hi friend, today’s lunch is part 2 of a series. if you haven’t read part 1, do that, then return.
previously on … say my name
👆🏽 in my Power voice
"What is bringing this about, B? Why now? Why are you trying to orchestrate a decades-old meeting during one of your most important moments? I’m just trying to see what’s going on here," LeToya questioned.
"I just think it’s time. I’ve been talking to Kelly about this for a while, and I feel like we … I owe it to everyone to talk."
~~
"I don’t know what else I am supposed to say to her. I’ve apologized multiple times for I don’t know what, honestly. She is mad about something that happened two decades ago, I guess. But I honestly think she is mad because of our relationship," Kelly confessed.
~~
"And before you get on me with ‘it’s been almost 30 years,’ I know. But when your dream plays out in front of you days after you find out you are no longer in a group with people you’ve been friends with since you can remember, that feeling never goes away.
"I know you think you are over it, but you’ve only buried the hurt in turn for some sort of friendship with B. And you somehow decided to friend Michelle as a part of your healing story," LaTavia pointed out, her words cut deep.
Part 2 …
Day before – Beyoncé
“Tomorrow, there's a surprise for you baby girl.”
"Don’t you think I’m a little old for surprises, Mom? Just tell me," Blue remarked.
"Well, you know Auntie Kelly and Michelle are coming to tonight’s show, but there are a few other special guests I want you to meet," Beyoncé explained.
Screeching with excitement, Blue responds, "Stop. Are you for real?"
"Yes, baby. The original members," her mother confirms.
Two days before – LaTavia
"Hey, it’s Tavia. Call me back when you get this. There's something we should talk about," LaTavia's voice echoed from her phone’s speaker on the kitchen counter.
Day before – Michelle
Michelle's voice came through the phone, breaking the silence that had settled between them. "I haven’t heard your voice in so long. How are you doing?"
LeToya let out a sigh, her tone heavy with emotion. "I’m good. Or at least I was good. Until I got a phone call."
"You know we found out about this at the same time," Michelle revealed.
LeToya's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Say what now?"
"We found out about this meetup, which they are calling a reunion, at the same time. While B was calling you, Kelly was telling me. Now I know why the three of us were getting together."
With utter confusion, LeToya responds, "Really?".
"There’s more. This was Kelly’s idea, not the queen's," Michelle disclosed.
LeToya's eyes widened in shock. "Why would Kelly want to get us all together when she tried so hard to convince Beyoncé that we could be replaced?"
The phone almost slips from Michelle’s hands. "Now you have me speechless. What’s the real story here, LeToya? I thought your mom was asking questions about contracts, and that is how things started."
"That’s part of the story. I just wonder what Kelly is up to. Why is this her idea? And why did she want you to know that."
“Your guess is as good as mine, Toya.”
Four hours before – Kelly
"Last night’s show was the best one yet. This tour will be one of the most iconic moments in your career. I’m proud of you, friend," Kelly praised while sitting in her best friend's penthouse suite.
Beyoncé smiled to herself, basking in the compliment. "Thank you. But why am I more nervous about the next few hours than I ever was while on stage?" she confessed.
"Because there is no way to prepare for this moment."
"And why did I let you talk me into this?"
"You know this should have happened years ago. But it seems like six started running her mouth at the most opportune times," Kelly remarked cryptically.
"Six?" Beyoncé echoed, puzzled.
"Farrah."
"Why are you calling her six?"
"Because she was the sixth member of DC."
"So that makes you three then, right?" Beyoncé teased.
"Okay, girl," Kelly replied, rolling her eyes. "Why you gotta go there?"
"I’m just stating facts," Beyoncé retorted, a playful smirk on her lips.
Kelly tossed a throw pillow, and Beyoncé caught it mid-air with ease.
"But what does Farrah have to do with anything?" Beyoncé asks with a perplexed gaze.
"You know everything was on replay during the pandemic. And that Jagged Edge Unsung episode from 2017 we were all panicking about finally caught steam. And, of course, Farrah had to add her thoughts."
Beyoncé still looked a little confused on the point.
"If we had had a reunion then, people would have thought we were doing it in response to her comments. So I didn’t bring it up, but I really wanted to," Kelly explained in a convincing tone.
She continues, "I knew we would never do a Verzuz because of, umm… really because of you. But I thought we could start some sort of buzz to do something for our second album’s 20th anniversary."
Beyoncé interjected, "And since that didn’t work, you want to do something for the 25th anniversary? But let me ask you this: Why? I get that album marked a pivotal moment in our lives, meaning you and me, but what about the damage it did to them?"
A visibly irritated Kelly gets up and paces around the room.
"And you remember what Michelle said, the album that her face isn’t on, but she had to perform over and over again," Beyoncé added.
"Maybe it’s a form of healing for them, us … me."
"What are you healing from?" Beyoncé inquired, curiosity piqued.
Kelly turns to her best friend and admits, "Being number 3."
Night before – LeToya
"Hey, everything okay?" LeToya answered, picking up a late-night phone. "Didn’t you just finish a show?"
"I did, but I wanted to tell you something before tomorrow. Something I should have said a while ago. I’m sorry I wasn’t a better friend to you. I know I mentioned this last week when I sprung this on you, but I wanted to make sure you heard me," Beyoncé confessed.
"I’m listening," LeToya responded with a little extra main-character energy.
"There she go," Beyoncé chuckled. "But seriously, I know you felt, many, many years ago, that you entered Destiny’s Child, but Destiny’s Child didn’t get started until we met you."
"B, what are you sippin' on right now? Or are you just still riding high from one of your best performances?" LeToya teased. "I peeped some of the videos online."
"Thank you, girl," Beyoncé replied. "But I’m talking about back in ‘93."
"‘93? You want to talk about something from 1993 at 1:30 in the morning?"
"Well, it’s 12:30 here, and no, not talk about it per se, but more so acknowledge that we didn’t become Destiny’s Child until it became the four of us. That means something. I don’t like how things ended, especially how that impacted our relationship," Beyoncé explained.
"It's like we weren’t even allowed to be friends with the two of you. Saying that out loud right now even sounds crazy. I get it, we were young, but we were all 18. We could have made decisions for ourselves, but we didn’t," she continued.
"I’ve never shared this with anyone Toya. During that time in our lives, I didn’t believe my parents were going to make it. I’ve never seen them fight the way they fought after he decided that the two of you could be replaced. Truth is, he was wrong. The two of you couldn’t be replaced," her voice heavy with emotion.
"B, this sounds like something you should be telling us tomorrow."
"I wanted you to hear it from me first,” Beyoncé sighed. “ It was you and me. We were thick as thieves. You know the only reason you and LaTavia got close is because you started dating the other twin.” She paused, thinking twice before continuing. “What Tavia didn’t know back then is that Brian…"
"Brandon," LeToya corrected.
"Whichever one. He was on me every time he caught me alone during that tour. Always complimenting my performance. Looking into my eyes a little too long. Lingering around a little too long. He never outright said something to me, but you could tell," Beyoncé confessed.
"I saw the two of you one day."
"When?"
"At the Charlotte stop. I didn’t see anything out of line, but you looked like you were enjoying yourself. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought you had something for him," LeToya revealed.
"I did. But my father told me he didn’t think it was a good idea."
"Damn, B. You serious right now, aren’t you?"
"You see why I didn’t want to talk about this in front of everyone now. I knew we would eventually talk about the twins tomorrow, and I wanted to let you know a few things I didn’t want to share in front of anyone else," Beyoncé explained.
"So you’re saying Kelly doesn’t know?"
"Why you not asking about Michelle?"
LeToya burst into laughter. "Girl, get off my line. Stop it right now."
"Ooooo, I’m telling your friend. Y’all supposed to be cool," Beyoncé teased.
"We are. In fact, she called me this morning and shared something that was a bit shocking."
"What’s that?"
"That this entire meetup was not even your idea. That it was Kelly’s."
Beyoncé sat on the phone in silence.
"It’s true?" LeToya questioned.
With a grim tone, Beyoncé responds, "It is."
One Hour Before – Beyonce
"I think I am just going to keep it simple. I’ve been wearing looks left and right. I’m dying to wear something oversized and comfortable," Beyoncé tells her husband.
"Be comfortable. I like it," he responds.
"I’m so nervous. Like really, really nervous. For one, you barely know LeToya and LaTavia, and they are such a huge part of my story that you never got to experience. I feel like I’ve been with you my entire life, but the four of us getting together like this, reminds me of the very beginning. Before you and I even met. I was a different person then," Beyoncé admits.
"Of course you are, that was almost 30 years ago."
"Hey, I know I look good, but you don’t date me, J," Beyoncé jokes.
"I’m excited for you, girl," Hov says as he comes up behind her with a warm embrace.
"Thank you, baby. I’m just glad you will be here when everyone arrives. You will help me stay calm."
"That is what I am here for. To be the peace you need in this crazy world we live in," he replies reassuringly.
"Why can’t we just go back to our little private oasis on the coast of Italy and just live there with our kids for the rest of our lives?"
"We will always have Italy, and you love performing," he reminds her.
"You’re right. I don’t like to sit still too long," Beyoncé says with a little pep in her voice. “Act II is almost done.”
"That is why I think this reunion is coming at the right time."
"I love you so much," Beyoncé says while kissing her husband gently on the lips. "Can you go tell Blue it’s time for her to get ready?"
The Meeting
Jay-Z opens the door to the penthouse suite after the first knock. Michelle is the first to arrive.
"Hey there, Michelle," he says as she walks in.
"Am I the first to arrive?" she asks.
"Looks like you are. Hey girl, how are you doing?" Beyoncé greets her.
"I’m good, girl. Congrats on two amazing shows in your hometown. The energy looked crazy from what I saw online," Michelle compliments. “Sorry I had to miss out on last night’s show.”
"I understand, and thank you.” Beyoncé paused before continuing. “Are you ready for this reunion?"
"Well, it’s more of a reunion for you and Kelly and a meet and greet for me."
"But you and LeToya already know each other," Beyoncé responds.
"Yeah, but I don’t know her when it’s the four of you together. I ain’t gonna lie, this is going to be weird for me. Being around the four of you."
There is another knock at the door.
Quickly, Beyoncé whispers to Michelle, "LeToya told me what y’all talked about yesterday. Can we please not bring that up here? I’ve asked her to do the same thing."
"Sure thing, B. Whatever you need," responding with a deep hesitancy in her voice.
"Hey, Kelly," Michelle says in her next breath.
The three remaining members of Destiny’s Child say hello and give hugs.
"Are we ready for this?" Kelly says while grabbing each of their hands.
"As ready as I will ever be," responds Michelle.
Not a second later, it’s the knock that everyone has been waiting for. In walks LeToya and LaTavia.
Next time on … say my name
Beyonce, always poised, stepped forward, closing the gap between herself and the two former members of Destiny's Child, enveloping them in warm hugs. "Leave it to my husband to break the silence. It’s so nice to see you both."
~~
"She did what we couldn’t or what we weren’t allowed to. She hadn’t known anyone since the early '90s like we did. She didn’t look at B’s parents like her own parents. She stepped into DC a full-grown adult, not young teenagers like us," says LaTavia, her words laced with a hint of admiration and perhaps a touch of envy.
we’ve reached our mid-season break. see you in two weeks for part 3!
xo, jemia