Page 23

A WEEK AND A HALF LATER…

“Are you gonna kiss me at every red light?” I asked Unique as I rode in the passenger side of his Range Rover, acting like I didn’t love his antics.

He did the most, but I loved every minute of it. I enjoyed how he told everyone who would listen that I was his wife and cared nothing about who was watching or witnessing his moves when handling me, not even his coworkers, who knew I had once been with AJ. A lesser man wouldn’t have been as confident.

At the moment, we were headed to the set of Dough Boyz for him to film. Ever since the incident with AJ, where Unique knocked his ass out and put him to sleep, he’d been on his best behavior around us.

He still couldn’t help the glares or looks he’d shoot my way, but only when Unique couldn’t see. The one time he did see, he checked his ass, and I could tell AJ was embarrassed. I’d dated him long enough to know what bothered him or made him feel like less of a man without him even saying so.

“I definitely am…” Unique’s sentence trailed off as he frowned at his phone ringing on the screen of his car. I saw his little sister’s name, Banks, on the screen as he hit the green button to answer. “I’m broke,” he started.

“I don’t need no money. Daddy just gave me my allowance,” she said, sucking her teeth.

“Then you what you need, Banks? You only call a nigga when you need something.”

“What else would I call you for?” she asked, and that got a laugh out of me, though I tried to be quiet. “Ooh, who is that?—”

“Shit, I don’t know. Maybe see how I’m doing?”

“You don’t call me to see how I’m doing or if I need some money.”

She must’ve had a point because Unique had no reply. He only shook his head with his sexy lips pursed before asking, “Why you call me?”

“I need a ride, big bro, and—shut up!” she told someone in the background, cutting her sentence off. “Anyway, can you come? I just finished dance. Please.”

“Man, I’m on my way to work, Banks.”

“Please, Unique. This is why I need a car, but Daddy won’t budge, and Mama can’t convince him. If you don’t come, I’m gonna have to ride the bus, then because I’m not calling Daddy. I want him to see what I go through with no damn car.”

Unique pondered for a minute, checking the time on his AP, then said, “Aight. I’m on my way.”

“Thank you! I swear?—”

He hung up on her, making me drop my jaw.

“Unique, why you hang up on that girl?” I giggled.

“Because she stay inconveniencing me and throw in shit like she about to ride the bus, knowing none of us want that shit.”

“Why not?” I wondered aloud.

“She too known. Granted, it’s unlikely someone would fuck with her because of who she related to, especially Sif, but it’s always a fucking crash dummy willing to do some shit for a payday.”

“True.” I nodded, watching Unique calculate in his head how he needed to reroute.

It took us about half an hour to get to Banks. When he pulled up, I saw a pretty girl with his same onyx complexion, long dark hair, and pretty eyes I could see from a mile away, tapping her foot impatiently and checking the dainty Rolex on her wrist.

She was beautiful, and I wondered how she’d been making it in the dating world with seven big scary ass brothers and a father who was probably even worse than them.

She spotted Unique’s truck and picked up her bag, walking over in her tights and wrap top in a baby pink color. From the looks of things, she danced ballet.

“Hi.” She slid into the back seat, all the way over to Unique’s side so she could get a look at me. Her skin was blemish free and like glass. Her smile was bright and endearing too.

“Hi.” I reached my hand back to her. “Kabrina.”

“Kabrina, you are so pretty. I love your eyes.” She giggled.

“I love yours, too, and you are just as beautiful—if not more,” I complimented.

“Sit back and put on yo’ seat belt.” Unique sliced through our moment, making Banks roll her eyes and sit back before buckling up. “I’m gon’ be late because of you.”

“You’ll live. Cemone said you got promoted to lead, so they’ll wait for you,” she sassed, typing away on her phone like a busy woman. The sight made me giggle.

“Why you ain’t call somebody else? You got six other brothers, love.” Unique peered into his rearview mirror briefly as he drove.

“Khari and Bashar are always too busy. Cemone and Shakur are never in town, and Lequay be wanting me to babysit his bad ass sons in exchange for him picking me up.”

We all burst into laughter at the last one.

“Why? He ain’t even got no job,” Unique asked, causing Banks and I to crack up.

“No idea. And Asif, I just didn’t want him to. My classmates got a crush on him and be fanned out when he pull up. I don’t get it because he’s an old man.”

That made Unique and I guffaw.

“Sif is old?” Unique frowned, amused but confused.

“Yes. Anybody over twenty-five is old as fish grease,” she replied.

Even though she was way off on that one, I remembered being her age and thinking someone in their twenties period was old. I distinctly remember a classmate saying her brother was twenty-two and lived at home and how I thought that was insanity for his ‘old’ ass. In hindsight, he was a damn baby still, somewhat.

“Is Low old?” Unique asked, and judging by the way Banks froze up when I looked in the back seat at her, I could surmise that she had a crush on whomever this Low person was.

“Nooo. Low is just grown, not old.” She grunted then said, “ Anyway , Kabrina, are you coming to my last days of summer party?”

“I am. Unique invited me so I could meet the family,” I said.

“Oh my gosh. I’m so happy. I can’t wait for you to meet my sisters-in-law. They’re very pretty but they’re still nice, I promise.”

I’d met them on the yacht that afternoon, but as AJ’s girlfriend, so I was a bit nervous as to how they would receive me now that I was coming in as Unique’s wife. I could only hope that they wouldn’t be giving me the side eye or standoffish, because I had no plans of leaving Unique and would have to see them often since the family was quite close knit. My only saving grace was that the yacht incident was so long ago.

Not wanting to burst Banks’ bubble by stating I’d briefly met the ladies at the yacht party that she hadn’t attended, I just chuckled while nodding and said, “So I’ve heard. I can’t wait to meet them.” I smiled back at her, catching Unique’s eyes for a beat, then turned correctly in my seat to take in the view of the city. “Are you going somewhere, or is this just a normal party?”

“She ain’t going nowhere but to the hood for USC,” Unique chimed in.

“I have a last days of summer party every year, but yes, I am going to USC. My daddy is sad.”

“Sad, why? You’re still in state.”

“’Cause that’s his baby girl, and he don’t want her living on campus and shit. But even while away, she won’t be entertaining no niggas. Ain’t that right, B?” Unique asked, eyeing her sternly.

“No… I won’t,” she responded sullenly. Poor thing.

We changed the subject with me asking Banks about her dance class and what she was studying in college. She was a very smart girl, letting me know her brothers didn’t need to worry about her. From speaking with her, it didn’t seem like any man would be able to pull the wool over her eyes, and if he did, he was crazy to do it to a woman with that many brothers.

After grabbing her some food, we dropped her off at the vast home she lived in with her parents. It made me wonder just how rich they were to live in a mansion like that.

“Y’all gotta give baby girl a break. She’s smart,” I told Unique as he drove down the street, headed to work.

“As badly as I want to, love, I can’t. The thought of a nigga getting my baby sister and dogging her the fuck out would have me sleepless for a month straight.”

“I get it.” I reached over to caress the nape of his neck. “But I think she will be fine.”

“I wish I could agree, but as long as she got a crush on a drug dealer, I’m gon’ he like a hawk on her ass.”

* * *

Because Banks’s party was coming up this weekend, I wanted to be sure I looked my best and not just for the party, but also because I would be meeting all the ladies as well as Unique’s family. I couldn’t walk in there with tattered nails and toes, especially after Banks telling me how beautiful everyone was.

I didn’t know any of them, with the exception of Yolani, obviously, and Uncut’s wife because they had been all over the blogs years ago after he left his fiancée for her and then again for their little public indecency Paris incident.

But other than the brief conversations I’d had with a few of them on the yacht, I didn’t know much about any of them and couldn’t exactly remember who was with who, with the exception of Asif and Anastazia because of the proposal.

But even that felt like forever ago, and considering that the engaged couple had had a baby since then, it actually was a long time ago.

“Appointment?” the woman up front asked.

“Yes, for Kabrina.” I smiled and nodded.

“Perfect. Right this way.” The woman beamed while standing before leading me to a massage chair. “Stacy will do your feet while Brianna does your hands.”

“Okay.” I nodded and sat down in the chair, greeting the nail technicians before saying ‘yes’ to the mimosa they’d offered verbally.

“Wow. He sent you here?” I heard a voice say, and when I looked to my right, I recognized one of Unique’s former girlfriends, Daisy.

I knew of her to be the feistier one, and it made me want to curse Unique’s ass out. Where he lived, I didn’t know of many nail shops, so I asked if he’d seen one around. He told me about this one, gave me a stack of cash to pay for the visit, and even gave me the keys to use one of his cars to go.

I didn’t ask any questions because of how kind the gesture was, but now I was wishing I had. I should’ve known a nigga like him would only know of a damn nail shop because of a woman he used to fuck.

“Don’t start with me,” was all I said, taking the flute from Brianna and sipping. Stacy who was already hard at work on my feet, looked up a little bit, being nosy.

Giggling as if I were doing too much, Daisy replied, “Don’t worry. I’m not. Don’t take my calmness as me not planning to get my nigga back though.”

I sighed, trying to remain chill because she wasn’t worth it, and I needed my nails done.

“You tried to fuck his brother. You need to let it go.” I finally gave her some eye contact and watched her smug smile drop instantly at my words.

Stacy and Brianna were tuned in fully now, right along with the woman doing Daisy’s feet. I just knew as soon as we left, they’d have plenty to discuss.

“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, but again, I won’t let you get me out of character. The way to get Unique back is to be mature about things and relaxed. Most expect me to wild out and for Aurora to be chill, but nope. I’m gonna let her spin out, which I’m sure she’s doing because she’s a weak bitch. I’m not weak, so I know he won’t come back to me if I’m acting psycho and beating the brakes off of his new plaything.”

“Plaything.” I laughed. “You wish.” I pushed my hair behind my ear to blind her with my ring. It worked because out of my peripheral, I could see that she was staring with her mouth slightly agape.

“I don’t need to wish, boo,” she responded, sort of delayed. “Aurora was once his only and look how that shit went. Unique may be into you now, but one woman won’t ever satisfy him. He’s said it himself. He likes you and this thing you have because you’re new. But once the new smell wears off, he’ll be sitting you down like he did her, explaining that he wants to be polyamorous.”

“Well, sweetheart, the difference between Aurora and me is that she was his fuck buddy who let him play games with her. I’m his wife, and he has no room to play not one game with me.

“You playground bitches need to get some backbone and stop letting these niggas treat you any kind of way. You also need to realize when a man doesn’t want you like that. If you were the one for him there would’ve been no Aurora and there would’ve been no me.

“Furthermore, if he was the one for you, fucking his brother would’ve never crossed your whore of a mind, but it did. Now I’m going to let this interaction here slide because I need to get my nails done in preparation to meet his family as his wife, but shall I run into your ass again and you’re still popping off like this, you won’t be so lucky. I suggest you stop wasting time pining after a man who, regardless of if he’s married or not, has no interest in you.”

I could feel Daisy staring at my side profile, but I refused to look at her as I told Stacy I wanted hot wax for my feet. Something I said must’ve bothered her or hit home because for the remainder of my appointment, the bitch was on mute.

As soon as I left, I dialed Unique once I was in the car. Before he could even greet me through the phone, I spat, “You suggested your old bitch’s nail shop to me!”

He paused then exhaled heavily. “My bad, love. I ain’t do it on purpose. It’s just the only one I heard of, and I guess that’s why.”

“Well, she was there, and of course she just had to be seated next to me and talking shit.”

“Who? They both went there I think.”

“Daisy.”

“What she say?”

“Doesn’t matter because the bitch is delusional, but I just want you to know you better not ever send me anywhere you even think them bitches used to go to. I am not just sliding into their old spots, okay?” I dipped through the streets, gripping the wheel angrily.

“Yes ma’am.” He snickered a bit, and though I wanted to be upset, I couldn’t stay that way. “I apologize, baby. I ain’t do that on purpose.”

“I know.”

“You forgive me?”

I did, but instead I said, “I’ll think about it.”

“When I finish up here, let me take you to eat. That cool? Or you too mad at ya man to go eat?”

I scoffed, hating that I couldn’t turn that down.

“Fine. But only because I wanna show off my nails,” I lied.

“Yeah, aight. See you later, love.” He tittered a bit, knowing I was lying and just loved food.

I didn’t know how this marriage would go when I had a husband I couldn’t even stay mad at.

* * *

LAST DAYS OF SUMMER. HOSTED BY BANKS ST. THOMAS…

Several custom luxury cars littered the driveway of the St. Thomas home as music bumped from what appeared to be coming from the backyard.

Unique helped me from the car before grabbing the gift bag from Louis Vuitton containing Banks’s gift. I chuckled inwardly because Unique swore everyone spoiled her except for him; yet, he bought the girl an expensive gift, and it wasn’t even her birthday.

I could hear “My Type of Party” by Dom Kennedy playing as we neared the backyard, having checked in at the front and walked through the foyer to the massive backyard.

It was decorated beautifully with all the couples and family in the back talking, having a drink, or munching on plates piled with food. The kids were all over the place, some chasing one another, others in the makeshift sandbox or on the jungle gym, while the tiny ones were in their strollers.

I recognized Anastazia immediately as she sat in Asif’s lap, smiling at whatever he was saying to her as he held a plate in one hand while his other rested on her waist. A stroller was nearby in the shape of a bassinet which held their baby.

More couples came into view, especially Yolani on Cemone’s back as he tread through the backyard holding her up like it was nothing. The sight made me giggle a bit.

“He brought her ass!” Uncut or Khari announced once he and his wife noticed me, causing seemingly everyone to start our way, making me nervous.

“These are my brothers, as I’m sure you know.” Unique shook his head as the group of tall men crowded around me, looking just like Unique, just varying shades of brown.

“Nice to meet you.” I nodded with a smile, hoping I didn’t look as nervous as I felt before they all reached to hug me one by one. They all smelled good, thankfully.

“Aye, nigga, not too tight.” Unique elbowed Shakur who gave him a look like he was out of his mind while the rest of us laughed.

“My mother, Lisara, and father, Prime.” Unique nodded as a tall but older man walked up, along with his wife who Unique looked a lot like. His father was hella fine, and I saw where Asif got his looks. He looked just like his father.

“So you helped him clean up his act, huh?” Prime hugged me, smiling.

“I think I did, even though it wasn’t on purpose.” I laughed before embracing his beautiful mother.

“I always thought people who got married on accident or for convenience were unheard of until it happened to me.” Lisara beamed.

“Same! Like who gets married on accident, and why are y’all still together!” I exclaimed before we laughed in unison.

“It ain’t that easy to get an annulment, I learned, but I’m happy it wasn’t. Low-key, I never wanted one,” Unique stated, pulling me into him and surprising me with his last statement.

The wives and one fiancée walked up to the group, and thank God they were all smiling or beaming, looking excited to meet me.

I didn’t wanna be seen as a homie hopper or jump off, especially because that wasn’t me. And with my background, that was my worst nightmare. My only hope was that because it was so long ago, they’d possibly forgotten how I was originally presented.

They introduced themselves by name before hugging me just as their husbands had done prior, and like their husbands, they smelled good too.

“Can we have her for a minute, Nique?” Couture asked, holding my hand.

“I don’t know. Why?” He frowned as his mother hit him on the arm.

“So they can form a bond, nigga.” Prime shook his head, nodding for Unique to follow him over to the table all his brothers were now at, talking loudly.

He did as he was told as I followed the ladies to their table, bypassing the men who either hollered something inappropriate to their wives or something smart.

“Don’t be trying to get a new best friend,” Asif said to his fiancée, his fingers lightly intertwined with hers as he smiled up at her.

Her ring and watch complemented one another well, both blinding me a bit. I noticed all the ladies had either frozen wrists, necks, fingers, or all three, including myself. Unique randomly bought me a Audemars watch and then some more Van Cleef bracelets which I had on at the moment.

Anastazia blushed before saying, “Never.” When she attempted to keep going, he tugged her back to him lightly for a kiss then let her go.

I didn’t realize I was smiling at the interaction until I caught Unique’s eyes. He made a face at me, shaking his head. He always said I was a sap while witnessing anything to do with love.

I mouthed at him to kiss my ass just for him to ask ‘when’ like a child before we passed them and made it to our table.

“Thank you for coming!” Banks flounced over happily with a brown-skinned girl in tow.

“Of course. Thank you for inviting me,” I said.

“This is Kailey, my best friend.” Banks stepped to the side, framing her friend’s face a little.

“Nice to meet you.” Kailey smiled, reaching her hand out to shake mine.

“Okay, you ladies have ten minutes to chat before y’all need to come to the dance floor, aight?” Banks put a hand on her hip, sounding like her brothers with that last word.

The ladies and I clamored about in response, all agreeing before Banks and Kailey walked off in conversation toward her other group of friends, who I assumed weren’t important enough for Banks to introduce.

“So I been waiting to ask how is it being married to Unique?” Couture grinned. “We all said we never saw him settling down, so it’s weird.”

“Don’t be offended,” Anastazia simpered. She had a very welcoming nature to her.

“I’m not.” I giggled. “I felt the same way when I met him and thought it made sense for him to have two women. But he surprised me. He’s very honest and upfront, for the most part, and he’s extremely attentive.”

“Yep. They’re all like that.” Analicia nodded. I could tell she and Anastazia were sisters without being told. They bore the same brown complexion and dark hair, only Analicia’s was straight, and Anastazia’s was curly. Additionally, I could see slight freckles on Analicia.

“Prime got them together because when Khari and I first got together, he wasn’t really like that. He was a good boyfriend before the divorce of his bio parents, but not nearly as great as he was once Prime became his stepfather,” Couture said.

“Yeah, Unique told me their real father left,” I said.

“Semi deadbeat is what Cemone called it,” Yolani said, and the women nodded as if that were a good term for it.

“And when that happened, Khari spun out of control, but it was short-lived, and he got it together.” Couture beamed.

“Heeyyyy, ladies!” A loud but delicate voice boomed over the table, making me look over my shoulder to see a pretty girl grinning.

“This is my best friend, Bambi.” Couture introduced as she hugged her.

“Ooh okay, Unique.” She sized me up with a smile as she pulled a chair up. “You lucky he was too young for me.”

I jerked my neck back, but Presley said, “She’s joking.”

“Yeah, the only one she ever liked was Khari.” Scotland chuckled.

“Before I knew her ass, okay.” She pointed at Couture. “We gotta tell the whole story,” Bambi said, causing the table to giggle.

“So have his ex-bitches tried you?” Scotland queried.

“A little bit. The skinny one was hiding in his attic the other night,” I said, and the ladies’ jaws were on the floor.

“You lying,” Analicia said.

“I wish I was. Was up there eating chips, too, so she clearly planned to stay a while,” I added, causing the ladies and even myself to erupt into laughter so loudly that everyone looked over.

“Aye, what you telling ’em?” Unique stood up, deep voice reverberating over the large backyard. “Hope it ain’t no private shit,” he said.

“The fact that yo’ sex life would be something they could laugh at is alarming, my nigga,” Bashar said before the two of them began to bicker while his brothers laughed.

“Speaking of sex life, I guess I should tell you guys now.” Presley stood up and opened her jacket to show the small bump that was her midsection, which caused all of us to screech in surprise. “Lisara and Prime already know, and we’re hoping for a baby girl. I need one,” she stated extra loudly, cutting her eyes in the direction of her husband, who was seated at the table with his brothers, smirking and shaking his head ‘no’ in response to her comment.

“I thought you said no more for a few years?” Yolani grinned, eyes zoned in on Presley’s tummy.

“Yeah, well, we all know that’s very hard to do with them brothers. Every time I look up, Shakur wants to have sex.” She sat back down. “And always tries to find reasons why. Talking about practice was rough and he needs to fuck.”

The table broke out into laughter, and it was probably because we experienced the same thing.

“I thought that was just Bashar. Whatever is wrong with me, it’s because we need to have sex,” Analicia admitted, extending our laughter. “I was literally coughing my lungs up once, and he swore if I let him give me head, it would help. Be trying to use his degrees as backup, claiming he learned the shit in class. I did notice I wasn’t coughing at all during though so he may be onto something.”

We continued cackling, and by now, my eyes had begun to water.

“That’s why I stopped telling Lequay about songs I like because his response is always ‘we need to have sex to it.’” Scotland mocked his deep tenor with a roll of her eyes, and we guffawed even louder, causing quick stares. “One time the nigga said it about a gospel song and when I pointed out the lyrics, knowing he had paid the song no attention, he felt terrible.”

We broke into laughter.

“See, I didn’t catch on at first because Asif is smooth with it. He’ll be like ‘you been on your feet all day, let me massage ’em,’ then next thing you know, I’m laid in the middle of the bed, legs shaking and slutted out.” We fell out. “He tells me I’m beautiful every day, but when he wants some, he starts early in the day with heavy compliments and on everything I do. So by nighttime I’m flattered and prepped,” Anastazia explained, making us giggle. “Man told me once he was impressed by how quickly I bathed Sophie and put her to bed, and for some reason, I was blushing.”

“Yeah, all that would probably work on me, too, so don’t feel bad,” Scotland said with a grin as the rest of us agreed through laughter.

“He has his gangsta moments, though, where he foregoes it all and just comes to me like baby, I wanna fuck.” Anastazia grinned and we cracked up at how calmly she claimed he said it.

“See that’s Khari all the time. He’s straight up. He just starts kissing me, and if I let it keep going, which I always do because I’m a slave to his touch,” she rolled her eyes, “we end up fucking.”

“Yeah, see, Cemone acts like him being allowed to have sex with me is such a privilege for him, and that turns me on. So, I’m always like fine, boy, come get you some.” Yolani playfully rolled her eyes, causing us to cackle.

“Unique just throws out how he’s my husband and it’s like a switch goes off.” I shook my head at myself as the women giggled.

“That word will work on your ass for the first year or so.” Presley cheesed.

“Did you even make it the six weeks, Stazi?” Bambi chuckled.

“We did… kind of.” She nodded with a half-smile. “He’s persistent but patient.” The ladies and I tittered in response. “Once Amir came, every morning Asif would be up early, showered, teeth brushed, cleaned up, and ready to go. Then while I did the same, got dressed, ate breakfast, relaxed, worked out or read a couple chapters of my book, he would be with the kids until I was ready to take them. Only then would he leave for the day to handle his business, and after a while, I was like I cannot be around this good man and not give him nothing. So we found stuff to do.” We giggled. “But once I was clear, we didn’t even make it out of the parking lot—fucking in the back seat of RR.”

“That is some hood rich shit! I love it!” Bambi exclaimed, making us crack up.

We finished our gossiping session after we grabbed some food and drink.

The women told me about the incident with Daisy in full detail since I wasn’t there. That then led to them telling me about a Teyaira, who actually succeeded in brother hopping by fucking with Lequay and Shakur. Low-key, I wished I could’ve been around to see it.

“So are you coming to my wedding?” Anastazia asked, surprising me.

I’d seen the beautiful, large invitation that Unique got in the colors chocolate, beige, and gold. I could tell it was expensive, and a dead giveaway was that the gold on it was real. It was a winter theme as well which made me wonder how it would work due to the fact that we didn’t get snow here in LA.

I wanted to go, but I didn’t want to make her feel like she had to invite me or make Unique think he had to make it so.

“I would love it too, so long as it’s not an inconvenience.”

“It’s not at all.” She smiled as the ladies looked on, simpering at the interaction.

“The bridesmaids dresses are so pretty too—chocolate and silk,” Yolani told me, and the women agreed.

“I can’t wait to see.” I simpered. “I’m so happy you guys didn’t take me dating Unique after AJ the wrong way,” I felt the need to bring up, especially since we’d been discussing Teyaira and Daisy.

“Girl,” Couture sucked her teeth, “he was a loser who played you. Plus, him and Unique were not close.”

“They’re not. But a lot of people assume they are because they have to promote together and are seen together a lot because of that,” I explained.

“Right, but the only friends or close friends any of these niggas here truly got are each other. They may have some homies on the side, but that’s about as far as that goes,” Scotland said, and the ladies agreed.

“Okay, y’all, let’s go!” Banks shouted from across the backyard, so we all got up and went to the dance floor.

For the next half hour, we danced by ourselves and with the kids while the men simply watched.

That was until “Do I Love Her?” By DJ Quik came on, and then it turned into something reminiscent of them hood ass house parties they would throw back when I was in high school, where all the gang bangers would take over the dance floor, two-stepping and Crip or Blood walking while another gang banging rapper blasted through the speakers. It would be all fun until someone banged their hood too hard, and guns came out.

The brothers knew every word, even the ad-libs, and the sight of it all, plus the liquor in my system made it hilarious.

While they danced, Unique introduced me to his three sets of grandparents: Lisara’s parents, Prime’s, and his biological father’s. It was odd that the latter kept in contact and his father hadn’t even tried.

Suddenly, two guys came in along with two women. The brown-skinned one had his arm linked with the girl he came in with, and I noticed Banks had frozen up, stopping her dancing and loud talking that she’d been doing the entire night.

“What’s good?” The light-skinned one who Analicia told me was named Free greeted everyone, and they greeted him back.

The brown skinned one, who I figured out was Low, spoke next before the ladies introduced themselves.

“How do you know Low?” Banks asked the woman with the caramel complexion, who’d said her name was Rue.

“That’s my man,” the woman replied in sort of a snarky tone. I wanted to fault her, but most women would respond that way when asked how they knew their man.

Banks only looked her up and down before giggling and switching off. Rue and the other girl, Koi, gave each other a look of confusion.

“The real question is who is she?” Koi stated under her breath but not low enough because Banks heard it.

“Excuse me, baby girl?” She started back over, talking like she was older than the girls, but I could tell Rue and Koi were about Low’s age.

“Nothing.” Koi waved her off.

“Oh, you scared? How you asking who I am when you at my party? You acting like a hater all over a simple question.” She turned from Koi to Rue and continued. “I asked how you knew him because I see Low with a different chick every time he’s around.” Banks shrugged, and Rue looked across the party at her boyfriend while he conversed with Asif and Cemone.

“Willow!” Rue stormed off in his direction, and I noticed the slight smirk on Banks’s pretty face before she and Kailey walked off.

“My soon to be sister-in-law is a mess already.” Anastazia laughed, and her comment sent the rest of us into a fit of laughter as Low and Rue had a back and forth before Asif told them both to take the shit out of the party.

“Nah, she can take that shit out of the party,” Low said, trailing behind Asif, who had walked off.

The rest of the party went smoothly, surprisingly, and I think Banks forgot about all the drama and Rue’s presence once she was gifted a brand-new fully loaded Jeep from her father.

All in all, it was an amazing night, but I knew Unique’s dreams of Banks losing her crush were not in the near future.