Full Figured 10 (10 page)

The eve of my birthday came a lot faster than I had expected. Between Vernon and the remodeling of my new venue, I could barely think straight. I had wanted to spend the night at the hospital with Vernon, but he had insisted that I go home. I was happy, as sleeping in my own bed was what I really needed.

The comfort of my bed caused me to oversleep. When I woke up, I was still drowsy. I rushed to my bathroom and took a long hot shower. I let the water hit my hair, not caring about the flat iron that I had gotten a few days earlier. It wasn't like I had any reason to look good.

Vernon's best friend was on hospital duty today so that I could have the full day to do whatever I needed to do. I decided to adhere to my usual birthday customs. I ordered a cake from my favorite bakery. I went all out, spending over one hundred dollars on a pineapple cake. I usually cooked myself a birthday meal, but this year I decided I was going to order a meal from my favorite Italian restaurant.

I stopped by my club to pick up a deposit. Daytime at the club was so different from nighttime. I couldn't help but look at the stage. I could almost picture Onyx up there. I felt as if I could feel him in the room. Poetry night had been the night before, so I knew he had been there recently.

“So, boss, your birthday is tomorrow, isn't it?” Miguel asked with a grin when I stepped into the office.

“Yeah, it is.”

“You should come by tonight. We are trying something new, something called Island Fever. Salsa plus reggae equals a hot, sweaty night of fun.” Miguel showed off a few of his salsa moves while speaking.

“Sounds nice, but I think I'm just going to chill at the house.”

“Oh, no. No chilling at the house. At least stop by for a few minutes. I have a present for you,” Miguel pleaded, holding his palms together.

I sighed. I knew he wasn't going to stop asking, and the idea of at least being out for an hour sounded like a good one. “I will stop by, but I can't stay long.”

“Excellent. I'm saving you a VIP booth, anyway, just in case.” Miguel hugged me before walking away, shaking his hips the entire time.

After squaring things away at the club, I decided to take a walk down the street. The street on which the club was situated was home to a lot of galleries and small, trendy boutiques. A
GRAND OPENING
sign in the window of a nearby boutique caught my eye. I peeked inside and saw large posters featuring thick women next to some mirrors. I realized it was a new plus-size boutique and decided to go inside.

The moment I walked in, the dresses caught my attention. Everything was hip. Nothing looked old-fashioned, like in many of the other full-figured stores. A black maxi dress caught my attention immediately.

“That would look good on you, but I would suggest something with a lot more color.”

I turned around to see a thick, brown-skinned woman emerge from behind some beaded curtains. She walked over to a rack and picked out a dress before approaching me.

“Now, this . . . this would look stunning on you,” she said, holding up a tangerine and white print dress.

“That is beautiful. I've never seen dresses so nice in these sizes before.”

The woman smiled. “That's because I make them.”

“Oh, wow.” I admired the dress. It was of a very high quality, which made me not mind the one-hundred-fifty-dollar price tag on it.

We talked as I tried on a few different styles. I found out that her name was Gina, and that she was new to Memphis. She had designed more than three collections and had finally been able to open her own small store. She truly had a gift. Each dress that she picked out for me looked better than the one before it. We talked about business and shared tips on owning property. I could tell she was going to need help; she was an artist, and artists often didn't make the best businesspeople.

“Gina, why on earth would you come to Memphis to open this store?” I asked her while trying on another beautiful dress. “Though I am kind of glad you did,” I added, staring at the mirror and marveling at my form in her unique piece of clothing.

“Because I've always loved this city, and I think that it's something that could blossom here. Atlanta has tons of plus-size boutiques, and so do a lot of other big cities. Not to mention the cost of living is a lot cheaper here. With e-commerce, I can essentially be set up anywhere and sell. I get tons of orders through my Etsy site alone.”

She gave my latest try—a colorful, long maxi dress—an appraising glance. “I think that is the one,” she said. It was the type of dress that could be worn for a few different occasions.

“It's beautiful, so beautiful. Like the perfect birthday dress.” I suddenly felt sad.

“Wait. It's your birthday?”

“No. Tomorrow. But I'm not doing anything. My guy friend is in the hospital, so I'll just be with him.”

“Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. My birthday is next week, so as a fellow Cancer, I just feel like birthdays are supposed to be celebrated and big. But I can't talk. I'm new, and I haven't met that many people, so it will probably be a quiet birthday for me as well,” Gina said as she tied the back of the dress for me. “Now, that is perfect.”

I looked at myself in the three-way mirror. I could see Gina smiling at me, admiring her design. She was right—I looked beautiful. This dress was better than any outfit I owned. I wanted to buy it, even if it meant staring at myself in the mirror at home.

“Hey, I own the club right down the way. We are having this salsa-reggae night tonight. Would you like to come?” I said.

I could tell Gina was shocked by the invitation. She hesitated but finally said yes after I told her I wasn't taking no for an answer. I bought the dress; she gave me half off for my birthday. I told her I would meet her at the club at eight. I left the store, feeling renewed. I called Tangie and Heather and told them to come out with me. They both were happy to get away from their normal lives for a night. It was the eve of my birthday, and suddenly, celebrating early seemed like a good idea.

“I cannot believe I've never been to your house,” Tangie said as she and Heather admired my living room. “This is fucking gorgeous.”

“Thanks,” I yelled as I walked out of my bedroom. “So what do you guys think?”

I walked into the living room. Heather's and Tangie's mouths dropped open when they saw me in my new dress. I had decided to go natural, with my curls in my hair. I had added a cute small feather clip to my tresses to give myself a little bit of an island feel. They both praised the look, telling me how great I looked.

“FYI, I'm coming over to hit that pool one of these days,” Heather said, finishing her glass of wine. “Like, seriously.”

“Anytime. I'm really glad we have connected so much lately, guys.” I hugged both girls. I was happy to have actual friends to spend my birthday with. Well, it was Saturday night, and my birthday was Sunday, but tonight still counted as a birthday celebration.

Tangie picked up my birthday cake on the counter in the kitchen, and we headed to my car.

We pulled up to the club and saw a line wrapped around the corner. I saw Gina standing on the sidewalk. I honked the horn and waved her over, and she got in my car. I pulled into my personal spot at the back of the club.

“Man, it is so cool knowing the owner, 'cause that line was something else,” Gina said and chuckled as we got out of the car.

We walked in the back door. The salsa music was going. The floor was packed with couples dancing. I saw Miguel in the middle, dancing with a petite woman. They looked amazing as they tore up the floor. When I caught Miguel's attention, he quickly rushed over to me.

“So glad you are here. Happy birthday! I see you need the VIP section, after all,” Miguel said, and then he ushered us to our table.

The night was just getting started, and people continued to pack the club. I sat in my seat, grooving to the beat while I watched Tangie and Heather dance with two cute Latino men. One of my bartenders brought over a pitcher of a frozen concoction he'd made for my birthday. I took a sip of the potent, fruity beverage. Before I knew it, I had drunk two cups and was really starting to feel it.

“This night is amazing,” Tangie said as she sat down and grabbed her cup. “Girl, these little Puerto Rican men are about to make me forget I'm married.”

We both laughed.

A few minutes later Gina and Heather joined us at the table. The music stopped in the club.

Miguel, soaking wet from dancing, took the microphone on the stage. “I want to welcome everyone to Island Fever.”

The crowd cheered.

“I am Miguel, the manager of this fine establishment. I wanted to take a moment to thank someone very special. This has been our home for salsa for the past two years, and it's all because of my boss, the beautiful Coral, who is sitting right up there.” Miguel pointed at me, and the spotlight hit my table.

The crowd cheered, and I waved shyly.

“And in”—Miguel paused to glance at his watch—“one minute it will be her birthday. So on the count of three, I want us all to sing ‘Happy Birthday' to Coral.”

I shook my head to dissuade them, but the crowd began to sing “Happy Birthday” while staring at me. Heather and Tangie made me stand up when one of the waitresses brought out my cake, which had three long sparkler candles twinkling on it. The shy part of me was mortified, but another part of me loved feeling special in that moment. Everyone clapped as Tangie snapped photos.

“Now, we have loved all this amazing Spanish music, but it's time to visit another island,” Miguel announced. “The island of Jamaica. And we have a special band that is going to bring the flavor to us. Introducing our house band for poetry night, the Bluff City Ensemble!”

I froze as I watched Onyx's bandmates take the stage. My heart started to race when he appeared. His locks were braided back into two big cornrows, the bottoms of which hung down. He looked amazing, better than I remembered. The tight black shirt he had on hugged his arms, which looked even bigger than before.

“Coral, what's wrong?” Tangie asked, noticing the look of horror on my face.

I couldn't speak. Onyx's eyes turned straight to me. The right side of his mouth curled upward, allowing his right dimple to appear. I quickly looked away as the band began to play.

“It's one of them, isn't it? The musician you were involved with?” Heather questioned as she sat next to me.

I nodded my head.

“It's okay, girl. Just ignore him,” Heather told me.

“Maybe we should leave,” I muttered.

“And let him have the upper hand?” Heather said. “Girl, you look amazing, and we are all having a good time. Fuck him! Let him eat his heart out. Just have another drink, and let's go dance.”

I didn't know if it was the liquor in my system or my girls egging me on, but a burst of confidence came over me. I followed my friends down to the dance floor, where we danced to the band's rendition of a Bob Marley classic. A few men joined us as we danced together. I allowed a guy to hold me close as our bodies moved to the beat. I, however, quickly moved his hands up when they found their way to my butt.

I didn't know if Onyx was looking at me, but I had a feeling that he was. So I took the moment to turn up the heat. I slow danced with the guy, grinding my ass against his pelvis. I allowed myself to get lost in the music. I wouldn't turn toward the stage; I couldn't look at him when he drummed. Even when I wasn't looking, I could feel Onyx's beats affecting every part of my body.

But I was enjoying myself.

I was happy when the band took its first break. The DJ began playing reggae music as the girls and I left the dance floor. Before I made it all the way, the man I'd been dancing with grabbed my arm.

“Oh, don't tell me you are leaving me now.” The guy was taller than I'd realized, but very thin.

“Yeah, but thanks for the dances.” I smiled.

He held on to my arm and pulled me closer to him. “Come on. Just one more,” he begged while pushing his pelvis against me.

“Um, no thanks.” I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened.

“You are too hot.” He pulled me closer. “Let me get a little more.”

“Please let go of my arm,” I said, starting to get a little nervous.

“I can take it from here, brother,” a familiar voice said, sending chills down my spine. I turned around to see Onyx with his hand on the guy's shoulder.

“Nah. I wasn't finished,” the guy objected.

“Yeah, you are,” Onyx growled, staring the man in the eye. The man looked at me, then at Onyx, and decided it was a risk he didn't want to take.

I felt like my heart was going to fall out of my chest. Onyx's cologne excited my senses. I was too close to him. There was no way I was going to be able to play it cool.

“You okay, Coral?” Onyx questioned.

“I'm fine. Thanks.” I forced a smile as I turned to walk away. Onyx gently grabbed my arm.

“Come on now, babe. Don't just walk away like that.” Onyx's voice was causing my knees to shake.

“I'm sorry, but my friends are waiting on me,” I replied, looking up at the VIP area to see Tangie, Heather, and Gina all watching, just in case they needed to step in. “But it was nice seeing you.” I began to walk away.

“Happy birthday,” Onyx yelled over the loud music.

I paused in my tracks.

“I didn't forget,” he called.

I turned around to see Onyx staring directly at me. His face was strong; there was no smile, just a tight-lipped expression. He almost looked concerned.

“Thank you, Onyx. I appreciate that.”

And with those words, I walked away. I joined my friends back in the VIP area, and we continued to party. It was easier than I had expected to ignore Onyx, especially since I knew his eyes were on me.

It was almost two in the morning, and the club was still going strong. The band leader announced it would be their final set. I looked at Onyx. Our eyes met just as he hit his drumsticks together. He began to stroke the drums, closing his eyes. I knew what that meant: he was in his zone.

Onyx's solo came somewhere in the middle of the set. He stroked the drums as if it was the last time he would ever play. The crowd and his bandmates all went wild as he killed his solo. Sweat fell from his face as the intensity of the moment took over his whole body. I couldn't take my eyes off him. No one could. I was in sync with him. I could feel each note; each stroke was like he was in me. And with his final stroke, he dropped the drumsticks, causing the crowd to lose it. Onyx looked directly at me.

I knew that this was meant for me. Every beat was meant to affect me. He wasn't playing for anyone but me in that moment, and I could feel him just like he wanted me to. My body was trembling. I couldn't get a grip on myself. Tangie looked at me.

“I think it's time for us to go,” she told me. She alerted the other girls. They quickly grabbed our stuff, and we headed out of the club.