I'm Doin' Me (7 page)

Tiffany sat at her desk tapping her pen. It had been three days since her meeting with Wallace and since she'd last seen or heard from Kory. She was on edge and thought she would lose it. She stared at Wallace's card for hours, fighting the urge to call him. She wanted so badly to hear the verdict. She didn't want to go into the idea room without news, but what could she do, she didn't have any news. She grabbed her notes and went in. Everyone seemed to feel like she did and she understood.

“Okay, people,” she said, “we have six more episodes to write. I need to know what episode you are on and where we are. We have less than a month before we start taping, so give it to me.”

They all opened their notebooks. Darryl started reading and they read through the script for episode eighteen. It was good, Tiffany had to admit, but her mind was on TiMax.

“Okay, that was great, you guys. We are going to have a slamming season,” she said.

“Then what?” Darryl asked.

“I don't know, Dee. It is on my mind every second too, you guys, but we gotta have faith. This is gonna work, so please, enough with the sad faces. As a matter of fact, go to your offices, grab your purses and wallets, and let's take a long lunch.”

They went out as a group and ate and drank. When they came back, they were all smiles until they hit their floor. Myah was standing by the reception desk and she looked as if her mother died. All the laughter ceased.

“Mee-Mee, what?” Tiffany asked. “What is it?”

Myah's eyes welled. “Wallace Mitchell called while you guys were out and TiMax declined the show.”

Tiffany grabbed her chest. She thought she'd have a heart attack right then and there. “Excuse me,” she said and ran to the stairwell.

They were twenty-five stories up, but she ran all the way down the stairs. By the time she got to the bottom, she was crying uncontrollably. She dug around her purse for her phone and when she retrieved it, she called Kory first, but he didn't answer. She left a message. “Kory, this is Tiff. It didn't work, they said no,” she cried.

 

 

Kory was in the shower. When Reesy saw his phone spin on the dresser, she went over and saw Tiffany's name across the screen. She waited until it stopped ringing and went to his call log and deleted the call. When the voicemail notification popped up, she went to his messages and deleted it. She wanted to hear what it said, but couldn't take a chance on him coming out and catching her listening to it. When he came out the shower, she didn't say a word.

 

 

Tiffany was glad she had her purse and keys. She went to the parking lot got into her Beemer and left. She drove home in a daze wondering,
what now? One more season and then unemployment.
She walked into her house and went straight for the liquor cabinet. She grabbed the Cîroc and flopped down onto the sofa. After drinking almost half the bottle, she put it down and struggled to get to the bathroom to relieve her bladder. She finished and sat there sobbing.

She couldn't believe they declined.
Why would they decline?
Now, her and her entire staff would have to move on to something else. She stood, peeled off her clothes, and went to bed naked.

The next morning, she woke up and decided she wouldn't allow this to consume her. She called a meeting and gave her staff the farewell speech. She ended it with, “Let's finish this with a bang.” They all applauded.

What could she do? It was out of her hands. She had contacted fifteen networks and gotten nowhere, so she accepted it for what it was worth.

 

 

Tiffany and Asia arrived on time for Kory and Tressa's engagement party. Tiffany was excited because she was going to see Kennedy. They went inside and the host showed them to their table. They were seated at Kory's family's table right next to Kennedy. She went to the open bar to get a drink and then she saw Kennedy.

She screamed. “Kay, oh my God!”

“Tiffany, how are you?” Kennedy yelled back. They hugged for what seemed like eternity.

“Look at you. You haven't changed a bit.”

“You haven't either, girl. You are slaying in that outfit. You are still gorgeous,” her friend said.

“And so are you,” she said. They heard a voice call out for Kennedy and turned to see who it was. “Oh my God, that is not Cherae,” Tiffany said, floored.

“Tiffany?” Cher said.

“Cher,” she said and they hugged.

“What are you doing in L.A., girl? And furthermore, why am I not at you and Kory's engagement party? We all know y'all had a thing for each other.” She winked.

“We did not,” Tiffany, said denying it.

“Ummm, ya did,” Cher said and they laughed.

“Well, I heard you dated him,” Tiffany said.

“Shhhh, don't you ever repeat that again. That should not have happened at all.” They laughed again.

They went to their seats and Kennedy and Tiffany whispered back and forth, catching up and reminiscing.

The DJ came on the mic and got the engagement party started. Tiffany dipped out to the ladies' room, and when she came out she saw him. It was Langley Green. Her feet were like cement, but she decided to approach him.

“Excuse me, Mr. Green,” she said.

He looked at her and the person he was speaking to excused himself and moved on. “Yes?” he answered.

“I don't mean to bother you, and I know this is supposed to be a celebration, but I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the opportunity of pitching to your network. I know you declined my show, but I thank you for even letting me in the door. In the future, if you are looking for a young, fresh writer, please keep me in mind,” she said humbly.

He frowned. “I'm sorry, young lady, but have we met?”

“No, sir, not formally.” She extended her hand. “I'm Tiffany Richardson, executive producer and head writer for the series
Boy Crazy.
Your daughter spoke to you about me a couple weeks ago.” The look on his face told her he had no idea what she was talking about. “You set me up with an interview with Wallace Mitchell.” He still looked like a deer in headlights. “I'm sorry, sir, you have no idea who I am, do you?”

“No, I'm afraid I don't, but I'd like for you to fill me in really quickly on what I am supposed to have done.”

They walked over to a little bench and sat. Tiffany was amazed that he was inclined to hear her out. When she finally paused, he told her that he was familiar with the show and he knew of her and how she had taken the series from number six to number one in just one season. He told her to contact his office on Monday and they'd go from there.

Knowing that Tressa had to be behind her fake meeting with Wallace Mitchell, she begged him not to mention their conversation to her. She didn't want to cause problems with her and Kory. He assured her that she had nothing to worry about.

They went back to the party. Although she was upset about what Tressa had done, she honestly envied the fact that the other woman had Kory. She told herself that she'd be okay. After Kennedy and Cherae headed back to their hotel, Asia was nowhere to be found. Tiffany texted her and called her, but got no response. She grabbed a glass of champagne from a server's tray and went out to the terrace to take in the beautiful view. If she didn't hear back from Asia soon, she was going to have her paged.

“Are you enjoying the party?” a male voice asked from behind her.

“Yes, it was very nice. Congratulations, Kory,” she said, looking out at the city.

“I've been waiting to hear from you so I could congratulate you too,” he said.

She turned to look at him. “On what?” she asked, puzzled.

“To congratulate you on your new deal. I was sure you'd heard back from Wallace by now. I tried to ask him earlier, but when I turned around, he was gone.”

“I didn't get it,” she said sadly, not wanting to tell him that his fiancée lied.

“That's impossible, Tiff, how did you not get it?”

“I don't know, Kory. Wallace called and said my show wasn't a fit. So there, I didn't get it, okay?” She knew then that Tressa must have intercepted her call and message, but it didn't matter. She was Kory's choice. He was going to have to live with that whore-bitch for the rest of his days.

As soon as Darryl had gotten her alone, he filled her in on who Tressa really was, or how she used to be. He told her how she had run through men like water running through a pipe and how many times she had been in and out of rehab, but now she was finally clean, sober, and wife material.

“Tiffany, there is still a chance,” Kory said. “I'll talk to Langley myself and maybe he will give you another chance.”

For the first time, she felt sorry for him. He was marrying the bitch of L.A., not the queen he thought she was. “Listen, Kory, I don't need anyone else's help. I'm doin' me every single day of my life without the help of others. I will find my own way. It was good seeing you and catching up with you. I hope you and Tressa make each other happy.” Teary-eyed, she turned to walk away.

“Tiff, what's this, good-bye?” he asked. She could tell he was confused.

“Yes, Kory, it is. Seeing you again was great, you know, but it was bad timing. I hope things work out for you. Take care.” She hurried off.

She dropped the glass trying to put it on the table and ran to the elevator, pressing the button a million times until the doors finally slid open. She stepped in and heard his voice calling her name as they shut. He stood in front of the doors and she caught a glimpse of his beautiful face before they shut completely. She pulled out her phone and tried Asia again. She still couldn't reach her, so she hailed a cab. When they pulled off, she saw Kory running after them, heard him yelling her name, but she instructed the driver to keep going.

Tiffany was confused and didn't understand why things had taken a turn for the worse for her life. She was facing more than a crossroads; it was like a busy intersection that she was afraid to cross, because she knew she'd get hit.

She decided to let it all go. She had made a nice piece of change in the last few years, so money was the least of her worries. She decided she'd focus on the final season, and after that find something new. She scrolled through her phone and deleted Kory from her contacts. She wanted to go on as if she had never run into him that day. He was getting married to the queen bitch of L.A., and she didn't need that kind of drama in her life.

After she paid the cab driver, she went inside and declared that there would be no more tears. She hit the button to turn on her system, went to Fantasia, and cranked “I'm Doin' Me” as she undressed and showered. She kept it on repeat until she was ready to turn in. She got into bed, and her cell phone began to vibrate. She had forgotten to turn the ringer back on when she got home. She looked at it, and when she saw the 773 area code and number, she knew it was Kory, so she hit ignore. He called back several times then he sent a text asking her why she wouldn't talk to him. She sat up and looked at the message for a few minutes, and then he was at her door.

Tiffany finally opened the door and let him in. She went over to the sofa and sat and he sat on the ottoman in front of her.

“You know you shouldn't be here,” she said, breaking the silence.

“I know,” he said with his head down.

“Then why did you come?”

“Honestly, Tiff, I don't know. You stormed out and I don't know what I did to make you so angry with me. I drove here asking myself, ‘Why do I even care?'”

“And what did you come up with?” she asked.

He was silent. He wanted to say, “Because I think I'm in love with you,” but he knew that would be selfish, because he still loved Tressa. All he knew was he didn't want to lose Tiffany again.

“Tiff, all I can say is I don't want it to be good-bye. I don't know what it is, but since you and I have reconnected, I've been different. When you're around, I'm happy. I feel like I can just be Kory around you and not pretend or sacrifice what I want so you can be happy. Just say that we can still be friends. That's all I'm asking of you, Tiffany. I don't want to lose touch with you again. Please, Tiff.”

“We can't, Kory. And I know what you mean about being different since that day. Kory, I had a major crush on you back in high school. I wanted to be your girl so bad, you know? But you had girls like Charnette Ryan and Porscha Jamison, and then after all these years to hear you even dated Cherae Thompson. I was never in that league, so I didn't qualify. When we met for dinner and I walked up and saw you standing there with Tressa, it was my reality check. Another gorgeous girl I can't compete with. I'm not like those women, and this is not high school. I refuse to sit and watch your fairy tale romance with Tressa. I'm not going to subject myself to envy when it comes to you, so, no, we can't be friends. I want to get back to the life I had before seeing you in that restaurant. I want to put the lid back on these feelings I have for you and get completely over you.”

He sat and processed what she said before he replied. “I never knew you felt that way about me, Tiffany. I never knew that you felt like you weren't good enough or pretty enough or that you thought you had to compete. It's true, I like beautiful women. I love gorgeous women, but what you don't know is that you are one of them.” She dropped her head really low. “I had feelings for you back then too, Tiffany, and honestly, I thought I wasn't
your
type.

“You ran with the smart kids, and back in high school, I didn't take education that serious. I didn't wise up until I almost flunked out of college. My dad threatened to pull the financial plug on me, so I got by. As I got older, I changed and went back to school for a different degree. For the first time, I applied myself, and I'm who I am because I changed.

“Back then, I had no idea what love was. All I knew is that I loved to be around you and talk to you and the way your breath smelled like grape Now and Laters. When you used to laugh, you'd snort, and I adored that. I went away and you faded further and further into the back of my mind, but the other week, seeing you again, all grown up and sexy and smart and ambitious, those feelings began to resurface. God knows, Tiffany, if I hadda known six months ago that I'd see you again, I would have run the other way from Tressa and waited every day 'til the day I could see you again. But things didn't work out that way.

“I know it's selfish of me to ask you to continue to be a part of my life even though I am getting married and if that makes me a selfish asshole, Tiff, that's what I am.” He moved closer to her. “You are beautiful, Tiffany—gorgeous, sexy, and all that, and you don't have to compete with any woman. If things were different, I'd be with you.” He touched her lips softly with his.

She closed her eyes. “You should go,” she whispered.

“I know,” he said before he kissed her again.

“Please, Kory, leave now. This can only lead to my bed, and that would be a bad thing.”

“I know, but I want to,” he whispered back.

“What about Tressa?” she asked softly and allowed him to kiss her neck.

“I want you, Tiffany,” he said. He pushed his tongue into her mouth.

She lay back and he got on top of her. They kissed deeply and he opened her short robe. She wore a sexy nightie and no panties. He slid a strap down and exposed one of her erect nipples to ravish it with his mouth and his cell phone rang.

They both jumped up. Reality. He had to go; what they were doing was so wrong. He looked at the caller ID and held the phone until the ringing stopped.

Tiffany adjusted her gown and closed her robe. “Kory, I need you to go.”

He stood up. His phone rang again and he didn't even bother to look at it because he knew it was Tressa. “I'll go, Tiffany, and I'm sorry. I'd never do anything ever to purposely hurt you.”

She nodded. “I know, Kory.” She walked him to the door and she opened it.

“So this is it?”

“I'm afraid it is,” she replied.

He knew there was nothing left to say. He leaned in and kissed her softly on her forehead. “Take care of yourself, Tiffany.”

“You too,” she said and shut the door.

Kory stood on her porch for a few moments before he headed to his car. He got in and hit the steering wheel because he was so angry. Angry that he was involved with Tressa when he wanted to be with Tiffany. He wanted to make love to her that night and not go home where he had to beg like a dog for some pussy. The passion in Tiffany's kiss was unforgettable. He and Tressa had never shared a kiss like that. Tiff welcomed him with her kiss, and he knew she would have welcomed him inside of her body. He wouldn't have to make deals for it like he did with Tressa. He cranked the engine and considered going home and calling the wedding off. But he didn't want to hurt Tressa like that.

It wasn't her fault that he had recently run into his high school crush. All he could think was,
what am I going to do without her now that I know I could have her?
He thought about turning around and begging Tiffany to have him, but what good would that do if he hadn't broken it off with Tressa? His phone rang again and he hit the Bluetooth button on his dash.

“Yeah,” he said, knowing it was Tressa.

“When are you coming home?”

“I'm headed there now,” he said.

“And where did you have to go that was so important?”

“Reesy, babe, please. I'm so not in the mood to be badgered. I'll be there soon.” He hit the button to end the call.

When he finally made it home, he sat in his car to get his thoughts together before he got out. He didn't want to argue, fuss, or fight. He just wanted to take off that damn tux, shower, and get some sleep. He went inside and found candles lit.
You have got to be kidding me,
he thought. She rarely ever wanted to make love or share an evening of romance, and now all he wanted was to run back to Tiffany's love nest.

Tressa came out in a hot-ass two piece and looked absolutely amazing, but he wasn't interested. She smiled and he just looked at her, but his dick smiled back.

“Hey, sweetie, I wanted to give you your engagement gift,” she said, moving close to him.

“And what is that?” he asked.

She took a couple steps back, turned to the side and posed. “Me, of course.”

“You know what, Reesy, this day has been overwhelming and busy and nonstop. I'm tired.” Even though his body wanted her physically, his mind and heart was still at Tiffany's place.

“Oh, you don't have to do anything,” she said, going to grab some wine glasses. “I want to serve you. You know a little sucking and a whole lot of fucking.” She handed him a glass and winked. For the first time, he thought she was corny, even a joke.

“Honey, as good as that sounds,” he said, putting his glass down, “I'm tired. I'm going to go up and shower and hit the hay.” Her head was painful, she couldn't do it worth shit, and he got tired of her test runs on his man. And her sex was, well . . . well, it gave him a nut. He turned to leave the room.

“Hit the hay?” she yelled behind him.

“Yes, Reesy, hit the hay,” he repeated.

She followed him up to his room and he started to undress. “Did you fuck her?”

“Fuck who?”

“Don't play fucking games with me, Kory. Tiffany. Did you fuck that bitch?” He just looked at her and continued to undress. “Answer me, motherfucker!” she yelled, getting in his face.

He didn't like that, so it was time to check her. “Okay, let's get this straight right now. I am not one of your groupies or fans. You will not yell at me, question me, or talk to me like you talk to those who kill to be in your presence. As I told you before, Tiffany is a friend. And, no, I did not sleep with her. I am going to shower and then go to bed. If you still want to live it up tonight, I suggest that you get dressed and call your entourage and have a car to pick you up, because I'm not up for your shit tonight.”

“Fine!” she said. “I'll see you when I see you.” She went to her closet.

Since she couldn't make Kory submit, Tressa decided to go out and kick it with those she could. Her so-called friends were her stepstools. They were always too busy kissing her ass to notice she didn't give a shit. Because she was rich, she didn't have to beg or demand a man to do anything, but that was not the case with Kory. She didn't love him as much as she loved money, and if it weren't for her inheritance, she would have told him that night to kiss her ass. But she didn't want to lose her money. Or her man to a loser like Tiffany. Miss Tiffany was a threat, and she wasn't going to let a runner-up snatch up her goods.