FREDDY PRINCE | CH. 2
This story is an original work by Shamar Phillips. No part of this chapter may be copied, reproduced, redistributed, or republished without written permission from the author.
Chapter Two
Later that evening, Freddy returned home to his bachelor's pad. It was a large, 4,200-square-foot warehouse loft with a red-brick undertone. It was heavily splashed with earthy colors throughout because it reminded him of his mother. He kept the place dim, and the air spritzed with his favorite alpine scent to top it all off.
For many reasons, he found comfort in his darkness. It always helped him relax after a long day of fighting for change. Though he wished he had a special lady to come home to at the end of a long day, the last relationship he tested out ended up being one of the worst experiences of his life. So he stayed single and enjoyed the peace of being alone.
Intimate love was tricky for Freddy. He seemed to always catch the women who either had a lot of baggage or the ones who were so afraid to lose him; they became overly obsessive. Just thinking about relationships made him cringe.
After pouring himself a drink from one of the many bottles of alcohol in his home bar, he went upstairs to prepare for the night. He didn’t have any specific plans; Freddy just knew he didn’t want to stay inside another night. It seemed like all he did was drown himself in work and help other people figure out their lives so much that he never took a moment to breathe. But that night, he vowed to relax and take in all of his success.
“Shonnie Mitchell.” He chuckled when he answered her call. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“Fredrick Prince.” She replied with enough flirtation in her voice to break a heart. “Should we meet up for drinks? I feel like I owe you one for my questions earlier.”
“I think you owe me more than just a drink. But, sure. Where to?”
“Meet me at our spot in an hour. I got you.”
When he hung up the phone, a risky smile slid across his face. Every time he and Shonnie got together, things always started out friendly. But somehow, someway, they always ended up with them in the bedroom. It was a bad habit he wanted to break away from for years, but every time she came through, he couldn’t resist.
Figuring they would end their night with a nightcap, Freddy lathered up in the shower and threw on a fresh pair of slacks and a button-up. He thought about wearing what he already had on, but he knew how Shonnie was. She was really personable and loved everything to coordinate. And since his suit was already picked out for the day’s events and not strictly for their meet-up, he knew she would have something to say about it. So, he changed.
“Mr. Prince, good evening. Your date is already seated and waiting for you to join her.”
“Thanks,” he smiled. “She hasn’t had too many cosmos already, has she?”
“No,” the host laughed. “I think she’s waiting for you.”
Using her position at the mayor's office, Shonnie got them last-minute reservations for Varia. It was a nice Italian restaurant in the city that had some of the best lasagna Shonnie had ever tasted. Freddy loved that place as well because it was the first fancy restaurant his mom took him to when she first started making an impact.
“There’s the most handsome man in the world.” Shonnie smiled and stood to greet him. “I just knew your ass would be late tonight. Where's your sidekick?” she asked, referring to Mo.
“I don’t know,” Freddy chuckled. “Probably somewhere enjoying the one free night we have. How are you?”
When he embraced Shonnie and gave her a kiss on the cheek, he wondered if those were things he could do for the rest of his life. They had a lot of chemistry and things in common, but when he really thought about them being in a relationship, he always thought their ways of thinking were just too different for anything long-term.
“You pulled some strings to get in here, huh?” he asked.
“You know I did. This place is hard as hell to get into on a Friday night.”
“Right. Me and my mom always came in the afternoons, and it was crazy then too.”
A lot of things made Freddy think about his mom. He tried not to sour any moods by talking about her all the time, but he couldn’t help that either. Losing her was so sudden and left him with so many questions; it was hard for him to accept the fact that she was actually gone.
“How are you holding up?” Shonnie asked. “It’s been a while since we’ve talked about your mom. I miss her.”
“I miss her too. It's taking some time to be okay with things, but I’ll get there.”
Sometimes, Shonnie reminded Freddy of his mom. Her bullheadedness and no-nonsense attitude were what made her feel familiar. He appreciated Shonnie for taking the time out to ask how he was doing and everything, but Freddy was on a different wave that night. He wanted to relax. Kick back and enjoy a not-so-serious dinner for a change.
“Anyway,” he chuckled. “Let’s talk about how you tried to play me in front of all those white folks earlier.”
“Don’t trip.” She laughed a little, feeling a tiny pinch of shame. “You know I'm just doing my job.”
“Yeah, I know. But when you gon get on the right side of things? Working for the mayor is a big deal for sure, but not when he’s just as corrupt as they are. That shit can’t possibly make you feel good going to sleep at night.”
Shonnie let out a sigh before lifting her glass of champagne. He was right; going to bed with a guilty conscience was a hard thing to do. But she had her reasons. Growing up a poor black girl in the slums of Virginia was rough. She knew it was rough for all people of color, but she had to do what she had to do for herself before she could do anything for anyone else.
“I go to bed just fine. Thank you,” she playfully lied. “Anyway, what’s up with you and this center you’re pushing for? You know they don’t want no more black outlets out here. And for the record, I think it’s a good thing you’re doing. Yours will differ from the ones that are just out-letting for government assistance. That's why they don’t want blacks in these kinds of positions now.”
“White people do the same shit. That's one of the main reasons this country is so in debt as it is. The only difference is, they give them millions without asking a single question.”
Their political difference was another red flag that kept him away from her romantically. He was pro-black, and in his eyes, Shonnie was a puppet. She was like the ‘Candice Owens’ of Virginia; the token black girl who would sell her soul so that she could keep up a good standing with the whites, and that was something he just couldn’t get down with.
“Can we not talk about work right now?” he chuckled. “I actually wanna get away from that shit for a second. Eat a good meal. Talk about something other than politics. What's going on in your life outside of work? Boyfriend? Plans for kids? What's up?”
“Kids?” she scoffed. “Hell no! I am not tryna be nobody’s mama right now. Shit, I can barely keep up with myself half the time; I damn sure don’t wanna be chasing after no kids. As far as the boyfriend thing goes, I'm just playing the field right now. You know, doing what y’all be doing out here in these skreets.”
“Oh, really?” Freddy laughed. “Alright, I see you.”
As their night went on and the people who were once in attendance got exchanged for new ones, Freddy noticed a familiar face sitting at the bar. Kalani sat there enjoying a cocktail, dressed down in an elegant evening gown and a matching Hijab. She was stunning. Even more stunning than when she wore her casual street clothes earlier that day.
He watched her every move as she ordered another fancy cocktail, sipped, and relaxed. She took a quick scan around the room, but nothing caught her eye. Not even him. It wasn’t until Shonnie pointed out his drooling that Freddy realized he was caught in her web.
“I saw her earlier and thought she was fine as hell too. Who is she?” Shonnie asked, sounding unenthused.
“Some reporter,” Freddy said, still gazing.
“What is she reporting? The best dressed in the VA? Cause I definitely got a story to tell.”
He laughed and waved Shonnie off. She knew how to dress, but there was no competition between her and Kalani. Kalani was more graceful and sensual in her style. Shonnie was those things too, but her vibe was different. More obnoxious and out there in a raunchy kind of way. She was sexy and attractive, but there was just something about Kalani that captivated his soul.
“You mind if I go over there, say what’s up?” he asked, without taking his eyes off Kalani.
“Nah,” Shonnie replied, grabbing her purse. “I’m about to go to the bathroom, anyway. All this champagne is running right through me.”
Freddy finished his own glass of champagne before he approached Kalani at the bar. Immediately, the scent of her perfume hit his nostrils like a pure line of cocaine and had him high off her fumes before he had a chance to speak. When he got another look at her face up close and personal, he had to catch his breath.
“Kalani Salah.”
He spoke in a mysterious tone and held his hand out for her to shake before he sat down.
“Freddy Prince.” She smiled and gently took his hand. “What a surprise.”
“Indeed,” he smiled. “Scoping out the scene, or are you following me?” he joked.
She let out a soft laugh and took another sip of her cocktail before saying, “I’ve followed a lot of things in my life, but never a man.”
Her humor quickly grabbed him by the balls. She was funny, sarcastically, but still light and friendly. And even though they weren’t sharing any genuine conversation, the moment wasn’t dull for them at all. It was as if their energies spoke more than their words needed to.
“Are you from Virginia?” he asked. “I didn’t catch that earlier.”
“No.” Kalani shook her head. “I was born in Pakistan. I would’ve been born here if my mom had made it back to her plane before I was ready to come out. Unfortunately, for her, I knew where I wanted my homeland to be.”
Freddy was impressed. If it weren’t for her creamy complexion and the Hijab she wore, he would’ve never guessed she was from Pakistan. He wanted to fall down the rabbit hole of conspiracies surrounding the women of Pakistan and what they were and weren’t allowed to do, but Shonnie was back at their table, and he didn’t want to leave her hanging.
“Are you still wanting to come by for an interview?” he asked. “I have someone waiting for me. I just wanted to come over and speak.”
“Oh, uh, yeah. Sure. What's your schedule like? I'm free every afternoon except tomorrow.”
“I’ll be in my office every day this week.” He pulled out a business card with the address to his headquarters listed. “Stop by whenever. Just tell them I’m expecting you.”
“Ok.”
It was hard for Freddy to walk away from her. Something in her eyes had him stuck and wanting more. More of what? He didn’t know. Just simply being in her presence was enough to make him feel alive and rejuvenated.
“Damn, I thought you fell in.”
He joked with Shonnie when he sat back in his seat.
“And I thought you fell into some pussy,” she sassed. “What was that all about?”
“Daaaang, I told you she wanted to do an interview,” he chuckled. “We were just talking, that’s all.”
“Mmhm.” Shonnie rolled her eyes, already knowing how much of a smooth talker Freddy was. “Tell me all the lies you want. I'll be sure to keep them safe in the same box with all the other lies you niggas like to tell.”
Usually, after a night out, they would end up in each other’s beds. But that night, something really got under Shonnie’s skin about him talking to another woman. It was a surprise to him because even though she got jealous from time to time, she never turned him down for sex.
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