“Girl, summer is coming to an end. A bitch is tryna get chose. I need a warm body to wrap around when it starts to get cold,” she joked.
“Jade, please. You look disgusted anytime a man approaches you,” I said as I waved her off.
“Only the broke ones, boo. If a nigga approaches me and the first thing he’s throwing out is how much money he has, I know his ass is broke. These men be having the nerve to have on thousands of dollars of jewelry and designer clothes, but don’t even have a thousand in their savings account. No thank you, I’ll pass.”
I agreed wholeheartedly. People who really had money didn’t talk about having it nor were they flashy. I wasn’t saying it wasn’t okay to have a few designer pieces, because I had some myself, but when that was the central focus, it was a turn off. There was more to life. Same when it came to money. If a person lived within or even below their means, that was a good indicator that they were financially stable. While the conversation bounced from topic to topic, we went to the bar to order drinks. Marshae informed me that the table would be ready in less than ten minutes, so it seemed like a good time to start drinking.
My drink of choice would always be a margarita. After taking the first few sips, I nodded to the beat of the music. I had no idea what song was blaring through the speakers, but it sounded nice. By the time we were seated at our table, we were on our second round of drinks. Marshae told us about the birthday trip she’d be taking to London and I was happy for her. She’d been with her man for a few years and I hoped she’d come back from her trip a fiancé.
As the night went on, I filled the ladies in on the current events between Allen and me. Marshae’s only words of advicewere for me to leave the nigga behind. That was exactly what I planned to do. When the waiter came over to ask for our orders, I already knew what I wanted. The ten ounce ribeye filet with lobster butter and STK sauce sounded perfect. For my sides, I chose bacon mac and cheese along with asparagus. Knowing me, I wouldn’t be able to eat the whole portion in one sitting, meaning I’d have the rest as a midnight snack or tomorrow for breakfast. To pass the time, the ladies and I people watched and commented on the different outfits. I was downing the last of my third drink when a text came through from Shane. I wasn’t sure if it was all the liquor I’d consumed, but the thought of him traveled right between my legs.
SS:Hey, miss lady. What you up to?
Me:Hey… Nothing much. I’m about to leave STK. Celebrating a friend’s birthday. You?
SS:Nothin’ too much. Chillin’ at home. Watchin’ TV for the first time in a while. I’ll let you get back to your night. I was just checkin’ on you.
Me:I’m getting ready to leave. You aren’t interrupting anything.
SS:What you getting into when you leave there?
Me:Nothing that I know of. My homegirl has an early flight, so nothing else was planned.
SS:You able to come through? Only if you’re comfortable.
Me:That’s cool. I need your address. I took a U-Ride down here.
“Uhh, excuse me? Who the hell got you grinning from ear to ear?” Jade called out, interrupting my trance.
“Ain’t nobody grinning from ear to ear,” I mocked playfully.
“Is that mister man? The one you were telling me about the other day?”
“It is. He’s asking if I wanna come over when I leave here.”
“Oh bitch, you better fucking go! Allen’s ass is clear across the country doing God knows what. If nothing else, let that man break your back. Get your damn lick back. Hell, get your lick back over and over again,” Jade said seriously.
Honestly, I wouldn’t have cared if Allen were out of town or still in Gwendal. My whereabouts were no longer his concern. I barely kept in touch with him when he was home, so the distance didn’t matter. That was another reason I knew he was cheating. If Serenity didn’t have his attention, we would’ve communicated a lot more. The only time he wanted to communicate was when he felt me slipping from his grip. But even that wouldn’t last too long. Shane sent a text asking if I wanted him to pick me up, but I declined. I needed a moment to sober up a bit. I didn’t want to be around him all tipsy and acting out of character. I didn’t think he would care, but I still wanted him to think positively of me. After saying our goodbyes and sharing my location with Jade, I got into my U-ride and gathered myself. The drive was only fifteen minutes, which I was thankful for since it was getting late. When I made it to his condo, I called him before thanking the driver. The phone rang twice before Shane picked up, letting me know he was walking out of the building door.
“Hey, beautiful. You look nice,” he said as he walked toward me with his hand out.
“Thank you. You don’t have to carry my bag,” I admitted.
“Celeste…”
Deciding not to argue, I handed him my bag of leftovers and followed him into the building. As he led me to the elevator, I took in my surroundings and silently approved. I’d driven past these condos countless times, but had never been inside. A comfortable silence fell upon us as we took the elevator to the twenty-third floor. It wasn’t until we stepped off that he sparked a conversation.
“Did you enjoy yourself? It’s been a minute since I’ve been to STK. Is it still lit in there?”
“Yep. I only go like twice a year, but I always enjoy it. Never had a bad experience with the food or customer service. Still lit. Tonight, they were playing a bunch of music I wasn’t familiar with, but I liked it,” I expressed.
“Oh yeah? What type of music do you like?” he asked as we approached his unit.
“I’m an R&B girl at heart, but I love old school too. I’ll listen to rap, or what I call ratchet music, if I’m getting ready to party. Hell, I’ll even listen to country from time to time. I guess I’m a lover of all music. It just depends on what I’m in the mood for at the time.”
I wasn’t sure what I expected to see when I walked into Shane’s home, but the space already far exceeded my expectations. A gray sectional rested on top of a thick gray and black carpet with the matching ottoman centered in the middle. The TV mounted on the wall directly across had to be at least seventy-five inches. The entertainment center and black curtains hanging from the long windows that overlooked the city only completed the sleek look. The energy in his home was warm and calming, instantly making me relax. Before I walked too far inside, I came out of my heels and left them near the door.
“You want something to drink? Water, white wine? I don’t drink a lot of sugary shit, so ain’t no pop or juice in this bitch.”
