Beyond The Spotlight

Chapter 3

With the song blazing in the club, Vanessa felt at peace hanging out with her girls; it's been ages since they last shared a drink, and her being among them now made her very excited."Cheers," they clicked their glasses together as they all gulped down their shots. "I've missed this," Vanessa sighed and breathed in."Girl, please, I've dreamt about this day," Tarnie, her closest friend, says, and they all laughed. Vanessa Harrington, a top-notch celebrity in the country, decided to take a break from the limelight due to the allegations she was accused of and spend quality time with her family and friends in Barnes, and this night she decided to chill with her high school closest girlfriends, Ariel, Tarnie, and Juliana, the four badass. So they called themselves, and Vanessa being a black woman, she had to work her ass out so she could make a name for herself outside of Barnes, and now she is popping—Beyonce kind of popping but so sad that ended after being framed—she had to disguise herself in order to share a peaceful night with her girls. Wigs on, makeup, and everything made her invisible, and no one knew she was there except her three girls, obviously.Tarnie laughed at Ariel's dry joke. "Girl, you still with Jacey.""Yes, and he ain't going to break my heart," Ariel said with confidence."Preach sister, I bet he is currently with another b***h right now." Tarnie giggled, and Juliana laughed hard. "Girls, let her be," Vanessa added, and they all laughed, but Ariel wasn't finding it funny at all because they were talking about her man like he was some loose dog. Yes, he cheated on her once or maybe twice, and by twice, she meant a billion times, but still she loved him with all her heart.Vanessa, being a music artist, understood those boys more than anyone because for her, it was a hit-and-run situation; she sleeps with any man she chooses, or so she thought."Holy s**t!" She exclaimed as she saw a tall, sexy, handsome black dude whose physique caught her attention, and she was practically drooling.Tarnie traced where her eyes went and saw it fall on the hot dude across the room."Uh, no way, girl, that dude is off the table," Tarnie noticed Vanessa's drools."Why is he with other girls?" Vanessa arched her brow."Vanessa—oh, sorry, Nessa, that dude is closed off; he practically turned Juliana down and other girls that look his way, so stay off." Ariel rolled her eyes, and Vanessa was still lost in the dude's cuteness; he had everything she wanted; his dark brown eyes and his black curved hair made her h**ny instantly. She imagined being in his bed and them sharing a very rough and passionate moment. "Hello," Tarnie snapped her fingers across Vanessa's face."Well, good thing I'm not Juliana because I'm taking this guy home; I've got my supper," Vanessa said with total lust in her eyes as she walked towards the handsome guy. "She'd rather learn the hard way," Tarnie sighed and gulped down her drinks..Liam accidentally came to the bar today because his friends made him to. They lied they were going to have dinner but led him into a bar, claiming it was a restaurant, and Liam, being a newbie in town, believed that 'the cranes' was actually a restaurant."Loosen up, man," Joshua punched his hands playfully. He met Joshua in the mall last week, and with an attempt to introduce Joshua to God, they became friends with the hope he'd change, but now he sat down in the midst of drink lovers, and he got uncomfortable. "I'm fine, can we leave and stick to the actual plan, which is dinner?" he was fed up as stripers crawled to the stage."Hello," he noticed a black girl with brown eyes and straightened hair as she posed seductively, trying to get his attention."Look, you are going to take this number one Joshua's friend, Payne teased as they all giggled."Don't call me that arsehole." Vanessa felt irritated as they referred to her as p**sy."I'm sorry for their behaviours; do I know you?" Liam apologised on his supposed friends behalf."You don't, but you could," Vanessa flirted, and Liam understood where she was heading and adjusted himself."I'm not interested," Liam blared, and Vanessa felt bad that he rejected her."You are playing hard to get, huh? Scared your little bitches might castigate you, dude, I know your type and I can handle you." Vanessa wasn't going to give up.Liam cleared his throat and turned to her. "I'm not going to say this again, Lady; I'm not interested."He stood up and left, dropping some money on the table before heading out."Arsehole," Vanessa muttered..Liam got outside, regretting that he was this stupid to get played by the boys. He walked home because his house wasn't so far from the cranes. Barnes was a small town, and he’s here to establish and lead souls to Christ, and he wasn't going to lose sight of his mission here. He was used to girls hitting on him due to his good looks and amazing physique , but he ignored all of them and decided not to date .Vanessa felt rejected and had this sudden urge to show everyone that every guy she wants, she gets."Why do you look so familiar?" Joshua asked, observing her from head to toe."I don't," she said, covering her face with her hair and hurried off before he could recognise her."It went bad?" Tarnie said with obvious humour in her voice and a look of, 'I told you so."You happy?" Vanessa asked, and they all burst out in laughter."Girl, I hate to say it, but I told you so," Ariel added, and they laughed some more."Stop laughing, okay? I'm going to get this guy, I promise," Vanessa said with determination."Okay, how about a bet?" Juliana suggested, and they glanced at each."What is in that mind of yours?" Ariel looked at her with a curious look."If you get the guy, we would all run naked on the streets and give you fifty bucks each," Juliana said, knowing it might be impossible to get the guy."Agreed!" Vanessa said happily as Tarnie gave Juliana a worried look."I don't like that bet," she squeaked."I agree with Juliana!" Ariel added that as Tarnie nods in agreement, it's more like she was forced to agree."What if she doesn't get the guy?" Tarnie asked the obvious question."Then she'd be the one to run naked on the streets and hundred bucks each," Juliana smiled."Fine, y'all better go get ready because Barnes is about to see y'all, black butt." Vanessa sipped her wine with total lust written in her eyes.