Aries_Mr. Adventure_The 12 Signs of Love

by Tiana Laveen

  “You’re right. Wish it didn’t go down like this and hopefully, after a day or two, I’ll be adjusted. But if I’m not, just promise me you won’t let me back out of it at the last minute.”

  “You got it, chief! Pack your gear. In a few days you’ll be surrounded by nature and livin’ your best life. Oh, and bring cash… I plan to take all of your money in Poker, Texas Hold ’Em.”

  “The only thing you’ll be holdin’ is your bruised pride! I’m in!”

  CHAPTER THREE

  You Ain’t Shit, Yo’ Mama Ain’t Shit,

  Your Dog Ain’t Shit, either.

  The soundtrack to the “Black Panther” movie played while mauve and emerald hued candles burned throughout the vast contemporary ranch home. It was such a pretty set up, the kind of place that made you feel sophisticated simply by being there. Snow smiled ever so slightly as she enjoyed the mood, vibe, and aesthetics of her friend’s eclectic abode. Shoes off, feet covered in expensive, thigh-high nude stockings she’d worn since morning were a clear sign that she hadn’t paused or pressed stop. It was go, go, go all day. She’d been in court all damn morning and afternoon; her client who had been falsely accused of embezzlement was cleared of all charges and went home a free man. It had been a hard trial, but they’d persevered and she was proud of the job she and her team had done. As soon as she finished work at the law firm and ensured to steer clear of the media after the initial press conference, she hauled her ass here.

  Now was the time to exhale, to come up for air and enjoy life again. So, she forced herself to unwind and enjoy the party her friend had thrown. She’d cast her maroon blazer on the nearby mint green couch in the living room, which had blue, white, and silver accent décor. She hoped she remembered it was there later on; she’d be watching her alcohol intake for that reason and more. Amber, her good friend and attorney for a different firm, had thrown the shindig for no particular reason. The woman was a party animal, as opposed to her, but Snow appreciated the lady’s knack for fun. The place was alive, electric and full of energy, with professionals who swam in the same circles as her. In that regard, it still felt like work.

  I probably should’ve just stayed home, lit some candles, ate until I popped and whipped out my vibrator… damn.

  Snow took note of a nice spread of tasty appetizers and expensive liquor. The place was filled with people bobbing their heads to the beat of “All the Stars” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA. The faint smell of marijuana seasoned the air, but she turned her attorney cap off and simply melted into the scene.

  “Hey, sexy.” A handsome, tall, chocolate complexioned man approached, his teeth bright white as her first name and his brows dark as midnight times a thousand universal black holes. “How are you doing tonight?” He pushed up close to her, his incredibly tall frame dwarfing her.

  “I’m well, and yourself?” She took a small sip of white wine from her glass and looked him up and down.

  Vibrator, scoot over. He may be a great prospect… take him home and fuck the daylights out of this walking slice of decadent dessert…

  “Amazing. Hey, congrats on winning your client’s case… Vito, right?”

  “Yes, and thank you.”

  “That was big news. Crazy case, huh? High profile for sure. Pretty messed up to be accused of such a thing. Damn. Got any insider gossip to share?”

  “Bad things happen to rich, poor, famous, unknown, Black and White.” She nodded her head to the beat of the music, drifting a bit from the unnerving yet predictable conversation. “But you know I’m not really going to get into that. He’s a free man and that’s all I am concerned with. My job is done but thanks for the congratulations.”

  “You’re welcome. So, uh, Ms. Snow Appleton.” The man slicked his tongue against his lower lip as he ogled her. “I hear you’re single. Do you want to maybe get together and—”

  “Yes!!! Oh my God, Snow!” A short woman with lustrous ginger locks, vibrant green eyes, and an unflattering jumpsuit in a daisy print came over and cut short his panty-hunting spiel. The lady grabbed her with one arm and pulled her into a hug.

  Who the hell is this? Security!

  “I saw the news earlier this afternoon. Congrats!” She released her, sporting a smile as big as the sun.

  “Thank you!” Snow took another taste of her drink, surprised so many people recognized her. She couldn’t have been on the tube for more than two minutes, but perhaps due to it being a high-profile case, two minutes equated to fifteen minutes of fame.

  “You were on there and I was like ‘I recognize her! That’s Amber’s friend!’” The woman giggled before downing the wine cooler in her grip.

  “Yup… that’s me.” Snow raised her glass in the air, not sure what to do with the awkward silence when the woman remained planted in front of her, her smile widening and her eyes glassy.

  Is this chick high?

  “Yeah, so, uh, you wanna maybe go out sometime for dinner?” The sexy man interjected after shooting the giddy young lady a glance that read, ‘get the fuck out of here!’

  “Hmmm, maybe.” Snow winked, feeling a tad flirtatious as her second glass of wine began to relax her nerves. Just then, Amber entered the living room, swaying her wide hips to the alluring beat. Amber was built like a coca cola bottle, and she had the receipts from her surgery in Thailand to prove it. The ceiling lights beamed down on the gorgeous woman, though Snow could tell right off the rip that her friend was drunk off her $5,500 ass.

  “This soundtrack is everything!” Amber cackled, her voice carrying. Swinging her straight black hair from the finest donor in Brazil from side to side, she snapped the fingers of her left hand and raised her glass of wine in the air with the other. An Asian guy in a black and white suit that fit him like a glove swaggered toward Amber, a sexy smirk on his face, and handed her a joint.

  No, no, no… too many people here! Amber, you could get in big trouble.

  Snow made a mad dash towards the two, slid in between them, and intervened.

  Amber struggled to bring the roach to her lips, but Snow snatched it from her grasp and shoved it back into the Asian guy’s hand while shooting him a death glare.

  “I don’t know who you are, but couldn’t you be a bit more discreet?! Get out of here!” Snow barked as she wrapped her arm around her friend.

  “What the hell is your problem?” the man snapped, his look of disdain growing by the second. Ignoring the bastard, she led Amber down the hall, away from it all, into a back bedroom. Closing and locking the door, Snow ran her hand across her forehead and scowled at the woman who could barely stand straight.

  “Snow, what is the matter with you?!”

  “You’re an attorney, Amber. You have all sorts of people in your house right now, some of whom I am certain you don’t even know. They’re just along for the ride.”

  “So what?” Amber shrugged.

  “You have to watch what you do and who you do it around. I’m just trying to look out for you. He handed you a lit joint and you were about to smoke it.”

  “And? It’s called having a good time. Ever heard of it?”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard of it, Amber, and there’s a time and place for it but you still need to have your wits about you. What you do in the privacy of your home when no one is around is none of my business but I’m just trying to help. That wasn’t smart, okay? You have to use your brain! People have their cellphones to take pictures and record you with and word travels fast!”

  “Snow, I’ve got this. I don’t need your help, Mother May I.” The woman chuckled, oblivious to the chopping block her head was just on.

  “Look, do you know what will happen if someone gets a wild hair up their ass, takes a video or photo of you smoking Ms. Mary Jane and posts it on social media? Your career could be in jeopardy. You’re drunk so you don’t realize that—”

  “Oh, shut up, Snow! Fuck it, damn!” Amber waved her off before tumbling down onto the bed, almost missing it and finding herself on the floor. “I’
m so goddamn sick of you with your nose stuck in the air all the damn time.” The woman’s tone grew fangs, and evil entered the room like a fog.

  “My nose stuck up in the air?” Snow put her hand on her hip and sucked her teeth. “If having a brain makes me stuck up, then so be it. Maybe I should let you borrow some of mine? This isn’t the damn Wizard of Oz, Ms. Scarecrow! This is real!”

  “I knew I shouldn’t have asked you to come. You act like the damn police, like you’re somebody’s mama and ever since you got Graham Pinkerton, the great Gamecock player as a client, you’ve been acting like you’re superior to all of us other lowly lawyers.” The woman rolled her eyes.

  “What? You’ll say anything, now won’t you? No, I haven’t, Amber. I have made it a point to keep my mouth shut as much as possible. This wasn’t a time to show off, though from the looks of things, you obviously wouldn’t understand that.” Snow tossed up her hands.

  Amber’s lips curled in a sinister sneer. “You fucked him, didn’t you?” At this, Snow rolled her eyes. “Never mind. On second thought, I’ve never seen you with a White guy so I doubt you’ll put your pro-Black stance down long enough to swirl, even if it is some pro-athlete cock. Dick is dick… and to get ahead, you better learn to start sucking and fucking it.”

  “You’re a lunatic. You know what, Amber? I am going to chalk this up to you being intoxicated and not understanding what you’re saying. You’ve got your wish. I’m leaving.” She turned to unlock the door. “When you sober up, give me a call.”

  “I may be drunk but I know exactly what I’m saying, Snow White!”

  Snow shot her a glance from over her shoulder. Amber knew how much she hated being called that. In high school, it drove her batty when people teased her about her first name and made a mockery of it.

  “And let me let you in on a little secret.” The woman smirked as she sat up from the bed onto her elbows. “You may have won your case today, but I won, too! I fucked your man. That’s right. I was riding Hugh’s nice dick like a bronco while you two were set to go down the aisle!”

  Snow swallowed, not believing her ears. It couldn’t be… Hugh would never betray her like that. Not with all of their history…

  “You had… you had sex… with my ex-fiancé?”

  People tell the truth when they’re drunk… it’s a truth serum. This bitch isn’t lying…

  Snow could feel an instant headache coming on. A flash of heat rushed across her chest, causing an immediate ache in her ribs and heart.

  “Yes, bitch!” Amber cackled, twisting her neck all about and sucking on her lower lip as her evil glare filled the room with venom. “Many times! And I can prove it. He’s got a tattoo of musical notes on his right hip and when he fucks, he makes this humming sound sometimes… strange, but I guess it helps him keep the rhythm.”

  Snow’s heart sank.

  She’d called off her engagement with Hugh months ago, but they’d remained cordial, good friends even. The man simply was a workaholic and didn’t make enough time for her, yet she was far from the needy type. She knew if they got married things would only get worse and she wanted to only wed a man who didn’t mind penciling her in his schedule. In fact, she needed a guy who looked forward to going out on the town on occasion versus Hugh, who would begrudgingly hand over his leftover minutes. Right then, though, she realized the woman in the room with her was getting more than just his seconds…

  “You’re sad… such a sad, sorry, disgusting, sneaky, belly crawling bitch.” Snow turned away once more to get the hell out of that place, but Amber raced towards her, her drunken state not impeding her from pushing her weight against her and hissing like the snake that she was.

  “So, I’m sad and disgusting because I fucked your ex-man when he was still your fiancé. Judge me all you want but you’re not squeaky clean! How about you stealing clients from Greene and Kacey?”

  “I appreciate your confession, you dimwitted whore, but what I won’t tolerate is an outright lie. You know those are old ass rumors and totally unfounded bullshit you’re just tossing up because you have nothing else to try and use against me. If you used the same energy you extended to screw my ex-fiancé and try and make digs at me into your career, hell…” Show shrugged. “You may be even on my level! More importantly, how you have the damn audacity to question me about anything at this moment after I tried to save your ass from possibly losing your damn job is beyond me! So yeah, you’re damn right you’re sad, Amber. You’re soulless and obviously you don’t even know what a friend is!”

  Snow hated the way her voice shook at that moment. It was so hard to keep it all together, to not allow Amber the satisfaction of watching her fall to pieces.

  “It hurts, don’t it?” The woman cocked her head to the side as her eyes drew darker with malice. “You’ve gotten what you deserve. I was a good friend to you until you showed your true colors.”

  “I have done nothing but help you! People told me to leave your ass in the ditch where I found you, but ooohhh no, being me, I tried to lend a helping hand while you were finishing law school, only for you to stab me in the back, get drunk tonight and let your coward robe fall to the ground so I can see the naked truth. I saw a young Black woman trying to make a go of it in law and swooped in. I treated you like a sister for all of these years! A few drops of Hennessy and Chardonnay made your mouth loose as a goose, and apparently the gaping wound between your thighs is a trashcan for random seed. For the second time, I’m outta here. Now move the fuck out of my way!”

  The woman shakily stood her ground and pressed her back against the door, practically foaming at the mouth, her eyes wild and dancing.

  “You aren’t better than me, Snow! I can take your man because I’m better than you! I’m a better lawyer, a better dresser, and I bet you a better lay, too! Ol’ stuck up ass. Everyone knows conceited bitches like you can’t fuck. If you need some lessons, you’ve got my number. If you had been doing your job he wouldn’t have come to me in the first place.”

  “Move. This is my last time telling you, Amber.” Snow stood tall and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Make me, bitch!”

  Snow raised her hand high and slapped her so hard, her scream rent the air and she tumbled to the ground, holding the side of her face, her eyes wide in disbelief. Blood trickled from the woman’s nose and mouth, but it was child’s play compared to what Snow truly wanted to do to the revolting female.

  “Make you, bitch? I just did… and oh, you might want to go to the doctor if you are still screwing Hugh.” She wiggled her finger in the whore’s direction. “He told me he got a hold of some sick pussy… had to get a prescription to clear it up but wanted it off the record, discreet so he asked for information from Mandy, my pharmacist friend. You remember her, right? Or am I gloating by bringing that up, too?” She sneered. “We’re open with one another like that. Funny, on second thought it was probably your pussy that left him a gift he couldn’t quite get rid of. God knows you’ve slept with everybody in South Carolina, North Carolina, hell, probably the entire damn Bible belt.”

  Amber managed a smile. She held her jaw for the damn thing was swelling right before Snow’s eyes.

  “Maybe I have slept around, Snow, but I still fucked your man, the guy you were madly in love with and wanted to marry.” Evil joy sheened in the woman’s eyes. “And you can try to trash my name if you want, but I still won. If you would’ve gotten that stick out of your ass long enough to let him eat it like groceries maybe things would’ve turned out differently. Live a little.” She giggled, then winced in pain.

  “The only trash is lying here on the floor with a belly full of a stranger’s cum and alcohol you obviously can’t hold. I thought Hugh had better taste than this… Apparently not. Like so many men, he thinks anything with a hole in it is fair game. You both deserve one another.” Stepping over the woman, she made her way back out to the hall, only to see that the music was lower, the mood somber, and all eyes on her. Averting
eye contact, she navigated her way through the crowd, grabbed her blazer from the couch, and headed out the front door, her chin held high.

  Once she reached her blood red Mazda MX-5, she slid inside and rested her forehead against the steering wheel, gripping it so hard, her palms ached. The tears fell one by one, but no sound escaped her gaping mouth. She wanted to scream, to simply crawl in a ball and die. Her chest heaved in fury and her brain and heart were doused in the fresh pain of a betrayal like she’d never known. Pulling out of the parking space with a shaky hand, she drove onto the main drag, determined to go home and find a way to not obsess about the shit all damn night.

  “Fuck that shit.” She pressed her Bluetooth in her car…

  Dialing Hugh Denton, Siri announced.

  “Uh, hello, baby. I’m surprised to hear from you this late.” He chuckled, then yawned.

  “Are you truly surprised?” She sucked on her lower lip for a spell, in a bid to gain her composure. “Well I’m surprised to find out you’ve been fucking my friend, how ’bout that?! So, I tell you what Mr. Denton, let’s throw a surprise motherfuckin’ party for one another, okay? We’re twinsies up in this bitch, two surprised mothafuckas attached at the hip! Ta-motherfucking-da! We’re both flabbergasted, amazed, shocked as shit! Surprise Party with hoe-cake and trickle dick ice cream, here I come!”

  “Huh? What are you talking about, Snow? No way! I would never touch Amber!”

  “Oh look, you said her name and I never even mentioned which friend it was!” She laughed mirthlessly. “Busted, you nasty, trifling son of a bitch! Just stop it! Don’t make it worse by lying to me. Don’t you do that shit to me.”

  Hugh sighed loudly on the other end of the line. “Okay… Look, Snow, I have absolutely no feelings for Amber whatsoever. I was drunk, you and I had been going through a rough time, and it only happened a couple of times. I’m sorry, baby. I really am.”