PARADOX

PDX43

"Pretty Mama." Rashad spoke as he eyed Amina, causing her to smile. "Why you up so late?" Rashad questioned. Amina shrugged as she brought her hand up to her eye to use her fingers to toy with her eyelash extensions.

"I guess I can't sleep without you having me in a chokehold." She chuckled, causing Rashad to do the same. That was the best sleep for Rashad as well, simply having Amina near him. Even her snores had become routine for him, kinda how people used rain noise to fall asleep. Amina began to uncontrollably chuckle, which snapped Rashad out of his salacious daze. "What you laughing at kid?" Rashad quizzed. Amina laughed harder and harder, making Rashad furrow his eyebrows and laugh as well while awaiting the explanation.

"Remember when you called me Scarface, that night I came to the club looking for my mama necklace?" Amina questioned, still laughing. "Oh yeah—ya lil smart ass mouth had me tight." Rashad chortled.

"You ate that lil one, I can't lie." Amina spoke, "Shit had me lost for words—then you walked away like you knew you ate that shit." She added.

"I knew I did." Rashad lightly chuckled. "I went from Scarface to Mama—ain't life crazy?" Amina replied.

"As fuck." Rashad agreed. He couldn't say he knew that him and Amina would turn into a thing, nor did he contemplate falling in love with her. He knew opposite attract, but he wouldn't use that to describe him and Amina. He felt like they were alike in so many ways, and that's what gravitated them toward each other. "I love you Mi." Rashad announced.

"I love you too Suge." Amina replied with a smile on her lips. "When your first client?" Rashad questioned.

"7:45." Amina answered, Rashad looked over at his computer to catch the time. "Damn Mama, by the time you lay down and fall asleep foreal it's gon' be time for you to get up." Rashad spoke.

Amina let out a yawn as she nodded her head, "I know." She agreed. "I wanted to take you to breakfast, but we can do dinner instead." Rashad spoke, Amina smiled.

"Okay." She replied. Eventually, Amina drifted to sleep in the middle of the conversation. Rashad decided to stay on the phone, on some middle school shit, while Amina slept.

March 2nd 2023
Dallas, Texas
12:13 pm

"Boy, you can't get no higher than this—No." Amina sang with Beyoncé as she used a spray bottle to slightly soak the deep wave wig she freshly installed on herself. "You got a paddle brush?" Amina questioned Chalyn as she turned to her. Chalyn nodded her head yes as she bent over and opened both cabinets. Shortly, she popped back up and handed the brush to Amina before grabbing her NYX lip pencil, and continuing to do her lip combo. Since Amina just finished doing her hair, she assumed that Chalyn was about to take pictures of herself.

"I like this apartment better than the one you had before." Amina announced. Although it was the same building, this unit had more character to it. "I do too—the neighbors over here are better too." Chalyn added, reminding Amina of the noise complaints her friend always had. She explained that her old next door neighbor was a music producer, and would work on beats all throughout the night at full volume.

"Ro help me put up my projector last week—now, all I need is a cute little popcorn machine for decoration." Chalyn explained, Amina looked over at her friend to see her pursing her lips together to evenly mix her lip combo. "Ro came over here?" Amina raised her eyebrows as she smirked.

"Amina." Chalyn paused as she turned to her friend, "What happened to everybody can't know where I stay?" Amina chuckled.

"Bitch you running up my pressure up." Chalyn jokingly held her temples, causing Amina to laugh. "We're friends—but not like how you and Rashad were friends...we ain't touching privates." Chalyn replied, Amina paused before laughing.