Fortunate

by nikki blaire

  My girl.

  That was something else he needed to get straight. He and Ayda had been playing around for long enough. He wanted her to be exclusively his and vice versa. This also meant that he would have to talk to both Ayda and Trinity about each other. He let out an exasperated sigh, just thinking about the conversation he would need to have with each woman, but it was necessary for he and Ayda to move forward. Ultimately, he wanted that most. He dialed Ayda’s number and she picked up on the first ring.

  “Tremaine, you won’t believe it?” She yelled excitedly. He didn’t have a moment to guess before she blurted out that she had gotten the promotion at her firm.

  “I’m a vice president!” She screeched.

  “And Renee wants to go out tonight to celebrate. I hope you can come, but I know it may be hard to get a babysitter on short notice. We can also do something at home with Sasha and celebrate later.”

  “No, we’re gonna celebrate tonight.” He appreciated her being so considerate, but he would pay a babysitter and just get home early to ensure that Ayda was able to enjoy her night. His previous notion to talk about their relationship fell by the wayside at Ayda’s good news. What he had to say could wait.

  “What does Renee have planned?” He shared in her joy.

  “I’m down for whatever.”

  “Um, well right now, she wants us to go to this lounge on U Street. So, that’s the plan. Marc can’t come, of course, but it’s you, Renee, Dwele, and me. That’s enough for me, honestly.” He could hear her smile through the phone.

  “Alright, I’ll be there. Just text me the address.”

  Ayda squealed again then hung up, so he could call Julissa to ask if she could watch Sasha for him. As usual, she came through, but made him promise that she would have a face-to-face meeting with Ayda soon. He thanked her then sent money to her account because he knew she wouldn’t accept cash from him, then told his office that he was leaving promptly at the end of the day. He didn’t want to risk anyone asking him for anything at the last minute.

  He also sent Ayda’s favorite flowers to her office as another congratulations. She had worked very hard to get this promotion. He thought back to their first night together and the anxiety that she had expressed over it. Now, she had achieved it and he appreciated her letting him be part of her celebration. He finished up his workday then headed straight to the address that Ayda had sent to him. She had also text him a video of her receiving the flowers he had sent. Seeing her smile was worth the cost of the last minute delivery.

  He made it to the lounge where they were meeting up and found Dwele inside at a table. It was already equipped with bottles of champagne, food, and liquor.

  “What’s up man?” He approached Dwele. They dapped fists then sat down.

  “How’d you get this set up so fast?”

  “Not me, Renee with Marc’s credit card. Apparently, everything’s on him tonight since he can’t be here.”

  “Figures.” Tremaine nodded, but couldn’t deny the tinge of animosity in his chest. Ayda was his girl and he had wanted to do this for her.

  “This seems to be his way.”

  “Yep.” Dwele poured both he and Tremaine a drink.

  “Never there physically, but he’ll spend his regards. Just like my dad.”

  Tremaine nodded his understanding, and then waited for Ayda to arrive. Music pumped through the lounge, loud enough to make out what was playing, but low enough for he and Dwele to talk. Ayda and Renee arrived a short while later. She walked into the room and Tremaine’s chest opened up. He hadn’t seen her this morning, so seeing her now was like breathing fresh air. She strutted towards him with her signature smile, wearing a deep burgundy dress that was exactly the same color as her favorite wine. Tremaine laughed to himself at how much of her he had committed to memory. They had only been together a short while, but he already knew her favorite food, flowers, wine, and position by heart.

  “Tremaine, you’re already here!” She wrapped her arms around him, surrounding him with her citrus scent. He ran his hands over her back and took a moment to touch the crown of curls on her head. He tried not to overdo it since her brother was standing there, but it was hard to control himself. As soon as they touched, he fell into his habit of squeezing her all over.

  “Where else would I be?” He whispered in her ear. She pulled away from him, letting her hand run down his chest.

  “Okay, let’s get this party started before you guys run off and get a room.” Renee motioned to an attendant then ordered a round of shots. Ayda reached for hers as soon as they were delivered to the table.

  “Shots? Ayda takes shots?” Tremaine asked out loud. He had never been out with her before, but assumed she was always on her best behavior. The only place he ever saw her let loose was in the bedroom.

  “Ayda does a lot of things.” She winked at him, while the group raised their glasses.

  “Alright, this is for Ayda’s promotion, my promotion, and for her just being amazing. Congratulations!” Renee motioned to toss her shot back, when Ayda gently grabbed her arm.

  “Also, this is to Tremaine. The idea you had went over very well and contributed to my getting the promotion. So, this is partially yours too. You really bring out the best in me.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek, then tossed back her shot.

  “Turn up!” She screamed, then motioned for another round, but Tremaine was too dazed by her little speech to take his shot at that moment. No one had ever expressed that much gratitude to him before. He pulled her close to him and kissed her deeply, forgetting that anyone else was around them.

  “We need to hose these two down!” Renee yelled over the music.

  “Let them have their moment. Damn, Renee. Come dance with me.” Dwele grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of the dance floor. A loud mix of trap music and R&B blasted through the speakers, while their next round of shots was put on the table. Ayda finally broke their kiss to take a shot and dance to the music.

  “You’ve gotta save that for later.” She teased him, but Tremaine wasn’t sure he could wait for later. He watched from behind her as her hips moved seductively to the music.

  “I’ve never seen you like this before.” He was still quite surprised. Ayda was dancing, singing, and pointing back and forth with Renee like she was having the time of her life.

  “I’ve never been out with you before.” She turned to face him, still dancing. “So, are you gonna dance with me or just keep staring? I didn’t invite you out to be lame.” She was clearly feeling the liquor, and pulled him towards her then pressed her backside against him.

  She swiveled her hips then leaned forward to give him more access.

  “C’mon Tremaine, you never had a girl dance on you before? I refuse to believe that.” She teased.

  “I’m just tryna figure out when you practiced all of this to get so good and why I’m just now seeing it.” He placed his hands on her hips to follow her movements.

  “Don’t worry about all of that. Just know I’m trying to show you now.”

  They danced with each other until Ayda became more than Tremaine could take without losing his cool. Renee and Dwele came back to the table, which was the reprieve that he needed. He sat down and poured himself another drink, while he watched Ayda and Renee rap song lyrics with each other.

  “My sister is a handful. I’m sorry no one warned you.” Dwele sat down next to him.

  Tremaine could only chuckle and nod. There were more sides to her than he had ever expected, but he was ready and willing to learn about all of them.

  “She’s definitely not for the faint of heart...but she’s worth it.” He found himself confessing.

  “She’s special and I’m not just saying that because she’s my sister. She’s loyal and somehow managed to stay the most down to Earth out of all of us. She thinks we resent her for wanting to do her own thing, but honestly, I admire her for it. She’s the most brave, takes the most risks.”

  Tremaine co
uld agree with that. She was taking a risk by dating him. It was no secret that she was out of his league.

  “Just don’t make me have to get out of character on you like I almost had to on that Aaron loser.” Dwele’s words caught him off guard.

  “You knew about Aaron?” He questioned, but he could tell from Dwele’s perplexed expression that he was clueless.

  “Knew what?”

  “Nothing.” He didn’t want to tell Ayda’s secret. “I just met him at the spring gala and he seemed like a fuck nigga.”

  “He is, privileged and out of touch. I just never felt like he was a good fit for her, although my family pushed it. Plus, he just didn’t seem genuine. When he told everyone she left him for her career, I didn’t buy it. But Ayda wouldn’t say otherwise, so I let it be. She was hurt by it though. Made me want to hurt him, but she seems to be getting back to being herself. I appreciate the positive influence you’ve been on her. You have my blessing, Tremaine. You’re a good dude.”

  “Thanks, Dwele.” They dapped and then sat back to enjoy the vibe. It was good to see her enjoying herself, which further made up his mind that he would tell her about Trinity another day.

  “Hey, where you going?” He noticed Ayda walking away from their table out of the corner of his eye.

  “I need to go to bathroom. Is that okay?” She giggled, and then leaned into him.

  “You’re kinda possessive. I like that.” Her voice was like sultry velvet in his ear. He reached out to grab her in response, but she slipped from his grasp just in time.

  “I’ll be back.” She reached for Renee’s hand. “Come with me.”

  The two of them walked away with Tremaine’s eyes following right behind them.

  “I should have gone with her.” He grumbled as soon as walked away. He was never opposed to a bathroom quickie and Ayda had one more time to tease him before he gave her exactly what she had been bargaining for. Plus, he didn't want any of the men in there to get any bright ideas.

  “I’m sure they’re good. Ayda’s resting bitch face is unparalleled. No one’s gonna mess with them.” Dwele joked, but Tremaine wasn’t convinced. Internally, he decided to go check on Ayda if she and Renee weren’t back in fifteen minutes.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The loud thump of bass riveted through Ayda as she stood in front of the bathroom to check herself, while she waited for Renee to finish. She hadn’t been out in ages and it felt good to let her hair down. She felt emancipated after being cooped up, mourning her old life for too long. Tonight, she was getting out with the old and letting in everything new, including the newest addition to her love life. She and Tremaine still had to discuss their relationship, but she was ready to put everything out there. She liked him a lot and wanted to truly see if they had a future. So, she was going to tell him that she was all in. The thought scared her because while she believed that Tremaine felt the same away about her, she also didn’t want to set herself up for a let down.

  “I need to meet someone in here tonight. I’ve been without for so long that your brother’s starting to look good.”

  Renee pushed her way up to the sink to wash her hands.

  “Wait, what about that guy you were seeing? The one you left me hanging for.”

  “You remember too much.” Renee laughed. “And, we’re just not on the same page. Turns out I picked a bad apple again.”

  “Oh no, Renee. Don’t feel bad. You never know how these men are going to act. Don’t blame yourself.”

  “Easy for you to say. You’ve got Mr. One in a Million waiting on you to come back. Matter of fact, let’s hurry up. Tremaine seems like the type to come looking for you if you’re gone too long.”

  “I wanna get a drink. Walk with me to the bar?” They emerged from the bathroom.

  “We have drinks at the table.” Renee tried to pull her back, but Ayda was persistent.

  “We only have champagne left. I want a real drink.” She forced her way through the crowd with Renee behind her. The bar had filled up with the night crowd, so Ayda had to wait until the bartender noticed her to order.

  “Can I get a whiskey sour?” She called out once she had their attention then waited on her drink.

  “Well, well, this is the last place I expected to find you, Ayda, but I guess your body was calling.”

  Hearing her name made Ayda turn around.

  Marvin, Mitch, Michael….his name is Michael.

  She had to remind herself once her eyes fell on him. She tried to ignore him by turning back around to get her drink, but Michael moved closer behind her.

  “Ayda.” He said her name again, while he brushed up against her.

  “Hi, Michael.” She gave a polite smile then tried to move around him. Renee tried to run interference by grabbing her arm to pull her through the crowd, but Michael moved faster. He reached out to grab Ayda by the wrist, almost spilling her drink.

  “Wait a minute. That’s all I get? Hi, Michael?”

  She turned to yank her arm away when she felt a hard body come up behind her. She turned to find Tremaine standing there with a serious glare on his face.

  “I got this baby.” He moved her behind him. “Bruh, is there a problem?”

  She heard him bellow over the music.

  “Baby?” Michael’s eyes averted to Ayda. He smirked then retorted that nothing was wrong.

  “Naw, there must be because the lady is telling you to back up, but you don’t seem to get the message.”

  “C’mon, Tremaine. It’s over. Let’s go.” Ayda tried to calm things down, but Tremaine wouldn’t budge.

  “Go get Dwele.” She mouthed to Renee, who nodded then quickly took off in the other direction. Ayda was going to get them out of here. She didn’t want her night to end with drama.

  “Uh, Ayda, since when did this happen?” Her ears perked up at hearing her name again. She moved beside Tremaine to address Michael, attempting to end this before it really got started.

  “Michael, this is my friend Tremaine. We’re going. Have a nice night.”

  She thought about whether she should have called Tremaine more than her friend in that moment, but that was the same term he had used when he introduced her. They hadn’t discussed being anything more as of yet.

  “Alright, well friend, it’s good to meet you. Funny, it seems like we’re both Ayda’s friend.”

  Michael had to say something rude, just as Ayda was getting Tremaine to move away.

  “What did you say? We’re both what?” He turned back around, almost knocking Ayda to the floor.

  “You’re her friend, right? I think we’re both the same kind of friend, except I had her first.” Michael took a step forward.

  “Tell me, have you tasted it yet? It tastes just like citr—”

  Before Michael could finish, Tremaine was pulling his fist back to punch him. Thankfully, Dwele was already there and grabbed his arm to keep him from hitting Michael. He pulled Tremaine away, while Ayda and Renee rushed them out of the entrance.

  “Tremaine! What were you thinking?” Ayda was in total shock once they were out of the lounge. They all stood on the sidewalk, while people passed by.

  “You can’t really be pissed off at me right now. After you just stood there, called me your friend, and let another nigga tell me how your pussy tastes.” Tremaine balled his face up in complete disgust.

  “Alright, maybe we should just call it a night. Everyone’s been drinking. Energy’s on high.” Dwele tried to be the voice of reason, but it wasn’t registering to either Ayda or Tremaine.

  “I didn’t let him do anything. I tried to get you out of there, but you just had to be all macho and shit. If you’d hit him, he’d have called the police, Tremaine. Then what? You can’t just go around putting your hands on people.”

  “It wasn’t a problem when I put my hands on Aaron, but now this nigga is off limits? Aight. Got it.” His jaw clenched.

  “Can we not yell in the middle of the street though?” Renee tried to maneu
ver them into an alleyway, but no one would budge. Ayda and Tremaine were too busy throwing daggers at each other with their eyes.

  “You hit Aaron?” She screeched. “Are you serious? Do you know who he is? Why would you do that?” She threw her hands up in frustration then rubbed her temples.

  “Do you know who the hell I am?” Tremaine yelled right back.

  “I ain’t the kind of man that let’s other men disrespect him or his girl. Are you so used to fuck niggas that you think that kinda shit is okay?”

  “Oh shit.” Renee mumbled under her breath. Things were getting out of hand, but no one knew how to diffuse the situation.

  “Excuse you?” Ayda’s voice went down several octaves. He had clearly said something that hurt her feelings, but Tremaine was too wrapped up in his own anger to care.

  “We’ve been having sex for weeks and no one said a word about me being your girl, Tremaine. You just came up with that all by yourself today? You literally just called me your friend a couple of days ago. And may I remind you, in front of a girl who was flirting with you!”

  “So, that’s how you get me back? Aight, cool. Please let me know the next time you’re upset and plan to throw some nigga you already fucked in my face. Give me a heads up the next time we run into another one of your friends. Shit, who the hell isn’t your damn friend?”

  “And on that note, I gotta step in. This is getting ugly.”

  Dwele moved between them then pushed Tremaine into the bike lane, while he hailed a cab. “We’ve all been drinking, so let me get you home. Renee, you got Ayda?” He called over his shoulder, but Ayda clearly wasn’t done with the conversation. She broke free from Renee’s grasp, almost running into the street.

  “Your damn baby mama sure ain’t my friend!” She called out, but Renee stopped her just short of her reaching Tremaine.

  “I’ve got her. Have a great night.” Renee sarcastically waved, while she pulled Ayda in the opposite direction towards a different cab.

  “Girl, you’re a vice president now. What in the world are you doing by carrying on like that in the street?” Renee pushed her into the cab then gave the driver directions to Ayda’s house.