Page 17 of F*ckin' With Me
I finished the wine in my glass before I poured another one. I probably should’ve stopped because that was my sixth glass. I was buzzed, for sure, but it felt better than the pain of everything about my relationship with my mother and sister coming to a head at her wedding weekend in front of everyone. Yes, I’d been slightly more vocal than I had in the past, but was I really?
My father stood up for me when he was around, but he spent more time away from home than he did there. He always urgedme to stand up for myself. I realized that weekend it was easier to stand up for yourself when you had people behind you.
“Yeah, I think I really have to take my father’s advice to truly distance myself and learn how to say no. I should have told her no to being a bridesmaid after I heard her say that she didn’t want me to be anyway. If I did, I wouldn’t be so hurt that I got kicked out instead.” I mumbled the last part.
Rissa grabbed my hand. “Hey, hey! Don’t do that. Change your perspective, sis. You didn’t want to be in the wedding anyway, so God gave you a way out. Although you couldn’t say no, He still covered you.”
I smiled, shrugged my shoulders, then said, “I guess you’re right. Now I can really enjoy it here instead of being bogged down with all her activities. I can attend the ones that I choose to.”
Rissa perked up. “Exactly! We can go be outside tomorrow!” She clapped her hands.
I laughed wholeheartedly at her antics. I loved her bluntness, lightheartedness, and her sense of sisterhood and loyalty. “It’s funny that I asked for a fake boyfriend and got a real friend.”
“And did, bish! The realest friend too.” She clapped again. She lifted her hand, palm facing me, and I met it with mine.
We talked and laughed for a while before the alarm to the villa sounded that the front door opened. Seconds later, the sliding door to the patio was opened. “What y’all got going on out here?”
I loved Daylen’s voice. It was raspy, almost like he smoked, but he didn’t. We talked about that on the jet ride here. It surprised me that he’d never smoked weed before. He said he didn’t like being in an alternate state of reality, which was what marijuana did. Alcohol was as much as he would do, and that was only around people he trusted. A part of me felt bad that I judged him and just assumed he did.
The lounge chair that I sat in was partially submerged in the water. I lay my head back on it, tilted my head up, then offered him a smile. “We’re just out here partaking in sweets and wine.” I held up my wine glass. “Want some?”
Rashad laughed. “Yo, Rissa! You ain’t shit for getting that girl wine wasted. You know wine drunk is different than liquor drunk.”
“I didn’t get her anything! She likes wine, so we’re drinking wine. That’s on her.” The bridge of Rissa’s nose scrunched before she laughed under her breath.
Daylen hadn’t spoken yet, but his eyes were on me. My smile slowly fell, and I turned my head to look at the beautiful moon and stars.This is the most beautiful place on Earth.
“Sim, what happened at dinner?” Daylen asked. When I tilted my head back to glare at him, he put his hand up. “Don’t fuckin’ lie to me. I know something happened. I can tell by your aura. What happened?”
My back straightened in my seat. I didn’t want to tell him what happened, because I didn’t feel it was necessary. As far as I was concerned, I stood up for myself, and it was all over. “Nothing happened that’s worth mentioning.”
When his glare turned from me to his sister, I went back to moon watching. I listened to her tell him an abridged version of dinner. I didn’t feel his eyes back on me until Rissa told him that my sister said I wasn’t welcome at her wedding.
“Damn, that shit is fucked up,” Rashad mumbled. “Shit, I don’t think there’s going to be a . . .” He stopped talking when Daylen gave him a look that I couldn’t quite read.
Rissa got up from her seat. “I’m going to head to bed. Good night, y’all. Come on, Rashad, with your nosy ass.”
Rashad told her to shut up before he told her that he had pussy plans with one of the bridesmaids. I wondered which onebut didn’t care enough to ask. Rissa mumbled about knowing the girls were hos before she left the patio.
“Sim, I’m about to take a shower, then I’m gonna come back out here, and we’re going to talk. Don’t get your ass in the bed. I will wake your ass up, ole drunk ass girl.” Daylen’s voice held so much authority.
He walked off the patio and closed the door behind him. I grabbed the bottle of wine and topped my glass off. He said I couldn’t get in bed, but if I dozed off right there, then it was what it was.
Earlier That Night. . .
“So, let me find out it only took a jet ride for you to fall in love, my nigga,” Rashad jested after Simonette and Rissa left for their dinner. “Damn, this shit is crazy. I never thought I’d see the day.”
His words knocked me out of my lustful daze. “Nigga, shut the hell up. No one is in love. Yeah, she’s attractive, sexy even, but I’m not in love.”
He crossed his arms over his chest with his legs shoulder-width apart. “So, you’re telling me that you are in no way interested in seeing what’s up? Tell me that shit so I can punch you in your damn chest for lying.”
“I never said that shit, but I’m not going to completely deebo the damn girl. Her ass is green to life, and she’s a grown ass woman. You think she’ll hop into a nigga liking her easily?” I rationalized.
He pointed a shaking finger at me. “So, you do like her. That’s all I needed to know, buddy.” He rubbed his hands together. “Yeah, this is going to be an interesting weekend.”
Thank God for the knock on the door. I went to the door without responding to Rashad’s bullshit. Yeah, I thought Simonette was attractive, and what I’d learned about her so far piqued my interest in her. I knew I had to take shit slow with her ass though. I was an aggressive nigga. I didn’t want to overwhelm her.
“What’s up, Mr. Brand?” I greeted him when I opened the door. He shook my hand before he walked into our villa.
