𝐃𝐑𝐔𝐌 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓 ▷ JANET JACKSON ¹

𝙭𝙞𝙞𝙞. four's a crowd

( CHAPTER THIRTEEN: FOUR'S A CROWD )
May, 1992

❝ you deserve so much better than that guy. ❞

◯

Awkward wasn't even the right word to describe the tension between the four. Devon, for one, felt the awkwardness, but he also felt the deep-rooted hatred. Nikki, Janet, Julio and Devon all sat at a single table—the two couples positioned on either side—tangled in a thick web of rigid silence. While Janet played with her braids and Nikki gazed at her lap, Devon was bold enough to stare right into Julio's face, and by stare, it was more so a glare.

Julio managed to book a reservation at a five-star Mexican restaurant, and although the sight of his smug smile seemed to charm everyone around him—Devon wasn't buying his phoney, smooth act at all.

And as the young dancer sat there with his body hunched in his chair and his slanted eyes roaring with malice, he slightly bounced in surprise once he felt a heel dig into his foot. His face flared with annoyance, looking forward to see Janet mouthing the words, 'stop staring', in serious manner. Devon begrudgingly obeyed, letting his eyes peel away from Janet's heinous boyfriend and focussing on the menu.

"This place is really nice," Nikki was the first person to break the silence, attempting to start up a conversation, even though Devon had no real interest in engaging in one. "Thank you," Julio smiled, "I take Janet here all the time for our date nights." He wrapped an arm around Janet's shoulders, and leaned in for a kiss, which Janet welcomed, a light smile tailing her glossy lips.

Gross, Devon thought, unable to hide his revulsion, the sight of Julio's lips on Janet's mouth disgusting him more than it should've. "Well, me and Devon are glad that you invited us," Nikki politely said, oval eyes flicking over to the male who stared across the table in a loathing manner. She nudged him, causing for Devon to spare her an irritated glance, not even bothering to hide his displeasure.

Julio laughed, brown eyes now staring at Devon—and boy, even his laugh was annoying. "He doesn't look too happy," Julio stated, which made Devon's face crinkle cruelly. "He wants to know how you got reservations at a spot like this," Devon spoke up, his elbows resting on the table as he leaned forward.

"I know a few people, they pulled some strings," Julio smirked, and Devon's frown deepened just looking at his face, the two males noticeably flashing their egos and seeing which one would submissively heel first. Devon wasn't looking to bow down to Julio's smugness, even if both Nikki and Janet wanted them to stop their passive quarrels.

"I bet you've never seen a place as nice as this, being from Harlem and all," Julio added, slapping Devon on his bulky shoulder. The young man's face couldn't help but darken at his words, venomous eyes staring at the male as the terrible stench of his words still hung in the air. "What's that supposed to mean?" Devon lowly asked, leaning forward as he dared Julio to answer.