by Twyla Turner
Devon:
Hey Ro. Yeah, I’ll try and stop by a little later.
She sighed heavily. His message could literally mean a multitude of things. He could either be there within the hour. He could show up at some random time in the middle of the night after going out. Or he could not show up at all. It was always a crapshoot with Devon.
They’d been screwing for the last couple of months. It had been years in the making. He was her editor-in-chief that she’d been crushing on for eight years. He was handsome with butterscotch skin. Educated, well-spoken, and clean cut. His hair was cut in a nice fade with waves brushed to perfection on top. He was a black mother’s wet dream. Hell, any mother’s dream! Royal tried hard not to analyze why she was into a guy that her mother would love and approve of so much.
And though he’d finally made a move on her a few months ago, Devon always kept her at arms’ length. Royal figured it was because she was his employee and didn’t want anyone at Diesel magazine to think she was getting preferential treatment. But she would’ve thought that he’d at least show a little more interest outside of work.
“I don’t even know why I keep trying.” Royal grumbled to herself. “The sex is mediocre at best.”
She sighed and then walked up the steps to her open loft bedroom. Royal opened the top drawer of her nightstand and pulled out her vibrator. She grabbed her phone, pulled up her favorite porn site, found a hot video of a guy going down on his girlfriend, and decided to pleasure herself.
I might as well. Even if he does come over, I doubt I’ll be coming.
He never did show up. So, Royal spent the rest of her Saturday night editing the photos from her shoot with Payton and Bradyn.
“I can’t believe this is my life.” Royal sighed before drifting off to sleep alone.
Chapter Two
“Will there ever be a time that I’m not running late?” Royal said to herself as she rushed out of the shower.
It was a week after Payton and Bradyn’s photoshoot. Their regularly scheduled Saturday afternoon lunch at Raw last week had been postponed, since Kennedy and Mia had been out of town for a romance novel convention in Vegas. Mia had said that she wanted to tag along with Kennedy for moral support. They all knew she went to get some ass. Royal couldn’t wait to hear all of the gory details. She also couldn’t wait to show Kennedy some of the mockup covers she had put together with Payton and Bradyn’s photos she’d worked on throughout the week.
She whipped her shower cap off of her head, fluffed her hair on the one side, and smoothed down the buzzed side with a brush. She quickly lined her top and bottom eyelids with jet black liner to enhance her upturned almond-shaped eyes, and then brushed some mascara on her curly lashes to make her eyes pop. She finished off her usual dark, edgy look with a dark purple lipstick that matched her ripped, off-the-shoulder Jimi Hendrix t-shirt. She pulled up a tight, black denim mini skirt over her short and plump, shapely legs. She completed the ensemble with a pair of black combat boots with silver studded straps around the ankles.
She grabbed her masculine wallet with a silver chain and put it in her back pocket. Bypassed her white and hot pink helmet to grab the keys to her old beat up Jeep, and then headed downstairs and out to her car. She preferred driving her custom white Harley with pink details, but it was drizzling out and she didn’t want to chance it.
They decided to meet up at a different restaurant this week that served a little bit of everything, and had a great weekend brunch deal with delicious mimosas that lasted all day. Royal parked and started towards the door just as Payton walked up. Royal grinned at her friend who looked away bashfully.
“Oh, don’t be embarrassed. You guys did awesome last week! The photos are breathtaking.” Royal praised as she opened the door for them to enter.
“Really?” Payton asked skeptically.
“Yes, really. You’ll see.” Royal assured her.
“Cool.”
They walked in and Royal immediately spotted Kennedy’s wild natural red curls. Her curly fro was something to be marveled at, it was so glorious. Mia waited with her. Her tight curls a bit more contained as they laid against her back and shoulders. Royal and Payton headed over to them, bypassing the hostess stand.
“Don’t you two look like a couple of curly goddesses?” Royal complimented. “You both could be in a hair commercial.”
“Oh, yes!” Kennedy began, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I can’t wait for my big moment in the spotlight. I’ll stay behind the computer. Thank you very much.”
They all took a moment to give each other big hugs. The minute they all sat down, Kennedy held out her hands impatiently towards Royal.
“Gimme, gimme!”
“Give you what?” Royal teased.
“Don’t make me cause a scene in this place. Pull up those pics and hand over that phone. I want to see my potential covers.”
“Fine, don’t get your panties in a twist.” Royal grinned at her before passing her the phone.
“Wait a minute,” Payton frowned. “Aren’t I, as the model, supposed to see them first?”
“I don’t want you being all negative and a Debbie Downer on yourself, raining on my parade. I’m super proud of these shots and I need enthusiasm first,” Royal explained.
“I suppose,” Payton pouted.
“Oh my God!” Kennedy gasped. “These are spectacular!”
“Let me see!” Mia leaned over to look at the screen. “Hot damn! Payton, you two are fire!”
“Okay, now I have to see.” Payton demanded as she held out her hand.
Kennedy passed over the phone. Payton looked down at it, swiping through the mock covers with her and Bradyn’s images on them. She was so quiet as Royal wrung her hands nervously. Even if Kennedy loved them, it was ultimately Payton who had the final say on whether she was okay with having her image plastered on the cover of a romance novel that would be in the hands of hundreds of thousands of people.
“So… What do you think?” Royal asked nervously.
Payton looked up and her eyes were glassy with unshed tears.
“Oh my God! You hate them!” Royal exclaimed. “We can do them over if you want.”
“No, no.” Payton stopped Royal’s rambling. “They’re…they’re beautiful. I-I didn’t know that that’s the way we look together. Or that I could look like…like that! I look like a model.”
Payton whispered the last sentence.
“Sweetie, we’ve been telling you that for years.” Royal patted her hand. “I’ve wanted to take photographs of you since we first met you. Just wait until you see the photos I took of you for my art exhibit.”
“I can only imagine,” Kennedy sighed with a dreamy look on her face. “I can’t wait for the day that you can take sexy pics of me with a man who adores every inch of me.”
“It’s coming,” Royal assured her. “Just remember what we all promised each other… That we’d keep an open-mind where it comes to guys. You see what happened to Payton when she did.”
“Yeah, I can’t believe it myself. Who knew I’d have a boyfriend?!” Payton smiled happily.
“I’ll try to remember,” Kennedy promised.
Royal gave her a look. “Uh huh. We know you. Always looking for Prince Charming.”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I’ll be fine. What about you and your boy toy?” Kennedy quickly switched the subject to Royal’s love life. “Has Devon decided to commit yet?”
“Well… Not exactly,” Royal squirmed in her chair. “He kinda blew me off last night.”
“Blew you off?” Mia squinted at her.
“Well, he said he might stop by and never did.”
“Ugh! Royal, please cut that motherfucker loose,” Mia groaned.
“I like him,” Royal shrugged.
“I like eating my weight in tacos. That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.” Mia held firm. “You deserve a man who can’t wait to text you the moment he wakes up. Not some prick who can’t do you the courtesy
of returning your texts in a timely fashion.”
“It’s no biggie. Really. I’m sure he’s just busy.”
“First of all, everybody’s gotta shit. And at least ninety percent of people take their phones into the shitter. So, being too busy isn’t an excuse. Second, it’s no biggie for me. Someone who could give a fuck about a relationship. But not for you!” Mia railed. “You really like this guy, so he should be worshipping the ground you walk on because you’re just that fucking boss. And he also needs to do a better job of getting you off. I haven’t forgotten that you said he’s lame in bed. Seriously, Royal. You’ve got to get yourself a real man.
“Yes, Dr. Ruth.” Royal grinned at her indignant friend. “Speaking of real men, how was Vegas?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mia played innocent. “I went with my good friend to be her support system and to help her set up her table and carry her many copies of books to sign.”
“Yeah, right. You went to get some D. Spill it!” Royal pressed.
“No, I didn’t. But… I can’t help it if the dick just comes to me.” Mia shrugged nonchalantly.
“What are you? The Pied Piper of Peen?! You just whistle a happy tune and dicks come flying at your face?” Royal asked just as the waiter walked up to take their orders.
“I…uh…can just come back later,” he said before quickly making an about face and hightailing it to another table.
They all burst out laughing, which drew disgruntled looks from the other diners.
“I can’t take you guys anywhere.” Payton shook her head.
“Oh, stop pretending to be so sweet and innocent.” Royal squinted at her. “You all should’ve seen Payton during their shoot. She was sex personified. And afterwards, she was teasing Bradyn because she knew he was turned on. Our girl is no longer the sweet and innocent Payton we once knew.”
Payton’s mouth opened and shut multiple times before she huffed and ignored them as she looked at her menu.
“That’s what I thought.” Royal winked at her before turning back to Mia. “Now talk. I may be getting mediocre sex at best, but at least I can live vicariously through you.”
Mia glanced around the restaurant to make sure no one was listening in. Not that she actually cared if someone overheard. She just didn’t want anyone complaining to the manager that she was disturbing their brunch with vulgar talk. It had happened before.
“So, I dragged Kennedy to that stripper show with the hot Australians-”
“Are they real Aussies or do they just say they are?” Royal cut off Mia’s story.
“I don’t know about the rest, but he was a real Aussie.” Mia grinned slyly.
“Rad.” Royal grinned back.
“Anyway, you all know that I got on stage, right?”
“Of course, you did.” Payton rolled her eyes.
“I swear, I didn’t even try. The bloke just came right up to me.”
“Bloke?” Royal gave her friend the side eye. “What? You get a little Aussie hot beef injection and now you’re speaking like them?”
“Maybe. Don’t hate. Anyway…his performance on stage was so hot that I invited him to my room after he was done for the night. And let’s just say…his down under was quite thunderous.” Mia fanned herself as they all burst out laughing, drawing attention once more.
“I thought ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’?” Payton asked once they choked down their laughter.
Kennedy looked over at Payton and raised her eyebrows incredulously. “This is Mia that we’re talking about here. If she had a megaphone, she’d shout it out to the masses as she walked by. Hell, she should get her own reality TV show. This woman has no secrets.”
“Sex and being a woman who enjoys it is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s not me that needs to change. It’s society.” Mia raised one eyebrow before taking a sip of her mimosa.
“Truth!” Royal raised her glass in solidarity. “Teach me more, Sensei.”
They ordered their food and Mia got back to giving them all the sordid details of her night with the Australian hottie. Kennedy and Payton spent the end of their meal discussing which cover would be the best. Mia and Royal gave their thoughts until finally one was chosen.
“This is so amazing!” Kennedy clasped her hands together as she gazed at the cover they’d chosen. “Thank you both so much for doing this for me. You’re the best.”
Royal and Payton looked at each other and grinned.
“You’re welcome.”
“No problem, chica. Shooting them was more fun than I’ve had in a long time.” Royal winked at Payton. “Besides, it helped me out too. Now I’m super hyped to find other couples to shoot for my art exhibition.”
“Are you going to continue to work at Diesel and do your side thing?” Mia asked.
“Yeah, I guess so. Although, I have been seriously thinking about going freelance and working for whoever needs a photographer at any given time. I’ve given so much of my talent to just Diesel for eight years. It may be time for others to see what I can offer as well.”
“Sounds like a good plan to me. And you have plenty in savings, just in case you have a decrease in steady work, right?” Payton asked.
“Yes, Yoda. You taught me well,” Royal teased.
“Good.”
Payton was a genius with numbers, so of course she was great with money. When they’d graduated from college, the four of them had gotten a two-bedroom apartment to share to save up money. Payton had put them all on a strict budget and taught them all how to save. After a couple of years, they were each able to leave one by one. Mia had saved enough to buy a place with Alejandro before they got married. Royal had enough to buy a small abandoned warehouse to remodel in the Design District. Payton and Kennedy stayed a little longer before finding their perfect homes. But what Payton had taught them, stuck, and so they all had plenty saved up for any curve balls life might throw at them.
Royal looked around the table and smiled contently. She didn’t have a man and she didn’t have her family. But she did have the family she chose. She’d never have made it without them.
Curvy Girls Club for life.
Chapter Three
Later that night, Royal’s phone vibrated loudly on the table next to her laptop. She jumped at the sudden intrusion.
She had been working on cleaning up her favorite images of Payton and Bradyn for her art exhibit and some other photos for work. She refused to edit out flaws, make her subjects lighter or darker, or make anyone smaller. But stylizing the photos to make them look slicker, enhancing the lighting, or erasing a hair out of place were the types of edits Royal was willing to do.
Royal fumbled with the phone for a few seconds. She finally swiped it open and checked her messages.
Devon:
Hey, you still up?
Royal looked at the clock. It was 2 a.m.
“Seriously?!” Royal said to the empty room.
Royal:
Seriously? It’s 2am!
Devon:
Come on! Don’t be like that. I swear I’ll make it up to you.
Royal:
I’m surprised you didn’t just come over.
Devon:
Well that’s the thing. I’ve had a little too much to drink playing cards with the guys. You think you could come to me this time?
Royal was about to bristle at the fact that he requested her to come to him in the middle of the night. But then she remembered that he’d never invited her to his place before.
Maybe he’s finally wanting to move to the next step.
Royal:
Fine. What’s your address?
Royal felt stupid for needing to ask for his address after hooking up for so long. But she sighed and brushed it aside. Like every other shitty thing about their ‘relationship.’
He texted her the info and she grabbed her leather jacket, wallet, and keys to her Jeep. Royal hated taking out her bike this late. Especially on a weekend night. It was
too late and too dangerous to ride a motorcycle on a Saturday night with a bunch of drunk assholes on the road.
Devon’s address led Royal to the swanky neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury, twenty minutes from her. She parked her Jeep on the street and looked up at his beautiful home. She wondered if he’d gotten any help purchasing the house. With San Francisco prices, she couldn’t imagine that even an editor-in-chief of a successful magazine would have a large enough salary for this place.
Royal walked to the door and before she could even knock, Devon swung the door open and pulled her inside.
A wave of indignation crashed over her as Devon shoved her up against the wall and planted kisses on her shoulder and up her neck without even saying hello.
“Wow. This caveman act would be so much more appealing if you didn’t contact me at college frat boy hours.” Royal attempted to scold even though it had been her choice to drive over.
She could never tell whether she was coming or going when it came to Devon. She hated him and she grudgingly loved him.
“Aw… Come on. Don’t be like that, Ro. I had a few things to take care of today.” Devon breathed against her lips.
“Like…drinking excessively with your bros.” Royal grumbled as he kissed her. “The overwhelming smell of booze and your sloppy kisses are proof enough.”
“It was just a couple of drinks with my boys,” he continued to defend himself as he slid his hand inside her little pajama shorts, she’d decided to leave on.
“Next time, if I can’t come over at a decent hour, you don’t cum at all.”
“You know you’re happy to see me.” Devon said before moaning as he touched her damp folds. “Mm… I knew you were happy to see.”
“Marginally.” Royal rolled her eyes.
She cursed her body for its betrayal, though she really wasn’t that turned on. She had different stages of arousal and currently she was only at a level two. He’d have to do more than give a few kisses to open the floodgates. But Devon wasn’t really one for putting in extra work.