“You got it, Pretty Girl. Share your location with me. I’m leaving the office.”
Orielle told him okay and navigated to her text messages. Pulling up her thread with Najee, she squinted while tapping his name below the circle with an N inside it. Pressing ‘Share My Location’, she hesitated. There were three options to choose from, and she wasn’tthathigh to pick the last one. As if he could read her mind, Najee chuckled and helped her out.
“Just send me the address. You ain’t gotta share your funky location with me indefinitely. Even though my other friends do,” he said teasingly.
“Oh, whatever. Those other friends don’t have shit on me.” Orielle tapped the infinity circle and swiped out of her messages. When she came back to the screen, Najee was grinning.
“It’s a privilege to know where I be at.”
“You’re absolutely right, it is, so thank you. That was so kind of you,” he jested, making her playfully roll her eyes.
“Yeah, yeah. You better share yours too.”
“I’m doing it now, woman.”
Her phone vibrated with a new notification from him, and she grinned. “Mhm. Better have.”
“A’ight, chill.” Najee laughed. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
She blinked slowly while lying down on the couch. The look she gave him made Najee want to speed to her, but he wasn’t a reckless driver anymore. “You’re getting off the phone with me?”
“Nah, baby. I was just telling you.”
“Oh,” she said and yawned. “Okay. Tell me about your day. Did your auntie like the restaurant I told you about?”
Smiling, Najee did as he was asked and shared all the details of his day that he hadn’t shared through text. This feeling right here... the stage people considered the honeymoon phase, was one he found himself enjoying more than a little bit. Orielle just had that effect on him.
9
“I LIKE WHAT I SEE, TOO, PRETTY GIRL.”
Orielle could’ve sworn she placed her phone on do not disturb before going to bed last night. It didn’t feel like she’d been sleeping that long, and even if she had been, the persistent vibrating was ruining every bit of shut-eye she was trying to get.
“Oh, my gosh,” she groaned, sliding her hand across her soft, white sheets.
Squinting thanks to the beaming rays pouring through her window and from the phone screen’s brightness, she hurriedly answered the call from her loft’s main door. “Yes?”
“Wakey, wakey. We’re outside with breakfast.” Zoey’s chipper tone floated through the receiver.
It was the total opposite of how Orielle felt and sounded.
“Girl, what the hell is wrong with your voice?” Cheyla blurted.
She should’ve known Zoey hadn’t popped up alone.
“This is how normal people sound when they’re woken up out of their sleep,” she said, yawning.
“Hmm. Well, we’ve come to intrude. Open up and be sure to brush your teeth before greeting us,” Cheyla insisted.
Going to her keypad, Orielle pressed nine, and she heard the door unlock before the call disconnected. Her best friends were the only ones allowed to pop up when they felt necessary. Obviously, it wasn’t an emergency. At least, Orielle didn’t believe it was.
Stretching her limbs, bones popped as she exhaled and reopened her eyes. There was a slight tingle in her legs as she stood from the bed in all of her naked glory and walked into her bathroom. She didn’t worry about them getting inside her place; they had a key. Slowly sitting down, Orielle used the toilet, then washed her hands and brushed her teeth.
Next was a quick face wash. She wasn’t in the mood to do a whole facial routine, so scalding hot water and a white towel it was. Just as she applied a moisturizer, Cheyla’s voice broke through the silence.
“Sis! Do you have some syrup?”
“Look in the cabinet right by the fridge. You should see it.”
