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The world knew Tori McNabb and Brielle were best friends. Tori cameoed in Brielle’s videos, danced at her concerts, and had even been seen vacationing with her. And Brielle was at many of Tori’s fights before she retired a few years ago. Ragee and Tori were best friends, too, which was cute. I remembered reading online how both Brielle and Ragee sang at Tori’s wedding because she couldn’t decide between the two.
I also learned Tori had two step-daughters. It was good to see another woman express a similar guilt of her husband not always having his girls on the major holidays. I’d have to figure out my role in Elia’s world, even if it’s simply to love her daddy and be kind to her. Whatever it was, I’d do it.
Tori shook her head while rolling her eyes. “I go through this every time we get together and Jade gets that damnMauvein her. If I try to defend Brielle, then Jade’ll be whooping my ass! Okay?” she fell into laughter.
“Tuh!” Jade was back in her fight stance. “You don’t know about that ‘Tori The Banger’ shoulder roll! It be ready, bro!” She demonstrated over and over. My stomach hurt because I laughed so hard. “See, they think because we’re short we can’t fight. Can you fight, Lennox?”
“I never had to.” Between being O.G. Chino Brim’s daughter and the pastor’s granddaughter in East Orange, no one really bothered me.Until I got married. “But let somebody roll up on my man”—I winked—“and they’ll see these E.O. hands.” I faked a jab, mocking her.
As everyone laughed, Jade ate it up.
“I’m telling you! That bitch don’t want it with me!”
Trent quietly walked up behind her. “What bitch?” he asked, pulling the glass from her hand then taking a sip. He frowned in disgust.
“Who else?” Tori rolled her eyes.
“When the news reports on Brielle waking up with only one leg, we’re pointing the police to your Alpine mansion to look for the voodoo doll.” LeRoy smoothly informed.
Adorably, Trent rolled his eyes into the air. “Fuck, Jade! You ain’t learn nothing from Bishop’s ‘Eight Principles of Letting it Go’ classes a few months ago?”
Jade rolled her hazel irises this time, as she pushed her weight into his chest and hissed, “I’m just playing, Trent. Dang!”
“No, your little ass ain’t.”
“And my husband put his foot in that course,” Lex looked to be stirring the pot.
Or perhaps that’s what some of us who laughed thought because we’d all been drinking a lot at this point. Seeing Trent lean down to whisper in Jade’s ear as she faced the crowd had me craving my own big bear. I gazed past them foolishly. This place was too big to see from one room to the next.
When I brought my attention back to the room, I caught Trent tossing his neck at the people gathered at the island. Immediately, he swung Jade around in a swift and gentle manner I could guess she was used to.
“So, you said you’re inSamsara?” Tori was at my side, really close. “When I was trying to find a houseyears ago, my realtor showed me a few out there. Do you know what the wordSamsarameans?”
“No,” I answered, noticing everyone was grabbing their glasses and plates, and following the Baileys out of the kitchen.
Weird…
“Let’s go in the living room. I’ll try and act out my bourgeois ass realtor, and how she ran down the definition and told me that each road in the town has significant meaning, too.”
“Uh—” I grabbed my drink. “Okay.”
ChapterEighteen
Raj’s living room was outfitted with two keyboards, a drum set, and microphones tonight. Just as on Thanksgiving, there was live music and serenading by talented guests. The place was decorated festively, providing a warm holiday, convivial energy. People buzzed all around us, even random strokes of the keyboards sounded occasionally. The drummer hit a few sequences, too, every now and then. It was just random. The vibe was chill, but could be weird for those not understanding the hosts’ musical inclination. I was still adjusting myself.
Tori and I found seats on a sofa where she had me spooked.
“A cycle of karma?” I gasped, eyes wide.
She nodded. “Yeah, but you said Nirvana Lane, so that ends the cycle. Nirvana’s like the final state of karma, and covers pain.” She screwed her mouth, gazing toward the twelve-foot ceiling. “Right?”
“I hope so,” I noted animatedly. “Or else, I’m calling that Jaquana lady up to find me another place!”
“Jaquana? You’ve worked with her? She’s our broker, too! My husband and I were working with her at the same time and didn’t know it.” Then she clarified, “We weren’t married then. Just still trying to figure our shit out.”
Just as I was about to respond, there was an urgentshhhhhh’ing around the room. They were telling us to be quiet. At first, I thought it was rude, and was a little embarrassed to be that detached from the room. But of course, I yielded, glancing around for the point of it all.
Music…
