“You know how Journei feels about niggas. She wasn’t tryna be nowhere around Gills. She nipped that in the bud before I could even ask. She ain’t got no choice tonight though.”
We made it to the club to see a thick ass line outside. I shook my head and parked. After helping my baby out the car, we headed for the door, bypassing the line. There was a couple muthafuckas that was mad, but the fuck was they gon’ do besides stand they funky ass in line and wait?
Piff was workin’ the door, so we were let in without questions. It was just as packed on the inside as it was on the outside. Belle Air gripped my hand tighter as we maneuvered through the crowd. Crowds made her nervous.
She had a saying; “It’s not the crazy muthafucka you watch out for. It’s the scared one.” It meant crazy people did scary shit, but a scared muthafucka gon’ do what’s necessary to get the fuck out of any situation.
Walking up the stairs to VIP, I saw Journei headed toward us. Her smile was so bright it was outshining the diamonds she wore.
“Best friend! You came!” she screamed, throwing her arms around my neck.
“You knew I was comin’. Happy birthday, best friend.” I used my free hand to bring her in for a hug. “You smell good, Journei. What Alexis got you coated in?”
“I can’t go nowhere without my Burberry Her. You should know that by now.” She turned to Belle Air and greeted her as well. “Hey, my baby. You lookin’ like a meal as always. Thank you for comin’.”
“And miss the turn up I only get to witness once a year… yeah right. Here, boo. We got you somethin’.” Belle Air handed over the gift, then gave her a hug.
When Belle Air first met Journei, she didn’t believe we were just friends. It took her a while to accept it. Journei never changed how she interacted with me, regardless of who I was with. She still came around and got her quality time with me ’til that day.
I loved Journei, and because I knew what she’d been through, I refused to let anyone drive her out my life. However, I needed them to be cool. Belle got with the program eventually, and they began setting up lunch dates together.
“Ooouuu. I like gifts. Come take a shot with me,” she said, smiling.
Following her to the section they occupied, I scoped the scene. It wasn’t shoulder to shoulder the way it was downstairs. We had breathing and dancing room up here. I could keep an eye on my baby and my best friend.
I spotted Alexis at the DJ booth exchanging words with him. She wouldn’t go too far away from Journei. That lil’ short muthafucka was overprotective when it came to her. Lex treated Journei like a queen, and I applauded her.
That hurt, fragile, and quiet girl I met over a decade ago was no longer present. My friend smiled and damn sure engaged more. Still didn’t fuck with niggas, but she wasn’t afraid of them anymore. She proudly voiced her dislike for them whenever she got the chance.
We sat down and started on the shots immediately. Belle Air tried to test me, but I handled that shit with the quickness. To make her feel better, I ordered her a virgin daiquiri so she could feel like she was in the mix.
The vibe was nice. Alexis made her way back to the section, and everybody was enjoying themselves. My wife gave me adance or two while Journei and Lex damn near fucked on the floor. My best friend was living, so I had no words.
My phone vibrated in my pocket as I took another shot. I pulled it out to see Gills sent a text sayin’ he was pullin’ up. “Baby, I’ll be right back. Gills just pulled up.” She nodded, moving from my lap to the sectional.
As I walked away, I could hear Journei yelling, “Best friend, yo’ black ass better not leave!” I shook my head and kept trucking.
By the time I got to the entrance, Gills was just walking up. “My boy really stepped out. How you feelin’, light skin?”
“I’m cool. Who party is this again?” he asked.
“Nigga, I texted all that to you earlier. Just come on and enjoy the festivities however a pastor does. Hell, I don’t know what to offer yo’ holier than thou lookin’ ass.” I headed back inside with Gills following behind.
A few bitches tried to get his attention, and his next to godliness ass dubbed every single last one of them. If I wasn’t married, one of those pressed hoes would’ve got to taste the dick and maybe even feel it.
We stopped by the bar, ordering some water for the drunk muthafuckas tryna sober up a lil’. I knew I was gon’ need one once I got upstairs. Journei wasn’t about to outdrink me like I was a lil’ ass boy. She had me fucked up. I planned on gettin’ Gills or Belle to walk me into the house again tonight.
Gills
Ihad no intentions on leaving the house that night. Saturday was the night I met up with Hunz and kicked it. Yesterday, I had two sermons to deliver, and that day all I wanted to do was relax. When Hunz shot me the text about poppin’ out, it was bright and early. Like the sun had just rolled over. I was lost as to why he was even up that early in the first place.
The spot he told me to pull up at was wall-to-wall. The number of black folks in attendance was crazy. Black women had always been a preference of mine, and that night, they were throwin’ themselves at me. Wasn’t nothing special about me nor the attire I had on.
For some reason, I couldn’t stay away from the color black, so I rocked some black True Religion jeans, a black and gold True Religion shirt, with the black and gold Jordan 1s. Simple lil’ fit for the night.
I followed Hunz through the crowd to the top floor after we stopped to grab some water. He knew I wasn’t putting that devil juice nowhere near my mouth, and no, I didn’t want no virgin nothin’ either. I didn’t trust bartenders whatsoever.
“To answer your question, it’s my best friend’s birthday,” Hunz spoke once we hit the VIP floor. I shot him a look saying,why am I here. He knew I didn’t get along with his other friend’s period. “Nigga, chill out. You gon’ like Journei. Stop judging the girl, especially when you never met her.”
