HIS AFRICAN QUEEN (DSD SERIES SPINOFF)

THE GALA

Tanya takes a deep breath as she steps into the crowded room, the arm with her purse tucked in Louis’.

The room is littered with conversation and soft instrumental playing by a live band. The room looks beautiful with a gold and red theme, it’s like a palace. The interior designer did an exceptional job.

Many eyes move to them and Tanya feels herself become a little nervous. Everyone around her is wearing a pricy expensive suit or dress while she struts in a homemade dress.

Tanya’s outfitted in a black mermaid tail dress with a puffy, ruffle lined tail. There is a central split that ends at her knees and shows her beautiful silver heels as she walks. The top has an off-the-shoulder design with a silver strip lining the bust line, travelling to the deep cut at the back of the garment. There are silver strips around her waist (giving the illusion of a belt with a circular buckle), at her knees framing the split and at the hemline.

It took her a week to construct this dress and by far, this is one of her favourites.

Her hair is in a sleek updo, the base is laid while the top has curled fringes and on her left, she drops a few straightened strands. Her beautiful, diamond knob earrings glistening in the light and she touches the matching silver necklace with a diamond pendant, it was a 16th birthday gift from her mother.

The glitter on the tail sparkles as they walk further into the room. The people whisper and eye them but Tanya decides she is not going to pay them any mind. Louis invited her to have a fun time and wasting her time on what people think of her will only depress her.

Louis finds a less crowded corner of the room for them to stand. It will be fifteen minutes until they are required to enter the dining hall. This is the ‘greeting’ aspect of the night and Louis is not interested in greeting anyone but his dear cousin. She’s somewhere in the crowd but he is unable to spot her.

“Champagne. belle?” Louis asks gesturing to a waiter walking towards them with a tray of champagne glasses.

“Sure,” Tanya nods and Louis snatches two glasses from the passing tray before handing Tanya one.

She takes a sip, scrunching up her face. It’s almost like water to her, she’ll need something a little stronger to feel the buzz of the night.

“So are we waiting for someone?” Tanya asks, noticing that Louis has been looking around the room, searching for someone.

“Oh, yes,” Louis says moving his eyes to the beautiful woman at his side. “My cousin. She’s the one that invited me here… Something about good business opportunities and beautiful women who are wife material.”

“Women?” she asks a bit confused. “Doesn’t she kno—”

“No, we are not that close plus I have yet to come out,” Louis explains taking a sip of his champagne. “It can influence business for the worse…Majority of my investors and associates are homophobic. We are not in the age for such forwardness, sadly but one day we will be.”

Tanya frowns. She understands him maybe a little too much when she had first gone to California School of Performing Arts, she had to act a certain way to fit in with their crowd and in the end, it made no difference. She was still an outcast and mistreated because of the colour of her skin.

“Well, that day will come soon but there is no need to act like someone you aren’t,” Tanya says with a smile, downing her glass before looping her arm with Louis. “Now, let’s go to the bar and get something stronger. I’m going to need it to deal with all these stuck up people.”

Louis laughs as they make our way to the bar passing a few men and women who eye her distastefully. Tanya smiles brightly, not wanting to entertain their bad manner.

By the time, she’s at the bar she has noted that other than herself there is not another person of colour. She wants to believe they are just not here yet but based on the stares she gets, this was to be a white person only… Funny because she was told by Louis it was a black, white and red affair.

“Good night ma’am and sir. What can I get you?”

Tanya stands corrected as she sees the African American bartender rise from under the marble bar counter. There are people of colour but they are the help… Okay then.

“Hello, I’ll have a Dude Abides,” Louis states leaning on the counter. “…and for the beautiful lady?”

“A Distillery Drop,” Tanya replies with a polite smile and the bartender looks at her appreciatively with dark eyes.

He nods and goes to make their drink while Tanya watches him and Louis looks out at the crowd. Tanya has been taught never to take her eyes off her drink, she never knows who is trustworthy and being a past victim of the date r**e drug, she isn’t taking chances. If it had not been for Carmen, she’ll hate to think what would’ve happened to her.

“Sir,” the bearded bartender says handing Louis his drink before eying Tanya flirtily. “Ma’am.”

She smiles taking her drink and sips, the strong taste of the Vodka, Gingercello and Lime mixture giving her a nice buzz.

“Bartender, a Gin Negroni and a Margarita,” a voice pipes up from beside Tanya and she nearly chokes as she recognizes the voice.

She looks her left to spot a side profile of someone in a black Armani suit. His slicked-back dark hair, electric blue eyes and the scar on his cheek gives away his identity immediately.

“Johnattan?”

His eyes snap over to hers and widen as he takes her in. “Tanya, right?”

She nods and he turns so he’s fully facing her. He never thought she’d be here, at this Gala. Alexander must have lost his mind.

“Well, it’s good to see you again,” he says scratching the back of his head. This is going to be one eventful night. “So, I’m guessing Alexander brought you here as his date. You look beautiful in that dress.”

“Thank you,” Tanya smiles before addressing his first statement. “Actually, I’m not here wit—“

“Blakey,” a feminine voice whines as a woman plasters herself to Johnattan’s side.

She’s a brunette with dark eyes and a killer body but she shows a little too much at least to Tanya. She’s in a silver dress with a deep V cut that extends to her navel, it hugs her hips and drops to the floor with two splits on either thigh. Her hair is in a classical bob and her chandelier, diamond earrings scream rich.

“Sidney,” Johnattan gets out before she places her lips against his in a possessive kiss.

Tanya watches them with a raised brow sipping her drink, this girl…

Yet you did the same with Alexander, her subconscious pipes but causing Tanya to roll her eyes.

“I missed you,” Sidney says as she pulls back and uses her thumb to wipe away the lipstick on Johnattan’s lips.

“I literally left you less than two minutes ago,” Johnattan says raising a brow but she only smiles, clinging against his arm.

“That’s two minutes too long without you,” she giggles before looking over at me and her eyes narrow. “Who’s this Blakey?”

Johnattan is stopped from answering as the bartender places his order on the counter. He hands Sidney the Margarita before taking the other drink.

“This is one of Alexander’s um…colleagues, Tanya,” Johnattan says and Tanya nods playing along.

After all, I am Alexander’s secret wife …

“Oh, nice to meet you, Taya,” she says with a fake smile and Tanya reciprocates the gesture.

“It’s actually Tanya and it’s nice to meet you too Cindy.”

Sidney’s face tightens. “It’s Sidney.”

“Look babe, your mom’s here. Let’s go say hi,” Johnattan says trying to diffuse whatever is building between the two women. “Tanya, it was a pleasure.”

He pulls Sidney along before she can comment but that doesn’t stop her from glaring back at Tanya, who rolls her eyes. Tanya turns to face Louis who has stayed quiet during the entire conversation but finds him missing.

Tanya looks around but all she sees are the judgmental stares of the rich and snobby. Nursing her drink, Tanya watches the crowd that buzz she is seeking taking over her, making her more relaxed.

“Belle,” Tanya hears when she’s on her second drink five minutes later.

She turns towards the sound of Louis’ voice with a smile and a lighter mood but mind you she’s not drunk.

“Louis,” she says sternly as he stands in front of her. “You can’t just leave me to the wolves like that.”

Louis chuckles before placing his empty glass on the counter before ordering a second. “I know you’d be fine plus you were speaking to a friend and I had spotted moi cousine.”

“Je vous remercie,” he says to the bartender who hands him another of those chocolatey concoctions before turning towards me. “She coming here as soon as she detaches herself from her associates.”

Tanya nods looking out at the crowd once more and her eyes lock on a familiar woman. Her hair is curled to perfection, falling over her left shoulder. She wears a red dress that clings to her body with a sweetheart bust and a midthigh split. She wears flashy diamond jewellery, silver heels and ruby red lipstick.

Priscella St. Lieu…

Louis looks behind him to see what has caught Tanya’s attention and he smiles as he spots his cousin.

“Cousine Priscella,” he calls out and Tanya’s eyes widen. Well, f**k…small world.

“Louis,” Priscella says eying Tanya with disdain as she gets closer. “Que fais-tu ici avec cette fille?” What are you doing here with this girl?

“C'est ma copine,” Louis says before holding out a hand to Tanya, who takes with a smile forced smile on her face. “Priscella, this is my date Tanya. Tanya, my cousin Priscella.”

“Priscella,” Tanya says dully as the woman glares at her, rage in her eyes.

“Louis,” she grits out before launching into a conversation in French with Tanya’s date.

Tanya looks around, uninterested in the tantrum this girl is throwing but her ears perk up on a few words. Putain, chienne and salope get thrown around and Tanya is well accustomed with these words. Her dance mate, Maribelle, has used when plenty in the dressing room and Tanya is no w***e, b***h, or a slut.

She goes to call out this French b***h on her verbal assault but Louis interrupts her.

“C'est elle qui a piégé votre fiancé dans le mariage? Non, Priscella. Vous ne dites pas la vérité,” Louis claps back, shaking his head. She's the one that trapped your fiance into marriage? No, Priscella. You are not telling the truth.

“I am, that putain trapped him,” Priscella says glaring at Tanya, who stale faces her.

“Firstly, I am not a w***e and Secondly, I didn’t trap your fiancé. He has already explained the situation and if you refuse to believe it that’s on you,” Tanya responds sipping her drink, tired of this drama queen’s tantrum.

“You tricked him and you know it!” Priscella shouts getting into Tanya’s face and drawing a few stress to them.

No, this gyal betta bak up har rass, Tanya thinks as she sets down her drink and stands straight meeting into Frenchie’s stare.

“If I were you Frenchie, I’d back up,” Tanya grits out with a breathy chuckle as her temper rises. “’Cause I will f**k up that pretty face of yours.”

Priscella fumes at this but Louis pulls her back and scolds her in rapid French while Tanya unclenches her fist.

Priscella had no idea what a beating her ass was in for…

“Why are you taking her side?” Priscella says rather loudly catching Tanya’s attention.

“Because I know you and I have heard both sides of the story and Tanya would have no reason to lie to me. She had no idea we were related…”

“That’s what she wants you to think…”

Tanya turns ignoring their conversation, her eyes wandering over the room to notice more eyes are gazing their way with both interest and disgust... how fun.

Tanya sighs before looking at the entrance waiting to leave this boring ass party. It is then that her eyes widen… It’s him

He’s in a black, stylish suit, black shirt and a white tie. His hair is wild and messy and it works for him. Tanya observes him, the sophisticated and sexy way he looks causing her stomach to clench. Then as she spots those plump lips and what they had done to her earlier runs through her mind, her womb pulses. Alexander is s*x on legs and Tanya’s eyes take him in, as did all the red-blooded women in the room.

His blue eyes scan the room looking for someone, Tanya’s guess is the annoying brat beside her. Those eyes, however, don’t find Priscella, they find her and widen as they sweep over her.

A look of appreciation and hunger flickers in them before confusion takes over.

‘What are you doing here?’ his eyes read.

Louis chooses that moment to take a hold of her hand in an attempt to gain her attention. “Belle. I apologize for my cousin and if you wish to leave I would be happy to…”

Tanya drowns out his words as Alexander’s eyes hold her captive before flickering between them both. His face scrunches up in understanding, anger, rage and jealousy taking him over.

His steely eyes are pinned on her and he takes a step towards her, a lump forms in Tanya’s throat.

Shit.