The Friend

Alicia

Sometimes, she expected him to show up at her apartment, maybe throw rocks at her fire escape too, but it never came. He did it before, but he wanted an interview back then. He didn't need to do any of that now. Maybe then, they weren't friends. Maybe all those times they hung out, he was just being nice. He would've asked for her number and made scheduled plans to hang out by now.

"What's wrong?" Maxine asked.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. I've got a freelance gig I'm just thinking about."

Maxine paused, "Really? You sound...I don't know. You sure it's not Dezzi?"

Alicia chuckled dryly.

"Is it someone else?"

Alicia bit her lip before replying, "I...maybe..."

She wished she could've taken the word back. In no way did she want to talk about Rodney with her best friend, but she couldn't stop thinking about him. When did it happen that she started to see him differently? Quickly, Maxine placed her turkey legs in the oven before eagerly joining Alicia at the dining table.

"Who the hell is it omg!" Maxine asked.

"He's just some guy—"

"He's not just some guy! He's never 'just some guy' anytime a girl says that, now spill! How'd you meet him?"

"Through work," she lied, which technically wasn't a lie. "I had to interview him."

"Is he cute?"

"Girl, he's really fine, like totally out of my league."

"Don't say that about yourself! No one's out of your league. Did you sleep with him?"

"No!"

"Kiss him?" Maxine asked.

Alicia blushed. Trying to picture kissing Rodney was impossible. She couldn't picture it because she didn't think it would happen...

"You're such a school girl," Maxine laughed, "So, if you didn't do anything, what's up?"

"I hate him. I can't stand his scathing tone or his mocking laughter or the way he arches his eyebrow whenever he thinks he's right. He's arrogant and rude but...lately he hasn't been any of those things and it's messing with my head," Alicia explained.

"So, you're confused because you're starting to see him in a different light?"

Alicia nodded, "Maxine, I swear, on occasions he's hurt my feelings before, but then he was asking me about Dezzi and—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, he knows about Dezzi? You've been holding out on me, Alicia, with all this gossip on your new boo!" Maxine said. "How does he know about Dezzi? Oh, you said you interviewed him so he was at Lotus right?"

"Well yeah—"

"Who was it? I didn't really see you talking to anybody, but Dezzi," Maxine said.

Alicia clammed up, "Well, I don't think it matters since I haven't seen him for a week."

"Oh, come on! What's his name? Let's search him up on Insta," Maxine said.

"I—uh—" Alicia started when her phone started to ring.

She shot up from her chair and anxiously rose to get her phone, moving away from Maxine. When Maxine pouted at her, she shooed her away.

"Hello? Yes, this is she speaking...you have been requested to do what?" Alicia asked. "...Really? But...that can't be...are you serious?"

Maxine stepped up to her, whispering, "What's going on?"

"Are you serious? Who told you to do this?" Alicia asked. "My job? My job asked you to do it—oh my God! When can you come...oh my God, thank you!"