Last Bitch Standing (22 page)

"Chantal, I'm so sorry," Kenny said sincerely.

"Where is he, Kenny? Tell me where Andre is?"

"He took a flight out early this morning. He said
he would call you later to make sure you're alright."
Before Kenny could say another word, Chantal scurried
past him with vengeance in her eyes.

As T -Roc drove down Sunset Boulevard he got the
call he'd been waiting for. "Hello. Tell me something
good."

"How about I tell you something great," his most
trusted informant replied.

"That's even better."

"Meet me at our usual spot in an hour."

"What for, you can't tell me over the phone?"

"The skeleton we hoped to drag out of the closet
on your enemy Andre turned out to be a full-fledged
grave. This information is so explosive I have to see the
expression on your face when I reveal all."

"Say no more. I'm on the way." T -Roc made a
U-turn in the middle of the street, smiling at the thought
of finally bringing Andre down once and for all.

Tyler finally believed that her heart was at peace. For
so long, true love eluded her and she was suppressing
the pink inside-out of fear that she would once again be
left blindsided by a man's deception. But her love for
Andre and his love for her was the key that unlocked
all of her inhibitions.

"I can't believe I'm here with you right now. I feel
like the luckiest girl in the world," Tyler beamed, as she
hugged and kissed Andre.

"You are the luckiest girl and I'm the luckiest
guy," he said, rubbing the tip of his nose against the tip
of hers. "Although I would love to sit here and debate who is luckier, we need to get dressed and catch this
flight. I can't wait to get you on that island and make
love to you every day and every night. Not only do I
want to make love, but I'm hoping that we'll make a
baby. Does that sound like a plan to you?"

"Actually that doesn't sound like a plan at all,"
Tyler said shifting her body on the couch so her back
was now turned away from Andre.

"Tyler, please don't tell me that you want to wait
to have kids because of your career? I thought we were
past all of that," he said, grabbing her arm so they
would be face-to-face. Tyler was trying to hold back
the grin that was about to escape, before answering his
question.

"No, the reason why we don't have to plan is
because we're already pregnant." Tyler stood for a
minute absorbing the shocked look on Andre's face.
While he sat with his mouth agape she continued, "I
knew that when I came over here last night, but I didn't
want you to take me back because of a baby. I wanted
you to take me back for me, for the love we share for
one another."

After finally getting over the initial shock, he said,
"You must be at least three months pregnant. I can't
believe this. Not only are you going to be my wife but
you're also going to be the mother of my child." Andre
rubbed Tyler's stomach, overjoyed that he would once
again be a father, but this time by a woman he would
spend the rest of his life with.

"Andre, this all seems like a dream to me. It's like
I don't want to wake up because I'm afraid it won't be
real."

"Baby, you don't have to be afraid, this is not a
dream. This is about two people who belong together. I
promise you that I will spend the rest of my life making
you the happiest woman in the world." Andre went
in his pants pocket and pulled out the pink diamond
engagement ring that Tyler had given back to him what
seemed like a lifetime ago. He slid the sparkler on her
long slender finger and in both of their hearts they felt
like husband and wife.

After making love and then taking a long hot
shower and then making love again, the lovebirds were
ready to catch their flight to Mystique. Andre and Tyler
walked hand-and-hand out the door oblivious to their
surroundings because they were so caught up in their
love.

Chantal was contaminated with hatred when she bolted
out the church and jumped in her Benz. As she sped off,
the paparazzi went ballistic coming up with scenarios
as to why the bride-to-be stormed out the church like a
bat out of hell and where she was off to on her wedding
day. Chantal kept replaying the words that Kenny said
to her. Andre isn '1 going to marry you. It was suffocating
her brain. All she could think about was getting home
and reading the letter that he left. There had to be an explanation for all this, and some sort of clue as to how
she could get him back. As Chantal pulled up to the
driveway she slowed down when she saw what was
supposed to have been her future husband lovingly
embracing her archenemy. She sat in her car from a
distance studying the couple as if they were strangers.
The man was standing on the front door steps kissing
the woman and running his fingers through her long
dark hair. The woman jumped up and wrapped her legs
around the man's waist and he twirled her around as if
they were new young lovers. They laughed and smiled
at one another as if they were the only two people in
the world, as if no one else existed or mattered. Chantal
couldn't help but wish it was her.

Shari seized Kenny's arm as he was turning to leave.
"Wait a minute, Kenny. I want you to tell me what's
really going on with Andre."

"No disrespect, Shari, but I explained everything
that needed to be said to Chantal. I'm done here."

"How can you come and wreck a woman's world
and then say you're done? I know you're not that cold,
maybe Andre but not you."

"You don't even know me, so you can't say what
type of man I am."

"I know that you were the one who had enough
balls to break the news to Chantal, instead of Andre's
coward ass doing it."

"I know the whole situation is a little fucked up, but Andre means well."

"A little! He left the mother of his child at the
church on their wedding day. That is more than a little
fucked up. Now I have to go out there and explain to
hundreds of people and a sweet innocent little girl why
her parents aren't getting married today. Now I want
some answers." Kenny put his head down and turned
his back, leaving Shari to answer her own questions.

Reality returned and Chantal comprehended that the
couple weren't strangers but the love of her life Andre
and the love of his life, Tyler Blake. She looked down
at her $100,000 custom-made Vera Wang wedding
gown and the diamond studded Manolo that was placed
firmly on the brakes. Her fresh French-manicured
hands were gripping the steering wheel to her silver
CL600 Coupe. It all made sense now. Andre wasn't
marrying her because his heart belonged to a woman
that didn't deserve him. No matter how hard Chantal
tried, Andre couldn't accept as true that her mentality
had gone from hooker to housewife. Instead, he chose
a woman that didn't truly love him at all. But there was
no way that Tyler Blake would steal her thunder. Andre
and Chantal had exchanged vows and it was until death
do them part. Chantal lifted one Manolo off the brake
and pressed the other on the gas.

Tyler was the first to notice the silver Benz racing
toward them. She had a flashback to when she was
a teenager in Georgia and everything went in slow motion as Trey, the abusive boyfriend she dated in high
school, blew his brains out. Tyler's body once again
froze, and as the sound of the engine got closer and
louder, Andre slowly turned his head and locked eyes
with the deranged Chantal, and all Tyler could let out
was, "Andre look out!"

The Saga Continuess...
In Stores Now
Superstar!!

Job (Deja) Xing

Deja (Joy) King was born in Toledo, Ohio, and raised in
California, Maryland, North Carolina and New Jersey.
Ms. King represents a new breed of writers producing
young, hip and sexy novels that introduce readers to
street life in all its complexity and also takes readers
behind the velvet rope of the glamorous, but often
shady entertainment industry.

Ms. King attended North Carolina Central University
and Pace University, where she majored in journalism.
Emerging onto the entertainment scene, Deja accepted
an internship position, and immediately began to work
her way up the ranks, at The Terrie Williams Agency.
She worked hands-on with Johnnie Cochran, The
Essence Awards, The Essence Music Festival, The
NBA Players' Association, Moet & Chandon, and other entertainment executives and celebrities.