It was time to party. Velle and Nikki were celebrating their birthday and everyone who was anyone was there along with a few somebodies, who weren’t sure how they had been invited. The twins had spared no expense, using the one of their upscale nightclubs to throw their celebratory bash. There were giant ice sculptures of the twin’s initials, with an enormous birthday cake that featured pictures of birthdays past air brushed into the layers, the buffet table looked like something one would find on a cruise ship with every kind of food imaginable, and to top it off an open bar. There was an extensive wait staff, all dressed in formal attire and ready to attend to every whim of the party guests. They had dancers shaking it up in cages that were suspended from the ceiling. They had flown in both local and national talent with rumor spreading that Velle had arranged for Nikki’s favorite singer, Angelo Ross, to sing happy birthday to her.
The twins worked hard so they partied harder, which had made their annual birthday blowout one of the most anticipated events of the year. Each year they had a dress code that they adhered to with each year having a different color theme. This years color…black. The only color allowed in the building was black, which meant that if a person showed up wearing anything but black he or she was denied entry into the party. The twins never wore the color theme, as it was part of their way of standing out. If the party color were red, then they would wear blue. If the color theme were white then they’d wear green. Tonight the twins would be wearing all white.
Velle had invited their entire staff of employees from all of their different business ventures, including their salon stylists who were more than pleased to be invited. Each company had a different V.I.P. table designated by company, where they could eat, drink and converse with fellow co-workers, as well as, mingle with their bosses’ other employees. The tables were set up by color name and the stylists were seated at the white table. Everyone was there in his or her most stylish of black and ready to party the night away with the twins…everyone except Monique that is. Will had brought Ryan to ensure that he would not be the only gay person there. Mark had placed five names in a hat and pulled out his date for the evening. The receptionist brought her husband and even the shampoo girl had shown up with one of her girlfriends in tow.
The twins had made their grand entrance to their party by being lowered down from the ceiling in a cage, illuminated by spotlights and showered with gold and sliver confetti, that rain down on the guest as well. A close up of their faces shown on the enormous projector screen located beside the stage, as they stood on the stage and thanked everyone for coming, inviting them to enjoy themselves. Then the two of them started making the rounds, with Nikki in a form fitted mini-dress that showed her stallion like legs as she pranced through the party like a true bell of the ball with Velle bringing up the rear thanking folks as he trailed behind her.
It took them an hour to move through the crowd; giving kisses, hugs, handshakes and the occasional dance to well wishers and partygoers before they finally made it to their table. To the stylists’ surprise, they were sitting at the table reserved for the guests of honor and their special guests. Everyone was thrilled to be seated at the center of all the attention and even more thrilled when Velle ordered bottles of champagne for the entire table. He made a speech welcoming them to his business family and Nikki finished with a toast to many more years as a successful team.
It didn’t take long for Velle to notice that Monique wasn’t anywhere in sight, which caused him to query the one person he knew would give him the low down on her whereabouts if he asked. He leaned over to Will and asked “So, where’s your girl? I thought everyone was coming.”
Ryan’s ear caught the end of Velle’s comment and grabbed his glass from the table before turning his full attention to Velle and Will’s conversation. There was nothing better to Ryan than gossip except first hand gossip. “Ummm, look at you all thirsty to see Ms. Thang,” Will replied before taking another sip of champagne because the only thing better than champagne to him was free champagne.
“I was just asking.” Velle replied. He continued, “It looks like everyone else is here but her and I just thought she said she was coming.”
“Honey, I really don’t know where she is. She said she was coming but she ain’t answered her phone one single time that I called her.” Will continued before finishing up his last bit of champagne.
“Oh, she gon’ be here. You don’t have to worry about that.” Ryan said anxious to get in on the conversation.
“And how you know?” Will's mouth asking the question that Velle’s face was asking.
“Cause, I went with her and Lauren to help pick out the dress that she’s wearing tonight. That’s how I know. You should see the dress. It’s hella fierce, Boo Boo." Ryan said tickled that he knew something that Will didnt for a change. He had spent quite some time with the girls in a boutique at Hilliard's Square to help Monique find just the right dress and he was extremely proud that she had chosen the one he picked for her.
“Wait a minute. What is she doing taken you somewhere to pick out a dress? You can’t even pick out your own damn clothes and you giving advice. You bouts to have that girl up in here lookin’ a hot mess.” Will spewed, a little bit disappointed that Monique had not asked for his help in her dress endeavor. She had always valued his opinion on matters of fashion before and now she was seeking advice from someone, who he himself, had to constantly critique on his choice of attire.
“Whateva, bitch. Talking bout I can’t dress. What? What? Boy, bye. Like I said your girl is gon’ walk up in here hella fierce.” Ryan retorted, confident that he had chosen a dress that was absolutely stunning.
“She gon be hella hot mess!” Will snapped before laughing, as the champagne was starting to kick in, making him giddy. He would talk to Monique about her little betrayal later to get to the bottom of why she was starting to be so secretive when it came to her personal life.
Amused by the back and forth exchange between Ryan and Will, Velle sat quietly listening as they spewed playful insults. He smiled, looking as if he were paying attention, but his thoughts danced back to the whereabouts of his star employee. He had personally invited her to sit with him at his V.I.P. table and even though she had been reluctant to do so, she had agreed. It calmed him nerves a little to hear that she had bought a dress, so it sounded as if she had all intentions of coming. Velle checked the time on his watch It was only 10 o’ clock so he reasoned that even though the party had started at 8 she was just fashionably late. It had taken Nikki all day long to get completely ready and she had still been getting ready right up until the second they stepped into the caged that lowered them to the stage. He shrugged to off, content to listen to Will and Ryan bicker until his Cinderella made it to his ball.
But meanwhile across town, in the quiet suburban community of Kent Maples, Monique and Lauren sat inside a car as passengers waiting on the argument between their driver and her estranged spouse to end. Monique continued to check her watch every five minutes becoming more irritated as each second ticked by. She had promised Velle that not only would she be there but that she’d be at his table to wish him a happy birthday. Besides she was dressed to the nines and she definitely wanted to get to the party in time enough for everyone to see how sexy she looked. But she was stuck in the car while Robin and Jay relived the same broken record of the only argument they had each time they saw each other.
“I don’t care what your mama wants. I told you that she was staying with my parents this weekend. Why don’t you take this time to introduce your parents to your other daughter?” Robin snapped as she stood in the driveway a few feet away from her parked car.
“Oh Lord, here we go with this shit again. Is that all you got? Cause I’m tired of you throwing that shit up in my face every time I ask you about seeing my daughter.” Jay replied rolling his eyes at hearing her smug comment about his other baby.
“Is that it? Hell, that’s all I need.”
“Well F.Y.I., my parents have already met Cree. So, you’re going to need a whole hell of a lot more than that to keep me away from my daughter.”
“Imma need more than that, huh?” Robin smuggly replied, the thought of him having introduced his bastard child to the rest of his family eating away at her soul like acid. Jay was starting to play dirty, but she was about to show him that he wasn't the only one who could throw salt in a wound.
“Yeah, a whole hell of a lot more!” Jay snapped, tired of the smug comments and childish game that Robin had resorted to in the past few months in an effort to get back at him for hurting her. He had acknowledged his mistake and begged for her forgiveness, to no avail and so now he didn't really give a shit how she felt anymore. The only thing that was important to him now was continuing to be a good father to the child they shared. He felt she was being the typical woman scorned, instead of just trying to remain civil for the sake of their daughter, she was using her like a pawn in this ridiculous chess game they called a relationship.
“Well how about this? She’s not your daughter! Is that enough for you?” Robin barked before turning to walk away. Her heart fell in her stomach as she realized what she potentially just done. His remark about his parents had stuck an angry cord within her being and she was not about to let him one up her. She tried to move quickly but was immediately caught by Jay grasping her arm.
“What did you just say?” Jay growled with a look of disbelief wrapped up in anger topped of with an order of blind sidedness, planted firmly on his face.
Robin was in too deep or so she figured but there was no turning back now. This was the moment she had dreaded in her previous married life but now, at that moment; it was the moment she lived for. It was the one moment in which she could tear down the world that he thought he knew. Robin knew that he loved her child more than anything on Earth and she knew that taking her from him was the one way to hurt him. She also knew that taking the only father he daughter had ever known was cruel and down right selfish, but at that time there was no method to her madness so she shouted as she yanked her arm away from him, “You heard me! She’s not your daughter! So stop coming aro-“
And before she could finish her sentence, the man who hadn’t even raised an eyebrow when she had hit him with a bat, slapped her right across her face.
