Chardonnay: A Novel (28 page)

“How can you tell that?”

Konsuelo halted her answer as the waitress sat our drinks, an
apple martini for Konsuelo and a virgin strawberry daiquiri for me, down on the
two festive napkins sitting on the table.

“Konnie tells me how you’ve been behaving lately and with
everything you’ve told me......baby girl you gonna have to man up!”

I nodded my head and pushed the drink back, the smell, I couldn’t
take it. After our talk, she cheered me up by talking about some old memories
she had of Pal pal herself. Besides my little emotional moment, it was the most
fun I had in a while. I headed home without the tension I left with.

24

Invisible
Deception
 

The new
August day hit with the back splash of fall in the air. Konsuelo stopped by to
get me and picked up Konstance on the way to the bridal shop.
 
However, Lo had made a detour in the plans.
She drove twenty miles out of our destination and finally ended it at a retreat
place called Arbor Falls.

“I don’t know about this y’all. I don’t feel so good.” I said.

“You’ll feel better after this.” said Konsuelo.

After we checked in they showed us to a place called comfort
closet. It had so many lush robes that felt like Swiss chocolate as they were
draped over our naked bodies by some gorgeous men. We were then escorted to a
room down the hall that was said to be the deluxe slumber party suite. We
walked into our private room where Zasmyth, Fianna, Katura, and Daisy were
waiting.

“Oh hell no!
I thought you said I would feel
better!” I said to Konsuelo.

“You will. Sit down.” she said with a no nonsense tone.

We all sat on fluffy pillows that smelled like lavender. It was
making me sleepy.

“So ladies.
As you may see I set this up. Women don’t fight
we nurture. I leave you little heffas for a year and y’all cat scratching each
other!” said Konsuelo.

She hated to see us fight. She was all about girl power.

“Alright!
Daisy I want you to start.” said Konsuelo.

The masseuse soaked our feet first while we began this round. I
was happy they didn’t start on our manicures first, because I wanted to be
ready to swing.

“I’m...I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was tripping on. Truly, if I
were in y’all shoes I would feel the same way.”

“So why should we forgive you?” I said.

“We’re sisters.” Daisy said sobbing.

“Ok.
Thats
good.” said Konsuelo.

“Yeah, seeing how she putting on an act.” said Konstance.

“Okay Katura, your turn?”

“Well, I think what Chardonnay did was wrong.”

I tisked and turned my face up,

“What the hell did I do?”

“What you kept from me about Stro and your sister.”

“Are you bitches def? I checked her when I found out!”

“But you didn’t tell her about
it
.” said
Fianna.

“You shut the fuck up! I was already going through it with Myron.
Ain’t got time for this shit.”
 
I said.

“Ladies, ladies, let’s come to the ground here. Nay, you truly
believe you made a mistake for not telling her right?”

“Right.
Plus I didn’t think to tell since I was
already stressed.”

“Always about you.
You ain’t the shit!” said Fianna.

“Okay, now you got a problem with me? Why?”

“Dunno
,
you just...act like this good
girl.
You too Konstance.”

“Aye, don’t even go there with me!”

“Why, scared?”

“Fuck off.”

“Suck off—”

“Okay okay ladies, damn. Y’all need a coum- bi- yah up in here. Now,
Fianna, why are you made at Nay?”

Fianna fumbled with her pillow and mumbled.

“She...she just has everything set for her and she messes it up.”

“I have everything? You really believe that? I have about as much
as you do.”

“No—you have more. You intimidate me.”

“Cause why?” asked Konsuelo.

“Just, the things our men do. Konstance sat up and let me fuck
Denim so she could go off and—”

“Shut up Fianna!” said Konstance.

Silence.

“Didn’t we have a pact that we would never have sex with or date
each other’s man or exes?” said Zasmyth cutting her eyes at Konstance.

“Oh I know you not talking. Ms. I slang my shit in your man face
though!” I said.

“Girl
please
. If Slim wanted this, he
couldn’t have it.”

“We’re getting somewhere. So why did you do it Zasmyth?”

My head was floating as I tried to listen to the conversation.

“I did my shit to—”

“To make extra money off me.
Konnie was right. You are
a stank
hoe!” I said cutting Zasmyth off.

She sucked her teeth and bit her lip. Fianna giggled a little and
said,

“Maybe if we all fucked each other man we would be even!”

“Will you shut the fuck up?!” said Katura. It shocked us all. She
barely spoke up, but not tonight.

“Daisy, you’ve been out of the circle the longest, tell why you
did what you did.”

“I did it because I was trying to fit in. Even if it meant going
too
far
.” said Daisy.

Zasmyth busted out laughing and said, “Dere ain’t a faker bitch in
this world than you.”

Daisy cried harder. Katura let out a groan and Fianna raised the
bar.

“Zasmyth, you’re a fucking prostitute so why you busting up on
Daisy?”

“Same reason I’ll kick yaur ass.”

“Damn, thought we were sisters.” Fianna said, hurt.

“Oh really, what color is your skin, then look at mine. Shit is
easier for you white girl!” Zasmyth spat out.

She was going crazy.

“Zasmyth—”

“And you Katura, you act all quiet and shit but your ass is just
as dirty. Fuck Mystro
and
his groupies don’t you?”

“Zasmyth!” yelled Konsuelo.

“And you,” she pointed to Daisy again.

“Tell Konstance about Denim and how he’s still fucking Kimmei.”

“Shut the fuck up Zasmyth! Gehvoni engaged to another woman and
you fucking him. He
don’t
want you. At least my man
wants me!” yelled Konstance, who was crying uncontrollably.

Zasmyth laughed at her. Her red hair was wild. She zeroed in on
Konstance.

“Oh really?
Yaur man still wants you? Is that what you
believe? Is that what you tell yaurself er’ time you do one of Nay’s moves? Is
that what you tell yaurself every time you get rejected by two men who love
another girl stronger than
you.
Yaur nothing, you’ll
never be nothing, yaur sloppy seconds!”

Konsuelo slapped Zasmyth. Fianna screamed. Knew shit was about to
hit the fan now.

 
“Don’t you talk to my
sister like
that!
Who the hell do
you think you are?!”

“Zasmyth-muthafucken-Hiroshima-Ijahmeen, Bitch!”

I stood up and Zasmyth snapped her neck over at me.

“And you. I heard about your little rich boy that
think
his shit ain’t out—everybody know Myron and Jase got
the same daddy, well now of course thanks to your pussy popping ass!”

I
winced
my eyes at her as everyone’s
mouths dropped. My body was shaking uncontrollably knowing the extent of harm
that could be done from that rumor getting out. Konstance walked up to me and
said,

“Nay...is that true?”

I stood
there
 
itching
for Zasmyth’s ass to be kicked, but I knew how she
fought. Dirty.

“So what ya gon’ do ‘bout it...huh. I blew yaur shit wide o-pen?”
she said getting in my face.

Konstance pushed her head back out my face and Zasmyth spit in
hers. Konsuelo came in to break it up and looked disgustedly at Zasmyth.

“Are you trying to resolve this or get your ass beat?!” she hosted
at Zasmyth.

“You
a stank
ass hoe!” yelled Konstance.

Zasmyth inhaled and then exhaled. She reached for Konstance but
Konsuelo was blocking her. Zasmyth gave up.
Took another
breath.
Laughed.
Looked at
everyone.

“You said, ‘He told me he loved me’. Can I remind you of that?
Now,
I’m
a stank
?
Your right
Konnie.
Your right Fianna.
I’m a prostitute, I’m
a stank
hoe. So while we’re at it let’s
talk
about some more stank hoe’s. Some of us got demons in
our
closet that are
dying to get out.” said Zasmyth.

“What do you mean?” said Konsuelo.

“Oh, you want to know now? Well, Daisy and Fianna not the only
ones in this room that fucked someone’s man.” said Zasmyth.

The room got quite. Not even Konsuelo looked like she wanted to
put whatever it was out on the table. I looked around at everybody and hoped it
didn’t involve me.

“Who?” said
Konsuelo.

“Only she and I know. Well, a few other people. Funny how a man
can make you look so dumb!
So dumb in front of all your
people.
But I’ll let her explain herself.” said Zasmyth smirking.

“Why are you bringing this out now?” said Fianna slowly. She knew
what Zasmyth was talking about.
 
I looked
around the room again. Daisy was crying still, Katura was shaking like it was
zero degree weather, and Konstance’s head was down. Anyone was fair game.

“I only think it’s fair. We’re clearing the bullshit aren’t we?”

Konstance started to cry. She mugged Zasmyth hard. Everyone mugged
Zasmyth. Katura looked at Zasmyth as if she knew too, and said,

“Zasmyth, you do know what you about to do is fucked up right?”

“What?!
What the fuck is going on?” I said pissed.

Konsuelo sat down and said,

“Somebody speak up.”

“So many hints have been said. She’s stupid.” said Fianna.

“I um, I...Nay, I’m sorry.” said Konstance as she ran out the
room.

I snapped my neck in her direction as she ran out the door and
tried to understand her words through hard cries.

“About what?!”
I hollered as I ran after her.
Everyone followed. I pulled my cell phone out my pocket and started to dial her
cell number. What the hell was going on? I hollered her name and couldn’t hear
anything. Then I stopped and it hit me. I looked at my cell and closed my eyes.
When I opened them I dialed a number I had been calling for the last month. As
I walked slowly down the hall I could hear a ring tone going off. It was either
that or someone’s radio was horribly distorted. The song that played was LeToya’s
She Don’t.
I followed the sound and it leads me and everyone else to a
wash room that sat adjacent to our room on the floor. I opened the door and
there was Konstance.

Tears fell down my eyes, and just to confirm my fears, I hung up
the phone and dialed it again. The phone she had in her lap started from the
last line of the first verse singing, “
Hear you say you got a girlfriend,
but I know. She
don’t
even touch you like this. She
don’t
even kiss you like this. She don’t even treat you like
this...Boy you know that,”

I walked slowly to her as Konsuelo tried to grab my arm and asked,

“What’s going on y’all?” and the song finished.

“
Ooh, I see us makin’ plans. Me and you, forget your
circumstance. Don’t be actin’ like me and you don’t go way back. Late night
dippin’ in yo’ Cadillac.”
And the ring stopped. I stood right in front of
her as she stood in a corner and said,

“I...I...I love you so much. But he said he loved me.”

“That what Zasmyth was referring to?”

“Yes. Me. And I believed him. I believed him and I slept with him.”

“With who, Konnie?”
I said having to hear the words
from her mouth.

“Myron and I been creepin’.” said Konstance.

The words rang through my ears like a deaf stiffness. You see
things. Hear things. You ignore things. They are your signs. Every single sign
I passed up on the highway to love. Never ever thought he would deceive me like
this. That C on his heart didn’t mean anything. When things are torn apart or
torn away from you, stripped bare naked, you realize what you really have. That’s
why we got those tattoos. God could tear through the Heavens and the Earth, but
those two things would remain. But now I knew being stripped of everything
meant nothing. All you ever had was yourself.
Yourself to
love.
If that than no one else. For now on that M on my pussy would
stand for MEMORY because that’s all he was. I felt faint and dizzy.

“Chardonnay?
You okay?” said Konsuelo

“Nay...Nay!” was all I heard before everything went blank.