Butterfly Weeks

Dip and Nicki were out shopping again that week. This was the first and last week that Nicki had stayed over at her house and they had been making moves all week and going shopping as if they didn't have things to do. Dip would keep tabs on Nicki and report back to Safaree. It was the end of January and it was time for their business meeting. Of course, everyone would be there and they hoped everything was going to go smoothly. Dip marveled at the dress that Nicki had on. It was a black sleeveless, one shoulder black figure fitting dress that she had dressed up in all gold accessories and a nice gold pump.  She looked up then back down as Dip just stared as if she had seen God for the first time in her life.

"What? You don't like..."

"Bitch, if you weren't like a sis to me, I'd fuck this dress into your skin."

"Oh my... You think he would like it?"

"Bitch, he'd be stupid not to love it."

They both signaled for the girl at the register. Her eyes roamed over Nicki and she smiled admiring her body in the outfit. 

"That looks perfect on you."

"Thanks, I'll take it and any other color of this dress you have."

"Really?"

"Positive."

Dip and Nicki responded. The dress made her feel sexy and the attention she was getting boosted her ego. Actually, this week had changed her for the better. She had finally been able to live on her own and provide for herself. She had even found a condo near the home she bought for her mom. She loved it and had it decorated white and black with lots of pictures of herself on the wall, her family and one of her and Safaree.  

"Dip, we're going to be late... Come on."

"We won't, we'll make it there."

"You sure?"

"Positive, just pay for this stuff and lets go."

Nicki laughed at her now rushing her. Nicki paid for the things and grabbed the bags that had her clothes neatly folded up with a free bag if you spent over 500$ in the store. Nicki walked out the store in the new outfit and every man's head the turned to watch her. Dip laughed as a man bumped into a wall watching her. They got in the car and headed to the meeting that they were now officially late for.

Nicki was irritated that Paula once again had the floor, Safaree wasn't speaking up and Dave and Dip were just sitting there like mules. She stood up and hit her fist on the table getting everyone to turn her way. Paula rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. She didn't too much care for Nicki anymore after their last encounter which Nicki had told her to get the stick out of her ass and stop trying to run everyone else.

"I'm not a fucking product or an object, I don't belong to shit, Paula. And from this day forward everything involving me, needs to be run by me. I'm not doing the People's interview because that's not my thing and it's not my time. The Men's magazine, I'll do and I want a new manager, new style team and accountant."

She stated looking towards Safaree. He nodded his head then wrote it down. She stepped around and headed for the board that Paula had up that was mapped out for the next few weeks, press, interviews and other things.

"I'm not doing any press, none. There's ten interviews, I'm only doing these four, I don't want to be in a cigarette commercial, I'm not promoting that. I'll do the wine commercial and I'll model for the clothing designers. Give him my measurements."

Nicki grabbed her bag and waited for anyone to say something, but none of them said anything just stared at her with amazement. Safaree had a smirk on his face as he wrote down what she had said. He knew she had the boss in her and he loved it. Nicki shrugged then walked over to him and placed her hand on top of his. He looked up masking his smirk with a straight face.

"Meet me."

She grabbed the pen from his hand and wrote down an address. He looked at her to see if she was serious and the look she was giving him read nothing short of seriousness. She placed it back between his fingers then tapped his shoulder. She looked back at everyone else around the table before asking.

"We done or you guys still want to listen to the lecture because I'm out? Safaree be there by 5 or you won't be getting in."

She clutched her purse tightly in her hand as she walked out with Dip following behind her. They both walked down the office building hall towards the elevator. The heels were irritating her feet along with the ringing of Paula's voice. Dumb bitch. She sighed heavily then kicked off her shoe one at a time and quickly stepped into her house shoes that she snatched out of her bag.

"Woah, Miss Feisty, I've never seen you like this before. I like this new you."

"This isn't new, I just let someone muse me for two years too long."

"Webb?"

"Sure."

She answered not really wanting to talk about him to tough. Dip sensed it and didn't question her anymore. They both stepped off the elevator and walked down the first row of cars then made a quick left towards Nicki's Pink G35. Once both were situated Dip began a conversation that they both weren't expecting.

"What changed you? You never been the boss leveled girl you are now."

"A good guy wanting more for me than for himself and at the same time, I'm ready to be on my own and have my own, so I don't have to depend on a nigga no more."

"Is that why you moved into your own place?"

"No, I moved in to my own place because now I can finally afford to do so and it's a new found freedom."

"I like your mind. You remind me of me."

"You? I'm far from you.."

"In the mind, you aren't. What I do with my business, you aren't too far behind, but you aren't ready for the stuff I do."

"Really?"

"Really, better ask your boy."

"Who? Faree.. Please, he's so sweet."

"You really don't know that man.."

Dip laughed while looking over at her puzzled face. 

"Safaree ain't always been the man he is today. He sweet on the ladies, but he's always been a one woman man."

"What does that mean?"

"How do you think he knows how to flip money? It ain't cause he was a cute little rich kid with a silver spoon in his mouth. His Dad was King of Crack and moving weights."

"What?!"

Nicki came to a halt in the middle of the street then made a whole U-turn because she had missed their street. Dip laughed weirdly as the car began moving slowly down the right street. Nicki looked over at her then stopped completely.

"Why doesn't he talk about his father?"

"The same reason none of us do. Nan raised us and that's our father. Back in the day, it was Safaree, Webb, Dave and I.. Leslie and Paula didn't come in until we were in high school selling crack to the other high schoolers and shit."

"Really? Safaree selling..."

"He was the best at it and most of the time all he had to do was smile that damn smirk." She shook her head. "My Dad was King of the Mafia, who sold drugs to his dad and that's how we became cool. They wanted us to marry, but I liked girls even then and he was cool with us being friends. We family."

"How did you start all these businesses tho?"

"That was the plan, always... Girl, drive."

Nicki laughed and started the car back up and headed towards Dip's house.

"Safaree wanted to be on top of shit like his father, but legally.. So he found ways to make the money flip were it couldn't be tracked down and the FEDs couldn't take none the shit he bought for his family. I on the other hand was too deep in, I'm a Mafia princess and that's with you forever even if you're clean."

"So you're clean? You still get him to flip your money tho?"

"Because I'm not clean."

She tapped her nose and chuckled. Dip was as dirty as they got. The Mafia money and riches were deep rooted into her mind, that wasn't the life she was giving up. By the eleventh grade her and Safaree had decided to go to school to be lawyers just to trick the system, but things changed once they got there. One of them had to be clean in case of a bust down and because Safaree had family and a new fiancé they decided on him. Everything had been good since then, but Webb was still heavy in the game and trying to keep them down with him. Neither of them pressured into it and kept their eyes on the plan at hand without him. 

"Lloyd's a good dude don't get me wrong, but he ain't up for talking too much about his past and family."

"He'll come around, Nan told me."

Dip simply nodded because she couldn't say  Nan was wrong. Nan was a reader and she knew people, if anything better than they knew themselves. They pulled up outside of Dip's house and sat in silence before she spoke up before getting out of the car.

"I might show you a few things or more about business and when to stick your hand in and take what's yours,"

"I'm all ears."

They both laughed as she shut the door. Nicki backed out the drive way and raced down the street towards her home. She had two hours to get ready for her visitor.

Nicki was laying on her stomach on top of him as they stared at each other. Nicki wanted to show him her new place and all the pictures. He hated the picture of them because he looked upset in it, but she adored it. She ended up cooking for them both then they watched movies and snacked. 

"Nicki, yo, move your leg off my dick."

"Small balls, I didn't even feel anything on my leg."

"Right."

He stated as she smirked while pulling herself up on his body. He laughed at her looking like a small child on his chest as she looked up at him with her big browns. He rubbed through her hair and kissed her forehead.

"I'm glad you let me come."

"You said you were ready. I'm surprised it was so soon."

"It's been a week and nigga was going nuts not being able to call you up until I was fully ready. Where we at tho?"

"Friends. You owe me, I'm not forgiving that easy. Plus, you aren't ready. You just missed me."

"For real?"

"For real."

"I'm a show you."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

She yawned then wrapped her arms securely around his neck and with in second all he could hear was her light breathing. He rubbed a finger against her jaw and looked down into her soft face. He shifted then moved over to the side gently letting her slid onto her bed. He grabbed his keys and slid on his shoes. He kissed her forehead then took a piece of receipt paper out of his pocket and wrote a note:

I left through the back door.

I'll see you in a couple of weeks.

I'm going to show you, I'm ready.

For real this time.

[The Week After] 

[January 25- 31]

Monday was a drag that morning in Nicki's house. She was doing a phone interview about what inspired her to market and dance at bars and such across the nation. The interview was going well, as Nicki's manager,  Brittany and PR, Tom sat next to her kind of coaching her on what to say and what not to say. To simply keep it short with these interviewers because they could twist things. After she was done with the interviews she looked down at her personal phone and sighed. He hadn't called in a week and it was annoying her that he didn't spend the night last time they were together. She had read the note, but wasn't expecting him to go MIA. He wasn't returning her calls, text or pages. That was annoying and upsetting her.  She couldn't go over to his place because he hadn't been there since she left and the condo was just temporary so she didn't know where he was.

"Still no call?"

"No, I'm worried.. I didn't mean to run him off."

"You didn't, he'd be crazy to run from you, he may just be taking some..."

They both looked towards the door as the bell began ringing. The person at the door kept ringing it until she got to the door. There was a man with a dark beard and a straw hanging out of his mouth. She kept the door closed and talked to him from behind it.

"Who are you?"

"This is a Sing-A-Gram for Onika Maraj."

"Huh?"

She looked out to see four more black guys come around the corner and start humming some country song. She bust out laughing from behind the door then opened it to see if there was someone else out there. They smiled then the tune changed and they began singing a harmonized version of All My Life by K- Ci & Jo Jo. She was amused to say the least as the older black guy took pictures of her then placed his camera down around his neck. He removed the fake beard and straw from his mouth to show a finely cut older guy.

"This is for you."

He passed her a card and she opened it right away. There was a sketch on the card of her and Safaree when they were in the carriage. She awed before opening it and finding an invitation on it.

At midnight be at the Park

On the fourth day of the second month.

Your favorite park.

Catch a cab and don't wear heels.

    - SLS