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Renee
I checked in at the Holiday Inn Executive Center. My girls think I’m bougie, but I don’t see shit wrong with staying in a nice hotel when I’m away from home. Who the hell wants to sleep on cheap sheets and worry if they are going to live through the night when staying at some sleazy-ass motel? Not me. I’m a firm believer that you get what you pay for.
I took a shower and fell asleep. I woke up shortly after eight, ready to get my swerve on. We were planning to hit Sparkle’s, a new twenty-five-and-over spot that had been open less than a month. It was either that or the little hole-in-the-wall juke joint that’s been around since long before I was old enough to drink, but I wasn’t in the mood for smoke or young thugs with bling-bling trying to holla all night. The dress I was planning to wear, I needed an audience worthy of my time. By ten, I was dressed and rolling over to Kayla’s. As usual, she stepped out the door in black slacks and a white blouse.
“Damn, girl. Now that you’re no longer with Reverend Brown, we need to work on that wardrobe.”
“Renee, shut up. There is nothing wrong with what I got on.” She looked offended. I don’t know why, because she knows how I am. Renee don’t hold the punches for anyone.
I clicked my tongue and pulled away from in front of her house. “If you say so.” The local radio station was jamming, which meant I didn’t have to hold a conversation. Good, because Kayla was staring out the window like she had lost her best friend, and knowing her, she was missing Leroy’s tired ass. I turned up the music and bit my tongue because I know if I say something she doesn’t like, Kayla’s going to make me take her back home, and I didn’t want that. Tonight, I plan to hang with my girls and hopefully help Kayla find some new dick.
Five minutes later, I pulled into the packed lot and giggled with excitement. Tonight, was on and I was looking fine as hell. I turned off the car, then glanced in my visor to make sure my hair was in place. Check! Lipstick looked good. Double check! I stepped out of the Jeep and slammed the door just to draw attention. Before Kayla had even gotten off her seat, brothas were hollering. I sucked that shit up and left Kayla in the dust while I strutted to the door.
The crowd was fierce. Sparkle’s appeared to be the happening place to be, and I was glad to be part of the excitement. The music was loud, and bodies were heating up the dance floor. I moved through the crowd, leaving Kayla behind, swaying my hips to the music. Brothas were whistling, trying to get a sistah’s attention, but I just smiled and kept going. I know I looked good and it was gonna take a lot to attract me tonight. I spotted Danielle dancing in her seat at a small table in the corner. Not the most ideal location, considering I wanted to be seen, but I guess it would have to do, especially since there wasn’t anywhere else to sit. She was wearing a slamming outfit—white mini, a gold halter top and matching sandals. Maybe I can get her to talk to Kayla about her tired wardrobe. I strolled past a table filled with old heads and took a seat facing the crowd. “Whassup, girl?”
Danielle grinned. “I was wondering when y’all were gonna make it.”
Kayla moved into the chair across from me. “You know how she is. Late all the time.”
I gave them both the look. “Girl, you know how I do. Who shows up at a club before ten-thirty?”
“You do, when the club closes at one,” Kayla preached over the beat of the music. “I’ve never understood why black folks wait until two hours before the club closes to go out. That’s barely enough time to order a drink.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know why your holy ass is tripping. It ain’t like you drink no way.” Kayla didn’t drink anything stronger than a ginger ale.
Danielle reached for her drink. “Can we all just get along tonight?”
She didn’t have to ask me twice. I was out to have a good time. “Shit, what are you drinking?”
Danielle took a sip. “A caramel apple martini.”
That sounded good as shit. I signaled for the waitress at the next table where an old head in a lime green suit was staring at Kayla. I nudged her in the leg. “Yo, Kayla, that pop-pop over there is staring at you.” She glanced over her shoulder, then back again. “Then he needs to quit looking because I’m not interested.”
I laughed, then ordered a martini for me and a soda for Kayla. After the waitress left, I glanced back over at the table again. Lime green was still watching.
“Kayla, he ain’t half bad. Girl, you better go get yours.”
“Renee, you need glasses. Quit flirting before he comes over here.”
“What’s wrong with that? All he probably wants is a dance.”
“Then you dance with him,” Kayla snorted rudely.
“Naw, I don’t do butterfly collars, but he seems to be exactly what you need. I don’t see a ring on his finger.” I gave him an inviting smile and then signaled for him to come join us. Danielle choked with laughter.
Kayla’s eyes grew large when she noticed the man walking toward us. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to hook you up,” I said sincerely.
“Why does it have to be someone who looks like Chewbacca?”
“Hello there.” I tried to keep a straight face and smiled up at the man standing at our table. “My girl here really wanted to meet you.” I moved my legs out of the way just as Kayla tried to kick me.
He grinned down at her, then offered his hand. “Wilbur Wallace.”
Wilbur? I hid a laugh behind a cough.
“Wilbur, this is my girl—”
“Carmen,” Kayla hurried to say and this time she kicked me right in the shin.
“Nice to meet you, Carmen.”
I joined in on the fun. “And I’m Rhonda and this is my girl Danita.”
He took the seat beside Kayla and tried to engage in a casual conversation. Being the Christian woman that she was, she felt she had no choice but to follow along.
I was ear hustling and adding my two cents. “So, Wilbur, what do you do?”
“I own a car lot,” he replied over the loud music.
My interest was piqued. “Really? New or used?”
He fingered the diamond-encrusted ring on his right hand as he spoke. “Both.”
I gave Kayla a long, hard stare. She better jump on him ’cause he was far better than Reverend Brown’s ass.
I glanced over at Danielle, who was trying to make eye contact with another one of those old heads at the table and then had the nerve to point at me. When she realized she had gotten caught, Danielle tried to keep a straight face. I had something for her ass.
Underneath the table, I tapped Pops lightly on the leg. “Hey, Wilbur, my girl here wants to meet your partner.”
While he moved over to the other table to ask his friend to join us, Danny punched me in the arm. I exploded with laughter.
Danielle sucked her teeth. “Why’d you do that?”
Grinning, I stared over at her. “’Cause I saw you pointing at me.”
“I was just tryin’ to be funny,” she admitted with a laugh as she sipped her drink.
“And so was I.”
Kayla leaned forward and said for our ears only, “I did not come here to spend the entire evening doing charity work.”
“And I don’t have time to be fighting some old man with liver spots all over his head. Nae-Nae, he looks like an ostrich on crack.” Danielle sucked her teeth.
“What he needs to do is go put his head in the ground.”
I laughed, then glanced over at their table. They were both looking over at us. I raised my hand and pointed at Danielle. She slapped the back of my head.
“You’re always playing.”
I was ready to fall out of my chair. “Shhh! Be nice. Here they come.”
Liver spots moved around to Danielle’s side and offered her his right hand. “I’m Horace, nice to meet you.”
She forced a fake smile. “I’m Dan—I mean, Danita.”
I knew Danielle was ready to kill me. Thank goodness the waitress returned with our drinks.
