Chapter 7

 

Shopping with Angie and Missy was always a pleasant treat. Although sisters, they were vastly different. Handing over the choice of shopping venue to Angela meant they’d visit artsy shops with unique designs. Not necessarily what Sabrina wanted for work, but the smile of pleasure on her sister’s face made it worthwhile.

“This would look so good on you.” Angela held up a cream colored short-sleeved dress next to Melissa’s face. It looked really good against her darker complexion.

“I like it. Hold these.” Melissa thrust two blouses she planned to buy at Sabrina as she turned to walk off. “I’m going to try this on. It’s what I was looking for my trip,” she said walking off.

“See if you can find me something,” Sabrina said to Angela, impressed she was able to pick out such an elegantly sexy dress for Melissa.

“Hmm, you…this is more you.” She pulled out a bronze sleeveless dress with a high collar. “The color will complement your skin tone, bring out the underlying red. Plus, your arms are toned and will look great. It’ll flow over your body, but won’t fit like spandex.”

Sabrina looked at the dress and had to agree it was pretty. The price tag was reasonable as well. “Me like. Find me a few other things. I’ll try them on all at once.”

Angela nodded and a few moments later, she’d added two more dresses, a couple of tops, a skirt, and a pair of trousers.

After a significant amount of time had passed, she looked around. “What’s taking Missy so long?” Sabrina asked. Her arms ached from holding clothes for both of them.

“Probably trying to find matching jewelry. Her gold, black and cream earrings, necklace and bracelet set will rock that dress, though.”

“The ones you gave her for Christmas last year?” Sabrina asked, remembering how jealous she’d been when she saw the exquisite set.

Angela’s eyes flicked over her and then returned to the sales rack. “Yes, that one.”

Sabrina thought about it for a moment and silently agreed, the set would be awesome. “I’m going to look for her. Be right back,” she said over her shoulder as she pressed her way to the fitting room.

“Missy?” Sabrina called out softly from the entrance. There was no answer. She stepped into the area. “Missy?” she called louder. When there was no answer this time, she grew concerned and walked inside the fitting room. There were six doors.

Just as she was about to start knocking on each door, her sister walked into the dressing room. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes bright. If Sabrina didn’t know Melissa as well as she knew herself, she’d swear her sister had just gotten laid.

“Hey Brina,” Melissa said as though she hadn’t been missing in action for the past fifteen minutes. “You ‘bout to try on a dress, too?” Her voice had a breathless quality.

“Maybe. Does trying on dresses always make you look like you just had hot sex?”

Melissa whipped around, looked in the large mirror, and patted her face. Well hell, maybe she didn’t know her sister that well.

“Stop…I don’t…do I?” Melissa caught her gaze in the mirror.

Sabrina leaned against the wall, still holding onto their clothes. Things were about to get interesting. “Did you?”

Melissa face reddened and she grinned. “No. Not really. Just a kiss, nothing big like that. He was… well, I've met him before. We…we’re going to spend more time together when I get home,” she mumbled, and sprinted into the empty dressing room.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to wait. You’re on fire now.”

“Shut up.”

Sabrina laughed and went to try on her things. She couldn’t believe her sister had been dabbling with somebody that fast. Must have been planned. Her phone buzzed just as she was about to grill Melissa.

She recognized Nikki’s number from before. Her heart leapt in her chest. “Hello?”

“Hi Brina. I’m calling to let you know we just got in this morning and I’ll be in meetings most of the day. Would it be possible to get together tomorrow evening, dinner at the restaurant? You can get a look at it.”

Sabrina smiled so hard her cheeks hurt. “Yes, that sounds good. Does the staff know what’s going on or that you’re coming?”

“I haven’t met the owners, I usually don’t, not until the deal is closed. That should be later today. If everything goes as I suspect, I’ll send you a text with the address and time for tomorrow night.”

Inhaling, she eyed the rust colored dress. “Sounds good. I’m looking forward to seeing you again.” She clicked off, covered her mouth and screamed. Buzzing with excitement she went to find her sisters. They were across the store shopping. Too excited to shop, plus she was hungry, she sent Angela a text asking her to check out so they could go eat.

Minutes later, Sabrina was in line to purchase all the cool things Angela had picked out for her. Angela and Melissa checked out after her and seemed to take a long time leaving the store. She turned to tell them about Nikki and the possibility of the job when someone bumped into Melissa.

“Excuse me,” Melissa apologized.

“Watch where you’re going.”

Sabrina and Angela froze at the ungracious comment. They turned to get a better look at the fool who’d spoken. On a visceral level, Sabrina knew who the culprit was before her eyes confirmed it. There were some things that were indelibly printed in your mental database and the voice of someone you loathed was one of them.

“Well fuck, it’s those Jones girls,” Elise hissed, looking at each of them with narrowed hazel eyes. “I should’ve known. What wind blew you back in town?” Her friend snickered but stood to the side.

Angela laughed. It was a cackling, disdainful sound, not to be confused with anything remotely funny. “If it isn’t the fool of YouTube. Fuck any drunk men lately, Elise? What’s the matter can’t get nobody to take it while they’re awake?”

Elise’s pretty face tightened obscenely as she glanced around and then leaned forward, pointing a coral painted nail in their direction. “You bitch.”

Angie didn’t back down. “Probably, but I’m a bitch who can get a man on my own. I don’t fuck over my friends.”

“I can’t stand your ass. You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Jamie and I were seeing each other on the side all along.”

“Really?” Angela continued. “Is that why he put a restraining order out on you? Is that why you can’t go to his shops or his house? Make that houses?”

Elise’s eyes widened a bit, her mouth opened and then snapped shut. Sabrina knew she’d like nothing better than to knock Angela on her ass right about now.

“You still stupid, bitch,” Angela said in a mocking tone. “Don’t you know all that information’s online? You look really stupid acting like he gives a damn about you, everybody knows he’s trying to get back with Carla. Your ex-bestie.”

Elise jerked back. Her mouth dropped open and then snapped shut again. “You’re a god-damned liar, Jonesy.” Reverting to Angela’s high school nickname. “He hasn’t talked to her in months. They’re not getting back together. Stop spreading your filthy lies.” Spit flying, she pointed at Angela.

Things were escalating and Sabrina decided to bring it to a close. She knew Angie could go at it all day.

“Let’s go,” Sabrina said, drawing Elise’ attention to her.

“You.” Elise took in a couple of deep breaths. “I heard you went out with Jamie the other night.”

Sabrina shrugged and turned to walk off.

“Wait…wait a minute, Sabrina,” Elise called. There was a discernible whine in her voice. Angela and Melissa looked at Sabrina and grinned as though she’d gained hero status or something.

Sabrina stopped and waited for Elise to catch up. “What?” she asked, already bored and the conversation hadn’t begun. Elise stopped a few feet in front of her. They were similar in height and build. Elise, black hair, curvy body, had always dated either black or Hispanic guys. Jamison didn’t fall in either category, which made her fascination with him strange.

“Did you go out with Jamie?”

“Not your business. Ask him who he went out with,” Sabrina said, taking no pleasure in the pain she saw reflected in Elise’s eyes.

“Okay, so you went out with him. Stop, he’s mine.”

Sabrina’s brow rose at the blatant lie. “In your mind only,” she said.

Elise gritted her teeth and then released her breath. “Seriously, we have a kid… a son together…”

“I saw the video,” Sabrina lied.

Elise looked off and then back in Sabrina’s direction. She never met Sabrina’s gaze. “It…it doesn’t matter how little Jamie got here, he’s here, and he’s not going anywhere. We’re not going anywhere. Eventually Jamison will understand that.”

“This is not a conversation you should be having with me. You and I are not and have never been friends. Plus, if he’s yours, you don’t need to warn me off. You should have him on lock-down. What’s the matter? You worried someone will take your man?”

Elise’s face hardened as she looked Sabrina up and down with her lips drawn back in a sneer. It was a surreal moment, similar to one that had happened thirteen years ago. She’d taken Elise down then and had no problem doing it again if the situation warranted it.

With an airy wave at Sabrina, Elise spoke in a clipped tone. “Please, as that country woman said, you’re not woman enough to take my man.”

One of Elise’s problems was she never knew when to quit. She didn’t know it thirteen years ago, and it seems she’d forgotten that lesson in humility when she’d sworn she understood back then. If she’d walked off and left the conversation at Sabrina’s last remark, things might have blown over. But even as a teenager, Elise wrote checks her ass couldn’t cover. And throwing down a dare or gauntlet in front of Sabrina’s sisters was a big mistake.

“Really?” Melissa said in her 'are you for real' voice, before Sabrina could speak.

“I told you she was stupid,” Angela said, shaking her head.

A panicked look crossed Elise’ face as if she realized what she’d just done. She locked eyes with Sabrina and stiffened. “Yeah, really. You can’t take him. I have his son and he loves little Jamie.”

“Wrong,” Sabrina said, stepping closer to Elise, who took a step back. “I can’t take him from you because he’s not yours.” She backed up. “If he was yours, I’d definitely be woman enough to snatch his ass away from you.” With that parting shot, Sabrina and her sisters left a fuming Elise behind.

“Damn, restraining orders?” Melissa whispered when they were down the corridor.

Angela shrugged. “It was a guess. Must be true.”