Piggy Giggles and Reminisces....

We sat at a table big enough to accommodate our egos and unequivocal beauty. Tameika Benford, my raven beauty, had only mascara and lip gloss on but she would put any Cover Girl to shame. Skin flawless. Yulonda, the exotic beauty of my heart who sported a magnificent halo of natural hair. It was soft and framed her face like Glory, as a woman’s hair should be. Mychelle sat directly across from me in a black Roberto Cavalli halter top. Her ample bosom sat up and were the envy of many. Michelle’s smile made something as beautiful as a Texas sunset seem insignificant. The sultry laugh of Alicia Brown caused you to pay attention. And here I was in the center of it giggling like I was sixteen. Don’t get me wrong, I knew what was at hand, but I couldn’t get Drell off my mind. I get a text. Was so good seeing you, Courtney. Yeah, I can admit that I hadn’t felt like this in a long time. I responded likewise. I had the waiter bring another bottle of Merlot and also a bottle of Christal. Why not? We would work hard and play even harder. Tameika took a sip of water and then cleared her throat. “Okay King Piggy, how do you plan we take Arnissha Lynn down?” I tilted my head to the side and bit my bottom lip. “That’s why we here today. I mean I have some ideas but I think that we together as an Embassy can come up with something big.” They all nodded in agreement. While this organization would be ran by me, I didn’t want to be a tyrant. I knew that sometimes tyranny was necessary but I didn’t want it to be a constant necessity in my circle. I felt that each one of these ladies brought something remarkable to the table. All of them did however know who I was. They all knew that respect was something I demanded. All of them demanded it too. I knew that there were no such thing as friends in the life I lived, but I wanted a camaraderie amongst us. None of us had sterling backgrounds and that was the way I preferred it. The waiter came and took my order. I was in the mood for something homestyle I guess. I ordered chicken fried steak with country gravy, steamed green beans and mashed potatoes. Texas Toast. “Chile, please this place ain’t got shit on me. I could’ve whipped us all something up at the restaurant, Piggy.” We all laughed. Alicia was particular about where she ate. I loved soul food like the next but I figured it wasn’t nothing wrong with having dinner and drinks in an elegant setting. “We know can’t nobody cook like you AB. I just wanted us to get out somewhere different.” The waiters brought back our food. I had also arranged for us to have desert and coffee in the conference room. We ate and talked a lil shit and then we moved our gathering into our rented room. Crème Brulee, coffee and cognac was already set up for us. I could hear Johnnie Taylor's Disco Lady coming from the loudspeakers. I laughed because I saw some of the white patrons tapping their foot, off beat of course but tapping nevertheless. We all assembled into the conference room. I had a projector put together with a topography map of the Bayou City. We went over Big Lynn's territory. Threw out ideas about what kind of market she cornered. Most importantly we talked about the offer we'd give her that she WOULDN'T or COULDN'T refuse. "Big Lynn is something else, CC. I mean we took Ivory Albro, but Big Lynn been at this for years." I sat back in the big comfortable chair. Propped my feet onto the conference table and contemplated what Mychelle had just said. "Chelle, I ain't tryna to hear that. Fuck her. She gone get down or lay down. Hell, we just took over the baddest. Arnissha Lynn ain't gone be shit. I mean she living on her mama's legacy anyway. We ain't talkin about 1970 something. This is 2011. Sitting at this table we have MBAs, two doctorates and a heffa that can bake a Sock it to Me cake that'll make you slap any body's mama." We went from serious to silly just that fast. "Seriously, we can do this. I'm thinking we set up a meeting at her headquarters in three days. I'll start contact with her in the morning. Her time is over too." Michelle took a sip of her coffee. Cleared her throat. "Pooh-I mean Piggy, what you gone do about Monet? She getting out of hand wouldn't you say?" I glared at her. Michelle knew I had outgrown the nickname Pooh but she and Yulonda insisted on calling me that. "Well Carrie-I mean Michelle, let me handle Shannon Monet. She's a bigger fish to fry. It's personal with she and I." I had to admit that all of these ladies had some really good ideas circulating. I wanted my Embassy to be synonymous with Houston. So I wanted us to have a coming out party. The theme would be Royal and Regal: Houston's Legacy. I was seeing Purple as the color theme. It was after midnight when we all left the hotel. I was so drunk that I just checked into one of the rooms. I had Yulonda run my schedule down to me and I retired. I sent a text message. Are you thinking about me? Two minutes later. A response. Haven't been able to since we ran into one another. Call me. I got into a hot shower. I decided I would air dry. Slipped on some Hermes thong sandals and laid across the King sized bed. "Hello." "Umm I even like the way you sound on the phone." He laughed. "You crazy, Courtney Coyle." We talked that night like old friends. Talked about everything. He was single at the time. Driving trucks. One son. Couldn't halfway stand his baby mother. I was single too. Been a cop for about ten years. One son also. Me and my baby's father was more than cool. He said he couldn't wait a couple days. Wanted to have breakfast with me in a couple of hours. I agreed. Told him to pick me up at eight. It was something about Drell that made me want to tell him everything. I was so comfortable talking to him. Usually I shared the bare minimal with men. But I felt like I had poured my soul out to him. I knew that I was more than physically attracted to him but it was like Drell was the friend that maybe I needed. I had to be careful though. I knew what was at stake and I wouldn't forget it. I smile thinking about the way he say Courtney. With a drawl. Something about a country boy. I drifted off to sleep with the thought of playing in those braids of his and of my first kiss at Libertyland back in Memphis, Tennessee.