Page 2 of Refuel

“Stays in Vegas,” all three of us said at the same time as we walked up the stairs of the private jet Colton owned. I plopped down on the seat, preparing to buckle up. It normally took about forty-five minutes to get back home. I noticed a text message pop up from my ex-boyfriend Freddie. I wondered what he wanted, but if he was planning on trying to get back together, I wasn’t in the same space anymore as far as relationships were concerned. Becoming a driver was my passion, and love was taking a backseat for now.

“Ughh…” I sighed, turning my phone off.

“Who was that?” Ry questioned.

“Freddie, wanting to talk. We haven’t spoken in over seven months, and now he wants to talk,” I confessed, which was the last time he and my brothers got into it at a family dinner. Supposedly, he was talking to the press about us getting married, and that was news to me when I never expressed I wanted to get married or have kids right now. The flight attendant came around with drinks and a tray of snacks from fruit to breakfast sandwiches and muffins. My stomach growled.

“Do you plan on talking to him?” Ry asked, taking a bottle of water from the stewardess.

“Can I get a towel and toothbrush?” I needed to freshen up before I ate.

“Of course,” Evelyn, the flight attendant, said.

She’d been a part of the longtime flight team for Colton, along with George, her husband. They reminded me of older parents, always looking out for us when we went away on trips.

“Thanks,” I replied, shaking my head at Ry before I opened the bottle and took a sip.

“How do you think it’ll play out when it hits the papers?” Essence asked.

“It was a friendly conversation at the club,” I responded, grabbed the towel and toothbrush out of her hands before I stood, and headed to the bathroom.

“Don’t forget to wash between your legs,” Essence joked.

“Shut up, Essence!” I shouted from the back of the plane.

“You say friendly conversation, but the way you two were hugged up, and people took photos of you two, I can imagine the gossip blogs going crazy,” Ry announced.

Looking in the mirror, I turned the water on, then washed my face, and brushed my teeth. She had a point; I could be a little reckless sometimes. One of the reasons my family could get a little overboard with things was because I tended to forget I came from a well-known family. I tried not to let that hold me back and worked toward my goals. At a knock on the bathroom door, I opened it, and Evelyn stood there with a pair of leggings and a long t-shirt from my luggage. I smiled and thanked her before continuing to wash up and change. I stepped out of the bathroom feeling ten times better, then got comfortable as the doors closed, and we prepared to lift off.

“It’ll be fine. I doubt anyone really noticed it was me,” I said, turning and looking out the window as the seatbelt sign came on.

Two hours later, I arrived home and dropped my luggage near the door, tired and exhausted from the day. I turned on my answering machine; the messages were mostly for interview requests and brands wanting me to partner up as a spokesperson. My two dogs ran toward me as Cicely, my housekeeper, walked around the corner with her hands on her hips. I grinned, noticing her attitude right off the bat. Cicely was my nanny when I was younger, so she was like a second mom to me. She went between my parents’ house, mine, and my brothers’ houses, making sure things were clean, there was food in the fridge, and she occasionally babysat for Eddison Jr.’s two kids.

“What now, old lady?” I asked.

“Call me old lady and see what happens.” Cicely smacked me gently on the thigh.

“I didn’t do anything,” I commented, then picked up the remote to turn the TV on. It was only one in the afternoon, and I was ready for a nap.

“Your mom told me you’re going tomorrow for dinner,” Cicely said, sitting next to me. She was in her late sixties with grown kids and grandkids. She didn’t have to work, but she wanted to stay on after her husband passed. Both families got along great. I even hired her granddaughter Ciara, to help manage my social media to earn extra money while she was in high school. I treated my little sister like more than an employee and sometimes that could backfire, but she’d done well, stayed focused, and committed to graduate and have a career as a publicist. Since I worked for CD Enterprises and would hopefully start racing one day, we could bring her on full time.

“I’m tired and need a break after this weekend. Plus, I have work early Monday. I’d rather not get caught up in long conversations about how I’m living my life,” I confessed, rubbing the back of Lucky and picking up Dreamy, my two Maltipoos. Cicely had a long streak of gray hair and still wore high heeled shoes at her age and stayed stylish, thanks to my family, constantly spoiling her. We tried to get her to retire and travel the world, but she refused and always said there was nothing for her to see unless Billy, her late husband, was with her to see the world, too.

“Did you have fun?” Cicely questioned. I nuzzled up close to Lucky, lifted my eyes at her question, and smiled.

“Oh Lord,” Cicely said, dramatically throwing her hands up in prayer.

I busted out in laughter.

“Don’t worry. I protected myself, Cicely. You worry too much, just like Mommy,” I said, sitting up and turning the station to RuPaul’s Drag Race.

“I’ll end up having a heart attack dealing with you, girl,” Cicely stated.

I leaned my head on her shoulder, getting comfortable.

“Did you cook?” I asked.

“You know not to ask that question. I always have something cooked for my babycakes,” Cicely said, tapping my leg so she could get up. She walked off toward the kitchen, and I followed behind, with Lucky and Dreamy barking at each other. I adopted them two years ago, and they reminded me of my brother Malik and me constantly bickering. He was the best big brother in the world and spoiled me rotten. Also, he was the first person to tell me how I should be living my life, even though he was quick to yell out he was single and could date or do whatever because he was a man. I called bullshit every time, and our parents ignored us at this point when family dinners started up. It was the main reason I was avoiding dinner tomorrow.

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