“Of course.” He nodded and smiled before giving me his attention. “You don’t mind, do you, baby? I won’t take long.”
“I don’t mind at all, love. Please… takeallthe time you need.”
His eyes flashed with something dark, but it was gone as soon as it appeared. With his smile never wavering, he leaned into me and placed a kiss on my lips. It was gentle but assertive, and I fought to keep my food from rising and spewing onto his face.
Standing from his seat, I watched as he gestured for Angelina to lead the way. I giggled internally at her nonexistent hips swaying as he followed behind her. If she wanted to entice him, she had my blessing because he wasn’t getting any from me. Once they were near the bar, I looked on and watched as he placed his hand on her lower back, telling her something briefly before he began speaking to the other men.
“Excuse me for a second; I need to go to the restroom.”
I didn’t wait for either of them to respond before I was on my way. Nodding and speaking to those in my passing, I ignored the stares from the various men who seemed to be in a trance. Tonight, I was decked out in a form-fitting black gown from a local designer, so I knew I was turning heads. Even Chandler knew I was the prize in this situation, but he still wanted to act as if he was king of the castle.
In a way, he was.
Stepping into the restroom, I breathed a sigh of relief to find it empty. Tonight’s event was mainly for entrepreneurs to network, and I was exhausted. Chandler, a Haitian native, was doing well with his land and harvesting company and always had people in his ear about investments or advice. He soaked up the attention each and every time. With that came many women who vied for his affection. Often, he’d give them what they sought.
Looking at myself in the mirror, I became saddened by the position I was in. At twenty-seven years old, you’d think I had it all. I was beautiful, educated, and wealthy. The things I craved most in this world were things that money couldn’t buy. I wanted to love and be loved. I thought that maybe I would eventually have that, but now that I’m with Chandler, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
“Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Mimi,” I murmured as I fixed my locs. “This is your life now.”
As I refreshed my makeup, I felt my cell phone buzz in my clutch. After washing and drying my hands, I found my phone and rolled my eyes at the numerous amounts of missed texts.
Rosier:
Get out of your feelings and call me.
Jules:
Be mad at that nigga Zoo, sis. Say the word and I’ll turn that nigga into a pillar of salt tonight.
I giggled at Jules’ message because he always found a way to make me laugh. He’d done nothing to make me angry at him, but he’d done nothing to help me out of this situation either. As I was about to put my phone up, an incoming message flashed that caused my heart to flutter.
Jordan:
I haven’t spoken to you in a while and wanted to make sure you’re okay. Let me know you’re good. By the way, congrats on the engagement.
Seeing his text brought tears to my eyes. Out of all the changes I’ve gone through lately, the budding friendship with him is what I missed the most. Between his attitude and Chan’s possessiveness, I figured it was best to leave well enough alone and keep Jordan at a distance. Instead of responding to his text, I gathered myself and went in search of my so-called man.
“There you are.” He bumped into me once I rounded the corner. “Something has come up, so I’m going to get you home. You don’t mind ending the night early, do you?”
I placed my hand in his and allowed him to lead me back through the ballroom without responding. I wasn’t in the mood for a snarky comment or a slick reply if I pushed for more information about the “something” that had come up. As we glided through the crowd, I felt eyes on me. Glancing over my shoulder, I locked eyes with Angelina. The barely-there smirk on her face let me know what the business was that Chandler suddenly had to handle. As we waited for the valet to bring the car around, I didn’t have it in me to care.
This is the life that was laid out for me, and there was nothing I could do but accept it. Thanks to Rosier, I was the most miserable I’ve ever been in my entire life, and although I could not contest my predicament, I’ll be damn if I was going to be silent about it.
“For us all to live on the same compound, I hardly ever see any of you,” my mother said before laughing and wrapping me in her arms. “Come on in. I was just about to make a couple of sandwiches for lunch.”
As I stepped into my childhood home and followed her to the kitchen, memories of the past flashed at every turn. Along the walls were various pictures and accomplishments of my brothers throughout the years. Stopping at a photo with my siblings and cousin, I smiled as I ran my finger along the frame. We were so young then, and the love that shone through our eyes was evident.
My mother giggled as she came up behind me. “It took a lot of threatening to get you into that dress. You wanted to be like those boys so bad… I just knew I was going to have to find you a tuxedo!”
“Mama, please.” I smiled and waved her off after accepting the glass of fresh sweet tea. “Aren’t you glad I grew out of that?”
“Ha! Ecstatic!” We shared a laugh as she led me onto the back patio. It was springtime here in South Florida, and the heat was already blistering. No matter how hot it was, my mother would find herself outside. “Tell me… what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” She eyed me with a knowing look before I could dispute. “Before you try to say it’s just a friendly stop… knowthat I’m your mother and can see right through you. So tell me, Mimi… what's wrong?”
Taking a seat on the swing, I pushed my legs back and forth as I peered into the backyard. My mother has always had a thing for flowers, so her garden was like one I’d never seen. I often joke that she loves her plants more than her kids.
“Do you ever miss Dad?” I dragged my eyes over to her and found hers already on me. “Do you ever get lonely?”
Taking a sip of her drink, she nodded before sitting it down on the wicker table beside her. “Every single day.” She gave me a soft smile. “The love I have for your father will never fade. Our relationship wasn’t perfect, but I loved that man… and I know he loved me.”
