Lavender Love

The rest of the group spotted Chris, Armani, and Ally as they walked into the lounge.

“Hey, you guys made it!” Jasmine said with excitement.

They walked over, exchanging greetings all around—except for Trina and Ally, who deliberately ignored each other.

“Hey girly, what is up!” Trina said to Chris, pulling her into a warm hug.

“Aw, you know, work and married life—same as always,” Chris replied casually.

“Well, you know I ain’t made it there yet, but y’all sure do make it look nice. Where my friend at?” Trina asked, referring to Ally.

Chris scanned the bar. “Looks like she went to grab a table with Moni.”

“Let me go talk to her real quick,” Trina said, stepping forward.

Chris remembered the promise she made and quickly intercepted. “I’ll go get her. Would you grab me a drink? Hennessy Sour?”

“Oh, yeah, I got you,” Trina said, turning toward the bar.

Chris made her way through the crowded space to find Ally.

“Al, I’m tryna keep Trina away from you, but she tryna come over here and talk. What the fuck is up with y’all?” Chris side frantically.

Ally rolled her eyes. “Trina on that BS right now, and I ain’t got time. Remember Kiesha? That thick-ass fem I was telling you about?”

“Yeah… You two arguing over a woman? Y’all going out like that?” Chris asked, her face tight with judgment.

Ally tilted her head, a little shocked but amused. She replied.

“Be serious. You know I’m never like that. Anyways, me and Kiesha had been talking for a minute. We were out to eat at Starters—nothing too serious. In comes Trina and Jerrica, like hanging out, knowing that this is the woman Max cheated on me with! Not cool. I can’t even look at her, like, honestly.”

Chris was in disbelief. “Wow, okay… That’s… that’s fucked up.”

“So just keep her away from me,” Ally said firmly, “because I’m this close to turning some of those locs into permanent bald spots.”

“Okay, I got you. Don’t worry.” Chris said.

The group eventually gathered around the table. Trina returned with Chris’s drink.

“Hey, Al,” Trina said, trying to offer an olive branch.

Ally ignored her.

“Still not talking to me?… It’s cool,” Trina mumbled.

“What’s going on?” Jasmine asked.

“Nothing. Just leave it,” Chris answered quickly.

“Okay, what are we having?” Jasmine continued, shifting the mood.

“Well, I came here to drink,” Regina chimed in, “and none of that cheap shit neither—top shelf.”

“Regina, what do you know about top shelf? You consider Casamigos real tequila,” Jasmine teased.

Everyone burst into laughter.

“You consider those glasses to be real Cartier’s!” Regina shot back, and the laughter grew louder.

“Okay, enough of that. You don’t always have to be in competition with me,” Regina said, still half-laughing. “Anyways, Chris, Armani, how’s everything? I barely get to see you guys.”

“That’s what happens when you work and go home,” Armani replied simply.

“Well, you know I could never. A worker’s life has never been for me. Last time we talked, you said you were working for some art buyer for a little gallery and buying a new car. What was it—a Blazer?”

Chris’s face tightened at the slick remark aimed at Armani. “Actually, she is the art buyer and is next in line to head the whole department. And I bought her a black 2026 Cadillac.”

“Okayyy, I see you! Daniel is looking into buying me a new custom pink Range Rover,” Regina said with a smirk.

“Just looking?” Chris asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sensing Chris’s irritation, Ally shifted the topic. “So, who is this Daniel? Your new flava of the month?”

“Uh, no. Daniel is my man.” Regina replied.

“Yeah, until a new one comes along,” Trina said under her breath.

“I know you ain’t talking when you pining over somebody’s leftover,” Regina shot back.

“What did you say?” Trina snapped, straightening up.

“Y’all, can we please order? I’m not drinking on an empty stomach!” Jasmine interrupted.

“Aye, hold off real quick—I invited a few people. They’re walking in now,” Trina said, standing to answer her phone.

“You should’ve said something earlier! I would’ve snagged a bigger table,” Jasmine replied, annoyed. “You better find some chairs to pull up because I’m not moving, and it’s already crowded over here.”

Trina stood, speaking into her phone. “I’m over here—y’all see me? Okay, see y’all.”

Over walked Jerrica and Jodi.

Armani froze in shock, locking eyes with Jodi.

“Hey boo, glad y’all could make it. Aye y’all, this is Jerrica and Jodi. And this is Jasmine, Regina, Chris, Armani, and Ally… Jerrica, you know Ally?”

“I swear I’m about to beat the brakes off this bitch!” Ally shouted, furious and ready to fight.

Chris jumped up. “Ally, Ally, Ally—come outside and smoke with me. Just come on!”

Chris led Ally outside to the back patio.

“What the hell was that?” Chris asked once they were alone.

“It’s Trina’s weird ass! I told you she was on that bullshit. I can’t stay here. I gotta go, because I’m gonna end up beating the fuck out of Trina or Jerrica.” Replied an upset Ally.

“Aw, come on. Please don’t leave me with this mess. You see the shit that’s unfolding on me right now.” Said Chris.

“Ohhh… that’s right. You don’t think that’s the Jodi Jasmine was talking about?” Said Ally coming to a realization.

Chris took a long drag from the pre-roll. “I don’t know… j-just… don’t leave me here. Not with this mess. And not with Regina. I’m begging you.”

“We can sit for a minute, but I’m not staying. Maybe me and you can slide somewhere else. You think Moni would mind?” Asked Ally.

“Okay. And it should be cool—we can come back and pick her up afterwards.” Chris said.

They headed back to the table, where everyone else was seated—except Trina and Jerrica, who were now on the dance floor, showing each other affection.

Chris sat down next to Armani.

“Is everything okay?” Armani whispered.

“Everything’s fine. She just needed some air. I’ll tell you about it later. But me and Al are going to sit for a minute and then head out. Her and Trina really not vibin’. Do you mind? I can pick you up when you’re ready.” Chris asked.

“Yeah, bae, that’s fine.” Armani said.

“So, Jodi,” Jasmine asked, “how do you, Trina, and Jerrica know each other?”

“I’m just kind of meeting Trina myself,” Jodi said. “We had a few run-ins but never hung out. Me and Jerrica are longtime friends—I met her my first year at Michigan State studying for my associate’s in cybersecurity.”

“Awesome. Chris, don’t you have an associate’s in cybersecurity as well?”

“Bachelor’s,” Chris corrected. “I started my trucking company using the money I made from doing cybersecurity jobs.”

“Oh yeah. So Jodi, how do you and Moni know each other? I saw you guys here last week.”

Quick on her feet, Armani responded, “Oh, we don’t know each other. Aaron and I had a lunch meeting here after my work event that Thursday, and his assistant accidentally double-booked our meetings with him.”

“Yeah, but we were never formally introduced,” Jodi added. “It’s nice to see you again. How was the meeting?”

“Great!” Armani said quickly, clearly flustered.

“Dammit, I think I dropped my phone outside. Chris, can you help me look for it?” Ally asked.

“Girl, you can’t keep up with nothing. I’ll be right back, baby,” Chris said to Armani.

“Okay, bae.”

Outside on the patio, Ally looked at Chris. “Hey, you sure you okay with leaving Moni here? Me and you can always link up later.”

“Yeah, it’s cool,” Chris said, though deep down, she was anything but.

It ate her up inside to think of leaving the love of her life with the woman who might be the reason their home would one day be filled with broken glass and stained walls. But she had to trust Armani. She wanted to fight for her marriage.

“I found it. You ready to go?” Ally asked.

“Yeah. Let me just run to the bathroom and grab my jacket.”

“I’ll be at the car.”

As Chris neared the bathroom, she overheard voices.

“Jodi, what the fuck are you doing here? Are you doing this on purpose?” Armani hissed.

Jodi explained. “I was invited. And it’s not like that. You know I never would’ve shown up if I’d known you were gonna be here with your wife. I’m not that disrespectful. But when you stopped returning my calls, I didn’t know what to do. So when Trina invited me out, knowing that you two were friends, I figured this would be the best chance to see you again… and I really wanted to see you again, beautiful.”

Jodi reached up, seductively tucking a flyaway hair behind Armani’s ear.

Flustered, Armani replied nervously, “Look, what happened between us can never happen again. And for you to stay and sit across from me and my wife is disrespectful in itself.”

“Yeah… you right. But not as disrespectful as the way I had you in that hotel room. I never knew a woman could taste sweeter than honey.” Jodi said with the look of lust in her eyes.

Chris stood frozen, pain and rage burning through her. She rushed to grab her jacket.

As she turned, she ran into Armani leaving the bathroom.

“Heyy bae, are you headed out?” Armani asked.

“Yeah. Me and Al are leaving now. Were you still staying?” Chris asked.

“Actually, no. I’m not feeling too well. I need to lay down.”

“Okay, I’ll drop you off at home. Me and Ally will head back out.”

“Okay. I’ll call Jasmine from the car and let them know we’re leaving.”

Chris and Armani exited the lounge. On the way to the car, Chris spotted Jodi getting into an Uber.

It was 2 a.m. when they got home. The neighborhood was still and quiet.

“Tonight was kind of fun,” Ally said. “We still heading out?”

“Yeah. Let me get her settled in real quick.” Chris said.

“Okay, I’ll wait in the car.” Said Ally.

Inside, the side lamp dimly lit the living room. Chris and Armani went to the bedroom.

“Mmm, I enjoyed myself,” Armani said, hugging Chris gently.

“Oh, you did, did you?” Chris replied, feigning playfulness.

“I did. You sure you want to go back out? You could always stay in bed with me,” Armani said, undoing Chris’s belt.

Chris wanted to but her heart weighed heavy, she rejected her.

“I have to go… Al’s in the car waiting. And I have to swing by the company office. I set up the therapy session with Andrew for 8 a.m.”

“Okay, don’t stay out too long,” Armani said softly.

Chris kissed her on the forehead and left.

Back in the car, Ally looked up. “You ready to roll?”

“I know we were supposed to hang, but I just got a text from Drew. You think you could drop me off?” Ally asked.

Chris smacked her lips. “How we go from hanging out to me dropping you off at a booty call?… You lucky I gotta swing by the office anyway.”

After dropping Ally off, Chris pulled into the parking lot of Moni Cois Trucking. She sat in silence, her pain catching up with her. Rage surged.

She screamed and slammed her fists into the steering wheel.

Whispered thoughts: How could she? How could she? Ten years of nothing but endless support—through broke nights, no food, indecisiveness, utterly undeniable and devoted love. Just to be washed away and stained with lies and deceit. The thought of her touching somebody else… letting somebody touch parts of her body that only my hands—my hands!—should touch…

Alone in the storm of her emotions, Chris eventually calmed herself and drove home to lay next to the woman she loved, the woman who consumed her being—body, mind, and soul.

Armani knew Chris loved her… but she never fully understood the depth of that love.