"They did. But they wanted to pay me much less than what I would get if I stayed temp."
"You are just too picky!" Bianca frowned.
"I know," she agreed. "But one day I'll find my dream job."
"Now, I know why you and Anthony were meant for each other." Denise smiled. "You two are the only people I know without a full time job, but you always live like you make big money."
"Anthony still lives with his daddy and he ain't even paying rent there. Hell yeah he would have money if he lived rent-free and all he has to worry about is which club he gon' be at that night," Bianca snapped.
"Actually, Bianca," I said, rolling my eyes. "He pays rent every two months for that guest house. And he works part time at the radio station, right, Denise?" Bianca was my best friend and all, but Annette was tired of her bad mouthing her man.
Denise nodded. "Yeah, he does. But he works the evening shift, so we don't see each other that much."
"I'm just sayin' … if I lived with my parents and all I had to do was support a hobby like him, then I would have money to spend like that, too."
Bianca was not going to let it go, so Annette changed the subject. "Bianca, how was your date with TJ? Didn't you go out with him on Sunday again?"
"Yeah, he's pretty cool. I might need to hold on to him, though. He got a BMW that looks almost something like yours, Annette. But, he said something about his cousin owning a dealership, so it may be rented or something."
"Rent or own … it's still a BMW," Denise chimed in.
Annette's cell phone chimed, letting her know that she had a text message.
Anthony: WHERE YOU AT?
She smiled and started text messaging him back without looking up.
"That must be him now," Bianca mumbled out loud to Denise.
"It is," Anette said, sticking her tongue out. Bianca rolled her eyes, picked up her sandwich, and bit into it.
Annette: OUT EATING LUNCH. YOU WANT SOMETHING?
Anthony: WHO YOU EATING LUNCH WITH?
Anthony always wanted to know who, what, when, where, and why when she was out doing something without him, but he never told her anything about who, what, when, where, and why when he was out.
Annette: BIANCA AND DENISE.
Annette phone rang after she sent the last message and she picked up. "Yeah?" She already knew it was Anthony and what he was going to say.
"What did I tell you about hanging out with Bianca?" he said.
Without looking up from the phone, she said, "We really don't need to be having this conversation right now." She had not told Bianca that Anthony no longer wanted them to be friends. She also hadn't told Anthony that Bianca still held a grudge against him.
"A'ight … well, we'll talk about that later." Before she could open her mouth to ask him where he was, he hung up the phone. What was the big deal? It wasn't like he had to be friends with or approve of Bianca just because she was best friends with her.
"What time do I need to meet y'all at the club next Saturday?" Denise asked.
"I might be there around nine o' clock, but I'm meeting up with TJ, so I don't know," Bianca said.
"Denise, why don't you meet me at my house? Or else, you're gonna have to wait until either me or Bianca get there, so you can get upstairs to the VIP section. Anthony rented out that whole top floor for Leroy's birthday party." Annette knew that Denise didn't have a VIP pass and wasn't well known at the club. She wouldn't be able to get in unless she had the pass or came with someone with one. Almost everyone working at the club knew Anthony because he was a regular there. And they also knew that Anthony and Annette were an item. Anthony had brought that club plenty of business over the past year, so he and the owners were pretty cool with each other. Not a month went by that Anthony didn't have a party at that club.
"I'll come to your house, Annette. Is eight okay?"
They finished up the rest of their lunches before heading their separate ways.
Her cell phone finally rang again around midnight. She didn't expect Anthony to call her any sooner than that. Most of the time Anthony spent his nights at the studio.
"Hey, you," she answered the phone.
"What's up? I see where you called me earlier tonight, but you know how studio time goes."
Right, you had to pay for your time and every minute of time lost is money lost.
"I know … I just didn't know that you were at the studio tonight."
"I wanted to come see you this afternoon, but you was wit' yo' girl, Bianca," he said.
"Why didn't you say something, then? We were almost done with lunch when you called."
He ignored her question and said, "Bianca is cool and everything, but on the real, though, she got a big ass mouth. I heard she fuckin' TJ … I went to school wit' his brotha. Maybe that dude will shut her the fuck up and keep her ass in check."
"You know that Bianca doesn't hold her tongue for anyone when you met her," I said, laughing at Anthony's comment.
Maybe TJ was what Bianca needed. She always expected the worst out of men she dated, but she did seem a little optimistic at lunch today when they were talking about him.
"It's certain things and opinions she can keep to her damn self, though," Anthony said.
"I agree."
"So, what you doing anyway?"
"Gettin' ready for bed."
"Oh, for real … what you got on?"
"Those sexy pajamas you bought me a while back." She reached for the silk head wrap on her night stand and began tying the wrap around her head. Annette hated to sleep without her hair being tied up at night. That way, in the morning, she wouldn't have to do so much work to get the straight and sleek style that she sported so much.
"Oh, yeah … I remember the ones. The ones that's so tight that your sexy little ass cheeks be hangin' out of them."
"Yeah, those ones."
"Can I come by and see?" he asked.
"I wish you could, Anthony, but you know I got to get up early in the morning and do some payroll work at this company. And it's nearly past midnight."
Anthony sucked his teeth. "You done got my dick hard and shit."
"I'm sorry, baby. But I promise, when I get off from work, I'll come see you."
"A'ight. You better not forget," he teased. "You got me wanting to get off in that every night."
And maybe you could if you chose me over your friends sometimes, she wanted to say.
"I won't forget. I'll be thinking about it all day … "
"A'ight, homegirl. Let me go. I'm getting ready to stop by Leroy's and have a drink."
Chapter 4
"Girl, this club is packed!" Denise said, as the door greeter gave them wristbands, indicating that they were paid guests and allowed in VIP. It was Saturday, the night of Leroy's birthday party. Anthony had thrown him a "surprise" twenty-fifth birthday party and invited all of their close friends and other people they acquainted with on a regular basis to celebrate. The main level of the club was extremely packed. It was so packed that she and Denise had to throw a few elbows to get through the crowd. They headed towards the second level where the party would be held. The second level was almost the same size as the main level and it had it's own bar and dance floor. Both floors shared the same DJ.
As they neared the stairs leading to the second level, Annette could already see that it was packed as well. It was so packed that she could hardly make out any familiar faces. Anthony was more than likely already seated at a booth. He usually did any promoting he had to do before things got heated up and right after the club let out. He kept a low profile at other times. They finally reached the stairs where a few people were waiting in line to be verified by the color wristband they wore. The bouncer only took one look at Annette and she and Denise were on their way up the stairs.
For some reason, Annette felt like looking extra good for this event. She was decked out in all black, which complimented her long straight jet-black hair. She wore a black fitted shirt dress that accentuated all her sensuous curves and what she and Bianca called stripper shoes. The stilettos were four inches high and the adjoining straps were crisscrossed up to her lower calves. A platinum necklace with a black onyx embedded in the center adorned her neck, with earrings and bangles to match. When she made her entrance, she knew that she was rocking it because she had almost every man's and woman's attention. Denise was fly as well, rocking tight low rise jeans with her assets peeking out at the top, an almost see through mess gold top, and gold stiletto heels similar to Annette's. Annette knew that Anthony wouldn't approve of her coming out like this because he knew that she would get men's attention. Sometimes, it didn't matter what Annette wore or how hard she tried to tone herself down, she always got overly suggestive looks from at least a few other ballers.