VICTORIA
“I don’t know why his team keeps repeating that I’m all but guaranteeing him the black vote. What I can guarantee is that black men all over Illinois are side-eyeing and throwing big shade.”
“Facts!” blurted Victoria from across the room. She smiled at the young server who was attempting to refill her glass with champagne and took the entire bottle from his hand.
“I’ll serve the champagne if you go find me a bottle of Jack Daniels.”
Taylor laughed at Victoria while she negotiated with the server. He was terrified to leave his assigned post in search of her whiskey. Once she convinced him to agree, she actually walked around and refilled everyone’s glasses. It was strange watching a woman with billions serving everyone with a smile. Once she was done, she flopped down on the sofa next to her. Victor, the rest of the Creeds, and key members of his staff were in the adjourning suite.
“Where’s yourfriend?” Victoria asked sarcastically.
“Girl, you know she’s your friend now too,” Taylor joked.
Victoria frowned with pursed lips. “Friend? I mean, we ain’t trying to kill each other, but I definitely wouldn’t call us friends.”
“Well, I’m working on it. But, that’s a good question. She texted me an hour and a half ago, saying she was on her way.” Taylor stretched her hand toward the cocktail table across the room. “Hand me my phone.”
Victoria smacked her lips. “Why you leave your phone all the way over there if you couldn’t get your round ass up?”
Taylor’s mouth flew open. “Don’t be hurtful, Victoria. Get the goddamn phone!”
“Ugh,” she groaned as she got up from the sofa. She grabbed the phone and handed it to her just as another waiter was entering the suite.
“Can I interest you ladies in some food?”
“Yes, thank you,” Victoria responded with excitement.
“Dang, you hungry, huh?”
“Girl, I haven’t eaten all day. As soon as I left the office, I rushed home and cooked for Jack and the kids. But I didn’t have time to eat.”
Taylor looked at her with shock and awe. “Wait, you work all day at Storm Enterprises, then you go home and cook?”
Victoria blinked over at her. “Yes! Don’t you cook?”
“Every now and then, but our housekeeper or the chef does most of the cooking. Victor does a lot of the cooking too.”
Victoria shook her head. “Mm-mm. No, ma’am. I’m not eatingnothingJack cooked.”
“You mean to tell me there’s something Jack can’t do?” Taylor asked through laughter.
“Go figure. Me, Mrs. O’Malley, and his cousin, Gianni, are the only people who’ve ever cooked in my kitchen.”
“What about Natasha?”
Victoria covered her mouth and laughed. “Shit, we hardly allow her in the dining room because it’s so close to the kitchen.”
They were enjoying a hearty round of laughter when both their phones chimed. Victoria ignored her phone, but Taylor swiped the screen. It was a KRS tabloid news link, sent by her sister. The original message read: “Oh, my God, Sis,” followed by a line of sad emoji faces.
Since it was from Nicole, she started not to open it. She’d had the worst attitude ever since Lincoln tossed her dirt bag fiancé out of their penthouse. She didn’t understand her sister’s desperate need to hold on to his creepy ass. Even after Linc and Donna explained that he was hiding in a dark corner, jerking off to them having sex, she continued to throw a hissy fit in his defense. It got to a point where Taylor had to ask her to leave. She’d been getting shady texts and voice messages until Nicole got tired of communicating with her altogether and stopped reaching out.
Taylor rolled her eyes and prepared herself for the negative energy that her sister was throwing her way. Unfortunately, there was no way to prepare for what popped up on the screen. Her mouth flew open, and her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
“What it is?” Victoria asked, leaning over to see.
“Oh, my God,” Taylor gasped.
“What is it, Taylor?”
