Show and Tell

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Authors: Niobia Bryant

BOOK: Show and Tell
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Praise for Niobia Bryant
“[
Admission of Love
is] a well-crafted story with engaging secondary characters.”
—
Affaire de Coeur
“
Three Times a Lady
. . . this sneaky little romance heats up gradually, and then sizzles until done . . .”
—
Doubleday/Black Expression Book Club
“
Heavenly Match
is a wonderfully romantic story with an air of mystery and suspense that draws the reader in, encouraging them to put aside everything and everyone until they have read the book in its entirety.”
—The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
“Sexy as sin describes [
Can't Get Next to You
] this provocative novel to a T.”
—
Romantic Times
“Run to the bookstore and pick up this delightful read. This reunion story is touching, warm, sensuous, and at times, sad. But just try to put [
Let's Do It Again
] down.”
—Romantic Times
“Niobia Bryant has penned an awe-inspiring tale of finding true love no matter the consequence. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommended,
Heated
is sure to please.”
—The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
“[
Count on This
has] . . . sassy humor and sexy scenes . . .”
—Romantic Times
“In Bryant's first mainstream fiction offering, she does a great job of bringing forth characters that are feisty, diverse, and interesting . . . Bryant establishes well-developed characters.
Live and Learn
is a pleasurable reading experience.”
—Romantic Times
Other Books by Niobia Bryant
ROMANCE
Admission of Love
Three Times a Lady
Heavenly Match
Can't Get Next to You
Let's Do It Again
Count on This
Heated
Hot Like Fire
WOMEN'S FICTION
Live and Learn
Show and Tell
ANTHOLOGIES
You Never Know
(novella: “Could It Be?”)
S
HOW
and T
ELL
N
IOBIA
B
RYANT
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
Table of Contents
For every little ghetto girl with big dreams.
Believe . . .
A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS
Tony. Mama. Caleb. TJ.
Selena James. Robin E. Cook. Claudia Menza.
Kim Louise. Adrianne Byrd. Melanie Schuster.
Gloria Naylor. Tina McElroy Ansa. Octavia Butler.
Oprah. Idris Elba. Mary J Blige. Tyler Perry.
Martin Lawrence. Steve Harvey. Bernie Mac.
Niobia Bryant News Yahoo Group. My MySpace friends.
Black book clubs and bookstores.
And
most of all
, the readers.
For many different reasons I thank you all.
Part One
“Once Again, It's on”
Prologue
Ladies
2000
T
he four teenage girls walked through the double doors of University High's cafeteria like they owned the school. They knew without looking that all eyes were on them. Hating them and hating on them. They were used to it and maybe even thrived on it a bit. Popularity. Envy. High school fame.
Even as they settled at “their” table and began munching on the sandwiches they purchased from the store up the street—of course the cafeteria food was a no-no—people watched them. Wanted to be them. Wanted to be with them. But it was just the four.
Friends since freshman year, they weren't looking to enlarge their clique. It was them and only them. One for all and all for one. Even though they all were as different as night and day, they clicked. They had each other's backs. They knew their friendship would last past their high school years.
“Did y'all see the new Biggie video last night?” Keesha Lands asked, in the Tommy Hilfiger tank she wore with tight-fitting jeans. Her gold herringbone chain and bamboo earrings gleamed against her smooth dark skin and seemed to glisten in her cat-shaped eyes.
“Not me,” Latoya James said, looking prim and proper as always in her white collared shirt and ankle-length navy blue skirt with her shoulder-length hair pulled back into a tight ponytail that seemed to make her caramel complexion stretch.
Danielle Johnson rolled her deep-set eyes heavenward as she applied pale pink lip gloss that perfectly matched her fair complexion and pretty features. “My new foster family let their sickening sons watch
Nickelodeon
last night,” she said, putting the gloss into her Esprit purse before taking a bite of food. She made sure not to spill a drop on her dark denim dress.
“Well, I'm an only child and my parents ain't churchy, so you know I was right there in front of the TV,” Monica Winters said, flipping her thick shoulder-length jet black hair over her shoulder as she flashed them a sassy smile on her cinnamon face. She did a little dance in her seat and winked at Keesha.
Keesha started rapping the words to “Juicy” and the girls all joined in with her. Even Latoya knew the words, although her parents ran a secular music-free zone. Ever since pulling the shy church girl into their fold, the girls were sure to bring Latoya up to speed on everything fun and fly.
They all laughed and gave each other high fives after they finished.
“Well, I've decided to call myself Dom,” Keesha stated with confidence.
“Dom?” the other girls all asked in unison.
“Yup, Dom as in Dom Perignon,” she explained with attitude. She pointed to Latoya. “You're Moët . . . Danielle, you're Cristal—”
“What about me?” Monica asked, feeling left out.
“I don't know any more champagnes,” Keesha said with a helpless shrug. “But Biggie's always talking about Alizé. I heard it's a real sweet drink with liquor in it.”
“Then that's me to a tee,” Monica said with satisfaction.
The four girls all raised their cans of soda and toasted their new names.

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