Page 120 of Love's Most Wanted

“You don’t need to pay me,” Presley interjected.

“Me neither,” Analicia replied just as the rest of the ladies said the same.

“Okay. Well, I will, at the least, set shit out for you, so plenty of food, desserts, and the best champagne on set,” I promised.

“Sounds perfect. I can’t wait to see this blow up because it definitely will. Don’t forget us little people when you start selling out,” Couture said, and I thought that was nice of her.

It meant a lot hearing such encouraging words from a successful woman like her. This whole friend group was inspiring to me, none of them riding the coattails of their men and making their ownvery goodmoney. Even better, they still got spoiled, and that was my kind of living.

We all agreed that we were a bit peckish, so we left to go to the café down the street from my studio apartment and had lunch there.

During, we planned the best day and time for everybody since all of us were pretty busy, especially them. Yolani had texted me as we left, parting ways, to ask if I could send more glosses to her video shoot and she would pay for it. I didn’t even need her to pay because her using my shit on set was promotion I could never pay enough for, but she refused to take it for free.

I was on cloud nine by the time I got back home, running a warm bath and picking out my clothes for the night with no issue. And because of that, by the time Unique got to me, I was ready, surprising him.

“I just knew I was gon’ have to wait at least an hour for you to get yo’ shit together.” He pecked me lightly so my lipstick wouldn’t transfer much.

Chuckling, I replied, “I know, but I had a good day today. Also, the new stuff you took me shopping for made it easy to pick out an outfit.”

“Word?” He smiled, towering over me and just staring down into my face. “I like seeing you like this, love.”

“Me too.” I hugged his torso because, even in heels, reaching his neck took effort. “Most of it, thanks to you.”

He kissed my forehead, then my lips before saying, “I can’t believe I was in ya presence for years and almost let you slip through my fingers.”

“Good thing you didn’t. You would’ve missed out.” I grinned, but he kept a serious face.

“Real shit.” He pecked me again then asked, “Got everything?”

“I do.” I grabbed my tiny Chanel bag that cost way too much from the kitchen bar before walking out with Unique hand in hand.

Tonight was some industry party that Unique and I were attending. It was being thrown by the head of the network, and though he said he didn’t want to go, it was good for him to show his face. He let me know we’d only be staying for about half an hour because the people at these parties weren’t his scene. Most were implants and not LA natives, who were often the ones contributing to the LA people are fake narrative.

We made it to the big venue in Bel Air where valet took the car, giving Unique a pickup ticket. The music playing inside of the place was like some instrumental R&B, which was expected.

“These niggas don’t want nothing interfering with their boring ass conversations,” Unique explained as I held onto his arm as we entered the party.

“Makes sense.” I laughed, taking it all in.

There were so many celebrities, even ones I recognized from movies when I was a child. It was surreal, and I realized some people were at a level of famous that would have you starstruck no matter how many celebrities you’d been around, like Yolani.

When we bypassed a table covered in lines of coke, it took a hell of an effort for me to not stare at the ones who were partaking. Unique caught my eyes, so I bucked mine. He could only shrug and shake his head.

“That’s normal.” He grabbed me a flute of champagne.

“You’ve tried?” I took a sip.

“No. The most I’ll do is hit the blunt here and there—my own shitonlythough. I’m straight on all that other shit,” he replied, and I nodded, already figuring just that.

He and I meandered through the party meeting all kinds of people until it was time to sit down and have a meal. I had to pee, so Unique escorted me to the bathroom after making it clear that us parting in any way, shape, or form at this party wasn’t going to happen.

The bathroom was beautiful and luxurious as ever. So after admiring it for a few, I relieved myself then stepped out to wash my hands while my husband waited outside of the door.

Shortly after I did that, so did Tamira Weathers.

I tried to ignore her, but of course, she couldn’t let me be great.

“I mean, I guess I get it.” She looked at my ass and chuckled before soaping up her hands.