Who's That Lady? (15 page)

Head down, Crystal trudged behind him as he made his way backstage. She thought of all the things Shonté was capable of, a person with her generosity, talent and spirit. They had been fighting so much lately she’d almost forgotten.

As they waited in the bustling narrow hallway that led from the stage, they were alerted by a shriek.

“
Key
!
”

Key turned with open arms to catch Shonté, still in costume, hurtling in his direction. She laughed when Key caught her in a bear hug and lifted her off her feet with a whoop of admiration. “You rock, girl! My baby sister tore it up!”

She whooped in delight. Key put her down and she turned to Crystal. The two of them looked at one another with the awareness of recent disagreements still too painful.

“You were really, really good,” Crystal offered at last, her voice breathless.

“Thank you.” Shonté tilted her head as she eyed Crystal with a guarded reserve.

Someone called her from a cluster of excited people. “I’ve gotta go,” she said, taking a step back. “Are you coming to the opening night party? It’s at Mitty’s club in the Sheraton.”

They murmured agreement, but Shonté didn’t wait for the reply before whisking back to the swirl of her friends.

At the club, Crystal and Key circulated and chatted with the celebratory crowd.

Crystal was deep in animated conversation with a small group of people gathered in a circle of plush chairs when Key had an opportunity to pull Shonté
aside so they could talk alone. They went to a little alcove of the hotel lobby that was just big enough for a love seat. He smiled at her affectionately.

“I’m so proud of you, baby sister.”

She blushed in an endearing way, bending her head in shyness. Since changing into her own clothes, she had fastened her hair on top of her head with curly tendrils hanging on the sides of her face and her nape. She spoke in a hesitant voice. “Do you really think I have a shot at acting?”

“You mean as a career?”

“Yeah.”

He examined her with narrowed eyes. “Why now?”

“Because I want to be proud of what I do.”

He gave a nod, nibbling his lower lip. “That’s always a good thing. Is acting what will do that for you?”

Her gaze went distant, her hands moving as though to capture her thoughts. “It feels good when I get in a zone on stage and everything is clicking. I’m doing something that makes people’s lives better, even if I just make them forget for a few hours about their own troubles.” Her face glowed and her breathing quickened with excitement. The wash of emotion was palpable.

With reluctance he interjected a question. “Are you sure, Shonté? It’s so much work.”

Her excitement dimmed. “You sound like Crystal now,” she muttered.

He touched her cheek. “It’s been rough on you lately, hasn’t it?”

She lifted her face, suspicion flashing from her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not here to lecture you, princess. But I know you always get wound up when you’re in rehearsal. On top of that, your love life has been wild. Then you and Crystal—”

She tossed her head. “She’s such a hypocrite—” she began in an angry tone.

Key cut her off with a finger on her lips. “I don’t want to hear you bitch on Crystal. I asked about you. This has nothing to do with her, does it?”

She bit her lip, an inner struggle plain on her expressive face. Then she burst out, “Oh, Key! I want to do what’s right but it’s so hard for me. I mean, Crystal’s so together all the time and I can never live up to her expectations.”

He was quiet for a long moment, disturbed by the implications of her words. “What is it you think she expects from you?”

Shonté hesitated. “I don’t know…To be like other people. Safe and reasonable.”

Key laughed out loud, an affectionate sound of disbelief. “You? Shonté, do you really think that’s what Crystal wants from you?”

For the first time she looked thoughtful. “You don’t think she wants me to be like her?”

“Geez no!” He could be certain about that, anyway. “She just worries about you, she wants you to be happy. Now I know she seems bossy at times—”

“Yuh!” said Shonté with comical emphasis.

“And she’s stubborn as hell,” he put in.

“And always so damn logical,” Shonté added with a nod.

They looked at one another in complete understanding. Then both sighed, relaxing into smiling acceptance.

“And she’s our home girl,” Key finished, filled with complete contentment.

“Yeah,” Shonté agreed.

Key put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. They sat like that for a moment, each pensive and comfortable.

He understood Crystal’s attachment to his sister to some extent. Crystal had always been dazzled by Shonté’s effervescence, while Shonté returned her devotion with the same intensity as she did everything else. He knew they were both hurting from their recent troubles.

Key was the first to move. “So give her a break, would you? But in the meantime, think about what
you
want for yourself. You know I’m there for you, princess, whatever happens.

She looked up at him, her face shining with love. She tucked her hand into the bend of his elbow and laid her head on his shoulder. “I know, big bro.”

* * *

Crystal was wilted by the time the morning papers arrived at the party. It was traditional for the actors and production crew to hang around till the first reviews came in, but for this play, only a few diehards remained.

Crystal straightened on her chair at the edge of the clustered actors to listen to the reading. Some reviewers trashed the play but they all said Shonté was a star on the rise. Crystal watched with unabashed pride as Shonté accepted the congratulations of her friends and colleagues.

She was surprised when Shonté
walked away from them to approach her. She stopped in front of Crystal, a faint blush on her cheeks as she chewed the corner of her lip. “So, sister girl. What do you think?”

Crystal was thrown into confusion for a moment by this pleasantry. “I’m so happy for you, Shonté.”

“Thanks,” her long-time friend responded in a soft voice. She hesitated, then spoke in rush. “Listen, Cee, I’ve been a bitch lately. I’ve had so much on my mind, I can’t think straight. Trevor—Well, he’s not as bad as you think. I promise I’ll get myself together soon. Can you be patient with me a little longer?”

Her heart melted. “Of course.” She hesitated, looking at Shonté’s smiling face. “You were really great on stage tonight.”

Shonté started to scoff modestly but Crystal went on. “It means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”

“I
told
you that,” Shonté replied with a touch of impatience.

Tears stung the back of Crystal’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Shonté. I’m beginning to realize I haven’t really been listening to you.”

“It’s okay,” Shonté said, her smile returning. She patted Crystal’s arm. “Listen, I’ve got to go now. We’ll talk later alright?”

Crystal nodded and watched her scamper into an embrace from the director.

Key drove her home, but they didn’t converse much as she was preoccupied with thoughts of Shonté. Her attention returned to him when they were inside together. Kissing him, caressing and being caressed, made her feel hungry and complete at the same time. She squeezed him tight, wondering what their future was, what she’d do without him.

He pulled back reluctantly. “Shonté will be home soon. Are you ready to…?”

Crystal sighed, running her hands through her braids. “Let’s wait. There’s the play and Thanksgiving…” She broke off, not meeting his eyes. What would she do if he demanded to make their affair public? Would that mean he was serious about her—?

Key sighed. “Okay. If that’s what you want.”

Crystal walked with him to the door and waved as he drove away, resolving not to think about the future.

Crystal’s thoughts returned to Shonté while she prepared for bed. Shonté overflowed with such generosity and talent. She was a brilliant star as much in her life as in her acting. Her interest in Jalessa was typical of her kind heart. Shonté could never turn her back on a person in need.

An urgency to see her friend settle down to something to stop her restless, reckless behavior filled her. Acting made her happy, and she was good at it. If only Trevor wasn’t in the picture, distracting her.

CHAPTER 14

Next evening, Key went with his team on the skating party. Crystal declined to join him, since she didn’t know how to skate. Besides, she had a desire to watch Shonté in the second performance of the play. She hoped to get in some one-on-one time afterward.

Crystal stayed in the audience until almost the end of the play, then went backstage and made her way to the tiny dressing room Shonté shared with another actress.

She found Trevor already there, fussing with his hair in front of the lighted vanity mirror. Disgusted, she turned away, but he caught sight of her in the reflection of the mirror.

He turned to her with a confident smile.

“Well, well. We meet again, Miss Crystal Taylor,” he murmured, looking her up and down.

Crystal hesitated before she went into the closet-sized room. She wore tight flared jeans and a gauzy top with fluttery sleeves and hem. The cleavage gave her a Pamela Anderson look. She looked forward to showing it off to Key later in the evening. But Trevor’s eyeballing made her feel cheap. She grew even more uneasy when he leaned past her to shut the door.

Crystal ignored her discomfort, determined not to show weakness to this sleaze. Shonté or one of her castmates should be along any minute. She heard the murmur of voices out in the corridor, along with the faint music that scored the closing scene of the play.

“Did you enjoy the play?” she asked in an attempt to make conversation.

“Not as much as the one I’m about to see.”

Crystal fidgeted. “Oh, I’m nowhere near as talented as Shonté.”

“I think you have a lot of talent, lady. And I’m about to help you bring it out.”

Crystal laughed, unable to believe his boldness. How could Shonté not see right through this dog? She inhaled through her clenched teeth to keep from cursing him. All the teasing went out of Trevor’s face as his stare riveted on her lifting breasts with a look of pure lust.

Apprehension replaced her contempt. The way he looked at her now didn’t make her feel sexy. She felt more like a piece of meat.

“Is it warm in here or is it just me?” she quipped. “Maybe I’ll—”

When she put her hand on the doorknob with the intention of leaving, Trevor took only a couple of quick steps to reach her and put his hand against the door, his arm next to her head.

“Oh, it’s not just you, lady,” he whispered, practically drooling. Pressing his body against hers, he smashed his mouth over hers and tried to force his tongue inside. Crystal froze under the shock of the assault. She couldn’t even breathe for a minute, held immobile by his body squeezing her against the hard wood.

The distant roar of applause greeted his move. Trevor came up for air, his smile triumphant. “I knew it! You do want me.”

“I want to go,” she demanded, putting a hand up against his chest to hold him back.

Trevor got a different meaning out of her words. “Tell me where you want to go, sweetheart. Tell Trevor where you like it.” Breathing heavily, he moved to capture her mouth once more.

She writhed in an attempt to keep her face away from his mouth.

“If you don’t stop, I’m going to scream!”

Outside the dressing room, there was now so much running and shouting that she wasn’t even sure she’d be heard.

At her threat, Trevor released her with an angry shake. “You bitch. You came on to me!” He glared at her with disgust on his face.

Crystal gasped in relief at her close escape. She grabbed the doorknob again. “You are a weasel, a disgusting pervert. I don’t know how any woman could stand to have you touch her. I wish Shonté could see you show your true colors so she can get the hell away from you!”

She snatched the door open and was about to flounce out of it when Trevor grabbed the flapping end of her tunic and yanked on it. The delicate fabric ripped apart, leaving Crystal with her back exposed and her front covered only because she instinctively crossed her arms over her chest.

She screamed in outrage, swung around with one arm outstretched and landed an open-handed smack against the side of Trevor’s head. He dodged, grabbing her flailing arms, and they both tumbled onto the faded couch against the wall with Crystal on top.

At that moment, Shonté danced through the door with another actress on her heels.

Everyone froze in mid-motion, Shonté with the smile still on her lips. Shonté was the first to return to life with sputtering red-faced wrath.

“You two-timing dog! How dare you shag my roommate in my own dressing room, practically under my nose!”

Crystal recovered and pushed to her feet clutching at the remnants of her top.

“You don’t understand,” Trevor stammered, scrambling to his feet. “She told me you—”

“I don’t care what she told you. I knew you were no good, but nobody treats me like this. Nobody!” she screamed, jabbing Trevor in the center of his chest with a pointing forefinger.

Crystal sneered at the sight of Trevor getting what he deserved. At least Trevor’s true character had been revealed to Shonté despite this disaster.

Her self-satisfaction evaporated when Shonté turned on Crystal. “And you, you bitch. I thought you were my friend! Why don’t you get a man of your own?”

“Slow down,” Crystal told her. “Give me a chance to explain.”

“There’s nothing to explain!” Shont
é screamed. “You tried to tell me I was so wrong for hanging with Trevor, but you wanted him for yourself!”

“Me? Want
Trevor
? You’re crazy!”

Shonté looked at the way Crystal’s top hung from her shoulders, revealing a sheer bra. “I think the situation is completely apparent.”

“He attacked me!” Crystal shouted.

“She came back here to see me,” Trevor babbled. “She came on to me!”

Shonté wasn’t even listening to him. Her cheeks aflame and her breast heaving, she faced Crystal with scorn.

“Girlfriend, that’s the one unbreakable rule of friendship. That we never, ever date one another’s boyfriends, ex, could be, has been or otherwise. You flirted with Graham, didn’t you? But I let it slide. But
this
tears it!”

“Yeah?” Crystal snapped. She clenched her top against her breast. “I must have been absent the day they passed out the girlfriends’ rule book. I wasn’t trying to take your boyfriend. I wanted to get rid of him!”

Shonté
stared at her with hate-filled eyes. “Crystal, I don’t even know who you are anymore. I helped you look sexy so you could get a man. How do you repay me? You take my man! How can you call yourself my friend?”

That stung
. “I’m the same person, Shonté. I’m still the one who cares about you and wants you to be fulfilled and happy.”

The object of her mission flung her arms in the air and screamed in Crystal’s face. “Well, you’re not doing a good job of it! Because I’m not happy, not happy at all!”

She understood Shonté was overwrought, coming from the high of her performance to walk in on a scene like this. But she didn’t feel so together herself with her own personal costume malfunction and Trevor hovering behind her with his lying self. The attentive crowd gathered at the dressing room door didn’t help either.

“Shonté, if you’ll calm down and listen to me,” she implored.

“I’m through listening to you. If you’re happy with my scraps, you go right ahead. That’s what you’ve done your whole life anyway.”

A shrill ringing noise echoed inside her head. “What do you mean?”

Shonté thrust her finger under Crystal’s nose. “You’ve always trailed behind me picking up the crumbs from my life. My parents, my brother, my college, even my job. I always shared them with you, didn’t I? And now my damned boyfriends! Get a life, Crystal, why don’t you?”

Crystal could barely hear the end of this speech for the roaring in her ears. “How dare you?” Her voice dropped, vibrating with rage. “How can you look me in the face and say that? When I’ve been beside you every step of the way, picking up the pieces of your life so you could maintain your Miss Perky image. How perky would you be without me to hold your head while you’re throwing your guts up in the bathroom after one of your little parties? All the times I lied for you? How many times did I have to rescue you?”

The words hung in the air like the glittering rods of a wind chime, echoing with hurt. The flash of torment across Shonté
’s face brought Crystal a momentary satisfaction, even as she felt regret at the ugly barbs that came out of her mouth. She loved Shonté. How could they be hurting each other this way? How could she make it stop?

She had no time to react before Shonté smacked her across the cheek with one powerful swing that made Crystal’s head snap to one side. The burn of the blow on Crystal’s face clouded her vision and finished her hold on self-control. She swung her fists, one after the other.

Shonté met her head-on, flailing. The two women tumbled over the couch and vanity, pummeling each other, pulling hair, ripping clothes.

Someone pulled them apart. Through the tears streaming down her face, Crystal saw Trevor watching them with a lascivious grin.

“You two are great. I’ll take on both of you,” he said.

“Oh!” Crystal screamed and kicked at him, but someone held her back. An open-mouthed audience of crew, cast and assorted friends surrounded them. Several people grinned, some looked shocked, but they all soaked up every detail.

Crystal ran from the room. She pushed her way through the bodies and kept going, in spite of the voices calling her name and the hands that tried to restrain her.

Only when she got outside and the cold air hit her did she realize she was almost naked from the waist up. Fortunately, her car keys were in her pants pocket. She ran to her car, hit the automatic unlock, jumped in. She started the engine with a roar and peeled away, the road a lighted blur through her tears. She went only a couple of blocks before she pulled off into the parking lot of a grocery store, hitting the curb with a jolt. She was shaking and crying too hard to drive safely.

She sat there for twenty minutes, sobbing and punching the steering wheel in anger and humiliation. What was happening to her? She didn’t know who the hell she was anymore. Her life was falling apart, and she had probably lost her best friend tonight.

She collected herself enough to complete the drive home to the condo. Inside, she undressed and climbed into bed, confused and lost. This wasn’t supposed to happen. How could she lose Shonté over a so-called man like Trevor Devlin?

Another thought froze her to the marrow of her bones.
What is Key going to think when he hears about this?

Shivering, she pulled the blankets to her chin, trying to block out all thought.

She only vaguely registered the sound of the front door opening downstairs and footsteps climbing the stairs. She had a hazy idea that a long time had passed. Would Shonté come in and fight with her some more?

She half rose up in bed, waiting in dread.

A tap on her half-open bedroom door. “Crystal?” rumbled Key’s voice.

The overhead light went on, half-blinding her. She yelped and threw her arm over her eyes. Squinting, she tried to focus on Key standing in her doorway.

“Shortcake, what’s going on? Shonté is at my apartment, practically hysterical, and saying she caught you humping Trevor.”

Crystal choked back a half-sob, staring at Key’s furious expression. His jaw was tight and his brows drew together in a scowl.

“Oh, my God, Key, don’t you turn on me too. I swear nothing happened. He came on to me and I was trying to get away from him and—” Sobs overcame her again and she pressed her fists against her streaming eyes and nose, gasping for air.

Key crossed the room and sank onto the bed, taking her into his arms. He stroked her back while she made garbled noises in an attempt to explain what had happened.

Exhausted, she dropped her head in his lap. He continued to soothe with gentle hands on her hair and shoulders. Gradually her tears subsided.

After a while, she began to talk in a rambling, deadpan stream. “She said I follow her around, living her life. She’s right, Key, she’s right.”

“Shhh. That’s not true. Don’t worry, she’ll get over this. She’s bound to realize how much you’ve done for her.”

“But did I do it for her?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, Key. Maybe deep down inside I was jealous. Maybe I did want to live her life.” Crystal pulled her knees to her chest. “And you.”

“Me?”

“Look at me. You wouldn’t even look at me before Shonté made me look sexy. Everything happened when Shonté helped me.” The tears started to flow again.

She felt the flex and tensing of Key’s thighs as he adjusted to a more comfortable position. Then she realized that his slacks were soaked where her head lay.

His hand started stroking her hair again. “Shh. I’ve always liked the way you looked.”

“I don’t want to lose my friends, Key.”

“You won’t, sweetheart.”

Soon the quiet stroking lulled her into sleep.

When Crystal woke up, she was alone in the condo. He must have left after she fell asleep, and Shonté must have spent the night at Key’s. Undressing for a shower, Crystal discovered that she had several blue-ish bruises on her shoulders, sides and legs. Peering into the mirror, she saw scratches on her neck. Quickly she turned away. Jumping into the hot water, she wanted to erase evidence as well as memories of the fight, but she had to content herself with dressing with care and applying heavier makeup than usual.

When she arrived at Key’s apartment, Shonté’s cold greeting made her heart ache. Key retreated to his bedroom, leaving the two women alone in the living room. Shonté, looking tiny in one of Key’s sweat suits, threw herself on the deep, overstuffed couch and pulled her bare feet underneath her. Crystal’s heart turned over at the sight of a cut on Shonté’s forehead and bruises around both her wrists.

Crystal drew in a deep breath, steeling her resolve. “Shonté, we need to talk.”

Shonté shot a sidelong look of anger her way before hunching her body tighter and turning her head.