Chapter 1

• Mona POV
• It was going to be a great day today. I had just accepted a position at Durand Textiles as CFO, and in a few weeks, I would be relocating from Atlanta to New Orleans. Living in New Orleans has always been a dream of mine. Mardi Gras was unlike anything else, and I would be staying just a few blocks from the fabled Bourbon Street. The food and entertainment were simply amazing anywhere else.
• My birthday was the following day, and I knew my best friend and event planner Alexis Varner had something special in store. That girl was able to organize a party in a flash. She was the owner of one of Atlanta's largest event planning companies. People wanted to be around her because she knew who was who. Since the third grade, when I first met Alexis, we have been friends.
• We both received our undergraduate degrees from Howard University and our MBAs from the Harvard School of Business. We were both wealthy, intelligent, and attractive (as we have been told). Because we both have medium length brown hair and a caramel complexion, some people mistake us for sisters. We are both designer junkies and wear the same size in both shoes and clothing.
• The only distinction between us is that Alexis is a party girl and I lean more toward conservatism. I am a Republican, but she is a Democrat. While she parties and blows her money, I'm all about the business side of things, making sure that my money is made and saved.
• I was packing the final pair of shoes from my bedroom's built-in shoe closet. I'm a collector of designer shoes, so sue me. Nothing but the best fits these size 7 feet. I have more of whatever you can think of.
• Since the beginning, I have always dressed to impress. My father was a dentist, and my mother is a Spelman professor. I was six when my father passed away. One day when he went to the ATM, he was robbed in broad daylight. My father was shot by the young punk, who immediately died. The individual was ultimately detained, and he passed away in custody.
• We usually have lunch on Saturdays and talk to each other once a day, but suddenly our Saturday brunches would be discontinued.
• I cherished my Atlanta home. When I was offered a position at Texas Instruments as a marketing advisor with a starting salary of $60,000 and a company car, I bought it. Not too shabby for a 23-year-old. Since then, I have worked as an Assistant VP of Finance for RhineHeart Chemicals, and my most recent position was as CFO of the Wakman Stone Company, which Durand Textiles recently acquired.
• I was employed by Mr. Collis Durand after he was impressed with my performance to manage his company's stone, copper, and wood transportation operations throughout the US and beyond. I was up for the challenge, and now I could show myself that I was capable of doing it.
• My phone started chirping. It had to be hidden underneath everything on my bed. I removed my clothing and started to pick up.
• "Chickadee, hello! Club Gazelles will host a lively party tomorrow night. You are being treated like a VIP. I rented a limo for us so we won't have to drive after drinking. Lance Moore will serenade you as Mike the proprietor sets up the beverages. Which woman is she? You can't hear me?" (During the last line, she made fun of Sponge Bob Square Pants.)
• Lexi, you are the woman, I rolled my eyes. She could be so theatrical, yet I still loved my friend.
• "So that we may go shopping today, I will be at your place by four. For your birthday party, you must buy a new outfit and pair of shoes. My reward! "Over the phone, she sounded overly excited.
• You don't have to do all of this, Lexi.
• "Are you insane? You have to do this properly since a girl only reaches thirty once and you are now officially single (baby baby!!! she was singing in the background). Remember that I'm the party organizer? All you have to do is show up and do as I say. Be prepared when I arrive, toodles "She hung up, she said.
• I had no desire to go shopping at all. I had a lifetime's worth of clothing and footwear. I would have to bring more items as a result. I circled my three-bedroom, three-bath home on the way back. It would take me three weeks to pack with three thousand square feet of living space and a detached pool home. I took out my phone and searched for a reliable moving company in my area.
• On the phone, the proprietor made a cute impression and offered to send someone to give me a quote the following day. I still needed to pack my belongings even though Durand Textiles was transferring me.
• I hastily put on some clothes and awaited Lexi. She exited her red convertible BMW at four minutes to ten. She adored that vehicle. It was equipped with all the newest and best technology. I Know You Want Me t-shirt, tight slim jeans, and black Prada sandals were all that Lexi had on when she got out of the car. Her huge brown Furla purse and brown Tiffany & Co. sunglasses were both worn with her brownish-black hair perfectly pulled back in a bun. She and I met at the door.
• She moved me out of the way and said, "Can a sista use the bathroom?" She scurried between the kitchen crates and the portraits. We arrived to a few boutiques a short while later.
• Lexi had sent me off four hours earlier with $500 less in my wallet. She could only purchase my Gucci shoes. That girl consumed money like people do water in bottles. She was accustomed to it because her parents managed four prosperous restaurants in Georgia.
• "Remember to be prepared by five. The limo will arrive about 5:00 or 5:00 PM. Mona, please don't be late."
• "Wow, I'm always on time. You may have confused me with my sister Shontel, I believe."
• "You're right, lady. My bad! I'll see you tomorrow, love you." She left after our hug.