Page 31 of The Unfluencer

“I’ll be damned.”

“Exactly.” Clive sighs.

Why is he so eager to be here?

Tension grips my chest as I face the crowd again, determined to get through my speech.

“Come on up here with us, Corinne.” I’m the picture of unbothered and about my business as I tug her into a hug. “We’ve got a great turnout this evening, and we’re so proud to present this exhibition, which has been months in the making.”

“Months!” Corinne repeats, deflating into me.

There’s more laughter and cheers.

“And now, we’re deeply grateful to Corinne for sharing her vision with us. And with you. So please, take your time, explore, ask questions, and drink up all my top-shelf champagne.”

As the crowd disperses and the servers proceed to get my guests feeling loose, and their wallets looser, my focus is trained on Jada and Zeek.

The thing about her is that since Nora Whitfield backed out of Luxe Ladies of Ellswood after Sherry Easton passed, Jada is the new face of the franchise. Ahead of the new season, every outlet’s been plastering her teary-eyed funeral photos alongside headlines like “Jada Banks Returns After Tragic Loss of Hairdryer-Hurling Sherry Easton” and “LLOE Star Jada Banks is BACK!” As if she vanished and wasn’t just a second-tier cast member cashing in on her fifteen minutes in the shadow of someone’s actual death.

Her presence here tonight with Zeek, it’s strategic. And I want my gallery nowhere near whatever either of them is plotting.

“What are you about to do?” Clive asks.

“Remove the trash.”

I walk directly toward them, with my assistant hyping me up in the backdrop. Mentally, with every long, purposeful stride, I’m preparing to quietly help them find the exit, when a vaguely familiar-looking woman steps into my path.

“Whitney Graves.” She beams, bright brown eyes just as wide and hopeful as it gets. “Shannon Patton. You might not remember me, but we met at Hailey Donovan’s wedding in September at Madison Manor…”

Still nothing.

“Oh my goodness, yes. How are you?” I say, keeping an eye on Jada and Zeek while wading futilely through all the faces I met that night. I barely remember what I ate for dinner last week; I don’t know how I’m supposed to place a random, cute little Black girl with a huge bun and a faint beauty mark as her only distinguishing features.

Thankfully, she doesn’t press.

“Really great, actually.” She nods a good dozen times, swallowing. “The influencer thing is working out, and Scene and Heard It All has definitely found its audience, too. Due, in large part, to Ebony.”

Again, she flashes me a too-wide smile, gums on full display.

And then it hits me.

This is the woman who blatantly brags online about crashing upscale events. She’s obsessed with The Divorcétante Chronicles. Follows everything Ebony does. She’s basically a professional eavesdropper, always ready to catch a sound bite then blast folks’ business to the messy masses on the interwebs.

See, no.

“Well, it’s great to see you.” I start to walk away, but again, she steps in front of me like she’s lost her ever-loving mind. “Um, excuse me, but⁠—”

“I hear the list is stacked this evening…” Her over-glossed pink lips part expectantly, apparently leaving me room to comment, but now, with Jada and Zeek cornered where I can see them, the petty queen in me accepts the challenge.

I guess we’re both going to be uncomfortable, then.

Oh, baby, you do not want to try me.

“Well, Corinne Tucker has such a distinctive eye for texture and color. It’s such a privilege to bring her work to light,” I say, just cheesing and carrying on.

She nods, unimpressed. Again, she looks around, scanning the crowd, undoubtedly for whatever Luxe scandal Zeek’s brewing. With another glance over her shoulder, she finally takes a deep breath.

“My viewers would love to know your take on Warner Easton,” she says, her tone lilting with impatience. “Many have strong, adverse opinions about him. But the press alert said he’d be here this evening. Do you know another side of him… personally?”