Baby Can I Upgrade You?

3. Sweet & Savory

Imani

I stand in front of the huge black and white wall-mounted calendar in the boardroom, crossing off old dates and filling in the schedule for the upcoming months. Business is going beyond great! Black Cherry Events is fully booked for the next six months! I stand back tapping the back of the whiteboard marker on my chin, going over the month in my head, and smiling to myself. I have worked my butt off building this business for the last five years, and it's starting to show. I don't take many breaks, but this weekend is my first weekend off in months, and I'm grabbing it with both hands. Mama needs a break from happily ever afters. Marcel has been proving himself to be a real Imani 2.0 this past year, and I've decided to let go of some control and let him go solo on some of our smaller functions. Time for the little bird to fly.

I walk back into my office, sit down at my desk, and turn on my Mac. I quickly type in my user name and password and click on a bunch of folders up until I find what I'm looking for— October 2016 Financial Report. Bingo! I open the report and stop to look for some snacks. I can't crunch numbers without chewing. It's probably also why I can't stick to any diet. I open the top left drawer of my desk, a.k.a. the snack drawer, and I rummage through my options. Hot Cheetos... Pringles... Sweet Chili Lays... Astros... Bar One... Jelly Babies... I recite the name of each of my stash mentally as I pick up each packet. I'm in a sweet and savory mood, so I grab the bag of Sweet Chili Lays and Astros. I open both and pour the Astros into the Lays packet. I love it when I put my hand in the bag and everything is all mixed up so it's almost like a lucky draw!

I spin around on my swivel chair once and wheel myself back to my laptop. I take my black rimmed Tom Ford nerd glasses off the top of my head and place them firmly on my face. No, I'm not wearing them as a fashion statement. They're prescription, and I need them for reading. I start to go over the financial report, dipping my hand into my lucky packet every so often and bringing the contents of my hand to my mouth. I chew intently as I read on, moaning every so often at the perfect blend of sweet and savory in my mouth. I get half way through the report when I hear a familiar voice singing my name outside my door. No! No! Not now!

"Imaniiiiiii... Imaaaaaaani... Imaniiiii, where you at, girl? Who am I kidding? You're always in your bloody office!" Candice sing songs and hollers her way into my office, and I seriously consider hiding, but it's too late. She bursts through my door in a floral flurry. Lord, help me!

"It's nice to see you too, Candice. Can you keep it down? You'll scare all the white people away, and then I'll be broke like your ex-husband, George!" I get up, laughing and give her a big hug.

"Oh, you got jokes now?" she laughs, raising a perfect brow at me and pulling me toward the lounge area and down onto the couch with her.

"What brings you here? You spent all of Denzil's money yet?" I tease her with a poke to her tiny waist.

"Girl, please! I haven't even begun!" Candi speaks proudly clapping her hands. Poor Denzil. "And that's why I'm here to take you out and find you a man! Marcel has told me all about how you're growing cobwebs up in here." She theatrically waves her hand around my office with her mouth downturned. I'm going to kill Marcel!

"Unfortunately, we don't all have a rich ex to milk dry," I shoot back at her. This spoiled brat has got some nerve coming into my office to judge me. Girl, bye!

Don't get the wrong idea, Candi and I love to throw shade at each other, but it's all love. She's my day one. Candice comes from a well-off family and is a successful painter in her own right. The girl has it all. The rich ex-husband, the new millionaire boyfriend, beautiful home, cars for every day of the week, and an unlimited budget. This girl can literally shop 'til she drops. I've seen it happen. Let's not forget that she is drop-dead gorgeous. Candice has a pixie-like appearance with big almond shaped, hazel-green eyes, a small pointy nose, pouty pink lips, and a small heart shaped face all wrapped in flawless caramel skin. Her long, curly red hair is to die for. This girl doesn't need bundles. Candi is petite but undoubtedly sexy with small perky breasts, an impossibly tiny waist, and a firm, round ass. I swear these mixed girls are a different breed of human. Candice could've been a model if it weren't for her childlike height. She measures in at a diminutive five feet but has the temper of a giant.

Candice and I go way back. We went to high school together. By all social hierarchy rules, we shouldn't have been friends. She was the popular, rich it girl while I was the chubby, nerdy scholarship kid. We didn't really become friends until midway through grade ten when we both auditioned for the school play, Hairspray, and she was impressed with my rendition of "I Know Where I've Been" for the part of Motormouth Mabel. I did Queen Latifah justice, if I do say so myself! Our friendship lasted beyond the play, and we became inseparable. Candi surprised me with how real she was. She wasn't like these other coconuts who were trying their hardest to be white. In a school of two hundred, only twenty of us were of color. You saw a lot of our people bending over backwards to be accepted by our white counterparts.

Candy and I kept it real, and once I met her mom, Lesedi, I understood where she got it from. Candi's mom is a sassy and proud Tswana woman who happened to bag herself and rich German businessman. Unlike most who cross the color line for love, Aunt Lesedi kept her identity and won't hesitate to call you out if you deviate either. I LOVE her!

"Well, luckily for you, I'm a very generous woman. I'm taking you to a place full of hot, dreamy men, and you're going to love it!" She speaks excitedly, snapping her fingers.

"Candi, you know I'm not into the whole club scene, and I work on weekends too, remember?" I try to talk my way out of her undoubtedly wild plans.

"Girl, bye with all those excuses! Nini, I know you have the weekend off! You're coming, even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming," Candi threatens me as she gets up cockily and struts to the door.

"Yeah, right! You couldn't me drag even if you wanted to." I laugh hysterically at her, earning myself an eye roll. The image of her tiny self, trying to drag my big ass is ridiculously funny. I even shed a tear or two!

"I might not, but I can find somebody who can! Be ready at 7 pm tomorrow!" she shouts back defiantly and quickly ducks out the door, leaving no room for further protest.

Why do they keep doing that? I roll my eyes at her retreating figure, and I know there is no point in fighting her. Candice always gets her way. I decide to take an early lunch break and go hunt down Marcel. He's gonna pay for this!

"Dead man walking!" I mumble to myself as I set out on my mission.