Ashanti: A Tale of Dark Love

Marcus

I was on my way to pick up Ashanti. Since that night at the restaurant we have been hanging out more. I was excited because this is something I have never felt before. Not even with Asia.

Asia. I swear it seems as if she's trying to ruin what I have with Ashanti. Bea told Moe about Asia coming to Ashanti's store. I'm glad that she didn't let her stop what we've been doing.

Ashanti is so different from any woman I've ever dated. I can't put my finger on it, but I know that she is special. We've been having so much fun together. From bowling, to late dinners and many other things have been the best time I've ever had.

"Hello." I answered.

"Look Marcus. I know that I made some mistakes, but I just really want a second chance. I'm sorry. I think if you can see that I have changed you will be happy with me now." Asia said.

"Asia, you and I both know that you don't really want me. You want the fame that you think I'm going to get. You want the money and glam." I said.

I knew Asia thought I was dumb. She left me when I was a no body and now that I am finally making a name for myself and the money is coming in that I should have her by my side. That and the fact that she thought she should come before Darla. No one comes before Darla.

She never tried to get to know Darla. She wanted me to herself and couldn't understand that I had responsibilities. I could and never would leave her behind. Ashanti, Darla and Bianca are close. I see them together, it's like they are her big sisters. That is something that Moe and I couldn't ever give her.

"I want you too."

"I don't want you." I said and hung up on her. I blocked her from being able to call or text me. I didn't want any problems with my relationship with Ashanti.

I pulled up to V's and I walked in.

"Hey Marc." Bea said when I walked in. Her and Moe really been hanging tough. I was happy for my boy.

"Hey Bea. Ashanti ready?" I asked trying to walk back but Bea stood in front of me.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"You can't go back there." She said looking nervous.

"Why not?"

"Because, oh because she is working on Darla's dress and you can't see it." She said looking back.

"Bea, girl I had to eat before my date with." Ashanti walked in the front.

"Ashanti, look whose here." Bea screamed.

Ashanti stopped and looked at me with wide eyes. The crazy thing is that it looked like her eyes were glowing. I rubbed my eyes and when I looked back at her they were natural.

"You alright Marc." Bea asked.

"Yea, for a minute I thought Ashanti's eyes were glowing." I chuckled.

They both laughed at me.

"What, no glowing eyes? You are too funny." Bea said.

I looked at the both of them and it seemed like they were communicating but neither of their lips were moving.

I need to get my eyes checked. Maybe I was hit too hard during the last fight. I thought in my head.

"Does your head hurt? Are you Ok?" Ashanti rushed over to me.

"Yea, I'm fine. Why did you ask me about my head?"

"Oh, I saw you squint, and I thought maybe you were getting a headache or something." She blurted out.

I don't know how she does that. It's like she can read my mind or something. I just shook it off.

"Did you already eat? I thought we were going for dinner?" I asked.

"Eat?"

"Yea, when you were coming in you were telling Bea you needed to eat before our date. I thought you said that she was in the back doing Darla's dress?" Something was going on. Why would Bea lie like that?

"I I thought she was in the back. She must have gone to take out the trash." Bea was acting strange.

"Yea I did. No, I said I needed to eat. I'm starving." She said. For some reason I felt they were lying but I couldn't understand why.

"Well are you ready?" I asked.

"Let's go." She said, and we left.

While we were eating, I was watching her. I've told her some much about me and my life, but I didn't know anything about hers.

"You have a slight accent. Where are you from? You know so much about me but I barley know anything about you."

She stopped eating and wiped her mouth. The look on her face was sadness. I wanted to know what was going on through her mind.

"Well I come from New Orleans." She said.

"Wow. How long did you live there?"

"For a while. I just felt it was time for a change and so I moved here."

She was holding a lot back. I didn't want to push but I didn't know why she was being so secretive.

"Tell me about your family and where you grew up. Tell me something anything. I want to know about you."

"It's not much to tell, I have a sister who I miss, and I can't ever see my family again. I ran away, and it's been so long."

"Why did you leave?" Now I was curious.

"They wanted me to be someone I wasn't, then they wanted me to marry someone I didn't love."

"Like an arranged marriage?" I asked.

"Yea." She said.

"Wow that's crazy." I leaned back in the chair.

"I couldn't do it and I wasn't going to be forced to do it. I wanted to make clothes and I couldn't do that. I decided I was going to do what I wanted, and I left and never looked back." She said with tears in her eyes.

"Excuse me." She said and almost ran over the waiter running towards the bathroom.

I didn't mean to bring up bad memories for her. I just wanted to get to know more about her. I couldn't believe her parents would force her to marry someone she didn't love.

That to me sounded like some old 1800 hundred type of stuff. I hope she's alright.