Birthday Blues
Justin nodded and smiled politely at Chris, Alonsha's mentor, as he walked by him on his way over to Tiffany. He was one of the many guests gathered at his estate for Lonnie's birthday party. Everybody was chatting amongst themselves, laughing over old jokes and new memories. They would occasionally point out a decoration and compliment the great job Tiffany did.
She went for a simple, yet elegant look for their outdoor party. There were icicle lights strung along the pool house and candles positioned in various places, giving the grounds a light glow. The patio area was now surrounded by tables of food and waiters circled around to every guest, offering wine and appetizers. The soft melody of Etta James' "At Last" flowed from the speakers and flood lights lit a path from the side gates to the main area of the functioning while the pool seemed to shimmer as small waves traveled through the water.
It would all be perfect if one major part wasn't missing. . .
"Where's Alonsha?" Justin whispered to Tiffany as he came up beside her. She excused herself from the brunette woman she had been talking to and turned to him with a shrug.
"She was suppose to come with Allison, but Al's been here for a good twenty minutes." Justin lifted his eyes to scan the open area for any sign of her.
"Who's late to their own party?" Justin asked, more to himself than Tiffany, who once again shrugged.
"Maybe she got caught up in traffic or something," she reasoned, "I'll let you know if I see her, but I have to find Scott." Justin watched as she made her way through his sliding doors and disappeared into the kitchen. He lifted his suit jacket sleeve to glance at his watch and realized it was already an hour into this shindig without the presence of the birthday girl.
"Maybe she got into a car accident," Cameron suggested with a smirk as she approached him from the side, causing Justin to throw a death glare in her direction, "Or not," she said, retracting her previous statement.
"Now is not the time for your sarcasm," Justin told her, "What if she actually got into an accident?"
"Good," Cameron mumbled to herself, "That would be terrible," she said to Justin with as much emotion as she could muster. Justin saw right through her act and simply walked away from her. He didn't feel like arguing with her and he for damn sure didn't want to ruin Alonsha's night. He brushed pass Diana and some man he had seen around the center on more than one occasion. Diana gave him a quick wave and Justin gave her a nod of acknowledgment before making a turn into his kitchen. Tiffany stood before him, Scott across from her as they talked with each other. He continued his walk pass them and went through his living room until he was climbing up his spiraling staircase.
The squeak of his sneakers across the polished hall floor provided the only noise in the upstairs part of his home and he was thankful to get away from the noise for a moment. He wanted to try to call Alonsha again even though he left her a billion messages and never got a call back. He hoped this time would be different as his fingers dialed the familiar ten digits. It rung three times before it was answered by heavy breathing.
"Alonsha?" Justin questioned. There was a pause before her voice came flowing through.
"Jay!" she exclaimed excitedly, "Hey, babe." Justin's face contorted in confusion and he wondered why she was so happy.
"Yeah. . ." he replied, unsure, "Where exactly are you?"
"Um. . ." she paused and Justin listened intently to the background shuffling he was hearing, "I'm. . . I'm on my way."
"On your way from where?" Justin asked with a hint of annoyance. He was met by another silence before he heard a male mumbling something about socks, "Is that Adam?" Justin wanted to vomit at the thought of what they might have been doing. It would make perfect sense. Alonsha's missing, as well as Adam. She doesn't return any of his calls. Someone answers her phone with heavy breathing. Some dude asking for socks. . .
"Yeah, that's him," Alonsha confirmed, "We're on our way, we were just. . .um. . . We're on our way. Bye." And she hung up, leaving Justin even more annoyed than before. He flipped his phone closed and took in a breath. Why was the thought of Alonsha having sex so repulsive? It's not so much the sex itself, it was who she was having it with that was the problem.
Justin shook these thoughts from his head and began to head back downstairs, running into Tiffany on his way down.
"I spoke with Lonnie," he informed her, "She's on her way."
"Where was she?" Tiffany asked as they walked back down to the kitchen.
"She was with Adam," Justin told her, trying to hide his disgust, "They're on their way." Tiffany nodded and patted his back.
"You alright?" she asked him, examining his face, "You look a little pale."
"I'm always pale," Justin joked, trying to avoid the topic at hand. Tiffany gave him a small smile before moving a strand of black hair from her face.
"If you say so, Blue," she told him with a shrug, "I'm gonna grab something to drink from the bar. You want something?" Justin politely declined her offer.
"No thanks," he replied, "I'm just gonna chill in the living room for a little bit." Tiffany nodded and turned away. The clicking of her heels ceased once she stepped outside and the music and chatter took over. She stood on her tippy toes, trying her best to find the bar over the tall guests around her. Her attention was caught by Allison's waving hand and she let out a sigh of relief as she strolled over to the bar.
"Hey," she greeted, sitting in a stool next to her blonde friend, "Long Island, please," she ordered before turning back to Allison.
"Hey!" Allison smiled, "Lonnie showed up yet?" Tiffany shook her head.
"Nah, but Justin called and said she was on her way," Tiffany explained, "He didn't seem too happy though."
"What do you mean?" Allison asked.
"Well, he was trying to be all. . . I don't know, but whatever it was, he wasn't happy about something," Tiffany rambled, "I think she's with Adam."
"What makes you say that?" Allison stated sarcastically, "The fact that they've been attached at the hip for four months?" Tiffany glared at her before accepting her drink from the waiting bartender.
"Thanks, Tim," she said politely, "And that's not the only reason, smartass." Allison laughed lightly and gestured for Tiffany to continue.
"I'm sorry, go ahead and finish your analysis." Tiffany rolled her eyes before continuing.
"Anyway, if you see the way he is around Adam and Alonsha, you'd see what I'm talking about."
"You're talking gibberish right now, Tiff," Allison said, "What way does he act?"
"All jealous and stuff," Tiffany thought for a moment, "He's jealous. . ."
"Of nothing," Allison dismissed, "Tiffany, you're going to start a lot of drama with all this jealousy nonsense you're talking about."
"I am not," Tiffany argued, "Besides, it's not nonsense. It's perfect sense."
"To an O.C. fanatic like yourself," Allison criticized, "This stays between us."
"Why?" Tiffany pouted.
"Because, Tiffany," Allison sighed, "Don't you see that they're both moving on? Just leave it alone and stop trying to be a matchmaker, alright?"
"They're with the wrong people, Al," Tiffany said earnestly, "You saw them when they were together. How perfect can you get?"
"That was more than three years ago," Allison looked around to make sure nobody was in earshot, "People change."
"Love is forever."
"Stop with the fantasizing."
"I'm not fantasizing," Tiffany whispered harshly, "I was right about them in the beginning and I'm right about them now."
"You better not do anything stupid to screw up their relationships."
"I won't have to," Tiffany stated smugly, "Fate has it covered." Allison rolled her eyes and turned back to Tim.
"Another Mary, please."
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Justin had been sitting in his living room, sipping from the cup of Bacardi in his hands. He savored the burn of the alcohol and the cooling effect of the raspberry flavoring. It's sad to say that the glass in his hand was the only company he kept for the last thirty minutes. His mood was far from the socializing one and his mind was completely jumbled with so many emotions that he couldn't keep up.
Why?
Because of all the confusing people in his life. Cameron and Alonsha especially. Cameron is his love. The woman he proposed to, but was turned down without a second thought. It still stung to think about her blunt 'no' and the sound of his heart shattering still resounded in his head. He never was a fan of rejection. But now, Cameron's been talking about marriage like there was no tomorrow. He had a strong inclination that it had something to do with her insecurities when Alonsha was around. The last thing he wanted was for Cameron to get married to him because she felt obligated to do so.
Alonsha was a completely different story. They were friends again and Justin enjoyed every moment with her, except when Adam was around. Sometimes he wished the guy would just roll off of a cliff and leave them be, but he had no idea why. Adam was a cool guy. Justin was man enough to admit that he was somewhat. . . good enough for Alonsha. But ‘somewhat’ wasn't good enough. He had to be perfect for her. Like the he had been back in the day.
Justin hated thinking like that. Constantly comparing himself with Adam on every level, even the way they sneezed, was somewhat psychotic. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't help but do it. It really pissed him off whenever he found something Adam surpassed him in. Like Alonsha's love for Lord of the Rings. Sure, Justin watched the DVDs with her a couple of times, but Adam and her really got into it. Discussing every intricate detail of the characters. Or when they spoke about psychology or things at the center. Those topics weren't Justin's strong points, so he felt like an outcast whenever they started a debate over them.
What's the word for being somewhat envious of someone else. . . Jealous? He was completely jealous of what Adam and Alonsha shared. Even their names were perfect. Justin could already see their words etched in a redwood's trunk: A & A 4ever. He wanted to roll his eyes at the thought. He couldn't figure out why though. In order to be jealous, some type of feeling has to be involved and Justin was sure that everything he felt for Alonsha was gone.
Well, not all of it, but most of it. He still loved her scent. Her smile continued to have its captivating effect and the movements of her curves still held their hypnotic feel. That was okay though, right? It's perfectly normal to find your ex attractive. . .
"What the. . ." Justin mumbled as the delighted cheers of the guests rang throughout his home, knocking him out of his trance. He stood and made his way out to the back doors to see what all the hype was about. As he slid open the glass barriers, his eyes caught sight of Alonsha's form, slightly tucked beneath Adam's arm. Her hair was out in layers that curled around her face. A clear gloss enhanced the fullness of her lips. The black dress she wore hugged her body, embellishing every curve she had to offer. The gold jewelry she wore seemed to add to the glow of her brown skin.
"Damn. . ." Justin murmured before shutting his gaping mouth. He looked around to make sure nobody noticed his reaction before he straightened out his navy jacket and baby blue dress shirt. Justin took a moment to check his breath by gently breathing into the palm of his hand. The smell of alcohol hit him instantly and he dug into his pocket for a mint.
Meanwhile, Alonsha was making herself known by greeting everybody that took the time to show up. Her warm smile and the aura of confidence were a sight to behold. Before, she would've crumbled beneath all the attention, but now, she was soaking it in and becoming extremely comfortable with it all.
"Jay," Alonsha greeted softly as she approached him. Adam had stopped somewhere along her way down here to speak with Chris, so Alonsha was left alone with Justin in a quiet section of the pool area. Justin nearly choked on the peppermint in his mouth the moment her voice entered his ears.
"Hey, girl," Justin said, "Happy birthday." Alonsha smiled as Justin opened his arms to her. She accepted his embrace as well as the tender kiss he placed on her forehead. Their hug ended and Justin secretly took in her floral scent.
"I'm sorry I'm late, but Adam left something at his place, so we had to drive all the way back. . ."
"Don't worry about it," Justin interrupted, not wanting to know the gruesome details, "It's fine, really." Alonsha smiled softly and nodded.
"Everything's so beautiful," she commented, "I love the decorations."
"All courtesy of Tiffany," Justin informed her, "I take no credit."
"But you should," She smiled, "You're the one that gave us a place to have this party, not to mention the funds to pay for it all." Justin grinned shyly and scratched his cheek.
"Well, you know," he stammered, "It's the least I could do. It is your birthday, ya know. . ."
"Ugh, don't remind me," Alonsha muttered, "I'm older. How lovely?" Justin chuckled at her sarcasm.
"You don't look a day over twenty-two," Justin teased, causing Alonsha to playfully punch his arm, "But seriously, you look. . . good."
"Thanks, so do you." Justin wasn't expecting the blush that took over his face. He mentally kicked himself for being so boyish around her.
"Thanks, I appreciate that." Before their conversation could go any further, Adam's form came into view as he placed a small kiss on Alonsha's cheek.
"Here's your drink," he said, handing Alonsha an ice tea, "Hey, man." Justin shook Adam's extended hand and smiled.
"What's up?" he asked with a genuine interest.
"Nothing much," Adam replied, "You?" Justin shrugged and sucked on the mint in his mouth.
"Nothing out of the ordinary." Adam nodded before turning to Alonsha.
"Chris wanted to talk to me about the expansion thing, so I'm going to be by the gate," he informed her, pointing in the direction of the entrance. Alonsha nodded and watched as Adam made his way through the crowd. Justin's eyes were focused on the alluring amount of cleavage that was exposed by the v-shaped dip in Alonsha's dress. He tried his best not to be obvious, but the moment Alonsha turned her head to face him, he snapped his eyes away from her, evoking some suspicion.
"You okay?" Alonsha asked him timidly as he took on a flush appearance of embarrassment. Justin nodded and smiled sheepishly.
"Yeah, I'm good." She raised a brow, but decided not to push it.
"So, did Cameron show up?"
"Yeah, I saw her earlier."
"She still hates me, huh?"
"Nah, just seriously dislikes you." They laughed and shifted in their standing positions.
"That's one way of putting it," Alonsha smiled, "Hopefully she'll be nice to me for the sake of my birthday." Justin shrugged.
"Hey, no guarantees." Alonsha shook her head in disbelief and sighed.
"Did my fam show up?" Alonsha questioned, referring to Allison and the rest of the gang. Justin gestured toward the bar.
"Al and Tiff are up there, and I could've sworn I saw Scott go inside," Justin replied.
"No Jare?" Alonsha questioned.
"Yeah, Farah had to go to the bathroom," Justin smiled, "Or 'wee-wee' as she so eloquently put it." They shared a laugh and Justin couldn't help but find her giggle endearing.
"You want to get something to eat?" Alonsha asked as they settled down.
"Sure," Justin answered, "I'm starving."
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
"Happy birthday to you. . .Happy birthday to you. . .Happy birthday dear Alonsha. . . Happy birthday to you!" Everybody cheered and clapped as Alonsha looked over her two story chocolate cake and blew out all of the candles. Jared snapped a photo of the moment before taking a picture of her cutting the first slice.
"Okay, who wants cake?" Lynn asked, taking over the cake cutting duties. A million hands went up and everybody laughed as Joey threw up both his arms. Lynn ordered everybody to form a line and the guests did as told. Justin and Alonsha were the first two to receive cake, then Tiffany and Allison. Adam allowed Cameron to get in front of him, and they got their slices together.
"This is my song!" Tiffany shouted as NERD's "She Wants To Move" blared from the speakers. Everybody laughed as she began to wiggle around, grabbing Alonsha's hand in the process. They attempted a salsa rendition while everybody laughed on the sidelines. Farah skipped out toward them and they formed a ring by holding hands. As they spun around, Cameron glanced over at Justin who seemed to be completely mesmerized by the scene in front of him, a smile spread across his face as he clapped to the beat.
Once again, his attention was on Alonsha and not her. Cameron wouldn't be surprised if he forgot she existed. She had been watching his interactions with Alonsha for most of the night. Cameron saw the way he hugged and kissed her when she first arrived. She watched them eat off each other's plates, trading candies and fruits. And she also had the pleasure of seeing him checking her out on more than one occasion.
At the moment, Cameron disliked Justin instead of Alonsha. She was beginning to see that he was the problem. But, she shouldn't really blame him. He's not the one wearing some skimpy halter dress with boobs hanging out all over the place. . .
Cameron sighed as she self-consciously stared down at her chest. Nothing hanging out down there. Her cyan eyes glanced up the moment she felt someone staring at her. From across the pool, she spotted Justin raising a brow in her direction, a teasing smile across his pink lips. He pointed to his chest, mocking her, before his face contorted with confusion. Cameron discreetly flipped him off and walked away, leaving him completely baffled.
Her Prada heels clicked against the concrete as she marched up the lit pathway to the entrance gate. A few people turned their heads and waved shyly. Cameron decided to offer a weak smile before trudging on. She had no idea where she was going, but she felt like the crowd and noise were overwhelming. Besides, she couldn't take another moment of Justin ogling at Alonsha and her goodies.
She began to shuffle through the Coach bag that was slung over her shoulder. Her fingers hooked up a hoop on her keys, lifting them out. It only took her a moment to get inside of her Toyota Hybrid and drive off. She rolled down the windows and allowed the warm breeze to blow over her. A wisp of hair few over her eye and she went to brush it away. To her surprise, her fingers were moistened by her tears. She didn't know she was crying, but she had a clue why. Cameron could already sense what was happening.
And it was breaking her heart.
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