First Sight

"Girl we need to grab a bottle before we hit the club. You know tonight Bizzy J is performing tonight. Drinks are going to cost $8 a cup," Candice says as we drop her son off with his dad.

"Okay, there's a corner store by my house we can stop by when we finished getting ready. I'm not trying to pay $16 to get buzzed," I suggest. I speed a little because I know the stopping at the store would set us back 15 minutes. I want to get to the club before free entry for ladies is over.

Soon as we make it to my house, Candice and I practically kill ourselves to get out make up on. "Wear those heels with that top," Candice suggested.

"Throw this necklace on with these earrings," I suggest back. After 20 minutes of making a tornado in my room, we were ready to go. Candice wore a honey yellow crop top, with hunter green shorts, gold hoop earrings, and a gold choker. I wore Baby Phat black tube crop top, sliver sequin high waisted shorts, silver bamboo earrings, and a silver sequin choker. I grab my ID and we head out the door.

As we pull up into the store's parking lot, three older men were looking inside the car screaming "hey sweet thing get out that car and give me your number!" As we ignore them, one of them reaches for my hand.

"Keep your dirty ass hands off of me, I hurt old people," I say as I snatch away from the man.

"Hey he's just an old man, have some respect," a man with a deep African accent says.

"He's being a pig and you want me to be respectful?" I say, appalled that this man was defending their actions. "He's a drunken mess and is bothering me and I have to be respectful? I don't know where you're from but you can take that shit back to your home land".

"Lady you have a nasty attitude," he insists, "you should really watch how you talk to people".

"And you should have more sympathy for your female customers. Men don't just get to grab at women because they feel like it," I scolded.

"Well you're dressed like you want his attention," he mocked.

"I dress like this because I'm cute dressed like this," I respond feeling insulted. "It wasn't meant for a man's attention. I don't dress to please men, I dress to look good for myself". I turn to Candice and say "I'll be in the car I'm not buying anything out of here".

"You are something else," the man mocks at me again. He lifts his hand, directing it towards the door. Instead of me going off I just walk past him. He has got to be the rudest man I've ever met.

After about five minutes, Candice comes to the car with a bottle of Hennessy, a small bottle of fruit punch, and two cups with ice. "Girl these men are funny. That store owner was a little cute though," Candice laughed. "You should've gave him your number".

"No ma'am. I don't have time to deal with a man who doesn't respect women," I say.

"Red doesn't respect women but you like him," she responds.

"Red isn't in the conversation," I snap back. Red is, well, a friend. I want us to be more than friends but he's too busy for a relationship. He does have two jobs as a bartender and DJ. He doesn't have much respect for women, but he's never disrespected me. She's just hating.

"Girl I'll be happy when you let his sometimey ass go, Cierra. All he does is give you the run around, then claims he's too busy. I bet he finds time to entertain all those groupies at the club he works at," Candice continued.

"Okay Candice," I say to end the conversation. I don't know what the big issue is with her. It's not like he's cheating or anything, we aren't together. When he makes time for me. I know she doesn't like that he has groupies, but he's good at his job. He's a charmer. He's at work tonight. I hate that he told me he had to work, I wanted to surprise him with a ticket to the Bizzy J concert. I didn't bring up that I was going because I didn't want to make him feel bad. I'm relieved that women get in free tonight and it's time I got out of the house.

As we pull up to the club, I can tell that we're going to be in line for a while. The line was almost wrapped around the building. "LADIES TO THE FRONT! HURRY BEFORE WE RUN OUT OF FREE ENTRY SPACE!" The bouncer called.

"I'm about to leave you!" I say to Candice as I see her just now fixing her lipstick. "Why didn't you fix it before we got here? You weren't driving".

"The way you drive, I would've had it in my eye," Candice and I laughed. She grabs the bottle of Hennessy and juice. I hold the cups for her to mix the drinks, then we walk with a fast past to get in the front of the line.

"Hey there pretty ladies, enjoy the show," the bouncer says. "Aren't you Cierra? The model?"

"Yes I am," I say in a low tone so who ever heard him wouldn't hear my response. Ever since I landed that contract with Model Gold Management, it seems like my model status in the city rose.

"Oh we have a special seating for our city's finest talent. Jeremy, could you escort this lovely lady and her friend to VIP". We followed the other bouncer to our seats.

"Ci-Ci this is so refreshing. My friend is on the VIP status in the city now," Candice says excitingly. I'm just as surprised as her. It makes me feel bad that Red can't be here. "I could get use to this life style".

"Well let's not get too excited. He's just one guy that recognized me," I say, trying to be humble. We make it to VIP and everyone is looking at us for about a good fifteen seconds before their eyes reverted back to what they were previously doing. I'm relieved no one else noticed, I just want to enjoy my night. As Candice and I enjoy our cups a man is looking our way.

"May I buy you a drink beautiful?" the gentleman ask me.

"I'm good, thank you. We brought our drinks," I explained.

"This one is on the house though," he insist.

"I'm driving, I don't want to go over my limit," I respond.

"Oh come on, have a little fun," he says. He's a little annoying. I politely turn around to decline him, but at that moment my attention was distracted by what entered the VIP section.

"Is that Red with that waitress he works with?" Candice observed. "Oh I know he didn't. We should.."

"Sit here and enjoy our night," I interrupted. Here I am defending him and he's out here lying to me and with another woman? How could he? The drink was settling in and I could feel myself become enraged.

"NOW COMING TO THE STAGE," the announcer said over the club speakers, "BIZZY J".

"I know you're hurt babygirl, I see your pain. The tears coming down, how can you stand the rain? The clouds in the sky, you don't see the rays. But keep your head up we'll soon see sunny days," Bizzy J comes out rapping. This is why he's my favorite rapper, his lyrics always hit home. I follow his voice and as it pulls my attention back to the stage. I know Candice is shocked I'm not reacting how I normally would, but we got in VIP for free. Nothing could be better than this. I'll deal with it later.

Just then I get a text.

Where are you? -Red

"Ha, that's funny," I say to myself. I put my phone back in pocket and continued to dance to the music.

"I need one girl to join me on stage," Bizzy J says. The crowd goes wild. My gazes slowly turns to look for Red. I finally see him and our eyes locked. He looked like a scared child. I just rolled my eyes in disgust. What else could I say. " You with the silver sparkly shorts in VIP".

"Me?" Did Bizzy J just call for me? Everyone is looking at me. Was he speaking to me? A bouncer walks my way and reaches for my hand. Oh my God this is happening.