Page 36 of Double

The lady I presumed was Diamond cut me off. “Uh, I don’t give a fuck about all that. All I wanna know is where is the damn photographer?”

“I’m sorry. I’m confused as I only assisted in constructing the balloon arch. Compton⁠—”

She twisted up her pretty face and looked around the room. “Who the fuck is Compton?”

I gestured to who I knew to be Compton.

“Oh,” she shook her head. “We don’t call her that dumb shit. We call her Sharla. And I already told Sharla that she needs to contact the damn photographer. I don’t know why she brought you over here unless you know how to take pictures.”

“Again, according to Sharla, the hostess’s friend was supposed to supply the photographer.”

“Uh huh, that was me. But as you can see, he ain’t here. Somebody needs to get me a damn photographer. Like ASAPedly.”

I literally reached up to scratch my head, because what? “So what we were thinking was that Sharla could use her phone to take the pictures. She’ll provide you with a link where you can view the pictures once she gets them uploaded tomorrow, and you can select your favorites.” I gave her a bright smile.

“Bitch, do I look like I’m playin’ wit’ you?”

“Bitch?”

She cocked her head to the side. “That’s what I said, bitch.”

“First of all,” I began, and the next thing I knew a burst of pain shot through my right cheek while my ear started to ring. I didn’t know what happened. All I knew was that Sharla gasped.

“Oh shit.”

While I was trying to understand and reconcile the idea that this girl had slapped me, Diamond pushed me on the shoulder. Finally, my brain started to register that she was trying to fight me. I turned and quickly tried to leave the space and get to Double, but my ponytail was yanked roughly.

“Stop, Diamond!” I heard Compton/Sharla say with authority.

While Diamond was distracted, I took off running out of Mahogany Hall. When I got next door to Hill Top Management, I pulled on the handle with all of my might before remembering that they kept the door locked. My eyes, though blurry with the tears of both pain and humiliation, searched frantically for a doorbell, all while pounding on the door. It was after hours, so I wasn’t even sure if the receptionist was still there.

Finally, Justus opened the door for me. “Whoa. What the hell is going on, sis-in-law? Why’re you bangin’ down the door like that?”

I practically fell into his arms and began to sob loudly.

“Where the fuck are you comin’ from? What’s wrong? Say Double! Double! Your wife out here cryin’ and shit!”

Mr. Waters, Mama Passion, Lucky, Lynne, and even Mr. Hill came into the lobby area with Double. He pushed through the crowd to get to me and took me into his arms. “Who the fuck touched you?” His voice was ice. “Did this happen next door?”

“Next door?” Justus repeated. “You went over to Compton’s Galentine’s day shit? Why?”

“It was a mistake,” I cried.

“She went over there to check up on Compton and make sure the party turned out all right,” Double explained.

“And what did they do to you? Did they attack you?” Mama Passion’s voice held how upset she obviously felt about seeing me in such a state.

I fought like hell to compose myself. This was Double’s family. They didn’t know me. I didn’t want to be all discombobulated and dramatic in front of them. I cleared my throat and wiped at my eyes. “Uh, there was some mix-up about a photographer.”

Journey handed Double some tissue. I hadn’t even realized that she was there. Double dabbed at my eyes, wiping the tears with gentle pats to my cheeks.

He dabbed at my eyes. “Uh,” I began again. “There was some mix-up about a photographer. Compton asked me if I knew a photographer. I gave her the suggestion to just play the photographer for the night. Upload all the pictures to a website in the morning, and let the guests pick their favorites. She could print them and gift them.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Mr. Hill said.

“Apparently not, because the girl who was supposed to get the photographer slapped me after I suggested it. Then she pushed me, and I realized that she was going to fight me. I tried to get out of there, but she grabbed my ponytail and yanked it. Finally, Compton distracted her, and I got away.”

“These little bitches,” Mama Passion said through gritted teeth.