“Yeah. I hope so,” CJ said.
The line went silent for more than a few seconds, and Orielle had to look at the screen to see if he’d hung up.Oh, my gosh. Say something,she thought, getting annoyed. This was exactly why he wasn’t the man for her.
“So... was that all you wanted?” she asked.
“Yeah. I ain’t want shit for real. Was just seeing what you were on.”
Orielle laughed. “Right. Okay. Well, have a good rest of your day, sir.”
“You too, gorgeous.”
She pressed the end button so roughly, Orielle could’ve jammed her thumb. CJ never wanted anything. He never planned dates, never initiated a conversation that was mentally stimulating, and obviously never intended to make this more than just having someone to talk to throughout his day.
Orielle wasn’t the type to lead people on or be okay with someone leading her on. To save them both the headache, she blocked CJ’s number. There were no hard feelings; just a mutual understanding that this was going nowhere. He wasn’t for her, and that was okay. Not every person she met deserved to take up space in her life without adding value to it.
Needing to stretch, Orielle removed her lap desk and lowered the footrest. Just as she extended her torso, extending her arms in the air, and lowering into a toe touch, her phone rang again. Her eyes shot open.
“Oh my gosh. Did I not block him? This is why I keep my phone on do not disturb,” she fussed, snatching it off the chair.
When she saw it was Cheyla and Zoey calling on FaceTime, her mood shifted. Had it been CJ, she wasn’t going to answer.
“What do y’all want?” she asked playfully.
Cheyla yawned and adjusted the scarf wrapped around her head. “Obviously, some attention. What you doing?”
“Hey, boo,” Zoey greeted.
“Hey. And of course, y’all do. I’m at home relaxing. It looks like you are, too,” Orielle said, watching Cheyla adjust on her couch.
“Girl, yes. This rain has me exhausted.”
Zoey glanced at the screen, pushing her AirPod more into her ear so it wouldn’t fall out. “I got caught in it, and I’m pissed. Do y’all see my hair?”
Her once straight hair was now pulled into a messy puffball. As soon as any moisture touched her strands, they converted to its naturally curly texture.
“You look like a teenager.” Orielle grinned. “Where you at?”
“At Carter’s with my sister. They’re having a sale, and you know I have to get TT’s baby some stuff.”
Zoey’s two-year-old niece was so adorable and was spoiled by them all.
“Like she doesn’t have a closet full of clothes with tags still on them,” Cheyla said.
“Right,” Zoey’s sister chimed. “Hey, y’all.”
They greeted her, and Orielle went to her kitchen for a quick bite to eat.
“Thankfully, it stopped. I have a meeting in an hour,” Orielle said.
“With who?” Cheyla asked.
Forgetting that she hadn’t told them about the conversation she had with Ashley, Orielle caught them up to speed. It wasn’t that she intentionally didn’t tell them, but she was a firm believer in keeping some things to herself until all the details were set in stone.
“We’re just doing a walkthrough of the shelter and she’s introducing me to some of the staff,” she explained.
Early on in her career, Ashley learned that forming long-lasting connections within the community was more beneficial than brief interactions. She didn’t want the first time meeting Orielle to be on the day of the gala, so she was bringing her in today for a tour and introduction. She knew the ladies, including the residents, would be excited to see her.
“That’s so nice. Send me the name of the shelter. I have so many clothes I need to get rid of,” Zoey said.
