by Lena Skye
After we ordered our food we made small talk and shared information about our jobs, clients, and our day overall. None of us seemed to be in the mood to drop a huge secret, and Jasmine was grinning from ear to ear as we all talked. I gave her a weird look.
“Girl if you don’t tell me what in the hell we’re having lunch about, I’m going to lean over this table and lick your face.”
“Eww!” She exclaimed, “That’s so damned disgusting, and you’re the type of weirdo that would do it too.”
“You’re damned right I said,” with a laugh.
Patrice scrunched up her face and shook her head. She wasn’t going to say anything because I’ve done it to her before. I know it’s a disgusting thing to do, but it always gets their attention. They’re my sisters; I can lick their faces all I want.
“I just wanted to share some really good news with the both of you. You two are the first people that I’ve told. You two both know everything that I’ve been through, and you’ve been there for me through it all. Words can’t describe how much I love and appreciate the two of you. You’re closer to me than anyone else in my life.”
Patrice gave a dramatic eye roll, “We know that you love us, we love you. Kumbaya and all of that other mushy shit. What is it girl? You better spill it or I’ll sick Nicole on you.”
“Damn okay, no need to rush me. The two of you are so damned impatient but not at all observant,” she said as she made a show of pushing her hair back.
My jaw dropped as I saw her hand. There was a huge ring on her left hand.
“OH MY GOD!!!!” Patrice screamed causing everyone in the restaurant to look at us.
I stood up from my seat and leaned down to hug her, “WHOA! Congratulations Jasmine! When did this happen?”
“It happened last night. I didn’t see it coming especially since it seems so damned sudden.”
“Yes it is pretty quick,” Patrice agreed.
“I know but it just feels right. Cedric really loves me, and I feel the same way. What’s the use in waiting if we both know what we want? Life is too short to sit around and wait to make the decision that you already want to make.”
“You’re right about that,” I said with a brighter smile than I felt.
I know that I shouldn’t have been jealous of my friend, but I couldn’t help it. I was happy that she and Cedric were going to tie the knot, but it shined a huge spotlight on me and Kenneth’s relationship. What was taking him so long to take the plunge with me? Did he really want all of the things that he claimed he did? Jasmine picked up on my mood.
“Everyone has their own path Nikki, so don’t trip over this. Whether it’s you and Kenneth or you and someone else, it’s going to happen for you.”
I fought back tears and nodded my head, “I don’t want you to think that I’m not happy for you.”
She gave a small smile, “I know that you’re happy for me but you’re also frustrated with what’s going on. We’ve seen you try to hide it, but we’re not slow. Don’t ever feel like you can’t talk to us.”
“You haven’t been fooling anyone,” Patrice said, “We’ve seen how unhappy you are.”
“I know and we’ll talk about all of that later. Today isn’t about me, it’s about Jasmine and her maids of honor,” I said.
We all laughed in unison.
“I don’t want to steal your shine Jasmine, but I’ve wanted to tell you all about Brandon,” Patrice said.
“Who is Brandon?” I asked.
“Brandon is someone that I’ve met online, and I really like him.”
“Oh wow do you think it’s going to be serious?” Jasmine asked.
“Yeah, I think so. We’ve gone out every night for the last week. He’s really nice, and he runs the IT department for a really big company.”
“We’ve gotta meet him soon,” I said, “Don’t try to keep him away from us. We won’t chase him away.”
“We’ll be on our best behavior,” Jasmine said with a wide smile.
“I’ve told him plenty about the both of you and he wants to meet you too.”
“I’m going to be extra nice to him because he must be something special,” I said.
“What does that mean?” Patrice asked.
“It means that you’re a lot to put up with,” I said candidly.
She rolled her eyes, “You two put up with me.”
“That’s because we love you, and you belong to us,” Jasmine said.
“Well, I can’t argue with that,” she said, “So when is the wedding?”
“We don’t know yet!” Jasmine said.
“Will you be bringing him to the Summer Gala?” I asked, not letting Patrice off the hook.
“I don’t know, I’ve mentioned it to him and he’s interested in coming. So maybe.”
“Well I would love to see him.” I said with a grin.
“I still can’t believe you’re marrying your arch nemesis. You two hated each other.” Patrice said to Jasmine. She was trying to change the subject again.
“Well like you said, it wasn’t hate at all. Now it’s grown to be something really special. I’m looking forward to my future with him. He was just what I needed, and I never knew it. He keeps me laughing, he’s supportive of everything that I do, and he even loves my two cats.”
“Ugh,” Patrice said, “I can’t stand those evil ass fur balls.”
Jasmine rolled her eyes, “And they don’t like your evil ass either.”
I laughed loudly at the both of my friends. I watched them bicker, and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. They always made me feel better even when I was being a bit of a brat. I was so happy that they’d both found happiness. I hoped that everything would work out for them and that they wouldn’t have drama filled relationships like my own. I ordered us a round of celebratory cocktails, and we toasted to the future.
*
When I crawled into my bed that evening I was experiencing a myriad of emotions. All I could think about was Jasmine’s upcoming nuptials and how I was going to look fabulous in my dress. Jasmine has great taste, and she wouldn’t put us in horrible dresses, shit she would probably design them herself. Patrice was beaming over her new beau and was looking forward to meeting him.
I thought about myself, and I snuggled up in my covers alone. He was with Loren, and I wanted to call him and interrupt his meeting. I pondered on it again and realized that it’s not the right thing to do. I would never do that to him while he was with a client, even if it was Loren. He’d done his best to stay out of me and Desmond’s work relationship. I demanded that he could not having any more contact with my client because he was making the both of us look bad. So I scolded myself for being silly and drifted off to sleep.
*
The next evening couldn’t come fast enough because I was looking forward to my dinner with Ken. We met at our favorite place at the Four Seasons again. It was time for us to finally reconnect, and I played around with the idea of getting a room there for the night.
“So how was the meeting with Loren yesterday?” I asked before I took a sip of my Pinot Noir.
“It went pretty good,” He said.
“So everything is a go?”
“Yep. I had a hunch about her, and I think I’m right. She’s a really bright girl, and she has a solid idea of where she’s going. She knows her market, she’s financially responsible, and she’s driven. You would like her a lot if you gave her a real chance,” he said.
“What does Joshua think of you working with his ex-girlfriend?” I asked.
“The same way that he feels about me sleeping with his ex-friend,” he said.
“Did you seriously say that to me?” I asked.
“Did you seriously ask me that?”
“I just wanted to know the full picture.” I responded.
“I’ve already told you the full picture. We met, we talked business, and that was it.”
“So she didn’t flirt with you?” I asked.
He went quiet
and didn’t say anything for a few moments. He focused on his filet mignon and enjoyed the medium texture and flavor. After he took a few more bites and sipped his wine he finally directed his attention back towards me.
“You know that I don’t like to discuss work over dinner,” he said in a low tone.
“Yeah but--,”
“No buts Nikki. So tell me about Jasmine and Cedric getting married. I know that she couldn’t wait to tell you all the news.”
I stared at him in annoyance but closed my mouth tightly. It was obvious that he didn’t want to talk about it anymore, and I wasn’t going to press the issue. But I was growing tired of him shutting me down every time a conversation got awkward for him. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something dodgy was going on.
For the sake of our dinner, I filled him in on all of the details about Jasmine and Cedric. I did it all while ignoring the horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was biting my tongue, and I’d done it way too much lately.
It was only a matter of time before I exploded.
#Chapter8
“Kenneth is an asshole.”
Desmond
The day of the Summer Gala arrived and I was excited. I was much happier this year at the Summer Gala because I was on Kenneth’s arm rather then alone.
Going there last year without him felt like torture. I came without a date and so did he. We kept looking at each other across the room, and neither of us would speak to the other. I had to keep myself from speaking to him, and I clung to Jasmine and Patrice the entire night. This year we all had dates to the hottest event of the season. Patrice brought Brandon and Jasmine had Cedric. The changes that occurred in one year are absolutely amazing. You never know what life has in store for you.
The location for the event was a huge glass encased loft, and it was absolutely beautiful. It looked like everyone was at an adult prom. I was wearing a custom design from one of my clients, and I looked stunning. My hair, makeup, and nails had been professionally done earlier that day, and I was ready to take on the world. Ken looked dapper in a suit that complimented my canary yellow dress.
We strutted into the loft, and I was ready to have a wonderful time. This is the biggest event of the year in Atlanta and anyone who is anyone will be there. I was excited and eager to impress.
However, from the moment that I entered, the entire vibe in the place seemed off. It seemed as if everyone was staring at us. Ken didn’t seem to notice at all because he’s used to it, but this time it was different. It was as if they all knew a secret that I wasn’t in on. I spotted Patrice and Jasmine, and I walked over to them.
“Hey ladies,” I said with a tight smile.
They both looked at me with serious expressions on their face.
“Hey girly,” Jasmine said before she mean mugged Ken, “Hello Ken.”
“Hey girls,” he said, “Patrice who is this?” He said making an amused gesture at Patrice’s date.
“This is my boyfriend Brandon,” Patrice said with a slight smile. “Brandon this is Nicole, the final portion to our trio and this is Ken, her date.”
Ken gave a slight frown at her words because he was more than my date, but none of us corrected her. She didn’t look like she was in the mood to be corrected and so I chose to leave it alone. I focused my attention on Brandon and he was a cutie. He was about 5’10, medium complexion, and thin. I wouldn’t have pegged him as Patrice’s type, but he made her smile.
“It’s nice to meet you Brandon,” I said, “I look forward to getting to know you better.”
“I look forward to it as well,” he said, “She’s told me so much about you. So I know that we’ll all be cool.”
“I’m so sorry, but we ladies need to go to the restroom,” Patrice said.
I gave her another confused look, but I went along with it. Patrice linked her arm with mine and led me to the restroom with Jasmine on our heels. The entire walk I felt like I was being watched by the room.
“Okay what the hell is going on?” I asked the both of them once we made sure the coast was clear in the bathroom.
“Girl you need to listen to me. Some horrible rumors are flying around,” Jasmine said.
“Okay what kind of rumors and please don’t sugar coat it. I need to know why everyone is staring at me like I have 3 eyes.”
“Do you know where Kenneth was on Thursday? People are saying that Ken slept with Loren on Thursday night,” Jasmine said.
I shook my head in disbelief, “And who are these people? Why are they in our business? I swear I’m so tired of the drama and all of the fucking lies.”
“Joshua told me that Kenneth brought her back to the house that night and that they were going at it. Now everyone is talking about it. Word is spreading.”
A huge part of me should have known that Joshua was in the middle of the drama.
“Fuck this, I’m going home. I don’t have to deal with this shit tonight. I’m not in the mood.”
“No, don’t leave,” Patrice said, “We’re going to sort this shit out tonight. Let's get the truth.”
“I’m going to need a drink first,” I said.
We all headed out and walked to the bar. I ordered a long island and the girls ordered their drinks. Our dates spotted us and walked over to the bar to meet us. Here we go. Nothing can stop my girls from protecting me.
Ken stood there with his Martini glass looking smug as he took sips and glanced around the room. I did not know what to say, thankfully Patrice was there to say it for me.
“Okay, I can’t hold it in anymore, and I’m sorry Nicole but I just have to ask,” Patrice turned her attention towards Ken, “Did you sleep with Loren?”
Ken’s eyes got huge, “What in the hell are you talking about?”
“How could you do that to our friend? She’s been nothing but good to you,” Jasmine said.
“I don’t know where you both got this idea from but I would never do something like that to Nicole. I love her.”
“Whatever, we don’t want to hear it. Everyone knows about what you did,” Patrice said raising her voice.
I stood there as I tried to halt the tears that were welling up in my eyes. I trusted him against my better judgment, and he betrayed it. I was willing to give him everything, but it still wasn’t good enough. I didn’t even know why he wanted me back. I was more like a trophy to him and not someone that he wanted to love and honor. He only fought so hard to get me because he didn’t like the fact that I was with Joshua. He truly was in all this for himself.
“Do you even know how much Nikki cares about you?” Jasmine asked.
I felt disconnected from everything that was happening. I saw everyone looking at us as my friends tore into Kenneth. I felt like a helpless spectator. I didn’t want us to provide entertainment for everyone, but I wasn’t going to tell them to stop. I wanted the truth even though I knew I probably could not handle the truth. Kenneth kept denying that anything happened between him and Loren. By now everyone was watching the dirty laundry being aired in public. This was clearly going to be another unforgettable Summer Gala.
“So you mean to tell me that you didn’t bring Loren back to your place?” Patrice asked.
“Okay, I will admit that she came over to my place that night but only to get some paperwork. Nothing happened.”
“Finally you’re admitting some of the truth. You’re such a liar. You don’t deserve a girl like Nicole,” Jasmine said.
“This is ridiculous!” Kenneth scoffed.
“No you are ridiculous, you always do this to her.” Patrice shot back at him.
“Nikki,” Kenneth said in an exasperated tone, “You don’t have anything to say? You believe me right?”
I stared at him and all of my rage boiled over.
I was tired of him and all of his lies. His flirting was out of control, he refused to listen to me, and now he’d slept with someone while we were together. I was such a fool for believing him. I walked over to him silently and slappe
d him hard across the face before throwing my drink all over him. I knew I was going to blow up sooner or later and there it was.
My flood gates opened and tears streamed down my face. I stormed out of the loft as everyone watched my exit.
I caught a cab back to my place and ignored my phone. Kenneth was calling and texting me back to back. I didn’t want to speak to him anymore. He humiliated me. Everyone knew what he did to me, and I was the last to find out. He should have told me even if it was hard for him to tell the truth. I would have been upset but at least it would have come from him.