Hot Girlz: Hot Boyz Sequel (10 page)

“Does Star know?”

“She might.”

“Did you tell her?”

“No. But your dad may’ve. If she does know
I’m surprised she didn’t tell you. You guys talk about everything.”

Rashaad said, “Well, Star’s kinda
upset.” He looked to be forcing himself to switch up. “I cheated on Sasha.”

“Cheated on Sasha? How does Star know
that?”

“Star called the night all this
happened because she was gonna go out with me and Sasha while I was in Atlanta
for the U.S. Open, but when I told her what went on, she just went off and
decided she didn’t want to go.”

“Well what happened? And Rashaad,
don’t you act like you can’t tell me. Don’t you even try it.”

“Oh boy.” He scratched the back of his
head. “I’m still thinking about what you said about you and Dad.” He continued.
“So, what happened was, this girl asked one of the caddies to introduce her to
me, and long story short, she ended up coming to my hotel room in Atlanta. It
turns out Sasha flew out early to surprise me and got in a shouting match with
the girl in my hotel room. Somebody called the police. It was a mess. Someone
said we were disturbing the peace.”

“What? Did they press charges?”

“Mom, when the police came, it was
like they just turned the other cheek, and then they were basically bold enough
to ask me for my autograph.”

“Oh, Lord. You’re getting the
celebrity status perks?”

“It’s crazy. So, anyway, Sasha and I went
out without Star, and we took my caddy Winton with us. People were crowding all
around us like mad. So, anyway, that was it. It all blew over.”

“Wow.” Mercedes took a second. “I’m
not going to preach, Son. But you know you need to be careful. You know women
out there will be after you for your fame and money. We’ve talked about this
before. And the lady you’re with will surely get all tripped out when she
thinks you’re letting some of those very women who are after you, get close to
you. It’s emotions, that’s all. So, you and Sasha are okay now?”

He stepped away from the counter and
toward the kitchen door. “Yeah, she’s fine. But Star got on me more than Sasha
did. You’d think I cheated on her, the way she was acting when I told her.”

 “So are you and Star speaking?”

“We are. Just not as much. Star is
devoted to a fault. Anything that happens that goes against what she thinks is
fair and just, gets her all riled up.”

“I know. That’s just how she is.
Always has been.”

Rashaad walked toward the family room.
“Is Grandma up?”

“She was when I went in there about an
hour ago.”

“I’m going in there to see her. Is
Lucinda here?”

“No. She’s out until later tonight,”
Mercedes replied just as the doorbell rang.

“You expecting somebody?”

She got up. “Yeah, that’s probably
your Aunt Sequoia. She said she was stopping by.”

“Okay. I’ll come see her in a minute.
Be right back. And I was gonna tell you, one day you need to get Skype on your
computer. That way we can talk when I’m on the road.” He headed up the stairs.

“Skype? I don’t know,” Mercedes said,
going to the front door and opening it. She looked her best friend up and down
as soon as she saw her. “Wow, look at you. Looking all sexy.”

“Just some cheap skinny jeans. No
biggie.” Sequoia came inside.

Mercedes looked at her from behind.
“All that body you got? And all that booty, it’s a biggie all right.”

“Look who’s talking, Mercedes
Kardashian,” Sequoia joked.

“Oh, not even. Anyway, how’s it going,
girl?”

“I’m okay. You know I had to check on
you.”

“Well, I appreciate it. Rashaad is
here, hopefully until tomorrow.”

“I saw his big ole Beamer out there.
How is he?”

“Good. He’s in there with Mamma. He
looks good. That boy is such a star. The world is spoiling his ass already.”

“He just moved right on into Mason’s
celebrity spot.” She put her purse down on the sofa table.

Mercedes said, “Sequoia, things have
changed so much from the days when the kids ran around here, the days when I
tried my best to keep up with them. Most times now, this house is quiet. I
can’t take it sometimes. It’s like everyone’s gone. Mamma’s quiet, and that’s
hard enough. But now Mason’s gone. I was just complaining that having him home
was getting on my nerves. Now, it’s just me and the dog and Mamma.”

Sequoia stepped up and gave her a hug.
“My Mercedes.”

Mercedes patted her on the back.

Sequoia then asked, taking a step
back, “You got any of that lemonade you always have in the fridge?”

“I do.”

“Good. I’ll be right back. Meet me on
the patio,” Sequoia said, heading for the kitchen.

“You say so.” Mercedes did just that
and walked outside from the sliding glass doors. Nadia barked for a second.
“Hush, girl. Quiet,” she said to Nadia who was on the side of the house.

Mercedes took a seat on one of the
hunter green outdoor chairs under the matching umbrella.

The view of the turquoise infinity
pool and spa was beautiful. The bright orange Delilah flowers mixed with bold
pink impatiens framed the picturesque sight. Palm trees and hydrangea bushes
led the way to a handball court and a half basketball court in the very back.

Sequoia, walking barefooted, came
outside, holding two tall glasses of lemonade. “So tell me. What the hell
happened with Mason?”

“He just left.”

Sequoia placed the glasses on the
table and went back to close the sliding glass door. “That’s what you said on
the phone, but what was it? After all this time, what would make him just
leave?”

Mercedes picked up her glass. “Thank
you. Girl, I really feel like I should ride on over to that duplex in Leimert
where he’s staying and get him, or call him a zillion times until he brings his
ass on home, begging him till I’m blue in the face. But I know Mason. He’s
hurt. He’s got too much pride to make this easy on me. He needs time away.”

Sequoia sat across from Mercedes. “I
understand that.” She looked serious. “I just need you to tell me if this had
anything to do with what happened in Vegas with Ryan. You can get mad if you
want to, but I know you and him connected. I just know it.”

“Why do you say that?” Mercedes drank
her lemonade.

“Because, you’re human. You’ve been
married for a long, long time. You’ve been true. I know you’ve been faithful.
But, you’re human.”

Mercedes looked out along the pool.
“True.”

“See, I’ll tell you. I saw him coming
up. Ryan. It was after you and I walked to your room first, and then I went on
to my room. When I got in there for a minute, I had a taste for a little bit
more of the slot machines. Honestly, I didn’t want you to know, because
earlier, the only reason I stopped playing was because you told me not to let
the casino rob me blind.” She smiled.

Mercedes was focused.

“So I went downstairs anyway and when
I got off the elevator in the casino, I saw him come around the corner and
press the button for the same group of elevators I got off of. He didn’t see
me. He was looking down at his phone. Or maybe he did, but I never saw him look
my way.”

Mercedes took another sip. She stared
at Sequoia. “Maybe his room was on one of those floors.”

“Maybe not. I overheard him tell you
he was staying at the Venetian. But that’s enough of me talking about what
happened. It’s your turn, Sister.”

“Sequoia.” Mercedes paused. She placed
her glass down and rested her elbow on the table, leaning forward. “My God. I
can’t believe what a small world it is. First of all, small world meaning that
Ryan is someone whose daughter knows Star. And, small world in that Ryan ends
up interviewing Mason about the city council seat. For real, Mason hasn’t
talked about politics since college. I’m telling you, it’s like it was just
supposed to happen, and supposed to come out.”

“Maybe. If something happened, just
tell me. If you’re worried about me telling Torino, I wouldn’t do that. And I’d
definitely never tell Mason.”

Mercedes said, “So, you know how we
talked when we checked into the hotel about how we should just pretend we’d
have enough nerve to sin in sin city, you know, acting like we were free and
single for a few hours?”

“Yeah. Walking through the casino when
we first got there, just excited to be able to get away.”

Mercedes looked toward the sliding
glass door, and then back at Sequoia. “Well, I did have the nerve. Seeing Ryan
come up to me at the fashion show when I signed him in as one of the models.
Him flirting with me like that, complimenting me. And then he kissed my hand. I
got mad. But, in a way, it was kinda nice.” She was talking like she didn’t
want to admit it.

“I understand. I knew you were feeling
him.”

“I played it off, I thought.”

“You didn’t.”

“I guess I didn’t. But you know how
they talk about chemistry. Like something you can’t explain, kind of an animal
instinct. I’m telling you, he’s someone who just got my estrogen going and,
Sequoia, after I danced with him at the club, actually it was during the dance,
I had to stop before the song was through. I didn’t know if it was the alcohol
or not. But I felt like it was just so sensual, but so dirty.”

“We were buzzed, now.”

“We were. When you and I said goodbye
in the hallway once I got to my room, I think it was like one in the morning.
And then when I got in my room I had a message on my phone. I thought it was
Mason so I called him, woke him up actually, and said goodnight. He said he
didn’t call. So when we hung up I checked my messages, and it was him. It was
Ryan telling me he was up, and that he wanted to make sure I made it back to
the room. That he wanted to know if I was okay.” Her voice became a notch
lower. “I listened to his message and then hung up. I was hot. I’m telling you,
hearing him just worked me over. I can’t remember the last time I masturbated,
but I wanted to. But instead, I called his room and he answered. He told me he
just made some coffee. I didn’t even want any but I told him out of the blue,
‘I’ll take cream and sugar.’ He said okay. Before I knew it he was at my door.
I heard him knock. I stood there for a minute. I turned the knob, pulled the
door open, and there he was, tall, young, fine, smelling good, and smiling,
standing with a cup of coffee in his hand. He stepped in saying nothing. I
closed the door and locked it. Twice. And Sequoia . . .”

Nadia barked up a storm.

“Nadia, hush. Nadia,” Mercedes said
loudly toward the side of the house.

Suddenly, Rashaad slid the door open
with a force and bellowed, “Mom, Grandma’s acting weird. It’s like she won’t
wake up.”

Mercedes sprung to her feet and
yelled, “Oh my God!” rushing inside with Sequoia and Rashaad right behind her.

11

Venus

“Claude, you’re crazy.”

The next day Venus was at work in
Westwood.

She had planned to leave early and had
just returned from a very important meeting with her boss when she noticed a
missed call on her cell from her other sister-in-law, Sequoia.

Venus had left her a message the night
before, so she took a break, closed her office door, sat down on the tan
loveseat across from her desk, and dialed. She already knew what her first
question would be after Sequoia greeted her. “Hey, Sequoia. What in the world
happened to Mattie? Rashaad told Cameron he was scared to death.”

Sequoia replied, sounding as though
she was mobile. “She’s fine, thank God. I was there when it happened. Mercedes
said it’s called hypopnea. It’s almost like sleep apnea but it’s decreased
breathing. I think the muscles in the airway relax, but bless Rashaad’s heart,
he thought she wasn’t breathing at all. Mercedes said it happened before so she
went in there and pinched the hell out of Mattie and she woke up looking mad as
hell, like somebody woke her up from a wet dream.”

“No you didn’t. You need to stop.”

“I know. But I felt so sorry for
Rashaad. That boy looked like he was about to have a heart attack all on his
own.”

Venus said, “I bet he was. So is it
similar to under-breathing?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. I’d
never heard of it.”

“Wow. That’s not good. I’ll explain it
to Claude when he gets home. But still, I’m glad she’s okay.”

“Me too.” Sequoia then asked, “So, you
guys are moving out of Ladera?”

“We are.”

“You must’ve made that decision pretty
quick.”

“We did. You know the house was broken
into, right?” Venus queried.

“I did. Mercedes told me.”