"Trick you makin' these Insta-hoes so bitter!" Kat cackled and kicked her feet in the air as she lay sprawled out on the couch scrolling through the social media platform of Instagram.
"I'm on the phone... old loud ass!"
"He can wait just look at this, read it!" The long-legged beauty persisted as she lazily tossed her phone to Gigi who had tucked herself away in the opposite corner of the sofa. She grabbed the cell off the couch and looked to see that her friend was once again on the Shaderoom's page trying to catch up on the latest celebrity gossip.
**********
This past weekend multi-business owner millionaire and celebrity choreographer, Gigi Jackson celebrated her 30th birthday at Poppy in LA and we've finally managed to get some details on the private affair. Apparently, the shindig was a surprise blow out thrown by her close friends, female-producer phenome Kat "Kat Stacks" Battemore and the one and only Champagne Papi. The night was filled with dancing, fun, and plenty of famous faces including an expecting Beyoncé and Jay Z who are very close to the retired professional dancer that serves as godmother to their oldest child, daughter, Blue Ivy. The celebration was set to the backdrop of a Houston, Texas theme, the hometown of the birthday girl. Gigi appeared to be in high spirits throughout the night despite the tribulations she had been facing the past couple of months such as the Beyhive backlash from her Breakfast Club interview, the vandalism of two of her businesses, and, most recently, the circling rumors she was responsible for the breakup of Drake and J. Lo as she had been seen with the mega superstar for several days in London where he was performing for his Boy Meets World Tour. It appears the young ingénue and 6 God may have some type of on-again-off-again relationship as she was associated with him last year as the woman who possibly brought an end to Drake and Rihanna's relationship as well. Although Gigi had made it clear, in December, that her and the Toronto rapper had only ever been friends, video of their recent interactions, one in particular where the two were seen dancing in a London nightclub, and reports that the lovebirds were both seen exiting the restroom together at the birthday party, seem to say otherwise. Whatever the relationship is between them must be special as Drake, often known for his extravagance, not only hosted the party but performed a song inspired by Gigi as well as gifting her an OVO chain and a collection of thirty Chanel bags with a value totaling well over $250,000... that's $150,000 more than the necklace he gave to J. Lo earlier last month.
**********
Gigi swiped through the post looking at several very familiar pictures. Familiar as they were the exact and only ones of the night she had posted on her own account. In the first photo, she was captured standing beside Beyoncé, the two of them laughing and smiling while Aubrey and Jay stood off to the side doing the same with glasses of Virginia Black Whiskey in hand. The second picture had been one of her and Kat when they first walked into the lounge. Kat displayed a huge smile while Gigi's face was full of surprise. The final picture had been requested by Sandi: a group photo of all of her 'original kids' together again. Gigi had been placed in the center surrounded by all the guys with Aubrey standing directly behind her. His arm laid across her chest holding her close while his other hand partially lifted up Gigi's chain to show it off to the world. Instead of smiling, they had all agreed to do their best mean mug face much to Sandi's annoyance. A small smile lit Gigi's face as she thought back to the incredible night and scrolled down to the comments section. Although she still didn't use the social media platform at the same frequency as most people, she did notice that the more she was on it the more the comments would draw her attention.
**********
Doubl3Troubl3 Shaderoom know they did not have to post how much her gift was vs Jennifer's! Leave J. Lo and her little candy necklace alone! 😂😭
Uwishuhadme Damn, homewreckers winning in 2017
OMGi @uwishuhadme He's not married so she can't be a homewrecker 💁🏽♀️
Gi_World No Gigi hate will be tolerated! BeyHive we looking at you!
3dahardway @Gi_World Naw they got their act together when Bey had to straighten they asses out!
Nunushit That picture of her, Drake Bey, and Jay need to be framed!
Sashayshae Drake droppin' RACKS and I can't even get a nigga to buy me a 4 for 4 from Wendy's 😫
**********
"Gi, are you there?" Aubrey's voice brought Gigi out of the rabbit hole of comments from the post.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Kat was showing me some stuff from the Shaderoom. Those little thieves took my pictures."
"Once they're out there, they pretty much become public property."
"I mean I don't have a problem with them being out there but they could still at least ask if they could use it."
Aubrey's laugh bellowed through the phone, "There's no respectability in media Gi! They do what they want. All we can do is just try to ignore it."
"It's hard to do when they're implying we had sex in the in the restroom at the party!"
"Did we?"
Kat eagerly popped up onto her elbows, "Yeah, did y'all?"
"What do you mean did we?! Of course, we didn't!" Although she was answering Aubrey's question, Gigi gave a pointed look to Kat as she spoke and tossed a pillow at her head.
"Then that's all that matters. We know we didn't so let them think what they want."
It wasn't the response she was hoping for but Gigi knew Aubrey was right. As long as they knew the truth, they shouldn't care what others thought yet it was easier said than done for her. It was still quite an adjustment to get used to complete strangers commenting on her personal life, a life they didn't even know about but felt they had complete right to have a say so in. She gave an exasperated sigh as she placed a hand to her forehead in annoyance. "This 'celebrity' life requires some thick skin."
"You'll be fine. You're one of the toughest women I know and remember, I got you."
An instant calming took over Gigi. Even though Aubrey was thousands of miles away, that simple statement of his support gave her a sense of peace and safety. "Thanks, Aubs... I got you too." The two fell into silence not knowing which direction to carry their conversation to next nor neither one bothered enough by the awkwardness to hang up.
"Is this how y'all were in high school?" Kat who was now fully sitting up and in Gigi's face, smiled a large cheesy grin. Gigi scrunched her face and gave her friend a slight shove. "I can't help but listen, your deaf ass has the volume up so loud!"
"Go to your corner," Gigi pointed to the other end of the couch banishing Kat from her side. "Sorry about that," she returned her attention to Aubrey while continuing to push her friend away, "Oh, I almost forgot! Do you have any pictures from the night? Your mom wants me to get as many as possible so she can make a photo book."
"Yeah, I hav-- wait a minute, why is she making you a photo album? She didn't make me one for my birthday." Gigi rolled her eyes and shook her head instantly regretting asking the question. She could sense his 'only-child syndrome' kicking in. Although Aubrey had always been selfless in sharing Sandi with others, letting her be a second mother to all his friends, he did have his moments where the mama's boy in him would jump out questioning whenever someone got special treatment from Sandi that he had not received beforehand.
"Look that's between you and your mama. I'm just doing what she asked me to do."
"Well, I don't understand why she would make one for you and not me. I would have appreciated a book as well. Didn't even consider to ask me. And I'm her son... her only son. I want to look at back on mem--"
"Aubrey, I will make you a book my damn self, okay?! Now, do you have pictures or not?!"
"Ay," the joking in his voice had gone and his timbre was deep and authoritative, "bring it down a couple of notches. Don't make me fly over there again just to straighten out that attitude."
Gigi pulled the phone away and stared at it incredulously before placing it back to her ear. "You're the one being a spoiled brat and throwing a hissy fit because Sandi is doing something special for me that she didn't do for you!"
"Oh, okay, so that's what we're doing now? I'm the spoiled brat, but you just got a whole collection of bags for your birthday. You can literally wear a different purse each day of the month!"
"And whose fault is that?! You're the one that got it for me and I didn't even ask for it! So if I'm spoiled, blame yourself!"
Aubrey became quiet for a second knowing he couldn't deny Gigi's claim. It was his fault. Since high school, he had always enjoyed giving her gifts because she never asked for anything from him. She was always of the mindset of buying things herself or waiting and saving up for items she wanted and when she did receive gifts, she was always truly thankful even when she complained about the money that was spent it came from a place of love because she was looking out for him and ensuring the cost wouldn't affect his well-being. So she was right, he was the one that spoiled her and he'd do it a thousand times over without batting an eye. "So about these pictures...." Gigi wore a smug smile as Aubrey attempted to change the topic at hand knowing he was trying to avoid acknowledging her as the victor of their little, immature dispute. "I tagged you in them. You didn't see the ones I posted?"
"No, when Kat made my account she turned everything off so I wouldn't have my phone constantly blowing up."
"That's probably something you don't want to change... trust me. For, the future, turn on my post notifications and whenever I post a picture or video you'll get an alert."
"Okay, hold on." Gigi placed her phone on her lap and put Aubrey on speaker. "You're going to have to walk me through how to set these notifications up." She followed along to the instructions Aubrey gave and went ahead and turn on notifications for all of the guys as well as Kat, Bey, and Solange so she could stay somewhat in the loop. "Alright, I think I got everyone that I wanted set up." Gigi returned to Aubrey's page to find the pictures he had, yet it didn't take her long as they were still at the top as his most recent post. Like her, he kept it at three simple pictures. The first was of him holding her hand as he made his brief speech to the audience before he performed November 18th. Another picture was a candid shot of the two in the DJ booth with Gigi pointing to the screen of the computer, more than likely to one of the many songs she had requested throughout the night, and Aubrey concentrating hard at trying to keep the vibe of the party going. "Aww Aubs, this last one is cute!" She had swiped to the third picture which showed her sitting on the floor of her home with her hands over her eyes surrounded by the thirty Chanel boxes that sat unopened.
A smooth chuckle came through the phone as Aubrey bragged, "Well you know with my excellent photography skills, I can make anybody look good..."
"I think it's because you had a beautiful subject, your skills are trash." Gigi smiled to herself while she nosily scrolled through more posts on Aubrey's page, the majority of them being tour pictures shot behind the scenes and during the show.
"Don't sleep on me! I got skills!"
Gigi ignored his remark while she returned to the birthday pictures to get another good look at them. They were nice, extremely nice. It looked like Theo, Aubrey's personal photographer, had taken them himself but of course, she wasn't going to admit that knowing she'd never hear the end of it from the man on the other end of the line. Her eyes fell to the words below the picture and her smile grew even larger as she read, '30 for 30 Gi-style.' "Nice caption."
"Everybody has to have the obligatory Drake lyrics on their posts."
"But very few get it from the man himself, which must mean I'm special," she teased at him, her cheeks hurting from how hard she was smiling.
"Eh, I don't know about special. You're coming in strong as a solid 'above-average.'"
"See, this is why I'm not coming to visit you in March!"
"Hold up now! Over there talking crazy, you're coming to see me! You don't have a choice; I'll send the crew to kidnap you if I have to."
"The sad thing is I know you would actually do it."
"When I want something or someone... I want them."
"And why would you want me? Remember there's nothing special about me. I'm 'above-average.' At least I have the guys, they're the only ones who care about me. They thought I was special enough to get me a chain."
"I had a hand it that too! That was a joint gift!"
Gigi's tinkling laughter filled the room as she reveled in riling him up, "Relax, I know it was a joint thing. They told me you picked out the colors and you did an excellent job." Gigi zoomed in to the picture of her on the floor to take in the details of the chain around her neck.
"I'm just glad you liked it. I know you're not into the flashy stuff and it was a risk getting it for you but the guys really wanted you to have one... I... really wanted you to have one. You were down for me day one, you should have been one of the first that got a chain anyway."
Gigi's eyes coyly turned downcast at Aubrey's words. No matter the years or distance he always managed to find a way to make her feel so shy and conscientious. She hated that feeling. She was used to having to be the bold, assertive, boss all the time. Being soft and demure, she came to believe, was a weakness and yet every time she was around Aubrey, no matter how hard she tried, he managed to bring out all of her vulnerabilities leaving her feeling completely exposed but safe as he accepted her flaws and all. "Thank you, that really means a lot to me and you'll be happy to know I love it. It really is gorgeous. I think my favorite thing about it are the emeralds. They were a unique touch. I've never seen emeralds in such a light green color."
"Emeralds? There aren't any emeralds on there."
"Yes, there are, the green stones on the wings."
"Those are green diamonds."
"I've never--"
"They take a long time to gain their color so they're not as readily available as other colored diamonds are, hence why you've probably never heard of them before."
"How long does it take for them to become green?" Aubrey sighed and mumbled a disjointed answer that Gigi couldn't make out. "Can you say that a little louder? I couldn't hear you." He repeated himself with minimal effort and little difference from his first response. "Aubs, enunciate and speak clearly, please." Again, a gargled response was all she received causing Gigi to lose her patience, "Will you talk like you have some damn sense?!"
"A million years!"
Gigi did a double take and tapped her phone taking Aubrey off of speakerphone. She brought the cell to her ear and spoke curiously wondering if she heard correctly. "What did you just say?"
Aubrey huffed as he reluctantly explained about the scarce diamonds knowing what Gigi's reaction would be. "There's no exact number but the rough estimate is they're exposed to radiation for about a million years."
"Radiation?!" Gigi instantly shot up from her seat. "Are you crazy?! What the hell did you get me?!"
"Calm down, obviously it's harmless. They're not going to sell diamonds for people to wear that would kill them."
Gigi continued to stand and placed the fingertips of her hand to her forehead as she thought for a moment. For the color of the diamonds to take that long to occur, they weren't just unique they were rare, extremely rare and with stones like that so hard to find they could only come with a seriously hefty price tag. "Aubrey, how much did the chain cost?"
"Ask the fellas. It was their gift." The telltale sign that Aubrey was hiding something rang loud and clear as he sounded too nonchalant.
"Give it to me if your ungrateful ass doesn't want it!"
"Shut up!" Gigi smacked Kat with a pillow as she walked towards her bedroom and shut the door. She stretched across her bed and laid on her stomach with her chin propped up in her hand and knees bent with her feet swaying in the air. "How much?"
"That wasn't my gift so I don't know."
"But you helped with creating it and earlier you said it was a joint gift"
"So?"
"So, you're telling me you pay the guys well enough where they can afford to give me a piece of jewelry with several highly rare, once in a lifetime diamonds on it?" The silence stretched between the two as Aubrey refused to answer. "Aubrey!"
"What do you want me to say?!"
"The truth!"
"No, I don't pay them that well. Now stop asking me questions." Gigi frowned and pouted at his direct tone with her. "Don't even start Gi."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, so you're not over there with your lips all poked out gearing up to try and curse me out?"
"Leave me alone," Gigi sat up to readjust her position and took a quick look around her room, "You set up cameras in here or something?" She laid on her back and propped her legs up on the headboard as she put Aubrey back on speakerphone and placed her phone off to the side.
Aubrey's laugh resounded through the room, "No, I just know how your stubborn ass is. I thought we talked about this, just accept the gift and move on"
"I am not that stub--"
"Gi."
"Fine. Next topic, how are your shows going? Did you make it back in time?" About an hour after Gigi had opened her birthday gift from Aubrey, he left to return to London to be back in enough time to perform for a sold-out crowd that night.
"Yeah, we got there around twelve o' clock... had plenty of time to rest up and prepare for the show."
"Still, that must of have been exhausting having to fly to the other side of the world and back in a matter of hours? You have to make sure you're taking care of yourself with all this traveling you don't want to get sick or wear yourself out."
"I'm good. I promise, plus it was worth it to see the look on your face when I showed up."
"That was probably like the best birthday I've had in a long time and I'm really glad you were able to make it. I had my hopes up all night that you would be there. Thank you for making that happen."
"Baby Girl I told you before you can stop thanking me. I did it because I wanted to and knowing you wanted 'The Boy' there by your side is thanks enough for me. I always knew you thought I was irresistible!"
"Boy, shut up. Ain't nothing irresistible about you!"
"Oh really? Because I remember a certain somebody who couldn't stay off my-"
"Aubrey!" Despite being the only one in the room, Gigi covered her face and turned red from embarrassment.
"Damn it, why you cut him off!" Gigi tilted her head back and stared at her bedroom door. She should have known Kat would have been on the other side eavesdropping to hear juicy tidbits of her conversation.
"Go away!"
Aubrey chuckled, "How many days as she been over there now, like three?"
"I don't know but she won't go home. She's become like a stray cat!"
"I heard that!"
"You were supposed to! Now, go back to the couch! I can't deal with you and him at the same time! Y'all stressin' me out!"
"I didn't do anything. I was just reminding you--"
"Aubrey, stop!"
"Alright, alright I'll leave you alone. You're too wound up Gi, you need to take some time and chill so you won't get worked up so easily. What are you doing for Valentine's day? You should go to the spa or something maybe that could help you relax."
"Well the Grammys are the night before and I have to assist Bey with her performance. Kat's my plus one and plans on dragging me to the after parties so I'll probably be too dead to do anything. The only for sure thing planned is us having dinner together to celebrate 'Gal-entine's' Day."
"Cool, cool. So where are y'all going to eat?"
"Probably The Nice Guy."
"Aww man you know that's my spot, I can't believe you're going without me. You got reservations right because I know it's going to be packed in there."
"Yep they're at 7--" Gigi swung her legs down from the headboard and sat up, "Aubrey I swear you better not show up there on Valentine's day!"
"I'm on the other side of the world how am I going to do that?!"
"You're lucky I can't reach through this phone and smack you right now. Don't play dumb like you didn't just do that for my birthday."
"As much as I would love to do that again, Oliver and Future would probably kill me. The last-minute logistics were a nightmare to work out. I guess... we'll have to wait until March like planned?"
"That's too damn far away!"
Gigi rolled her eyes and let out a deep frustrated sigh, "Open the fucking door!" Her bedroom door slowly cracked open with Kat peeking her head through. "Bring your ass in here and shut up. You butt in once, I'm throwing you out, got it?"
Kat fervently shook her head as she dashed into the room and jumped onto Gigi's bed. If she wanted any intel on what was going on between Gigi and Aubrey this was her rare opportunity as she knew any other time Gigi would stay mum and brush it off as them just being friends and not spill any details. Kat sat cross-legged with her hands in her lap and an eager smile. "What's up Kat Stacks?!" She waved her hand at the phone despite Aubrey not being able to see her.
Gigi kept a watchful eye on Kat as she replied on her behalf. "She says hi and as much as I hate to admit it, she's right..." the same bit of sadness Gigi had felt during her party when she thought Aubrey wasn't going to be in attendance came over her again, "March does seem like a long way to go."
"Yeah, I wish you could be like the rest of the crew and be on tour the entire time."
"As tempting as that sounds, I remember tour life and it's not the most desirable way to live: a different city every other night, the constant packing and unpacking, living out of suitcases, and struggling to eat decently, not to mention, I kind of have my own stuff going on over here that I need to tend to."
"Ahh, yes the great 'dance empire.' I guess it would be selfish of me to steal you away from everything and everyone over there?"
"Would it be selfish of me to want you to steal me away?" Kat brought her hands to her chest and her eyes grew large as she sighed loudly and contently with a blissful smile. "Oh, be quiet!"
"Damn she didn't last very long not talking."
"She didn't talk; it was the stupid face she made thinking I wouldn't know what she was trying to say." A beeping sounded through the speakerphone and Gigi glanced down to see the name of 'Officer Nguyen' come across the top of her screen. "It's one of the officers from my case. I have to answer this."
"Yeah, um, how's that going by the way?"
"Good they caught the culprits... some dumb teenage kids.
"What are you going to do?"
"As much as I would love to press charges to teach their asses a lesson, I understand they're kids and sometimes you do some of the stupidest shit at that age and I'd hate for a blip in intelligence follow them for the rest of their life... no one should constantly have the mistakes of their past looming over them and affect their future." A somber silence occurred between Aubrey and Gigi as those words rang loud and true. However, although both had made mistakes in the past, neither freed themselves from those ghosts and thus their lives had been and continued to be deeply affected by those unforgiven missteps they had taken against each other and their own selves.
Aubrey cleared his throat and finally spoke, "I guess... I'll let you go then?"
"Yeah... you're in Leeds tonight, right?"
"Yeah. You still got the tour schedule?"
"By my nightstand... I check it every night."
"Alright, I... I'll talk to you later Gi."
"Okay."
"Okay."
Gigi continued to sit in the same spot not making a move as Kat happily watched her best friend linger on the phone not saying a word and hearing nothing from Aubrey's side either, both ignoring the constant beep of the caller on the other line as it was clear neither one wanted to say goodbye.