Since when do you give a flying shit about art?
Nakoa
He likes those naked sculptures of women with big jugs!
There’ll be a ton of food trucks. You know how hard it is to find a poke bowl in this country?
I imagine rather difficult…And sorry, mate, I can’t make it. Have plans with Adhira tonight.
Jelani
Pleaseeeeee come with us! We can invite the ladies too.
It would be nice to get out somewhere new, and being with her friends might be good for Adhira.
Nakoa
Elise was probably going anyway since Rafa lives with his head stuffed up her ass!
That makes me snort a laugh.
“What are you laughing about over there?” Adhira asks, a small smile painting her lips.
“The guys want to go to an art festival tonight. I don’t want to cancel our plans, but it sounds like it could be fun.”
“Oh? The idea of being out with ‘the guys’ makes you giggle like that?” she teases.
I shake my head with a rueful smile. “Not quite.” I relay Nakoa’s message about Rafa.
“That he does,” she agrees, nodding. “What kind of art festival is it?”
“Not sure. One with a bunch of food trucks.”
Her eyes brighten at that. “I’m in.”
Adhira looks beyond adorable in her hunter-green raincoat and rubber-ducky wellies. The sky has decided to take a piss on us, but it’s a slow dribble, like an old man with an enlarged prostate, so it’s bearable.
We’ve made it through most of the stalls, each vendor having something unique to show off: carved stones and wood, paintings, jewellery, sculptures, and anything else the mind could conjure.
“I think we’ve stopped at every shop,” Jelani says up ahead.
“If I don’t get one of those tacos in the next three minutes, I’m going todie,” Adhira groans out, and though I know she doesn’t mean it, her words are like an arrow straight through my chest.
I glance down at her, and she brushes against me, meeting my gaze with a smirk that quickly morphs into a scowl. “Everything okay?” she whispers, just loud enough for me to hear with our friends a few paces ahead.
“I was just being sensitive,” I tell her, swallowing hard. Her brows knit together in a silent question. “I take matters of your mortality seriously.”
Her expression softens, and she reaches out, running the tip of her pinkie along the back of my hand, the touch almost non-existent. “I’m sorry,” she whispers. “For once, Iwasn’tthinking about my mortality. It just slipped out.”
I give her a reassuring smile. “I know. Like I said,sensitive.” I chuckle lightly.
“For the record, that’s one of my favourite things about you.”
My lungs seize. “Come on.” I nod towards the food trucks our friends are now standing in line at. “It’s nearly been three minutes already. Wouldn’t want you keeling over.”
She rolls her eyes playfully but doesn’t hesitate, scurrying over to three of the trucks and placing orders for all her favourite street foods.
I order a plate of fish and chips, snagging the picnic table furthest from the small crowd in an effort to avoid overstimulating Adhira, thankful for the wide umbrella protecting my food from turning into a soggy mess. My mates join me, their arms full of trays of their own.
