Cherry's Dawn || Skipper and Monty

Cherry's Dawn || Chapter 19

Author's Note: I've inserted Beyoncé's account of her performance with Skipper. Her laugh is contagious. Enjoy!

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February 2004 – Following Grammy Awards in Los Angeles

SKIPPER

Everyone raved over the toss of my guitar after that performance with Beyoncé. I marched through the foolishness of this so-called party and discovered a VIP section. Fellow celebrities of diverse levels greeted me with admiration, but I held back as usual. Smoky air wafted. Poison bubbled or swished in glasses.

Strobes lights colored my face. An unfamiliar song rumbled, but I nodded my head. My eyes bucked as soon as I turned. Dimples turned up to grin at me, but longer hair cascaded to her shoulders. Those brown eyes pierced my heart through the darkness surrounding everyone.

In that same moment, my eyes narrowed. Someone draped his arm around her shoulder on the couch. I could barely see her outfit in this dreadful lighting. I still knew for sure it had been a classy dress to say the least.

Monty whispered to this stranger and he flirted right back. Not once did I even care about the ring on my own finger as jealously crept for the first time in years. I rose from my chair and carefully walked over to them. This cat alongside Monty raised his swishing liquor without a drink. I'd never seen a brother with gray peppered hair before. No one could tell me he wasn't older than my "ex."

He took one huge gulp to finish off the drink and slammed it down onto the table inches across. Bass rumbled again while he circled to greet me. He offered to shake hands with me. With my own weakness observing us, I followed suit and even patted his back like we were old friends or something.

"Roger Clark. Your work is incredible." he introduced himself. I shook his hand again.

"Thank you. What do you do for a living?" I asked before long.

Former talent scout." he smiled. "Brenda's brought in most of the bacon though with her savings and things like that."

I didn't know what to think of his curve near the end. Was Roger some has-been musician before changing lanes and meeting my girl in the first place? I questioned so many things right now, but decided to back off. Monty knew her heart, so I trusted more than anything.

Roger and I kept up awkward small talk before Monty swooped in for a rescue. I kissed both of her gorgeous dimples in a friendly manner and we hugged for what felt like the longest time. Despite phone calls throughout the years, I honestly couldn't remember the last time we'd seen each other in person.

"You're still amazing and Beyoncé is me." Monty joked with the last part and chuckled. She giggled once more without those pretty curls in her hair and pulled in for another hug. I could feel Roger's eyes on both of us, but didn't even care. I never wanted to let go.

But my joy halted when I noticed the ring on her finger.

No. I thought to myself.

I leaned carefully to whisper. "Are you married to Roger?"

"Engaged." Monty hushed back. "What's the problem? You're married." In this moment, our precious nicknames faded out of my thoughts.

I looked straight into Brenda's eyes, more hurt than ever. As Prince, I caressed her face without a care for the man standing near us. I carefully leaned in to kiss her cheek and walked away. A slightly trembling hand of mine placed sunglasses on my own eyes to avoid onlookers.

I now teared up on a brilliant evening, despite this party. Bodyguards followed me out at the snap of my finger. I looked back to find Monty arguing with Roger out of nowhere, but just couldn't turn back. The entire ride back, I stared out the window. Glowing streetlights zipped as the limousine moved along. Flashes of years flooded my thoughts when the ring faded back into subconscious.

After looking into a few things, I discovered that Monty no longer resided in the penthouse. Even with this tiny piece of information, I bummed out even harder than the first time. The chime of that elevator rang through my mind like an alarm, blaring louder and louder.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

Her laughter echoed through my heart this time and pumped like blood in my veins. Tears poured down my cheeks without shame, but footsteps outside the hotel's bedroom door caught me off guard. I stared down at the ring my finger again and a lump immediately formed in my throat.

I hadn't spoken to Manuela since coming back here, but she'd known about Monty for some time now. Fortunately, I never cheated on her with Brenda, either. Manuela and I wed three years before. Around the same time, Monty occupied herself with Michael again.

Until this evening, I thought my love disappeared.

"What happened?" Manuela asked beside me on the bed.

"Brenda." I answered simply. "She's engaged to some quack."

"You sure he's phony?" my wife reached out to hold my hand. I obliged. "Brenda's not stupid."

"Apparently, he stopped scouting years ago and Brenda pays most bills with all that money in her pocket. I'm just concerned."

"Trust her and get some sleep. You've had a long night." Manuela kissed my head. "Let's talk about this morning.

I settled and tried to fall asleep.