Candace

      I handed the taxi driver a crisp twenty before leaving the car and taking in the mansion my best friend Kendra now shared with her boyfriend of the last two years. A boyfriend whom I had yet to meet since Kendra had decided to attend Stanford University in Cali while I decided to stay on the East Coast and try my hand at Howard University. While I enjoyed the college experience, it just wasn't for me so I dropped out and worked on my modeling career, which lead me to LA. Coincidentally I ran into Kendra on my way to work, modeling was my dream but working as a receptionist for Quixote paid the bills, and we caught up and she invited me to a party her man was hosting. Never one to pass up a party, I told her I was down and had her jot down the address.

      From what Kendra let slip her man was well known and had some influential friends so tonight was not just an opportunity to have fun but an event that could get me known. The party was semi casual, I mean jeans/denim was appropriate as long as you looked well put together and I had never been one to come out not looking my best so I was good. Tonight I was dressed in a metallic brown Marciano halter top and a light blue micro mini that, joined with my well endowed derriere, was quite risqué but what the hell. A pair of brown leather boots completed the outfit and I thought I looked good. My black hair, which hit my mid back thanks to the professionally added extensions, was down and framed my face and my make up had been applied with care. I was going to stop the show tonight.

Kendra

      Jarell, my man, and I made our way around the pool and into the pool house, waving at people we knew along the way, where our friend Omari was over by the bar talking to Dreux and his fiancé Koren. I'd met Koren three years ago and she had quickly become a good friend of mine. She was a senior when I was a freshman, although we were only really a year and a half apart in age, and took it upon herself to show me around campus when I first moved to California. Koren was one of those females you would find yourself hating at first glance. Not because she was a bitch or one of those females that gave off that 'I'm the shit' vibe but it was because she was beautiful. I'm talking about the type of female who could roll out of bed and head to the corner store without washing her face and still knock the rest of these bitches out of the water. Now I'm not a jealous type of female; I know I'm attractive and no other chick can make me feel threatened but no woman can say that they've never felt a little self conscious when standing next to a female who, in outside appearance, was just perfect. In all the years I've known Koren I've never seen her come out without looking correct. Even in sweats she just looked well put together. The thing about her though was that it was like she didn't know how attractive she was. None of that shit went to her head and that's probably why she had Dreux wrapped around her finger.

      Dreux Frederic. Now that was the dude to know in California. He was like the P. Diddy of the west coast because everyone who was anyone knew him. I'm not quite sure what he did for a living but whatever it was, he did it well because he lived large. He had this beautiful home right on the water where he and Koren lived and I've only been there maybe twice but that shit was ridiculous. It was better than most of the cribs on VH1's the Fabulous Life and that's from people whose net worth is in the multi, sometimes hundred, millions. Truthfully it wouldn't surprise me to find the damn thing in the Architectural Digest. For as long as I knew Dreux, he's had bitches on his dick. I don't know if it was the money, his strong quiet stature, or maybe it was just his swagger but I'd yet to be at a party or club where he was in attendance and at least ten girls wasn't surrounding him. What amazed me most was that the girls' presence didn't seem to bother Koren cause let that had been Jarell, you would have been finding pieces of track all over the damn place. Needless to say that I'm possessive with mine.

      "I love your outfit girl," I told Koren as I walked over and embraced her softly.

      She wore a simple white scoop neck cropped top along with a pair of light blue damage washed cropped denim jeans that hung low off her hips to reveal her golden flecked brown complexion that was enhanced with shimmer lotion. A thick white leather belt with a huge blue stone as the buckle kept her jeans at a reasonable level and a cute pair of white wedge heeled sandals I'd been begging Jarell to buy me graced her dainty feet. Her customized diamond belly ring hung from her navel and four tiny charms hung from the end of the chandelier designed accessory spelling out DRU'S and a simple three stoned diamond ring dressed her left ring finger.

      Now I was a connoisseur of fine gems. My love for diamonds was the main reason why I was a science major, my concentration was in geology, and so off the back I knew Dru paid out the ass for that girl's engagement ring. The clarity of each bullet shaped white diamond that was placed on either side of the center stone was easily half a carat a piece worth of flawless diamond stones while the center stone was a rare blue diamond that weighed a little over three carats and had a perfect internally flawless clarity. Yeah, it was easy to see that Koren was Dru's heart because Jarell had mentioned on occasion that Dreux wasn't one to spend money on a chick. He'd take them out to eat here and there but other then that he spent no dough. Her other accessories included a pair of diamond studs that glittered from her ears and a simple diamond nameplate that spelled out 'love' graced her delicate neck. It wasn't until then that I realized something was different.

      "Thank you girl, I love your outfit too," she replied as she motioned to my denim micro mini skirt and simple satin aqua colored halter.

      "You cut your hair? Why?" I asked shocked as I noticed that her signature tightly curled brown hair that fell several inches below her shoulders was cut off close to her head where little ringlets sprouted. Granted, the new style fit her (hell she'd be able to rock anything and look good) but it was so weird seeing her without her hair.

      "I know right. She shocked the hell out of me when I came home and saw all her hair gone. Now I have nothing to pull on," Dreux said jumping into the conversation before enveloping me in a quick friendly hug.

      "Dreux!" Koren exclaimed before slapping him up against the head. Dreux just smiled and grabbed her hand, kissing it lightly before releasing it.

      Dreux, as always, looked good. His blue Rock and Republic jeans hung low off his hips to give him a baggy feel while the button up he had over his wife beater gave him that grown and sexy look. A pair of white monogrammed Gucci sneakers graced his feet and his silky black hair was pulled back into his signature low ponytail. Simple six carat oval cut VVS2 stones graced his ears and his diamond encrusted cross graced his neck. Both he and Koren had on their His and Hers diamond encrusted Audemars Piguet watches and I just thought that they were too cute for words. Someone called out to Koren and she excused herself from Dreux with a quick kiss on the lips before she was immersed in the crowd.

Koren

      I worked the crowd as I had become accustomed to doing and smiled politely towards the people admiring me. Years of practice as Dreux's girl, and arm piece, had me prepared for these moments. While I loved a good party as much as the next person what I really wanted to be doing at the moment was to be comfortably dressed in a pair of soft cashmere sweatpants and a simple tank watching an old movie while cuddling with my man on our large California king sized bed. Unfortunately Jarell was throwing this little party for a new artist he was working with and of course I had to play my part.

      "How are you doing Koren?" Marcello, this fine assed 6'0" Cuban guy who was President of Sony Entertainment, the label Jarell's new artist Angel was on.

      "I'm fine and you?" I asked him.

      "I'm doing well but see," he started and licked his full pink tinted lips before continuing, "I didn't ask you how you looked. I asked how you were doing."

      I smiled and blushed lightly at his compliment before arching my eyebrow and saying, "If I told you once, I told you a million times to stop playing with my emotions."

      "I'm not playing," he replied with a smile that just put all the attention on his incredibly deep dimples, "Just say the word and you know you'd be my number one."

      "Aight, don't let Dreux hear you with that shit."

      "What Dreux don't know won't hurt me," he joked before walking over towards his wife Seleen.

Candace

      As soon as I got on the property I was stopped and a guy asked me for my name before checking me off the list and giving me directions to the pool house which was about two city blocks away from the main house, talk about living large. A glass platform covered the pool where people danced and caterers were stationed around it with trays of barbecue shrimp, tiny sandwiches, and the like. I've always been able to point out the major players and while the various Hummers, Lamborghini's, and Mercedes Benz's lining the front of the house said that most, if not everyone, here was swimming in dough the real important people were in the pool house and so that's where I went.

      Confidence is my middle name and so I didn't even bat an eye as people stared and, no doubt, wondered who the hell I was. Luckily I spotted Kendra standing next to three fine ass men and decided to make an appearance. I plastered a full smile on my face before calling out her name and she turned sharply before waving me over. Bingo!

      "Hey girl," I replied and plastered a fake smile on my face as I turned my attention to her.

      Honestly, I couldn't give a good got damn what was on her mind at the moment. All I wanted to do was join the social circle she had engraved herself into over our years of separation and hopefully I could do that by kicking it with one of the fine men in her presence. Any one of them would do although I was partial to the light skinned dude in the platinum framed diamond studded Nefarious aviator sunglasses. He was sexy as hell with his thick, yet toned, frame that I knew was capable of doing some things to my small frame. Even though his eyes were fully masked by the dark glass of the lens, I could feel his eyes on me and knew he liked what he saw. Shit, what man didn't?

      "I'm glad you could make it," she replied with a smile before turning back to the guys and began the introductions. "Guys this is my best friend Candace from Baltimore. Candace this is my man Jarell, and his best friends Omari and Dreux."

      "It's nice to meet all of you," I replied as I let the name Dreux float through my mind.

      "You too," they replied one after the other.

      Unfortunately some guy stopped by and Dreux and Jarell walked off. Leaving Kendra, Omari, and myself alone. Omari allowed his eyes to trail my body as Kendra turned to speak to a friend of hers and threw me a wink before walking off to get himself a beer, some imported shit that I'd never even heard of before.

      "Let me introduce you to some people," Kendra replied with a wide smile before leading me out of the pool house, where I wanted to stay, and out to the main portion of the party.

      "Tell me," I started nonchalantly as we weaved through a throng of people, "Who is that Dreux person?"

      "Dreux?" she asked in a contemplative manner before saying, "There's not much to say really. He's just a really good friend and happens to work with Jarell. Why?"

      "Do you even have to ask?" I asked her, "The man is fine."

      Kendra snorted and said, "Get in line. You and just about every other female in California are attracted to that man."

      "But you know there's only one me and I get what I want," I replied confidently and she stopped short. I paused and looked over to her and took in her serious expression. "What's wrong? Why'd you stop?"

      "Don't go there Candy," she started.

      I rolled my eyes and said, "Stop it Kendra."

      "I'm serious. Dreux has a girl and she's my friend. Don't go trying to break up a happy home."

      "If his home is so happy then I can't possibly break it up," I replied and walked off.

Kendra

      I watched Candy's hard headed behind walk off and shook my head. She'll just have to learn the hard way. Candy and I had been friends for years and while I cared for her dearly there were certain traits she had that I felt she could do without and this was one of them. Women who intentionally went after taken men really fucked with me, especially since I have my own man who I admit is a catch that quite a few women were willing to degrade themselves to get. I won't play myself by saying Rell had never been tempted but if he ever dipped out on me, he made sure he kept it far away from home and my knowledge so I never worried about it. Right now, I didn't know what to do because I knew that Candy could be down right scandalous when she wanted to and while she was my girl so was Koren.

      I didn't want to be involved but what's worse? Knowing something may happen and disregard Candy's trust on Koren's behalf or do I sit by and watch this drama unfold knowing that the girl who had my back the last couple of years could, and would, end up hurt? Loyalty is a bitch.

Dreux

      It was a little after two in the morning and it was the first time I had been alone all night. I'd been taking Angel around the crowd introducing him to the influential DJ's, radio and otherwise, and had him give them a taste of his style while I made him out to be the best thing since sliced bread. Today had been a long day and right now the only person I wanted to be around was Koren. The two of us had barely been around each other for the last couple of weeks seeing as she had to fly out to see her publisher and I was working on promoting Angel. Just as I was going to head into the crowded mass of the dance floor to find my girl someone sidled next to me and began speaking.

      "Why the bored look?" an unfamiliar female voice asked me.

      I turned to see an attractive, and scantily clad, woman standing next to me sipping on a purple mixture. "Can I help you?" I was in no mood for the small talk and I could tell right away that this female was just another chick on the social climb but she was barking up the wrong tree tonight.

Candace

      I was taken aback by his cold shoulder but I was confident that he would warm up to me by the evening's end. Seriously, what guy in his right mind would say no to all of this? Before I had a chance to respond to him an attractive female walked over to Dreux and wrapped her arms around his waist. Instinctively his arms wound around her and he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.

      So this is his girl? I thought to myself. Cute, if you like the petite type.

      "Are you ready to go home?" she asked him as her hands trailed up his arms and wrapped around his neck.

      I was positioned to his right, her left, and my eyes immediately landed on the forth finger of her left hand. It took everything in me to stop my mouth from dropping in shock. Talk about having a nigga sprung; I was most definitely after that now. She turned and noticed me and gave me a smile before backing up from Dreux.

      "How rude of me," she replied with a smile before offering me her hand, "I'm Koren."

      "Candace," I replied as I shook her hand.

      The girl was nice enough and I almost felt bad for scheming on her man...almost. Before we had a chance to talk Dreux lightly pulled Koren from me and positioned himself behind her so that he could lean his head on hers.

      "It was nice meeting you Candace. Maybe we'll see you around," Dreux replied before walking off with his girl with his hand placed firmly at her bare lower back.