and embarrassed. I’ve been bragging about Kyle the entire ride over with Sandy and this happens right in front of her. Sandy looks at me with pity written all over her face and it’s too much to take. I swallow back the tears prickling at my eyes.
“Excuse me for a moment,” I interject before I walk off in the opposite direction.
I have no clue where I’m going and end up going to the rest room. I have to go and get it together. Just because his sisters want him to be with Amanda doesn’t mean that it’s what he wants. He said that it was just professional between the both of them and I can either choose to believe him or move on. I can’t get the idea of the both of them sitting together, and the way that he looked at her. I know that sometimes men can’t help it, but he knows that I’m supposed to be here too.
“Camille?” I hear Sandy say as she enters the bathroom. She turns the corner and sees me standing at the sink.
“ Sorry for walking off, I just needed some time to breathe. Can you believe that shit?”
“ Don’t let them get to you, they don’t know about your relationship with him. They seem to just want him to be with anybody at this point. It wasn’t their intention to hurt you. It’s their birthday and they’re drunk.”
“ You’re right; I guess I am being super sensitive about this entire situation. I can’t believe that I care this much. I’m tripping.”
“ Like I said, you’re dick drunk,” she laughed, “Now let’s get the hell out of here and start partying. You ready?”
“ Yep, let’s go.”
We exit the bathroom and go back out into the sea of people on the roof. I make a bee line directly to Kyle. When he sees me he smiles brightly and stands to greet me. When his arms encircle my waist I melt into his body and he kisses my cheek. Just as quick as the hug began, it was already over.
“Hey you look great,” he winks at me, “Who is your friend?”
I introduce him to Sandy.
Amanda gives me the ultimate stare down and I return it with a polite smile. She leans over and whispers something into Kyle’s ear.
“Excuse me ladies, I have something to attend to,” he says before he walks away.
What the hell? I’m not a jealous person but I feel slighted. I saw him for all of 1 minute and he’s already walking away from me. Unable to stand any more drama, Sandy and I head to the bar. We order drinks and make small talk with other people there. Men are swarming all around us because we’re the only black women there and we’re hot. Sandy is soaking up all of the attention and I appear to be doing the same. The entire time that I’m talking to the men, I’m thinking about Kyle.
That’s right, I’m dick drunk.
I look around the deck for Kyle and I finally see him... kissing Amanda.
My entire body freezes up and I drop my cocktail glass. Everyone surrounding me looks in my direction, and I just stand there. I don’t know what to do; the man that I love is kissing Amanda.
“Let’s get out of here,” I say to Sandy before I head for the door.
Without looking back, I start towards the exit.
“ Camille!” I hear a voice that sounds like Kyle yell, but I don’t let it stop me.
I can’t take any more of this, and I don’t know what I was thinking. I have no business at a party like this and I have zero business, being involved with someone like Kyle. Other women may be okay with this kind of situation but I can’t take it. I don’t want to be his secret, while I have to sit back and excuse his behavior. I’m done.
#Chapter8
“ If looks could kill, there would have been a massacre” Kyle
**
Have you ever just known that your day was probably going to suck?
That’s the way that I felt when I woke up this morning. Today was the first day that family and pleasure collided in my life. I pushed back my fear and moved forward with the day. I was excited to see Camille tonight because she went home
Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Martin A. Lee, Bruce Shlain