Started From the Top Now I'm Here 3

by Midnite Love

  “I’m not surprised. I knew you had it in you,” said Cheron.

  “You know I couldn’t stay a hood rat forever,” Lexi joked.

  “Girl hush!” Cheron “Now sit still and be quite before your makeup artist kills you.”

  Once Lexi finally stood up slid on her shoes Cheron and Nina helped her with her veil.

  “You look so beautiful,” said Nina as she began to cry.

  “Momma don’t start crying, because you will make me start.”

  “I’m trying not to, but I can’t help it. I’m so happy for you baby.”

  “So am I Lexi, I wish you and Darrius nothing but the best,” Cheron chimed in.

  “Dang, y’all making this hard,” Lexi replied. She used a tissue to catch a tear that was forming in the corner of her eye.

  She then gave both of them a quick hug so she wouldn’t wrinkle her dress.

  “Thanks for everything. I just wish....”

  “Just wish what?” Cheron asked.

  “I just wish things would have worked out differently with Sonnet. I always thought she would be here to share this day with me,” Lexi replied with sadness to her voice.

  “I understand, I hate things turned out the way they did as well. But life goes on. Sometimes we have to let people go,” Cheron responded. Nina nodded her head in agreement. “Now you need to clear your mind. You are about to go out there and marry the man you love, a man that adores you. Focus on him and nothing else will matter,” said Cheron.

  Meanwhile Lexi was fighting back tears. Not only had Cheron always been there for her, even when Sonnet hadn’t; she was always the voice of reason. She knew just what words to say in most situations to uplift and encourage. Before they could go on Lexi’s Cousin Erica popped her head in the door to see if she was ready.

  Lexi let out a sigh. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “Ok let’s go. It’s show time!”

  Lexi could hear the violins playing from the suite. Her heart pounded as she made her way to the chapel entrance. After Cheron handed her the bouquet she took her place in line with the other bride’s maids.

  As the wedding march started everyone stood to their feet when Lexi and her father entered the room. The feeling she got when she saw how beautiful the church was decorated overwhelmed her, that, coupled with seeing how much of a big boy Quantez was in his little tux holding the ring bearer pillow made her heart melt. Seeing Darrius waiting at the altar for her looking as handsome as ever was more than she could handle. She promised herself that she wouldn’t cry and mess up her makeup but she couldn’t hold back any longer. Once she made it to the altar she and Darrius held hands and looked into each other’s eyes.

  “I love you Darrius.”

  “I love you too Lexi.”

  After the vows were exchanged the cameras flashed from all directions. Lexi and Darrius were officially married.

  Kenterris walked over to Darrius and extended his hand as he congratulated them. He kissed Lexi on the cheek and gave her a hug. The ceremony had went off without a hitch. Lexi and Darrius joked in the days leading up to the wedding about Sonnet stampeding in and causing a scene when the pastor asked “is there anyone who objects to this couple being married. Let him speak now or forever hold their peace.” But that was the farthest thing from the truth. Lexi had a beautiful ceremony, surrounded by the people she loved. She couldn’t have asked for a better day.

  Once everyone was at the reception hall the champagne began to flow. Lexi and Darrius had their first dance to Spend My Life With You by Eric Benet and Tamia.

  During dinner Kenterris toasted the happy couple and congratulated them once again. Just when Lexi thought the day could be any more beautiful than it already was, Kenterris announced that as a wedding gift he and Cheron were sending them on an all-expense paid trip to Aruba for their honeymoon.

  “Thank you so much!” Lexi cried out, giving both of them a hug.

  “Thanks y’all, we really appreciate that,” Darrius chimed in hugging them as well.

  After the meal the real turn up began. Darius pulled the garter from Cheron’s thigh and tossed it to the groom’s men. One of his cousin’s retrieved it and wore it as a head band the rest of the night.

  Next it was time for the tossing of the bouquet. Once Lexi threw it in the air, she turned around to see who amongst the droves of women clawing their way to the front had caught it. Of all people, Cheron!

  Cheron screamed and danced around as she showed off her prize. No sooner than she made her way back to the table she was interrupted as she was about to sit down.

  “Don’t take a seat just yet” echoed the deep voice from behind. It was Kenterris.

  “May I have this dance?” he asked as he extended his hand.

  “Why yes you may,” Cheron cooed as she placed her flowers on the table and took Kenterris’ hand.

  As the night progressed Lexi spotted Kenterris and Cheron on the floor and smiled. It seemed as though these two were in their own little world the entire night.

  Kenterris asked Lexi once again to officially become his woman and this time she agreed. There was still a lot of work to do but at least they were on the right path.

  Chapter 24 - Steady Scheming

  “Nah man, I ain’t gon be able to make it. I’m so backed up at the shop I’m working every weekend for the next month. I got one person out sick. And I had to let another one go for stealing. Plus I got that damn auditor up my ass. Nigga gotta make sure he got all his ducks in a row. Know what I mean? Alright, I’ll holla at you later. Aye, that was a hella of a game last night. You did ya thang. Alright, later.”

  Derrick hung up the phone and took a sip from his coffee cup. This was one of the worst times he could be short-handed. He was happy that business was booming, but without the extra man power he was working like a Hebrew slave. He needed some help, and fast. He couldn’t allow his business to suffer, but because he was the only one working it was headed on a path to do just that. He pulled up Craig’s List on his browser and began typing up a want ad.

  Meanwhile Sonnet had been eavesdropping from the other room. She kinda had an idea who he was talking to, based on his end of the conversation. It sounded like they were being invited to another basketball function, but she couldn’t be for certain.

  “Hey bae, who was that?” she asked.

  “That was Tree. He invited us to his birthday party next month. I told him we weren’t going to be able to make it.”

  We? Who told this nigga to answer for me? Sonnet thought.

  “Aww, I wish you wouldn’t have done that. I would have like to have went,” Sonnet pouted.

  “You really enjoyed yourself the last time huh?” Derrick replied, looking up from his laptop.

  “Yes, I had a ball. It felt so good to be able to get out and socialize. And to rub elbows with the “it” crowd,” she joked as she playfully rubbed her elbow against Derrick’s elbow. “And the food and drinks were off the chain.”

  “Please, in crowd?” he laughed. “It ain’t usually nobody at those function except ballers and a bunch of thirsty ass groupies. Those niggas turn up almost every weekend. We can catch the next one. Besides that, do you realize how backed up I am at the shop? I’m placing an ad now. I hope I can get somebody hired by Monday. And even if I do, I still need to train them. Plus I gotta deal with this damn auditor. I could really use your help the next few weeks bae.” He looked at her with pleading eyes.

  Blah, blah, blah..... this nigga ain’t talking ‘bout shit. If he thinks Imma pass up the opportunity to run into that fine ass nigga again, he got another thing coming. What the hell do I look like going over some damn invoices and balancing books when niggas gon’ be poppin’ bottles and choosing bitches? Nah son,,, he got me ALL fucked up if he thinks I’m ‘bout to play secretary that weekend, she thought.

  Needless to say Sonnet did what she does best, lie. She never let on to Derrick that she was livid over the fact that he had turned down the invitation.
Or that she was going to have an excuse as to why she needed to be out that night. Instead she played it off and agreed with him.

  “Aww sweetie, you stressing out huh?” she replied, easing down on his lap and stroking his head. “Don’t worry, I got your back. You know I’m always in your corner.” She looked into his eyes and gently kissed him on the lips.

  “You just don’t know how good it feels to hear you say that Sonnet,” he whispered. Regardless of what was going on at work it felt damn good to have the support of a good woman holding him down.

  Chapter 25 - The Final Showdown

  “I’m sorry, bae. If I could get out of it you know I would. But Elette is one of my oldest and dearest friends. She will never let me live it down if I don’t go to this baby shower,” Sonnet pleaded.

  Derrick admitted that he was disappointed that she was leaving him to hang out this Saturday, seeing as he really needed the help. However she’d been working so hard to help him get things in order around the shop the past few weeks he really couldn’t say anything. He realized that he was a workaholic and that his baby deserved to kick back and have some fun. The new guy would just have to run the front office that day.

  Sonnet was always so closed off when it came to her family and friends. She never mentioned them, and always got an attitude when he brought them up. So it was no surprise that he had never heard of her “friend” Elette, until today. However the news of the baby shower still came as a bit of a shocker. He couldn’t believe that she was actually taking his advice and reconnecting with some of the people she hadn’t seen since she was homeless. He didn’t make the connection that the so called baby shower was the same day as the party his boy had invited them to.

  “Hold on...” Derrick replied, sliding his hands around Sonnet’s waist. “I said I was disappointed, but if you would have let me finish, I was going to say I want you to go.”

  “Really? You mean you aren’t mad?”

  “Of course not. I can’t expect you to never take a weekend off like my crazy ass. You’ve helped me out so much these past few weeks and I really appreciate it. Saturday is going to be swamped but we gon’ manage. I want you to go see your friend and let your hair down, you deserve it.”

  “Thanks so much for understanding. And I tell you what, I’ll be in on Sunday to help you finish with those books.”

  Derrick kissed Sonnet then pulled her in close to him. “I love you,” he whispered.

  “I know...” she replied.

  So that was it, the plan was set. There was nothing for Sonnet to do now expect make sure that her shit was on point from head to toe when she stepped into the venue. She was hell bent on not getting caught slipping like she did the first time. She didn’t take to kindly to females looking down their nose at her. As far as she was concerned she was still one of the baddest bitches that walked the planet. All she needed to do was make sure her hair was tight, that face was beat, and her gear was top notch. She wanted to make the rest of those birds flock to their nest when she walked in the room.

  For that very reason she dropped three grand on her outfit a few days after Derrick mentioned the party. She kept it hidden in the trunk of her vehicle till the night of the event. The only thing left to do was grab some shoes and bag. And get her hair done. She realized that she couldn’t very well leave the house dressed to the nines just for a baby shower. The plan was to leave out in regular clothes, with a shower gift in hand, then stop off at the gym and pop in the locker room to change into her real outfit. She was going to have to change again before she came back home so as not to arouse Derrick’s suspicion. True enough, he would most likely be at work when she left the house but she could take any chances. There was always a chance that he may pop in for lunch and she had to be prepared for anything.

  She realized that this was an awful lot of trouble she was going through just to meet up with a nigga who might not even give her the time a day. But it was well worth it. Even if her plan fell through and she wasn’t able to nab Tree that night there were plenty of other wealthy candidates to choose from. All she needed to do was make her presence known and she would have them eating out of the palm of her hand. As far as Sonnet was concerned, she felt like she could get any man she wanted, all she needed to do was put her mind to it.

  Day of the party

  The time on the clock read 8:14, Sonnet jumped up and headed for the shower. There was no time to waste. There was still shopping to be done and she needed her hair and makeup done for the party. Luckily Derrick had already left for the shop. This gave her a chance to try on her outfit one last time as well as avoiding questions as to why she was leaving out so early.

  Once Sonnet was out the shower and dressed she applied a light coat of BB cream, lip gloss, and a light coat of mascara. She just needed to look presentable enough to go out in public. The real dolling up would come later that evening.

  “Damn, I swear can’t nobody lay my like The Duchess,” Sonnet complained as she ran a brush through her sandy brown weave.

  She’d only had it in for a few weeks and it was already shedding like crazy. And the closure was sitting on top of her head like a hat. There was no way she was going back to that hairdresser, especially on a day like today. She needed her shit tight and it was too risky to try out someone new this late in the game. Sonnet’s mind raced as she pondered the unthinkable. She need to see The Duchess. True enough their last encounter left a bitter taste in her mouth for how The Duchess and her girls had scalped her that night. But she did have to admit she had it coming. She knew The Duchess didn’t play about her loot but she was desperate. Just like she was now. She knew that The Duchess was most likely still pissed, and wanted her nowhere near her salon. But one thing she couldn’t turn down was money. Sonnet knew that if she promised to pay her back what she owed her, along with the services she wanted today, she just might be able to convince her to squeeze her in. Even if she was allowed back in the salon she should have been embarrassed to even step foot in there after the scene she had caused. However, the incident happened long enough ago to where the patrons wouldn’t remember her off the bat and she could slide in undetected. It was damn sure worth a shot. She pulled her wallet out of her purse and double checked for the platinum card. After tucking it safely back in its spot she headed out.

  Later that morning

  “You have GOT to be kidding me!” The Duchess spat after Candy, the receptionist announced that she’d just gotten a call from valet. Sonnet was having her car parked and was on her way in the shop. After the shit she pulled the last time she was there The Duchess had everyone on high alert when it came to her. She wasn’t allowed anywhere near her shop. “This bitch has some nerve showing up here!” The Duchess said to herself. After excusing herself from her client she made her way to the lobby just in time to see Sonnet walking through the door.

  “Stop right there! Don’t you put a damn pinky toe over that threshold!” The Duchess yelled out.

  “Duchess, I’m sorry. Please let me come in. I need my hair done,” Sonnet pleaded.

  “Do you believe this bitch?” The Duchess asked, looking at Candy. Both of them shook their head in disbelief.

  Sonnet had shown her natural black ass the last time she was there. Not only had she stiffed The Duchess for the huge ass tab she’d ran up; she damaged property on her way out. She knocked over displays that had to be replaced because they were broken beyond repair. And to add insult to injury she even stole styling products from The Duchess’ station.

  “Don’t look at me. I ain’t got no sympathy for her ass. That hoe knocked me down running out of here,” Candy announced, rolling her eyes at Sonnet.

  “Bitch, you can beg till you are blue in the face. You are NEVER allowed in this shop again after that stunt you pulled. I can’t even believe you would have nerve enough to disrespect me with your presence. If we weren’t at my place of business I would put a bullet in your ass just on GP,” The Duchess spewed.

  “Please,
I know I messed up. But I have the money to pay you back,” Sonnet replied, waiving the credit card. “This is an emergency, and can’t nobody hook me up like you Duchess.”

  “Ha! You got the money? On that bogus ass piece of plastic. You must think I’m a damn fool to fall for that shit twice.”

  The Duchess lunged at Sonnet in an attempt to grab her around the neck for even suggesting that bullshit. However she wasn’t fast enough and Sonnet dodge her.

  “Everything cool here?” One of the valet drivers asked.

  Before The Duchess could respond Sonnet cut her off.

  “Yes! Everything is good! Please, just run the card. You can take everything I owe you right now.”

  The Duchess looked at the valet driver. He shrugged his shoulders in response. What the hell, even if she didn’t let her back in the salon it was worth a shot to try and recoup her money.

  “Gimme this damn card!” The Duchess snapped before snatching the plastic from Sonnet’s hand.

  “You owe me for your tab, the damage to my property and all the shit you stole. The total is $2,300. Run it for the full amount Candy.”

  Candy took the card and promptly ran it. Much to their surprise it immediately went through. She gave The Duchess a nod to let her know everything was good.

  “Well lookey here, sir scam a lot done came into some loot. I hope you ain’t stole nobody’s card,” The Duchess laughed, as she noticed the name.

  “I didn’t steal anyone’s card. It belongs to my man.”

  “Mhhh hmm, well just sign this receipt so you can be on your merry way.”

  Sonnet signed the slip of paper before stating her dilemma once again. She was finally able to convince The Duchess to squeeze her in if she agreed to pay double the regular amount, and the fee had to be paid up front. When it was all said and done Sonnet came up off of another $1,200 dollars. Derrick was going to be pissed when he saw the statement but with any luck she wouldn’t have him as a concern after tonight. Besides, she still needed to pop by the mall so he was just going to have to suck it up.