Chardonnay: A Novel (12 page)

I flushed
the stool and leaned up against the wall of the hotel suite Zasmyth had gotten
us for the night. She was planning on having just as much fun as I was so that
meant her not going home shall a cutie whispered in her ear something she
liked. I wanted so bad to tell her Gehvoni was in town but I thought about what
Slim told me. After I showered Konstance started on my hair.

“Girl we have to make this look some kind of decent. This hair
color of peach and pink has got to go.”

“Whatever.”

She died my hair with some auburn hair color she picked up for
herself at the mall and flat ironed it. She gave me a Chinese bang in the front
and made my face up with some MAC Deep Truth eye shadow and Oh Baby lip
glass.
 
Then she put some mocha blush on
my cheeks for a natural flush and swiped my long eyelashes twice each with
mascara. I looked glamorous with my smoky eyes and neutral shimmery lips. I put
some gold Baby Phat earrings on, but Zasmyth shook her head no and gave me some
diamond studded earrings to cry for.

When they got done and I looked at myself in the mirror with
everything and my red dress on, I knew there was some fame to be claimed
tonight. But Konstance wanted to change one last thing.

“Nay, I think you would look colder with the dress I picked out.”

I tried the dress on and WOW! My long legs cascaded from
underneath the mid-thigh length dress and the drop in the back to the very end
of my tail bone made me want to get my Beyonce on. The front was very
conservative not showing any cleavage, so if I had to talk face to face with
someone they would have to look me in my face. Of course Konstance wore the red
dress and looked ravishing in it. Fianna and Katura showed up in time before we
left. I tried to hug Katura as I had done Fianna, but to no avail she gave a
fake smile and pushed my hand back. No one saw it since they were all
chattering about tonight’s excitement.

Before we left I grabbed the napkin I had written down the address
on when Micah gave it to me over the phone the night before, and we were off.

*
 
*
 
*
 
*

The
industry party was in the KC Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City
in a loft where most of the night life took place at. Music was thumping and
people were dancing. The scene was different from anything that was usually in
Kansas City. Flashing probe lights were dancing all over the place and nearly
naked men and women serves were walking around with trays of exotic drinks on
them. I wasn’t worried about Slim
or
Myron as I glanced at the assorted
flavors of men dancing, talking, or just posted up. All of the women looked as
if they were models; some towered over me by seven inches.

Mostly everyone looked as if they were talking business deals or
networking. Before we all could get a chance to be seated Micah hollered my
name through loud music and waved me over with the drink he had in his hand,
spilling most of it out. He laughed at his silliness and looked in the glass.
He tipped it back sipping the rest of it out and placed it on a male waiter’s
platter as he walked by and smacked his ass. All of our mouths dropped and we
began laughing.

“Hey girl!
You made it. Well, you other gals get situated
while I show Chardonnay around.” Micah suggested as he spooned me off.

“We want to be shown around too!” Konstance whined.

I looked back and shrugged my shoulders as Micah ignored her. He
pulled me close and whispered,

“I didn’t know you were bringing
all
of them!”

“Hush!
They my girls.”

“Well, let’s cut to the chase. Mingle as much as you can. Although
you are looking ridiculously gorgeous right now you have a lot of competition
here hon. Oh, and this hair color is the new hotness!” he said touching the end
of my tresses.

“Thank you Konstance d—”

“—
Oh
Josh—honey!” Micah exclaimed
interrupting me. He pulled me over to a tall and slender White woman who had
jet black hair. So black it was unusual for anyone’s hair to be that jet black,
but it was. Her green eyes flashed over me as she swirled around and halted.

“This is Chardonnay, the girl I was telling you about. She’s an
award winning writer and aspiring columnist.”

Her eyebrows raised and she turned her body full frontal to me.

“You like to write huh?”

“Yes I do. I’ve done work for Teen Peopl—”

“Yeah, uh, turn your head to the right just a bit.” her complete
rudeness blind sighted me.

“Excuse me?” I asked while doing as told.

“Just listen to her.” Micah whispered through his teeth with a
smile.

“You have a resume?”

“No.”

“NO?!”
Micah said looking me in my face.

“I—I didn’t—”

“She will have one at your office first thing in the morning! I
will make sure of that.”

Josh smirked at me.

“Well she might not need one...you ever thought about modeling?”

“Yes, but not seriously. I’m a college student you see. I don’t
have very much time.”

“That’s a shame. Well, I’ll tell you more about SEM let’s say
Monday morning.”

“What does your company have to do with writing?”

“We also have a magazine that is published by our founder Jean
Vonseigneur. He has already left for the night but he has created several
offices—one recently in Kansas City, Missouri as you can see here at the
lunching party.” she said
wavering
her hand around the
place. I realized we were in the offices of Superior Elite Models after seeing
some desk were neatly pushed in corners, the logo posted on most of the walls,
posters of the models they have done and one huge poster of a magazine cover
model with the name Black Billions on it. Black Billions magazine was hot and
was like the Forbes magazine for African Americans but with a mixture of
fashion and the entertainment industry.

“Is that a model of yours there?”

“Yes and on the cover of our magazine.”

My mouth dropped.

“You own Black Billions?”

“No, Jean Vonseigneur does—
I
 
work
on the staff however, all the
same.” she said with a content smile.

“Wow. This is an amazing opportunity! Thank you.”

She shrugged her
shoulder’s
and walked
away.

I hugged Micah and jumped up and down.

“This is exciting!”

“Yeah...sure is...now stop jumping on me so the cutie with the
booty over there won’t think I’m gay! I been trying to get at him all night.”
he said walking over to a pretty boy.

He threw his head back at me and yelled, “Mingle!”

I tried my best. I went looking for my girls and couldn’t find any
of them. I did see Zasmyth smashed between two guys so I let her be. I found
myself wondering off onto a huge terrace. It was beautiful as I looked off at
the downtown skyline full of lights. That’s when I heard a familiar voice
behind me I thought I would never hear again, until now.

“Didn’t think I would see you here.” he said as he walked closer
to me.

I turned to face his grace of a face. He looked down, swirling his
drink and then back up at me chuckling.

“Been a second since the last time I seen you. How are you and the
flashy jock?”

“Jase, right?”
I said.

He nodded his head.

“Right.
Uniquah right?” he said laughing.

“No,” I had to laugh at that too.

“Char—”

“—donnay...I remember.” he finished.

A chill went through me and I could tell he seen it in my face.

“So what brings you here to such a swank get together?”

“My friend invited me. He threw me in a world I’m not sure I know
anything about and said, ‘Mingle!’ I’m not sure I know how to.”

“Well, you’re doing
good
now. Just be
yourself that alone will take you far.”

I poked my mouth out and looked off at the skyline.

“All my life I’ve wanted to fly away from here. Every time I see
an air plane taking off I wonder where it will land.”

“Me too.”

I looked at Jase and he was looking in my eyes. I knew there was
something between us, but I didn’t know what. He was obviously a man who looked
well established and I was nowhere near that magnitude of success.

“You’re
Mr. Me too, huh?” I joked.

He nodded his head then began with the questions of curiosity I
saw in his eyes.

“You like it here in Kansas City, Missouri?”

I sighed, “Not really. I do find that I’m home sick when I’m away
and I love it even more—in that respect.”

“I thought so. You don’t look like a novelty that would evolve in
such a place. Small city, no high lights. How old are you...twenty-one?” he
asked with a strong confidence.

“Yeah,” I looked at him suspiciously.

“How’d you know?”

“Good guesser.”

I tilted my head and tisked, “I just look that young.”

“You actually look about twenty-five in your beauty tonight.”

I chuckled.

“You know what I mean,” he corrected.

“But I can tell you’re
much younger than that seeing how I’ve
seen you without makeup. You look grown and tempting tonight.”

“Damn, that was straight forward.”

“How about this for change, can I have your number?”

I shied away at his seductive stare and took a second of reality
to think if I wanted Jase to have my number with all that was going on with me.
I reasoned that it wouldn’t bother to just talk so I took the cocktail napkin
he had placed under his glass of wine and took some blood red NARS lip stick
from my small pocket book. He held his hand out as a surface for me to write on
and I wrote it out like a million dollar check.

“There. And that’s my cell.”

“Dag, I can’t get the crib? You trying to keep me from someone?”
he asked halfway serious.

“No, not really.
I’m a college student and I’m not
at my parent’s house right now.”

“And flashy jock?”

I forgot he knew of him. I tightened my lips and shook my head.

“He and I aren’t together...we’re separated.”

Jase didn’t ask questions although I saw the disappointment in his
face that I was not certainly single. He cracked a smile and beamed his eyes
down on me.
I wished he didn’t do tha
t.

“I like you. So um...I’d like to get together with you sometime.”

“How old are you?” I said, feeling that he was a bit more mature
than the men I was used to.

“I’m twenty-nine and three quarters.”

We laughed as if we’ve known each other since forever. I hadn’t
dated a man past Twenty-two. I was curious to see what an older man could teach
me. Jase had on a Cartier platinum watch, and was dressed in casual jeans, a
Valentino silk cream canvas shirt, and cream colored alligator skin shoes.

“What do you do for a living?”
 
I asked taking inventory of his sexy.

“Marketing.
It’s a very lucrative business.” he said
taking a sip of his Merlot.

“Nice. Are you into publications as well?” I asked sensing that
most people who liked marketing liked editorial projects as well.

“Something
like
that. So, your—”

“Chardonnay there you are! Let’s go, there’s another party
everyone is talking about!” Zasmyth said as she ran out to the terrace. She
stopped mid stride when she saw the delectable sight of Jase.

“Look at you! Ewe, baby you sexy!” she announced.

“Zas!”

Jase smiled and said, “She’s cool.”

“What’s your name?”

“Jase.”
I said to Zasmyth signaling that I was already
interested.

“Oh. Well nice meeting you
Jase
.
Nay you
coming or what?”

I looked at Jase and then looked back at Zasmyth.

“Where is this party at?” I asked.

“On 12
^th
street—two blocks from here! Man, come on, the
first twenty women get in free.” Fianna and Konstance found us all standing
outside. They marveled Jase as well. I heard one of them whispering,

“Now that’s who she needs to be fucking in a
front
seat.”

This time Jase shied away and looked off at the sky line with a
handsome smirk. I knew it was Fianna who made a statement so bold. She and I
would be having a conversation later along with Zasmyth...I confided in her
with that bit of information about Slim. He looked back at me and whispered,