“That’s so crazy,” Aleesha said as she shook her head.
“I’m sorry, Aleesha.”
“Mila, stop apologizing,”
“I can’t. I hurt you and Cali so bad,” Milasia said with a saddened look on her face.
Aleesha took Milasia’s hand in hers. “Look, we both forgive you. You just have to forgive yourself and move on like we have.”
“I know, it’s just hard. I fucked up a lot of people’s lives.”
“You’re only making it hard on yourself. We still love you and we’re just happy you’re getting the help you need. But let’s change the subject,” Aleesha said as she clapped her hands together.
“Yeah you’re right,” Milasia agreed. “Have you talked to my brother?”
“Nah, I haven’t seen him since that night. Have you?”
“Yeah I talk to him every other day and he came up here a few days ago. I kinda miss you guys being together.”
“I’m sure you do,” Aleesha said as she rolled her eyes.
“No really,” Milasia said with a giggle. “Don’t get me wrong I love Savage and you guys’ relationship. You made the right choice marrying him, but you were the only female Cali really loved.”
“I loved him too,” Aleesha admitted. “But that’s old news. The love will always be there but we just weren’t meant to be together.”
“Don’t be so sure. You never know what could happen in the future.”
“I am sure. I’m married now, and I’m in it for life.”
“Okay,” Milasia said with a smirk.
“Anyways,” Aleesha said as she rolled her eyes, “you think you need to stay in here the whole 90 days?”
“Honestly,” Milasia said, looking down at her hands then back up at Aleesha, “yes I do. If I don’t, I know I’ll go back to my old life.”
“Aww,” Aleesha said with a big grin, “I’m so proud of you.”
“Shut up,” Milasia said, blushing.
“No really, it takes a strong person to admit that,” Aleesha said as her tone became serious again. “And the fact that you don’t want to give up early makes you even stronger.”
Milasia smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Aleesha reached out and squeezed Milasia’s hands. They continued talking for well over two hours until it got dark. Then they said their goodbyes, and Aleesha was out the door on her journey back home.
Let’s Celebrate
The next few days seemed to drag by, and everyone’s mood was still gloomy. No one seemed their normal selves until the day of the opening of Aleesha and Lala’s new lounge, 4Twenty. It was a smoking lounge and bar, and only legal marijuana patients were allowed in. Lala, Aleesha and Savage were at the lounge getting a few last minute things ready for the grand opening later that night. Lala was in charge of the catering, while Aleesha was in charge of everything else.
“Damn it looks good in here,” Savage said as he admired the room. There was a fully stocked bar, and multiple tables and booths around the room. There were pictures, quotes, and paintings of famous weed smokers on the walls, and the dimmed lighting gave off a mellow vibe.
“Thanks babe,” Aleesha said, taking a look around at her work. “C’mon let’s go check up with Lala,” she said before they walked toward the back. “Everything good back here, Lala?” Aleesha asked as they made their way into the kitchen.
“Yeah, I can’t believe we’re finally opening,” Lala said as feelings of nervousness came over her.
“Yeah, I’m kinda nervous,” Aleesha admitted.
“What is there to be nervous about? You got this, babe,” Savage reminded her as he rubbed her shoulders.
“This will be the first time you won’t be here to help me run things,” she told him as she turned around and looked up into his golden brown eyes.
“I know, babe. This is what you wanted though,” he said as he kissed her lips.
“I know,” she said as she turned her face away.
He turned her face back to his and kissed her again. “It won’t be as hard as you think.”
“You leaving tomorrow night, right?” Lala asked, interrupting the couple’s make out session.
“Yeah,” Savage responded, looking up at Lala. He had opened his recording studio in New Orleans, and was moving out there to better control the business.
“Leelee, I don’t see why you didn’t want to move out there,” Lala said.
“Me either,” Savage agreed.
“You know why,” Aleesha said, rolling her eyes at Savage. “I’m just not ready to leave home yet.” She looked at Lala. “But enough about that, let’s leave so we can get ready.”
“Aight. Okay,” Savage and Lala said as they all headed out.
Aleesha was as nervous as ever when they arrived for the grand opening. There was a line full of people already outside waiting to get in. Lala was already there, and she greeted Aleesha with a microphone.
“Good evening, everyone,” Aleesha said as she walked toward the entrance. “I just want to give a quick thank you to everyone who helped make this lounge what it is,” she said, giving a round of applause. “Now, without further ado, I give you, 4Twenty,” she said as she opened the doors and walked inside. Everyone outside cheered and rushed toward the doors to get inside.
A live DJ was playing “Rollin’ Up” by D Mac, and chicken wings, burger shots and other appetizers were being served. Aleesha, Lala and Savage immediately went to the VIP table they had reserved for themselves, and a little while later, Mac and Amina joined them.
“Okay everyone, I wanna make a toast,” Lala said, interrupting everyone at the table as she stood up.
“The floor is yours,” Aleesha said, giving Lala her full attention.
“Toast to all of us,” Lala said, raising her glass, “for making it this far. May God bless and watch over all of us as we endeavor on these new journeys in our lives. Allow us to flourish and stay sane, and keep the devil off our backs.”
“Amen,” everyone at the table said as they clinked their glasses together.
“Okay,” Aleesha said as she stood up. “I would like to say a few things too. I would like to thank everyone around this table for being here and showing support. You guys mean so much to me and I love you guys even more. And, I’m pregnant,” she suddenly stated, shocking everyone around her.
“Are you serious?” Lala asked with a surprised expression on her face. “Congratulations boo!” she happily exclaimed. “Why the fuck are you just barely telling us?”
“Yeah, why?” Savage angrily asked.
“I don’t know,” Aleesha answered innocently. “I was waiting on a good time.”
Savage got up and left the table. He walked toward the restroom and Aleesha chased after him.
“Babe, babe!” she called out after him. “What’s wrong?”
“Man, Aleesha, you know I’m leavin’ tomorrow,” he said with a hurt expression on his face. “Why are you just barely tellin’ me this shit?”
“Baby,” she said with a sigh, “with everything that’s been going on, I didn’t know when would be the right time.”
“So you pick now?” Savage asked irritably.
“Yes,” Aleesha said with a giggle, “why are you trippin’?”
“Aleesha, what do you not get about me leavin’ tomorrow? If I would have known that I wouldn’t be goin’,” he said furiously.
“That’s exactly why I didn’t want to tell you,” she admitted. “We can’t put our life on hold, and your acting like you’re never coming back. We already planned on seeing each other at least once a month.”
“Yeah, but I wanna be there for every appointment, every class you need to take, all that.”
“I know babe, you will be. We can Skype,” Aleesha said with a laugh. “Come here babe.” She hugged him. “You know I love you. Everything will be fine. Let’s just enjoy tonight and we can worry about this tomorrow.”
“Aight,” Savage sighed
as Aleesha took his hand and led the way back to the table.
As soon as Aleesha sat down, Lala leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Someone’s here to see you.”
“Who?” Aleesha whispered back in her ear.
“They’re in the lobby.”
“I’ll be right back babe, I need to go check on something,” Aleesha whispered to Savage as she got up from the table.
“Aight,” he said as he rolled up a blunt.
Aleesha walked into the lobby and found Cali standing by the door. “Hey,” she said as she approached him.
“Damn,” he said, staring her up and down, “you look good tonight.”
“Thank you,” she said with a cute little giggle. She was wearing a blue floral halter corset, with black cotton jeggings and blue Prada wedges.
“I know yo dude—”
“Husband,” she corrected him fast.
“Okay, husband,” he said with a sardonic expression on his face, “is here, and I ain’t trying to have no problems. I just wanted to come and congratulate you.”
“Thank you Cali, that really means a lot.”
“No problem,” he said with a smile as he looked at her.
“And you’re welcome here anytime,” she added.
“Aight, I’ll come back and check it out soon. I’m about to get up outta here though, I gotta go handle some business.”
“Alright,” she said with a warm smile.
“Oh, and thanks for helpin’ out with Mila,” he stated appreciatively. “I don’t think she would be doin’ as good as she is if you weren’t there for her.”
“Of course, me and her have been through too much. I don’t know,” she said with a pause as she shrugged her shoulders, “I couldn’t stay mad at her.”
“I feel you, but I’ll see you later.”
“Okay,” Aleesha said as they embraced in a long, warm hug. “I love you,” she whispered to him as she hugged him tighter, not realizing what she had said.
“I love you too,” Cali replied, squeezing her tighter.
“Umm,” she said, clearing her throat as she hurriedly broke free of his grip, “I gotta get back in there.”
“I won’t hold you up no longer,” he said with a sly smile. “I’ll catch you later.”
“Okay,” Aleesha said as she began walking away. “See you later, Cali.” She waved over her shoulder.
“See you later,” Cali said as he watched her walk away.
Aleesha returned to the table and they celebrated the rest of the night as everyone said their goodbyes and see-you-later’s to Savage. The next day, Aleesha dropped him off at the airport and stayed with him until he boarded his plane. It was an emotional time for the couple when they parted, but they had reassurance knowing they would see each other in a few weeks.
The Start of Something New
A year and a half later, everything was back to normal. Aleesha had opened up two more dispensaries, one in Arizona, and the other in Nevada. She had given birth to twins, a baby boy who they named Anthony, and a baby girl named Aniya, who were now nine months old. She decided to slow things down to take some time out of her busy life to care of her children, so the family and friends who were managing the shops were given more responsibilities. They now met with suppliers and ordered various things for the shops until she was ready to jump back into the working life.
One day while she and the twins were out shopping at the Victoria Gardens, she bumped into Noelle. They both were inside The Children’s Place, and Noelle was coming out as Aleesha was walking in.
“What a surprise,” Aleesha said as she stopped in her tracks. Noelle was also pushing a little girl in a stroller who resembled someone, but Aleesha couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“Hey,” Noelle said as she stopped pushing her stroller to talk to Aleesha. “Look, I’m not tryna start no drama right now.”
“Me either,” Aleesha said as she stared at her.
“Do you think we can go somewhere and talk?” Noelle asked.
“Sure.”
The two women pushed their strollers out of the store and sat down at the nearest bench.
“I see you and Savage had babies of your own. Congratulations. They’re so cute,” Noelle said as she looked at the twins.
“Thank you,” Aleesha responded as she smiled and looked at the twins also.
“What are their names?” Noelle asked.
Aleesha smiled back up at her. “Anthony and Aniya.”
“That’s beautiful. It fits them.”
“Thank you,” Aleesha said as she looked at the baby in the stroller Noelle had been pushing. “Is this your daughter?” she asked Noelle.
“Yea, this is my one-year-old Miracle,” Noelle said as she looked at Aleesha. She could tell by Aleesha’s uneasy facial expression that she was wondering who fathered the child. “Don’t worry, she isn’t Savage’s,” Noelle responded, but Aleesha still had the same uneasy look upon her face. “She’s Marcus’s seed,” Noelle stated, shocking Aleesha.
“Oh my God,” Aleesha exclaimed, “she does look just like him.”
“Yeah,” Noelle said as she laughed.
“She’s beautiful though.”
“Thank you.”
“So you and Marcus fucked around before he died?”
“Actually,” Noelle replied with a pause, “me and Marcus were together for years—well ... on and off, ever since he did that three-year sentence.”
“Wow,” Aleesha said as she shook her head. I wonder why Savage didn’t tell me that. I know his ass had to know, she thought to herself.
“I know it sounds fucked up, and I’m pretty sure you never knew about me and Marcus, but we were in love, or so I thought anyway,” Noelle said as she shook her head with a scorned look on her face. “But we planned on having her,” she said as she looked at Miracle and began smiling.
“You know what, I would say I’m surprised but nothing surprises me anymore,” Aleesha casually stated. “Once you find out someone’s true colors, nothing amazes you about them anymore.”
“That is so true,” Noelle agreed as she looked back up at Aleesha. “It actually took me having this little girl to realize what I was really doin’ in my life. At one point in time, I actually believed him when he said he loved me and that we would be together. I was really fooled by some good dick.”
“Girl, you ain’t ever lied. I know the feelin’,” Aleesha agreed, shaking her head.
“So how’s Savage, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“He’s good. He’s away in New Orleans producing music.”
“Oh, that’s good. I’m happy for you two and your family,” Noelle said with a sincere look on her face. “I really wanna apologize about the stuff that happened in the past.”
“Girl, say no more,” Aleesha said, putting her palm up. “I wanna apologize too,” she said as she put her hand back down and looked at Noelle. “We could’ve handled ourselves way better, but I’m glad we learned from it.”
“Yeah, after Marcus died and I realized I would be raising our daughter without him,” Noelle said with a scowl, “it really cleared my head up and I knew I had to be better for her, I don’t want her traveling down the same road as me. I don’t even want her to know who her mother was back then you know.”
“Yeah I totally understand,” Aleesha said as she nodded her head in agreement. “So what have you been up to?”
“Well,” Noelle said as she began smiling again. “I’m in school for nursing now. I have my LVN license and I’m studying to be an RN.”
“That’s hella good!” Aleesha exclaimed. “I’m happy to hear that.
“Thank you,” Noelle y replied appreciatively.
“Can I ask something?” Aleesha cautiously asked.
“Yeah sure.”
“How did you know Marcus tried to have sex with me?”
“Well, believe it or not, Marcus talked to me about everything, especially when he was drunk or high,” Noelle regretta
bly confessed. “He always resented the fact that you and Savage were together. He told me when you guys first met, he liked you but Savage got to you first. And he was hella jealous knowin’ you was out there grindin’ for him. He felt like that should have been him in Savage’s place.”
“Oh wow,” Aleesha responded, astonished. “But why did you keep messing around with him knowing how he felt and knowing him and my best friend were together?”
“Because it didn’t bother me,” Noelle stated bluntly. “We participated in threesomes, orgies, and all types of stuff. I thought you just dealt with those things when you were in love. Don’t get me wrong, I knew what I was doin’ and I enjoyed it, but Marcus also had a slick ass tongue. He made everything sound so good and always justified everything he said and did. He told me he tried to have sex with you to see if you were really loyal to Savage, but I already knew the truth because I knew how he felt.”
“I always knew he was messed up in the head,” Aleesha sadly admitted, “but I tolerated it for my husband. I mean he did grow on me and we became closer over time, but it just fucks me up that his jealousy got that far,” she said as she shook her head.
“Yeah, I know. But I gotta get going,” Noelle said as she stood up to leave. “Gotta get her to my mom’s before I’m late for school.”
“Okay, well it was nice seeing you,” Aleesha said as she stood up. “I hope we can keep in touch,” she said as they exchanged a hug.
“We will, you know my lurkin’ ass knows how to find you,” Noelle said, laughing as she walked away with the stroller.
“You silly,” Aleesha said, laughing as she walked back into the Children’s Place.
She made a mental note to send Noelle money for Miracle on behalf of Marcus. Even though they were responsible for his death, it didn’t stop them from helping to provide for his family. Aleesha finished shopping with her children and went home. She couldn’t wait to tell Savage of the encounter she had today and the new information she learned.
Girls That Like Girls
When the kids were a year old, Aleesha sent them to spend time with Savage. He was going to have them for a whole month, including Thanksgiving, to give her a break. She didn’t ever want to spend a holiday without her kids, so she was reluctant at first. She hadn’t been away from them since the day they were born, but she did need a break and she wanted them to get used to being in the country, seeing as how they would be moving out there soon. So she packed them up and Savage flew to California to take them back to New Orleans with him.
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