by Deja King
“Nice to meet you,” Dale said, shaking Amir’s hand.
“And I’m Amir’s girlfriend, Latreese,” she said extending her hand, which Dale politely took.
“Your event planner did a fabulous job with this party. I mean, it is Hollywood red carpet all the way.”
“Thank you.”
“Oh, Latreese, you’re an event planner? I had no idea. I thought Leslie’s company put this together.”
“No, I’m not, but I played a pivotal role with helping the event planner put this party together.”
“You all did an excellent job.”
“Thanks. If I knew you were in town I would’ve had them hire you as one of our bartenders. That is what you do back in Miami, right…pour drinks?”
Is this heffa trying to play me right now? Do I pour drinks? How about I pour the rest of my drink right in your face? Where does Amir find these stray animals? I thought to myself, as I kept my cool.
“I have dabbled in bartending and a few other odd jobs. You have the luxury of doing that when you’re a trust fund baby, like myself.” Dale shook his head and laughed at my remark. Amir didn’t appear to be as amused.
“Amir, can I borrow you for a minute,” Leslie, the party planner said.
“Sure.”
“I’ll be right here waiting for you,” Latreese said, batting her eyes.
“Babe, I need to take this call. I’ll be right back.”
“I guess that just leaves us,” Latreese quipped.
“I guess so. Hopefully both our dates will be back soon.”
“Dates?” Latreese glared. “I’m beyond dating Amir. We’re a couple. Don’t you see this Neil Lane diamond necklace he got me? And this isn’t the Kay Jewelers collection, either. He got this from Cartier.”
“Does that mean it’s on loan and has to be returned tomorrow?”
“No, it doesn’t. It was a gift.”
“Calm down. No need to get offensive.”
“What is your issue with me? Are you jealous because Amir is with me and not you?”
“First of all, I’m the one that left New York, which meant me leaving Amir.”
“I know and I’m still trying to understand why you came back. Is it because of Amir?”
“My family is here and I came back for them, not Amir. Although I’m sure you would like me to be, but there is nothing you have that I’m jealous of and that includes Amir.”
“You think you are such hot shit.”
“Yeah, I do and your point.”
“Just watch yourself.”
“Hold up,” I laughed, waving my hand in delight. “You can’t possibly be threatening me,” I laughed some more.
“Take it however you want to take it.”
“I was giggling and shit wit’ you ‘cause I found you humorous, but I wasn’t laughing with you, I was laughing at you. Let me explain one thing. I might kee kee with you, but you don’t ever want it with me. Tricks like you come up missing. Check my stats. Now, let me excuse myself before I really say something that will make you scared to leave your house ever again.”
“Where are you going?” Amir grabbed my arm and asked, as I was headed in the opposite direction of his girlfriend.
“I need another drink.”
“Did it get that bad between you and Latreese?”
“Everything went fine.”
“You don’t have to lie to me, Aaliyah. I know you all don’t really care for each other, but it would mean a lot to me if you gave Latreese a chance.”
“I don’t need any new friends. You see what sort of hell Justina put me through and we were childhood friends. Speaking of Justina, I’m surprised she’s not here or could she not handle your relationship with Latreese?”
“Justina has accepted I’ve moved on. She was actually supposed to come, but I just spoke to her father and he said she missed her flight, and won’t be here until tomorrow.”
“T-Roc is here?”
“Yep. You know he’s one of my dad’s closes friends.”
“That’s right. I just hadn’t heard his name mentioned in awhile. Does he still have Chantal locked away in a crazy house, so she doesn’t have to go to jail?”
“I thought you knew.”
“Knew what?”
“Chantal’s attorney copped her a plea deal. She had to do two years in a psychiatric facility, continue to get therapy once she’s released, and 10 years probation. Justina told me her mother should be getting out within the next few months.”
“My life was turned upside down and I spent almost a year in jail, because of that mother and daughter deadly duo, and Chantal gets a slap on the wrist. And Justina never was held accountable for all her lies. Must be nice.”
“What happened to you was wrong, but Justina has a lot of issues she had to deal with, and is still dealing with.”
“You never learn. You always feel sorry for these kooky women. Now, you’re with a girl that’s as crazy, if not crazier than Justina, and you don’t even see it.”
“Latreese is not crazy.”
“So says the man that keeps a crazy woman by his side. I wish you good luck, but trust you’ll eventually see that I’m right. Speaking of kooky women, who is that man Maya is talking to?” Amir turned to see who I was talking about.
“I don’t know.”
“So, he wasn’t on your guest list.”
“Nope, but it doesn’t mean he didn’t come as somebody else’s guest.”
“His interaction with Maya seems a tad off to me. You see like they’re talking…like they want to make sure nobody can hear what they’re saying.”
“Aaliyah, you over analyze everything. You’ve labeled Latreese crazy and now Maya is conspiring with a guest at my birthday party. You should relax. Go, get your drink and enjoy the party. I need to get back to Latreese.”
Nine times out of ten, my instincts were never wrong and I heard alarms going off. When I saw Maya and the mystery man sneaking out, I decided to follow them. Luckily, the venue was crowded, so neither of them noticed I was on their trail. They were outside, standing in front of a black truck, enthralled in a conversation, but I couldn’t hear a word of what they were saying. I wanted to move closer, but feared I would be seen, so I had to stay put.
Their conversation continued for another fifteen minutes, sometimes becoming heated. For a second, I wondered if they were having a lovers quarrel, but I wasn’t picking up any romantic vibes. As their relationship seemed to be winding down, Maya playfully hit the man on his upper arm and I noticed him flinch, then rubbing the area she hit.
Could that be the motherfucker that ran up in my crib trying to get at me? I don’t know where, but I did shoot him because I saw the blood. Could he be rubbing the spot he took the bullet? Is Maya behind the man trying to kidnap me? Oh hell, nah! I have to get to the bottom of this shit, because if Maya is up to her old tricks, that ho gon’ have to be put down, I thought to myself.
Precious
“You look absolutely beautiful tonight.” I heard someone say to me, when I came out of the restroom. I looked to see the face that went with the voice and a very tall, extremely handsome, well-dressed man was standing in front of me.
“Do I know you?”
“I guess it is true, you lost your memory, but the important thing is you’re alive.”
“Will you please tell me who you are?”
“Lorenzo.”
“I was in love with you.”
“You do remember me.”
“No, that came out wrong. Several people have told me that before the accident, I was in with you.”
“Yes, we were in love with each other.”
“I apologize, I don’t remember, but I must say, I have incredible taste in men: Nico, Supreme, and now you. I’m impressed with myself.”
“I see losing your memory hasn’t had a negative affect on your sense of humor.”
“No, it hasn’t. Although I don’t remember what we shared, I’m glad I was able to finally meet you. I had heard your name so many times, but now I have a face to go with the name.”
“Yes, you do, but I’m not giving up hope.”
“Hope on what, that I’ll remember?”
“Yes,” Lorenzo nodded. “You came into my life and changed it for the better. I’ll always love you for that.”
“What the fuck is going on over here?”
“Nico. I ran into Lorenzo and we were talking.”
“You don’t even remember him, so why are ya’ talking?”
“Nico, chill. I saw Precious coming out the bathroom and we started having a conversation.”
“You mean you initiated a conversation,” Nico barked.
“No need to be hostile, my man.”
“Nico, why are you acting like this?”
“You don’t know this dude.”
“I thought he was one of your business partners.”
“On paper only. The relationship stops there. It’s strictly business.”
“I thought we were past this. You finally get the girl and you still don’t know how to act. Is it because you won by default and you’re feeling slightly insecure?”
“Fuck you, Lorenzo!” Nico roared, jumping towards Lorenzo, ready to come to blows.
“Nico, stop! That’s enough.” Fortunately, Genesis, Amir, and a few other men were in close enough proximity to keep Nico and Lorenzo apart, before a fight broke out.
“Precious is with me now. Remember that shit and respect it. She don’t know who you are, so stay the fuck away. Business partners or not, I’ll fuck you up.”
Lorenzo put his hands up as if calling for peace, before saying, “I understand you only won back the love of your life because she doesn’t remember anybody else. That would shake my confidence, too, so I’m going to excuse your outburst. You a lil’ sensitive right now…I get it.”’
“Fuck you, Lorenzo!” Nico spit again, as Genesis escorted Lorenzo away from the drama.
“Everything is fine. Everybody go back to what you were doing and enjoy the party. There’s nothing to see here,” Amir stated, trying to diffuse the commotion.
“I think we should go. You’re upset and you’ll be in a bad mood for the rest of the night.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Are we good over here?” Genesis asked, coming back to check on Nico.
“No,” I replied.
“Yes, we are,” Nico countered.
“Which one is it?”
“Man, I’m over this shit. Just make sure Lorenzo stays away from Precious, and we’re good.”
“Nico, I’m ready to go. Genesis, give our apologies to Amir.”
“That won’t be necessary. We’re family, things happen. Nico, I’ll call you tomorrow.
On our drive home, I replayed the bullshit that went down at Amir’s birthday party. An evening that was supposed to solidify me being back on the scene and feeling better than ever turned into a night I would prefer to forget. I remember Nico being the territorial type, but his level of hatred and what I chalked up as jealousy towards Lorenzo, had me stumped. Had I really been that in love with Lorenzo, that it was still an intimidating factor for Nico? I didn’t want it to be like this. I was more in love with him than ever before. I had to figure out a way to make Nico feel secure in our relationship and know that I wasn’t going anywhere.
* * *
“Thanks so much for meeting up with me, Precious. Especially since it was so last minute,” Skylar beamed, when I sat down across from her at the restaurant.
“My pleasure. I was already in the city visiting my sister, so when I called it was perfect timing.
“Luck was on my side, because I didn’t want to leave New York, without spending some time with you.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but why was that so important to you? I mean, it’s not like we’re friends.”
“I want us to be.”
“Skylar, I really don’t have room in my life for new friends, I barely remember my old ones. I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but not that long ago, I was shot, almost died, and lost my memory.”
“Genesis did mention it to me. It’s understandable you would be reluctant to bring new people into your circle, but because you have a close relationship with him and our relationship is getting serious, I thought maybe you would reconsider.”
“How is your relationship getting serious? The two of you barely know each other.”
“If you’re going strictly by the number of days, then that would be true, but if you’re basing it on how we connect, it’s like we’ve known each other a lifetime.”
I processed what Skylar said and I had to admit to myself that I got it. In a strange way, I felt the exact way about Genesis, but it wasn’t in a romantic way. Although I lost my memory, when Genesis came to the house to visit after I got out of the hospital, I instantly bonded with him and felt at ease. He possessed this energy that surrounded him and would draw you in.
“When you say serious, how serious?”
“I’m moving to New York with my son.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what do you do for a living that you can move with your son, at the drop of a dime, from L.A. to New York?”
“Honestly, I’m a struggling model/actress. I do temp work on the side to pay the bills. I do have my bachelor’s degree and worked as a paralegal for a year, before deciding to pursue my dreams. Having a baby put a minor hiccup in my plans, but my son has been a huge source of motivation.”
“I see. Can’t knock a woman for wanting to have it all. I assume you’re going to continue and pursue your acting aspirations when you get to New York.”
“Yes, and Genesis is behind me one hundred percent.”
“Are you going to live with him?”
“Not initially. He’s going to get us a place in the city. To make me feel secure about our arrangement, in case things don’t work out between us, Genesis is going to put a substantial amount of money in a savings account for me. It’s substantial for me, but probably a drop in the bucket for him. Regardless, it’s very considerate.”
“Yes, it is.”
“That’s why I’m hoping we can be friends. I’m moving to a new city and I can’t be under Genesis all the time. Plus, there’s something about you I like, Precious. When we were in L.A., initially, you were the only person who seemed to be looking out for me.”
“Has Genesis told you what he does and what I do?”
“No, but I’m not stupid. I can put the pieces together.”
“And it doesn’t scare you?”
“I’m sure you weren’t always in this life, did it scare you?”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. This game chose me, but you, on the other hand, have a choice.”
“No, I’m not scared. I believe Genesis will protect me and keep me out of harms way. He is the first man I’ve ever met that makes me feel like I can have it all: a career and a family, with an incredible man by my side. So, he’s worth whatever risk I have to take.”
“As long as you know what you’re up against, then that’s all that matters.”
“I do and I appreciate you being upfront with me, and not trying to sell me a fairytale.”
“As you get to know me, it will be evident that I don’t do fairytales.”
“Does that mean you’re open for a potential friendship?”
“Why not. When I lost my memory, I said this would be an opportunity for new beginnings, so a new friendship might be exactly what I need.”
“Great! Now, lets order some food, so we can eat, because I’
m starving.”
For the next couple hours, Skylar and I chatted like we were high school best friends playing catch up. The same way I got why she was crazy about Genesis, I got why he would be crazy about her, too. She was funny, candid, and extremely intelligent, but not in an irritating way. What was most appealing about Skylar was that she didn’t take herself seriously. A lot of women would try to play the prima donna role, thinking it was cute and impressive, when actually it was a major turn off. But not Skylar, she meant what she said and said what she meant, and stood firm in her word. She was definitely winning me over.
“I really enjoyed our lunch,” Skylar said, as we walked to my car.
“Me too. If I had one more drink, I would’ve had to call somebody and get a ride,” I laughed.
“Lucky for me, I’m taking a cab, so I was able to have a few more extra glasses of wine.”
“You don’t have to take a cab. I can give you a ride. Are you staying with Genesis?”
“No, The Peninsula Hotel on Fifth Avenue and 55th Street.”
“Get in, I’ll take you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Girl, of course, we’re friends remember.” We both giggled and got in the car. It wasn’t until seatbelts were fastened and I was about to start the ignition that the masked gunman made his appearance known. He had been lurking in the backseat of the Range Rover and I didn’t even know it. The dark tint made me not even notice.
“Start the car, do as I say, and maybe the both of you will live to see another day.”
I knew for a fact that once I drove off, Skylar and I were dead. Whoever this gunman was, he would have me drive us to a place where we would surly meet our doom. Without turning my head I observed Skylar. She was super quiet but her eyes were swelling with tears. Time was not my friend right now and I had to make my move quickly.
“You don’t want to do this,” I said, trying to stall as I figured out what the fuck to do.
“Shut up and move this car,” the gunman said, matter-of-factly.
I was driving Nico’s Range and I knew he kept a gun hidden right underneath his seat. You had to press a concealed button in order to get access. I argued with myself back and forth. Should I try my luck now and take the risk of being killed, or start the engine and try my luck in traffic. I said a silent prayer then without giving it a second thought made my move.
