by Deja King
T-Roc had it together. He was young and had conquered just about everything, just like Andre. They were enemies on the low. Not that they ever had any beef; both of them were too powerful to entertain that, but they were in constant competition trying to be first to the finish line. He was the perfect man to fuck Andre’s head up with. See, women are judged on their looks and men are judged on their power and pockets. Chantal was about to take Andre’s power away from him and T-Roc would be the one to make it happen.
Chantal first met T-Roc when she started dating Andre. She had been one of the models for his fashion spread and he tried to kick it with her. By that time she was deep into Andre and trying to lock him down, so dealing with T-Roc was out of the question. Every now and then when she would see him at an industry party, he would tell her if she ever wanted to know how life was with a real baller to give him a call. Chantal never thought she would have to place that call but it was time to pull out the big guns.
Early the next morning Chantal’s phone rang and true to form it was Shari.
“What’s going on, girl? Your message said it was an emergency.”
“It is. I need for you to call your friend who works at Def Jam and get T-Roc’s number for me.”
Chantal heard Shari taking a deep breath before saying, “T-Roc? What do you want T-Roc’s number for?”
“Shari, I’m not in the mood for your twenty-one questions. Just get the damn number from your friend and call me back. Do it now,” Chantal said, as she slammed the phone down, anxious to put her plan in action. Within five seconds of hanging up on Shari, Chantal’s phone rang again. She didn’t even look at the caller ID because she assumed Shari was calling her back with some dumb-ass question. She picked up the phone and abruptly said, “What?” But it wasn’t Shari—it was Andre.
“Who did you think was calling you answering the phone like that?”
“Oh, I thought you were Shari. She wanted to have breakfast this morning and I told her I was still asleep. I thought she was calling to try and convince me one more time. You know I’m not a morning person.” As Chantal was talking she looked at the clock and saw it was nine thirty in the morning. Andre must have sent his ho home early, she thought.
“Baby, I wanted to apologize for the other day. I didn’t mean anything I said. I’ve been so stressed with business and I took out my frustrations on you. I have a surprise coming for you today, just a little something to let you know how sorry I am.”
“You didn’t have to do that, baby.” I already know how sorry your black ass is.
“I wanted to. I hope you like it.”
“I’m sure I will. You have excellent taste.”
“Call me after you get it.”
“Okay baby, I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Andre said feeling relieved they were back on good terms.
Chantal hung up her phone. For a brief second she felt bad for the torture she was about to put Andre through, but that feeling didn’t last. If she truly wanted to be Mrs. Andre Jackson then she had to go through with her plan. Her conversation with Arlene last night was a wake-up call. Andre was obviously comfortable with having her tucked away in Chicago while he ran the streets in New York. It was clear that he had no intentions of marrying her. Andre was perfectly content with their current arrangement. When he wanted Chantal at his side he would fly her in, or if he wanted to appear like the father of the year he would bring her and Melanie to well-orchestrated photo ops. Then he could dismiss them and resume to his bad-boy partying ways. Andre had been running the show for so long, she didn’t realize how bad things had gotten. It was crunch time and Chantal needed to make her move.
S I X
Sweetest Revenge
It took Shari a couple of days to track down her friend at Def Jam, but Chantal knew she would, and Shari came through with T-Roc’s digits.
“Girl, I went through hell getting this number for you,” Shari complained. “I had to promise the fat fuck dinner in order to get the damn digits.”
“Honey bunny, I definitely owe you but this is an emergency. I need to get my plan up and popping because I’m already having second thoughts.”
The day Andre called to apologize, Chantal got a special delivery courtesy of Cartier. Andre purchased the diamond watch she’d been eyeing for over a month. He attached a card saying, “To my beautiful diamond, I’ll always love you.” Chantal immediately called him expressing how much she loved the watch and him.
She basically deaded her plan until she got the second phone call from the concierge, whom Chantal promised to tip handsomely if he’d go check on Andre for her. He told her that when he went to the penthouse and knocked on the door some girl who fit the description of Arisa answered, butt-naked. He said she seemed giggly and high. When he asked to see Mr. Jackson she let him in and Andre was sitting on the couch and another naked girl was on her hands and knees sucking him off. Andre asked him what he wanted and the concierge made some excuse saying the car service he ordered was here to pick him up. Andre looked at him and said, “I don’t use no damn car service. I got my own car and personal driver. Now get out, can’t you see I’m in the middle of something.”
Chantal was livid to say the least, but it just reinforced that she was making the right decision to put her plan into effect. Andre had some nerve, she reasoned. One minute he was calling and apologizing, sending her a $25,000 watch, the next thing he was in his penthouse participating in yet another ménage à trois with Arisa. Chantal had had enough and was too through. When she finished with Andre, he would be so shook he’d be rushing her down the aisle, Chantal rationalized.
Later on that night while Melanie was asleep, Chantal was lying in her bed munching on popcorn and watching America’s Next Top Model. “Where does Tyra find these chicks at? I can go to New York and walk down Sixth Avenue to find twenty hotter ladies than these trollops. Tyra isn’t fooling anybody; she just doesn’t want a real fly bitch taking her shine so she makes sure she only picks whack-ass chicks,” Chantal said with disgust. As the show was going off, Chantal looked at her clock and thought it was a perfect time to call T-Roc.
She had already practiced what to say, so she started dialing his number. An intense, agitated voice answered, “What?” Chantal put her sweet innocent tone on and asked to speak to T-Roc. He didn’t seem impressed by her Marilyn Monroe imitation and huffed, “This is T-Roc—who the fuck is this?”
She took a deep breath and said, “It’s me, Chantal Morgan.” There was a long pause on the phone and the silence was driving her crazy. She could tell he was trying to put a face to the name, so she decided to give him a little help. “A few years back I was the lead model for the launch of your women’s clothing line.”
Still not a word, then he blurted out with cautionary excitement, “Andre’s Chantal?”
“Yeah, that’s me.” The agitated voice was now a distant memory and the infamously smooth playboy T-Roc instantly took over.
“How did you get my number?” he asked.
“Through a friend. Why? Do you have a problem with me calling you?”
“Of course not, I’m just a little surprised. I actually ran into Andre the other night at 40/40,” he said sarcastically, so Chantal knew he must have seen him with that hoochie, Arisa.
“That’s nice, but I didn’t call to talk about Andre. I was actually trying to get back on the modeling scene and thought you could help.”
“'Modeling scene,'-” he said jokingly. “From what I understand you’re getting taken care of lovely. Why are you trying to get back into modeling?”
“I’m becoming restless, and I want to do something of my own. How about it, T-Roc? You think you can hook me up with something?”
“I might. Let’s sit down and talk about it.”
“That sounds like a plan. When and where?”
“I’m headed to LA tomorrow, so how about meeting there on Friday?”
“That’ll work.”
“Okay, co
ol, I’ll be in touch with all the arrangements. I look forward to seeing you Chantal.” And with that T-Roc hung up the phone.
The plan is all coming together nicely, Chantal thought. She decided not to even inform Andre that she would be in LA. He’d find out the news just like everybody else. That was just the first step, but she believed her plan would work out perfectly. By this time next week, Andre would be having second thoughts about their arrangement. Chantal went to sleep that night going over what she titled “Operation: Get Hitched,” at least a hundred times. She tossed and turned with the hope that this would finally seal the deal.
T-Roc was feeling intrigued after his conversation with Chantal. He analyzed why she was tracking him down after all these years. Yeah, he had seen her a few times at some industry parties, but it was always a quick hello and good-bye. Something told him she was up to more than just getting her modeling back on track. Whatever it was, it definitely had something to do with Andre, and that was fine with him. T-Roc never really liked the cat, and if Chantal was using him to infuriate Andre then by all means she could use him. Plus, Chantal was one of the prettiest pieces of ass he had ever laid eyes on; it would be his pleasure to help her get over her man.
Right when T-Roc was about to call it a night and hit the off switch on his flat panel plasma, a face that he hadn’t seen up close and personal in a long time flashed across the screen. He couldn’t help but rewind the commercial in order to view the image once again. Then he hit pause so he could stare at the object of his affection. Through all the catastrophes she had endured, the innocence that attracted T-Roc to her so many years ago was still intact. He stepped out of bed and walked to the screen, running the tip of his finger over the outline of her lips as he said, “Tyler Blake, the one who got away.” He couldn’t believe how far she’d come in such a brief amount of time. There was Tyler, the new face of Revlon cosmetics, giving that over-the-shoulder smile that would melt any man’s heart. T-Roc never got over the fact that Tyler had never been completely his. During their brief affair, T-Roc had not planned to become so completely enamored with the young beauty. He was the one used to loving them and leaving them at his convenience. When Tyler broke off their relationship, it had come as a complete shock. He didn’t believe for a minute that she would be able to walk away. As the time passed, he later learned that she had a baby with someone else. For the first time in his life a woman had actually devastated him. Now there she was on his screen as if he could reach right through and touch and feel her again.
As T-Roc reminisced about the past he’d shared with Tyler, he hoped that his trip to LA would be the beginning of a new start for them. After placing several phone calls to people in the know, he tracked down Tyler’s whereabouts. He had everything planned out and the call from Chantal was just an unexpected and added twist. Now when he saw Tyler again for the first time in many years he wouldn’t be solo. He would be accompanied by a gorgeous woman that would hopefully pique her interest. It had always been T-Roc’s belief that if you want to ruffle the feathers of a gorgeous woman, then put another one in her face. He trusted that belief would work on Tyler.
Friday morning Chantal was on her way to LA. T-Roc’s assistant called with her flight schedule and hotel accommodations. It was a first class American Airlines flight and she was staying in a suite at the L'Ermitage Beverly Hills. “T-Roc sure has a lot of class,” she said after hearing the setup.
She called Andre before she left and told him she would be spending a day at the spa with Shari. Chantal then informed Melanie’s nanny if Andre called to tell him she was still out with Shari. He would think that they went shopping and had dinner after the spa so he wouldn’t call back until later in the evening. By the time Andre finally got Chantal on the phone her plan would be in full swing.
When Chantal arrived at LAX, T-Roc had a limo waiting to pick her up. She handed her Louis Vuitton luggage to the driver and immediately called Shari to make sure she had her story straight if Andre decided to track her down and call Shari when she didn’t pick up her cell. Shari was on the same page, so Chantal hung up and placed a call to her friend at In Touch magazine.
After getting rid of Arisa and the other video hofessional Andre had met at 40/40, he could finally relax. He thought to himself, Those chicks were not trying to leave. It’s like damn, we’ve fucked, sucked, and everything else so it’s time to get yo ass outta here. Women always overstay their welcome, and they wonder why rich powerful men call escort services. They’re not paying for the pussy; they’re paying for the pussy to leave.
Andre had to finally break that down to Arisa and the other chick, whose name he couldn’t even remember. They were under the misguided impression that their pussy was so good he wanted to move them in. After the twentieth hint and they still hadn’t left Andre went hard and told the tricks to get the fuck out. Then Arisa broke down crying and saying she thought he cared about her, then the other one started talking about she hoped he didn’t think she was a ho. This was too much and he was ready for them to go. Andre turned the charm back on because he didn’t want them leaving his crib all upset and disheveled. After they finally calmed down, he handed them a few hundred dollars and told them to have a nice lunch on him.
Times like that made Andre reconsider keeping Chantal around on a more permanent basis. At least she knew his moods and would give him his space when he demanded it. Yeah, she might bitch a little bit, but she had way too much pride and ego to break down and start crying and begging to stay. The rest of the chicks he dealt with always seemed so desperate and eager to hold on, when in actuality they needed to let go.
When the limo pulled up to L'Ermitage, Chantal’s cell started ringing. It was Andre. That was one call she wasn’t picking up. He was probably trying to check on her in between his workouts with them hoes. Chantal was on a mission and a phone call from Andre wasn’t going to interrupt that. When she opened the door to her suite, the room was full of beautiful pink roses and white orchids. There was a card lying on the bed. It was from T-Roc telling her to meet him at Mr. Chow’s for dinner. She had a few hours to burn so she decided to get a massage and a fresh manicure and pedicure.
While getting a massage Chantal went over her plan again and again. This had to work—too much depended on it. She closed her eyes and a smile crossed her face. Yeah, this was definitely going to work.
As Chantal was getting dressed she debated on what look to go for. She needed sexy and classy mixed in one. She opted for her silk Gucci skinny pants, with a nude mussola oversize top with chiffon inserts. The finishing touches were gold sandals with yellow enamel snake heads and the gold teju small frame bag with enamel detail to match. She let her honey blond hair cascade down her shoulders and added some Oh Baby lip gloss that went perfectly with her bronzed complexion. She gave herself the once-over in the full-length mirror and headed out the door.
When the driver pulled up in front of Mr. Chow’s, Chantal had butterflies in her stomach. Her plan was now fully in motion and there was no turning back. When she entered the restaurant, T-Roc was already at the table. She walked toward him and by the way his eyes lit up and mouth dropped she knew she looked like a million bucks. He quickly tried to pull it together as he stood up and greeted her with a kiss on her cheek. After giving her the lingering once-over one more time he finally said, “You look absolutely gorgeous.”
Chantal smiled slightly and blushed as though she didn’t already know that. It seemed to have worked, because T-Roc apologized for making her feel uncomfortable. As the waiter poured her a glass of 1995 Krug, T-Roc was in deep thought. Chantal knew he was still trying to figure out exactly what this was about. She decided to interrupt his contemplations and put him at ease.
“I can’t believe I’m having dinner with the super famous T-Roc. What a lucky girl I am,” Chantal said flirtatiously.
“Oh, is that what this is about? You’re getting bored with one mega-star and you want to try another?”
“No, this
is business—although, I find you very attractive. And there is no doubt you are a star, which is why I want you to assist me with my career.”
With a sarcastic tone in his voice, he said, “Pretty girl, I’m not a manager for bored baby mamas. So what career are you speaking of?”
“Cute, T-Roc, but I want to get back into modeling and maybe branch off to acting or something.”
“That’s interesting because I’m trying to break into this acting game. I’m actually politicking for a role in that movie Angel that Tyler Blake is starring in.”
“Tyler Blake is starring in her own movie?” Chantal knew Tyler was up-and-coming on the acting scene, but she had no idea she had stepped her game up to being an actual star of her own movie. Chantal was immediately enthralled.
“Yeah, it’s the new movie William Donovan is directing. He is determined to make her a superstar.”
“Wow, that’s big.”
“It is. You know I have a little history with Tyler. We go way back, before she became the next big thing in Hollywood.”
T-Roc definitely was holding Chantal’s attention for other reasons now. If Tyler Blake was really doing it like that, then maybe she should use him to try to break into this whole acting game if, heaven forbid, things didn’t work out with Andre. There was big money in movies and maybe T-Roc could show her the way. If she didn’t become Mrs. Andre Jackson, then being a movie star was an excellent fallback career.
“What type of history is that?” Chantal asked, trying to seem interested but not too interested.
“Let’s just say I was the first person to introduce her to this whole industry life. We definitely have some unfinished business, and I’m hoping we can catch up while doing this movie.”