Loving Mia

Chapter 2. The Dress

Mia sat with her friends at a cozy little Italian restaurant at the Embarcadero. She loved coming to this particular part of San Francisco because it was on the water. They sat outside on a pretty little patio and watched the ships sail by.

"I can't believe they actually let you out of their cage, Mia," her friend Jasmine said, giving Mia a sarcastic smile.

"Don't mind her, she's just jealous. For once in her lifetime, she didn't attract the attention of a handsome rich man," Joyce said smiling warmly at Mia. "I'm so happy we finally got a chance to hang out. It seems like forever."

Mia looked at her two friends and smiled. Joyce had helped her move from Tennessee to San Francisco, CA to start a new life. She had stayed with Joyce until she was able to rent her own apartment. Of course, she had only stayed in her new apartment for 6 months before Kale and Aidan whisked her away. They'd broken her lease which she had signed up for a year, paid the difference, and "got her out of there "as Joyce would say. Joyce teased her about it every time they went out. She had met Jasmine through Joyce. Her friends were totally opposite from each other.

Joyce was dark skinned with a head full of long Black braids. She was 5'7 with a lean body that didn't seem to have an ounce of fat on it. She worked out a lot and it showed. She was down to earth, business-minded and practical. She was very independent and made her living as a store manager for Wal-Mart. She had given Mia the idea to apply for the personal assistant job when they saw it in the newspaper.

Jasmine was the first girl Mia had ever met that made her living as a professional gold digger. Jasmine never had to work. She went from one man to the next once she got tired of them or they got tired of her and even had the ability to talk strangers into paying for expensive dinners. Mia suppose she couldn't blame any man that saw Jasmine to not fall under her spell, the girl was beyond beautiful. She had light beige skin, golden brown eyes and long tawny brown hair. She had the body of a supermodel. She was tall, slim, with big breasts that she loved showing off, a small waist and a flat stomach. Her hips were small but curved and she had legs that stretched for miles.

Kale and Aidan had met both her friends. Mia thought for sure they would fall for Jasmine and flirt with her outrageously as any other man did when she was in their presence. To her surprise and pleasure, they hadn't. They had looked at Jasmine as normally as they had looked at Joyce and continued to give Mia most of their attention. Jasmine was offended that they weren't falling all over her and had immediately labeled them as gay after they left. Mia had never thought Kale and Aidan was gay. They were close sure, but they never gave her the impression they saw each other as more than friends.

"So Mia, what have you been up to the past few months?" Joyce asked as she popped a piece of fried squid in her mouth.

"The usual," Mia said. "Work, work, and more work," she gave a short laugh and twirled a piece of fettuccini around her fork.

"How are Aidan and Kale?" Joyce wanted to know.

"They're fine. I swear though, they act like they can't do anything on their own unless I'm there."

"That's because you're such a good worker," Joyce said proudly.

Jasmine snickered.

Mia looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Okay, I've been holding this in for a long time, Mia, because I didn't want to rain on your parade, but I've had a lot of experience in dealing with men and those two White guys want you for more than just your work."

Mia looked at her in surprise. "Why do you say that? I thought you said they were gay."

"I only said that because I was jealous that day we met them, not too many people can resist me, you know? But I could tell they only had eyes for you, Mia. You'd have to be blind not to see that."