Authors: Jasmine Barber
“Wassup Kiy.” Danni said lightly punching him in the chest.
“Wassup Danni,” Kiyan stood to give each of the girls a hug.
“Aye. Wassup Keyshia. Where you come from?” Kiyan asked when he got to her.
“I was told that if I didn’t have anything to do I could stop by. Nothing came to mind so here I am.” Keyshia smiled.
“Yeah here you are,” Kiy mumbled and sat back down.
"Don't be rude Kiy, introduce her to everyone.” Chloe said.
“Keyshia these are my brothers Cam, Ty, Keem and this is the birthday boy Zo.” Kiy said pointing to each one of his friends.
“Wassup,” all the men gave her a nod.
"Aye Kiy, how do you know her?" Cam asked.
"She works at Bri job." Kiyan shrugged.
"Oh so that's the only connection ya'll have?" smiled Chloe, she was waiting to see if Keyshia was going to try her luck with Kiy again.
"I've been trying to get with him, but I know I'm going to have work extra hard." Keyshia winked.
Everyone at the table looked from Bri to Kiy and Keyshia. "Girl you know men play hard to get just as much as women do. But how long you been trying to get with him?" asked Sabriya as if Kiyan wasn't even at the table.
"I've noticed him since the first time he came into the office. But I've been feeling him on another level for like 2 months."
“You figured it wasn't serious, is that what he said? Oh, I know your type, don't care if he in a relationship you still going to try and get with him huh? I tell you about these females these days."
"What is your problem? You
’re acting like he's your man!" Keyshia barked.
Stepping closer to her Chloe said, "No he isn't my man and from the looks of it he isn't yours either. And he will never be yours, so how about you find a man that DON'T already have a woman!"
"I'm going to need you to step out of my face because I am not a punk and I will get Kiyan. There is nothing getting in the way of me. Definitely not a booty ass chick like you." Keyshia yelled.
"
Woahhhhh, Pause. I'm going to need you to take it down a notch. I don't play about that one." Danni said pointing at Chloe.
"It's okay Danni she really itching for an ass whooping. So if she feeling like she wanna jump stupid let her dumbass."
"You're not about to be fighting in no club ma. Basic chicks do that and you're far from basic." Ty said pulling Chloe on his lap.
"You’re right babe, plus this is Zo's birthday party and I don't wanna cause a scene and ruin his night. Zo I apologize for that"
"It's alright. I'm cool." Zo said sitting Shanice on his lap.
"And by the way, Kiyan has a girlfriend. So there's no need to keep pursuing something that is NEVER going to happen." Cam said.
"Yeah so basically you wasted your damn time coming out here tonight. But I'm sure it's some nigga up in here that would love your company, just not one over here in this area," said Danni pointing around the table the guys was sitting at.
"Whatever. Kiyan can I talk to you for a minute?" Keyshia said rolling her eyes at Danielle.
By the time she turned around, Kiyan had his arms around Brielle’s waist about to kiss her.
"I'm kind of busy at the moment." Kiyan said kissing Brielle.
"Well there you have it, he's busy with his WOMAN! Maybe you should try getting with a single man next time and not someone who's taken already." Chloe smirked.
“When did this happen because last time I checked he wasn’t with anyone! Especially not Brielle.” Keyshia frowned.
“Yo ma! Please move on. You’re blowing my damn mood. He’s taken, so go find somebody else. What the hell!” Zo yelled.
"Keyshia that's what I was trying to tell you earlier, that me and Kiyan are together now" Brielle said while looking at Keyshia, she could tell that she was pissed.
"You’re such a bitch yo. I swear I asked you if you wanted to be with him and you said NO." Keyshia yelled.
"First of all, don’t ever in your life come a
t her like that. You acting like I gave you hope or something. I told your ass you weren’t my type. You thought I was playing?" Kiyan said to Keyshia.
"You didn't say you was dating her either. But that's okay I'm sure her stuck up, confused ass will be dumping you soon," Keyshia said starting to walk away but she turned around and looked at Brielle. "This isn't over you're going to learn not to play with people feelings," with that she headed out the club.
"Damn yo did you do a background check on her ass? She don't look like she got it all," Ty laughed.
Everyone at the table laughed as Brielle said, "Yes I did but apparently it was missing the part where it says that the bitch is crazy."
Chapter 29
“That girl’s elevator definitely doesn’t go all the way up to the top floor.” -Danielle
Brielle knew that something would have to give with Keyshia. The way she acted at Zo’s birthday party was unacceptable and consequences would have to be given out. She obviously felt the way she felt for a while now or it wouldn’t have come out the way that it did. Brielle walked inside her office building and was greeted by a smiling and happy Keyshia.
“Good morning Bri. Your messages are on your desk and I just started some coffee. It should be done in a minute.” Keyshia said.
“Good morning Keyshia. Can I see you in my office?” Brielle said walking inside taking a seat.
“Sure. I’m right behind you.” Keyshia said.
“Keyshia you do know we have to talk about Zo’s Birthday party.”
“Yes, I know. I apologize for being such a bitch. I had too many drinks obviously and I lost my damn mind.” Keyshia frowned.
“I don’t think drinking too much is an excuse for how you were acting this weekend. You were out of control. I have never seen you like that.” Brielle reminded Keyshia of her out of control weekend.
“I know and again I sincerely apologize. I was drunk and I was bugging out. I owe your friends an apology. But most of all I owe you an apology.” Keyshia started to tear up.
“Don’t cry Keyshia.” Brielle said handing her a tissue.
“I have to because I really don’t know what was wrong with me.” Keyshia cried.
“It’s cool but don’t ever talk to me like that again. Whether we are in the office or out because next time you will be looking for another job. Are we clear?” Brielle asked.
“Yes. We are crystal clear.” Keyshia sniffled.
“Go clean yourself up and get to work crybaby.” Brielle smiled.
“Okay. I’ll bring you some coffee in a minute.” Keyshia said leaving out the office.
Brielle waited until Keyshia was out of the office before she picked up the phone and called Danielle.
“Good morning,” Danielle greeted Brielle.
“You sound like you’ve been up for a while.” Brielle joked.
“You’re joking but I have. I have been in this office eight o’clock this morning.” Danielle sighed.
“Damn, you wasted no time after the weekend.” Brielle laughed.
“It’s only because I took the day off Friday to help Shanice look for a outfit for the party.”
“Now you have double the work huh?” Brielle reminded her.
“Yes. I’m going to be in here forever.” Danielle sighed.
“Well go ahead. I was calling you to tell you about Keyshia.”
“What the sad child say when you fired her?” Danielle laughed.
“Girl I didn’t fire her. She started crying and carrying on when I asked her to come in my office. She said she was drunk when she was at the party.” Brielle said giving Danielle a play by play on what happened.
“She suckered your ass because while she was at the bar that girl had two drinks maximum. She wasn’t there long enough to have any more.” Danielle laughed.
“I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt that she drunk before she came to the party.” Brielle said.
“Yeah girl, you better watch her.” Danielle said seriously.
“I am.” Brielle said.
“That girl’s elevator definitely doesn’t go all the way up to the top floor.” Danielle said joking.
“You ain’t shit Danni.” Brielle laughed.
“I never claimed that I was.”
“Okay, go ahead and get your work done and call me when you get a break.” Brielle said.
“Okay
chica.” Danielle said hanging up the phone.
A couple hours later, Brielle was into her work when her door opened and Keyshia came in with a rose box. Brielle got excited because she knew Kiyan was trying to be spontaneous and give her flowers. Ever since she moved back home he had been sending her flowers and she was guessing he was sending her some for her office.
“Look who is special.
” Keyshia smiled.
“I know. Kiyan is the best.”
“Well I’ll give you a minute alone.”
“Thank you.”
Brielle opened the box of roses looking to see some colorful long stemmed roses, but her smile was turned upside down when she opened up the box and saw a whole bunch of black dead rose petals. Brielle looked at the name on the box and thought it had to be a mistake. She looked at the card and it clearly stated,
To: Brielle Williams
. She was confused but then she opened the card and her mouth dropped open. She had received yet another note. This was the third one within weeks. She was thinking maybe now was the night to tell Kiyan about her anonymous notes being delivered to her job and through her mail. She promised herself that tonight would be the night she spoke up.
Chapter 30
“
I almost forgot what time it was.” -Cam
Danielle was working overtime trying to prepare for a meeting with an upcoming sneaker company in order to get her client an endorsement. She had been at work since 8 o’clock this morning and here it was 9:45 and she was still working on her presentation. Danielle was moving on to her next power point, when she was interrupted by Beyoncé’s 1+1.
“If I ain’t got nothing, I got you. If I ain’t got something, I don’t give a damn. Cause I got it with you. I don’t know much about algebra, but I know one plus one equals two. And it’s me and you, that’s all we’ll have when the world is through.”
“Hey babe,” Danielle spoke into the phone.
“Supp ma. Where you at?”
“Still at the office working,” she sighed.
“Danielle, what the hell? It’s almost 10 o’clock, what are you still doing at work?”
“I had to prepare for an important meeting.”
“Who’s there with you?”
“No one. I let everybody go home for the day two hours ago.”
“What time are you trying to leave there?”
“I’ll be done in about thirty to forty-five minutes.”
“I’m at the studio now, but I’ll meet you there. It’s too late for you to be leaving by yourself.”
“Okay well I’ll be ready in thirty minutes.”
~~~
Twenty minutes later Cam stood up from the control in the studio and called Zo out of the booth.
“Aye Zo.”
“Wassup Yo?” Zo said walking in the room.
“I’m out for the night.”
“What? I thought we were doing two tracks?”
“I kno
w. But Danni still at work, so imma go there and follow her to her house.”
“Fuck it. I can go home and surprise my shorty.”
"Yeah, how is my lil sis?" Cam asked about Shanice. He had really grown to love Shanice like she was his blood sister. Everybody in the crew saw that her love for Zo was genuine.
"Man she straight, with her spoiled ass had my ass watching some chick flick last night. She was in the house in tears for the whole movie,” Zo said shaking his head at Shanice.
"That girl can ask you to do whatever and you'll still do it because she got you wrapped around her finger."
He had to laugh at that because it was true. No matter what she asked of him he would do in a heartbeat. "You acting like you ain't the same damn way with Danni!"
"Yeah I know, but the level that you and Sha on it different than me and Danni. You and Sha are a couple words away from saying 'I do.'" Cam laughed.
"Man Cam real shit that's my heart, I'll give that girl the world.
But marriage? I haven't even thought about it but spending the rest of my life with Sha don't sound bad though."
"I'm just saying brah. Y'all already live together and practical stay in each other’s faces all the time. Whenever she's not at the studio with you, you somewhere chasing her around. I can tell your willing to do anything for her. Maybe that's something you should consider in the future." Cam said seriously. He knew that out of all the couples, Shanice and Zo would be the ones to last longer than the others.
"Word! You right but since when your ass become the relationship expert? Let me find out Danni made your ass soft," joked Zo.