so disappointed to have a great run with KCLN and then just get cut from the team.

  “Just think of it as a stepping stone. It took me fourteen years, twenty-one movies, and God only knows how many roles as a nobody to finally get here. T
o get the starring role for Enlisted was a dream come true, but most importantly, a blessing from God. You’ve done so much in so little time, Tiffany, so you’re one of the lucky ones. It’s just time to move on to the next thing.”

  “That’s just it. I don’t have the next thing planned. I was just so confident that KCLN would renew that I didn’t plan for the next thing.”

  “Well then, the next thing is prayer. You just pray and wait.”

  She looked at him. His eyes were so sincere and he seemed to be more of a gentleman than she thought he’d be. Fine and yet humble was a rare thing in L.A. “Yes,” she agreed. “I guess you’re right.”

  “Of course I am. Now, you are going to put on a happy face and come inside and dance with me.” He held out an arm and she slid her arm into it.

  Her feet were hurting like hell, but how could she deny him? They danced a couple songs, and when the music slowed for the next one, he didn’t let her leave the dance floor. She tried to refuse him, to say no, but he wouldn’t hear of it and pulled her close.

  When the song was over, Tiffany really wanted to leave because her feet felt like they had been hammered by a sledgehammer. She told Colby she was going to call it a night.

  “Already? It’s not even midnight,” he said looking at his watch.

  “I know, but my feet are killing me and I want to get out of this dress.” She didn’t want to be tacky and take off her shoes there. There were still press and media outside.

  “I’ll tell you what, let me take you home and you change and we can go listen to some jazz. I won’t keep you out too late.” He flashed his gorgeous smile again.

  “Okay, that sounds like a plan. I’ll have to let my driver know that it is okay for him to leave.”

  Colby walked her out. She took a couple more photos alone and a couple with him. She wondered what the tabloids would say about them. She really didn’t care because he was fine and living large, so if they assumed he was her man, she didn’t see how that could be a bad thing.