“You act like you own the state or something. Like I couldn’t get a ticket and come watch a game if I wanted.” Her newly plumped lips pulled into what I could only assume was a snarl. She had the prettiest lips growing up but she started to inject them when the women in her friend group did theirs. Shecriticized them for buying features she naturally had but went and did the same. Logic wasn’t her strong suit.
I rolled my eyes no longer caring about making small talk with her at all. “It’s a simple question but of course you find a way to be insulted by it.”
She shifted her weight and I could tell she was battling saying something smart. This was the territory where I held the most social cache so she wouldn’t ruffle my feathers too much.
“You would think you would be happy to see me. You skipped out on time over the summer and for what?”
I bit back a smile not wanting to be cruel to answer her question as honestly as I could’ve: I skipped out to find my purpose and found my forever.
Instead of mirroring her bitterness by rubbing her face in my joy, I reached for grace despite her being undeserving. “I spent my summer how I wanted to. It was…amazing. Much better than how we normally spend it. Maybe next summer you’ll give it a try.”
I finished my advice with a smile glancing back over at Louis who was still watching the interaction while keeping his eye on Ami. He knew that she was always the priority, team security would handle anything else that happened.
She scoffed before tossing her curls over her shoulder. “What you wanted. You came to work while I watched polo, sipped mimosas by the pool and ate caviar whenever I wanted. You were down here eating meat grilled over an open flame. Unlike you, I have the sense to go after the big fish in the pond instead of the minnow with bad press and somebody else’s kid.”
“I will beat your ass in front of this baby without thinking twice. Don’t ever make the mistake of talking about her like she’s an issue. Tread fucking lightly, Niecey.” My grace evaporated like a bead of water in the middle of the desert. One thing no one would ever do is talk about my baby like she was nothing. Likeshe was less. I’d taken enough of those blows in my life and I refused to allow her to be treated that way.
“Whatever. But since you want to know, I’ve decided that I want Parker Phillips now that the world knows he likes ‘em dark.” She was speaking about Parker as if he were picking the woman he wanted to be with based on her skin tone. And I knew it had made worldwide news once the press saw the mountain he put on her finger. My cousin coming here to break up a happy home where I’d found peace was all kinds of wrong.
I didn’t hesitate to laugh in her face because if she barked up that tree she was gonna get shot. I carefully wiped at my eyes because I wasn’t about to mess up my makeup because of this fool.
“You have to be on drugs. Your little bathroom powder habit must have gotten out of control. There is no way you’re down here chasing after a man like you don’t have a trust fund or an ounce of self-respect. And like he doesn’t have an entire fiancée that he proudly shows off any chance he gets.”
“Honey, that man is worth billions. He could tie me up and call me colored as long as when the morning came I got to wake up in luxury and have an unlimited bank account.” The lofty smile on her face showed she meant every word.
My eyes widened at her words because I’d never thought she’d say anything like that. Our ancestors were probably doing that slow Prince meme head shake because she was an utter disappointment.
“Okay so no self-respect or common sense. This conversation is done. Word of advice though, I know his fiancée, I count her as a friend. She’s already beat one bitch’s ass for coming at her wrong over that man, I won’t save you when it’s your turn.”
“Please. All I need to do is get an in. A little smile here, a little head there and he’ll be eating out of the palm of my hand.” She held her palm out before closing her hands like it was nothingfor her to have him. As though billionaires just fell at her feet everyday.
“It’s more like you’ll be eating through a straw but I can’t say I’m not looking for you to get your comeuppance.”
“You’re just angry because you went after the slave while I’m going after the owner.”
My mouth dropped open again and I simply stared at her in disgust. I wasn’t going to waste anymore time speaking to her. If Tiana wanted, I was gone help her jump this bitch.
“There are so many ways I want to cuss you out for that shit but you’re not even worth the effort. Happy hunting Niecey. Ensure is one of the best ways to get your calories even when you have your jaw wired shut. But knowing you, you’ll revel in looking like tits on a stick.”
I pulled out my phone and shot a message to the group chat because there was no way I sat on this situation.
“Whatever. I’ll be in the owner’s suite in no time.”
“Sure, Jan. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to watch my man.”
“Your cousin is a bitch.”
Lyric was holding Ami on her lap as she bounced and tried to play with Lyric’s diamond tennis necklace. She loved to say how she wasn’t having any kids and she would be the fun aunt, but she was surely gravitating more and more to Ami each time we were all together.
“That she is. And she’s absolutely delusional if she thinks that Parker is going to cheat on Tiana with her. Hell, Parker would sniff out her motives. I know that man has built-in gold-digger detectors.”
“I mean he has gold. Some dudes go for that.” Lyric was grinning and letting Ami tug on her chain.
Defense was on the field so we weren’t as stressed since Grant and Aldrich were on the sidelines. I was keeping track of the game especially since Jacoby and Anthony were playing.
“Yeah but those are men who need their money to validate them. They want gold diggers because transactional relationships are all they can obtain. Parker isn’t that type of rich. He’s the type that wants the reality of a person who would be with him in the trenches if he lost it all. Who would be okay with a simple life. I haven’t known her long, but that seems like Tiana. Her spirit is humble despite how rowdy she can be.”
“Just from the way she was carrying on, I can understand why you didn’t want to stay up there with those folks all summer.” Lyric was grossed out by my family and hadn’t ever met them. At least the Sanders were still exceptional at something.
