Giselle "G" Rowe

-

"6 inch heels, she walked in the club like nobody's business. Goddamn, she murdered everybody and I was her witness."

Red lights bounce around the club erratically and the dancer on stage spins around the pole with grace, her tone legs doing the majority of the work.

"She's stacking money, money, everywhere she goes. Pesos out of Mexico." She clacks her heels to the beat, earning more than a few bills thrown in her direction.

Arms looped together, Nadirah and I weave our way through the crowd and into the section. Cree pulls from the hookah pen while Lira shoots a fake smile towards a desperate suitor.

"Babygirl, anything you got going on, I can match it!" He pleads, staring at her exposed cleavage. "I just gotta get back on my feet first."

"No thanks, darlin', but I am flattered." Her tone is so sickeningly sweet that anybody who isn't thinking with their dick could see right through it. Unfortunately, dude with the overgrown cornrows isn't one of them.

"Fine time for y'all to show up." Cree exhales smokes, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. The new diamonds added to her teeth twinkle underneath the bouncing lights.

"Parking was crazy." Nadi shrugs, plopping down across from the two of them, taking me with her.

"That's why you oughta bring yo' ass on time." Cree shakes her freshly twisted hair as it falls onto her face. "Wassup, G? I like the fit."

"Thanks, Cree. I —"

"Let me guess." Lira interrupts, running a hand through her straightened hair. "You made it yourself."

"Yeah, I was finna say that...bitch." I cup my breasts and push them up before letting them drop, striking a few more poses to sell it more. "What do y'all think?"

They all rake their eyes over the emerald green bodysuit in unison. The high ponytail, fresh acrylics and golden bamboo earrings to tie the look all together.

"I love it!" Nadi beams, taking a sip of her lemon drop. "One of the most talented people I know."

"Yeah, I gotta give it to ya. You look bad as fuck." Cree nods, taking another pull from the hookah pen. "I'ma send some cash for you to make somethin' for my shawty."

"I'on know, the color a little too dark, but yo' waist snatched." Lira adds, eyeing me closely.

"Thanks for the feedback, y'all. I appreciate it." I cut my eyes over to Lira. "I think."

She doesn't respond, already busy accepting sleazy compliments from yet another leering man. This one seems more her speed though — designer clothing, a fresh lineup, and face tattoos.

"I'll be right back." Lira stands, pulling her dress down before taking his hand.

The three of us fall into discussing about everything and nothing in particular all at the same, just enjoying each others company since we don't link up like we used to in our teenage years.

"Semaj thought he was tough, huh?" Cree laughs over the music, clapping her hands softly. "You better than me 'cause I woulda told ole boy to bitch slap him in front of everybody!"

"Girl, because you like mess!" I cackle. "I don't wanna be banned from there, how I'm suppose to play air hockey?"

"Pshh have yo' nigga buy you a air hockey table!" Nadi rubs her lips together, evenly dispersing her freshly applied gloss. "A token of his love."

"Mack got you spoiled." I roll my eyes playfully and she shows all her teeth, blushing at the mention of his name as usual. I peep a new necklace endowed with pink diamonds, sitting between her breast and laugh. "Real spoiled."

"Aye, I applied for a couple of receptionist jobs. I think I'ma give this nine to five shit another chance. I can't run the streets forever." Cree leans forward, tucking her bottom lip between her teeth. "Pray that I get one."

"Aww look at you! You absolutely gone get it! That communications degree won't be in vain anymore." Nadi smiles. 

"On God, they a fool if they don't give it to you. You a smooth talkin' mufucka'."

"Feel me?" Cree chuckles, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her vibrating phone. "Hey, baby. Just come in, we in like the third section to the right. You can't miss us."

Nadi obnoxiously raps along as the beat drops to the next song, putting down her third emptied glass.

"Hey, you guys!" Lourdes bops, kissing Cree on the lips before plopping down in her lap.

"Hey, Lo!" Nadi and I sing.

"So what, she gone be taggin' along with us everytime now?" Lira eases back into her seat with a barely sipped drink in her hand.

Lourdes throws her head back, opens her mouth to speak, but closes it quickly when Cree chimes in. "Lira, watch yo mouth. I don't wanna hear nun else from you unless it's positive."

"It was just a question." She smugly defends.

"She don't even be with us the majority of the time so cut it out." Nadi rolls her eyes, throwing her hair over her shoulder.

"Whatever." Lira sips, swaying to the beat.

Something about her is...off tonight.

Her appearance is well put together as usual, but her banter doesn't have its typical playfulness. Every word comes off intentionally callous. Even her behavior is different. Her leg bounces nonstop, almost impatiently and I can see the way she eyes whomever is speaking with slight annoyance.

Especially me.

She's excessively studying my body from head to toe, hanging onto my every word just to roll her eyes. It's subtle, but I notice it.

I haven't talked to Lira in a minute. Maybe she's going through something or maybe she's misinterpreted something that I've said.

Or maybe I'm just overthinking it.

I'll check on her later, just the two of us to make sure that everything's okay. Her pride may be blocking her from functioning normally.

Lourdes chuckles dryly before changing the subject. "Giselle, your makeup is so good!"

"Chile, that's that glow from gettin' consistent dick." Nadi smirks, popping her lips and cutting her eyes at me.

"Thank you, Lo." I stifle a chuckle, smoothing down my hair. "I'm getting better at this no-makeup, makeup thing."

"Hmm," Lira hums. "I didn't know y'all be fuckin'."

"Why wouldn't they? That's her mans." Cree scoffs, rubbing the side of Lourdes's butt.

"Wait, he asked you to be his girl?" Lira cranes her head to the side and unsticks her lips with her tongue.

"No, we —"

"Oh, good!" She laughs, putting her hand over her chest. "'Cause I was finna say, he did not mention no relationship."

"What?" I narrow my eyes, thrown off.

"It's a pretty girl curse, really." Lira shrugs in an attempt to seem indifferent, but I see through it. "Y'all know how niggas are."

She's being sly. She wants me to ask when she spoke to June for him to 'mention' anything to her. She set this up for me to walk right on in it. She thinks that she's got me and guess what?

She does.

"And when the fuck did you talk to June?" I throw my head back with a smile. "Because he didn't mention you at all."

"Not too long ago actually. Back at my luxury apartment complex. Oh, and in DMs." Lira bites her lip, bouncing her leg again. "But I mean, hey! No need for him to mention anything unserious, I guess."

My mind is going a mile a minute, no longer computing any further conversation. June was in Lira's apartment? Talking to her in the DM? He played in my face and in my pussy for weeks when he really liked my friend?

No, this weird bitch is not my friend.

"So that's why you been so weird lately?" I connect the dots. "Because you like my ma — June?"

She's been analyzing me, trying to see what he likes. Physically comparing us because knowing Lira, she probably thinks she's the prettier choice. The better choice.

"You desperate ass bitch, just when I be tryna give you a chance you go and do something mean-spirited." Nadi scoffs. "You not gone be satisfied til somebody slap the shit out you."

"Hold up, y'all mad at me for interacting with a single man?"

Cree sucks her teeth, leaning up to glare at Lira. "Man, you know that shit...strange to do to yo' dawg. You movin' real funny."

"You've always been a jealous ass bitch, but I didn't know that it was this bad." I shake my head, laughing bitterly as a wave of disgust hits me.

If June was at her spot, I can only imagine what happened. The usual flashbacks of the intimate moments that we've shared flood my mind, but every single positive is replaced by shame. I feel dirty, used, and quite frankly...sad.

Hold it in! You can cry later, Giselle.

"I should've realized how pathetic and insecure you were when you couldn't flourish at Pink Whiskey with other beautiful women. One day Lira, your ugliness will show on the outside too, and you'll be on suicide watch, you lame ass hoe."

"And to be honest, I might pray for that day to come soon." Nadi shrugs, pursing her lips.

"Girl, whatever. I'm leaving. Y'all sucking Giselle's asshole too much for me."

It's not possible for the conversation to return to any form of normal because I'm in my head and I cannot escape. I squeeze the back of my neck and sigh, shutting my eyes in a long blink.

He fucked her.

She fucked him.

I look stupid. I am stupid.

"G, you straight?" Cree's voice cuts through the echo chamber of sickening thoughts bouncing through my mind. "Look man, i'on know what the fuck wrong with Lira ass."

Lourdes slides off her lap and takes the empty seat next to her girlfriend, shooting a closed-mouth sympathetic smile my way.

"I...I gotta go. I'ma call y'all later on. 'Preciate y'all backing me up." I grab my purse and head out the door, letting out a shaky breath.

**********

Saturday, November 26 | 2:37 a.m.
Crystal Lake Condominiums

-

I knock on June's door with a heavy hand and it isn't long before he yanks it open, his firearm in his grasp. He mugs me with red eyes, unbothered by my own scowl.

If the situation were different, I would be taken aback by his shirtless body and the way his lips are swollen from his slumber. Somehow, his attractiveness hurts me even more.

"Why you knockin' my shit like you the police?" He rasps, still blocking the doorway.

"Why would you go behind my back to fuck a bitch that's supposed to be my friend? I mean, I get that we ain't together, but you could've fucking let me know."

"Man, what?" June pulls up his sweatpants and pads back into his condo.

"You heard me!" I storm in after him, leaving the door wide open. "You want to be with Lira, cool, but don't be pussy and hide it."

"Giselle," he sighs, gently shutting the door.

"I'm fucking disgusted with you."

"Giselle." He states firmly, grabbing my jaw, forcing me to look up at him.  "I. Don't. Know. That. Girl."

"Don't know her?" I snatch away, looking him up and down. "But you was at her spot? But you was in her DMs?"

June chuckles emptily, shaking his head. "That girl came up to me when I was leaving Karine's crib over a month ago and that was the first time I'd ever spoken to her. Weeks later, she DMed me out the blue, wantin' me to take her out...I never responded. I didn't know that was yo homie for real, otherwise, I woulda told you. I'm not the type of nigga who gotta lie or sneak to get pussy. I can tell you what it is and what it ain't. I'on know that girl, Giselle."

"Show me the message." I shrug, folding my arms.

He pulls out his phone and opens the app. Sure enough, Lira's unopened DM is there from the night that I went to Smooth Central when life was beating my ass.

She kicked it to me like they'd really been talking when it's looking more like she was the suitor for once in her life. All the more reason for her to be enraged. Lira is used to good looks and money getting her everything and everyone. I run my palm over my frizzing hair with a sigh.

"Everything that we did was real on my end, ma. I'm true to myself enough to do what I want to do....blatantly. So you'd know if that's what was goin' on."

"Okay, Rashad."

I want to believe him after all, he's seems more solid than Lira ever has. He openly supports my dreams, reassures me, makes me smile...

And makes me cu —

June suddenly pulls me by my waist, but I avoid kissing him, still fighting off the feeling of betrayal. Cutting ties hurts at first, but the more you think about it, the more that it makes sense.

She's been dead weight for a while now. Too many faults, not enough redeeming qualities

He buries his face in the crook of my neck, pecking the skin before inhaling my scent. "Stay with me."

"No. I'm finna head home and get some rest." I softly break away, staring into his eyes.

"Damn, now I gotta suffer 'cause some broad acting up? Let me walk you down then."

Before I can respond, he pads to his room, throwing on a semi wrinkled t-shirt and a pair of black slides in a few short seconds. I lead him out the front door and into the elevator, pressing the lobby button,

"Next time, don't come fussin' at me in the hallway like that for erybody to hear. You gone have Ethan and Jessica coked out asses thinking they got some competition."

"Mhm." I tighten my arms around myself, leaning against the cold metal walls.

Hopefully, there is no next time.

-

~~~

How're y'all feeling? Do y'all trust June?

Anybody shocked at Lira?

"Bloom" hit 3k views btw! Thank you sooo much! See y'all next time.