Page 119 of Love's Most Wanted

“Some drug dealer you are,” I jested, throwing my arms around his neck as he picked me up and kissed me.

“That’s why Iplaya drug dealer. I ain’t got time to be creeping and suspicious of every fucking body. Next time we all out to eat or some shit, pay attention to Sif and Lequay. Them niggas’ heads be on a swivel the whole time. Ain’t nobody got time for that shit. Nigga, we at a fucking baby shower; the Feds isnothere.”

I guffawed at the thought while Unique carried me to the couch.

“That is hilarious. I’m surely gonna see next time.”

“Watch what I tell you. Lequay really ain’t got a reason ’cause he ain’t even got a job.” He smirked, throwing his arm around me as I sunk into him while cackling. “How it go?”

“Not too bad. She was angry until I explained it to her in a way where she understood everything. Like I knew, she was more so feeling upset for her friend and her children than Kyle or Devante.”

“Cool. So she down for me to take her out to eat or some shit?”

“She is.” I looked up at him.

“Good. My mama still a little peeved but not like she was when we first told her.”

“Yeah, I knew she would see it you guys’ way. I get her though. I think she took it the wrong way. Like you guys weren’t satisfied with how she raised you. Also, it probably felt like a slap in the face to the man who has.”

“I could see that.” He nodded, peering out of my floor-to-ceiling windows with his lips tucked in. “Long as Prime know that ain’t the case, ’cause it’s not.”

“Better make sure,” I said, and his eyes squinted as he if were weighing my words.

* * *

I was a little nervous as I pushed my cart full of gloss samples out from my kitchen and into the living room where Presley, Analicia, Scotland, Anastazia, and Couture were seated, waiting for me.

Yolani couldn’t make it, which wasn’t surprising considering she was a busy global superstar, but she’d had me mail hers to New York where she would be right this moment.

“Okay, ladies.” I stopped in front of them as they sat on my couch. “So we have three lip colors here, and they are Honey Bun, Strawberries and Cream, then lastly, Red Velvet. I have samples for each of you to try, so you don’t have to share.”

“Okay, because I was about to say I’m sharing with Stazi,” Scotland called out as I handed everyone their gloss kits while we laughed.

“Damn, okay.” Couture commented, pretending to be offended.

“No, I know all of y’all are clean, but if I had to choose…” Scotland shrugged while giggling, eyeing the product in her hand.

“She got a girl crush on Stazi, that’s all,” Presley replied.

“I don’t have girl crushes. But if I was a man or a lesbian, she would be my choice.” Scotland began applying her gloss, literally confirming Presley’s comment. “Yolani too, but I think everyone would go for her.”

“Oh my gosh, not the Stazi Effect working on friends too,” Analicia said, and the girls erupted in laughter. I didn’t know what the Stazi Effect was, but seeing them crack up made me smile anyway. Peeping that I didn’t get it, Analicia added, “My sister—when she wassingle,let me be clear ’cause we don’t need Asif popping up—used to have men eating out the palm of her hand and trying to marry her in two weeks.”

“Lies.” Anastazia giggled, checking the color on her lips in her compact mirror I’d provided them all. “And I love you too, Scotti.”

“That’s a good problem to have, Stazi,” I said.

“Yep, until a man goes too far,” Couture said, and the ladies agreed. “These are all beautiful, but I think my favorite is the baby pink color.”

The ladies followed Couture’s lead, commenting on what their favorites were.

“Any critiques? Be honest because I want to take these to a distributor after I launch, and I need them to be perfect.”

The women looked at each other before they all shook their heads to say ‘no.’

“It’s thick but not too much, and I can tell it’s going to last me for hours,” Anastazia said, smiling, and the other ladies had the same sentiments.

“Well, since you guys like it, would you be up for doing a photo shoot? I wanted to have everything set up to show the distributor, and I figured why not use the beautiful ladies I knew. I could pay you something but?—”