Time to Shine (19 page)

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Authors: Nikki Carter

BOOK: Time to Shine
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21
M
y “entourage” is crammed into Gia's and my room, so that we can discuss our new proposed living arrangements. I'm close to making an offer on a mansion in foreclosure. It was appraised at two million dollars, but in this economy, my Realtor told me that if I offered four hundred thousand, I should get it. If not, I'll keep shopping. I'm not in a hurry, and I know exactly how much I want to spend. My mother thinks that I haven't taken many of the lessons she taught me, but I have. One thing she taught me is to never spend
all
of your money. Not unless you want to be broke. No, ma'am, I do not.
“So, how much rent do y'all think you can afford a month?” I ask.
Hope replies, “Well . . . I maybe can handle two hundred a month. I think I can get my dad to do that much.”
“Since I'm getting a job,” Gia says, “I can probably do that too.”
“So, if we each pay two hundred a month, that's like twelve hundred dollars,” Kevin says. “What about the utilities? Is the house really big?”
“It's six thousand square feet,” I say. “And it is my house, so I will pay the water, sewer, gas, and electric. I think it's fair for you all to pay the cable, phone, Internet, and pool cleaning.”
“There's a pool?” DeShawn asks.
“Like I would buy a house in scorching-hot Atlanta without a pool.”
DeShawn walks over and hugs me. “You are the best thing that's happened to me since I started school. Will you marry me?”
I laugh out loud. “No!”
“I have something important to say,” Kevin announces. “I can only go along with this living arrangement if there are rules.”
“What kind of rules?” Piper asks. “If we wanted rules, we could stay on campus.”
“No, I agree with Kevin,” Gia says. “My mother would never approve if this was just some kind of free-for-all. When I told her about it, she said she wants to visit.”
Kevin nods. “I think every bedroom should have a lock, and that everyone should take care to be fully clothed.”
Piper bursts into laughter. “Okay . . .”
“I like Kevin's rules,” I say. “I want us to all have fun living together, but we should make sure we don't have any uncomfortable situations.”
“Right,” Ricky says. “Listen, I honestly don't know if I can do this. I'll try it, but if I can't . . . uh . . . concentrate on my studies, I'm going back on campus.”
I say, “Fair enough. It's your choice.”
“Didn't you say you were having a recording studio put into the house?” Gia asks. “Is that going to be noisy?”
“Actually, no,” I say. “There's a mother-in-law suite in the back of the house. It's totally separate. That's where the studio is going to be. Speaking of that, Piper, I want to hire you to do the appointments and book studio time. I'm going to rent it out to aspiring artists.”
“You are such a businesswoman,” DeShawn says. “I love that about you.”
Everyone bursts into laughter at DeShawn and his declarations of love.
“Do y'all want to take a tour of the house?” I ask.
“Yes!” Gia says. “I've got first dibs on bedrooms—after Sunday of course.”
“Well, I have the master bedroom, and y'all can figure out how to distribute the other four. My Realtor is on the way, so the guys can ride with her.”
“I am so excited about this!” Piper says. “Meagan is just going to die.”
 
On the way over to the house, Gia has a serious and concerned look on her face. She bites her nails and keeps gazing out of the car window.
“Gia, what's wrong?” I ask.
“Ricky. I don't think he's going to move in with us.”
“Why wouldn't he want to move to a mansion?” Piper asks from the backseat.
Gia shakes her head. “He's so different now. It's like I don't even know him anymore.”
“You ever thought about going out on a date with someone else?” Hope asks.
Gia spins around in her seat with her jaw totally unhinged. “Hope, seriously! I'm destined to be with Ricky!”
“I'm not saying that you're not, but you're both so miserable right now. He's insisting on staying apart, and you keep smothering the life out of him.”
“I'm
smothering
him! Did he say that to you?” Gia is hot and mad now. I think the window just fogged up on her side.
Hope nods. “In so many words.”
“Did he tell you to tell me to date someone else?” Gia's voice trembles.
“No, he didn't say that. I don't think he wants to lose you either, but we're in college! We're supposed to be having fun. I've never seen Ricky this . . . well . . . blah!”
“You mean he's not always so dull and boring?” Piper asks. “I thought that was just his personality.”
“No! Ricky is one of the coolest guys on the planet. I wish y'all could meet him,” Hope says sadly.
“Okay, she's right,” Gia says. “The way Ricky is now is a hot mess, but I don't want to date anyone else.”
“You don't have to actually date anyone seriously. Just go out and have some fun with someone different,” Piper says.
“Like who?”
“Like Rashad,” Hope says. “Remember him?”
Gia chuckles. “Yes, of course I do, but he's not in Atlanta, is he?”
“Yes, he is! It was such a coincidence. I met him at a club, and we got to talking. When I told him you were my cousin, he started laughing and talking about how you played him in New York City. He goes to Morehouse.”
“Wait! Who is Rashad?” I ask.
“A guy I met at a summer program right before my senior year of high school,” Gia says. “He was really cool.”
“How about he's the guy that almost stole her from Ricky!”
“Drama!” Piper says. “Y'all haven't kept in touch?”
Gia shakes her head. “No. Once Ricky and I started dating, it felt weird staying friends with him.”
“What does he look like?” Piper asks.
“He's fine!” Hope says. “Long locks, very muscular. If he hadn't already hollered at Gia, I so would've wanted his number.”
“So, do you want to see him, Gia?” I ask.
She shrugs and gazes out of the window again. “I think that might be opening a can of worms.”
“You are pitiful, Gia!” Hope says.
Gia clears her throat. “Okay, so when we move in . . . maybe we can invite Rashad to our housewarming party.”
“We're having a housewarming party?” I ask.
“Uh . . . duh!” Piper says. “We are sooooo having a party.”
“Thanks for letting me know,” I say.
“Anytime, landlady,” Piper says.
We crack up laughing as we pull into what's hopefully going to be our new house. It's huge, though not as big as the other homes on this street.
“Are you kidding me?” Piper says. “
This
is where we're gonna live? I cannot believe this.”
Gia says, “Believe it. Sunday is blessed, and God's going to keep opening doors for her because she blesses other people.”
This makes me feel a little guilty. I can't say I've been to church all that much since the whole music career thing started and I started school. But Gia is so right. I look at all of this as a blessing.
“Come on, y'all!” I say. “Let's go look at the house.”
My Realtor, Vanessa, is already walking up to the door with the guys. Kevin is making a squealing sound, so I'm going to assume that means he likes the house.
DeShawn jogs back to us as we walk up. He says, “Are you sure you won't marry me, Sunday?”
“Boy, stop!” I reply and give him a play punch in the arm.
He sighs. “A love tap.”
We walk into the double front doors and into the two-story foyer. The floor is white ceramic tile. That was one of my deal breakers. I didn't want carpet, because I've always wanted to hear my feet clicking through the house. My mom has always insisted on thick carpet, and sometimes you just want to feel the cold floor on your feet.
“So what do you all think?” Vanessa asks.
Kevin says, “It's incredible. I am really at a loss for words, and that doesn't happen often.”
“Can we . . . um, look around upstairs?” Ricky asks.
“Yes, feel free,” Vanessa says.
Gia smiles as everyone takes off in different directions. “He's going to come and live with us,” she whispers. “How could he not?”
I've got to agree that Ricky would be a nut to turn down living in this fabulous house. The master bedroom is downstairs, and the other bedrooms are upstairs. Finally, I get my own space. I haven't had my own room since junior year of high school when Aunt Charlie, Manny and Dreya moved in with us. I'm looking forward to this.
Vanessa walks up to me and says, “The bank accepted your offer, so I think it's pretty safe to say you are now a proud property owner.”
“Wow! I can't believe this.”
“I have to warn you, though, this is a pretty exclusive, old-money kind of community. It's going to take some time for them to warm up to you. They don't really want a group of rowdy college students for neighbors.”
“We're not rowdy, so they shouldn't have a problem.”
“Well, your idea of rowdy and their idea of rowdy are probably two different things,” Vanessa says. “It will probably be a good idea if you go and introduce yourselves to all of them. Take Kevin with you. He's about as white bread as they come. That boy almost had me accepting Jesus as my personal savior.”
I laugh out loud. “But I thought you already go to church.”
“I do, but he had me thinking I needed to get saved again.”
Piper and Hope come back downstairs into the foyer. “So two of the bedrooms are small and two are large, so we've decided that the boys get two rooms and the girls get two rooms,” Piper says.
“Gia and I will share, obviously,” Hope says. “But I think the guys want to draw straws or something to see who gets their own room.”
“Whatever works,” I say. “Come on, I want to show y'all the back patio and pool house.”
We go through the sliding glass doors to the back patio. The previous owners probably used this area to entertain a lot, because they had an outdoor kitchen installed and the pool is landscaped to look like a tropical paradise. This is really what sold me on this property, because I could swim all day, every day. I'm probably going to be in a perpetual state of pruniness once we move in.
“It's gorgeous,” Piper says to me. “Meagan will want to know why you didn't invite her to move with us.”
“No, she won't,” I say. “She'll know why.”
Piper nods. “She's still dating Linden. She got in very late last night and reeked of his cologne when she came in.”
“You should've come to me and Gia's room to spend the night.”
“I should've, but I was able to endure it because of this.” She makes a sweeping motion to the house. “I don't know how to thank you for this.”
“I don't know how many people go around thanking their landlord all the time. I just want you to pay the rent on time,” I say in reply.
“I will, Sunday. You won't regret this. We're going to have a blast.”
Kevin wanders around the outside kitchen. He yells, “We are going to have outside Sunday brunches, catered by yours truly!”
Everyone, including Ricky, bursts into laughter. It's good to see that he's joining in on the fun. Because Ricky's level of comfort with this whole thing directly affects the attitude of my best friend. Gia is grinning from ear to ear.
Wait, this is the first time I've thought of Gia as my best friend, but she really is. Even though she's already got a whole pack of besties, I feel closer to her than I've ever felt to anyone.
Piper locks her arm in mine and says, “Sunday, I think you are the first real friend I've ever had in my life. Love you, girl.”
“Love you right back.” I say.
Why does Piper's tight grip on my arm feel like a friend claim? I like Piper too, but I'm definitely not as close to her as I am to Gia. However, since there's no reason to burst her bubble right now, I'm just going to leave it alone.
There's enough of me to go around.

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