Shades of Sepia

V

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles
June 7th
Houston, Texas

I was not paying attention. Not the way my baby sister wanted me to. We'd had three conversations about this meeting prior to it happening, but I couldn't focus. Whenever they asked me what I thought, I gave them a vague 'yeah'. I knew I would hear it from Solange later, but I didn't care.

It had been two whole weeks and I hadn't heard a single word from Onika. I'd text her and get no reply. I'd text her again, still no reply. Then I'd call and I'd go to voicemail immediately.

I felt rejected. I had given her gifts that were worth thousands of dollars and she rejected me. Not that she owed me anything, I just thought we were getting somewhere.

I wasn't going to let that stop me. I wanted her and I was determined to have her.

When everybody stood, I stood too, shaking hands after Solange. I took my seat again and Solange slammed the door shut. She bent over on the other end of the table, her palms planted onto the glass.

"Beyoncé what the fuck was that?"

"Stop talking to me like you my mama or something."

"Fuck that. I'm not hearing you. What the fuck was that?"

I waved her off.

"When I have women problems, I don't let them affect my work. You can't even think straight. Idiot. You think that girl's gonna want you and you don't even have money to support yourself?"

I rolled my eyes, "It always comes down to that. What about Sierra? She gon' stay down if you go broke?"

"I know her enough to know she will not and I love her enough not to go broke so she won't even have to make that choice. Your dumb ass doesn't even have the girl yet. No girl, no pussy, no conversation, and you still can't even act right."

"Man shut up. We got the partners didn't we? Always got your mouth open and you don't know what the fuck you're talking about."

"Bitch if it's anything I know, it's this. I'm with Sierra almost every day."

"Want a cookie hoe?"

"Nah you're the one that needs it. Hurry up and do what you gotta do so you can handle business 'cause right now you're not and if I tell Pops, he's gonna fire your ass."

I walked out of the conference room while she continued to yap. Maybe if she shut her mouth for more than five seconds, I could handle my business.

I rode the elevator to the first floor then made a B-line over to Starbucks. After fighting like a married couple with my baby sister, I needed some caffeine in my system.

Solange was really testing my patience. If she kept talking out the side of her neck, I was going to give her a reminder ass whooping. Sometimes she got way too ahead of herself, forgetting that I was older.

Nobody pissed me off like my bum ass little sister.

When I got to the front of the line, Onika stared me back in the face. She looked at me like she had just seen a ghost.

"You are cold," I shook my head at her, "You still got my gifts on you and you won't even answer a simple text or a phone call. That hurts my feelings you know?"

"As you can see, I am busy. Are you going to order something?"

"I've never been so hurt by a woman in my entire life. You know that?"

"I do now. Does that make me special?"

I leaned over the counter, "I'm not gonna leave you alone."

"You left me alone for two weeks."