Friends Forever Or Not

Chapter 3

Tanesha McClandon, the same age as two of her best friends, is one of the top five Entertainment and Sports Attorneys. She has always wanted to work in this industry as it relates to her family's career. When she was growing up she would use Kaleigh, Americus, and sometimes Jewel whenever she was around to practice her legal skills.

Desiree, her mother, was a famous singer before she retired and she and Juan, her husband, opened Boutte Entertainment Group. She thought several times about going back into the studios to create some new music. But she would change her mind after a few days. Deisree's biggest client is Cristiano. Juan Tanesha's father is the CEO of Boutte Entertainment Group. He was Desiree's manager. That's how they met and fell in love. Tanesha has a brother named Lael. He's a record producer and songwriter. Lael is married to Keesha, a producer. She, like her husband, works at Boutte's Entertainment. They have a six-year-old daughter named Pebbles and a one-year-old son named Luka.

Tanesha had been in a relationship with Elivas Otlon since ninth grade. When they went away to college, they grew apart. At least that was the reason he used to break up with her. Truth be told, Elivas wanted to explore s*x and Tanesha didn't give it up until she was married. Tanesha, Americus, Kaleigh, and Jewel find out a few months later why Elivas broke up with Tanesha. The four women attended a college football game on their weekend getaways. He was there with Verity Gridley, the four women's arch enemy. They had known Verity since elementary school and never liked her. Elivas was shocked to see them. Tanesha's eyes went straight to Verity's swollen belly and knew he had cheated on her while they were still in a relationship. Kaleigh whispered to Tanesha not to show them they had got to her. Tanesha nodded and started back watching the game.

Kaleigh and Jewel were about to tell Americus to stay calm. But it was too late. Americus smiles while walking over to Elivas and Verity. Her friends are shaking their heads because they know exactly what is about to happen. Elvias was stepping back, leaving his girlfriend. Americus stops beside Verity "Congratulations. It's a damn good thing you're pregnant now. Because it might be the only child that bastard will have." She does a front kick to Elivas's p***s. He folds on the floor in a ball holding himself. She squats beside him. "If you sue me, I'll make sure to have my father fire your mother, or better yet demote her to housekeeping and cut her pay rate to the same as a housekeeper does." Americus slaps his head and walks back over to her friends.

That was the day Tanesha swore never to love again and came up with the idea of a contract marriage. That way, she can have a husband and children like she always wanted, without emotions. Over the years, her three friends hoped she would change her mind and open her heart. When they realized it was a waste of time, they stopped trying to persuade her.

One day, at one of Tanesha's cousin's weddings, she ran into Courtney McClandon. He had just signed with the Los Angeles Commanders pro football team. They had met a few months ago at a sporting event but only talked briefly. Courtney thought Tanesha was beautiful and intelligent, but he noticed she was standoffish with men. So he didn't approach her, but he would often ask a few people that they both knew about her. Mostly how she was doing. Two or three of them told him to run far away from her and her friend. Because when you date one, you date the others. They call her and her friends Lotus Flower Mafia. That name has stuck with them. Courtney ignored those statements. This time he wasn't letting her get away without asking her out. He braced himself when he asked her out to dinner.

Tanesha looked him up and down. "Sure," she was thinking he'd make a good husband, and they could have a few kids. After all, he's handsome. That night, when he drove her home, Tanesha asked him to marry her in a contract marriage. Courtney quickly agreed.

That following morning, she and her friends had a video chat, and she told them her wonderful news. They were happy that she was getting married but also hoping she would fall in love with Courtney. They knew how careful Tanesha was and for her to ask him to marry her, she ran a background check on him.

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Courtney's father, Garner, is a retired bank loan officer. He raised Courtney after he and Nova, Courtney's mother, divorced. Nova is a bank credit analyst. Nova raised Kekoa, Courtney's sister. She wasn't awarded any spousal support because she was the one who cheated during the marriage, but she received child support for her daughter. Garner kept the house because Nathaniel, the man she cheated with, moved Nova out of the house the same day Garner caught them in his bed. He threw the bedroom suit out of the window and burnt it. He was fined two hundred dollars. Garner said that was the best money he had ever spent.

Kekoa is an unwed mother with three children and a daughter named Ireland, who is five. Two sons, Brock, is three and one-year-old Wade. She still lives with her mother and Nathaniel. He isn't home much. He and Nova argue all the time. So he mostly stays out all night, sometimes for weeks at a time. It bothered Nova at first. Now she doesn't think much about it. She also doesn't have to listen to Nathaniel constantly telling Kekoa to get a job.

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Tanesha and Courtney have been married for five years now and have a three-year-old son named Medrick. Courtney is still under contract with the Los Angeles Commanders and Tanesha is his agent and attorney.

A year after they were married, they were at the mall. Tanesha was coming out of the restroom and ran into Elivas with a different pregnant woman. She laughs right before thanking God that he removed her from that situation.

Elivas didn't like that Tanesha went on to follow her dream and accomplish her goals. He told the woman that Tanesha was always calling him, asking him to come back. That's the reason she doesn't have a man. As soon as he finished saying that, he was knocked on his ass by an angry Courtney. He told Elvias that was his one warning. Don't slander his wife again. Why would she want a broken bum that has children running all over Los Angeles and who knows where else?

Elvias looked at the couple, walking away with their hands entwined. He mentally cusses Courtney for hitting him and Tanesha for moving on with her life.

That was the day Tanesha's feelings changed for Courtney. She realized he was more than a paper husband. She decided to put more effort and herself into their marriage. Tanesha hasn't completely let her wall down, but she's working on that. As for Courtney, he gives her her space and doesn't push her.