Chardonnay: A Novel Page 11

  And we knew she wasn’t lying because we had just ran into Denim. Kimmie went on to say,

  “Yeah girl! We went shopping and everything, so you make sure you tell Denim I said be at my place at five o’ clock because dinner will be done at six...I have to give him a little dessert early.”

  Zasmyth dropped her head and rubbed her temples. Now that I was looking at Kimmie, she did look like a size ten. Konstance didn’t know what to say and stood there with glossy eyes. So I pulled her by her arm and whispered.

  “Don’t let this bitch see you cry.” And I flicked her chin up with my index finger.

  “Come on y’all, let’s go before we go to jail.” I insisted.

  “Yeah you better walk off.” said Daisy.

  “Oh, we ain’t scared. You should know Daisy.” Zasmyth said.

  “You need to shut your fat ass up!” I threw in. I couldn’t stand to look at her since she used to be in our crew—but she messed that up when she messed around with Myron and Gehvoni. Zasmyth and I beat her down something fierce.

  “Too bad y’all men know how Daisy’s flower bloom.” she darted at us.

  “Yeah, hoeing the whole garden.” said Konstance.

  We all laughed and walked off. Even her girls cracked up. When we got out to the car Konstance threw the shopping bags, even the jewelry which she had taken the time to take out the box and off her finger in order for it to be ran over, that she now knew were never meant for her, out the car and on to the hot parking lot cement. It was sad to say that for Denim...every kiss did begin with Kay.

  * * * *

  I flushed the stool and leaned up against the wall of the hotel suite Zasmyth had gotten us for the night. She was planning on having just as much fun as I was so that meant her not going home shall a cutie whispered in her ear something she liked. I wanted so bad to tell her Gehvoni was in town but I thought about what Slim told me. After I showered Konstance started on my hair.

  “Girl we have to make this look some kind of decent. This hair color of peach and pink has got to go.”

  “Whatever.”

  She died my hair with some auburn hair color she picked up for herself at the mall and flat ironed it. She gave me a Chinese bang in the front and made my face up with some MAC Deep Truth eye shadow and Oh Baby lip glass. Then she put some mocha blush on my cheeks for a natural flush and swiped my long eyelashes twice each with mascara. I looked glamorous with my smoky eyes and neutral shimmery lips. I put some gold Baby Phat earrings on, but Zasmyth shook her head no and gave me some diamond studded earrings to cry for.

  When they got done and I looked at myself in the mirror with everything and my red dress on, I knew there was some fame to be claimed tonight. But Konstance wanted to change one last thing.

  “Nay, I think you would look colder with the dress I picked out.”

  I tried the dress on and WOW! My long legs cascaded from underneath the mid-thigh length dress and the drop in the back to the very end of my tail bone made me want to get my Beyonce on. The front was very conservative not showing any cleavage, so if I had to talk face to face with someone they would have to look me in my face. Of course Konstance wore the red dress and looked ravishing in it. Fianna and Katura showed up in time before we left. I tried to hug Katura as I had done Fianna, but to no avail she gave a fake smile and pushed my hand back. No one saw it since they were all chattering about tonight’s excitement.

  Before we left I grabbed the napkin I had written down the address on when Micah gave it to me over the phone the night before, and we were off.

  * * * *

  The industry party was in the KC Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City in a loft where most of the night life took place at. Music was thumping and people were dancing. The scene was different from anything that was usually in Kansas City. Flashing probe lights were dancing all over the place and nearly naked men and women serves were walking around with trays of exotic drinks on them. I wasn’t worried about Slim or Myron as I glanced at the assorted flavors of men dancing, talking, or just posted up. All of the women looked as if they were models; some towered over me by seven inches.

  Mostly everyone looked as if they were talking business deals or networking. Before we all could get a chance to be seated Micah hollered my name through loud music and waved me over with the drink he had in his hand, spilling most of it out. He laughed at his silliness and looked in the glass. He tipped it back sipping the rest of it out and placed it on a male waiter’s platter as he walked by and smacked his ass. All of our mouths dropped and we began laughing.

  “Hey girl! You made it. Well, you other gals get situated while I show Chardonnay around.” Micah suggested as he spooned me off.

  “We want to be shown around too!” Konstance whined.

  I looked back and shrugged my shoulders as Micah ignored her. He pulled me close and whispered,

  “I didn’t know you were bringing all of them!”

  “Hush! They my girls.”

  “Well, let’s cut to the chase. Mingle as much as you can. Although you are looking ridiculously gorgeous right now you have a lot of competition here hon. Oh, and this hair color is the new hotness!” he said touching the end of my tresses.

  “Thank you Konstance d—”

  “—Oh Josh—honey!” Micah exclaimed interrupting me. He pulled me over to a tall and slender White woman who had jet black hair. So black it was unusual for anyone’s hair to be that jet black, but it was. Her green eyes flashed over me as she swirled around and halted.

  “This is Chardonnay, the girl I was telling you about. She’s an award winning writer and aspiring columnist.”

  Her eyebrows raised and she turned her body full frontal to me.

  “You like to write huh?”

  “Yes I do. I’ve done work for Teen Peopl—”

  “Yeah, uh, turn your head to the right just a bit.” her complete rudeness blind sighted me.

  “Excuse me?” I asked while doing as told.

  “Just listen to her.” Micah whispered through his teeth with a smile.

  “You have a resume?”

  “No.”

  “NO?!” Micah said looking me in my face.

  “I—I didn’t—”

  “She will have one at your office first thing in the morning! I will make sure of that.”

  Josh smirked at me.

  “Well she might not need one...you ever thought about modeling?”

  “Yes, but not seriously. I’m a college student you see. I don’t have very much time.”

  “That’s a shame. Well, I’ll tell you more about SEM let’s say Monday morning.”

  “What does your company have to do with writing?”

  “We also have a magazine that is published by our founder Jean Vonseigneur. He has already left for the night but he has created several offices—one recently in Kansas City, Missouri as you can see here at the lunching party.” she said wavering her hand around the place. I realized we were in the offices of Superior Elite Models after seeing some desk were neatly pushed in corners, the logo posted on most of the walls, posters of the models they have done and one huge poster of a magazine cover model with the name Black Billions on it. Black Billions magazine was hot and was like the Forbes magazine for African Americans but with a mixture of fashion and the entertainment industry.

  “Is that a model of yours there?”

  “Yes and on the cover of our magazine.”

  My mouth dropped.

  “You own Black Billions?”

  “No, Jean Vonseigneur does—I work on the staff however, all the same.” she said with a content smile.

  “Wow. This is an amazing opportunity! Thank you.”

  She shrugged her shoulder’s and walked away.

  I hugged Micah and jumped up and down.

  “This is exciting!”

  “Yeah...sure is...now stop jumping on me so the cutie with the booty over there won’t think I’m gay! I been trying to get at him all night.”
he said walking over to a pretty boy.

  He threw his head back at me and yelled, “Mingle!”

  I tried my best. I went looking for my girls and couldn’t find any of them. I did see Zasmyth smashed between two guys so I let her be. I found myself wondering off onto a huge terrace. It was beautiful as I looked off at the downtown skyline full of lights. That’s when I heard a familiar voice behind me I thought I would never hear again, until now.

  “Didn’t think I would see you here.” he said as he walked closer to me.

  I turned to face his grace of a face. He looked down, swirling his drink and then back up at me chuckling.

  “Been a second since the last time I seen you. How are you and the flashy jock?”

  “Jase, right?” I said.

  He nodded his head.

  “Right. Uniquah right?” he said laughing.

  “No,” I had to laugh at that too.

  “Char—”

  “—donnay...I remember.” he finished.

  A chill went through me and I could tell he seen it in my face.

  “So what brings you here to such a swank get together?”

  “My friend invited me. He threw me in a world I’m not sure I know anything about and said, ‘Mingle!’ I’m not sure I know how to.”

  “Well, you’re doing good now. Just be yourself that alone will take you far.”

  I poked my mouth out and looked off at the skyline.

  “All my life I’ve wanted to fly away from here. Every time I see an air plane taking off I wonder where it will land.”

  “Me too.”

  I looked at Jase and he was looking in my eyes. I knew there was something between us, but I didn’t know what. He was obviously a man who looked well established and I was nowhere near that magnitude of success.

  “You’re Mr. Me too, huh?” I joked.

  He nodded his head then began with the questions of curiosity I saw in his eyes.

  “You like it here in Kansas City, Missouri?”

  I sighed, “Not really. I do find that I’m home sick when I’m away and I love it even more—in that respect.”

  “I thought so. You don’t look like a novelty that would evolve in such a place. Small city, no high lights. How old are you...twenty-one?” he asked with a strong confidence.

  “Yeah,” I looked at him suspiciously.

  “How’d you know?”

  “Good guesser.”

  I tilted my head and tisked, “I just look that young.”

  “You actually look about twenty-five in your beauty tonight.”

  I chuckled.

  “You know what I mean,” he corrected.

  “But I can tell you’re much younger than that seeing how I’ve seen you without makeup. You look grown and tempting tonight.”

  “Damn, that was straight forward.”

  “How about this for change, can I have your number?”

  I shied away at his seductive stare and took a second of reality to think if I wanted Jase to have my number with all that was going on with me. I reasoned that it wouldn’t bother to just talk so I took the cocktail napkin he had placed under his glass of wine and took some blood red NARS lip stick from my small pocket book. He held his hand out as a surface for me to write on and I wrote it out like a million dollar check.

  “There. And that’s my cell.”

  “Dag, I can’t get the crib? You trying to keep me from someone?” he asked halfway serious.

  “No, not really. I’m a college student and I’m not at my parent’s house right now.”

  “And flashy jock?”

  I forgot he knew of him. I tightened my lips and shook my head.

  “He and I aren’t together...we’re separated.”

  Jase didn’t ask questions although I saw the disappointment in his face that I was not certainly single. He cracked a smile and beamed his eyes down on me. I wished he didn’t do that.

  “I like you. So um...I’d like to get together with you sometime.”

  “How old are you?” I said, feeling that he was a bit more mature than the men I was used to.

  “I’m twenty-nine and three quarters.”

  We laughed as if we’ve known each other since forever. I hadn’t dated a man past Twenty-two. I was curious to see what an older man could teach me. Jase had on a Cartier platinum watch, and was dressed in casual jeans, a Valentino silk cream canvas shirt, and cream colored alligator skin shoes.

  “What do you do for a living?” I asked taking inventory of his sexy.

  “Marketing. It’s a very lucrative business.” he said taking a sip of his Merlot.

  “Nice. Are you into publications as well?” I asked sensing that most people who liked marketing liked editorial projects as well.

  “Something like that. So, your—”

  “Chardonnay there you are! Let’s go, there’s another party everyone is talking about!” Zasmyth said as she ran out to the terrace. She stopped mid stride when she saw the delectable sight of Jase.

  “Look at you! Ewe, baby you sexy!” she announced.

  “Zas!”

  Jase smiled and said, “She’s cool.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Jase.” I said to Zasmyth signaling that I was already interested.

  “Oh. Well nice meeting you Jase. Nay you coming or what?”

  I looked at Jase and then looked back at Zasmyth.

  “Where is this party at?” I asked.

  “On 12th street—two blocks from here! Man, come on, the first twenty women get in free.” Fianna and Konstance found us all standing outside. They marveled Jase as well. I heard one of them whispering,

  “Now that’s who she needs to be fucking in a front seat.”

  This time Jase shied away and looked off at the sky line with a handsome smirk. I knew it was Fianna who made a statement so bold. She and I would be having a conversation later along with Zasmyth...I confided in her with that bit of information about Slim. He looked back at me and whispered,

  “I can give you a ride home if you didn’t want to go.”

  I really wasn’t in the mood for another club scene and then again I wasn’t trying to be caught up again in some mesmerizing man’s touch. I took a deep breath and turned Jase’s offer down.

  “Just make sure you call me, okay?” I said before walking away.

  “Yes ma’am,” he said and watched us all strut to the next party.

  10

  Girl Fight!

  The next morning I found my face buried in a host of pillows. I looked around and all my girls were in some of the most awkward sleeping positions as well. Fianna was hanging off the side of Konstance’s sister, Konsuelo who had left home two years ago, old bed and Katura and Zasmyth were lying near the bath room. Unfortunately for me I had to rush from Konstance bed were she lay next to me and jump over both of them to get to the toilet in time for a major resurrection of my food and drinks from last night. I heaved out clear liquid for about two minutes before anything real came up. Tears drowned my eyes and I couldn’t catch my breath for nothing. The only person that managed to awake in time to see me hovering over the stool like it was my best friend was Katura. She looked up from the floor and wiped her eyes.

  “Chardonnay, you okay?”

  I shook my head no. I fooled myself into thinking my body was done purging my insides and tried to sit down on the cold floor only to hurry back to the lone some friend. She got up and walked into Konstance’s huge princess bath room and sat on the lounge seat that sat across from the toilet.

  “You think you caught something?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. I must have drunk too much last night.”

  “The only thing you drunk was orange juice. Don’t you remember?”

  “Uh, yeah now that I think about it.” I said reaching up for the sink and pulling myself up. I looked in the mirror and turned my nose up at the bags under my eyes. I turned on the water and splashed it’s coldness into my face to elude the war
mth smothering my face. Katura watched me as I tried to cool my face. She went in the linen closet and got a towel to help me dry it. As she patted my face she looked me in the eyes and said,

  “So how long have you known about Jersey and Mystro?”

  My eyes popped opened and she turned one half of her face up at me with hurt in her eyes.

  “Tura, look , I—”

  “I know it’s not your fault. But I would think you would of tried to help the situation.”

  “I didn’t know until my little sister came to me and broke the news that some boy took her virginity! Jersey didn’t tell me until last month when we came back.”

  “He took her virginity?!”

  I spoke too much, obviously, there was some things that Katura didn’t know about their dealings.

  “Katura, I didn’t want to get in the middle of it. I already have too much stuff going on.”

  She saw the contempt in my eyes and shrugged her shoulders. I honestly didn’t have any more nerves left to deal with someone else’s emotions. Tears formed in her brown eyes and she turned and walked back into Konstance’s room where everyone now was awoke from our bickering. I sluggishly dragged my feet along the carpet rubbing my eyes when Fianna jumped in my face spatting, “You knew. You should of did something! You Houston girls just want the Kent’s to yourself—that’s all that is!”

  “Look, I don’t know what Jerry Springer shit you are on—but you best to leave me out it! I got in Jersey’s ass for it, but I can’t help it if she has feelings for Stro.”

  “All these years I’ve been there for him...and the way he’s loved me...I knew he was seeing her when I saw her number pop up twice on his cell the other night.” Katura sobbed.

  “You better fix this.” Fianna advised.

  “I’m not fixing shit! I told y’all!”

  “Then we gone kick Jersey’s little ass.”

  Zasmyth and Konstance jumped up.

  “Woe homey—you not kicking no ass as far as family go!” Zasmyth yelled out as she got in between us.

  Konstance went for their purses and threw them at them both.

  “Get out.” she said plain and simple.

  Katura listened but Fianna still wanted to treed shallow waters. She rushed for me and Zasmyth slipped out her razor under her tongue that always stay secluded under there, and went for Fianna’s pretty face. I jumped back as blood splattered the white floor and Konstance yelled for her maid to get up to the room quickly with a damped washcloth or even a new swab.