I'm Doin' Me (15 page)

He paused to get another condom. They got it in and she didn't want to move, but she had to go.

She headed home. When she pulled up to her house, she saw Kory's Bentley. Then she saw him.
Why is this fool sitting on my porch?
she thought.

“What, Kory!” she yelled as soon as she slammed her car door shut. “Why are you here?” He was the last person she wanted to see. When she checked her phone, he had called her ten times while she was getting served by Colby.

“We need to talk, Tiff,” he said, standing.

As mad as she was at him for lying on Colby, she wondered why the fuck he always looked so damn good. “No, we don't,” she said. She wished he didn't make her stomach do flips every time she saw him.

“We do, Tiff. I didn't tell you about Colby to hurt you. I only wanted to warn you. I don't want to see you hurt.”

She knew that Kory wouldn't lie to be malicious. He had just gotten the wrong information. “Kory, it's not true. Tressa didn't pay Colby, okay? Amber got her facts wrong. Colby is not that guy, okay? I appreciate your concern and I thank you for trying to look out for me, but Colby is a great guy and I really, really like him. I wish that you would stay away and let me be.” She looked away, hoping he'd just leave her alone so she could get on with her life. He didn't say anything, but she could feel him looking at her. “Listen, I'm sorry things didn't work out with you and Tressa, but it would be best if we didn't hang out or be friends.”

“Tiff, listen, okay? I know it may be hard to believe, but Amber would have never told me if it weren't true. She and Amber have been friends forever, and she only told me so I could warn you.”

Tiffany didn't want to hear another word. “Stop, okay, Kory, stop. Why are you doing this, huh? Why the fuck are you pushing this? What do you want me to do? Say ‘Kory, you're right and you and I are going to be together' Or . . . or . . . or we can pick up where we never left off?” She held back her tears. She had accepted that they would never be when he left that night to go back to Tressa. “When I saw you that day at that restaurant, I thought, ‘My God, this has got to be fate,' and I could not get you out of my mind. We sat there and talked and caught up, but not once did you open your mouth and say, ‘I'm engaged to be married.' When I asked you to meet me for dinner, you still led me like a blind horse to water.

“You came here the night of your engagement party and made out with me, and still ran back to Tressa. So get off my damn porch. Go home and find a way to get over this. I left you alone to be with Tressa, so leave me alone so I can be with Colby.”

She was not going to be torn between two men. She had been reunited with Kory, the love of her life, and it was just bad timing. Now she had a chance to be with someone who adored her and she wasn't going to let Kory walk back into her life at his own convenience. It was not going to work like that.

“Tiff, I can truly understand how you feel and where you are coming from. You are right; that day at the café, I should have said something. But you know what? I was taken back and the memories of you resurfaced in my brain in an instant and I couldn't let the words part from my lips. I wanted to. I . . . I did, but I thought if I said that, you'd go off and I'd never see you again. The night you asked me to dinner, I honestly had no intention of bringing Tressa. I just wanted to see you and reminisce, talk about home and all that jazz, and I was going to tell you.

“Tressa insisted that she go, and I didn't have time to call to warn you, because I didn't want to start shit with her. To warn you would have made me look guilty, so I just prayed you wouldn't mind. I don't know Colby like you do, Tiff, and if you believe him, there is nothing left to say. Take care, and I won't bother you or contact you again if that's the way you want it.”

He turned and walked down the four steps. He headed to his car and Tiffany stood on the porch confused. Kory was a sweetheart, a gentleman, and she knew he meant well. She knew he only left her to honor his commitment to Tressa, but it was much too late. She and Colby were an item now, and even though she wasn't in love with him, she liked him enough to want to stay.

She watched Kory's taillights hit the corner, and when he turned, she went inside. She went for her travel bag and grabbed a couple summer dresses and laid them on her bed. The dresses were comfortable, cute, and could be worn for just about any occasion. As long as they went somewhere warm, she'd be good. She grabbed three pairs of her cute sandals with a small heel and went for her travel toiletry bag. It had all of the essentials, and if she needed something other than that, she'd buy it. She started the shower, and as she lathered she couldn't stop thinking about Kory.

She felt bad for him and knew he had to be going through a tough time because of the breakup. Even though they had made out and came close to having sex, apparently his feelings for Tressa kept him from staying with her that night. She hated that she had found such a great guy like Colby, while he had love lost.

When she got out of the shower, she was tempted to call him to say they could still be friends, but just as soon as she was dressed, the doorbell rang. She knew it could only be Colby. At least she hoped, because Kory had frequently dropped by without calling.

“Hey,” she said when she opened the door and saw Colby.

He leaned in with a kiss. “Hey, are you ready to go?”

“Yes, I am,” she said going toward her room to get her bag. “Where are you taking me?”

“It's a surprise.”

“Okay now, Colby, I only packed a couple sundresses,” she warned.

“And if you need anything other than those, we will buy something. Honestly, I was hoping you only packed sexy underwear,” he joked.

“Don't worry, I packed those too.” She gave him a sexy smile. “Now, can we get this show on the road?”

“Sure, after you.” He followed her to the front door.

They left for the airport, and even though he tried to be secretive, it didn't take her long to figure out where they were going.

“Vegas, Colby? Didn't I tell you I wanted quiet and relaxation?”

He smiled. “And you will have that, my dear. We are staying at the Bellagio and there are plenty of relaxing and peaceful things you can do while I hit the tables. We can get in a show or two, of course some great food, and then fuck until we can't move.”

She slapped his arm. “Not so loud,” she warned. They were still in an airport.

“And then fuck until we can't move,” he whispered. She laughed.

They both looked up at the exact same time and noticed two white girls standing by.

“Are you Colby Grant?” one asked. She looked like she was going to come out of her skin.

Colby did a sexy smile. He had his baseball cap low and his dark shades, but he was still recognizable. “If I say yes, will you young ladies keep your cool and not alert the rest of the ticket holders for this flight?”

“We promise,” the other said, pen in hand. “All we want is an autograph and a picture with you for our Facebook page, and I promise we will move on.”

When the girls had gotten what they came for, Tiffany suggested they head to the VIP lounge until it was time to board and Colby agreed.

“Okay, Mr. Superstar,” she teased, once they found a place at the bar.

“Awww babe, don't trip. This is nothing. L.A. folks don't get excited. It's other cities that will not stop following you through the airport. L.A. sees stars in the airport like they see stars in the sky.”

“I guess you're right. I ain't trippin', and I'm certainly not jealous of those two teenagers,” she added.

“That's good, because you don't have to be. And they did look over twenty-one to me.” he joked.

She gave him the “really?” look.

“It doesn't matter anyway. I'm with who I want to be with and I'm good.”

“Are you sure? Because I'm just Tiffany, plain ol' Tiffany.” She smiled. “What you see is what you get.”

“Damn, what I see is all I want.” He leaned in and kissed her.

They ordered and the barmaid knew who Colby was too, but she played it cool. When she gave Colby his ticket, she made sure her number was written on it. Tiffany didn't trip or say anything, because she didn't blame a girl for trying; however, she was happy to see Colby toss the receipt before they boarded the plane. First class was always nice, so she sat back and enjoyed the flight.

“Okay, people, we are back, and I must say I am glad to be back,” Tiffany said to her writers. They were in their very first meeting to discuss getting the show back into production at TiMax. “We have like a million and one things to do and not a lot of time to do it in, so we gotta put our game face on and get it done.” Everyone in the room applauded. The room hummed with excitement and she knew they were anxious to get to work.

“Okay, I know today is our first day, but we have a lot to cover and we are going to be here for a while, so be prepared to take in a lot of information today. Everyone has their new tablet in front of them. We are going to go through a few slides and go over cast, budget, and then the show's direction. Miss Dallas, here, is going to give us a tour of the entire studio and then we are going to get to see our new set. Over the next couple days, we are going to get acquainted with the set decorator, scene designer, set construction crew, lighting, prop masters, sound, and art director. Now, when we go to our new set, have your notepads ready, because we are going to have to picture scenes and y'all already know. This is not our first rodeo ride, so kindly write your names—legibly; Darryl, not that fancy stuff you be signing memos with—so others that don't know us can get familiar with who we are.”

The group finished their meeting and got a tour of the entire studio. They finally pulled up to their lot so that they could walk onto their new set.

“Now, you guys can stay here as long as you need and give the front a call when you are ready for us to bring the carts back to get you guys,” Dallas said.

“Thanks,” Tiffany told her. “Wow,” she said, looking around. “This is like five times bigger than our old set.” She was so excited she felt her face getting hot.

“Yes, it is,” Darrel said and everyone agreed.

“Okay, peeps, let's walk around, check things out, and don't be ashamed to be as creative as you can. We have to make KCLN look like skid row,” she said.

After an hour or so, they rejoined each other and started shooting ideas like they normally did. Tiffany approved most, but scrunched her nose to indicate those she didn't like. They went back to the main office and she got right back to business. It had been four hours since they started, but it felt longer.

“I know everyone is anxious to grab lunch, but I want to give you guys a rundown on some show ideas, and then we break for lunch and get back to it.” The group turned their attention to her. “So, now college is done and the girls are home. Of course, they have to go back to their parents and the first episode I want them to go apartment hunting. Of course, they are broke, so the places they see are dumps, but a miracle happens, so they think. Claire, since she is the wealthiest one, gets the news her favorite aunt died and left her some property that turns out to be kick-ass. The girls decide to move in together since there is no mortgage to be paid, but at say the end of the show, the power is cut off, and they have to find jobs to maintain the utilities.”

She looked around to make sure her staff was taking notes. “Now, we have a huge budget and can hire a total of eight new cast members. So we have to create no more than eight new personalities to join this cast.” Darryl held up his stylus. “Shoot,” she said, giving him the floor.

“A nosy elderly neighbor who is always interfering with their lives,” he suggested. Tiff gave the approval nod.

“A lazy super who never wants to fix things,” Marsha blurted.

Tiff gave another nod. She waited for more, but no one said anything. She decided to call 'em out. “Alvin,” she called.

He quickly came up with a new character. “Sexy bartender at their new hot spot, but he turns out to be gay and the girls find that out after they all go behind one another's back trying to hook up with him after they vowed he was off-limits.” When he stopped speaking, he looked around like he had amazed himself.

“That's good, Alvin, nice. I like that idea. Liz,” she called out, moving to the next person.

“Well, how about a therapist for Claire?” she said nervously. “No way she will be able to handle her new life, she is horrible under pressure.”

“And I've just learned that you're not,” Tiffany said with a smile. “Now we've got room for four more and we don't have to cram, you guys. I know we are capable of getting this done. We've written a season in a matter of days because you guys rock, so instead of lunch, go home, come up with some witty ideas, and keep in mind that boys will come and go and we are not going to let our girls get serious in the first season, because that would be the end of our show. Note: profanity is allowed now and so is nudity, but keep in mind that there are to be no girl-on-girl scenes or scenarios. That is specified in all of the girls' contracts.

“Lastly, the girls are not afraid of nude scenes, and if, for comedy's sake, we can have a lesbian episode with someone trying to make Joy their bitch and she is clueless, that would be hilarious,” she said laughing.

The crew agreed. Joy was the conservative one and was always scared to try or do anything. She was safe, so that would be a cute episode. Everyone was about to exit the room when Tiffany remembered one more thing.

“Oh, and guys, our show is an hour-long, commercial-free series now, so we gotta hit it. This is not a twenty-two-minute walk in the park. So are y'all ready to do this?” They nodded and she knew they were. “Y'all better be; that pay increase wasn't because y'all look good,” she teased before they left.

When everyone was gone, she walked around her new think tank, which was just as upscale as the rest of the building. She didn't want to check the cabinets and fridge out in front of everyone, but she did so as soon as she was alone. She gathered her things to leave and decided to stop by her office. When she got there, she saw Myah. She had forgotten all about her assistant being there.

“Mee-Mee,” she said.

Myah looked up from her novel and smiled. “How was the first day, Tiff?”

“It was full, I'll tell you. How about yours?”

“Quiet, the most quiet I've ever had. I'm almost finished with this book I started this morning. The phone rang once and they had the wrong number. I ordered lunch, and can you believe they have someone bring it up here to your desk?” She grinned from ear to ear. “I'm going to love it here.”

Tiffany knew exactly what she meant. “You ain't seen nothing, girl, follow me.”

She led her assistant into her office and shut the door. She went straight for the glasses and poured them both a drink. “Stocked with my favorite,” she said and handed Myah a glass.

“If I'm not at my desk when you need me, I'll be right here,” Myah said. They clinked glasses.

“Myah, this place is just too good to be true. I can't wait to get the show going.” Tiffany took a seat at her desk. “I mean, I feel so accomplished and we haven't even recorded one episode yet.” She took a sip.

“Tiffany, you deserve this,” Myah told her. “You've worked hard and did in a little time what it takes others years to do. So bask in it, girl. This is your moment.”

The two chatted for a while and had another drink. After a while, they decided it was time to leave, but before they could exit, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” she said. To her surprise, it was Mr. Green.

“Hey, Miss Richardson. I'm so glad I caught you. Do you have a moment?” he asked.

“Sure, of course. This is my assistant, Myah. Myah, this is Mr. Green, our new boss. The network's owner.”

Myah hurried over to shake his hand. “Nice to meet you, sir, and thank you so much for this opportunity.”

“No problem, Myah. Welcome aboard,” he said.

Maya told Tiffany good night and made her exit.

“May I?” Mr. Green asked, pointing to a chair.

“Of course. What brings you by?”

“I just wanted to stop in and give you a proper welcome. I hope everything is to your liking.”

She smiled. “Yes, everything is more than great, and the staff here has made me and my cast and crew feel very welcome.”

“That is terrific. I am anxious to see you in action. I admire your drive, Tiffany. You're the daughter I never had.”

Tiffany wasn't sure how to reply. “Yeah, well, I know where you are coming from. I've met your daughter,” she joked.

“Yes, Isabella was and still is a handful.”

“Who?” she asked, confused.

“I'm sorry, Tressa. Isabella is her middle name. Her momma and I argued and argued about naming our first and only child and finally, we flipped a coin. Heads was Isabella, tails was Tressa. And as you can see, tails was a winner.”

“Well, I like both,” she said, being nice. She didn't want to insult his family.

“Me too, and as soon as my daughter and Kory are married, she will be his handful.” He chuckled.

Tiffany wasn't sure she heard him correctly. The last she knew, the engagement was off. “Married?” she asked.

“Yes, I'm so anxious to give her away. I think Kory can help her to get on the straight and narrow. I see so many qualities in that young man. How the miracle of him falling for my spoiled daughter happened, I don't know, but I am so glad it did.”

“Yes, Kory is one of the good ones.”

“As I heard it, you and he used to be an item.”

“No, sir, nothing like that. We've always been friends, but never dated,” she said, clearing it up.

“That's strange. Isabella gave me an entirely different story of your history with Kory.”

“Well, sir, you can ask Kory if you'd like. We sorta grew up together, went to high school together, and that was pretty much it. His cousin and I used to be friends, but Kory and I, we never got together.”

“Son of a bitch,” he said out loud. “That daughter of mine is certainly a character. She should have a series of her own,” he joked. “She has always had a way with me. For so long, I've tried to be firm with Tressa, but my heart goes to mush. I've been delaying her trust, hoping she'd get some type of act right, but, hey . . .” He cleared his throat. “That's not why I came by. I came by to welcome you and to wish you well. I am sure you're going to rock TiMax, and I look forward to seeing what you do with the show. If at any time you need anything, let me know.”

“Thank you, Mr. Green, and I won't disappoint you,” she said.

“I know you won't. Enjoy the rest of your day, Miss Richardson,” he said and went to stand, but he sat back down.

Concerned, Tiffany asked, “Mr. Green, are you all right?”

He smiled, but held his chest and took a few deep breaths. “I'm okay. Just been super busy here lately and I may need a mini vacation.”

“Can I get you some water? You look flushed.”

“Yes, please.” Tiffany hurried over to get him a bottle of water. She opened it and handed it to him. She watched him take a few swallows.

“Should I call someone? Tressa or your wife?”

“No, no, no. I don't want to worry them. I mean my wife is always on me about my diet and I know I take my job a little too serious. I'll be fine, just need to lose some of my workload.” He smiled.

His color started to look normal again, and he did a clean swipe with is handkerchief to clean the beads of sweat from his head.

“Are you sure, Mr. Green? I mean our health is a serious thing.”

“I'm sure. I'm fine.” He stood and put the remainder of water on Tiffany's desk and headed for the door. Tiffany smiled when he turned to her. “Let's just keep this between us okay?”

“Will do, sir.” He headed out the door and Tiffany went to gather her things. She didn't know what was going on, but she hoped he was okay.

Maybe that was why Tressa still hadn't told him that the wedding was off. Maybe she was concerned about his health? She wondered if she should call Kory, but immediately told herself to stay out of it. She didn't want to go sticking her nose where it didn't belong.

She grabbed her purse and briefcase and headed home.