Obsessed

| Sixteen

I was burnt out and exhausted getting ready for this Gala. I had spent damn near all morning with Ms. Danielle fixing everything that went wrong and looking for everything that could go wrong. That’s how I knew tonight would be great, so why was I even going?

“ Oh naw, you manipulate me into going, come on. “ Vinny pulled me from the bed as I whined. I damn near started crying from how sore my body was. I flopped back down.

“ Please, can I stay in bed? “

“ Baby, you know how the game is played. You signed up for this. “ he was playing with the button placement of his shirt, settling for it exposing a peek of his chest tattoos. He looked good in the plaid pants that complimented his skin tone.

“ Stop bein’ right. “ I walked into the closet, grabbing the white dress shirt and pant, pulling them on. I slid my feet inside the brown loafers, walking over to the vanity and grabbing a gold watch and a triple gold chain set.

“ ‘Lil daddy sexy. “ he reached for the trench coat that matched his pants and jacket, sliding it over my arms and onto my back. “ I’ll be watchin’ for wanderin’ eyes. “

“ I’m only worried about yo’ eyes. “ I winked at him.

“ Good answer. “ he pecked my lips before grabbing some cologne and spraying both of us. Right on time, my mother and father honked the horn from downstairs.

We rushed through the house, turning the lights out as we made our way down. Vinny dimmed the downstairs lights before following me outside and locking the door behind him. We climbed into my father's truck and headed downtown to the Gala.

“ Well don’t you two look handsome. “ my mother complimented us.

“ That red dress looks beautiful on you, Mrs. Huff. “ Vinny told her.

“ Please, call me Muva. “

“ For the last time, that’s not the correct pronunciation. “ I laughed.

“ Don’t hate, David. Too many of the heifers hating on me. “

“ Got that right. “ my father sucked his teeth.

“ Lord help us. “ I shook my head.

We had finally made it downtown and I was happy to step away from my mother and father flirting with each other. I looked around for Jaylin and found her coming from inside with a white sequenced dress with a high slit on the side. Her hair was pulled into a bun with two curled strands hanging down at the front.

“ Why ya’ll stuntin’ on these butch queens like that? “ she sipped from her glass.

“ Now I see where my mama got it from. “ I rolled my eyes. “ You look beautiful. “

“ Don’t I always. “ she hugged Vinny, my mother, and my father while shooing me away.

“ I’ll think about that next time yo’ self-esteem hits below zero. “ I waved them off, walking inside and going to find Ms. Danielle. I found her behind the scenes speaking with Mrs. Marie and Jalani.

“ Pardon my interruption, sorry I’m a little late getting here tonight. “ I used that as my greeting to everyone.

“ Honey, you could have stayed home, we fixed everything this morning. “ I know she was joking, but I could still feel my exhaustion. She looked down at her watch. “ Let me go see how it’s lookin’ out there, and then we can get started, okay? “ she hugged me before walking away, leaving the three of us alone.

“ She is very pleased with the work presented by both of you. “ Mrs. Marie swayed with a satisfied smile.

“ I couldn’t have done it without my pretty over here. “ I hugged Jalani as she hugged me back.

“ David knows all he gotta’ do is call. “ she popped her gum.

“ I also have your checks. “ she held up two envelopes, handing them to us. “ You wait until you get home to open them. “ she pointed to the both of us as she nodded.

“ Greetings, everyone, and thank you all for joining me on this beautiful night. “ Ms. Danielle started. The three of us got into place as everyone clapped. “ As you all know, I am the owner of She Designs here in Atlanta, and I have been hosting these successful Gala’s full of successful people for about ten years now. This year is very special to me. I was diagnosed with cancer in March, and although it was not a serious case and could easily be treated, I did allow myself to spiral into a deep depression. A deep devastation. But then the Women of Atlanta calendar came around, and my self-esteem was saved by the genuine care from the Ebenezer team, who has a roster of stylists like no other. I called two of them to help me plan this beautiful event you see before you. Ms. Jalani and Mr. David, let the crowd see you. “

Jalani and I emerged from the curtains as everyone applauded and cheered. She took my hand as we did a slight bow to the crowd, thanking them with nods.

“ Of course, they are products of the legendary Mrs. Marie Ebenezer. “ she walked through the curtains as the crowd cheered even louder. She blushed, tossing her long hair over her shoulder causing us to laugh. “ I just want to thank you and your team for making this so enjoyable for us at She Design, from beginning to end, we owe everything to you. “ her and Mrs. Marie hugged, followed by Jalani and I. “ Alright, I’m so excited, without further ado, I welcome you to the North Pole. “

The models sporting the many different looks ranging from couture elf costumes to the draped gown of Mrs. Clause, the room really came to life as they walked to entertain the guest. The fake snow started to drizzle from the roof as gasps and laughter filled the room. I was beyond pleased with how this turned out.

“ Again, thank you all from the bottom of my heart. “ she thanked us once again. “ Enjoy the party, my loves, and you have checks in the mail. “

We all parted ways and I rushed back to my family. My mother was starstruck like a child, playing in the snow and telling my father over and over again how beautiful it was. I smiled widely, taking in the moment and feeling glad that Vinny dragged me out of bed for this.

“ I’m so proud of you, ‘lil daddy. “ he kissed me on my forehead, interlocking his fingers with mine.

“ Thank you. “ I smiled at him. “ You think the snow is too much? “

“ It’s perfect. “ he pulled me along as we walked around the Gala, admiring the different scenes displayed across the large floor. “ Oh s**t. “

“ What? “ I looked at him, then followed his eyes. I watched the boy forcefully sway over to us with the tacky white suit on. I held in a laugh the best I could.

“ Really? You left me for this foreign b***h? “ he rolled his neck.

“ Actually, I speak fluent English. “ I gave him a fake smile. “ I don’t believe we were formally introduced. I’m David. “

“ I don’t give a f**k. “ he rolled his eyes. “ Do you know I will beat that ass here and now? “

“ Chill out, it ain't that serious. “ Vinny stood in front of me.

“ What seems to be the problem? “ Jaylin walked up, clutch by her side and her face telling you everything she was feeling. “ My hair already up, so a b***h just gotta’ jump. “

“ Oh, wass...... “

“ There will be no fighting tonight. “ I stepped in front, pushing them both behind me. By that time, his boys were standing slightly behind him. “ What you won’t do is step to my man and my best friend while I’m standing here, but what you are going to do is take your gang of trolls and crawl back under the bridge from which you came. “

“ You lucky that yella’ b***h keep lookin’ over here. “ he turned on his heel sharply to walk away. Jaylin pointed out the woman he was talking about, and yes, she was staring daggers in our direction, but at Vinny. I pointed to the woman and his body stiffened.

“ You know her? “ Jaylin was amped and ready to defend us if needed.

“ That’s my mama. “ he looked away, obviously uncomfortable.

“ Maybe we should step outside for fresh air? “ I pulled on Vinny’s arm as he began to follow behind me.

“ Vindrick Deonte Yeldon? “ her hoarse voice frustrated my ears. Not only that, there was something completely off about her vibe. Her smile was sinister. Looking into her eyes was frightening. It’s almost like she didn’t blink. Like she wasn’t human. “ Answer me, boy. “

“ I’d rather not. “

This was the first time I had seen fear in Vinny, and I didn’t like it one bit, especially in a situation as awkward as this. I didn’t know the boundaries, and cursing her out could make this completely worse. So I watched him and moved how he did, but he couldn’t walk away. I know he wanted to, but he couldn’t.

“ I see you got a good one. “ she inhaled deeply. “ Smells like money. Both of you. All of you. “

“ Come on. “ I grabbed his hand but he snatched away. He slowly turned around to face her. Looking at the two, there was no denying that was her child, and she knew it. She taunted him with her smirk. She knew she was in control. “ Vinny? “

“ Vinny? Vinny? “ she mocked me, causing everyone to start looking in our direction. “ Got this sissy callin’ yo’ name like a b***h! “

“ Excuse me? “ Jaylin and I both spoke at the same time.

“ Faggot! Faggot! Faggot ass ‘lil boy! “ she danced while laughing and taunting him. It broke my heart into pieces and filled me with so much rage and spite, and Vinny just stood there. Lifeless. Like a child being chastised.

“ Let’s go before I kill this b***h. “ my voice broke as I snatched Vinny, pushing him towards the door as she got louder and louder. I had Jaylin on my heel because I know she was still in go mode. She continued arguing back with the crazy lady as I dragged her along.

“ Let me go. “ she pushed away from me, walking beside me as we walked over to one of the benches sitting outside. “ That b***h! Oh, tonight is the fuckin’ night! “

“ Please calm down. “ I wiped the tears from my eyes, squatting down in front of Vinny. He was completely in a trance, shocked by what just took place. “ Hey? Baby, it’s okay. You’re safe, it’s okay. “ he looked at me and I pulled him into my chest as he let it out. My mother and father were rushing outside by this point. “ We’re going home. “

“ What happened baby? “ my mother asked as my father tried to control a pacing Jaylin.

“ Dad, would you mind walking her to the car please? “

“ I can walk my damn self. “ she snatched her clutch from the ground and stormed off.

“ I’ll call for the car. “ my mother walked over to the valet in front of the building.

Ms. Danielle, Mrs. Marie, and Jalani followed from the building before security was spotted pulling the woman away from the event. They walked over to me and all I could think about was how could I explain this. It was the last thing I wanted to do.

“ Baby, what happened? “ Mrs. Marie started as I pushed the tears away once again.

“ I’m so sorry about everything that happened tonight. Please don’t let this be a bad reflection on Ebenezer. “

“ Listen, they told me the woman was looking for trouble from the start. “ Ms. Danielle shook her head. “ I’m still confused, David. “

“ Once I understand it myself, I’ll be happy to tell you. “

The truck had pulled up and the attendant moved from the driver seat to hand my mother the keys. My father had returned and said that Jaylin pulled off safely and would be calling once she made it home. I told him and my mother to wait in the car.

“ Come on, baby, we gotta’ getchu’ home? “

“ I can’t. I can’t, David. “

“ Vinny, I need you to be strong for me, okay? “ I squatted back down, gently taking his face in my hands. Looking into those red eyes were not easy. I choked up again. “ Just be strong for a little while, please? “

He nodded. He stood up from the bench, walking over to the car, and climbing inside. I looked back to the three women who stood on the pavement still confused and now broken-hearted.

“ Thank you for everything. “

I climbed into the car, closing the door and my father sped off towards the house. The ride was completely silent. No questions asked. No radio. Just Vinny’s sniffles and tension in the air. They were both upset, and the fact no one would talk made it worse.

We finally pulled up to the house. Vinny’s father was parked in the driveway, which shocked all of us. I said goodnight to my parents and told them to let me know once they get home. I walked inside, seeing Mr. Yeldon standing at the base of the stairs.

“ Did he talk? “

He shook his head. “ Just kept on walking. “ he scratched at his beard, biting down on his bottom lip. A trait he handed down to his son. “ I’ll come back in the mornin’. “

“ You sure? You can always take one of the guest rooms? “

“ I’m good, David. “ he patted my shoulder before leaving the house and gently shutting the door behind him. I walked up the stairs to find Vinny lying across the bed fully dressed.

“ Let’s get you out these clothes. “

He sat up, allowing me to remove the jacket. I knelt down, unlacing his shoes and sliding them off his feet. He watched me. Not in a comforting way. He watched me in a way that anticipated something. He was watching me to make sure I didn’t leave him.

“ You know I’m not goin’ anywhere, right? “ I grabbed at the top button of his shirt. He groped my wrist, stopping me. He kissed my hand before standing up and taking the rest of his clothes off. Once he stripped down to his underwear, he climbed into the bed and underneath the covers. He suddenly sat up, looking at me while I undressed.

“ I love you, David. I’d die without you. You know that? “

“ Vinny? “

“ I can’t breath when you’re away from me, ‘lil daddy. “

“ Listen to me. “ I crawled in the bed over to his lap. I kissed his forehead before lifting his chin so he could look me straight in the eye. “ I’m not leavin’ you. It’s impossible to be me without you. You’re my other half, Vinny, you know that? “

He nodded. “ Lay with me. “

“ Of course. “

He pulled the covers back as I slipped underneath them. He pulled me close to him, holding me tightly by the waist. His heart was beating a mile a minute and he was lightly shaking. But after a while, it stopped, and his heart thumped rhythmically as he lightly snored in my ear. He was comfortable.

But I wasn’t.

I don’t think I ever will be.