“Well, well, well, I was just thinking about you.” I wasn’t. But a little goes a long way with this man.
“Oh, yeah? Guess I have perfect timing then, huh?”
“That depends.”
“On?” he asks with raised brows.
“On if you plan on coming to see me tonight.”
The white of his teeth cast a glow over the FaceTime call.
I met Omari last year while on a cruise. He’s absolutely gorgeous. He’s tall with golden-brown skin, hazel eyes, a wide-set nose, and lush lips that I know for a fact make great pillows to sit on. He’s successful, making a name for himself in the finance industry, and he’s a genuinely nice guy. He can be a yapper, so I tend to zone out, but I like that about him. It’s a great distraction when I don’t want to be alone and don’t want to talk about myself—like tonight.
Staring at him on my screen now, though, I’m starting to notice certain things that don’t appeal to me as much as they used to.
His box fade looks great on him, but my fingers long to grab hold of a head full of locs. I don’t find myself getting lost in the flecks of gold in his eyes anymore nor do I admire the crisp suits he wears every single time I see him.
I have to get a fucking grip.
A night to turn off my heart and my brain and listen only to my pussy seems like the perfect remedy for this shitty week.
“Absolutely. You hungry?”
“I can be,” I offer.
“I’m leaving the office now, but let me go home to shower and all that and then I can come pick you up?”
“Or”—I lean closer to the phone, lowering my voice to a breathy whisper—“we could order in.” I’m not hungry for food anyway.
His responding smirk is downright devilish. “Even better.”
Knowing what’s coming gives me the motivation to push through the rest of my to-do list.
I’m twenty minutes into editing the video I made showcasing my favorite dupe perfumes when I hear the distinct click of my door unlocking. The girls are the only people who have a key to my place who use it without calling first, so I’m not surprised when I see Nelle and Evie walk into my bedroom.
“Well, hello, my babies. What are y’all up to?”
“I told you she was gonna act like everything was okay,” Evie says offhandedly to Janelle.
“You did say that,” Janelle cosigns.
“Do y’all wanna fill me in or talk around me?”
Janelle, clearly fresh off work in her pleated-waist dress, turns to me with a determined glint in her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell us that Tanya passed away?”
My heart sinks.
I knew this was coming. I’ve been reacting to messages in the group chat and sending the occasional gifs, trying to appear normal. I was hoping I’d be able to fly under the radar for a few more days before I had to talk about this with them.
“Oh. How’d you find out?”
Evie’s eyes lower to slits, investigating my every movement. “I ran into your mom at the store and she told me. What’s going on, Dani?”
I sigh. I should’ve known my mom would find a way to get me to face my shit. “I guess I just wanted to be in denial for a while longer. Telling you guys makes it real.” Irritation sets in as the burn of tears bubbles up. I press my nails into the palm of my hand to try to shift the pain somewhere else.
Anything to avoid crying.
Evie’s eyes soften as she scoots closer to me. “Aww, I’m so sorry. I know she meant a lot to you.”
