Pretty Girls in the Vip (9781617730283) (15 page)

“I didn't know that, but come on, sis, can't you just look out and let us in?”

“I could, but I'm not sure I want to. Look at you and your boys. Can't you just send one of them home to get you a change of clothes? I really don't want that look at my club.” I turned around to point at all his friends in their tees and sneakers.

“What's that look? I'm a businessman. We just want to come into the club and have a good time. We may look a certain way, but we all are all good guys with jobs. My name is Khalif Hartwell and I play for the Minnesota Vikings. I just got in town, and a few of my friends told me it was a good party going on, so here I am.” I knew I had him, and he really wanted to convince me that he wasn't a criminal. His boys kept looking over, trying to see if I was going to grant them entry or not. I purposely kept my face frowned as if I really wasn't sure yet.

“Okay, this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to let you guys in, but you have to come in through the side VIP door and you must buy four bottles at five a piece.” He could take it or leave it, but I knew he wanted to show off for his friends.

“All right. That's cool.” He walked over to his boys victorious, and they followed me to the side door. He thanked me and hugged me like I'd done him the biggest favor. I walked back over to Keldrick and let him know the stipulation. He called over to security and the side door swung open. They were escorted to their table, and I had just made two thousand dollars in ten minutes. Get money.

Back in the club everything was crazy in a good way. The music was turned up, and everyone was dancing, drinking, and partying. My dance floor was packed, and everywhere around me all I saw were classy, sophisticated, attractive people. Belize was everything I dreamed it would be. Shanice rushed over. “Um, this table is looking for you. A tall, skinny girl.” She pointed to the table. I walked over to Zakiya, Jabril, and his teammate and wife to welcome them to Belize. Zakiya looked like a little couture model. She was still tall and lean, but now she had subtle curves. Something about her was more polished and womanly. She was not the nanny that I had met in the airport. I gave her the biggest hug. “Zakiya, you look great. I love your hair.”

“Thank you. She did it. She is my hair and wardrobe stylist in one. This is Nichelle, and this is her husband, Lloyd. And you remember Jabril.” Jabril stood up and greeted me. I was impressed. I'd asked Zakiya to make sure everyone came and she did.

“Your club is really nice. Will you be opening a restaurant?” her friend Nichelle asked.

“Maybe down the line after we are opened a little while.” I was lying, but just the fact that she thought I could pull off a restaurant was great. While I had all these ballers around, I called over the photographer and found Ian. We had to take pictures for our club's website. I knew if people saw basketball players at the club, it would raise Belize's profile.

After the pictures, Zakiya and I caught up some and then I was pulled away by Tamara. She introduced me to more people, and I had to take more pictures and make more contacts.

“You know, you have a line outside of people who can't get in,” Tamara informed me as we posed for the nineteen-hundredth picture.

“So, that's great, right?” I smiled.

“No, people who reserved that can't get in will feel duped and will just go somewhere else. I told you not to overbook.”

“I don't see what the big deal is. It makes the club more exclusive. And they will return another night, just earlier so that they can get in. Right?” I said, smiling again as the cameras flashed.

“Okay, if that's what you say. I work for you.”

“That's what I know.”

Ian and I danced, mingled, and checked on the door twice. We were still turning people away. My girls were selling, and my guys were serving. I believed tonight was already a success, and it was only midnight.

Tamara came over and grabbed my arm. “I have someone I want to introduce you to,” she said. Before I could object she said, “Adrienne Sheppard, this is Shelton James, an entertainment attorney. He's from Washington, D.C, but he practices here in Philadelphia and he is the head of the Northeast Chapter of the Black Attorneys Association.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said. Shelton James was an average-height man with above-average looks. His handsome face and bald head were a smooth toffee color. Just from looking at his suit and hands, I could tell he liked labels and the finer things in life.

“Nice to meet you, as well, Ms. Sheppard. You have a very nice place here. We are having our annual BAA event here in Philly in a few months, and we haven't secured our networking location yet. Tamara said you might be interested in hosting our event?”

“Thank you. And absolutely, we would be interested.”

Tamara interjected, “We can definitely do something for you, Shelton, but hold that thought.” Tamara excused herself. Shelton James continued, “Okay, I will have the committee reach out to you or Tamara early next week. And I will let them know that they can see their favorite celebrity or athlete here. That kind of thing impresses some people, you know. I'm impressed that I saw my favorite actress when I was coming in. I see you have a lot of famous and athletic friends.” I raised my eyebrows at him. I wasn't sure what he was getting at and how exactly I should respond.

“Not really. I know a few people.”

“You know a lot of people, Ms. Sheppard, that's obvious from all the people here. Yeah, I did my homework on you. You were married to an athlete yourself, right?” How did he know my business? People don't investigate me; I usually do the investigating. I was alarmed, to say the least.

Shelton snickered a little, like he had one-upped me, which he did, and then I said, “Mr. James, should I be impressed or scared that you took so much energy to research me?”

“Huh? That's funny. It's my job to know everything. No, I just used good ol' Google, and boom, you get someone's life history.”

“You can't believe everything you read. You should know that, right, Mr. James? You are an attorney?”

“Yes, I am. Well, maybe I'll have the opportunity to sort out the truth from fiction. Here, take my card,” he said as he touched my hand and an electrifying feeling took me over. However, it quickly dissipated when I looked down at his ring finger and realized he was married and that my own boyfriend was not that far away.

“You can take mine.” Just as I reached in my pocket for a card, Ian came up from behind me and kissed my cheek. I introduced the men and said good-bye to Mr. Shelton as Ian ordered me to have a seat.

We sat at a table not too far from Zakiya and her friends. The moment she saw me seated, she came over to fill me in on her life in ten minutes. Although I was sitting down, I still needed to monitor everything I could. I was in and out of her conversation.

“So, what's new, Zakiya? I'm really happy you and Jabril are back together.”

“Me too. We aren't doing too much. Um, we are thinking about starting a charity organization for at-risk kids.”

“Okay, that's nice. At risk for what?”

“I don't know, you know, at risk for poverty, pregnancy, violence, that sort of thing.”

“Zakiya, I don't know about that. Maybe you shouldn't rush into starting an organization so fast.”

“Why not? I want to help people.”

“Yeah, well, charity starts at home. You just got back together. Maybe just relax first, put your feet up this time and enjoy the life that you've been blessed with.”

“Hmm, you might be right.”

“I am. You don't have to save the world. Save yourself and concentrate on your man,” I said as I stood and asked Shanice to grab the table another round of bottles right as she was about to wave her bosoms in Jabril's face. She was a little hustler that I didn't mind taking under my wing, but she had to use her tactics elsewhere. Zakiya was oblivious to someone trying to flirt with her man right in front of her face.

“Zakiya, did you see that woman just in your man's face with her breasts?”

“No, where?” she asked, looking around.

“Listen, Zakiya, be smart, don't be naïve. Keep your eyes open. Forget an organization and keep up with your man. I will call you sometime this week, and the next time you are here we will have lunch.”

“Okay.”

I reached out to her and gave her a hug. Seconds later Ian reached out to me with a microphone in his hand. Him having me sit down to relax was a setup. He spoke into the microphone, ordering the deejay to stop the music. I looked at him, confused. Everyone's eyes were fixed on me. I didn't know what he was about to do.

“I am very proud of you, Adrienne Sheppard, and of the woman that you are becoming. I think the only thing that would make me prouder was if you would be my wife. So I have a question for you: Will you marry me?” He dropped to one knee and opened a box containing a very miniscule chip of a diamond ring. Everyone in the club began to applaud. I was more shocked than excited. I loved Ian, but we had never really talked about growing old together. I didn't know what to say, so I just said yes. And then he tried to slide that crap on my ring finger, but I convinced him it didn't fit because I was so embarrassed. I thought I might have been overreacting until Angelique and her friends ran over and uttered, “Oh.” And then they said to ask for a bigger ring as a wedding gift.

The club had emptied out, and I was helping everyone clean tables and pour bottles out. Other than my faux proposal, my night had been fabulous. I made some great contacts and potential business. It was a whirlwind, and I was exhausted. Light crept into the club when I realized that I had done it. Ian carried me to the car, and I remember him telling me he was so proud of me, that he didn't see my vision initially, but that Belize was going to work. He was glad that I was his woman and about to be his wife. At that moment I realized why I was with him, and maybe I could forgive him for having absolutely no taste or idea of what an engagement ring should look like.

We came into my house. Ian undressed me and placed my tired body in the shower. Feeling the warm water against my skin opened my senses. And it also prepared me for Ian joining me in the shower and pounding his long, hard body inside of me. I felt like I was having the perfect evening. A real grand opening, a loving man, and a beautiful lovemaking, until Ian marred everything by saying something very peculiar. He said that since the club was going to be such a success, I could now loan him the rest of the money that he needed to fund his movie. I acted like I was too out of it to comprehend what he was saying. The lucky thing was, I didn't have to answer him right away because he was leaving to go to Miami in the morning. It would be much easier to say “hell no” over the telephone.

Belize had had an awesome grand opening, and in less than twelve hours it was time to do it all over again. I was in my office at the club discussing with the ladies things they could improve on. I brought in sandwiches and energy drinks. I knew they were probably tired, too, but I decided that once a week we were going to have a meeting to make sure the club ran efficiently. Before the meeting began, I got an unexpected delivery. The girls all huddled around me as I opened the package.

“Your boyfriend is so sweet,” Joi said.

“Yes, he is. He proposed last night and gifts today,” cooed Darcel.

“Why aren't you wearing your ring?” Shanice asked.

“It doesn't fit. But what is inside of here?” I said as I curiously opened the box to see what was inside and at the same time change the subject. The box was filled with two dozen large, plump strawberries coated in chocolate. The card attached read:
Congratulations and lots of success! I want to know more about you without Google. Shelton James.

“I thought your boyfriend's name was Ian, not Shelton?” Summer asked, reading the card over my shoulder.

“It is. Someone else sent this to congratulate me on opening the club.”

“Chocolate and strawberries are very sensual. I think your admirer wants more than to say congrats,” Joi joined in, eyeing my treats.

“Right, but I do have a man,” I snapped.

“You mean a fiancé,” Joi corrected me.

“A fiancé, right,” I said, rolling my eyes at her. They were all becoming too comfortable, almost like I was their girlfriend.

“Girl, don't feel guilty, you're not married yet,” Shanice said while reaching for one. I wanted to laugh with them, but I was struggling to maintain my composure and not smile.

“I suppose you're single until you are married.” I was happy I was still on Shelton's mind. Evidently I wasn't the only one who'd felt the spark. I offered them all some, and then closed the box.

“Well, sometimes that don't matter if you have the right connection and they are spending the right amount of money,” Shanice added. I totally agreed with Shanice, but I couldn't agree with her in front of everyone. So I gave her a disapproving look and started our meeting back up.

Once our meeting was over, I called the number on the card and asked to speak to Shelton James.

“This is Shelton James. Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”

“Mr. James, most married men do normal things like send flowers when they are sending a token of friendship and congratulating someone. With chocolate-covered strawberries, someone might get the wrong idea.”

“So you see, I'm far from normal, Ms. Sheppard. I like to consider myself different. I make trends happen. I don't follow them.”

“Ha, that was funny. I kind of set myself up for that one. Let's get together and have drinks soon, Mr. James.”