~~~~~~~~~~
The club was live with the bass of the music reverberating in my chest. The place was packed, drinks flowing everywhere. I didn’t do nightlife. I’d probably been to one club my entire life, and that was with Angela. Of course, we were chasing down some guy she had her sights set on at the time. But that club wasn’t as enlivened as this, by far. The color schemes and lighting induced a hypnotic zone. The tunes flowing from the speakers weren’t rock, but it was so hard and vibrant that you couldn’t help but collide with it.
So, this is the night portion of my graduation celebration?
I was okay with it. It had been a great few weeks. I felt sexy in my skin-tight mini bandage dress, colored with hues of yellow and purple. Tynisha was sure to pair it with purple strappy sandals and a yellow YSL clutch. I felt chic, trendy and accomplished. I was still processing having completed my undergraduate degree.
Tynisha had it all set up after the BBQ earlier. There were makeup artists and hair stylists in the parlor of Stenton’s home in Alpine. I was treated as a queen while getting suited for tonight. She never said where we were celebrating, only to invite my friends with the exception of Angela. That wasn’t hard considering things still weren’t back on track with our friendship. Karen was excited to join me and stayed behind to get pampered with Tynisha and me. Jordan was with my mom for the night. Kissing him goodnight was hard. I’d grown so attached to him. Tynisha shortened my drawn out bidding of a goodnight to him when she practically pushed me out the door.
We met a few of her friends here. As soon as we bypassed the long line to get into the club, we were ushered into V.I.P. It was odd because most of the section was curtained off. Tynisha inquired about it right away. I observed as she requested the manager. We were given flutes of champagne before we could even sit on the plush white leather couch. Karen sat at my right and I could tell she was taken by the charged atmosphere, too.
“Hey, Zoey!” I heard shouted over the blaring music from the left of me. I turned to find a model-like ebony woman with bare shiny legs. “You may not remember me because we didn’t get a chance to formally meet at lil’ Jordan’s christening. I’m Cherry, Tony Wroten’s fiancée. Princeton, huhn?”
Her smile was luminous. How she knew so much about me and had been to such a personal affair of my family’s without me knowing her, struck me. Nonetheless, I returned her beam and shook her hand.
“Thanks, Cherry. It’s a pleasure to formally meet you as well.”
“That Jordan is absolutely adorable. We saw him at a game a few months ago. We can see why his dad is so smitten with him! He’s a jewel,” Cherry continued gushing.
Hmmmm…
JR had been to a game and without my knowledge. Not that it mattered; his father was allowed to take him to work. It was just weird that I didn’t know and Jordan had experienced a side of Stenton’s life that I hadn’t. It didn’t matter that Stenton and I were not together, I still desired to support him. Okay…yeah, maybe because I’d learned how often Erika and her family attended Stenton’s games and that made me question my lack of desire to go myself. But, dang! My little guy had gone and not me.