Also by Daaimah S. Poole
EX-GIRL TO THE NEXT GIRL
GOT A MAN
WHAT’S REAL
YO YO LOVE
Published by Dafina Books
All I Want Is Everything
Daaimah S. Poole
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you, Allah, for making this and all things possible for me.
Thank you first and foremost to my readers. Thanks for telling your friends and family about my work. I appreciate your e-mails and comments. Special thanks to my readers in Philly, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Maryland, and New York City.
Many thanks to my boys Hamid and Ahsan Poole for putting up with me always being on the computer. My mother Robin Dandridge and father Auzzie Poole for your love and encouragement. Thanks to all my aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and stepmother Pulcheria Ricks-Poole for being so supportive.
Karen Thomas, thanks for believing in me. Camille Miller: without you showing “Yo Yo Love” to your mom, where would I be? Tamika Wilson: thanks for every Saturday for months, taking it to the streets with me. Brother Nati and Andy of African World and Book distributors. I thank you guys so much for being there for me. To my author friends: thanks, Shawna Grundy and Miasha. Candice “We Gonna Make It” Dow—thanks for your support and always giving good advice.
My agents, Karen E. Quinones Miller and Liza Dawson: thanks, ladies, for making such a great team.
And many thanks to everyone at Kensington Publishing: Walter Zacharius, Audrey LaFehr, and Jessica McLean.
Thanks again for everyone who has been supportive of my books. I appreciate it so very much. Stay in touch! www.dspbooks.com, [email protected], or www.my space.com/Dspbooks
Thanks for the love,
Daaimah
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Epilogue
A READING GROUP GUIDE
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Chapter 1
“Since I could talk I could always remember singing along with my mom’s Sade or Anita Baker albums. All I’ve ever wanted is to be a famous singer. I want the platinum plaques, the adoring fans, the Grammys, the chauffeur-driven limos, the stylist, the world tours. And I want the house, the man, and the life—I want it all. All I want is everything, and somehow, someway I’m going to try to make it!”
Kendra Michelle Thomas
June 2004
As I wiped down the redwood bar, my only thought was that I couldn’t wait to go home. It had been a long night of serving drinks and I was ready to go halfway through my shift. The television was tuned to the evening news with the volume down since no one was paying it any attention. I walked past two rows of assorted liquor lining the mirrored wall—everything from big bottles of Absolut, Grand Marnier, Stoli and Alize to a small sixteen-ounce carton of orange juice. There were two video machines at the end of the bar. Three women sat down in front of me. I placed white paper napkins in front of them. One was tall, had big eyes and hair in a ponytail flipped at the end; the other was like 4?11, petite with small features and a short, spiked haircut with blond and brown highlights. The last girl looked like the first two had dragged her out of the house. There were bags under her eyes, her body looked malnourished and her hair was limp, with a headband pushing it back.
“Ladies, what you havin’?” I asked.
“Can I get an apple martini with Grey Goose?” the petite one asked. The second one ordered a Bahama Mama and the other one asked for a glass of merlot.
“Kendra, how you doing?” the ponytail lady asked.
“Okay,” I said. I didn’t have any idea who she was. I squinted a little, trying to remember.
So she said, “You don’t remember me? We went to high school together.” She detected I was still having trouble remembering who she was.
“I’m Inez! And do you remember Belinda and Tiffany?”
Belinda looked familiar, just a little older, and Tiffany—I didn’t remember her at all. When I looked at Inez again, she did start looking familiar. “We was in home room together. Do you still be with Chantel?”
“No I haven’t seen her in years.”
“How is your family?”
“My family is doing good.”
“That’s good to hear,” she said as she continued her conversation with her friends. I served them their drinks and then finished straightening up. The group of women flagged me down again and said, “Kendra, can we get another round?”
I made them another round and brought them their drinks. Inez said, “Thank you,” and pulled out her American Express card.
“Y’all running a tab?” I asked.
“Yeah, we can start a tab. Wow, I can’t believe we ran into you. You still look the same—all slim. So what are you doing with yourself?”
“Nothing much.”
“Well, we’re out celebrating. We all had some big things happen. Miss Honey right there got engaged last weekend, and my husband and I just settled on our house in Durham, North Carolina. You want to see a picture?” she asked as she pulled pictures out of her bag.