Read Fifty Shades of Jungle Fever for Free Online Page B

nervous as goldfish in a house full of cats. “Thanks,” I say. “That’s real sweet, Princess Danai.”
    “Call me Darnelle,” she says. “I only let my close friends call me by my real name.”
    “I’m so glad you consider me a friend.” She has her arms on either side of me pinning me against the bar across the bottom half of the glass wall. I turn in the circle of her arms, and using the guise of bracing myself, push her back off me. “As a new friend, I have a proposition for you that might prove beneficial for us both.”
    Grinning, she folds her arms and cocks her head to one side. “You ain’t no gold-digging groupie, are you? You didn’t look like one when I ran into you in Tristan’s office.”
    “No way,” I say. “I’m a business woman, and I know you are, too. I want us to be real friends, not just somebody you kick it with a minute, and then kick me to the curb. I have a lucrative proposition I want to run by you. A legit opportunity that will make you even more beloved by your Chicago-land fans.”
    “I’m listening,” she says. She waves her hand at Blake. “I’ve seen dat niggah's show a hundred times. It ain’t all that. Let’s sit down and have a drink while you tell me about this opportunity. Shit, I’m always looking for ways to keep my money. On the real, yo.”
    We sit close on the plush leather loveseat, and I go through as much as I remember of the business plan. I want to kick myself when I realize that along with my purse, Tristan White still has the copy that Jada gave me.
    When I tell her how Kente Studio Records is different from other studios, having the record and music store component, and location in a neighborhood where we can screen talent to refer to entrepreneurs in the music business like herself, she seems genuinely interested.
    She smiles when I’m done. “You sure I can’t talk you into us becoming better friends if I can get you another backer for your business? Tristan White fronted me when I started. He’s always looking for business ventures to invest in. I can’t believe he didn’t jump on this.”
    “Oh, he tried to jump on something all right.”
    Princess Danai’s eyebrows rise. “Word?”
    “Gospel,” I say.
    “I’ve seen that stud with a lot of chicks, but never a sistah.”
    “And I ain’t trying to be his first chocolate beck-and-call girl, if you know what I’m sayin’.” Liar, liar, pants on fire, my Triple-G chants.
    Princess Danai nods. “I hear you, baby.”
    “I’ll tell you what,” I say. “My business partner, Jada Jameson will be back on Monday. Let’s get together one day next week and hash this out. What do you say?”
    Princess Danai scans my figure and thinks for a few seconds. “A’ight, deal.”
    “You won’t regret this, Darnelle,” I say. “If you’ll give me your digits, I’ll call and make an appointment with you on Monday.”
    “How bout you give me your digits, and I’ll have my assistant call you first thing Monday to set up an appointment.”
    I recite my cell phone number, and she programs it into her Smartphone. I grip my clutch and stand, but Princess Danai takes my hand and pulls me back down on the loveseat. “Come on, baby girl. Having a drink to seal the deal is business 101.”
    I sit and cross my legs. Princess Danai signals a waitress and orders a bottle of Cristal, the official Champagne of rappers. I want to roll my eyes, but I smile until the waitress comes back with a chilled bottle in a bucket and two champagne glasses.
    We are on glass number two when Byron shows up.
    “So, you know my ex?” He shouts to Princess Danai over the music. Princess Danai looks askance at me, and I shrug. I lean into her and whisper. “You were right. He ain’t all that.” She laughs.
    Byron scowls, and I remember, he hates it when people whisper around him. He’s paranoid like that. However, he lets his face relax into impassivity, and I wonder if he really scowled.
    Byron signals a