excuse any mistakes.
𝐌𝐢𝐞𝐤𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐫𝐢 𝐃𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧
𝙲𝙾𝙻𝚃𝚂 𝙽𝙴𝙲𝙺, 𝙽𝙹.
"Bitch inspire me, get more money and I go out to get it, Bitch massaging me, cause she know I'm getting these mil's consistent." Mieke rapped lowly as she sat inside of her office on her phone. Her phone sent her an notification telling her that her phone was on 15% and she placed her phone down before opening her drawer grabbing her purse and began looking for her charger.
"Where's this charger?" Mieke mumbled.
She searched high and low for that charger, but it was nowhere to be found. The only spot left to check was her car. Grabbing her keys, she shut the drawer and got up walking out of her office, making sure to lock the door behind her.
Mieke reached the door to the waiting room and through the glass, she spotted Keanu sitting with Skyler. Instant panic mode kicked in for Mieke.
She did not want to see him.
But reality struck hard – her charger was in the car, and besides, this was where his child came for therapy. Avoiding him completely was near impossible. With a deep breath, she steeled herself and prepared to walk out the door.
Growing irritated with herself, Mieke rolled her eyes, yanked her phone from her jacket pocket, and unlocked it and swung the door open. She didn't bother lifting her gaze as she walked out, her attention fixed on her phone screen.
"Miekeeeeee." Kianti dragged.
Internally, Mieke couldn't help but roll her eyes. All she wanted was to grab her charger and retreat back to her office. Was it too much to ask for the universe to cooperate with her plans?
"Hm?" Mieke looked at Kianti.
"You going out?" She asked.
"No. I'm about to get my charger out my car." Mieke replied, hoping to cut off any further conversation, eager to make her escape from the waiting room as swiftly as possible.
"Oh I was gone tell you to get me some McDonald's." Kianti frowned.
"You gone turn into McDonald's." Mieke teased, and Kianti chuckled. Without lingering, Mieke walked away, pushed the door open, and stepped outside, releasing a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Heading to her car, she unlocked the doors and settled inside.
Sitting in her car for a few moments, her phone suddenly chimed. Mieke grabbed it and saw a message from Malik pop up on the screen and she pressed the notification.
Ever since Mieke and Malik exchanged numbers, their conversations had become a regular thing. She couldn't help but appreciate Malik's genuine nature; he had this kindness that shone through their texts, making her smile effortlessly.
He was genuinely a nice guy, always attentive and thoughtful in their conversations. The more they talked, the clearer it became that Malik was someone she enjoyed having around. He seemed interested in more than just surface-level conversation, diving into topics that resonated with her. He had a knack for making her feel comfortable, as if they'd been friends for years.
However, there was a lingering difference in their intentions. Malik seemed to be heading towards something more than friendship. He dropped hints about going out, hinted at potential dates, and subtly steered conversations towards more personal aspects. But for Mieke, things were moving too quickly. She was enjoying getting to know Malik as a friend, but thoughts of dating or relationships hadn't even crossed her mind.
She wanted to take things slow, to let the bond between them evolve without any rush.
She wanted to tell Malik but was scared of how he'd take it, so she kept quiet about it for now, not wanting to rock the boat.
𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐤
𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 4:35 PM
You free tomorrow?
Why?
I remember you mentioning hitting the gym, and I was thinking me and you could go together
The mere suggestion made her stomach churn. It wasn't about Malik himself; he hadn't given her any strange vibes or made her uncomfortable. But deep-seated fear lingered within Mieke, a fear that had settled since the traumatic incident that happened to her before. The trust she once had in men had shattered that dreadful night, and she hadn't been out with a man since.
Though Malik seemed nice, she couldn't shake off the constant worry. You never really know anyone, and that fear of the unknown gripped her, whispering cautionary warnings in the back of her mind. Despite her desire to break free from the past, the memories made her guarded, even around someone as decent as Malik.
She didn't want to put herself in a situation that could potentially trigger those haunting memories or cause her distress. Despite wanting to move forward and embrace new experiences, the fear of the unknown loomed large, preventing her from taking that step with Malik. She decided, for her own peace of mind, that she didn't want to go through with it.
I'm supposed to be going somewhere with my sister tomorrow, Maybe another time?
Fasho
Mieke sighed and glanced at the time. "I gotta go back inside chile." She mumbled, realizing it was almost time for her next client to arrive.
_______
"How's it going with Malik?" Charlotte inquired of Mieke. The girls were committed to staying in touch and catching up more frequently.
"Girl." Mieke stared blankly at Charlotte.
"Who's Malik?" Khouri asked.
"Oh! They don't know?" Charlotte whispered, and Mieke stared at her with a blank expression.
"That name sounds familiar..." Haveli furrowed her eyebrows. "Oh! Isn't that your neighbor?" she asked, and Mieke nodded. Haveli, lounging on Mieke's couch, suddenly sat up. "Bitch!"
"Bitch you're fucking with your neighbor and you kept that from us?" Khouri got up playfully throwing punches at Mieke. "I can't stand a wannabe private ass bitch." Khouri threw one more punch at Mieke's arm before sitting back down, "Now tell us about you and Malik."
"There's really nothing to tell. He's just a friend," Mieke insisted, but Khouri, Haveli, and Charlotte knew her well enough to sense otherwise. Their silence was strategic; they knew Mieke well enough that it would get her to tell them.
"Alright fineeee. Two weeks ago when me and Lottie was coming back from out to eat me and him exchanged numbers he said how he been wanting me since I moved in here. We've been talking to each other since and he invited me to go the gym with him tomorrow but I told him that I had something to do with my sister."
"She got some to do with you?" Haveli looked at Khouri, who shook her head in response.
"Clearly I lied."
"I'm about to hang up. Why?" Charlotte asked.
"It'd be funny if he's behind the door listening to this conversation right now." Khouri chuckled.
"Nah, he's not at the door. But anyways, I don't know. I'm scared. It's been a while since I've hung out with a guy who sees me romantically." Mieke admitted checking the Ring app.
"Whatchu scared for?" Charlotte asked.
"I just am." Mieke shrugged.
"Nah, I know the real reason why she's scared," Haveli interjected, catching both Khouri and Mieke's attention. "It's because she still hasn't moved on from whatever Keanu did to her. But not every guy is gonna turn out like Keanu. You can't let that hold you forever. Malik might be totally different. I mean, look at Keanu – he had a kid a few years after you guys broke up. He's moved on, and it's time you do too. You deserve better than thinking about him all the time. Let that go, Mieke. It's been nine years, your first love or not, you seriously need to move on."
"I have moved on from Keanu." Mieke said.
"Have you really?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes, I literally hate him. Can y'all please stop bringing him up? I've spent years not hearing about him from y'all, and here y'all go bringing him up constantly," Mieke scrunched up her face, feeling her anger rise. Sensing someone's gaze, she turned to find Khouri staring at her with furrowed eyebrows. "Why the fuck are you looking at me?" She asked, puzzled.
"Bitch nothing, Don't start with me."
"Well it must be something since you've been staring at me for a minute."
"Aight bitch calm down because you're getting mad at the wrong person." Khouri unlocked her phone.
"I don't care." Mieke responded the frustration evident on her face.
"I don't care that you don't care."
"I don't care even more that you don't care that I don't care." Mieke shrugged.
"I guess we both some I don't care ass bitches."
"And is." Mieke responded, Khouri chuckled.
"I hate y'all." Charlotte laughed. "Mieke, Like I told you at the restaurant though, You gotta let go of the past. From what you've told me about you and Malik texting he seems like a nice guy."
"I get what yall tryna tell me but trust issues don't just disappear overnight."
"But you can't let one nigga from years ago ruin your chances at happiness now. Malik's not Keanu. He's been nothing but respectful."
"I know, but I'm scared. I don't want to make the same mistake again."
"It's not a mistake if you're cautious. You can't let fear control your life. You deserve a chance at something good. Don't let fear hold you back forever. You'll never know if you don't take a chance. You've been talking about going to the gym, and isn't Malik a personal trainer? This could be really good for you." Khouri said.
Mieke was actually starting to take Khouri's words into consideration. The idea of not letting fear control her life resonated deeply.
She couldn't deny the logic behind it – the chance at something good, the opportunity to confront her fears, and the fact that she had expressed interest in hitting the gym.
"Give me that phone." Haveli demanded as she got up and headed towards Mieke. Sensing trouble, Mieke quickly stood and dashed away. Haveli followed her path, chasing after Mieke who sprinted into her room, locking the door.
"You're not texting him!" Mieke yelled.
"Let her text him. You're going to the gym." Charlotte asserted, but Mieke shook her head.
The door randomly opened and Haveli stood at the door with a knife in her hand "You forgot I know how to open the door with a knife?"
"I can't stand yall!" Mieke yelled in frustration. "Fine, I'll text him. Jesus Christ."
"Let me see." Haveli said as she placed the knife on the dresser. She walked over to the window where Mieke stood, while Cupid lounged on Mieke's bed, observing the scene. "Y'all names even go together. Mieke and Malik."
"Shut up." Mieke mumbled before rolling her eyes. She moved away from Haveli, heading to her messages and pressing on Malik's contact.
𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐤
𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 12:26 PM
You free tomorrow?
Why?
I remember you mentioning hitting the gym, and I was thinking we could go together.
I'm supposed to be going somewhere with my sister tomorrow, Maybe another time?
Fasho
𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 10:50 PM
Hey, my sister cancelled, so if you still want to go to the gym, we could.
Delivered
"Are y'all happy now?" Mieke asked.
"Yes, I'm very happy." Haveli beamed, while Mieke glanced down at her phone, waiting for Charlotte's response.
"I'm doing supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."
"You literally can't even spell that." Khouri chimed in as she entered the room.
"I literally can."
"Spell it."
"S-U-P-E-R-C-A-L-I-F-R-A-G-I-L-I-S-T-I-C-E-X-P-I-A-L-I-D-O-C-I-O-U-S." Charlotte spelled out confidently.
"Aight you got it." Khouri nodded.
"Bitch please I won the third grade spelling bee of course I was going to get it. I'm not walking around saying words I can't spell now boo."
"Wasn't that the same spelling bee where they promised you a trophy and you never got it? Go get your get back," Khouri teased as she walked to the phone, putting her face in the camera just as a text came up. "He texted back."
"I see Khouri. I'm holding the phone." Mieke told her pressing the message.
"What he said?" Charlotte asked.
"He told me to be ready by 7," Mieke informed Charlotte. Everyone except Mieke started squealing in excitement. Mieke rolled her eyes, handed the phone to Khouri, and walked to the bed, sitting beside Cupid. "We were supposed to finish watching 90210 this weekend, now I have to go somewhere with a man. I'm sorry, Cupid."
"Fuck Matchmaker." Haveli cursed, prompting laughter from Charlotte and Khouri while Mieke just stuck her middle finger up at Haveli.
•••