Marques

      I had just gotten home from visiting my kids when I heard the theme music to Sex & the City resonating throughout the house. After a quick check to my watch I realized that Jamila's beloved addiction had ended for the night so I made my way into the living room knowing that I wouldn't be ignored. Mila didn't know what the hell was happening around her when she was catching up on the lives of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte. She must have turned the channel mid credit roll because as soon as I walked into the living room MTV News was on and reporting on my brother's recent break up with his girlfriend of four years, Cassandra. It was like that whole Britney and Justin shit all over again.

      When O first came to me and told me that he was feeling some model chick, I was like do you because every dude wants to be with a model at least once. As I started getting to know her she started letting shit come out; it was never overly incriminating but once you put it all together you could tell that she wasn't in the relationship because she cared for Omari but she liked the thought of dating Omarion. I tried to warn Omari but you can't tell a grown man shit he ain't trying to hear. Jamila even tried to warn him that Cassie was just having some fun and trying to network her way into a recording contract but you could figure out that approach didn't work well either.

      It didn't take her long to land a record deal and even though she wasn't the best singer or dancer, she was beautiful with a known man on her arm. That was more than enough to get her out there. She juiced their relationship for all that it was worth landing her with two hot summer jams and a platinum album. She and O became THE couple of their generation. Seeing the two of them together you could tell that they were attracted to each other but it was also clear that O was into her way more than she was into him. Sure she cared for him but she loved what he could do for her more. Everyone tried to tell O to drop her, that as soon as she got to where she didn't need his status anymore he would be out the fucking door but he didn't listen. She had his nose so wide open that his eyes were shut.

      But just like we warned Cassie started showing her ass. Just when her debut album went double platinum and her contract had been renegotiated pictures of her other men in intimate situations started popping up and it was so frequent that O couldn't even deny the allegations anymore. Cassie got what she wanted and couldn't give a damn about Omari's feelings. He'd ended the relationship but that didn't stop the pain of being used and now his face was plastered on every damn magazine and music network with Cassie's with their breakup as the headline. He had just finished his world tour and now everyone was calling. It wasn't to find out if he had a new album in the works or if he was doing a movie but to get him to elaborate on the relationship he was trying to get over.

      Jamila turned the channel cursing at inconsiderate journalists before turning her attention to me, "Hey baby."

      "Hey," I replied before walking over to her and kissing her softly on the lips.

      "How are the girls?" she asked me.

      "Fine," I replied lightly.

      "Have you spoken to Omari?" she asked me after a moment of silence.

      "Not lately, why?" I asked her.

      "Because it's been almost three weeks and he hasn't left his house. I'm starting to get worried."

      "What do you expect Mila?" I asked her. "The paparazzi have been camped outside of his house since he came back to town and you know good and well that O's private. He's just trying to deal with it on his own terms."

      "I think he needs to take a vacation and get everything sorted out," she replied.

      "He just got home about a month ago. I doubt he's going to leave especially since he has to risk being seen by the paparazzi," I replied.

      "That's where we'll come in," she replied in a tone that I knew was going to get us in trouble.

Jacqueline

      I glanced at myself in the mirror to make sure that I was well put together. Tonight was my anniversary with my boyfriend of three years and I'd been planning this evening for weeks. He got off work at exactly six thirty and should be at my apartment by seven forty-five at the latest. I'd scheduled myself to have the whole day free to make sure that his favorite meal was prepared and all my treatments (hair, nails, etc) were done by the time he'd arrived. Stan and I had our problems, especially since he seemed to care more about his boys than me, but he vowed that this year would be different and for the most part it had. He remembered my birthday, although he completely forgot Valentine's Day, and he made sure to call me even though it usually ended shortly because his friends were there and wanted to watch the game they TiVo-ed. Sometimes I didn't know why I stayed with him because I felt as if I put more effort into our relationship than he did but I loved him and wanted to make it work. I was determined to make tonight's atmosphere a perfect one for our anniversary even if he fucked up the moment after he got here.

      The black lace dress hugged my body to perfection while the black jeweled sandals added an extra sway to my already alluring walk. My make up had been applied with care and my fresh manicure and pedicure were done in a simple design using a metallic cafe crème polish. I had just descended the stairs and making my way towards the kitchen when my house phone started ringing. Thinking that it might be Stanislav I picked up the phone without glancing at the caller-id.

      "Lin?" a semi familiar female voice asked over the line.

      "Jamila?" I asked uncertainly.

      "Yes, how are you doing?" she asked me.

      "Fine and you?" I responded putting her on speaker phone so that I could plate the food I'd spent the last three hours preparing.

      "Just trying to live life to the fullest," she replied before pausing.

      I paused what I was doing before saying, "What do you want Jamila?"

      "I need a huge favor," she started.

      "Like what?" I asked her hoping she wasn't asking me for something off the wall.

      "Okay, so here's the deal," she started and I rolled my eyes knowing that this would be a long assed story. "A friend of mine is going through a really bad break up and needs to get away and I was wondering if he could stay with you for a while."

      "Excuse me?" I asked her knowing I'd heard her wrong.

      Jamila and I met each other about five years ago when I was studying abroad at Stanford University. She was my roommate that year and we really just clicked. I can honestly say that she was one of my dearest friends but she had, apparently, lost her bloody mind. How could she sit wherever it was she was and ask me to house some guy I had never met for an undeterminable amount of time? Talk about being bold.

      "Listen, he's very easy to get along with but he can't be here right now and I was hoping you'd do me this favor."

      "Why can't he hide out in your place? Seriously, does he really have to leave his country?" I asked her, trying to find some way out of this favor.

      "Paparazzi," she replied with a sigh.

      I glanced at the clock and noticed that it was almost time for Stan to get here and I didn't want to be on the phone debating on whether or not I was going to let some guy live with me when he got here so I did the only thing I could do to shut Jamila up. I agreed to let her friend stay with me and just hoped I wouldn't live to regret it.

Jamila

      It had been a little over a month since I last saw Omari so Marques, O'Ryan, and I had dropped by his house for a little intervention. As to be expected photographers were lined around his private gates hoping to get the money shot of Omari breaking down to sell to one of the many tabloids itching for some inside scoop of him since the break up. O'Ryan pulled out his keys once we got to the door and quickly opened the locks before entering his brother's house and calling out to Omari. O came out of some hidden alcove moments later looking a hot mess.

      He was dressed in a huge t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants that were several sizes too big. His facial hair was out of this world and to say that his hair was in dire need of a touch up would be an understatement. Omari glanced at each of us before asking us what we wanted.

      "How would you like to be able to stroll down the street and not have to worry about photographers in your face?" I asked him with an overly excited smile on my face.

      Omari stared at me before plopping down on a nearby sofa and said, "I'm listening."

      "A friend of mine has agreed to let you stay with her..."

      "Her?" he asked not feeling the idea.

      "Don't worry about all that," I replied with the wave of my arm. "She doesn't know who you are and last I heard she was in a committed relationship."

      O nodded and said, "Sounds good but you've been outside. There's no way I can leave this house unnoticed."

      "That's why we have Ryan," I replied before putting the plan in motion.

      The resemblance between Omari and his younger brother was uncanny and while there were some key differences with a few articles of clothing you couldn't tell the two apart from a distance. Because of that fact we planned to do a Hollywood switch and by the time people realize that they've been staking out the wrong Grandberry, Omari would be long gone. We all headed upstairs and while Ryan and Omari were in the bathroom shaving and switching clothes, Marques and I started on the packing. Two hours later Omari (who was masquerading as O'Ryan), Marques, and I left Omari's house and headed to the airport where O would be taking a one way trip to Australia.

Jacqueline

      "And that's it," I replied cheerfully, although I didn't feel any bit of the joyful emotion at the moment, at the couple whom I just finished showing a house to.

      As usual Stanislav had stood me up and I was fed up with his mistreatment. I wasn't perfect or the most beautiful woman in the world but I made the most out of what I had and was. His friends had, on occasion, mentioned that I was a great catch so I don't understand why he didn't appreciate me. There had not been a time when I called him asking him for anything other than to spend time with me, I cooked for him, went with him to any event he had but when it came to something I needed done he was a no show. I deserved way more than he was giving me.

      "Honey I really like this house," the woman told her husband.

      It was an amazing home and if I was the type of person who could actually dedicate the time it'd take to keep the yard up I would have purchased it. The property was waterfront with great views of the city from the upstairs bedrooms. It had five bedrooms with seven bathrooms and was equipped with a home theater. This particular home came fully furnished and was rearranged, with the help of a stager the company had hired to make the place more presentable, to make the most of every inch of the twelve thousand square foot home.

      "I like it too but what if we have kids?" the husband asked. "Being right by the water might not be such a good idea."

      "That's why they have such things as reinforced locks, besides as long as we watch our kids everything should be fine. Baby, I want this house," she repeated.

      He sighed and said, "I do love the personal gym and the master bathroom."

      "Shall I draw up the papers?" I asked cheerfully glad I'd worn my lucky red suit because it seemed as if I was going to be making one hell of a commission off of the sale of this house.

      "Yes," he replied and I smiled before leading them out of the house, the heels of my red patent leather pumps clicking on the marble as I made my way through the foyer and out the front door.

      Three hours later the couple had left my office with the papers signed and keys in hand while I had a certified check for AUS$10,500,000. I glanced at the clock and realized that I was cutting it close and needed to make my way to the airport so that I could pick up Jamila's friend but I had to hand my boss my paperwork and the check so that he could deposit it into the company's account before direct depositing my commission into my personal account and re-cutting a check to the previous owner's of the house.

      "The Crowe's bought the house?" Mr. Madison asked.

      "Yes they did," I replied as I handed him the paperwork.

      "You are amazing," he replied with a huge smile before staring at me in a leering way. "Would you like to go out to dinner with me?"

      "Can't," I replied suddenly glad for my incoming house guest. "I have to head to the airport."

      "I don't have you down for a vacation," he replied with a frown.

      "I'm picking up not taking off," I answered shortly before begging off and leaving my building.

Omari

      I lingered around the baggage claim area, hoping no one would notice me, as I waited for Jamila's friend to show up. My black Goyard duffle bags rested at my feet and I glanced at my watch again before looking around the area. Jamila hadn't really given me much to go on other than the fact that he friend Jacqueline was 5'3", had a tan-ish brown complexion, brown slanted eyes and an old picture from her college days.

      "Excuse me," a feminine voice called out next to me.

      My body stiffened as I turned around towards to face the woman who'd called me. Standing in front of me was the woman from the picture, albeit a more mature version dressed in a well tailored red suit and matching patent leather pumps. She brushed her hair from her face with her left hand, revealing a set of blood red painted nails that matched her suit perfectly.

      "Yes?" I asked her.

      "You're Omari Grandberry right?" she asked as she tilted her head to the side to get a better look at me before glancing down at a photo in her own hand.

      "And you're Jacqueline St.Clair," I replied with finality.

      "I'm glad I found you. Jay didn't give me number to contact you and I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate me having them call you to the front," she replied with a smile before asking me if I had all of my bags.

      "This is all I brought with me," I replied as I bent down to pick up my bags.

      She nodded and waited for me to get a good grip on my bags before leading me out of the airport and over to her simple white Mercedes sedan that was parked in the front with her hazard lights blinking. Jacqueline grabbed an extra set of keys from her purse and pressed the trunk logo on the key pad and motioned for me to stow my bags away as she slid into the driver's seat.

Jacqueline

      The first ten minutes of our ride was done in silence, well except for the smooth jazz that was coming from my satellite player. I wasn't exactly in the mood for conversation seeing as I was going through my own problems but my parents did raise me right and I didn't want to make him uncomfortable. After all, he would be staying with me for a while.

      "I don't what Jamila told you," I started catching his attention, "but I'm not home very often. I'm usually out of the house by five and, most days, I don't get back home until five that evening. I make an effort to prepare dinner so unless you'd rather order something you're more than welcome to what I've prepared, which is usually done by seven."

      He nodded. "If you have a license you're more than welcome to borrow my SUV and I'll give you a set of keys and my security code when we get to my apartment."

Omari

      I listened to Jamila's friend speak and I frowned lightly. Who was this woman? Not too many people would open their house to a complete stranger, let alone allowing a strange guy full access to her things. Were all the people in Australia like this?

      "Why are you doing this?" I asked her as she pulled into an underground parking lot beneath this amazingly structured apartment building.

      "Doing what exactly?" she asked me as she parked her car in a spot next to a diamond white Mercedes G-Wagon I assumed was her SUV.

      "Allowing me into your home," I clarified.

      She shrugged lightly before saying, "Jamila asked me to do her this favor."

      "And it was that simple?" I asked her as I grabbed my bags and followed her over to the elevator.

      I leaned against the back wall and declined my head just in case anyone joined us as we rode to her floor. Thankfully only a middle aged Caucasian couple joined us, neither had any idea who I was although they conversed familiarly with Jacqueline, before getting off on the eighth floor, a story beneath Jacqueline’s. A moment later we got off at the ninth floor and Jacqueline led us over to one of only two doors on the floor and unlocked it, motioning for me to enter before walking in. I glanced around at the beautiful penthouse apartment and had to admit that she had style. It was a place I could easily see myself living in. Everything was just so modern and contemporary but done with class. What made it even better was the white Baby Grand piano sitting in a corner with a great view of the city's skyline.

      "Let me show you to your room," she replied after she'd punched in the safe mode to her security system and led me up the stairs, her hands stabilizing herself on the glass railing.

      "You have an amazing home," I complimented as I glanced at the immaculately kept home.

      "Thank you," she replied with a smile before opening a door to a nice sized bedroom suite. "And this is your room. Make yourself comfortable. I'd planned on making shrimp and snow peas with fusilli. If you get hungry just come down. Towels and anything else you'd need is already stocked in your bathroom."

      I nodded and she promptly turned to leave me to myself.