Page 53 of Surrender to Love

“Oh, Shuga!” I gush.

“I knew it. That’s it. That’s the one. You look beautiful.”

“I know right,” she says, beaming. Then, she gives us a twirl. “But are you sure my ass doesn’t look too⁠—”

“Too what? Fine? You ass is sitting just right,” I say and she laughs.

“Girl, stop. Y’all are going to have me blushing. I really like it, and Reya, those are the shoes I was thinking.”

“Yes, they are perfect,” Reya says.

“Chile, let me take this off so I can have my drink and be ready for my makeover.”

“Not a makeover, just enhancement,” I say.

“I just hope they can do something with this ’fro,” she says as she walks back to the bedroom.

“I hope you’re not doing anything to it. I love your ’fro,” Reya calls out.

“Me too,” I agree because Shuga’s salt and pepper afro is always on point, so shiny and healthy.

“I have a picture,” Shuga says.

“A picture?” I utter to Reya as I hand her the can of ginger ale and cup of ice.

Reya shrugs. A few minutes later, Shuga walks out with her muumuu on. She joins us on the sofa and grabs the sangria. After she takes a sip, Reya says, “Let me see this picture.”

Shuga pulls her cell from her pocket and shows us a picture of an older woman with a ’fro not as vibrant as hers. It’s styled cute with a few scalp braids feeding into it on one side.

“Nothing crazy. Just a little change. I love it,” Shuga says.

“Me too. It is pretty,” I agree and so does Reya.

After we drink in silence for a moment, Shuga places her half empty sangria on the table then sits up. “Now, you two didn’t tell my boys about this thing tonight, right?”

Reya answers first. “My lips were sealed.”

“Mine too.”

“Good because I’m not trying to hear their mouths about this. It’s just a one-time thing and they don’t need to stress me out.”

“One time? What if you have fun and actually meet someone tonight,” Reya says.

“I doubt that.”

“I don’t. You might need to wear flats. Every man in that ballroom is going to try and dance with you tonight,” I say and she smiles.

“You two are the sweetest. Y’all are going to have me walking in there thinking I’m something,” she says.

“’Cause you are,” I say as there’s a knock on the door.

“And now it’s time to get you perfect,” Reya says, then stands to let D’Vonne and Jae in.

An hour and a half later, Shuga is ready and looking amazing. D’Vonne gave her a natural beat, accentuating her beautiful eyes and full lips and Jae slayed the braids and shaped Shuga’s fro. We all enter the elevator together and travel to the lobby. When she heads toward her event, Reya and I walk to the tapas restaurant in the hotel to grab something light before we leave. There’s only a fifteen-minute wait, then we are seated.

“You’re here this weekend?” I ask Reya.

“Yes. We aren’t going back to Diamond Falls until Monday night. Niya doesn’t have school but Quintus has court over here.”