I stayed in a hotel for a month before I got me a nice two-bedroom apartment off Wilshire Blvd. Everything inside was remodeled and new, with spacious room. I bought a new phone and felt like I had a new life.
From time to time, I thought about my old life and often wondered how my mom was doing. As sad as it sounded, I even thought about Shadonna from time to time. I knew she did me wrong but, now that I had time to think, I discovered that the sick part of her was just jealous of me. I could never open back up that friendship or trust her. At least I learned a good lesson from the whole situation back home. I knew my mom was still up and kicking on her bullshit because every now and then when I would call her blocked, she would answer. I would remain quiet; she would curse into the phone and hang up. I made it a habit to do this once or maybe twice a month. I was content with my new little life and I really felt like I was becoming that boss ass bitch I used to dream about being. I lost a little weight but was still a plump gal. My stomach wasn’t flat but my weight was well proportioned, and I start loving myself and how I looked.
Tonight, I was going to the club with some of my friends that worked for me at my shop. It would be an official two months that I opened up and every single thing was running smooth. So smooth, I had to constantly ask myself if it was real. One of the women I became close with did not work for me. But she was like a close friend, although I didn’t know her like that. She had a hell of a personality and, little did she know, I was feeding off her energy. She was a certified bad bitch and to be in her circle had me honored, based off the stories she told me. Every time we went places, she was treated with the upmost respect.
We bumped heads when we first met. My shop,House Of Beauty, had just opened and she walked in with personal body guards. I figured she was some sort of celebrity. The demands she placed upon my staff was way too much. I stepped in and tried to defuse the situation, and she overtalked me and checked me, even threatened to get my place of business shut down because one of the young girls I had as my washers did not wash her hair properly. She wanted a massage and questioned how my shop on Melrose was and didn’t offer a scalp massage and, with the prices, her scalp should be handled with such care.
Long story short after going back and forth, I ended up washing and massaging her scalp. We fell in easy conversations; I took her advice on hiring the best of help. From there, we started having phone conversations and she came to the shop once a week for either her nail care, or hair and even special clothing pieces. She had me design clothes for her because she fell in love with the pieces I created.
She was a little heavier than me but, man, did she flaunt it well. Rellianah was a certified boss bitch. She was spoiled and had snobbish ways, but behind that hard exterior she was a sweetheart. I opened up to her about everything I had went through and she told me to never feel too comfortable to tell another soul that. She told me how people liked to use certain shit against you and to try to play on your past. Rellianah was serious when she offered to kill everyone involved in hurting me. I practically begged her to let it go after she started demanding names. She didn’t have too many friends; her life was based around her kids and her husband. I wished one day I could open my heart enough to have something similar to what she had.
Standing in the mirror one more time, I looked at myself and loved what I saw. I had on one of the pieces I designed, which was a mid-thigh, black mini dress with the back out. I felt sexy ashell without a bra on and the dress snugged my curves perfectly. Smiling at myself, I put my earrings on and blew myself a kiss.
“Layloni, you such a bad bitch.”
I walked in the club and felt good. I made my way to the section where I had my employees at and drank a couple of glasses of Bel Air with them. I told them to enjoy their night and be safe before I made it to the section that Rellianah was in. Soon as I passed her personal guards and made it past the rope, my breath got caught in my throat. I made eye contact with none other than King. He had a bad ass plus size chick dancing slowly in his lap. He kept his eye contact with me as he placed his huge hands on her hips and mouthed to me.
“Breathe.”
I released the breath I was holding and was snapped out of my daze when Rellianah yelled above the music, “Lay Lay, come on over here!”
Her beautiful eyes sparkled; not even on no crushing type of talk, but it was easy to get lost in her pure beauty. Her eyes were ocean blue and sparkled whenever she talked. Whenever she talked, it was most definitely with passion. I took a seat next to her as she hugged me tight, happy to see me.
“Where’s your husband?” I asked, making small talk as she rolled her eyes and sighed.
“Cream ass is at home with them kids, girl. I thought Christian had him gone but, shit, baby Christina got his ass wrapped around her baby ass fingers… he was supposed to come out but, soon as she started crying, his ass got right back in bed. Talking bout he will just have movie night with his kids.”
She took back her shot of cognac, and I laughed at how annoyed she looked.
“Parents need breaks. I keep tryna tell his ass that… every time she cry or look sad, his ass be trying to make her smile. She spoiled rotten and Christian is such a momma’s boy, it’s crazy.”
I smiled and poured me up a glass of champagne. “The shop has been kicking my ass. I’m thinking about trying to get a bigger space in another year.”
She looked at me and rolled her eyes as she scooted closer to me. “Girl, don’t act like I ain’t see how you was stuck on King ass when you walked in this section… make his ass expand and drop paper on a new shop.” She spoke real low but loud enough for me to hear, as I blushed hard.
“Girl, I ain’t worried about his weird ass. In fact, I’m bout to make my way to the bar, get me a drink, and hit the dance floor.”
She chuckled as she gave me a serious look. I knew one of her famous lectures was about to come.
“Yea, well, that’s single people shit. Cream would kick my ass if I went down to the main floor… but I’ll toast to you and have my men keep an eye on you while you down there. Just remember Lay Lay… never let a nigga see how caught up you are over his ass. Don’t be getting stuck like that. He knows you think he attractive as fuck and that’s leaving the ball in his court.”
“Damn, every time I come around you and Layloni, you playing doctor Phil or some shit,” her younger brother, Joel, spat as he took a seat with his beautiful wife Bella in tow. I sighed lightly cause these two argued all the time. They were like best friends but always had to start a great debate.
“Shut the fuck up pretty boy! I’m talking to my homegirl.” She rolled her eyes as she poured up another shot of Hennessy.
“Anyways, Lay, like I was saying… you got to show a nigga that you don’t want or need they ass! I call it the break down game. Niggas love to play childish games until you start playing them right back with they asses.”
I nodded my head in agreement because she was totally right.
“You got to get a nigga to feed right out the palms of your hands!”
“Rellianah, shut your simp ass up fatty! Stop giving her advice yo ass don’t follow… you know when daddy Cream say jump, you say how high, knowing your balance is off.”
Joel chuckled, as she scuffed at him and gave him a hard glare. “Well, that’s Cream, that’s different! But before his ass, I had all the niggas eating out the palm of my hands.”
I shook my head because this was the beginning of the bickering they did, which was so funny mainly because they were dead serious.
“Yea, well, Cream want me to keep an eye on you… he told me to make sure you don’t drink too much.”
