A Christmas Song by Imari Jade Page B

his sixteenth birthday. Back then she was so in love with the sandy-blond-haired teen she couldn’t see straight. He was her best friend, big brother, lover, and protector. She really missed his friendship, but in the end, she felt she’d made the right decision.
     
    “The temperature in M. J.’s suite has been set to North Pole since he still likes to sleep in the cold. Dante’s suite is stocked with classical movie DVDs. Vince is bringing along his masseuse and hair stylist, who is the same person, and with whom he may or may not be sleeping with. So his suite is stocked with towels and toiletries for two.”
     
    “Still a bunch of divas, I see.”
     
    Bernard laughed. “And just think you were once the lover of one of those divas.”
     
    Denise stopped laughing. “That was a long time ago. I’m glad they’re a success and hope they continue to dominate the charts. But while they’re here, I’ll just be the assistant hotel manager and you’ll stay out of M. J.’s bed.”
     
    M. J. came out of the closet several years ago, which broke the hearts of thousands of young women, but made his fan-boys very happy.
     
    “What are you talking about? I would never throw myself on M. J.”
     
    “I’m glad to know this since you’re supposed to be in a relationship with Enrique.”
     
    Bernard fanned his manicured hand in front of his face, like he was suffering from a case of the vapors. “Didn’t I tell you? Enrique and I broke up.”
     
    “No. When?”
     
    “Recently. Anyway, he and I had an open relationship.”
     
    This was something else she didn’t know. “So if M. J. invites you into his bed, would you go?”
     
    “If Trent invites you into his bed, would you?”
     
    Denise frowned at him, and Bernard frowned back at her just as stubbornly. “No,” they both answered.
     
    “You’re both lying,” Keisha said, entering Bernard’s open office door.
     
    Keisha managed the front desk and had worked with them long enough to know them.
     
    “What do you know?” Bernard asked her. “I don’t go flitting from one man to another.”
     
    “I know you’re both crazy, and you’d be foolish to pass up a chance to be with the people you love.”
     
    Denise shook her head. “I am not in love with Trent.”
     
    Bernard didn’t deny or confirm the allegation.
     
    “You two can deny all you want, but I know better.”
     
    “Bernard is right. What do you know? Just because you’ve been happily married for two years don’t make you an authority on the subject.”
     
    “I don’t know why in the hell it doesn’t,” Keisha said, flipping the end of her brown weaved hair at Denise. “I fell in love with Jerome, married him, and we’re still screwing like bunnies two years later. Don’t pass up on the opportunity again. Love doesn’t often give second chances.”
     
    Keisha was lucky they were such good friends or Denise might have slapped the smug look from the other woman’s face. “I’m perfectly happy being single and if Trent was interested, he would have stayed in contact with me all these years. So it’s safe to say his little infatuation with me is over.”
     
    Bernard chuckled nervously.
     
    Keisha turned on him. “And what about you? Are you going to let the possibility of getting a broken heart again stop you from being with M. J.?”
     
    Bernard snarled at Keisha. “We were fifteen years old back then. Like Denise said, too much time has passed. What did you come in my office for anyway?”
     
    “I came for Denise. The workers are waiting for her directions for decorating the tree.”
     
    Denise looked down at her suit. “Let me go change. Tell them I’ll be there shortly.”
     
    Keisha nodded and waved goodbye to them.
     
    “Ooh, I hate her so much,” Bernard said. “I can’t stand the fact that she thinks she knows me.”
     
    Denise tried to keep from laughing as she headed toward the door. “You’d die without her putting you in your place at