Diamond Playgirls

by Daaimah S. Poole; Miasha; King Deja; T. Styles

  “Hey, you.”

  Mona opened her eyes fully and saw Nat lying next to her in the hotel room bed. The top of his shirt was unbuttoned and his tie had been loosened.

  “Hey,” she said as she tried to lift her head before letting it fall back to the pillow. “How long have I been out?” She rubbed her forehead.

  “A few hours,” he responded as he continued to place a cold washcloth on her face. “I had to look in your purse to find out what room you were in. You don’t remember talking to me the entire way here?”

  “No,” Mona said, shaking her head.

  She was beyond embarrassed. She was sure he’d never want to see her again after this. Only amateurs couldn’t handle their liquor. Not Ms. Casting Director of the Year. But at the same time it wasn’t just the drinks; it was the lack of sleep and all the worrying about her father.

  “I ran you a bath. You think you can make it to the tub?”

  “I think I’ll be fine.” The fact that he cared warmed her heart.

  “Okay, but before you move, sip on this,” he said as he gently lifted the back of her head forward and placed a cup of straight coffee to her lips.

  “Yuck! No sugar?” she laughed, moving her lips.

  “Naw…you need this straight up. Now get some of this up in you.” When he felt she had enough, he placed the cup on the nightstand. “I hope you know you scared me to death,” he joked.

  Placing her head back up against the pillow, she said, “I’m so sorry, Nat. This isn’t usually like me. I hope you let me make this up to you.”

  “Oh, you will.” He smiled, placing one finger on her nose.

  “I wish I didn’t have to head back home. We could’ve had lunch tomorrow.”

  “Don’t worry about that, there’ll be plenty of time for us to get together.”

  She couldn’t get over how considerate he was. She’d thought by now that things would be different. The only thing that changed was that he got sexier and went from wearing jeans and T-shirts to suits and ties.

  “Now let me help you to the bathroom.”

  As drunk as she was, she had plans to make him love her again. When she looked in his eyes she was sure it would be easy. Besides, very few got over Mona Lisa. After all, she had ended their thing, not the other way around. And although she realized it was too early to be considering a relationship after so many years, if she had to pick a man, he would be it. He was the reason she couldn’t see anybody else, and together they were complete.

  “Now…put your arm around my neck,” he ordered as he stood by her bed.

  When she did, he lifted her up. She placed her head against his chest and inhaled his cologne for the thirtieth time that night. Mona got excited at the idea of him bathing her. Sure, she could do it herself. But why when he could do it for her? She laid everything out in her mind. The moment the towel hit the floor she’d be sexing him in the bathroom. Her plans went down the drain when instead of bathing her, he sat her on the edge of the tub. Her feet were touching the cold porcelain floor.

  “I think you can handle it from here.” He smiled.

  “Actually, I’m still a little light-headed,” she said, rubbing her forehead. So what if she looked desperate? It was all or nothing and if he shot her down, she could blame it on the liquor. “It’s not as if you hadn’t seen my body before.”

  “You’re right…I have…but I’d never take advantage of you. Now relax. I’ll be waiting in the room.”

  Still a little drunk, she was sure he’d want her after bathing. The night wasn’t a bust after all. The only thing that changed was that she’d be fresh when he took her. This was even better.

  Soaking in the warm water, she placed the wet washcloth over her face and let it remain. The heat from it was soothing. She imagined how her life would change with him back in it. Finally she’d have somebody in her corner…someone to depend on, despite everything and everybody else.

  After she had finished bathing, she dried her body off with the large white towel and put on the white velour bathrobe. When she reentered her room, all of the lights were completely out with the exception of a lamp next to her bed. Nat was sitting in a chair with his head tilted to the side…asleep. The glow from the lamp allowed her to see how handsome he really was without him knowing she was looking. She wanted to kiss and hold him.

  Sliding into bed, she watched him for a second, until he opened his eyes.

  “Hey there,” he said, sitting up straight. “How long have I been out?” He wiped his mouth with his hand before clearing his throat.

  “Well, I’ve been in the tub for about twenty minutes.”

  “It seems like I just dosed off. How do you feel?” he asked as he sat straight up and adjusted the sheets so that she’d be comfortable.

  “I’m fine.” She stared. “Just fine.”

  “Good.” He winked.

  “I’ll be better if you stay, though.” She had to say it.

  “I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to watch you sleep.”

  She exhaled. Knowing she’d have him for a few more hours comforted her. With him she could be vulnerable…not someone with all the answers. “I’m sorry about how I treated you in the past, Nat. I was young…but I’m a woman now.”

  “Stop talking like that. You didn’t do anything to me I didn’t allow.”

  That hurt.

  “Now get some sleep,” he advised.

  She had no intention of sleeping. She was going to enjoy all the time they shared. She didn’t want to let one minute pass without spending it with him. But somewhere along the way, she had drifted off to sleep. And when she opened her eyes, the sun was shining through her window, and he was gone. All that was left was a note next to the bed on hotel memo paper.

  Mona,

  I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to say good-bye. I put my number in your BlackBerry. Message me when you can. Don’t worry about me. I caught a cab back to my car. Stay in contact.

  Always,

  Nat

  “Melonie, what was going on in your head! Do you realize what you’ve done?” Mona asked as they sat in Augie’s Restaurant off Broadway. She was finally able to get a hold of her. Melonie had been avoiding her calls since Mona bailed her out, but had finally decided to show up on her doorstep earlier that day.

  “I don’t know, it just happened, Ms. Dupree,” she cried as she wiped her nose with the same napkin she used to wipe her eyes. “I’m not trying to mess stuff up for you or me, but he played me!”

  “Do you hear yourself? This isn’t some bullshit-ass job! You had the possibility to become everything you’ve ever dreamed of.” And then you go and have an affair with Drake? And then you drop a Molotov cocktail in his car—in his $400,000 Maybach—because he drops you?”

  Melonie put her head on the table, knocking her fork to the floor. The waiter came by and picked it up, leaving the two alone again.

  “I can’t believe I did that,” she continued, crying harder. “I thought he liked me!”

  “Melonie…men lie to get what they want. I learned that early in life,” she said as she rubbed her hair.

  “He told me I was different and that he never cheated on his wife before me. He said she doesn’t appreciate him and that I was the kind of woman he needed in his life. Then right after I go to bed with him he tells me it’s over and that he’s staying with his wife!”

  Mona was enraged and made mental notes to get back at Drake for what he’d done to an innocent twenty-two-year-old girl. “Melonie, I wish you would’ve talked to me about this, sweetheart.”

  “I knew you didn’t want me going there, you warned me about him, remember? But he was so nice to me. He told me he’d help my career.”

  “Look where it’s gotten you. A possible felony conviction and you very well may have lost this major role. I hate to come down on you but I want you to remember this!”

  Sitting up straight, she pounded her fists on the table. Wearing two pigtails, she looked even more l
ike a child. “Can you help me, Mona?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “I shoulda never listened to her! I’m so stupid.” Melonie wiped her tears some more, this time smearing mascara all over her face.

  “Listened to who?”

  “Shawna.”

  Mona jumped up. “Come again?” she asked calmly.

  “Shawna. She called me after the party and said he was interested in me. When I told her I didn’t think it would be good to mess with him, she said he could possibly further my career, and that he was in the process of leaving his wife.”

  Mona sat quietly in shock.

  “So I went out with him, and he was everything I dreamed of. Everything. And just like that, he changed. He didn’t want me anymore. He agreed to meet me one last time at the Drake Hotel, and told me it was over. The first person I thought about was Shawna. I didn’t have anywhere else to turn. She seemed so understanding I thought she was my friend. We met at Emily’s Restaurant the same night.”

  Mona couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She was trying to remain calm but knew her face was beet red. Thoughts of the many ways she’d ring Shawna’s neck ran through her head.

  “She said it was wrong how he treated me,” Melonie continued. “And suggested I should pay him back. It was her idea to throw a Molotov cocktail through his car window.”

  Now it all made sense. Shawna had done something similar in college when her boyfriend, a quarterback, dumped her. She didn’t waste any time throwing a Molotov cocktail through his car window. Mona was thinking about how to handle her when suddenly the conversation she’d had with Ray last week came to mind.

  “Mona, you have to hear this shit. Do you remember Jai?”

  “Not really,” Mona said as she sat in a salon chair with her feet soaked in warm water. She was preparing to get a pedicure. “Who is he?”

  “Oh my Gawd! I can’t believe you forgot about him. He was the one you shared a cab with after the Prince concert last year. Remember…you fucked him and brought him back to my place because you knew I was having that card party.”

  Mona remembered who he was now. He was a beautiful man of Indian descent who Mona thought was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen, next to Nat. “Oh…I remember now. You ran into him?”

  “Not really, but he’s dating one of my clients.”

  “Hold up, ain’t this some sort of conflict of interest?” Mona asked as the Chinese woman removed the polish off her big toe.

  “Yeah, but I can trust you,” Ray giggled. “Anywho, turns out old girl is Shawna’s cousin.”

  “And?”

  “And it turns out that Shawna is not the person you think she is.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Girl.” Ray lowered her voice as if to make sure no one else would hear.

  Mona was struck as Ray ran off the details. She was right; it turned out Shawna was not the person she’d thought.

  “Melonie, listen to me,” Mona said, softly touching her hand. “I’m not going to lie, I don’t know how much of this I can fix. But…give me a few days and I’ll let you know.”

  “Thank you—”

  “I’m not done,” Mona advised. “Stay away from Drake and Shawna. Because if I get your ass off the hook, it belongs to me! The only reason I’m doing this is because she used you to get to me, but you know right from wrong.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry…just be careful and remember everything I said.”

  “Okay.”

  “Now go home…I have a lot of work to do.”

  After hearing about Melonie, Mona realized she had to be around friends, so she called Nat and Ray and to her surprise, without hesitation, they made the five-hour drive to New York that same night. She had been up all night before thinking about her next step.

  “Are you okay?” Nat asked as he sat next to her on the couch in her living room. She had just run down everything that occurred with Shawna and Melonie.

  When she told them about the incident with John a few days before, they both grew concerned. Ray looked as if she were about to admonish Mona, but then shook her head and said nothing.

  Nat put his hand on Mona’s thigh. “Can I get you anything?”

  “No…I’m okay,” she said softly.

  “Maybe you should eat something,” Ray said, handing the cup to Mona before taking her place by her side.

  “Not hungry,” she said. “I have to think about my next move with Shawna.”

  “Are you sure you’re not hungry? I can go pick up something real quick,” Nat said, rubbing his hand on her back.

  “I’m fine,” she replied.

  “Well…we can either mope around here,” Nat continued, looking at her and then Ray, “or we can get out and have some fun.”

  “I don’t know,” Mona said, not in the mood to leave the house. “I kinda want to relax.”

  “Let’s relax when we’re dead,” Ray laughed. “I’m with Nat. It’s a beautiful city, so we might as well enjoy it.”

  Mona knew there was no use fighting with them. Besides, if they came all the way to see her at the last minute, the least she could do was show them a good time. “Well…let me get dressed!”

  Mona decided to take them to the Cherry Café. She heard about it from Dayshawn and figured it’d be a chance to impress them. She knew the moment they saw the cherry-wood paneling and the warm use of lights they’d be mesmerized. The club was crowded, but they were still able to move around it comfortably. The deejay was playing “Go Getter” by Young Jeezy and R Kelly, one of her favorite songs.

  When they got in they checked their coats. Mona wore a pair of tight-fitting Baby Phat blue jeans, a black low-cut top, and her black Via Spiga boots. She chose the jeans because Nat and Ray were dressed a little casual, not realizing they’d be going out tonight. Still, Nat looked handsome in his blue jeans, chocolate button-down shirt, and chocolate shoe boots. Ray looked good, too, with her blue jeans, red button-down top, and red Emilio Pucci shoes.

  “This spot is nice,” Nat yelled to Mona and Ray over the music.

  Mona couldn’t take much credit because this was the first time she’d seen it herself. She was pleased Dayshawn didn’t let her down.

  “I’m happy you like it.” She smiled, staring him up and down. His eyes caught her stares and she looked away.

  “I saw you checkin’ me out,” he teased, whispering in her ear.

  “Whatever,” she said, waving him off.

  “I see somethin’ I like already,” Ray said.

  “What about Sony?”

  “What about him?” she questioned, pretending she didn’t care. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m on my way to offer him a little of Chocolate City’s finest.”

  Mona laughed and was relieved to be alone with Nat.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” he asked as he led her over to an available table with large plush brown seats. His hand rested on the small of her back and made her feel secure.

  “I’ll take whiskey straight up.”

  “Damn! Whatever happened to wine?”

  Mona laughed. “I need a strong kick right about now.”

  He winked. “You got it.”

  Mona used the time to go over in her mind how she was going to gain control over the situation. She didn’t want to risk another night ending like it did the last time they hung out. She couldn’t wait to down her drink so she’d ease up a little. Between what happened with John and being so close to Nat again, she was an emotional wreck.

  She smiled when she saw him walking back toward her with two drinks in hand, until he was intercepted by a sexy black woman with more curves than the letter S. A wave of jealousy overcame her. She tried to play it off by focusing on people dancing on the floor, but her eyes always found their way back to Nat.

  She played things out in her head. If I approach him, I’ll look desperate. But if I don’t say anything, I’ll look like a punk. She was trying to remain
the same cool, calm, and collected person she was when she had walked through the door. It angered her that he was still holding a conversation with another woman with her drink in his hand, and then an idea popped into her mind. I don’t want my drink all watered down and shit. So if he wants to talk to her, that’s cool with me, but he won’t have my drink in his hand.

  Standing up from the chair, she sashayed in his direction. The girl was saying something in his ear and he apparently found her amusing. He was having such a good time that he didn’t see Mona standing in front of him.

  She tapped him on his shoulder and said, “My drink please.” She was so jealous that she didn’t realize her hands were on her hips and her neck was rolling, until she saw the surprise in his eyes. She dropped her hands, stood up straight, and tried to appear as if she didn’t just trip on him.

  When the woman looked directly at her, she saw she was much more beautiful than she’d realized.

  “Are you Mona?” she asked loudly to be heard over the music. She extended her hand.

  “Yes, I am,” Mona said as she gripped her fingertips lightly instead of her full hand.

  “Nat was just talking about you.”

  “He was, was he?” Mona stated sarcastically, looking at him.

  “Yes…he was telling me he came all this way tonight to meet you. You’re a lucky woman. I’ll leave you two alone. Nice meeting you, Nat.” She walked away.

  Mona took the drink Nat was handing her and they walked back to the table. She was grateful the music was loud so that she didn’t have to find the words to say why she’d reacted the way she just did. Hell, she didn’t even know.

  “She seemed nice,” Mona said finally, sipping her drink before placing it down on the table.

  “She seemed cool enough, but I want to talk about you.”

  “And what do you want to talk about now?” she said, crossing her legs.

  Before he could answer, the deejay played “Lost Without You,” by Robin Thicke.