Page 67 of Definitely Not a Thing

Sucked for them, obviously, but great entertainment for me.

We’d only been there for maybe ten minutes when I got an introduction to one of his agents, Nicole Richardson, who I couldfeelthe approval radiating off of.

It was agreatnote to start on, but then things started to whirl a little.

It was alotof people, a lot of noise, just… a lot, honestly.

Calvin pulled me into a marginally quieter spot, his beard tickling my ear as he leaned in to ask if I was okay.

I smirked, and stepped away from him, planting an imaginary camera crew in my head and ready to break the fourth wall for my first confessional.

“Do you see this dress? Do you see how Ilookin this dress? Do you see everybody else seeing how I look in this dress? I’m in my element, okay?”

“Wait – am I the producer in this scenario?” Calvin asked, grinning.

“Yes!” I answered, excited that he’d immediately picked up on it.

“Heard you,” he countered. “Okay… so you’re in your element… not at all intimidated by the level of talent and fame in this room?”

“When everybody in the room has notoriety, it levels the playing field – why would I be—Oh my God, is that Aurora Martin!” I shrieked –quietly –immediately dropping my supposed reality TV game.

Rori Martin was an absolute inspiration for me – another Black woman in tech who’d built her app, BabyBee, into a massive success.

I’dstudiedher.

… the fact that she’d bagged two different professional athletes herself was purely coincidental.

“Yeah – she probably came with Tate,” Calvin said, referencing the second of the athletes – the first wasnotworth mentioning. “You want to meet her?”

“What?” I asked, eyes wide. “No, this isn’t… this isn’t that type of thing, and I’m sure she doesn’t want?—”

“Nah, she’s probably bored out of her mind,” Calvin said, grabbing my hand to pull me along anyway.

Straight to where Rori was standing, with Sierra Ward.

I was going to pass the fuck out.

“Crossover Calllll,” Sierra greeted him warmly, with a hug that let me know there was genuine love there.

“Hey Si-Si,” he returned the greeting. “This is Li-Li.”

“In front of people?!” was out of my mouth before I could help it, and my surprise at not being able to control my tongue must’ve been written all over my face, because the group laughed before I could fix it.

“My bad,” Calvin said. “Sierra, this is Amelia.”

“Hi Amelia,” she gushed, grabbing my hand. “Calvin… she’s gorgeous. Why haven’t you brought her to the house?”

He shrugged. “I had to bargain and beg to get her out to this – she only came for the goodie bag, really.”

Why would he say that?

“Cause he always thinks something is funny,” Sierra answered, making me realize I’d said that out loud.

Fuck.

“Don’t worry about it girlie – I’m just here for the gift bag too,” Rori spoke up, and my heart moved from my throat to my ass and back as she extended a hand to me. “Aurora Martin.”

“Are you kidding? I know who you are!” I squealed, excitedly accepting her hand.