Aeipathy ➳ Normani ✓

thirteen

C H A P T E R  T H I R T E E N

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Normani, as always, was right.

The Sketchers marketing team were a totally different breed to their CEO, a team of young, fresh-faced innovative people that came in all colours.

Keith had followed Normani's advice and had emailed the head marketing director and had scheduled an appointment three days after the first with their CEO.

He made sure to not disclose the information to Mr Jones and had headed into the Sketchers head quarters at 09:00 for the meeting.


The meeting had been going exceptionally well so far, the team had welcomed Keith's ideas and added some of their own. They seemed to be on the same page though and after three hours of plotting and planning, a clear outline of the proposed collaboration was done and both parties were pleased.


“Now, I know that this part of the collaboration is none of my concern,” Keith began just as the meeting had nearly wrapped up. The six Sketchers marketing reps turned their attention to him as he adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves and sat up straighter. “Do you have an idea of the models you'd like to use?”

The head of the marketing team, a Latino man named Andreas answered, “we have some models that have collaborated with us from previous projects that we're willing to consider, yes.”

“May I offer a suggestion?”


“That's not really standard procedure, we have a team especially designated to finding models for-”

“Let the man say his piece,” Andreas interrupted the employee who'd objected. “Yes, Sir, you may offer suggestions.”

Keith reached into his laptop case and pulled out an A5 cardboard envelope and placed it on the table in front of Andreas. The man reached for it and pulled out its contents.


“While I was planning the general outline of this collaboration a few months back, I always imagined that the face of the competition would be someone of that calibre. I imagined a young, black, unknown model with strong features to headline this project and I think that she's the best fit. Obviously your people may have other models who they think will fit the title, but I believe she's the best foot forward,”  Keith spoke as if he possessed all of the confidence in the world.

Andreas surveyed the two full-body shots and the one head-shot he'd pulled out. He turned his attention back to Keith, “is she signed with an agency?”

“She's with us,”  Keith answered.

Andreas took a few minutes to think it over. He slid the photos across to the only two African-Americans in the room.

“Luther, Gabby, what do you think?”

“She's stunning,”  Gabby, African-American woman said and looked up from the photos.

“I think she's perfect. Her facial features are so strong, I can imagine the kind of content we'd get from her if we put her in front of a moving camera.” Luther replied.

Andreas nodded, then turned back to Keith. “Mr Ikande, we usually don't do this sort of thing, because like it was mentioned before, we have our own team that takes care of these matters. I am inclined to agree with you and Gabby and Luther that she would be a suitable fit for this campaign. We'd like to have a copy of these pictures, along with her personal email and if she's under your corporation, we can set up a meeting with her as soon as possible to go over the logistics. Does that sound reasonable?”

Keith smiled, “yes, yes, of course. That's perfect. You have my office number, I'll email you all of her necessary contact details and you can organise a meeting as soon as you're available.”

“It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr Ikande.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Mr Mendoza,”  Keith said and accepted Andreas'  handshake.


As he drove back to his office in the busy Manhattan rush-hour traffic, the smile he sported was permanently etched on his face. He couldn't wait to surprise Normani with the good news.


                           X O

The first thing Anika saw as she descended from the escalator that led her away from the boarding gates was the cardboard sign that had her name doodled in pink. She smiled and waved at her best friend and as soon as she saw her, she discarded the sign and ran straight for her.


Normani tended to forget that she was much stronger than Anika, so when she tackled her friend into hug, Anika lost her balance and both girls were sent tumbling to the floor.


“Wow,” Anika managed to say through her constricted chest. The fall had managed to know the air out of her lungs.

“Hey bitch, I missed you,”  Normani murmured. Anika tightened the hold she had on her.

“I missed you too,”  she said.


Normani scrambled off of her and was back onto her feet in a matter of seconds. She extended her arm to Anika and helped her up.

“You've gotten stronger, you know,”  Anika said.

“Oh, I know.”

“So why do you think it's a good idea to jump at me? I won't catch you.”

“Oh no, baby, I tackled you on purpose.”

“Nigga why?” Anika asked and Normani laughed at the way she scrunched up her face at her.

“I wanted you to feel my love and I just felt that you wouldn't have gotten the full Normani Kordei Hamilton love experience while standing up, you know?”

“Girl, you are a whole damn mess,” Anika replied, pretending to pat at her non-existent weave.

“And you love it.”


×

Normani rolled Anika's trolley-full of luggage to the awaiting uber. She even let Anika connect her phone to the aux cable, a rare occurrence because Normani couldn't stand Anika's trash music taste.

“I should leave for nine weeks more often, you're being so nice to me today,” Anika said and pretended to wipe a tear  from her eye.

“No, you're never doing that to me again,” Normani replied. “You were gone for too damn long, bitch and your ass barely texted and shit. You left me a mess, you and that stupid boy Keith.”

Anika smirked at her. She took a moment to survey Normani's outfit: denim high-waited shorts, a striped tee shirt and Adidas shoes. Anika knew her eyes were not deceiving her when she saw how much weight she'd gained in her  thighs and ass and the natural glow that covered her face.


“Girl, you're looking so damn fine,” Anika said and Normani turned to look at her, with a blush wobbling on her lips.

“Sorry sis, I have a boyfriend.”

Anika rolled her eyes but couldn't hold back her smirk for much longer, “speaking of boyfriends, you know what they say?”

Normani shook her head, “no, what do they say about boyfriends?”

“Dick makes your skin glow and your ass grow.”

Judging by the startled look on her best friend's face, Anika knew she was spot on with her assumptions.

“I – uhm – bitch what?”

“ooh dis my song!” Anika screamed and turned the volume all the way up. The bass of the EDM song vibrated through the entire car and Anika pretended to be far too carried away to listen to her best friend.

When they reached the apartment, Anika dumped her bags on the bed and headed straight for the shower. Her and Normani were going out to celebrate her return, so she changed into a pair of black jeans and a casual printed tee shirt after she'd moisturised her skin.

She fashioned her ridiculously long relaxed her into a tight bun and wore the matching Adidas sneakers she'd gotten with Normani. She finished off her look with a swipe of dark, earthy rust lipstick.

“Tell your girlfriend she needs to keep a tight hold on you because I may be tempted to snatch you,”  Normani said as soon as she saw her. “Bitch you look so damn fine, damn.”

Anika waved her off, “you know you're not my type.”

“Fuck you.”

“No thanks, like I said, you're not my type.”

“Bitch, you better watch your mouth before I change my mind about taking your conceited ass out. Nigaa I don't care if you're dating Beyonce, I'm a damn catch,” Normani said and smacked her own ass.


They ordered another uber to a nearby roller skating rink. It was a tradition they'd adopted since they'd first become friends and even when they'd moved to New York, the first thing they'd done was look for a roller skating rink.

Within ten minutes of arriving, both girls were already on the rink, skating around and filming silly snaps of them together.

The rink was quite full on that day, but Anika and Normani managed to have their fun and were able to manoeuvre their way through the large crowd of teenagers. Anika got tired after a while, because she'd had little sleep the night before so she settled on watching Normani dance on her skates.

Anika wondered if Normani had any idea how great of a dancer she truly was. There was nothing that the girl couldn't do. Even if there was a dance form that she was not formally trained in, the girl had an uncanny ability to just adjust to any dance and just go with it.

Anika was not surprised Normani had mastered the art of dancing while on roller blades and she watched with avid fascination while Normani glided on the floor to a Janelle Monae song. She recorded her on her iPhone 7 Plus and planned to post it on Normani's Instagram for her.

Normani finally rolled over to her with a large smile on her face.

“I'm hungry,” she said.

“I was waiting on you to say that. I am actually starving”

“Sorry, Nika. You know how excited I get when we come here.”

“It's okay, come on, let's go.”



The girls walked half a block to one of their favourite sandwich shops. Two chicken mayo sweet-chilli subs and sodas later, they were seated in a booth that was tucked in a corner of the shop.