Sharp Curves Ahead

by Allison Hobbs

  Giselle looked up from her plate and lifted a brow. “Are you cold, Bailee?”

  “No.” She loosened her arms and let them relax at her sides.

  “You don’t look well.” Giselle’s concerned gaze scanned Bailee’s face as if searching for hidden clues.

  “I’m fine.” She managed to choke out the words after swallowing down the lump that had formed in her throat.

  * * *

  After waving goodnight to Giselle, Bailee settled in the driver’s seat of her car. She was glad to be alone with her thoughts. While driving, her phone buzzed and she quickly dug it out of her purse. Her eyes shifted downward and she squinted at the name that lit the screen.

  She’d hoped to hear from Trent, telling her that he was sorry, but the text was from the florist she’d hired to create the centerpieces and floral displays for the party.

  She didn’t bother to respond to the florist’s message that listed the price difference between white and red roses. She no longer cared about the flowers. Her marriage was disintegrating and the color and type of flower no longer mattered.

  In the course of only a few weeks, she’d gone from someone her husband adored to someone he seemed to despise. She should have pulled the plug on the party and set up an appointment with a divorce attorney, but instead, she tried to convince herself that her marriage would miraculously survive.

  The neon sign of a convenience store beckoned her like a wave from a dear friend. Without thinking twice, she swung into the lot, parking haphazardly in a rush to satisfy her cravings.

  She hurried inside and the sight of all the salty and sugary snacks caused her pulse to race. She grabbed a basket and went up and down the aisles, tossing in all the snacks she’d been denying herself.

  She decided that the drawers of her nightstand would make great hiding places for her goodies. With so much comfort within arm’s reach, she doubted if she’d even think about the empty side of the bed.

  Chapter 12

  Jayla had express-shipped her dress to make sure she had it in time for the party, but on the day of Bailee’s big event, the dress still hadn’t arrived. Frantic, she called Diva Curves, a Miami-based apparel store, and spoke to the owner, Marisol. Marisol had given her a tracking number and guaranteed her that the dress would arrive no later than five o’clock. She’d even promised Jayla a full refund if the dress arrived late.

  To save time Jayla had already gotten her hair and nails done the night before at a posh salon in Center City.

  She only had one showing on her schedule, and afterward, she planned to get her makeup done, and then go back to her condo and wait for her gorgeous dress to arrive. Once she was dressed, her plan was to go downtown, check into the hotel, and wait for Sadeeq.

  For Sadeeq and her to attend such a gala event together seemed to legitimize their relationship. It was possible that Bailee’s socialite mother had arranged for media coverage.

  She deliberately hadn’t told Sadeeq that they might be photographed together for a major publication. He’d find that out later when their pictures were splashed all over the Internet. Even if they weren’t photographed by a photographer, Jayla planned to slide one of the hotel staff some cash to take candid shots of them with her phone.

  She’d post the pics on her fake Instagram account and tag Radiance.

  Seeing her husband and Jayla all booed up would be a wakeup call to the bitch and could possibly prompt her to let him go a lot sooner than she’d planned.

  Whatever happened, Jayla was sure she and Sadeeq were going to have an amazing night together.

  But before any of that could happen, Jayla had to meet with Simone, a bougie young girl from North New Jersey. She and her mom were interested in buying a duplex in West Oak Lane. Simone had been pre-approved a month ago, but didn’t really qualify for much.

  She had one too many Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus accounts that were at their limit. She also had fifty thousand dollars in student loan debt. She paid her bills on time every month, but she was overextended and her debt-to-income ratio was so high the bank looked at her as a high-risk investment.

  Unfortunately, Jayla had too many clients in the same boat as Simone, which was one of the reasons she couldn’t get ahead in the housing market.

  While in the midst of touring the house, Jayla came to the conclusion that she didn’t like Simone. She was the kind of client that wanted more than she could afford, turning her nose up at every room they walked through.

  “Are they going to repaint this kitchen?” Simone inquired, her mouth turned down in displeasure.

  “No,” Jayla replied blandly.

  “What about the floor—are you going to put down new tiles?”

  “I’m sorry, as advertised, the owner is selling this property as is.”

  Goddamn, do you want this house or not? It was annoying having to deal with someone who was working with a small budget and who unrealistically expected the house to be in perfect condition.

  Jayla was only earning a three-thousand-dollar commission and she refused to let this bum bitch stress her out.

  Jayla’s constant sighs and eye rolls didn’t stop Simone from asking numerous idiotic questions, such as: “Do you think the seller would be interested in a rent-to-own arrangement?”

  Jayla inwardly asked the Lord for strength as she responded by closing her eyes as she shook her head, no! She was so sick of Simone, she was at the point of not caring if she sold the house or not.

  But the part of her that was broke and facing bankruptcy couldn’t deliberately turn down good money, and so she mustered the strength to give Simone a last-minute sales pitch.

  “Don’t forget, this duplex will start paying for itself as soon as you get a tenant on the second floor,” Jayla reminded Simone, inserting excitement in her tone.

  Simone looked over at her mother for her opinion, and then the two of them walked around the kitchen, reexamining the cabinets and other features, finding fault with everything.

  As they tried to make up their minds, Jayla’s phone rang. The call was from Sadeeq, and she quickly excused herself to take his call.

  “Hi, baby, I’m showing a house right now. What’s going on?” Jayla said brusquely. Though she was always happy to hear from Sadeeq, his call had come at an inopportune time when she was trying to close the deal.

  “My ride got booted,” he said glumly.

  “Oh, no. Why?”

  “Man, they booted it on some bullshit. I put money in the meter, but I didn’t peep the sign that said no parking during rush hour.”

  “Okay, but you’ll still be able to make it to the party, right?” Her voice cracked with dread.

  “Yeah, I’m still coming, baby. I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to get Lux home from dance class, get to the barber, pick up my suit from the cleaners on Fifty-Second Street, and then get to you by seven. I can’t Uber everywhere.”

  Jayla could feel her level of stress escalating, but she tried to stay calm. “How much does it cost to get the car out?”

  “Around fifteen hundred dollars.”

  “What! You have got to be kidding.” Jayla unconsciously began wringing her hands.

  “Owing that much to this greedy-ass city is crazy, ain’t it?”

  “Why do you owe so much?”

  “Radiance keeps getting all these tickets and she never tells me nothing about ’em.” He blew out a long breath of exasperation.

  “I don’t have that kind of money, Sadeeq.”

  “Yeah, I know. Man, my head is killing me from trying to figure this shit out.” He paused and then said, “What about a rental car? If you get me a rental, I could handle my business and still get to the party on time.”

  Oh, my God, I can’t afford to put another charge on my one and only credit card I have left that’s not maxed out.

  She could use her company card and make up an excuse about her car breaking down while she was on her way to the showing. Yes, that’s what she’d tell the c
hick that ran the accounting department at work.

  “Okay, Sadeeq. I can get us a car. To save time, I’ll pick up your suit and meet you at Enterprise on City Avenue after I finish with this client. Take an Uber there and we’ll pick out something nice when I get there.”

  “Okay, thank you, baby. You’re a lifesaver. See you soon.”

  By the time Jayla hung up with Sadeeq, Simone’s mother had persuaded her to think of the duplex as a starter home, and she convinced her to buy it. Jayla was thankful that the woman had closed the deal for her.

  Jayla told Simone that she’d be in touch with a settlement date, and then tried to rush her and her mother out of the house. Unfortunately, they insisted on another walk-through. Though they didn’t voice any more complaints, they were irking Jayla’s nerves, acting as if they already lived on the property, selecting bedrooms and discussing window treatments.

  Jayla kept looking at her watch, hinting for them to hurry up. “Uh, I have another appointment. I’m sorry, but I have to hurry you ladies along and lock up the house,” she said with an apologetic expression. They still didn’t move along fast enough to suit Jayla, but she had no choice but to grin and bear it.

  After finally getting those two slow-moving bitches out of the duplex, she sped down Ogontz Avenue, weaving through traffic as she headed for the dry cleaner in West Philly.

  When she finally arrived at the dry cleaner, the Korean woman that ran the place refused to give her Sadeeq’s suit without a ticket. She had to waste more time getting Sadeeq on the phone, and asking him to recite the ticket number to the nasty bitch at the counter.

  With the suit hung carefully on the hook in the backseat of her car, she crept along in jammed-up traffic, feeling so drained and exhausted, she wondered if it was remotely possible to look refreshed by the time the party started.

  At last, she made it to the rental place and pulled into the back lot. Sadeeq was there, pointing to a navy blue Lincoln MKX.

  “This jawn is lit. It matches my suit,” he said, eyeballing the MKX like it was a sexy woman. “Everybody that came through the spot wanted to rent it, but I talked the agent into holding it for us,” he announced, clearly impressed by his own powers of persuasion.

  Jayla had hoped for something less expensive than the MKX, but she nodded glumly and then hurried into the rental office, where it was warm. Her hand trembled as she filled out the paperwork and she felt her stomach tighten when she handed over her company credit card.

  After the transaction was complete, she let out a breath of relief and rejoined Sadeeq on the lot. He climbed inside, and she had to admit that he looked hot sitting behind the wheel, but she didn’t have time to enjoy feasting her eyes upon him.

  “I gotta go, babe,” she said, giving him a quick kiss through the open window. “See you at the hotel. Oh, and please be on time.”

  “Don’t worry about that. If anything, I’ll be early.” Looking adorable, he clutched the steering wheel and simulating driving, like a little boy with a brand-new toy. “We gon’ turn up so much tonight, muthafuckas gon’ be thinking it’s our anniversary party.” He puckered his scrumptious lips and blew her a kiss. “See you at the hotel, baby.”

  During the drive home, despite feeling bone weary and out of breath from the whirlwind of activity, Jayla also felt a sense of accomplishment. Sadeeq had access to the kind of ride that a fine-ass man like him deserved to be driving.

  When she reached her condo, she smiled at the sight of the package sitting outside her door. Standing in the living room, she ripped open the box and pulled out the dress. It was perfect! She was going to look so hot tonight!

  Picking up Sadeeq’s suit and driving to the rental car place had caused her to miss her appointment to get her makeup done. She’d have to do it herself, but luckily, she was pretty good at contouring and had mastered the art of creating flawless, smoky eyes.

  Jayla checked into the hotel. She handed the front desk clerk her credit card and the clerk handed it right back to her, informing her that the card had been declined.

  Embarrassed, she went through her wallet and handed over a second card that stood a good chance of also being declined. As badly as she wanted to, she could not risk putting the hotel bill on her company card. As the clerk swiped the second card, Jayla prayed for it to go through. Feeling self-conscious, she looked around the lobby to see if anyone was paying attention to her embarrassing moment.

  She said a silent prayer of thanks after the clerk gave her the keycard to her room.

  Mentally and physically exhausted, she trudged to the elevator. But once she was in her room, which overlooked Broad Street, her spirits lifted.

  What a beautiful view, she thought as she admired the car lights that lit up the night.

  She couldn’t wait until Sadeeq arrived. She intended to make sure he appreciated their view as he bent her over the sofa and fucked her in the window.

  When her phone lit with a text from Sadeeq, telling her that he’d be on his way as soon as he dropped Lux off at home, Jayla was delighted that everything was finally coming together. She called room service and ordered a bottle of wine, fried shrimp, prime rib with steak fries on the side, and a slice of cheesesteak.

  Room service arrived and she started eating and drinking. Wanting to save her appetite for the party, she was careful not to gobble up everything. She put the stainless steel lids over the dishes, saving the remainder of the meal for after the party.

  She took a leisurely shower, put lotion on her body, spritzed herself with her most expensive perfume, and then began to apply her makeup. Afterward, she admired her work. Considering that she wasn’t a professional makeup artist, she’d done a fantastic job.

  And it didn’t hurt that she was blessed with such a pretty face.

  Next, she took her new dress off the hanger and slid it over her head. The fabric was stiffer than it appeared, which caused alarms to go off in her head. On the hanger it seemed as if it was made of a stretchy material, but it wasn’t. She almost fainted from lack of oxygen as she forced the constricting dress over her tummy and hips.

  She looked in the mirror and almost cried when she saw her reflection. She tried her best to hold back tears. After so much advance preparation, she ended up looking like a blimp. The dress looked horrible on her, emphasizing all her bodily flaws, and making her appear fatter than she actually was.

  She observed herself from different angles, hoping that she didn’t look as awful as she thought. But there was no denying it, she looked like she was about to burst out of the dress, and her belly fat was not concealed; it was on full display.

  An emotional wreck, she picked up the phone and called Sadeeq.

  “Where are you?” she shouted after the phone rang and rang and then went to voicemail. “As soon as you get this message, call me back and let me know what’s going on.”

  She hung up and almost broke down and cried as she considered skipping the party downstairs. But she couldn’t do that. If she didn’t attend Bailee and Trent’s anniversary celebration, she’d look like a hater…and a jealous hater at that.

  She checked out her reflection again, and nothing had changed. She still looked horrible with noticeable rolls of flab on her sides, her back, and an unsightly, protruding gut.

  She gave a loud groan of anguish, but then reminded herself that tonight wasn’t about her. It was Bailee’s night.

  Jayla waited another half-hour before calling Sadeeq, again. He still didn’t answer and this time her call went straight to voicemail. Not a good sign.

  Already forty minutes late and not knowing what else to do, she texted him to let him know that his suit was hanging in the closet and that she’d left his keycard at the front desk.

  She went downstairs and entered the ballroom feeling self-conscious and all alone. There were a lot of people in attendance, but she didn’t know anyone. She craned her neck, trying to find Bailee, but couldn’t find her among the throng.

  She caught a gli
mpse of Trent and their eyes met briefly, but neither acknowledged the other. Trent was surrounded by a group of white men that were probably colleagues and clients from his firm. She wondered how many of them had heard the rumor that she enjoyed having trains pulled on her in restrooms and that she ate dick in public places.

  It probably was her imagination, but it seemed that the men from Trent’s firm were giving her leering looks. Feeling like she was under their lustful scrutiny, her face colored with shame as she pushed further into the ballroom.

  She noticed that most of the guests in attendance were with their significant other, causing her to feel even more alone and miserable.

  Throughout the hectic day, she’d been comforted by the thought of her and Sadeeq walking into the party together as a couple and turning heads. But no one was paying her any attention. The guests engaged in private conversations and laughed at private jokes; they all seemed to be part of an exclusive club, of which she had been denied membership.

  A part of her was relieved that big-mouthed Chance and Tone weren’t there, but on the other hand, it would have been nice to have someone to talk to.

  The server approached with a tray of champagne and she grabbed two glasses and guzzled them down. In the vast room, she finally spotted Bailee, who was dressed impeccably in an obviously expensive dress that flattered her curvy figure. Bailee had always managed to carry her weight with such confidence that Jayla envied her.

  When Bailee noticed Jayla, she hurried over to greet her. “You finally made it. Where have you been?”

  “Waiting for Sadeeq,” Jayla replied, rolling her eyes.

  Bailee looked around. “Well, where is he?”

  “He’s on his way. But enough about him. You look amazing, girl!”

  Smiling, Bailee did a quick spin. “Thanks, Jayla.”

  Trent approached with a distinguished-looking older gentleman who was Caucasian, as were most of the guests. Deliberately ignoring Jayla, he introduced Bailee to the man who broadcasted wealth and power in the tailoring of his suit, the glint of his watch, and the confident set of his shoulders. When Bailee, Trent, and the older man were joined by another affluent-looking, silver-haired white man, Jayla retreated into the background, giving Bailee her space to socialize with her guests.