Southern Comfort (9781622863747)

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Table of Contents

For my good friend Sadiece “Dice” Holland and
our Epic European Adventure.

I AM SPARTACUS!

Yes, I literally jumped up and yelled that as I pressed save on my computer. This book was the most difficult writing experience of my whole career but I fucking did it!! This is my first full-length novel since
Full Circle
and the
Choices
series. I loved that writing experience so much that it made it very difficult to write this book. I completely questioned my writing ability. Was
Choices
just some amazing fluke? Could I write a full book without the comfort of my regular characters? I thought about having a cameo from Lena or Cooley, but decided it was best to leave the series alone and focus on writing something else. I still fear that people are going to hate this book, and honestly some people might, but I hope people love it as much as I loved writing it.

Sitting here listening to my beloved Bruno Mars, I am reflecting on this amazing year I had. Not only did I go out of the country for the first time, but I went to six amazing places in that one trip alone. Also I attended two comic book conventions, and attended another amazing Bruno Mars concert. This honestly was the best year of my life and I still have four more months left in the year. I still wake up sometimes wishing I was still standing at the Coliseum or walking down an alley in Venice.

There are three people I want to mention in this dedication and those are the three people who got me out of my comfort zone this year.

First and the big one is Sadiece. There were so many times that I sat around wanting to go to new places and even times that trips were planned but fell through with other people. Yet while sitting on Facebook messenger I told you I wanted to go to Europe and you said “sure, why not.” From there we planned the Epic European Adventure. Most people thought I was never going to go through with it, but we did. Thank you for showing me your world and letting me see that everything doesn't have to go according to plan, and that I have to go with the flow sometimes. From coffee shops and French fries in Amsterdam to watching me live one of my dreams of yelling “I am Spartacus” in the Coliseum, I can't thank you enough for actually going on the trip with me. I can't wait to see more places and get more stamps in my passport now. You bloody rock! (Yes, I had to say bloody at least one time.)

The other two people I need to mention are Maya and Aaliyah. You guys have no idea how happy I am to have met you. Besides our love for Spartacus, with you guys I have been able to feel comfortable in my own skin and do things that even I felt I would never do. I can't wait for us to have more adventures together.

Lastly I want to thank my fans who I cherish so much. I continue to do this because you guys keep me motivated. I stalled for so long on this book simply because I didn't want to let you guys down and I know this book is going to be different but I hope you all like it.

So to everyone, stop being afraid to try new things and don't let fear keep you from going places you've always wanted to go. Take some time, plan the trip, give yourself enough time to pay for it, and GO. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Willow ran her hand against the wall until finally finding the light switch. She turned on the lights and stood in her empty flat. Everything looked the same outside of the table covered with fashion and design magazines. She was rather surprised to find it tidy besides the layers of dust on her ceiling fan and furniture pieces Piper probably never used. She knew she could trust her friend Piper to pick up her mail and watch her television, but cleaning was out of her friendship pay grade.

Willow put her suitcase on the floor and walked to her bedroom. The bed was unmade, probably due to Piper using her place after a long night of partying. Her closet door was open. She knew Piper probably had a few of her dresses in her possession. She would have to do inventory on another day.

Willow fell back on her bed. She wondered if Piper slept with anyone in her bed. As much as the idea grossed her out, it wasn't enough to make her get up. She was exhausted and only wanted to rest. She pulled her large comforter over her head, blocking the sunlight coming in through her window.

It was quiet; the darkness had a calming effect over her. Her last day at home played vividly in her mind. She could hear her father's voice crystal clear alerting her that his cancer was back and more aggressive. Nothing else mattered. She threw a few clothes in a bag and left and she hadn't been back for almost a year. Willow stayed with her father at the family estate until he took his final breath.

A looming feeling of uncertainty filled her. What was next for her? She no longer had school or family obligations. After making her father happy and completing university she followed her dream and completed London College of Fashion. Just as she was ready to attack the fashion world she got the call from her father. For the first time in her life she was completely free to do whatever she wanted to do.

Could she just pick up where she left off? She thought about interning with a fashion designer, or possibly opening her own little store selling her original designs. The thought of fashion seemed trivial while her father was sick, and even thinking of it now didn't light the fire inside she expected it to. The thought of any kind of work only made her feel more exhausted.

Traveling entered her mind. With the money her father left her she was able to do anything she wanted. The idea of going anywhere she wanted to go did sound exciting. She was already well traveled. She had been to practically every major country in Europe. Maybe it was time to tackle another region, Asia, or even America.

An emptiness settled in the pit of her stomach. Who would she travel with? She knew Piper would be down but they had different ideas of travel. Where Willow wanted to really dive into the culture and history of a place, Piper only wanted to experience the nightlife. She remembered their trip to Amsterdam: while she explored the amazing museums, Piper slept off the hangover from the night before.

Willow pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. She scrolled to a name on her contact list. She stared at the picture of Lisa, the last woman she had dated before her father got sick. Lisa was a sexy, aggressive DJ she met out one night with Piper, and they spent many steamy nights together. But Willow knew it wouldn't be anything more. Lisa might have been hot but she lacked any depth to her. Willow couldn't hold a single real conversation with Lisa outside of what was going on in the gay world of London.

Willow sighed. The one thing she knew for sure was that she wanted to finally meet someone special. Willow spent countless nights holding on to a teddy bear and crying herself to sleep while her father was sick. It made her long for something real, something that she watched in movies and read in books. Willow wondered, were soul mates real? Could she have a deeper connection with someone outside of just the physical? It had to exist, and she wanted to find . . . It.

Willow knew there was only one person to call. She picked up her phone, scrolling to her only real friend's phone number.

“Willz, darling, how the hell are ya?” a bubbly voice echoed through the phone.

Willow pressed the speaker button on her phone. “Hey, Piper, I'm back.”

Willow couldn't help but shake her head as her friend let out a high pitched squeal.

“I am headed to Johnny's house for a house party. I'm totally on my way to pick you up. It's time for you to have some fun again.”

Before Willow could protest Piper hung the phone up. Willow sighed. She didn't want to go but the idea of spending the night in her dusty flat didn't sound fun either. She got up, pulled her curly hair back into a ponytail, and headed to her shower.

 

 

The party was filled with the same faces Willow always saw. She greeted people and answered the same questions she was asked all night like where had she been and was she still single. Two girls who had already tried to talk to her at previous parties attempted to try their luck again. Willow smiled, turning them down just as easily as she did the first time.

Piper was in rare form as usual. Like most of the people from their boarding school, Piper was rich and finished school only to become a socialite. Her long, blond hair hung down her back almost reaching the overpriced jeans that were so tight everyone knew she couldn't have on underwear with them.

“Willz, dance with me,” Piper slurred as she wrapped her long arms around Willow.

Willow swayed to the music with her friend who was obviously very drunk. Piper hung on to her in an attempt to stay on both feet. Willow quickly noticed a few people watching them, in hopes that the dance would turn into a heavy make-out session, something that usually happened when Piper danced with women.

“Pipe, I think I'm going to head home,” Willow shouted over the loud music.

“Why? We just bloody got here,” Piper protested.

“We have been here three hours, hon.”

Piper took a step back. The confused look on her face let Willow know that she had obviously lost track of time as usual.

“Okay, let me get my coat and we can head out,” Piper said before disappearing in the crowd.

Willow walked over to the door. Three minutes passed and there was no sign of Piper. Willow made her way through the crowded dance floor only to find Piper talking to her ex-girlfriend Corrie. Willow sighed. She was very familiar with the back and forth dance that Corrie and Piper continued to dance.

“Hey, Pipe, I'm gonna grab a cab and get out of here,” Willow said as she walked up to the two women.

“See, you idiot, you made me forget I was leaving with Willow,” Piper yelled at her ex.

“Hey, Corrie,” Willow said to the spiky-haired butch girl.

Corrie nodded her head while holding on to Piper. “Hey, Willow, it's been a long time. Don't worry, I'll make sure she gets home safe,” Corrie said in her soft voice.

Willow nodded her head and turned around, hearing Piper yelling at Corrie the whole time. Willow grabbed the first black cab she saw. She stared at the lights of her city passing landmarks that visitors gawked at on a daily basis. Soon they were on her quiet street. She paid the cab driver and headed to her flat.

Even though the idea of a tumultuous relationship like Piper and Corrie's had made her want to cringe, she couldn't help but admire the fact that they would end up spending the night together. As Willow crawled into her favorite side of her bed, she wondered when someone would occupy the other half.

 

 

“So are you going to say anything?”

It felt like high noon in the loft that Katrina and Saura shared together. Saura ran her fingers through her wavy black hair. She stood on the opposite side of the room watching her girlfriend, who was sitting in a chair looking at the floor. This moment had played through Saura's head a million times in the last three weeks. She expected a much different reaction. She expected her hard but gentle girlfriend to try to get her to stay. She expected anger, tears, resentment, but never silence.

“Tree, please say something,” Saura begged, unsure of how to handle the silence between them.

Katrina stared at her right foot. She had never been so happy to have on one of her many pairs of Jordans; the thick shoe hid the fact that her feet wouldn't stop trembling. She never knew why, but whenever she was upset her feet would be the first thing to start trembling.

“When are you leaving?”

Katrina asked the question but wouldn't raise her head. She couldn't look at her beautiful girlfriend in that moment. She knew that looking at her would break her and that was the one thing she didn't want. In the back of her mind she always knew Memphis was a rest stop for Saura; she was stunningly beautiful. Katrina always joked with Saura that her African American mother and Asian father broke the mold when they created her, which was why she didn't have any siblings. Saura's Asian bloodline showed in her long, wavy hair that came down to the middle of her butt, and her tight brown eyes. However, she got her body from her mother. Saura was tall with a curvy body with hips and ass that Katrina couldn't get enough of.

“Three days,” Saura responded.

Katrina took a deep breath. It was now very obvious that she was upset; even her shoe couldn't hide the shaking. She knew the day was coming. Saura had been dabbling in modeling locally for a long time. All the best photographers in the city had shot her and called her whenever they had a special project they wanted to shoot just for their personal portfolios. She was making a name for herself, now working as a spokesmodel for the local promotional teams for liquor companies and Coors beer. She had mentioned expanding but it was always just a passing thought. Katrina never saw her actually trying to do anything. All of a sudden she had an agent who was flying her out to Los Angeles and putting her up in a model house with a bunch of other models.

“Saura, damn! I need a better explanation. I didn't even know you were looking for an agent.”

“I didn't want to say anything because I didn't know if anything was ever going to come of it. But when they contacted me I knew that I needed to look into this.”

“And when exactly did they contact you?” Katrina finally looked up at her girlfriend who was nervously fidgeting with a piece of her hair.

“A few weeks ago,” Saura mumbled under her breath.

Katrina's eyes felt like they were going to pop out of her head. “Wait what did you just say?” Katrina shook her head in disbelief.

“I got the offer about a month ago.” Saura threw her head down. Now she couldn't look at Katrina.

Without even knowing Katrina jumped out of the chair. “You are fucking kidding me. So you knew you were going to do this shit a month ago and you waited 'til three days before you leave to fucking tell me?” Katrina's whole body was trembling.

Saura finally raised her head and looked at Katrina. “I was scared; I didn't know how to tell you.”

“How about the same way you are telling me now!” Katrina threw her hands up. “Fuck, Saura, how could you fucking do this?”

“I was scared. I didn't want to hurt you and I also didn't want you trying to change my mind.”

Katrina's whole body froze. She fell back down in the chair putting her hands on her mouth. Recent memories started flashing in her mind. Things were starting to make sense. Saura was suddenly constantly taking clothes to Goodwill claiming she didn't want them anymore. She had already gotten rid of most of her winter clothes, Katrina knew now she wouldn't need sweaters and coats in L.A.

“Tree, I love you so much and I knew that if I told you either you would try to get me to stay or you would try to follow me. You have your trip to Europe coming up and your restaurant. I couldn't let you stop all of that just for me.”

“Our trip,”

“What?”

“It was supposed to be our trip to Europe. Remember that, Saura? It was the trip we planned together.”

“I know, Tree, but this is my dream, just like Europe and the restaurant is your dream. I can't let you not go, just like I can't say no to this.”

Katrina was at a loss for words. She knew that Saura was right. She always wanted to be a chef and one day open a restaurant. She graduated top of her culinary class and was finally taking the trip to Europe she always wanted to take. Their plan to spend the month hitting different countries and trying different foods and wines was something Katrina had been waiting for. They were supposed to leave in a week; now she didn't want to go at all.

“You could have told me. We could have had time to work this out. We are in a relationship, Saura, we can make this work.”

Katrina noticed the tears falling down Saura's face. She opened her arms as Saura walked up to her. Saura sat in her lap and Katrina wrapped her arms around her. Katrina wanted to break down but she wasn't going to allow herself to. She didn't want Saura knowing the truth. She was worried.

“Don't cry, babe, this can be a good thing for both of us. We are getting all the things that we dreamed about. One day we will be the power couple. The hot chef and the supermodel.” Katrina smiled.

Saura turned her face to Katrina. She pressed her lips against Katrina's.

Katrina never imagined falling in love. She always saw herself as the lone wolf who only had temporary affairs. Things changed the moment Saura walked into the club. She had to have her, and so did every other stud in the building. However, Katrina was the one who won the prize in the end, and they had been together for two years strong.

Saura stood up in front of Katrina. She didn't want to think about either one of their upcoming trips. She pulled the string holding her halter dress around her neck. The dress slid down her body until falling to the floor. Her matching blue bra and panties set looked like it was painted on her.