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Authors: Skyy

Crossroads (35 page)

BOOK: Crossroads
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50
The door bell chimed. Cooley stood up, walking slowly to the door.
“See, y'all loud asses about to get me put up out my crib.” She laughed as she looked at them while opening the door. Cooley turned around and froze. “Misha.”
“Hi, Carla.”
Cooley felt like she was seeing a ghost. Misha smiled; her face plumper than normal. Cooley's eyes glanced down. Misha's stomach poked out from her shirt.
Misha rubbed her stomach. “Yeah, I know, I'm huge.”
“You look absolutely beautiful.” Cooley couldn't take her eyes off of her.
Misha blushed.
Cooley thought about Patrick. She looked up.
“He's not here. I came alone,” Misha said, noticing Cooley's defensive stance. “Can I come in or not?”
Cooley moved, allowing Misha to walk in.
Carmen's mouth dropped at Misha's wide, round state. “Oh my God, Misha!” Carmen squealed. “I didn't know you were coming.”
“Nic called me. Of course, I was coming. I wasn't going to miss your birthday party.”
Misha and Carmen hugged. She handed Carmen a gift bag.
Cooley felt her heart race. Misha was glowing. She knew it was because of her pregnancy, but she didn't care. She wanted to grab her and hold her.
Misha reached into her bag. She handed Carmen a black envelope.
Carmen's eyes widened, and she put the envelope next to her.
Cooley looked puzzled.
Nic stood up. “Well, now that everyone is here. I wanted to say something special about my beautiful girlfriend.”
“Oh, hold up, Tee!” Cooley yelled.
Tee walked out with a tray of champagne glasses.
“Oh my God! Tee, don't let Cooley turn you into her personal servant.” Carmen hit Cooley on her arm.
“I pay her overtime, damn! Aye, we gotta wait on Denise and Lena.”
Terrin looked up. She realized Lena and Denise were gone at the same time. Panic sunk in. She looked at Farih, who was busy typing on her phone.
Carmen noticed the look on Terrin's face. She stood up. “Let me go check on Lena. I'll get Denise out of the bedroom. She said she had to make a call.” Carmen briskly walked toward the back.
Terrin knew something was wrong.
51
Lena and Denise's hearts were beating rapidly. Denise caressed the inside of Lena's hand. They both leaned in, their lips so close, they could feel each other's breath.
“Dee, are you off the phone yet?” Carmen yelled.
Denise and Lena paused. Denise sighed. “I can't ...”
“I know,” Lena whispered. “You love her, don't you?”
Denise gazed into Lena's big brown eyes. The eyes that she wanted for so long could finally be hers. She held on to Lena's hands.
“Yes, I do. '
Lena thought she would want to cry, but she didn't. A smile came on her face. She could see the pain in Denise's face. She placed her hand on Denise's cheek.
“I'm happy for you.” Lena kissed Denise on her cheek and opened the bathroom door. She wasn't angry. She wasn't hurt. She was happy that Denise was happy.
“Are you two OK?” Carmen questioned.
“We are great.” Lena looked at Denise and smiled. “Better than ever.”
 
 
Cooley couldn't take her eyes off the black envelope sticking out of the side of the couch cushion. She had never wanted to open something so bad in her life.
“Man, y'all some junky-ass people.” Cooley stood up. She walked over to the couch and reached for two empty bottles on a small table to the side. She slid the envelope under her shirt without anyone knowing and walked into the kitchen.
Cooley was happy Carmen insisted that Tee take a break. The kitchen was clear. The TV was on the red carpet for the Fashion Jams concert that was happening live on
TV One
. Cooley turned the envelope over. The handwriting was fancy. It had to be an invitation. She unhinged the flaps and opened the envelope.
Cooley read the announcement. Patrick and Misha Donaldson had requested Carmen and Nic's presence at their formal wedding ceremony and reception. Cooley dropped the envelope. Misha was already married to Patrick.
“So what are you wearing?” the
TV One
host asked one of the celebrities walking down the red carpet.
“This is Versace.”
The voice sent chills down Cooley's' spine. She turned to see Sahara standing with a smile on her face. She was wearing a strapless Versace dress. Cooley quickly turned the television up to full volume.
“So, Sahara, you have a big number to do tonight.” The attractive interviewer held the mic to Sahara's mouth.
“Yes, I'm doing my new single. I'm really excited because it's my first Fashion Jams.”
“And are you here with Bobby Dee?” the interviewer pried.
“No, there is no me and Bobby Dee. We are just friends, nothing more at all.”
“Oh, I hear that.”
They laughed.
“So is there someone else special in your life?”
Cooley watched as the light that shined when Sahara smiled dimmed a little.
Sahara paused. She looked back at the interviewer. “There was, but ... unfortunately, not anymore.”
Cooley felt her heart breaking as the interviewer finished up her questions before Sahara headed off to the next set of press. A single teardrop rolled down her face.
“Hey, bruh, come in here, Denise said as she noticed Cooley standing in the kitchen.
Cooley wiped the tear and headed into the room.
Lena sat next to Terrin and put her arm between hers.
Terrin rubbed her lips together. She watched as Denise joined Farih, planting a kiss on her lips. Terrin looked at Lena. She didn't seem angry or hurt. She made a sigh of relief, thinking maybe Denise was really taking a call. Terrin caught Denise catching a quick glimpse of Lena. Her stomach turned. She knew something wasn't right.
“Are you OK?” Lena asked when she noticed the dull expression on Terrin's face.
Terrin looked at her beautiful girlfriend. Lena was who she wanted to be with more than any other woman she'd dated before.
“Yeah, I think I just drank a little too fast. Things are wonderful.” She planted a sensual kiss on Lena's lips. She hoped Denise took note. She was there to stay.
 
 
Cooley stood against the wall. Nic stood up holding her glass of champagne in her hand. Nic turned, cleared her throat.
“OK, well, I wanted to take a moment to say something about this woman right here. When I first moved to Memphis all I could think was that I wanted to go back to LA.”
Everyone laughed.
“But then I met Carmen.”
The ladies all fawned. Carmen was smiling from ear to ear.
“She didn't make it easy for me. I learned quickly that if you love someone you might have to let them go, and if it's meant to be it will be. I had to let her go, but as you can see ... she came back.”
Carmen blushed from embarrassment.
Nic smiled. “And now, I plan to never let her go again.” Nic got down on one knee.
Carmen's face dropped. She covered her mouth.
Lena, Misha and Farih all gasped, covering their mouths.
“Carmen, will you spend the rest of your life with me?”
Cooley watched as Carmen screamed yes. She felt an abundance of emotion come over her as her bestfriend held on to the woman she loved.
Cooley's mind drifted to Sahara. Flashbacks of all the time they had spent together played like old movies in her head. She remembered the first time she laid eyes on Sahara, two years ago on her trip to Atlanta with Denise. She thought about the first time they kissed. Even though they were laying in the bed with Sahara's sleeping ex-girlfriend, it felt as though they were the only two in the room. Cooley could hear Sahara's voice reassuring her that she loved her just the way she was.
Everyone has scars.
Sahara's voice repeated in her mind as she remembered their embrace. Sahara's face was so vivid. She could feel her kissing her scar as though it was happening at the moment.
Cooley's eyes began to water as she touched the blemish on her face. Sahara had loved her, flaws and all, and she had let her slip away. Tears began to fall down her face. Carmen looked up and noticed Cooley against the wall.
“Carla!” She walked over and wrapped her arms around Cooley. Everyone was shocked to see Cooley cry.
“I'm sorry.” Cooley wiped the tears falling from her face. “Carmen, Nic, I'm really, really happy for y'all but I gotta go.” Cooley searched for her keys.
“Bruh, what's wrong?”
“Nothing.” Cooley frantically searched for her keys in the pile of stuff on her table. She looked up in the living room. All of the most important people in her life were there, except one. “I gotta go. I gotta go get my girl.”
Everyone stood shocked.
Cooley smiled, her dimples set deep. Misha smiled.
Tee stood up, pulling her keys out of her pocket. “I got you, boss. I'll drive you.”
“Go, baby. We will be here when you come back with Sahara,” Carmen replied. Her day went from amazing to better in a single instant.
“”Are you sure you aren't mad?”
“No.” Carmen held Cooley's hand. “My moment is nothing without you.”
 
 
The Fashion Jams concert was in full swing. Cooley flashed her Jam Zone pass to security.
Cooley rushed past all the doors for the celebrity dressing rooms. Celebrities and their entourages filled the rooms. Cooley noticed James standing with a group of groupies. She rushed up to him.
“Wade, what are you doing here?” He tried to keep a smile on his face to hide his anger.
“Where is Sahara's dressing room?”
“Why?
“Just tell me.”
“You shouldn't be here, Wade.”
Cooley pushed James against the wall. “Look, muthafucka, where the fuck is my girl's dressing room?”
James could see the anger in Cooley's eyes. He pushed her hands off of him. James stood up straight and fixed his blazer. “OK, her dressing room is right there.” He pointed to the door across from them. “But it doesn't matter. She's not in there.”
Cooley heard the sound of Sahara's music starting to play.
James smiled. “You know that little stunt is gonna cost you.”
Cooley looked at the entrance to the stage. She looked back at James with a grin on her face. “That stunt isn't going to cost me nearly as much as this one.”
Cooley ran toward the stage.
James' eyes bulged. “Don't you—security!”
Sahara stood waiting on her cue to come on stage. Cooley grabbed her arm.
Sahara turned around. Shock covered her face. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I ... I was wrong.”
Sahara shook her head. “It's too late for that.” She tried to pull away, but Cooley held on to her.
“You said you weren't going to give up.”
“That was before you said you didn't love me.”
“I'm sorry, Sahara.”
“No, Cooley, you made your choice. It's going to take a whole lot more than a damn apology from you. I have to go perform.” Sahara jerked her hand away and walked out on stage.
“Right there!”
Cooley looked back to see James pointing at her. Two security guards headed her way.
It's now or never.
Cooley took a deep breath and walked out on the stage.
Sahara noticed the crowd looking off. She turned around to see Cooley standing on the stage.
Sahara ran up to her. “Carla, what are you—” Sahara said in a panic.
Cooley rushed up to her. “You said it was going to take more than an apology. How about my job?”
Sahara looked Cooley in her eyes. “You wouldn't?”
“Only if you tell me not to,” Cooley said with determination.
The security guards stopped at the edge of the curtain.
Sahara looked at Cooley then looked at the crowd. She held her hand up to stop the security guards. Sahara smiled.
“You have lost your mind, Carla Wade.”
“No.” Carla grabbed Sahara by her waist. “I've found it.” She pressed her lips against Sahara's.
Sahara wrapped her arms around Cooley. They embraced as though there was no one around.
The shocked crowd erupted in screams and applause.
Cooley and Sahara looked out into the audience. Cooley knew her friends were watching. She knew jaws probably hit the floor.
Cooley noticed James standing with security, ready to cart her off the moment they could.
Cooley knew her job was gone, but she didn't care. All she cared about was the woman in her arms. The woman she knew she loved. For once nothing else mattered.
“I gotta do my show.”
“I'll be waiting afterward.”
Cooley watched as Sahara sashayed back to the middle of the stage. The crowd was going wild, but Cooley couldn't hear them. All she could hear was Sahara's voice.
Sahara's face turned toward Cooley as the band started her intro over again. She smiled, winking her left eye at Cooley. Cooley felt a warm tingle come over her body, a feeling she had never felt before.
Cooley took a deep breath as she headed off the stage. She could almost see the fire blaring out of James's ears. As soon as she was out of the crowd's sight, James instructed two security guards to grab her.
“All this is not necessary.”
Cooley didn't fight. She let the guards take her to the wall. They pushed her back to the wall. James didn't care about the rough treatment; if so many people weren't around, he would have instructed more.
“You fucking idiot! You know that's your job, right?” James spewed his words like venom.
Their eyes were locked on each other, neither willing to back down.
The two security guards let go of Cooley. She adjusted her clothes, brushing the wrinkles that the security guards left behind.
“Whatever, man. I don't want to work for a hating-ass nigga like you anyway. What you think? I don't know the real deal?”
“You don't know shit, Wade.”
“I know that girl on that stage is mine, and nothing you do or say is going to change that.”
James walked a few steps closer to Cooley. “Well, I guess I like my career a little more than you do, Wade. 'Cause I'll take my job over a piece of pussy any day of the week.” James smirked. “Pick yo shit up on Monday. Let's see how long she stays with a broke bitch.”
BOOK: Crossroads
11.07Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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