One week later...
Tamika
Kandi: Did you finish your pile, ma'am?
: No, I have not. I was going to ask if I can come over and we finish up together..
Kandi: That's fine. Bring food please 🙂
: No🫶🏾
Kandi: I'll take cajun seafood pasta this time!
"Smiling, while texting? That's almost not like you!" I heard a familiar voice say as I looked up to see my sister in the doorway holding a cup of coffee.
I was buried in my work currently because I've been neglecting it to go through Kandi's files and text Kandi endlessly. It was beginning to become a problem.
"What's up sis? What are doing here?" I asked.
"Nothing much. Mama's birthday is coming up and she keeps dropping hints about a party so I thought we could get started on planning.."
"Ugh—a party?"
"Yeah she said she doesn't want anything big but she wants to get dressed up and dance." She sighed as she handed me a cup of coffee and sat across from me.
"Damn you seem really busy.." She noted taking in the loads of paperwork in front of me.
"I am. My work is becoming too much and I still need to interview a new hostess because right now I'm understaffed. Which is not fair to my other employees.." I sighed as I took a sip of the coffee she brought.
"Ugh—this shit is cheap" I said as I gagged and threw the coffee into my trash can. "Boujee ass. This is good coffee!" She replied before taking a sip of her's.
"But fine I'll get started on the planning and send you stuff to approve—"
"—Just tell me a price you know I'm not good with planning."
"Fair enough. I'll make a guest list and send out invitations at the end of the week. Have a good rest of your day sister and I'm never buying you anything ever again.."
"Good! Keep your cheap ass coffee.." I said before gagging again at the taste in her mouth.
____
I walked inside Kandi's house as she closed the door behind me and grabbed the bags of food out of my hands.
"Damn—no hey or nothing. Just straight to the food?"
"I'm sorry I'm starving right now...but, hey, thank you for the food I really appreciate it.."
"You're welcome but maybe you should stop starving yourself. I don't know though that's just an idea.." I said as we walked side by side to her kitchen.
She playfully shoved my arm before walking ahead of me. I completely stopped in my tracks as her shirt raised slightly and I got a glimpse of her ass peaking from under it.
I tore my eyes away against my will and tried to focus my attention onto anything else. By now I knew where everything was so we moved throughout the kitchen in perfect harmony.
I grabbed the plates and the glasses while she put the food onto the plates for the both of us. I poured her some tea and I got water for myself.
We sat at the table this time to eat and I watched as she sat a file in front of her to look through it. I reached across the table and grabbed the file before closing it.
"Just eat. We'll work later.."
"Fine." She said before picking up her fork to eat the pasta I brought from my restaurant.
"You work too hard." I told her before placing the file on the floor below my feet.
"So do you...it's what I love to do I can't help it." She shrugged with a mouth full of food.
"Yeah, I do but I've learned to take breaks.."
"Since when?" She laughed and I rolled my eyes.
"Please tell me you've done something else besides look at your old writings all day?" I groaned as I looked at the large stack that was beside her kitchen table.
"Have you done something else besides go through all your paperwork?" She countered.
"Yes! I conducted several interviews.."
"Anyone stick out?" She asked and I shook my head. Most of the people I interviewed showed me by question number one that they were either unreliable or financial risk. Neither of those things had a place in my restaurant so I was still on the search for a new hostess.
We continued to talk about pretty much nothing meaningful as we finished eating. Once we were done I carried my container of her writings to the living where her pile she was currently working on.
"Kandi, you're telling me you want to go through everything just to find a potential story.." I asked clarifying why we were doing this again.
"You know when you're trying out a new recipe you'll keep tasting it and adding something until it's just right." She asked and I nodded. "I just have to go through all of these so I can find the one that's just right and maybe ones that can go with the another to make one story."
"Hm—I never thought about it like that.." I took a seat next to her in the couch as I continued to go through her writings.
I've also been taking notes on the writings and sorting them by how alike they were. So I pulled out my notes and got started on the writings again.
I felt eyes on me which caused me to stop what was I was doing to look up and see her staring at me. "What?"
"Nothing.." She smiled before looking back at the papers in front of her. "I like your shirt" I teased, seeing that if became even more of a distraction as it rode completely up her waist showing off her form-fitting pajama shorts.
"Don't act like you haven't seen me in less.." She said while turning her attention back onto the papers in front of her.
"I could never forget that image.." I mumbled before looking down at my papers again.
"I know.." I heard her laugh before seeing her get up to go look through another bin.
She started rummaging through the bin as if she was looking for something specific until she pulled out a file. She read through before grinning from ear to ear like a child.
"Yes! I knew I had something similar!" She exclaimed before walking back over to the papers she abandoned. She grabbed the one she was looking for before coming to sit on the other side of me.
"Look! This is basically like the same story but this one expands upon this one.."
"So it's like a potential series?" I asked. "Exactly! This is exactly something I've been looking for!" She cheered before throwing herself onto me.
My arms cautiously wrapped around her as I took in the familiar feeling of the hug. She smelled good and her body heat brought a comfort I hadn't felt in years.
She seemed so relax in this position with me as if it came natural to the both of us. However, the moment she realized we were hugging she pulled back but I didn't let go of her waist, holding in as close as I could keep her.
She placed her hands on my chest to keep a respectable distance as we stared at each other with a look that said, 'What's next?'
We've found ourselves in similar positions three times now. I couldn't let this moment pass again without doing something about it.
"I'm sorry." She laughed, nervously as she tried to pull back again.
"For what?" I asked before moving my hand to rest between her shoulder and her neck as I pulled her face closer to mine.
Her eye searched mine as if she was contemplating with herself before she made a decision. Before I had the chance to say anything else her lips fall onto mine.
She kissed me softly, almost as if she was hesitant causing me to pull her closer and take control of the kiss. My head tilted as I slid my tongue into her mouth and my hands began to explore her body.
The moment I did she moaned into my mouth and scooted closer so she was straddling my lap. My hands fall to her ass and I squeezed as I brought her even higher up my lap.
We pulled back from the kiss to catch our breath and my lips immediately went to her neck.
"This isn't going where you think it's going.." I heard her say which causing me to chuckle against her neck.
"Let me enjoy kissing you." I mumbled against her neck just in time to see her nod.
____
2 days later...
"I can't believe we're still going through all of these damn files. This feels like a second job.." I said as I looked over my large pile at Kandi who was seated at her dining room table across from me.
"Would you feel better if I paid you.." She said while keeping her eyes on the papers in front of her as always.
"I didn't know you were into tricking off.."
"It's not tricking if you got it." She said before 'popping her collar'.
"Oh okay. I want some shoes and some clothes...oh! Maybe this bag I saw the other day.." I teased causing her to laugh.
"You're stupid. Did you find anything interesting?" She asked. "Hm—except the woman sitting in front of me? No."
"That's was corny as hell. You just want to get in my panties."
"Yeah but I know that's not happening tonight. I would like another kiss though, possibly.."
"Nice try. We promised no more of that until we figure this out." She said pointing between the two of us and I groaned.
I forgot I agreed to that but to be fair she said that right after we kissed. I was liable to agree to anything after that. But I knew that was for the best. We had many things to discuss and clearly we were both dancing around it.
As much as being around her made me remember all of the good times we had together it also made me remember how things ended. I still needed closure for that portion of my life and I just wasn't ready to face that reality.
So if having fun careless moments with Kandi while I helped her meant I couldn't kiss her then it was worth it. I didn't mind. Her presence was enough.
"I guess you're right... this might tie into the plot you showed me the other day." I said as I handed her another sheet of paper.
"Thanks.." She grabbed it and started to look over it. "Why don't you type any of this stuff? That would save a lot of trees."
"It would. But it's easier for me to write something quickly when I get the idea rather than type it. Especially since I try to keep my writing off of my phone." She explained and I nodded.
"How do you write some of this stuff and not
get—" She cut me off to finish my sentence "—Horny?", and I nodded.
"I don't." She shrugged and my eyes widened with a smirk. "So what do you do?"
"Use your imagination. We're not five we all know how to take care of ourselves.." She smiled before drinking some of the water in front of her.
"Alright let's take a break! My head is starting to hurt and I'd like to do something other than read for one night.." I suggested and she agreed.
Together we put away the files before she lead me to her living room. We sat on the couch and decided to watch a movie. I wasn't sure which movie we agreed on and I didn't really care. We shared a blanket and she cuddled up to me.
I knew we really needed to have a conversation but I wasn't sure I wanted to risk not being able to experience this if it didn't go well.
It was weird that a couple of weeks ago I would've sworn to anyone who would listen that I hated her. However, as we laid on her couch together I was pretty sure that I loved her.
____
Kandi
"You've been MIA for almost week. What's going on with you?" Tiny asked as she leaned me back in the shampoo bowl.
I knew the moment I asked if she could do my hair I was in for an interrogation. She was right I had been MIA lately. Between trying to find inspiration for my new book and reconnecting with Tamika I haven't had time for much else.
"Nothing. Just working." I said in a high-pitched, unconvincing voice.
"Girl, I know that voice. Who's been in your bed?"
"Who's been in yours?" I said back, smartly before hearing her laugh. She didn't have time to reply as she turned on the water to start my shampoo.
Once she finished washing and blow drying my hair and I was seated at her station she followed up on my last question. "Nobody's been in mine as of lately but you kind of have a glow going on.."
"You know how I said I went to dinner with Tamika.." I said. "Yeah, you never even told me how that went. How is she by the way?" She asked as she began to part my hair with a rat tail comb.
"It went good and she's fine but um—the real reason I went to see her was because she's the woman from chapter one.." I said as I hoped the earth would swallow me.
"Bitch! You never told me you had sex with her.." Her eyes widened before she playfully shoved me. "It never came up and it's not something I like to talk about.."
"Oh lord! I'm looking at her totally different.." She laughed and I shook my head laughing right along with her.
"So when did that happen if you don't mind me asking because I know y'all don't even talk anymore. Well I guess y'all are talking now.."
"It happened fall semester freshman year of undergrad.."
We were young, in college, and hadn't had much experience prior but we both wanted it, bad. Even as I woke up the next morning and regretted it I knew it wasn't the sex that I regretted but the circumstances that it left me in.
"Wait...weren't you with Russell then?" Her face contorted as she tried to piece everything together.
"Why would you bring him up?" I asked annoyed as I sat up and turned around in the chair to face her. I could feel my chest beating faster as that name swirled around in my head repeatedly.
"Sorry...I was just trying to clarify the timeline." She said as she held her hands up.
I took a deep breath before turning around and letting her get back to doing my hair. "I was with him and I know I cheated but you also know everything he put me through so.." I shrugged.
"I'm not judging. I hate him but I just never knew that happened. Does she know about him?"
"She knows we were together. Everyone did but she doesn't know about the other stuff and I wanna keep it that way so please don't start filling my head with moral principles.."
"I'm not. That's your story to tell.." She sighed as she continued to do my hair.
I could help the anxiety I felt the rest of the appointment. I thought I healed from that portion of my life but as I sat in the chair with my chest tightening I knew that was far from the truth.