Zenia's POV
We landed the two magazines Monday afternoon. Ashley and I were in the best of moods for the remainder of the day.
"I have an idea. We need to celebrate this! A guy I've been stalking is throwing a house party tonight for one of his friends. We can go if we want to."
"No, Ashley. I'm not about to go to a party on a Monday night. We got work in the morning, girl."
"Oh, please, Zen. It would be fun, and we need to celebrate this."
"No! We can celebrate this weekend."
"The excitement will be gone by then. We need to do this now, plus, I'm dying to see Alex. He's so damn fine!"
She was holding onto me like a kid begging for a lollipop at the supermarket.
"Okay, fine! We'll go, but for three hours, tops!"
"Sure, sure, sure. Be ready by eight!"
It was the end of the day. Ashley had already left. I locked up, armed the security system, turned off the lights and central air, and went to catch a cab.
At 8:00 p.m., I was already dressed. Ashley picked me up with her sister's car and drove us to this house party. It was about an hour drive.
There was a huge guy standing at the door. We told him who we were and used Alex's name to get in.
"There he is! There he is!" Ashley pointed to a very handsome looking guy with a fair complexion. He wore all black and looked like the typical 'bad boy'.
"He is mighty fine," I told her.
"Yesss. I know," she squealed.
"Well, go over and talk to him."
"No! I can't! I don't think I'm his type."
"Why you say that?" I hated guys who thought that they're too good for us black women.
"Because I was looking at his Facebook page, and there pictures of him and a bunch of different women, but not one of them was black. I don't think he likes black girls." She had a little sadness in her eyes when she said that, but it quickly disappeared, like a puff of smoke, when we sat the bar.
One shot led to another and another. I even drank Ashley's drinks.
"You're driving tonight, bitch!" I told her, taking a shot of tequila and throwing it down my throat.
My mind went back to EJ and Madison. Madison had just waltz back into his life and disturbed things between us. Why did she even had to come back?
"Am I crazy or is Alex looking at us?" I heard Ashley asking. The room was spinning like a merry-go-round.
"Huh?" I asked as I started dancing to Cardi B's "Bodak Yellow".
I heard EJ's voice, but I couldn't locate him in the spinning room. Then, I felt something cold blowing against my skin, and I woke up the following morning on my couch.
How did I get home?
The sun's rays streamed through the sheer curtains and lightened up the room and my face. I rolled off the couch and went to use the bathroom. I knew I drank a lot last night, I even smelled of the liquor, but I didn't have a hangover. That was surprising.
I took a shower, dried off my skin, lotioned it, slipped on my underwear then a short hot pink pants, which hugged my booty, and a black crop top. I threw on my black and white air-max and light makeup on my face. I combed my Brazilian into a slick ponytail then put on a pair of silver large hoop earrings.
Then, I called Ashley.
"Hey. You're coming in today, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," she responded. I heard background noises, and I was sure I heard a guy's voice.
"Where are you?" I asked, straining my ear to hear some more.
"I'll be there soon, Zen. Bye." She hung up.
Ashley has got to be kidding me.
I earned a lot of glances and stares from the guys in the streets as I walked to the bus stop. The wind blew gently on my face. I looked like I was shooting for a magazine.
"Hey, baby!"
"Sweetie, can I get those digits?"
"Damn, girl, you're so fine."
"Hey, sweet chocolate. Can I sample that?"
"That ass is real!"
Some guys were so pathetic.
I took the bus downtown, did the usual when I got to my store, and got to work. Tuesdays usually weren't busy, so I took the time to create new designs and talk to a magazine representative about creating pages to advertise our clothing lines, styles and labels.
Two hours later, Ashley showed up.
"Zen, I'm so sorry I'm late. I overslept. If you hadn't called me, I might've still been in bed."
"You slept with someone?"
"Ohh, girl... You're tripping. No." She waved me off.
"I heard a guy's voice, Ash."
She started blushing like a teenager. "Okay, okay. I'll be real. I slept with Alex."
"Girl, I know you didn't just say you slept with Alex! Come on Ash, you just met with dude! You want him thinking that you're so easy, and you're a one-night stand material?"
"Okay, slow your roll. We hit it off really well after EJ took you home."
EJ took me home?
"And we didn't have sex. We just slept in the same bed because I did drink, and he wouldn't let me drive home."
I rolled my eyes at her. "Girl, you're setting up yourself for a heartbreak. All these guys do is bed you, lie to you, create drama for you then leave you. Especially those rich and famous ones who think they own the world."
"What the hell are you even talking about? Are you still drunk?"
I heaved a sigh.
Ashley began jumping up and down. "He texted me! 'Hey sweetness, hope you got home safely. Have a nice day at work and I'm thinking about you.' " She read.
"Aww, that's so sweet," I said sarcastically, which she picked up on.
"You're so bitter."
"I'm so real. I'm so not falling in love with another guy ever again."
"Zenia, you need to let that go. So what if you got your heart broken by that idiot back in college? You can't compare him to all the other guys out there Zen, and you know that."
"You think Alex won't turn around and break your heart? My sister once told me that there is no happily ever after, and I believe her."
"Your sister must have been speaking from an angry place because look at her now! She's with Evan Hollen -- one of richest guys on this planet-- and she's happy. They have a son together and are getting married. Happily ever after does exist! You just gotta look for it!"
She went into the back and began cutting and putting together a dress for a customer.
I sat down quietly at my desk and began designing my sister's wedding dress.
I couldn't concentrate on it, so I placed my digital notepad aside and scrolled through Facebook. I decided to view Madison's profile.
She recently changed her profile picture to a picture of her and EJ hugging underneath a tree. They seemed younger. It must have been when they were still in high school.
I received a text from EJ like he knew I was thinking about him.
EJ: Hey how are you feeling?
Me: I'm good. Thanks for taking me home last night.
EJ: That's what friends are for.
I felt a twitch as he referred to us as friends. Deep down, I wanted more, but on the surface, I just wasn't ready, and I didn't think he was either.
Guys just break your heart, lie, create drama, turn your life upside down and leave. No! Happily ever after doesn't exist!
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A/N
Does it?
Does happy ever after does exist?