What Meets the Eye

n i n e

Xora
"Good morning, can I have an onion bagel with vegetable cream cheese, smoked salmon and a side of cucumbers with cheese grits and orange juice?" I politely asked the waiter as Rani, Ava and I sat at a small table in the back of the pretty empty diner.
"This bitch" Rani mumbled causing the waiter to laugh. "Always have to be extra. "Can I just have the strawberry stuffed French toast with extra whipped cream and a small coffee two creams, four sugars?"
"But you want to talk about me." I playfully rolled my eyes.

I was in dire need of this girls day. Especially after how horrible my fight with Zeek was a few weeks ago. Luckily for me, Ava had unofficially moved in with her boyfriend and allowed me to rent her place out for a while until Zeek got his shit together, or I found a place of my own. Whichever came first.

Ezekiel had been killing my phone battery with his constant apology calls, texts, pictures and videos. He'd been sending flowers, fruit, chocolate and anything else that could be delivered to my job, and while I knew he felt bad, this distance was needed for us. It served him right and hopefully he would officially get it together but in the meantime, I'd be getting my own self together.

Biting into my breakfast, my ears perked up as Rani prepared to fill our cups with much needed tea. I was tired of always bringing the tea. "Girl, between Ricardo's mama and that baby mother of his my ass will go to jail and I can't beat my face in jail bitch so the Lord is going to have to give me the strength."

I spit orange juice through my nose and Ava cackled like a hyena at Rani's dramatics. Ninety percent of her issues didn't come from her long time boyfriend, Ricardo, but from the two other women in his life. They had silent beef since Rani found out she was pregnant 5 years ago.

Rani brought the comic relief I needed in my life even though my time away from Zeek did put me in a better place.

I wouldn't admit that I was a bit lonely though. Not having him or any of his things in my new temporary home bothered me a bit, but I would have to deal with it. Especially if this turned out to not be temporary.

I should've been using my unofficial break as a chance to have some guilt free sex but I could bring myself to dial Mr. Young's number again. Not after our last conversation. He didn't owe me conversation. He didn't owe me anything actually, but the embarrassment I felt after needing a nonjudgmental so badly that I was ready to confide in a nigga whose name I don't even know. And if that wasn't bad enough, he completely rejected me. There was no coming back from that I would just have to kiss that great dick goodbye.

"Veronica!" I chuckled. "You just gonna have to hurt their feelings one good time. Ain't no respect bitch. They got you fuc-"
"Don't listen to her." Ava laughed before something caught her attention. "Lord! Look at this man candy! I need him." She cooed biting on the acrylic of her nail.
"Get him, Ave!" I laughed scrolling through my phone not bothering to look up. This was nothing new with her. She was still enjoying life and sometimes I envied that a bit. Even though she had a boyfriend, she still unapologetically did her own thing. She loved him to pieces though and apparently he felt the same way about her. I was in no place to comment on anyone's relationship. If it worked for them, more power to them. If they liked it, I loved it.

She must've succeeded in getting his attention because soon I felt a fourth presence at our table. Finally looking up, my eyes landed on Ava's man candy