Pleasurable Expectations

f o r t y

Sienna looked at me, her head angling towards me as her brow scrunched in confusion. "The light turned on? What does that mean, Ara?"

I took a moment. My eyes found my screen once again before I clicked the power button off. Jeremiah Diamond was the CEO of Diamond Jewelers, and I somehow managed to miss that. I trusted everything that he said that I never once thought to try and fact check him; I just took his word as law.

"Y'all better come in and claim your stuff before the night ends," Heaven said as she cluelessly entered the conversation. "Si, you got that purse you put way too much money on."

Sienna turned to face Heaven, her arms wrapped around her body as she looked at my sister. Heaven took one glance over to me before something clicked.

Her eyes darted between Sienna and me. "What happened?"

"That's what I'm tryna figure out right now," Sienna said, her eyes flickering over to me.

"What's happening is I think I have to go," I said after a moment. I nodded my head slowly as I formed a plan.

"Go? Go where?" Sienna turned her gaze onto Heaven, both of their faces a picture of confusion. "Can you explain before you dip out?"

I steeled my posture, a terse smile on my face as I looked between the two women in front of me. How am I supposed to explain that Jeremiah has been lying for the entire duration of our relationship? To explain that I've just been completely blindsided by my boyfriend getting featured in some luxury jewelry magazine?

"Check the latest issue of Instore that dropped," I instructed with the nod of my head.

Heaven and Sienna shared a look before they took out their phones and did as I said. I watched their mouths drop in shock before they scrolled through the pages. Their eyes found my face before their faces softened.

I let out a small laugh as my expression fell. The initial feelings of realization and surprise had simmered, leaving behind a jabbing feeling of betrayal and hurt. That subtle quirk in my lips gradually fell as I watched my sisters' faces go through the stages of realization—confusion, shock, and then sympathy.

I cleared my throat and pressed my lips into a thin line. "As you can see, I've gotta talk to Jeremiah about something, and I'm not about to do this over the phone." I pulled out my phone and found the soonest flight to Baltimore.

"You're about to fly to Maryland? Right now?" Sienna asked as she took a few steps towards me.

"Mm, maybe the train's faster?"

"How about we sort this out before you step foot on a train," Heaven said as she grabbed my phone from my hands. "One of the worst forms of public transportation." She grimaced as she shook her head.

I ignored Heaven as I raised a finger. "I could rent a car, drive out there."

"And we're for sure not gonna have you drive three hours right now. You could at least call a service," Heaven said as she shot down another idea.

"Venna, she's not listening," Sienna observed. "This is crisis mode right here, just throwing out stupid ideas to try and make something shake."

"Well, what do you want me to do then?" I exclaimed as my attention pulled to them. "I'm not about to sit on this 'til the end of the week; that's dead! We're about to sort this shit out—tonight. He lost any understanding he had from me soon as I found out he's just some lying ass—"

"Alright," Sienna said as her hands found my shoulders. "Venna is gonna call a car to the airport while I scramble a jet so it's ready when you get there and call King."