him to think for one second that what he did was okay.
Tiffany tried to get back to work, but now she couldnât focus. She cared for Jeff, yes, but she doubted she loved him. She was hurt by his actions, but for some reason, she wasnât hurt that the relationship ended. She wondered if she meant it when she said âI love you,â or did she say it back because it was the thing to say when someone said it to you? Thinking about it, she realized she truly didnât mean it. At least she assumed she didnât, since she didnât feel like she was going to miss him much. Or maybe she already had high hopes for Kory and her judgment was being clouded.
She grabbed the script and managed to get back to work. She reread it a few times and when she looked up again, it was after midnight. After taking her glass into the kitchen, she went back to her room and went to her closet to pick an outfit to wear to dinner the next night. She decided on a sleeveless, low-cut number that was made to undeniably get a manâs attention. She hadnât worn it in months, so she removed it from the hanger to try it on.
âPerfect,â she said, admiring her curves in the mirror. She stepped into her pumps and turned to the side, admiring her ass in her three-way mirror. It was plump and looked sensational, she thought and smiled. That would be her âfirst date with Koryâ dress.
She took it off and hung it back up and headed to bed, but couldnât fall asleep. She lay awake imagining what the date would be like. Finally, she fell asleep, and before she knew it, her alarm was blaring.
Too tired to move, she called Myah and said she would be in later and then she went back to sleep for a couple more hours.
Chapter Five
Tiffany was dressed and ready to leave the house, but she couldnât relax. She felt like she did the night she lost her virginity to her boyfriend Shawn Knight, in her senior year of high school. The same butterflies she had then were flying around in her belly as she made her way to her car. When she walked into the restaurant, she felt sick. She rushed into the ladiesâ room and took a couple of deep, cleansing breaths. âGet it together, Tiffany,â she told herself. âYou are a grown-ass woman, and you should not be trembling.â She took a couple more breaths before exiting the ladiesâ room. As soon as she opened the door, she spotted him. He is looking damn good, she thought as she moved toward him. When she got closer, she noticed a woman standing near him, and she almost fell on her face when she saw him put his hand on the small of her back. Just then, he saw Tiffany and waved her over.
âTiffany,â he called.
Caught off guard, she put on a smile. âHi, ummm . . . Hi.â
âTiffany, how are you?â he said. âThis is my fiancée, Tressa. I hope you donât mind her joining us. When I told her that I ran into an old friend from high school who happens to be the producer for her favorite show, Boy Crazy, she begged to come along,â
âWell, I didnât beg,â the woman said. âOkay, I did, maybe a little.â She extended her little, pretty hand. She was drop-dead gorgeous. There was not one imperfection about this woman that Tiffany could see. Even her hairline was flawless.
Code red. Code. Code red. Or blue. Hell, I donât know, whatever code they call when a person is dying, Tiffany thought as she shook Tressaâs soft hand. Rose. She needed Rose to call at that particular moment and say there was an emergency. She couldnât stay because she was sure sheâd pass out.
âNo, of course I donât mind,â she said. âWhy would I mind a fan joining us for dinner? And you are getting married, that is great.â She hoped it didnât sound as fake as it was.
âI knew you wouldnât,â Kory said. âAre you ladies ready?â He held out his arms to escort both
Benjamin Blech, Roy Doliner