The Rolexxx Club - Anniversary Edition

by Meta Smith

  Luckily, Leilani resided in South Beach, so he walked to the Loews Hotel. He was a puddle of sweat thanks to the South Florida sun, but it didn’t matter. He took a shower and ordered from room service, glad he’d broken off the relationship before things had gotten any more serious. He’d heard that Jamaican girls weren’t to be tangled with, and now he knew exactly why. Leilani had transformed into a madwoman! But Sparks knew Leilani’s tantrum was fueled by a little more than island blood. Regardless of whether or not her accusations were justified, Leilani was clearly not balanced.

  When Sparks heard a knock on the door, he assumed it was room service. “Come on in,” he yelled from the bed while flicking channels on the TV. Police stormed his suite after the bellman let them in.

  “Jonathan Baker?” a butch female officer questioned. “Yeah?” Sparks answered, puzzled and alarmed. “You are under arrest for assault,” she replied gruffly.

  “Assault of whom?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

  “One Leilani Hong Thomas,” she informed him before slapping handcuffs around his wrists.

  IN THE DARKNESS OF HER BEDROOM, DEZ COULD FEEL EVERY

  cut of Bentley’s muscular body as she caressed him. “I’ve missed you so much,” she breathed into his ear.

  “I’ve missed you too, baby girl.” Bentley grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. Dez felt her insides melt and her head spin. Quickly, she removed her clothing before dropping to her knees to fiddle with Bentley’s belt buckle.

  “No, baby. Not tonight,” Bentley told her before scooping her into his arms and placing her on the bed. Before Dez had a chance to object, he was between her legs, softly licking the center of her womanhood. Dez threw her head back and allowed herself to enjoy the sensations washing over her body. He pleased her with his tongue until she was quivering, begging him to enter her. When he did, Dez wrapped her legs tightly around him, putting all the passion she had inside into making love to him until he climaxed, shuddering and holding her tightly as he called her name.

  They awoke the next morning to Ginger banging on the door. “It’s open!” Dez muttered, her face buried in the pillow.

  “Turn on the TV now! MTV!” Ginger commanded. Dez did what she was told. MTV News flashed a picture of Sparks across the screen.

  “Turn the volume up,” Ginger ordered. “Bentley, wake up! You need to look at this. You need to call your brother.” Ginger pointed at the screen.

  The VJ broke the story of Sparks’s arrest in Miami, showing footage of a past interview with Sparks, along with a tearful Leilani walking out of the police station escorted by a lawyer.

  “What the fuck?” Bentley asked, rubbing his eyes. “Bentley, your brother was arrested!” Ginger exclaimed. “What?” Bentley snapped to life. “For what?”

  “For assault,” Ginger relayed.

  “Of who?” Dez asked, knowing but not believing the answer and thinking that assault seemed totally out of Sparks’s character, though she’d put nothing past Leilani.

  “Your girl, Leilani.” Ginger shook her head and gave Dez a cautionary look. Dez felt her stomach lurch. What the hell had happened? Did Sparks tell Leilani about their tryst? She had to know.

  “Bentley...” Dez began with fear in her eyes and a trembling voice. She was afraid for both Bentley and herself, and the future of Titanium Records.

  “I’m on it. Don’t worry, baby girl. Everything is cool,” Bentley reassured Dez with confidence. But no one watching the broadcast was totally sure of that.

  CHAPTER 22

  G

  INNY, I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A MAN AND A LIFE and all, but do you think that you could stay a few more days?”

  Dez pleaded with her friend, her eyes childlike. They were in the kitchen, where Ginger was fixing a snack for them. Ginger wasn’t scheduled to return to Miami for another day, but Desiree sensed that she was going to need her friend’s shoulder to lean on for longer than that. The arrest had shaken her to the core because she wasn’t sure whether or not Sparks and Leilani’s altercation was related to her.

  Bentley had left the house in a rush, his cell phone attached to his ear. He kissed her and told her that he loved her before he left, but Desiree felt like he was walking out of her life for good again. She hated feeling so insecure, but she couldn’t seem to help it. She had already lost him once and barely had him back. She was afraid that their reunion had been a dream and that any minute she would wake up and discover that he in fact did hate her and had not forgiven her at all. Everything was so up in the air, so out of control. There was simply no telling what the day would bring, and that scared her.

  “Sure, I can stay,” Ginger agreed. “My man understands; we talk every day. I can stay as long as you need me to.”

  “Well, it won’t be that long. I just need you to stay while we deal with this drama with Sparks and Leilani. I don’t really want to be alone right

  now.”

  “Girl, I understand. This has got to have been quite an emotional roller coaster for you.”

  “Yeah. It’s just one thing after another.”

  “So what’s up with your girl?” Ginger asked, referring to Leilani. “What do you think happened?”

  “I can’t call it. Leilani has a hot temper, but Sparks is very mild- mannered. He’s a laid-back, cool type of motherfucker. My bad, Ginger. I can’t stop cursing,” Dez apologized, and Ginger brushed it off with a wave. “Maybe things got a little too heated. I just can’t imagine Sparks beating up any woman, though. Not like Leilani claimed he did. I’m just scared she found out about me and Sparks or something,” Dez continued. “Well, we’ll know soon enough. When is Bentley’s flight supposed to

  get to Miami?” Ginger inquired.

  “The lawyer said by the time Bentley got to Miami, Sparks would already be out. He doesn’t have a record, so arranging for bail is gonna be standard. He’s gonna meet Bentley at the airport, and then they’re going to come back here,” Dez explained.

  “Sparks isn’t going to have to stay in Miami until the case is heard?” Ginger asked.

  “I thought about that, and I asked Bentley. He said that the lawyer assured him he had it all under control. Famous last words, right?” Desiree smacked her lips in disgust. She had a general distaste for lawyers. She’d met a few in her day, especially since the business with the tape. She saw how manipulative and calculating they could be, and she couldn’t trust any of them, not even her own personal attorney, who’d looked over her record deal.

  “I’m sure Sparks has an excellent team. And maybe you should have a little faith yourself. They are handling a lot of your business, you know,” Ginger told her.

  “I guess you’re right.” Desiree sighed, still divided on the issue. “But lawyers get paid very well to lie. They’ll probably say anything to justify how much they’re charging!”

  “Well, Sparks has the truth on his side. At least, from everything you’ve told me about him, he seems to. Good always prevails,” Ginger said optimistically.

  “Does it?” Dez retorted sardonically.

  “Sure it does. Don’t you believe that?” Ginger seemed shocked. “Sometimes...but not always.”

  “Well, it does,” Ginger said with finality. “Anyway,” she said, changing

  the subject, “how is Sparks gonna feel about a stranger in his house while he’s going through all of this?”

  “He’ll be cool. You’re family.” Dez smiled, and Ginger smiled back. “Dez, are you scared?” Ginger asked, catching Dez off guard. “Yeah,” Dez answered.

  “You shouldn’t be. I’m here for you, you know this. But where do you think that I’m getting my strength from? I mean, it has to be coming from somewhere, right?” she asked candidly.

  “You’re just strong, Ginger,” Dez reasoned. “Yes, I am, but why?” Ginger raised an eyebrow.

  Dez shrugged. “I don’t know.” Some people are just tougher than others, she

  thought.

  “Sure you do,” G
inger told her. “It’s from God.” Dez said nothing.

  “Desi, when you’re faced with trouble, you’ve got to lean on God. You’ve got to humble yourself and admit that you don’t have all the answers. You have to ask Him to show you a way.”

  “Okay. And so then God just shows you the way? I mean, I’m not trying to act funny, but I pray. I really do. I still don’t understand half the things that are going on around me. What’s up with that? Where is God when I really need Him?” Dez asked.

  “Everything isn’t for you to understand right now. You have to be still to hear his voice. And don’t look at it like you’re testing God to see if he has an answer. He does. You don’t. You have to be open to hear the answer. Be still and just trust in Him. Believe in something that you can’t really see or hear. You know He’s there. That’s what faith is. Besides, if He weren’t there, you’d be dead, wouldn’t you? If He weren’t there, you wouldn’t be here.”

  Desiree hesitated. “I guess.”

  “There ain’t no guess to it, Desi. You either believe or you don’t. You can’t straddle the fence on this one. This is your salvation!” Ginger said, a serious expression on her face. Desiree picked at her fingernails.

  “I need to ask you a question, Desiree. It’s the most important question you will ever have to answer,” Ginger stated dramatically.

  “Go on,” Dez replied.

  “Are you saved, Desiree? Is Jesus Christ your Lord and personal savior?”

  “I guess so,” Dez answered. She knew what it meant to be saved. She thought she was, before Ernesto and the foster home and the strip clubs. But when she really thought about it, Jesus hadn’t seemed to save her from

  much.

  Ginger stared directly into her eyes. “Have you ever asked him to forgive all of your sins? Have you told him that you believe that he died on the cross so that you would be saved from hell? Do you believe that no matter what, you’re going to heaven?”

  “Well, yes, I did ask him to forgive my sins. I do it every day. And I know that what he did at Calvary, dying for us, is supposed to save us.”

  “Why do I sense that there’s a ‘but’ coming?”

  “But me go to heaven automatically? I doubt it. But then again, maybe you’re right. I’ve already been through hell,” Desiree added.

  “This is serious,” Ginger said. “If you’ve asked Jesus to come into your heart, to forgive you your sins; if you believe in what Jesus did for us and that he’s your savior, then you’re saved. Now, you’ve got to make an effort to live a righteous life. You can’t just go around doing whatever you want and go ‘Oh but I’m saved.’ There are rules to life. They’re in the Bible. But God already knows where you’re going to fall short. And He’s already forgiven you. Look, I know that this is a lot to digest right now, but think on it, okay? I mean, really think about what it means to have faith.”

  “Okay,” Dez agreed. “I’ll think about it. But I don’t think that I’ll ever see things the way that you do. I don’t think I’ll ever have as much faith as you.”

  “Oh, I’m pretty positive you will,” Ginger stated matter-of-factly. “How can you be so sure?”

  “Duh! Faith, Desiree, faith.” Ginger rolled her eyes at Dez, making her crack up.

  DEZ AND GINGER SPENT THE DAY IN MANHATTAN AS A

  distraction, stopping in some of the fancy stores and boutiques that lined Madison Avenue. Prices were mad steep for just about everything, but Dez indulged her friend and herself in two outfits from Lacoste.

  “Pretty conservative, huh? You couldn’t have told me that we’d be rocking twin sets and plaid pants a few years ago!” Ginger giggled.

  “I know that’s right. But this is cute in a Palm Beach kind of way. Besides, I can wear this when I want to be low-key. No one would ever recognize me in this getup,” Dez said, laughing.

  “Yeah, but you look classy. Plus, you’d be surprised how funky you can make that outfit look with the right accessories. You know, a Kangol, some funky shoes, and a unique bag. I bet if anyone saw you, you’d start

  a trend.”

  “Don’t make a sucker’s bet, Ginger!” Dez teased, and they burst into laughter, leaving the store with their booty in two large shopping bags. They had a late lunch at Tavern on the Green before making the long trek back to the Hamptons. The day had been an excellent diversion from the current situation.

  “You know, I’ve been thinking about all the things you told me. You know, about having faith and everything. Ginger, you’ve been right. I need to trust in the Lord a whole lot more. It’s like this song they used to sing in my dad’s church, ‘Noways Tired.’ There’s a line in there that says...”

  “’I don’t believe he brought me this far to leave me,’’’ they said in unison.

  “You’re right, Desi. He didn’t bring you this far to leave you. And now he’s going to take you even farther.”

  “I’ve also decided that when the heat blows over, maybe after the BET Awards, I’m going to share my story,” Dez said. “There are some legal issues that will need to be sorted out, of course. But I’m ready to fess up. There are probably so many girls out there, just like me, just like us, who think that they’re all alone. They think that no one understands, and no one cares. Maybe if they know that I survived, and I made it, they’ll find a way too. I’m not saying I have all the answers, but I think I’ll be able to make a difference.”

  “Oh, Desi! I think that’s a wonderful idea. If I can help you in any way, you know that I will. I’ll even volunteer my future husband’s help! He can’t say no to me,” Ginger joked. “But I know he wouldn’t want to say no.” She looked at her engagement ring.

  “I can’t wait to meet this man. He sounds like a helluva fella,” Dez said.

  “You’ll have a chance soon,” Ginger told her. “His schedule is hectic, but he’ll make the time to meet you. I know he’s dying to. I used to talk about you all the time. He used to pray with me, that somehow you’d find me.”

  “I’ve got an idea!” Dez said, snapping her fingers. “Why don’t you guys come to L.A. for the BET Awards? My treat, of course.”

  “Are you serious?” Ginger asked. Dez nodded enthusiastically “Well, then, heck yeah! Consider it a date!”

  Ginger and Dez had barely been home for two minutes before the doorbell rang.

  “I wonder who that is,” Dez said, visibly on edge. “Like I said the last time, no one ever comes by unannounced. And they have to get buzzed

  into the gate.”

  “Not this again, Dez. Dang! There’s only one way to find out; answer the door.”

  “It’s probably Bentley and Sparks. Maybe Sparks forgot his key or something. It is about time that they arrived. They probably just punched in the access code and came on in.”

  “Gosh! Stop jaw-jacking already. Oh, forget it! I’ll get the door. You’ve been so jumpy,” Ginger exclaimed, and opened the door.

  Leilani stood on the doorstep, her hands on her hips. “Who the fuck are you?” she said contemptuously.

  “Excuse me? I should be asking you the same question. How did you get in?” Ginger retorted. Leilani and Ginger, both over six feet in heels, stood face-to-face.

  “Where is Sparks?” Leilani demanded, attempting to push her way into the mansion.

  “Oh hell no! Are you Leilani?” Ginger clapped her hand over her mouth in astonishment.

  “Ginny, who’s at the door?” Dez stepped into the foyer and stopped dead in her tracks. “What are you doing here? How’d you get to New York so fast? Oh, you’re crazy as hell! I see I’m gonna have to kick your ass again!” Dez started toward Leilani.

  Leilani pulled a switchblade from behind her back and wielded it menacingly. “Oh, I’m ready for you this time, bitch!” she said. Dez and Ginger both stepped back hastily.

  “Are you Sparks’s new bitch, his flavor of the month?” Leilani asked Ginger, and stormed her way into the house.

  “That’s my sister,” Dez answered. “L
eave her out of this.”

  “You’re probably trying to set her up with Sparks,” Leilani said accusingly.

  “I’m engaged to a doctor in Miami. I don’t want your man,” Ginger answered softly in an attempt to calm her down.

  “Hmmm, well, maybe Dez wants my man. She always was a greedy bitch. Always had to be the center of attention! Bentley wasn’t enough for you, huh? You just had to have my man too, didn’t you? You never could stand to see me get ahead,” Leilani screeched maniacally.