Always Wrong - Xyla Turner Page 0,1
London but was from the Bronx. We had a date. Dinner was nothing new for me, but the butterflies flapping around inside of me had me a bit nervous. More than I ever was, to be honest. If I had known that meeting him that one day at the W hotel would produce my current situation at my best friend’s wedding and the years to come, I would have never met with his ass. I did not need or want this. I know that’s the wrong thing to say, but fuck me. This was not how I saw this going.
Maxine, my best friend, came up to me right before she was about to leave to go on her honeymoon with the much-deserving man, her newfound husband, Noah. She exuded joy and happiness. It simply adorned her. It was even in her stride, and I could not have been happier for her.
“Girl, please don’t say you’re pregnant,” I told my friend as she stopped in front of me. “You are absolutely glowing.”
“Me?” She laughed and held her neck with a delicate hand. “Nooo…we aren’t pregnant yet.”
Those eyebrows of her danced with excitement as she continued, “But I hope to be soon. Now what’s wrong with you?”
“Just life.” I shrugged but tried to change the subject. “What time are you guys heading out? Felix was excited to fly with you to your honeymoon. He said he needed a vacation too.”
Felix was my full-time pilot for one of my companies, Jet-ish, though each business entity had separate jets. Jet-ish was a rent-a-jet company, where we had four pilots who we rented to the rich and famous. My other company, Ship-ish, which required more of my attention, was a large business that dealt with imports, freights, and shipping.
“I still can’t believe you paid for our month-long honeymoon,” Maxine whispered. “Noah said he didn’t know if he should feel slighted or happy. Even Dad said, ‘Well, damn.’ Thanks, girl.”
“Well, Noah went ahead and bought his own jet, so I couldn’t give you that. Therefore, I had to give my best friend something. I am just so happy for you both. You deserve goodness. You’ve worked so hard, and now it’s time to reap.”
Those happy eyes turned down a notch when she moved closer to me and said, “You too, Sheryl. Jacquez has been eyeing you like he’s a hungry lion this whole night. What is going on? I thought you guys were good.”
My eyes leveled on my friend’s as I clarified to her, “We fucked. That was good and now that’s it.”
She looked over to her left and my right, then turned back and said, “Clearly that’s not it.”
Fuck.
Boy, if she knew. If this wasn’t her wedding, I would have told her. However, this was her day, and I wouldn’t ruin it with my stuff. Not today. Not with this shit with Jacques or the crazy shit my mother dropped on me a month ago. I have no idea why I even went to see her. The older she became, the more unstable and mean she grew.
“Girl, go on ahead and let me deal with Mr. Jacquez.” I tried to put a smile on my face. “Go make pretty babies with that man of yours and incoming. Here he comes.”
“Love,” Noah called as his hands wrapped around Maxine’s waist, and she turned to give him a long kiss. “Are you ready?”
She nodded, then Noah looked up at me and said, “Sheryl. Thank you again for Fiji. I am also to deliver a message to you. My mate said that you need to deal with him tonight or you will deal with him for the rest of the week.”
His mate being Jacquez; they were best friends like Maxine and me. My head whipped over to the man who I’d been avoiding most of the day, and I could feel my lips, covered in soft pink lipstick, twist in disgust. Fuck me, because then the man began to move toward me with that damn New York swagger. Just bad ass and I couldn’t stand it. He had that Cuomo (New York governor) swag about him. Like, I don’t give a fuck what you think. Noah and Maxine took that time to leave, but not before my friend gave me a quick kiss on the cheek with a knowing hum and Noah and Jacquez giving their manly handshake and hug.
It was those dark embers that turned my way, and the man growled, “Tonight it is, then.”
It wasn’t a