Deception (Tamia Luke) (2 page)

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Authors: Naomi Chase

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Chapter 2
Tamia
The downtown nightclub was thumping by the time Tamia made her grand entrance that evening. The dance floor was packed with bodies grinding to the hypnotic rhythm of Nicki Minaj’s “Moment 4 Life,” and the flashing strobe lights suspended from the ceiling made the dancers appear electrified.
Tamia bobbed her head to the music as her senses came vibrantly alive. After spending the past five months trapped inside a prison, stepping into the noisy, crowded club made her feel as rejuvenated as if she’d just stumbled upon paradise. It didn’t hurt that she looked positively fierce in a red Gucci halter dress that molded to her luscious curves and showed off her long, toned legs. On her feet were five-inch stilettos with ice-pick heels. Her hairstylist had tamed her nappy roots with a fresh relaxer that had her sleek, shoulder-length bob lying like silk against her scalp.
She didn’t miss the appreciative stares she was receiving from several men, their lustful gazes undressing her from head to toe. Though she played it cool, she couldn’t help but soak up all the attention. After the ordeal she’d been through, she needed to feel beautiful again. Desired.
“You looking good, mamacita.
Real
good.”
Tamia turned her head and smiled at Lou, who’d generously footed the bill for her makeover as well as tonight’s homecoming party. “Thank you, papi. For everything.”
He smiled. “You know I got your back.”
“I know. You’re so good to me.”
“That’s what friends are for.” He winked at her. “You ready to get this party started?”
Tamia grinned, tucking her arm through his. “Lead the way.”
They navigated through the gyrating throng of bodies, making their way up to the second-floor VIP lounge Lou had reserved for the night. When they reached the entrance to the large suite, a chorus of voices yelled out, “Welcome home, Tamia!”
She beamed with pleasure as she surveyed the sea of smiling faces. She recognized only a handful of the guests, including Shanell and her husband, Mark. The rest were strangers, ranging from scantily clad females to tattooed ballers dipped in designer gear and platinum jewelry.
As Tamia moved through the crowd accepting congratulations on her acquittal, she couldn’t help searching for Brandon. She’d invited him and Cynthia to the party, secretly hoping that he would show up alone. But so far there was no sign of either of them.
Swallowing her disappointment, Tamia followed Lou through the lavish lounge, which featured low lighting, plush sofas, a private bar, and a small dance floor near the back. There was a table laden with gourmet cheeses, caviar, shrimp cocktail, crab cakes, buffalo wings, and exotic-looking meatballs. A plasma television mounted against one wall was showing BET music videos, but most of the guests had wandered over to the balcony, preferring to watch the dancers below.
As Tamia and Shanell sat down on a low sofa tucked into a private corner, Lou asked, “What’s your poison, ladies?”
Tamia grinned. “I’ll have a Blue Motherfucker.”
“Oooh, that sounds good.” Shanell winked at Lou. “Make that two.”
“I got you.”
“And I’ll fix you both a plate,” Mark offered.
“Thank you, fellas,” cooed Tamia and Shanell.
After Lou and Mark departed, Shanell grinned broadly. “Men who believe in catering to their women. Now
that’s
what I’m talking about.”
Tamia grinned, crossing her legs. “It
is
nice, isn’t it?”
“Hell, yeah.” Shanell gave her an approving once-over. “Girl, you are wearing the
hell
outta that dress.”
“Thanks, girl. You’re working your outfit, too,” Tamia said, admiring the silk shorts jumper that showcased Shanell’s ample cleavage and thick thighs. “Thanks again for taking me to the Galleria this afternoon.”
Shanell waved off her gratitude. “You know how much I love shopping, especially with someone who has a platinum card. Speaking of which, I thought you told me that Lou’s film studio went bankrupt.”
“It did.”
“Sure as hell coulda fooled me.” Shanell gestured around the luxurious suite. “Only a serious baller could afford all this.”
Tamia shrugged, tapping her foot to the music of Keri Hilson. “He told me he’s doing well with a new business venture.”
“What kind of business venture?” Shanell asked suspiciously.
“I don’t know. He didn’t elaborate.”
Shanell frowned. “I hope it’s nothing illegal. The last thing we need is for your homecoming party to be interrupted by a police raid.”
“Believe me,” Tamia said grimly, “I have
no
desire to go back to prison.”
Although Lou had been evasive about his new line of work, he’d assured Tamia that everything was legit. Earlier that year, he’d learned that the FBI was secretly investigating him in order to get to some of his Mexican mafia associates. His house and phone had been bugged, and two agents had been assigned to follow him everywhere he went. They’d even brought him in for questioning, hoping to intimidate him into cooperating with their investigation. But Lou was smarter than that. He knew the feds had nothing concrete on him, so he’d retained Brandon to get the motherfuckers off his back—which Brandon had done, earning Lou’s gratitude and the nickname “the rainmaker.”
“I can’t believe she’s not here.”
Pulled out of her reverie, Tamia gave Shanell a blank look. “Who?”
“Your sister. I can’t believe she’s not here to celebrate with you. As if it weren’t bad enough that she missed your big day in court this morning.”
Tamia’s mood darkened at once. “Fiona’s not here,” she said tightly, “because she wasn’t invited. And I told her not to show up at the courthouse today.”
Shanell frowned. “Why would you do something like that?”
Tamia said nothing.
“I know you told me that you and Fiona had a big falling out,” Shanell continued, “but I didn’t think either of you would carry it this far. I mean—damn, Tamia. You’re sisters. What if the jury had found you guilty? Don’t you think Fiona should have been there for that?”
Tamia was spared from answering when Mark returned with two plates filled with food. After Tamia and Shanell thanked him, he told his wife, “I’m going downstairs to say hello to a friend. I haven’t seen him since we graduated from basic, so I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Okay, baby,” Shanell said distractedly, using her fork to cut into a crab cake. “Have fun catching up.”
As Mark walked away, Tamia eyed her friend incredulously. “Wow.”
Shanell glanced up from her plate. “What?”
“You and Mark have such a trusting relationship. You didn’t even ask him the name of the friend he was going to see.”
“So?”
Tamia hesitated. “Mark’s an attractive guy. Some women might think twice about letting their husbands out of their sight in a club filled with half-naked hoochies.”
Shanell chuckled dryly. “Girl, please. Mark just returned from Iraq. If he wanted to cheat on me, he had a whole year to do so. And I don’t think he did.”
After another hesitation, Tamia couldn’t resist asking, “How do you know for sure?”
“Because I trust my man.” A wicked gleam entered Shanell’s cognac-colored eyes. “And because ever since he got back, he’s been fucking me like he ain’t sniffed pussy since the dawn of the millennium.”
Tamia shrieked with laughter.
“T-M-I!”
Shanell grinned unabashedly, forking up another bite of crab cake and chewing for a few moments. “Look, I’m not naive. I know that military men have a reputation for being dogs. But I can honestly tell you that my boo’s not like that. We’ve been married for five years, and he’s never given me any reason to even suspect that he’s cheating. And while he was deployed, we made damn good use of our computer webcams and cell phones. You’d better believe I gave that brotha
plenty
to look forward to when he came home.”
Tamia chuckled. “I bet you did, hussy. It’s always the ones sitting up in church every Sunday who’re the biggest freaks.”
Shanell grinned. “Don’t hate.”
“Whatever.” But Tamia
was
feeling somewhat jealous. It had been more than five months since she’d gotten laid. She missed the feel of a man thrusting between her legs. But since she was on a mission to win back Brandon, she’d made a pact with herself not to sleep with anyone but him—no matter how long it took her to convince him to give her a second chance. After the way she’d betrayed him with Dominic, depriving herself of sex was the least she could do.
But looking around at some of the buff, tattooed biceps on display, she wondered how long she’d be able to hold out.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, ladies.” Lou had returned with two drinks, which he passed to Tamia and Shanell before lowering himself onto the sofa beside Tamia. “I got held up talking to one of my clients.”
Shanell pounced on the word. “Clients?”
“Yeah.” Lou snagged a buffalo wing from Tamia’s plate and took a bite, chewing appreciatively. “Mmm, that’s good.”
Shooting a quick glance at Tamia, Shanell asked casually, “What kind of work do you do, Lou?”
“The kind that pays the bills.” He winked at Tamia, who grinned and shook her head at Shanell.
“I think that’s his polite way of telling you to mind your own business.”
Shanell scowled. “I was just trying to make conversation. Damn.”
Tamia and Lou laughed.
“Excuse me,” interrupted a sultry female voice.
Everyone glanced up to encounter a voluptuous, honey-toned beauty with a weaved mane that hung down to her ass and D-cup breasts pouring out of her black leather minidress.
She was staring at Tamia with an awestruck expression. “I’m so sorry to bother you, but aren’t you Mystique?”
Tamia instantly stiffened. Setting her plate down on the small table beside the sofa, she said coolly, “I used to be.”
“Oh, my God!” the young woman squealed excitedly. “It’s such an honor to meet you! I’m a
huge
fan of your work.”
Tamia inwardly groaned. The last time she’d heard similar words, she’d gotten caught up in a web of deceit and betrayal that ended with her being framed for murder.
“I’ve watched all of your
Slave Chronicles
videos,” the girl gushed. “You were amazing! Honestly, you’re the reason I got into the business.”
“Is that right?” Tamia glanced at Lou, who looked decidedly uncomfortable as he tugged on his thick black ponytail. “Did you also work for Voyeur Productions?”
“Sure did.” The girl stuck out a manicured hand. “My name’s Halima, but I go by Honey.”
“Hello,” Tamia said, accepting her handshake. “It’s nice to meet you, Honey.”
“Have you seen any of my movies? Lou says I remind him a little of you.”
“Does he, now?”
Honey nodded, smiling slyly. “The way you used to—”
Lou cleared his throat loudly, cutting the girl off.
Tamia gave him an amused sidelong glance before returning her attention back to Honey. “Now that the studio is no longer in business, what are you doing with yourself these days, Honey?”
Please say you’re in college trying to make something of yourself
, Tamia silently prayed
. Please don’t tell me you’re still doing porn.
“Oh, I’m still working for Lou.”
“Really?” Shanell interjected, eyeing Honey with undisguised interest. “Doing what?”
“I’m one of—”
Lou jumped up as if the sofa had suddenly caught on fire. “That reminds me, baby girl. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
“Okay,” Honey agreed. “But can I have Mystique’s autograph first?”
Lou looked askance at Tamia. “If she’s okay with that.”
Tamia hesitated, biting her lower lip. She’d spent the past eight years trying to distance herself from her days as the underground porn star famously known as Mystique. But Dominic Archer’s intrusion into her life had blown the lid off her scandalous secret. Anyone who’d followed Tamia’s criminal trial—as most Houstonians had—already knew the salacious details of her past. So what harm was there in signing one measly autograph?
She mustered a smile. “Got a pen?”
She’d barely gotten out the words before Honey whipped out a Sharpie and passed it to her.
“Paper?” Tamia asked.
Honey shook her head, bending down until her voluptuous cleavage was mere inches from Tamia’s face. “I want you to autograph my titties.”
Shanell sucked her teeth. “Who the hell do you think she is? Nicki Minaj?”
Tamia laughed, scribbling her alter ego’s name across the soft mound of Honey’s breasts.
The girl beamed with pleasure. “Thank you
so
much, Mystique. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

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