It was Saturday night, and Devon was getting ready for her high school class reunion. She wiggled her hips and pulled the dress farther down her thick thighs, struggling to stave off the pangs of disappointment beating against her chest. She hadn’t stuck to her keto diet and exercise routine over the past few weeks. What’s worse is that she’d somehow managed to gain a few pounds.
Too late to worry about all that now, she thought, shoving her slightly bloated feet inside her sparkling silver stilettos.
“One barbeque potato chip too many,” Devon moaned. Her hands trembled with regret as she pulled a few extra tendrils down from her elegant chignon in an attempt to camouflage her puffy face. After bending over and repositioning her overflowing double-D cleavage, she gave herself one last exasperated look and headed out.
On the way, she texted Lisa before pulling away from the curb.
During the short drive, Devon gripped the steering wheel so hard that her fingers began to cramp. She felt crippled with fear at the thought of having the talk with Jason tonight.
What if he turns me down? Or shows up with a date? Or decides at the last minute not to show up at all?
By the time she pulled up in front of Lisa’s townhouse, Devon was in a complete frenzy.
Please pull yourself together before this girl gets in the car, she told herself, taking short, quick breaths as if she were in labor.
Lisa came bouncing down the stairs with her boyfriend Charles in tow. He opened the passenger door, then gave her a lingering kiss.
“See you when I get home, babe,” she purred.
“Can’t wait. Have fun. But not too much fun without me!” he replied before bending down. “Hey, Dev! Don’t keep my girl out too late.”
“I won’t. Promise.” Devon looked on forlornly while Lisa planted one last kiss on Charles’s lips, then slid inside the car.
“Hey, sis! You look great.”
“Thanks. So do you,” Devon said. Her eyes were filled with shiny admiration. Lisa’s fitted red cold-shoulder mini dress stopped somewhere in the middle of her toned thighs. Her five-inch patent nude pumps accentuated her long, sinewy legs, and her sleek, blown-out hair completed the flawless look.
“I tried to get Charles to come with us,” Lisa said, “but he pretty much made it clear that the NBA playoffs are way more important than this reunion. Which is fine, because tonight is really all about you. Speaking of which, are you ready for your big talk with Jason?”
“Not. At. All. I’m actually sick to my stomach just thinking about it.”
“Oh, come on, Devon. It’ll be fine. You know Jason loves you—”
“Like a sister.”
“Well, that’s probably because he never thought about you in a romantic way.”
Devon kicked up the air conditioner and fanned her face. “I’ll try not to take offense to that…”
“You shouldn’t! All I’m saying is Jason has no idea you’re feeling him like that. But ayyye,” Lisa sang while snapping her fingers, “you’re about to change that tonight….”
“Yeah, okay,” Devon muttered, slumping down in her seat in premature defeat. She pulled into the parking lot of The Platinum Room banquet hall.
“I wonder why the Smiths haven’t renovated this place at some point over the years,” she continued, eyeing its chipped white paint, blown bulbs surrounding the dingy blue signage and shabby beige curtains covering the unkempt, foggy windows.
Lisa’s face scrunched up as she stared out the window. “Ew, it looks a mess. That’s probably why they don’t get much business anymore.”
“Exactly. A couple of our classmates had their weddings here last year, but I think that’s because they were trying to help put money into one of our community staples in an attempt to keep it open.”
“Hence the reunion being held here tonight. I totally get it. But The Platinum Room is looking more like The Rusty Room these days.”
“Girl, stop!” Devon said, stifling a shameful snicker while parking the car.
She and Lisa climbed out and approached a red carpet and Berman High School backdrop that had been set up by the entryway. A photographer was flashing photos of posing guests as they arrived. When Devon saw the long line of former classmates waiting to have their pictures taken, she threw Lisa a look.
“It is too hot out here to be worrying about a photo op. I don’t wanna sweat out my hair and ruin this matte makeup look I worked on for over an hour. Can we please revisit having our picture taken later?”
Lisa strolled past the line with her nose in the air. “You must’ve just read my mind.”
“Hey, Lisa!” one of their former classmates called out.
“Ooh, Lisa, you look so pretty!” another chimed in.
“Lisa! I haven’t seen you in so long! How are you?”
Devon glanced over at her friend and smirked, watching while she hit everyone with a bougie wave and pageant smile.
“I see your fan club is still in full effect,” Devon said, nudging her arm.
“Girl, stop it!”
Lisa waved her off as they walked through the door and approached the welcoming committee table. Once they picked up their name tags and drink coupons, the pair slipped inside the bathroom to check their hair and makeup; then they headed into the party room. That’s when Devon’s stomach nosedived down to the bottoms of her feet.
“Have you heard from Jason?” she asked, struggling to conceal the trembling in her voice. “I wanted to reach out to him earlier, but…I just couldn’t. I was too nervous.”
“I did. He texted me earlier and said he’ll be late because he’s flying in from Florida. But don’t you worry. He will definitely be here. And you’ll get your moment to profess your love for him.”
When Lisa clicked her tongue and tapped Devon playfully on the nose, Devon groaned and swatted her hand away.
“Will you please stop it? This is not a joke. I’m really nervous!”
“I’m sorry. I know you are, sweetie. I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we get a cocktail so you’ll be nice and relaxed by the time Jason gets here?”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Devon followed Lisa through the crowd, stopping and chatting with several people on the way to the bar. Once they were handed a glass of champagne each, the friends sat down at a table near the DJ booth. Just as the people-watching session commenced, one of the handsomest guys in their class walked up.
“Hey, ladies! It’s so good to see you all.”
“Hey, Brandon, you as well!” Devon said, hopping up and embracing him. Despite how attractive he was, he’d always been one of the nicest guys.
“Hello, Brandon,” Lisa murmured, licking her lips before smiling slowly and crossing her legs. “How’ve you been?”
Devon struggled to hide her amusement, watching while Brandon’s eyebrows shot up toward his hairline in response to Lisa’s brazen flirting.
“I’ve been good,” he told her. “Just staying busy and working hard.”
“Are you still with your father’s insurance company?” Lisa asked.
“I am. And business is doing really well.”
“That’s good to hear. Oh, and Sarah? How’s she doing?”
“I uh…I’m not sure. Our divorce was finalized earlier this year.”
Lisa gasped and held her hand to her chest. “Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that. I can only imagine how tough things must be for you right now.”
Devon sat back down, clearly no longer a part of the conversation.
“Well, put it this way. Things aren’t easy, but I’m sure I’ll be okay.”
The pair stared at one another in silence while Devon shifted uncomfortably in her seat, acting as if something interesting was happening behind her.
“Hey,” Brandon said to Lisa, “I was actually heading over to the bar to get a drink. Would you like to join me?”
The words were barely out of his mouth before Lisa slithered out of her chair and wrapped her arm around his. �
��I’d love to…”
Devon chuckled softly and took a sip of champagne. She quickly scanned the room, catching the eyes of a few people and waving hello. But she wasn’t looking to see and be seen. She was wondering whether Jason had arrived.
After realizing that he probably wasn’t there yet, Devon got up and headed over to the buffet table. Her stomach rumbled at the sight of fried chicken and catfish, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, collard greens, cornbread and peach cobbler. She looked over her shoulder. Lisa was now out on the dance floor with Brandon, grinding her body seductively against his. Jason was still nowhere in sight. So Devon piled a mountain of food onto a plate, returned to her table and indulged in every morsel that slid from the fork into her mouth.
Just as she bit into a piece of cornbread, Devon felt two strong hands grip her shoulders. She spun around, her lips covered in crumbs. And there—standing in all his tall, handsome, distinguished glory—was Jason.
“Hey! What’s up, girl? I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever!” He pulled Devon up from her chair and wrapped his long, muscular arms around her waist.
“Jay!” she squealed, hugging him tightly while quickly swallowing her food.
“How’ve you been, Dee? Everything good?”
“Yes, everything is great,” she gushed, her body practically rocking to the beat of her palpitating heart. “How are you?”
“I’m great, actually. Just flew in from Miami. I went down there to meet with a new team of doctors who recently opened their own practice. I ended up selling three new high blood pressure meds to them that were approved by the FDA last week. So basically, I’m the man over at Kenelli Pharma right about now.”
Devon giggled erratically while Jason popped his collar. “Wow. Congratulations! I’m so glad to hear things are going well for you.”
“Thanks, lady, I appreciate that.”
Jason spun around and surveyed the room. Devon’s eyes were glued to his back while he waved and nodded at everyone around him. As usual, he was the most popular man in the room.
“I think I’m gonna grab a drink,” he said before glancing down at her plate. “That looks good.”
Devon’s face burned with shame as she pulled at the sides of her rising dress. “It’s all right. I’ve barely touched a thing, actually. Lisa and I are sharing, so…”
Just when Jason opened his mouth to say something, a group of former basketball players and cheerleaders ran over and threw their arms around him. Devon could sense that they were about to pull him away, so she tapped his shoulder.
“Hey, there’s uh…there’s something I really need to talk to you about before the end of the night.”
“Okay cool. Just come grab me whenever.”
Devon watched as the group swept Jason up and led him across the room. She slumped back down in her chair, grabbed her plate and continued eating.
*
Three hours later Devon was in the middle of the dance floor, swaying to the music with several of her former creative writing club buddies. She looked around for Lisa, who she’d barely seen throughout the night.
As people began clearing out, she noticed Lisa and Brandon sitting over in a dark corner, feeding each other peach cobbler. Devon’s mouth fell open at the sight. She considered going over and busting up their little party since Lisa’s boyfriend Charles wasn’t there to do it himself. But she decided against it, sparing her friend the embarrassment and making a mental note to discuss it with her later.
“I need to get home,” Devon’s former classmate Allison said, staring down at her watch. “It’s time to relieve the babysitter. But this has been so much fun, you guys! We have got to get together again soon.”
“Definitely!” Devon agreed, wiping her damp brow. She hugged Allison goodbye and turned around in search of Jason, hoping he hadn’t left yet. She spotted him over by the entrance talking to a woman she’d never seen before, whose body was pressed against his.
Just as Devon contemplated walking over and interrupting their conversation, she felt her cell phone buzz. It was a text message from Lisa.
Brandon and I are going to grab a drink at the Fremont Hotel. Don’t you leave the reunion without talking to Jason!
“Seriously?” Devon mumbled before texting Lisa back.
I won’t. And as for you leaving with Brandon, be careful. Don’t do anything you shouldn’t! I’ll call you in the morning to let you know how it goes.
Devon said her goodbyes to the writing crew, then headed toward the entrance. She noticed that her steps were quite wobbly, confirming the fact that she was officially tipsy.
Jason was no longer standing where he’d been just moments ago. Devon’s wild eyes quickly scanned the room. She figured he must’ve left with the woman who’d been fawning all over him. But then, just as she opened a car service app on her phone, he came strolling out of the men’s room.
“Hey, you!” he yelled. “Where’ve you uh…where’ve you been…girl?”
Devon giggled at the sound of his stammering words slurring out of his full, sexy lips.
“I was out on the dance floor for most of the night,” she told him. “And from the looks of things, you spent the majority of the evening fighting off women.”
“Wait, is that jealousy I hear in your voice?” he joked, grabbing Devon by the waist and pulling her toward him. “Say that again so I can figure out whether you’re mad that all these women are checking for me.”
“If you don’t stop it…” She giggled, her skin tingling underneath his touch. “But seriously, I really want to talk to you about something.”
“Okay. Shoot.”
Devon looked around at all the people standing within earshot. “Not here. Do you think we could go somewhere a little more private?”
“Sure. Like where? Your place?”
Devon paused, caught off guard by the suggestion. She shifted from her right to her left foot, then took a deep breath. “Yes. My place works,” she told him, glad that she’d finally gotten around to cleaning her apartment earlier that week.
“Okay, cool. Let me say goodbye to few people and then call a car since neither of us are in any condition to drive.”
“Sounds good. Can you bring me back here later to pick up my car?”
“Of course! Be right back.”
After Jason walked off, Devon almost dropped her cell phone trying to text Lisa.
GIRL! Jason and I are heading back to my place to have THE TALK. Wish me luck!!
Seconds later, Lisa responded.
OMG!!! LUCK!!! Can’t wait to hear all about it. Brandon and I are sipping mojitos on Fremont’s rooftop. I’m so enjoying his company…
Devon resisted the urge to bring up Lisa’s boyfriend since they were both having such a good night.
Have fun and we’ll catch up tomorrow!
As soon as she hit the send button, Jason approached Devon from behind and wrapped his arm around her. She looked back at him and smiled, cringing when she felt his hands glide along her love handles.
“The car is here,” he said. “You ready?”
“I am.”
Devin felt as though she was floating on air when Jason led her outside. They kept the conversation casual on the way to her place, recapping the reunion and sharing gossip about their former classmates. The juicy conversation and tipsy buzz still vibrating in Devon’s head helped suppress her jittery feelings of anticipation.
Thank you, alcohol, she thought when the driver pulled up to the curb.
Jason took Devon’s hand and helped her out of the car, then held it tightly as they headed up to her apartment. She willed her wobbly feet to keep her steady and tried to conceal her shaky hands while unlocking the door.
“You all right?” he asked, leaning in so closely that Devon could feel his warm breath streaming down the back of her neck.
“Yep, I’m good,” she chirped, finally getting the door open and practically falling inside. She watched Jaso
n stroll through the living room and remove his blazer. He plopped down on the couch and turned on the television, making himself right at home.
Devon reached down and yanked her swollen feet out of her shoes. She hobbled toward the couch, the cool hardwood floors soothing her aching soles along the way. As Jason casually flipped through the channels, she was overcome by a hot flash of surreality. The time had finally come to profess her feelings for him.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked in an attempt to buy all the time she could.
“I’d love a bourbon and club soda if you’ve got it.”
“I do.”
“My girl…” Jason flashed his A-list smile, causing her heart to plummet down to her toes.
“Coming right up.”
She hurried into the kitchen and poured their drinks. A rush of adrenaline caused her trembling fingers to spill club soda all over the countertop.
Pull it together, girl, Devon told herself before scurrying back into the living room and handing Jason his glass. When she sat down, he slid in closer and took a sip of his cocktail.
“Mm, this is good…” He licked his lips and threw his arm behind her along the back of the couch. “So, what’d you wanna talk to me about?”
Devon clenched her jaws and stared down into her glass. You can do this. You can do this. She swallowed a sizeable gulp of her drink, wrinkling her nose as the bitter alcohol burned her throat.
“So…well…I uh…” Devon searched for the right words while Jason’s eyes remained glued to the television.
“Damn!” he yelled, slamming his hands against his thighs. “Cleveland lost tonight?”
“They did?” She feigned concern but was actually just grateful for the extra stall time.
“Yes! Hold on, let me text my boy real quick and find out how this is gonna mess with our fantasy basketball league.”
While Jason typed away on his phone, Devon sipped her drink, hoping it would give her enough liquid courage to finally reveal what she’d been wanting to say for years.
“Good. Whew!” Jason sighed. “Our team wasn’t affected by this loss.”
She Gets What She Wants Page 2
