The Score by Kiki Swinson Read Free Book Online

was making me feel sick.
    â€œYo! I just spotted the fucking VIP ropes,” Daysha said, excitedly elbowing me in the ribs. She tilted her head and nodded toward the far left of the club. As people swayed to the music and opened up tiny gaps I got a quick glimpse of those famous velvet ropes that everybody knows separates VIPs from the general clubgoers.
    â€œC’mon. Let’s go bust up that nigga’s party,” Daysha said, starting to move. I grabbed the back of her jumpsuit and pulled her back, almost making her fall flat on her ass.
    â€œYo! What are you doing? Ain’t this what you came here for?” Daysha screamed at me with her face folded into a frown.
    â€œLet’s give it a few minutes,” I said nervously. “I have to make sure I’m ready for whatever. Matt might act stupid. I have to be prepared.”
    My nerves were all of a sudden frazzled. I couldn’t tell if I really wanted to know what Matt was doing or not. I started second-guessing myself and feeling guilty, like what if Matt was right about keeping me out of harm’s way.
    â€œLauren, I ain’t come out here to play stupid games. We came to party and getting in VIP with Matt and them is where I wanna be,” Daysha snapped, tapping her foot. I knew that meant it would only be a few more minutes before her ass got real impatient with me and stormed over to the VIP section alone. Daysha was one of those bold chicks who didn’t give a fuck.
    â€œOkay. Okay. Let me just get one more drink in my system. I might need my liquid courage,” I said.
    I downed my drink and ordered one more.
    â€œOh hell no! What you ordering more drinks for? Are you here to creep on Matt or not? Shit, you acting mad scary,” Daysha complained.
    â€œLet me finish this drink and then we will go,” I placated.
    â€œDon’t be acting scared. This is why this nigga thinks he can keep your ass under lock and key . . . you always acting like you scared to roll up on his ass,” Daysha said tauntingly.
    â€œI ain’t never scared,” I snapped back. I guess her words had put the battery in my back. I slammed the empty glass on the bar, threw three twenty-dollar bills up on the bar, and headed in the direction of the VIP section.
    I am not sure why my legs were shaking and my heart thumping, but they were. A cold feeling shot down my spine like something bad was about to happen to me. Even with the dance floor packed with people I felt like I was all alone walking into impending doom.
    Daysha got to the velvet ropes first. The thick, purple velvet ropes were all that separated the VIP section from the rest of the club. A thinly veiled material hung at either side of the entrance, too, but those paper-thin sheers did not obscure my vision of all of the people behind them.
    There was a tall man dressed in a suit standing guard in front of the VIP entrance and he used his body to block our entrance when Daysha approached.
    â€œOnly specially invited guests in this area,” the man growled.
    â€œWe are specially invited guests. This is Matt’s wife,” Daysha said sassily, pointing to me like the man should’ve known that. I was stuck on stupid, unable to even move. I had already peeped what I needed to see. I put my hand against my chest because I felt like I was having a heart attack. My chest literally felt tight like my heart was about to stop.
    â€œWhat proof does she have?” I heard the man ask Daysha.
    Daysha turned toward me. I don’t know if she noticed how pale my face had turned or if it mattered to her that my mouth was halfway open in horror.
    â€œLauren? Tell him you’re Matt’s wife so he can just let us by,” Daysha said to me. Suddenly, my ears began ringing and I could no longer decipher what song the DJ was playing. I blinked a few times and then all of a sudden I felt an unknown force pushing me forward. I swear it was like a demon had jumped