“Oooooh,” Nina exclaimed as she examined them. “These are great. Thanks, T.”
“After I took the girls to the tea, the guys met us at Mr. Chow’s for dinner. I guess that was too much activity for one day.”
“I don’t think that was it. The doctor said she could have been feeling the stress of what was going on between me and Kyle, and my being at work all the time. Kyle brought her to the studio one evening and she started crying when she had to go home.”
“Awwww, poor little thing.”
“I am so sorry I didn’t call when you guys took her to the hospital. By the time I got your message, it was almost a week later. After Kyle didn’t call me again I just assumed everything was okay.”
Topaz disengaged the alarm on her Range Rover. “Well, just know the Gradney family is always happy to have Niki.”
“I know.” Nina gave Topaz a hug. “Thanks for everything, girl.”
It was still early so Nina drove to Pacific Palisades to pick up a few things from Gelson’s to make a special dinner for her family. Sky was in New York for a few weeks, so they had the house to themselves.
She pushed her cart through the aisles picking up their favorite foods. She chose a nice thick steak for Kyle. No matter how hard she tried to get him off of red meat, he always loved a good steak. Fresh jumbo shrimp and lobster, turkey franks for Niki, and other items for a picnic dinner. She loaded everything in the car and made it back to Malibu before Pacific Coast Highway became congested.
“Hey, honey.” She got Kyle on his cell phone. “Are you and Niki on your way home? I’m making dinner.”
“That sounds nice. Yes, I am on my way. We’re coming through Malibu Canyon right now.”
“Good.” Nina sighed with relief. She was glad he didn’t spoil her plans by saying he was in the city having dinner with his brother and Jade. “Can you stop by Blockbuster and pick up a few movies?”
“I sure can. Anything special you want to see?”
“I don’t know. You keep up with the movies more than me.”
“I’ll call you from Blockbuster and you can tell me then.”
“Okay, baby.” Nina was happy he was being so nice. Things had been extremely rocky for the couple. They both needed to get off the emotional roller coaster.
“Hi, Mommy.” Tears came into Nina’s eyes when she heard Niki’s sweet little voice. “How are you?”
“I’m wonderful, sweetheart. How are you?” Nina didn’t know why she was crying.
“I’m fine. Mommy, are you at home?”
“I sure am, baby.” Nina put ears of corn into a pot. “I’m making dinner for you, Daddy, and me.”
“Yaaay.”
Kyle was back on the phone. “See you soon.”
Nina had everything ready by the time she heard the automatic garage door open. She went out to the car to meet them.
“What did you make for dinner, Mommy?” Nina picked up Niki and kissed her as they all walked in the house together.
“What’s your most favorite thing to eat in the entire world?”
“Steak and lobster?”
Nina looked at Kyle because those were his favorite foods. “Since when?”
Kyle laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “That’s my baby girl.”
“I got a steak for you. I also just happened to pick up some lobster. You’d better put that on the grill too.”
When the steak was ready, they all sat down to a candlelight dinner in the dining room.
“This is nice, baby. Thanks. Everything looks delicious.” Kyle put a small portion of steak and lobster on his daughter’s plate.
“I saw Topaz today,” Nina began after Niki said the blessing.
“Did you two finally make up?”
“Yes, we did. She had a wonderful proposal.” Nina told Kyle everything they discussed at lunch. “So what do you think?” Nina was wearing a dress with the back cut out. With her hair swept up, she looked sexy and sophisticated.
“I think you are wearing that dress.”
Niki giggled as she watched her parents kiss.
“Thank you, sweetie.”
“And I think T’s proposal sounds great. See what the two of you can accomplish when you work together?”
“Yes, boss.” Nina smiled into his eyes. She didn’t realize how much she had missed being with her family. “We can all remind each other not to get caught up in this crazy music business and that family always comes first.”
“You got that right.” Kyle led them upstairs to their bedroom where they all got into the bed.
Nina handed Kyle a magnum of Cristal. “We had a case left over from Sky’s showcase. It was in the back of the truck.”
He poured champagne into their flutes. “Here’s to Jamaica, sexy girl. I picked up the tickets on the way home.”
“For real?” Nina’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Yes, Niki and I didn’t get a chance to go on vacation.”
“I didn’t either. I had a terrible time without you guys. I was so bored.”
“I still can’t believe you went without me.”
“I can’t believe I went without you either. I’ll never do that again.”
“Don’t worry, because as the real head of Revelation Music, I won’t let you.”
“Good. Sometimes I think I need someone to tell me what to do.” Nina cuddled up under her husband.
“Babe.”
“Huh?” Nina snuggled even closer.
“Did you tell Topaz about your conversation with Dr. Lawrence?”
“No.” Nina was silent for a moment. “I thought about it, but I just couldn’t bring it up. I know my cousin. If I told her something like that, she would lose it. Besides, what Rosalyn said doesn’t change a thing. Niki’s our daughter. We’re family.”
Niki was lying on the other side of Kyle, sleeping soundly. Nina kissed her and smoothed her hair.
“Exactly.” Kyle started the DVD. “Rosalyn will never be able to prove anything, so just let sleeping dogs lie.”
Chapter 20
Sabre took one last look in the closet of her Embassy Suites apartment just to be sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. It was time to go, and like The Jeffersons, she was finally movin’ on up…to a tri-level beachfront townhouse in Malibu. Sherwin came through for a sista big time.
It was amazing how many things she had acquired since relocating to Cali several years ago. Although she owned no furniture or household items, she did possess several boxes of books, countless pairs of shoes, suitcases filled with lingerie and sportswear. The entire back seat of her Mercedes was filled with clothing on hangers.
She put on a pair of Gucci sunglasses, turned on the radio, and headed west on Franklin to the Hollywood Freeway. It was a gorgeous autumn day. The sky was vividly blue, and the sun was intensely bright and hot. It was one of those days that made you really appreciate living in southern California; an absolutely perfect day for the beach.
Sabre was listening to Power 106 the first time she heard it. Everyone had been talking about Topaz’s new song. She turned up the radio so she could really listen to it.
“It’s a remake.” Sabre laughed out loud after listening a few seconds. “Oh, pa-leezee. She is no competition. I can’t believe people are going crazy over that.” She changed to one of her other favorite stations, and within minutes Topaz’s song was on again.
“All right, this is getting a little ridiculous. Don’t you have any other songs to play, like mine?” Sabre yelled at the radio. Angrily, she flipped to another hip-hop station.
“That Topaz has got to be the finest woman on the planet,” the deejay said.
“Yeah, fucking animal planet,” Sabre mumbled.
“And to top it off, she can sang. Not like some of these other artists who got lucky and got next to some label head when they’re really nothing but background singers.”
“Or a video ho,” someone else cut in. All the men were laughing.
“Punk-
ass motherfuckers. They’re not talking about me, cause my ass can sing,” Sabre responded out loud to the deejays’ comments.
“Man, I was lucky enough to get a ticket to Topaz’s show. It was off da hook. Man, when she walked out on that stage, I was in heaven.”
“That woman is like an expensive bottle of wine. The older she gets, the better she looks.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Give me a fucking break.” Sabre cut off the radio as soon as she heard the first strains of “Superstar.”
She pulled off the freeway into a service station at the exit to Malibu.
“Damn, it’s hotter than hell,” Sabre exclaimed the moment she stepped out of the air-conditioned car. She strutted inside the convenience mart and purchased a pack of Newports and a huge container of Coke with ice. “Mmmh. This ought to get me to the new house.” She lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. “Caffeine and nicotine, my favorite things.”
Sabre sped off with screeching tires. She had purchased a bedroom set and a big-screen TV for the condo and she needed to arrive before the delivery. She was flying down the road doing ninety when she entered the canyon where the highway narrowed and curved upwards through the mountain. “Oh my God. I can’t drive through there.” She slowed down until she practically stopped. A line of honking cars trailed behind her.
“Go the fuck around.” Sabre yelled as if the drivers could hear her. A truck pulled out from behind her, moved in front, then stopped so suddenly she almost ran into the back of it.
Sabre broke out in a sweat. “I will never ever come this way to Malibu again in my life.” Eventually, she reached Pacific Coast Highway and drove at a normal speed to Beach Club Way and collapsed when she stopped in front of the house.
When she initially visited the property, it was with an agent in a limousine. Sherwin was supposed to drive her to the condo but couldn’t because he had to take a last-minute meeting. She was still shaking when she phoned him.
“Sherwin, I was scared as shit driving out to Malibu.”
“Sabre, how are you? You’ll never believe who I’m having lunch with.”
Sabre could tell he was really excited. Sherwin was a pretty low-key, even-tempered guy, so she was surprised to hear him this pumped. She could have cared less who he was having lunch with, since it wasn’t her. She was completely traumatized during her drive to Malibu and she needed to be consoled.
“Who are you having lunch with, Sherwin?” Sabre asked as nicely as she could.
“I am sitting here with the beautiful Topaz, her husband, Germain, and Nina and Kyle Ross, co-CEOs of Revelation Music. Topaz is going to be part of the VMG family. She just signed a deal with Revelation Music. We were tossing around a few ideas. We’re thinking about putting you on the road as an opener for Topaz.”
“What the fuck?” For a moment Sabre forgot who she was talking to. She glanced in her rearview mirror as a Best Buy truck pulled up behind her. “Sherwin, I gotta go. They just got here with my big-screen TV.” She hung up before he could say another word.
Sabre lit another cigarette and got out of the car. Sherwin had asked her to stop smoking. She hadn’t had a cigarette in months. Now she was so glad she had picked up that pack earlier.
She was wearing a cropped tee and a pair of Daisy Dukes with heels. She could feel the deliverymen’s eyes on her as she switched up to the front door, unlocked it, and punched in a code for the alarm.
The Pacific was visible as soon as she entered the house. Blonde hardwood floors ran throughout with white sandstone and vanilla granite in the kitchen. All of the walls were painted a pale shade of pink. Sabre loved it because the townhouse felt light and airy.
“You can put the television there.” Sabre pointed to a spot in the living room near a wood-burning fireplace. The deliverymen went to work unpacking her big screen. She stood there smoking a cigarette until they were done.
“You guys are so big and strong. I’ve got a few boxes in the car. Could you help me carry them inside?” Sabre gave the men one of her best smiles.
“We’ve got a schedule,” one of them began.
“I’ll help you,” the other blurted out.
Sabre swung her narrow hips as wide as she could as she led them to the car. Within minutes, the men carried all of her boxes inside.
“Hey, aren’t you that singer named Sabre?” asked the man who had initially agreed to assist her.
“Un-huh.” She tried to be nonchalant, but she couldn’t have been more pleased that the young man recognized her.
“Do you know Topaz?” the other man wanted to know.
Sabre sipped on her Coke until she sucked up the last of the liquid in the container. “No, I don’t,” she replied rudely.
“Man, I would love to deliver a television to her house,” he told his partner. “I’d buy a TV and take it to her house if I could meet her.”
“I heard that,” the other man agreed. He looked at Sabre who, by now, was mad enough to spit nails. “Bye, Sabre. Nice meeting you.”
She followed them to the door and slammed it behind them. “Stupid-ass motherfuckers.”
It was cooler outside when she went to the car. She grabbed some clothes and carried them up to her master suite. The room was big with a huge walk-in closet and high ceilings. Sherwin was going to have the closet expanded and remodeled Kimora Lee Simmons style. He was also the cosigner on the loan for the two and a half-million-dollar townhouse.
From the third-floor balcony, she could hear the waves rushing directly below her and see lights twinkling along the horizon. It was so chilly, she needed a jacket, but the cold night air was invigorating. It was quiet, but with no one to talk to, no TV, and no music, she felt lonely as hell. She stood out on the balcony until she was completely chilled and her teeth were chattering.
“Some moving day,” she grumbled to herself as she went downstairs and opened the refrigerator. It was empty and sparkling clean. “No fucking food.” It never entered her mind to go to the store and buy some groceries. She sat on the floor in front of the TV. “No fucking furniture.” She put in X-Men just to have some noise and company, called information, and ordered a pizza.
“Sherwin’s ass never called me back,” she suddenly realized. She called him, but the phone rang until it went to voice mail. She checked her cell phone for the time. It was almost ten, so she knew he was probably at home with his wife.
“That must have been some motherfuckin’ meeting. I wonder what else they came up with for me to do, carry her fuckin’ suitcases.” She tossed a half-eaten slice of pizza across the room; stared at it lying on the floor, and came to the realization there was no one around but her to pick it up. She tossed the pizza in the trash, then dug inside her boxes until she found Bear and her night light. Using the stuffed animal as a pillow, she went to sleep.
“Hey, Victor.” Sabre was on the phone early the next morning, her tone as sweet as sugar. “I just moved into my new townhouse in Malibu and I wanted to invite you over. I’ve missed you so much. Why don’t you come out and spend the day with me?”
Victor was really smart about so many things. She was lonely and he’d be the perfect person to help her get the house together. Sabre almost always had an ulterior motive for everything she did.
Victor must have missed her too, because he was there within the hour. They went shopping, purchasing everything from linens and furniture to dishes and a set of pots and pans. Now that the townhouse felt more like a home, Sabre decided to plan a small housewarming party.
Victor sat on the balcony putting together a barbecue grill. “Sabre, the townhouse looks so good now.”
“I know, huh.” Sabre looked around admiring the comfortable vanilla sofas and glass tables. “You know I couldn’t have done this without you.” She watched him dump charcoal into the grill, and in a few minutes there was a roaring blaze.
“Victor, put that out before you burn my fucking house down.”
“Aw, woman. Be quiet. I got this all under control.”
He let it burn for a while, then put on some burgers and chicken.
“Okay, Poppi.” Sabre smiled warmly, so happy to have him there. “Victor…”
“Yeah, sexy.” He came inside the house and took her in his arms.
She started to pull away but thought better of it. “We’re having a party.” Sabre sang like a happy child.
“Ooh child, this is too fabulous.” The next day, Eduardo brought her an original Greg Breda. “This painting will go wonderfully here.” He pointed out a spot over the sofa with sweeping gestures. “You know Angela Bassett has three of these in her house.”
“Sabre, Ed forgot to tell you that the painting is a gift from your entire glam squad. Don’t let him make you think that’s it’s just from him.” Dawn smiled.
“Hey everybody.” Victor came out of the kitchen carrying a platter of meat for the grill.
“Everybody, that’s Victor.” Sabre was enjoying herself playing hostess.
“It’s gettin’ hot in here and I’m gonna take my clothes off,” Eduardo sang as he scrutinized Victor’s every move. “Girlfriend, is that you?”
“Eduardo, we can’t take you anywhere.” Dawn pushed him out the door. “Let’s go take a walk on the beach so you can cool your hot ass off.”
Sabre looked at Victor and laughed. “Eddie’s feelin’ you, Poppi.”
“Well, I ain’t feelin’ him,” Victor snapped as Sabre continued laughing.
Sky arrived next, and Mimi was right behind her. Sabre bounced around making more introductions while Victor got everyone drinks.
“Sabre, this townhouse is gorgeous. Mind if I take a tour?” Sky asked.
“I’ll be more than happy to show her around.” Victor gave Sky a kiss.
“Sabre, you know Nina and Kyle’s house isn’t far from here,” Sky informed Sabre as Victor took her upstairs. Sabre was silent as she watched the two of them chatting like long lost best friends.
Mimi brought several friends. She got up from the sofa where they were talking and watching Crash. “Sabre, sweetie, let’s go in the kitchen.”
Diamond Revelation Page 15
