by Skyy
What did Lena look like now? Denise wondered if motherhood had changed her sexy physique. She knew Lena would never let her body go, so it probably was just as sexy as ever. Denise shook her head. She knew she shouldn’t be thinking about Lena or her sexy body. She turned over on her side and closed her eyes, hoping to push the thoughts out of her mind, then fell asleep.
Chapter 5
Lena wanted not to like her, but she couldn’t. She sat across from Symone at Dave & Buster’s. Brandon was watching as the kids played in the little kids’ section. Every now and then someone asked him for a photo or an autograph.
“So did you have any particular questions for me, Lena?” Symone smiled. She had very nice teeth, except for one that was a bit crooked.
Lena shook her head. She was trying to find something wrong with the girl.
Symone wasn’t anything like her. She didn’t come from wealth, and she had to struggle, working various jobs, to put herself through school. She had just passed the bar and was taking a job with a prestigious law firm, as a junior associate, in a few weeks. Symone was attractive but not stunning. Nothing really set her apart from any other attractive women. Lena didn’t know what Brandon saw in her. She definitely wasn’t on Lena’s level when Lena was with Brandon.
“No, there’s nothing I really want to ask. I know you have been around Junior for a while now.”
“I know you are probably worried, me being the new woman and being around your daughter. I totally understand. But trust me, Lena, I love Junior, and even though I haven’t had the chance to really get to know Bria, I already adore her.” Symone looked over at Brandon, who was hugging Bria.
Lena smiled. She could almost see little hearts flying from Symone’s eyes.
“I’m not worried about anything like that. I know you love Brandon. I do want to apologize for the hesitation. Brandon had a lot of women in the past that weren’t real.”
Symone nodded her head as she listened to Lena.
“I have to know my child is around someone who is in it for the long haul, and not just some groupie trying to sleep her way into the wife role.”
Symone was a bit offended, but she knew where Lena was coming from. She had actually wondered the same thing about Lena when she first saw pictures of her. It wasn’t until Brandon explained their relationship that she saw Lena as something more than a groupie who had come up in the world.
Symone nodded. “Trust me, I know what you are talking about. These women are scandalous. I’ve seen it already.”
“And you think you are going to be okay with dealing with it? Honestly, I wasn’t.” Lena looked over at Brandon Jr. He was the product of an outside affair Brandon had had with another woman. Lena found out about the affair because the other woman dropped info in her lap while she was getting her hair done.
“I really don’t know. All I know is that I love Brandon, and I think he loves me too.” Symone’s face was serious. “I trust him. I realized that while he was living with you when he got injured. Face it. A lot of women would have been totally freaked if their man moved in with his ex.”
Lena took a sip of her cocktail. She hoped her face didn’t give away the guilt she was feeling. Symone was trusting, but during that time Lena had had Brandon sexually on many occasions.
“I just have to hope that he has enough respect for our relationship not to ruin it for a piece of cheap tail.” Symone sipped from her glass of Coke. Deep down she knew Brandon and Lena had probably fooled around a few times, but she had decided to ignore her women’s intuition.
The two kids ran up to the women. Bria ran straight into Lena’s arms; Brandon Jr. ran to Symone, as though she was his mother.
“So how are things over here?” Brandon asked as he sat down.
“Things are good, honey,” Symone responded.
Lena nodded her head. She noticed a quick exchange between Symone and Brandon.
“So, Lena, is it all right if Bria comes back to the hotel with us? We are going to take Junior to see that new cartoon and wanted Bria to come along . . . and stay the night.”
Lena instantly knew what that exchange had been about. They had planned this from the beginning, to butter her up so they could take her child away for the weekend. She wanted to call them out on it but thought about Carmen, who was in town. It would give her time to spend with her friends.
“Sure. I don’t see the problem with that.”
They all stood up, and Brandon hugged his beautiful ex-wife. They grabbed their belongings and headed out the door.
Lena sat in her house. It was quiet. She flipped through the TV channels. She stopped on Basketball Wives Miami. She remembered when they asked her to be on the new Basketball Wives Atlanta. She would never put her business out there on reality TV.
It was only eight, and Lena was bored out of her mind. She picked up the phone and called Misha.
“What’s up, girl?” Misha paused. “Jaylin, if you don’t stop running around . . .” Misha yelled at her son, who was running around in his Barney underpants. She looked at Patrick, who was in his man cave, with large headphones on and an Xbox joystick in his hand. Every now and then he would yell something to the players in his game of Call of Duty.
“I am lonely.”
“Girl, tell me to come over there, and I’m there.” Misha lowered her voice. “If I don’t get away from these men, I am going to kill myself.”
Lena laughed. “Come over. I’m sure we can get into something.”
Misha heard a loud crash as she hung the phone up. She threw the phone on the couch and ran into Jaylin’s room.
“Jaylin!” she screeched when she saw the massive mess. His toy chest was toppled over, and all his toys were spread over the room. Jaylin sat in the middle of the floor, with a worried look on his face. He immediately started to cry, knowing a spanking was on the way.
Misha was frozen. She couldn’t think. She walked out of the room and into Patrick’s room. She stood directly in front of the TV.
Patrick sat up and pulled the headphones off. “Mish, what are you doing?” he asked, trying to see past her.
“I’m out of here.” Misha turned around and walked out of the room.
Confused, Patrick jumped up and followed her. “Mish?” Patrick was completely confused as he watched Misha grab her purse and her keys.
“I can’t take it anymore. I need some time. I’m going to Lena’s. Do not call me.” Misha was fed up.
Patrick attempted to argue, but his words fell on deaf ears.
Misha walked out the door and to her car, completely ignoring her husband. She sped off without another word.
Misha breezed past Lena after she opened the door. “Thank you, Lord. I think I was about to lose my damn mind. So what do you want to do? Go get something to eat? See a movie? Anything?”
“Damn, was it that bad?”
Misha’s facial expression said it all. “I have a three-year-old and a grown child living in the same house.”
“And I’m sitting up here, sad that my baby is leaving me.”
Misha fell down on Lena’s couch. “Please, I wish someone would give me a break. You better take it and enjoy every moment of it.”
Lena sat down next to Misha. They laid their heads on each other. Their lives were so different from their best friend’s. Carmen had it easy. It was just her and Nic. They were free to go and do whatever they pleased. Lena thought about having a few months to live that life again. It was sounding better every moment.
“So what do you want to do?” Misha asked again.
“I don’t know. I wanted to hook up with C, but you know she’s headed to that party.”
Misha sat up. “That’s right. Traxx Girls, right? Hmmm.”
Lena’s right eyebrow rose like the Rock. “What is that ‘hmmm’ about?”
Misha stood up. “How about we go?”
“Misha?” Lena could almost hear the wheels turning in Misha’s head.
“Girl, I haven’t bee
n to a club in ages. Why not go be with our homegirl?”
“Well, for one, our homegirl is going to a lesbian event. . . .”
Misha turned around. “So what? It’s not like either of us is new to the gay club scene.”
“Yes, but think about who else will be there.” Lena’s heart started to race. Her dreams about Denise were becoming frequent. Now the thought of being in the same place completely freaked Lena out.
Misha paused. She thought about Cooley—something she did on a regular basis. Whenever Patrick did something to piss her off, she thought about Cooley and the life she had left behind. She couldn’t help but wonder what her life would be like if Patrick had never shown up at Lena’s wedding.
“Again, so what?” Misha said. “I’m not trying to get at Carla, and you aren’t trying to get at Denise. They were our friends, remember? It would be like the old gang is back together.”
Lena hesitated. She didn’t know what it would be like to see Denise again. She still got butterflies when she saw her on TV. What would it be like to see her live?
“We’re going. I need to raid your closet real quick.” Misha ignored Lena’s hesitation and headed to Lena’s bedroom.
Lena quickly followed. If she was going to see Denise, she wanted to at least look her absolute best.
Chapter 6
The club was packed as only Traxx Girls could do. Lena glanced down at the massive sea of bodies from the comforts of the plush VIP section. It was standing room only and was filled with lesbian women dressed in their sexiest outfits, all with the same purpose, to find someone if they were alone or to find a replacement for who they were with. Video clips and images from previous LGBT prides and other club events played on the giant big-screen TV on the stage. The regular VIP people stood down in their small section right in front of the stage, not realizing they were merely semi-VIP for paying more to get in. The real VIP section was above, and Lena and Misha were a part of it.
Carmen had already arrived at the club when they’d called and told her they were on their way. Denise, Cooley, and Sahara wouldn’t arrive till later. At the request of Lena and Misha, Carmen didn’t tell Denise and Cooley why she was leaving for the club so early. Carmen was happy to keep the secret. Immediately after Lena and Misha got to the club, Carmen and Misha were lost in the crowd. Lena had opted to chill in the V.I.P. section; she never was a big club person. Lena watched out of her peripheral vision as a taller stud walked right up to her. She knew what was coming. The stud looked her up and down. Lena continued to stare down at the crowd.
“Excuse me.”
Lena turned her head. “Yes?”
She was pleasantly surprised. The masculine female was actually very attractive. She was tall and had dark brown smooth skin and long locks with traces of red on the ends. Lena quickly turned the rest of her body toward the cutie.
“Look, I couldn’t continue to watch you from afar. You have to be the sexiest woman I’ve seen in here.” The stud smiled, showing her deep right dimple.
Lena gave her sexy smirk.
The stud extended her hand. “My name is Danni.”
“Lena.” Lena extended her own hand. Danni’s hands were soft and obviously manicured. She wasn’t the typical stud. She was soft, and it was very attractive.
“Why are you standing here alone, Ms. Lena?” Danni’s locks touched her shoulders. She stared directly at Lena.
“I might be standing here alone, but that doesn’t mean I’m alone.” Lena smirked.
The DJ made an announcement about the upcoming musical act. The crowd was in a frenzy, as most people were waiting until after the celebrity appearances to really get down and party.
Danni smiled, nodding her head. “I hear ya. So I guess the only other question is, do I need to slip my card in your pocket, or are you free to take it in public?”
Lena’s eyes widened as Danni’s accent hit her. “Where are you from?”
“NYC.” Danni was still fixated on Lena’s eyes.
“I figured as much. That’s a long way from here,” Lena said, flirting. She couldn’t believe she was flirting with a woman so easily after so long.
Danni shrugged her shoulders. “It’s just a plane ride away.”
Lena could tell just by looking at Danni that she was serious with her statement. She reeked of money. Lena could spot the real money from the fake money from a mile away. One thing about her city was that everyone wanted the same thing: to be rich, powerful, or famous. Lena had grown up meeting people who tried to live outside their means just to erect a facade of wealth.
The DJ’s muffled voice echoed with the loud bass backdrop. “It’s time, y’all. Are y’all ready to see the hottest, sexiest woman in the game?”
Lena and Danni both turned their attention to the stage. The promoters walked out onstage. The women all watched in anticipation of the appearance of the secret celebrity guests that they had been promoting for several months.
A hand touched Lena’s shoulder. She turned around to see Misha standing behind her with a drink in her hand. Lena smirked. She hadn’t seen Misha look that good since college. Misha had raided Lena’s closet and had found the hottest outfit to show off her baby-made curves. She had pulled her hair out of her usual ponytail and had flat ironed it till it was bone straight. Lena knew Misha was on a mission, namely, to show Cooley what she didn’t have anymore. Misha couldn’t stand Cooley’s new girlfriend, although she had never met her. In Misha’s mind she had trained Cooley, only for another girl to come and enjoy the benefits. Misha was the first person Cooley had ever settled down with, and she was Cooley’s first love. In Misha’s eyes, Sahara was the bitch who was enjoying all her hard work.
“Hey, Carmen wants us to come to the stage,” Misha yelled over the voice of one of the promoters onstage. Misha looked over at Danni. “Oh, hello.”
“Misha, this is Danni. She’s from New York.”
Misha smiled. “Well, hello, New York.” She shook Danni’s hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll return her to this same spot.”
“Do that. . . .” Danni’s facial expression was strong, and she gave no smile. Lena felt herself getting turned on.
The club was more like a large warehouse, but the large open space had been transformed to resemble a jungle setting. Go-go dancers decorated with animal-print body paint danced on platforms, with women standing around, watching in awe. Lena felt like her old self. Various women attempted to talk to them. Some tried to get their attention by grabbing at their arms, but with no luck. Others realized they were way out of their league and just watched from afar.
The spotlight hit the middle of the stage as they made it to the backstage entrance. Misha flashed her arm band to the security guard, who slowly moved so they could walk up the stage steps. The DJ’s voice began to echo again. Suddenly Lena’s stomach began to knot up. She felt goose bumps on her arms. As she stepped up on the first step, she looked up at the small portion of the backstage area that she could see. Lena gasped.
There stood the one who got away.
“We thought we’d have someone real special to bring out our entertainer. Y’all know we do it big. Bringing to the stage the star of Ball and the upcoming star of The South. Y’all give it up for Denise Chambers!”
The shrieks from the crowd pierced Lena’s ears. The spotlight hit Denise’s face perfectly. Her hair was flat ironed and hung on her shoulders. Lena couldn’t believe her eyes. Camera flashes went off around the building. Lena smiled. She could tell Denise was nervous and a bit uncomfortable by all the attention.
Denise took the mic in her hand. “What’s up, Atlanta!”
Denise’s voice brought the tingly bumps back to Lena’s arms. Denise wasn’t sporting her half-feminine, half-boyish look. Tonight she was back in her comfort zone, rocking a pair of fitted jeans, a nice black tee, a pair of limited-edition sneakers, and a snap back. Although it was a familiar look to Lena, she could tell the difference Denise’s new Hollywood money was making. Her shi
rt was no longer a poly/cotton blend. The way it hung on her body, clinging to the right spots, let Lena know it had to be 100 percent cotton, probably even Egyptian. She liked the Hollywood Denise.
Lena couldn’t take her eyes off of Denise. Denise’s smile lit up the room. She blushed as the promoter joked about Denise taking someone back to her room. Denise played it off, joking and blushing.
“These women don’t want to come back to the room with me,” Denise retorted.
The crowd went wild. Hands flew in the air, letting her know that her statement was dead wrong.
“She looks good, huh?” Carmen said in Lena’s ear, causing her to jump.
“She does.” Lena looked at Denise. They were pulling two girls onstage. “Amazing. I’m so proud of her.”
“Tell me about it.” Carmen was proud of both of her best friends.
Misha walked over. The three watched Denise as she hugged the two fans and the club photographer snapped photos of them hugging Denise.
The three were almost mesmerized by Denise’s strong presence. She wasn’t the serious ballplayer that roomed with Lena. Even though she looked a bit uncomfortable onstage, she still seemed to be having a good time. Lena hadn’t seen Denise smile so much before. Lena realized that that was because Denise didn’t have a lot to smile about back then. In the course of two years she’d lost her beloved grandmother and her mother. Denise had grown up working hard, and it was all she knew how to do. It warmed Lena’s heart to see Denise finally getting all she deserved.
“Oh . . . my . . . God . . .” Misha grabbed Lena’s and Carmen’s arms with force. Lena and Carmen turned around to see Cooley talking to security guards farther behind the stage. “Shit.” Misha’s nails dug into their skin.
“Ouch, bitch!” Carmen yelled as she pulled away from Misha’s grip. “You knew she was going to be here.”