“Am I lying? Don’t you remember when we were nine, and I tried to steal those multicolored bracelets from Walmart? Your ass couldn’t even be a good lookout because you were at the end of the aisle about to piss on yourself.” China fussed as she recalled the memory.
“In my defense, it was my first time being an accessory to a robbery, and I hadn’t gotten a chance to practice. You can’t blame a bitch for being nervous.” I pleaded my nine-year-old case.
“Yeah, and I knew right then and there I would never take your ass anywhere with me. Luckily, no one caught me, but if Loss Prevention had stopped us, I know I would have had to beat your head in to get you to stay quiet.”
“You don’t know my life. Plus, we were young. I know how to lie now.”
“The only people you lie to are yourself and that man who thinks you love him, but that’s a topic for another day. I’m coming to the room with you to make sure you don’t take all day.”
“You tried it. You’re the one who takes forever to get dressed. You can come because if that man is still in the room, I might need someone to hold me back. I don’t know what’s going on with him, but he’s going to end up single before this trip is over.”
“If only God would answer my prayers,” she quipped, holding her hands in a prayer position.
I flipped her the bird as we headed back to my room. I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized Kalvin had left the room. After our interaction earlier, I wasn’t sure how things would go once we saw each other again. I had no intentions of spending my weekend arguing, so if he wanted to fight, he would be doing it with himself.
It only took fifteen minutes to put on my bikini and get dressed. Once we left the room, I sent a message to let Roxy know where we were going in case she wanted to join, and then I placed my phone in my matching fanny pack. Day one of fun was underway, and I wasn’t about to let anything or anyone get in the way.
Chapter
Four
Kyon Shoulders
Day One
“R&B night on deck five is about to start in ten minutes. Are you trying to go?” Keonte asked. We were in my room trying to decide what we wanted to get into.
“What is that exactly? I thought they weren’t playing R&B at the club until tomorrow.” I probed, trying to make sure I understood what was going on.
“Yeah, it’s not the same thing. They have a live performance every night, and tonight the singers, along with the band, will be performing some R&B classics. I’ve seen a few videos of one of the girls, and her voice is top tier.”
“Alright, cool. I love R&B, and it sounds interesting. Let’s check it out.”
Tomorrow, I’ll have my first official meeting with the executives who were trying to make me one of the faces of their brand. My manager thought it was a great opportunity, and he assured me that if the money wasn’t right, we would pass on the offer. I planned to enjoy myself before the negotiations began.
We made it to the location at the right time as the band had taken their place on stage and was about to start. We underestimated how crowded the event would be, so it took us longer to find seats.
“Aye, it looks like there are some empty seats in the back over there.” Nigel pointed to a section across from the band on the other side of the room. I followed their lead and headed toward the section.
“Damn, I guess I should have worn my glasses,” Keonte murmured.
I wasn’t sure what he was talking about until he moved to the side, and I noticed the people who were also sitting at the table with the extra seats.
“Do you ladies mind if we sit here?” Nigel asked.
“Hey, sis. How’ve you been?” Keonte greeted Laikyn, who wore an uncomfortable expression.
“I’ve been great. How about you?” She spoke in a strained tone as if she was being forced to engage with him. I let out a small chuckle at the interaction.
“Damn, sis. You don’t fuck with me no more?” Keonte gripped his chest as if his feelings were hurt.
“I-I don’t have an issue withyou.”
She avoided eye contact, but it humored me. It was obvious that I made her uncomfortable, and to be honest, I liked it. If she was going to go out of her way to ignore me, I would make it nearly impossible to do so.
“What’s up, China? You’ve already met my brother Keonte, and this is my friend Nigel. Thank you, ladies, for allowing us to sit with you all.”
I noticed Keonte and China give each other awkward glances, but I paid it no mind. As far as I was aware, they weren’t very familiar with each other outside of the few family functions they both attended.
