The Real Deal

by Warren, Alexandra

  The guy laughed in response before he leaned to the side to find my face. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I haven’t heard much, but I can tell you’re a good influence.”

  I was way too embarrassed to say anything back, so I just smiled instead as he turned around and left the apartment.

  Once I heard the click of the door, Gavin went back to work like nothing had ever happened. And as much as I wanted to pretend to believe the same, my mood was completely shot. It was as if the guy showing up had somehow brought me back to the reality of the situation. The fact that things between Gavin and I had become completely impulsive, out of control, undefined.

  And that, I wasn’t okay with.

  So I put my hands on Gavin’s chest, pushing him away before hopping down to the floor.

  “Reagan, what’s the matter?” he asked as he followed me while I made my way around the room, snatching up my discarded clothes.

  “What’s the matter? Your friend, someone I don’t even know, just saw me half-naked. Nothing about that seems strange to you?”

  He shrugged. “Strange? Nah, not really. I mean, it’s not the first time.”

  I yanked my shirt over my head, not even caring that my ponytail was completely destroyed as I tossed back, “Oh, so this is just some reoccurring thing for you? That makes me feel so much better.”

  He sighed. “Nah, Reagan. Not like that. I meant I’ve walked in on him too. That kind of shit happens when you have roommates.”

  Though I knew there was plenty of truth to his statement, I wanted no parts of it. In fact, now that the liquid courage had worn off, I wanted nothing more than to pretend like I had never shown up at all. I felt like an idiot as I reevaluated how easily we had gotten to this point. How we hadn’t even talked, but I had no problem allowing him to refresh my memory with his touch. How I was giddy over fuckin’ likes and comments as if social media was any realer than our fake ass relationship.

  “Whatever, Gavin. I don’t know what I was thinking coming over here tonight.”

  I was halfway to the door when he snatched me by the wrist to turn me around. My breath hitched as I went face-to-face with his intricately-carved chest, his raspy voice encasing me as he said, “I know exactly what you were thinking, sweetheart. You were thinking how impossible it is for us to have the chemistry we do and not act on it, how silly it was for us to be leaving off as friends when we’re obviously much more. You were thinking that this shit can’t possibly be as fake as we made it out to be. That we’re real. It’s real.”

  I felt myself on the verge of tears as I digested the fact that my exact thoughts had come out of his mouth. And though I knew all of it was true, the fact still remained that…, “None of that means anything, Gavin. We’re in two totally different places. It could never work.”

  “Reagan, we can make it work. I mean, if we could make a fake relationship work, how much harder could a real one be?”

  The Real Her

  a few months later…

  Gavin

  “Reagan, just come with me. It’ll only be a couple of days.”

  I had my girl on speakerphone as I tossed a few different outfits in my suitcase. The last minute calls to perform somewhere were becoming even more frequent now that I had signed a deal; this one in particular being a birthday bash for Bryson Harris, one of the top basketball players in the league. I didn’t mind dropping everything and flying out to wherever I needed to be, no questions asked. But of course, since I liked it, Reagan hated it.

  “Sorry, babe. Some of us have real jobs. You know… stuff we can’t just leave at the drop of a dime.”

  I laughed, imagining her slouched back in her office chair with her feet on top of a stack of papers on her desk, but wearing a smile just because it was me on the phone. She no longer fought the urge to feel good around me, to be happy with me, to just let me be with her on some real shit. And that made me feel good, knowing I had actually won her over.

  “You’re actin’ like the kids are gonna burn the center down if you aren’t there.”

  “They will! You’ve met them, you’ve interacted with them; so you know how they can get. I just… maybe next time. Okay?”

  Though I was honestly a little disappointed, I still answered, “Yeah. Next time, sweetheart. Can I at least see you before I go?”

  She sighed, one I could tell she was smirking with. “You know where I’ll be, Gavin.”

  “Alright. I’ma drop by before I leave. Go ahead and take your panties off now so we don’t have to waste any time.”

  Her laugh, infectious and warm, made my heart swell as she tossed out, “I’ll see you when you get here.” before hanging up the phone.

  This shit was new for me; having a woman that literally just made me feel good about… everything. I mean, even though she had turned down my offer to join me on the trip, I still felt good from just hearing her voice, hearing her laugh, hearing her joke about the kids. And that alone had me looking forward to showing up to her office with a bouquet of flowers and her favorite greasy foods just to see her smile. I mean, even the fact that instead of hanging on to my coattail, she was still at work doing what she loved and serving the community put her a notch above any other woman I had ever dealt with; though I certainly could’ve taken care of the both of us by now.

  And I wanted to take care of the both of us. Reagan deserved the fuckin’ world. But it wasn’t like her to sit back and let me lead the way. She had her own shit goin’, so she didn’t really need me at all. And that was something I admired the most.

  I packed a couple pair of shoes, grabbed my bag of toiletries that Reagan had forced me to keep for times like this, and jetted out so that I could make the few stops I needed to before I went to the center. The second I stepped inside, I was bombarded with hugs and cheers from the kids who I had honestly grown to love. Now that I had “made it”, they were happy to see me for different reasons. But the love still felt all the same.

  “Aye Mr. Gavin, when you gon’ make a song with Drake?”

  I laughed, giving little Tyson a scrub on the top of his head as I told him, “As soon as Drake calls me and asks. Now where’s Ms. Reagan?” The kids didn’t exactly know we were a “thing” now. But since we were both adults, I suppose me asking for her didn’t seem completely out of the ordinary.

  “She’s in the gym. I think she’s playin’ basketball.”

  Reagan playing basketball?

  This I gotta see...

  I made it through the crowd of kids to the gym where Reagan was indeed playing basketball with a group of kids; shoes off since she had worn heels that day. The sleeves of her blouse were rolled up as she shot an air-ball, making everybody laugh.

  “Dang, Ms. Reagan! You were WAY off!” I teased. Her eyes flashed over to me, a smile blooming before it turned to more of a smirk.

  “Oh, you think you can do better, Mr. Gavin?” She asked, grabbing the ball and giving it a few dribbles.

  “Better than that, yeah,” I answered as I sat the flowers and food down on the bleachers before I stuck my hands out so that she could pass me the ball. And before I knew it, the kids were already chanting my name.

  “Griffey! Griffey! Griffey!”

  Reagan cocked her head to the side, her hands on her hips as she waited for me to take my shot. So I took a few dribbles, lining the ball up and releasing it. And I bricked.

  “Aw man! You weak, Mr. Gavin! I wanna be on Ms. Reagan’s team!”

  Reagan laughed as she got the rebound, giving the ball to one of the kids she had already been playing with. “Okay. Okay. I’m gonna go meet with Mr. Gavin for a few. Tyson, you wanna take my spot?” Tyson’s little face lit up instantly as he joined his peers while I grabbed the flowers and food and followed Reagan back to her office.

  Once we made it inside, the door to her office shut and locked, I put my gifts down and picked her up from behind, causing her to squeal.

  “Ewww, Gavin. I’m all sweaty! I probably stink.�
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  I put her down, but didn’t let her go as I leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek. “You really think I care about that? I mean… what do you think happens when we have sex all damn night?”

  She smacked her teeth, trying to get away though there was hardly any use. “I don’t sweat during sex! I… perspire. I glaze.”

  I took a nibble at her ear and she groaned instantly. “Mmm… you glaze, alright. Glaze all over my….”

  “SO! What’d you bring me to eat? You know I haven’t eaten all day.”

  I laughed at her quick change of subject as I finally let her go so that she could fix her hair and clothes in the mirror.

  “The usual. Philly Cheesesteak and fries. Gotta fatten you up so nobody will steal you while I’m gone,” I answered teasingly as I pulled the food from the bag, setting it on her desk while she finished up.

  “Oh, that’s what this is about?! And I thought you were bringing me food because you liked me.”

  “Actually, I lov…. do like you. I brought you food cause I like you… even when you stink.”

  “Oh my God! I don’t really stink, do I?” She asked as she plopped down in her office chair, lifting her arm to check with a few sniffs of her armpit before digging into her sandwich.

  “Chill, Reagan. You know I’m just messin’ with you. Go ahead and eat. I gotta catch up with Caleb and Shy anyway.”

  Reagan stopped chewing mid-bite, peeking up to ask, “Shy? She’s going too?”

  “Yeah. She’s singing the Happy Birthday song and then she’ll probably perform a song or two with me.”

  Her whole demeanor appeared withdrawn as she sipped from her water bottle through a straw, being bougie for no reason. “Oh… I… I didn’t know that.”

  I knew exactly where the change had come from, so I quickly reassured her, “Don’t trip, sweetheart. You know I can’t stand her ass.”

  “That doesn’t mean she can’t stand you. She’s probably at home packing cute panties as we speak.”

  Reagan wasn’t exactly the jealous type, but there had always been something about Shy that made her uncomfortable. And I couldn’t blame her; Shy certainly had a way of inserting herself in places she didn’t necessarily belong.

  But I didn’t want to leave Reagan uneasy, so I quickly suggested, “Well maybe you should go home and pack some cute panties too, though I’d prefer you without any at all.”

  She took a huge bite of her sandwich, grease running down her chin as she said, “Nah. I trust you, Gavin. Just watch your back. She seems like the crazy type.”

  “And you’re what? The non-crazy type?”

  She swiped her face with the back of her hand, getting grease all over it as she answered through chews, “No, I’m crazy. But I’m more like… stab your ass if you cheat on me, crazy. Not… wait in the middle of your bed naked even though I wasn’t invited, crazy.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh as I told her, “Well for the record, you’re always invited to wait in the middle of my bed naked.”

  She smirked, nodding her head. “Good to know. Now you better get going before they leave you.”

  I walked over to her side of the desk, spinning her chair around so that I could squat down in front of her. “How are they gonna leave me and I’m the talent, sweetheart?”

  She leaned back in her chair, hooking her legs on my shoulders as she replied, “Oh yeah. My bad. I forgot you were actually good at something other than gettin’ on my nerves.”

  “Even your insults turn me on,” I teased, as I stuck my face right between her thighs.

  She put her hand on top of my head, tilting it back so that she could see my eyes. “Quit playin’, Gavin. You know the kids are probably right outside of the door listening to all of this.”

  “Well, I guess it’s time to give them a little lesson in the birds and the bees.”

  Reagan

  I tossed and turned in bed as I thought about Gavin on his trip with Caleb and Shy. I knew it was just business, something he had to do for the sake of his career. But I couldn’t shake the feeling of Shy being up to no good. In fact, I knew she was up to no good. Even though I didn’t follow her on Instagram, I still had access to her profile since it wasn’t private and had already seen the selfie she posted with the three of them clearly in one of their hotel rooms. I could already imagine Caleb calling it a night early and leaving the two alone, perfect timing for Shy to make her move. And that had me way too fired up to go to sleep.

  It was Friday night - well, early Saturday morning - and I was already thinking about making the couple hour drive to where they were performing. If nothing else, I’d make it just in time for the party, though I wasn’t sure if I’d even be able to get in considering it was Bryson Harris’s birthday party. I could pretty much assume it required some type of golden ticket for entry; a golden ticket I had no way of getting.

  I sighed, trying to come up with a better plan. Or maybe I shouldn’t have been coming up with a plan at all, instead staying my ass at home and trusting my boyfriend to do the right thing.

  Yeah right.

  I hopped out of bed and headed straight to the closet, quickly assessing the fact that I didn’t have anything that would fit the part of belonging at a celebrity’s birthday party. And I took that as a sign; a sign that I needed to chill out.

  I climbed back into bed, just laying under the cover and staring at the ceiling. I had already gotten use to Gavin sleeping over, so it was no surprise that I couldn’t fall asleep without his body heat.

  Cause he’s probably heatin’ up Shy’s sheets…

  “That’s it!”

  I threw the cover back and went back to the closet, digging under the lowest rack to pull out a duffle bag. Then I yanked down a few dresses, a few tops, and a few pairs of jeans, tossing them in the bag before I went and grabbed a few neutral pairs of shoes. There wasn’t enough time to give my outfits any real thought.

  I went to the bathroom and grabbed my bag of pre-packed toiletries that matched the kit I had bought for Gavin, pausing to laugh at how much he hated using his.

  “Reagan, I got normal-sized shit. What do I need these little baby versions for?”

  Surely they had come in handy for this particular trip.

  I smiled to myself as I tossed it on top of my clothes, thinking of just how good I had it with Gavin. I mean, I was still getting use to his fame and him being busy more often than not. But other than that, he was sexy, funny, considerate, patient, and had just enough street in him without being employed on anyone’s corner.

  And he had made it. Like really, truly made it; living the dream and working on his debut album while already doing pretty major shows along the way. Dating him was the most thrill I had ever experienced in my life though it certainly came with things that I wouldn’t exactly consider perks. Like social media groupies, and calls at all times of the day and night, and fans in weird places, and random interruptions during the only “private” time we could really get.

  Oh… and Shy.

  The media wanted them to be a couple so bad, forcing them together even when Gavin denied the claims on every platform he could. But it made sense since Shy was becoming almost as popular as he was, though she hadn’t signed with a record label just yet.

  I couldn’t lie, their performance chemistry certainly made things questionable. But what could I really expect? Him to look… turned off? He had already explained to me on countless occasions that it was all an act for performances only.

  So why are you up at 3 in the morning with a bag packed, ready to hit the road?

  “Probably because my ass is crazy,” I answered myself out loud.

  I plopped down on the edge of the bed, giving myself a chance to give the trip some real thought. I mean, sure he had already invited me himself. And even though I had turned him down, that didn’t exactly mean the invitation was null and void.

  Or did it?

  Maybe I should just ask if it’s still okay.

&n
bsp; I flopped to the other side of the bed and grabbed my phone off of the nightstand, preparing to send him a text and ask. But the devil bitch on my shoulder quickly intervened, “Nu uh, girl. Just show up on his ass.”

  And I’d be damned if her couple of words weren’t exactly the encouragement I needed to do just that.

  &

  I stood in line, giving my dress an upward tug since my boobs weren’t exactly doing their job of holding it up on their own. The dress was a last minute desperate decision after spending way too much of the day in the mall, afraid at every turn that I’d get caught by Gavin before I could actually surprise him. Even though he wasn’t much of a shopper on his own, he was known for bringing back little gifts for me from each of his shows. Sometimes a purse, or a pair of shoes, or a pair of… sweatpants.

  What can I say?

  The guy definitely knew my taste.

  The line inched forward and I peeked around the couple in front of me to see how much longer I’d be waiting. To my surprise, the party was open to the public, so all I had to do was show up and wait with the others. But considering how long the line was, it was still a 50/50 chance that I would actually make it inside before they reached capacity.

  All of a sudden there was an uproar in the crowd as a dark SUV pulled up right in front of the entrance. I watched closely as the driver jogged around the back of the truck to open the door for the special guest.

  G. Griffey.

  Yeah, he was definitely G. Griffey tonight; completely looking the part of a rapper with his fitted cap low over his eyes and a gaudy chain that I hated with a passion. I had already reminded him a few hundred times over how many children he could feed at the center with the kind of money he spent on that stupid chain. But he claimed it was the one thing he always wanted growing up, so I was forced to accept it. Thankfully, he only wore it to things like this instead of just walking around my apartment naked with it on or something stupid like that.

  Okay, so maybe he did that too.

  I smiled proudly from afar as he stopped to sign things for a few fans. But my smile was short-lived as Shy followed right behind him, wrapping her arm around his waist so fans could take pictures of the two of them.