All I Want for Christmas is a Ph.D.

November 22nd

DeeDee woke up disoriented with her glasses hanging off her face. She rolled to her right and fell off the couch.

"What the hell?" She looked at the open laptop and bottles of water on her coffee table. Recognition hit and she smiled.

Something in the chat of the ended video call caught her attention. She fixed her glasses and sat up straight to read it.

Erik Stevens: As much as I enjoyed watching you sleep, I'm ending the call so you don't think I'm a creep. I didn't mean to keep you up that late, but I did have a wonderful time talking to you. I hope you have a great day, whenever you surface.

DeeDee squealed and then smacked her forehead. "Damn, I really fell asleep on him."

She stretched out her arms and legs from her seated position. A buzzing sound interrupted the flow. She looked over to the flashing screen of her phone. DeeDee reached for it and found it full of missed calls, text and group chat messages. She looked at the time, it was after 1 pm.

A hard knock on her apartment door startled her. It was followed up with rapid pounding.

"DeeDee open the damn door!"

Phyllis and Beverly. She checked her calendar. She missed Sunday brunch.

"DeeDee, honey. Are you ok?" Beverly asked through the door.

DeeDee quickly fixed her hair into a bun, and walked across the floor. Her friends rushed her as she opened the door.

"Hey Girl." Beverly gave DeeDee a quick hug, then headed to the living room.

"Where were you?" Phyllis flopped down into a chair. She picked up a water bottle. "So, you had a party and didn't invite us?"

DeeDee rolled her eyes. "I did not have a party."

"Well, this is a lot for one person to drink." Phyllis looked over to Beverly, "You think she had company over?"

Beverly started to laugh, "Phyll, stop acting like she had a man over here. I think our best friend would tell us something like that."

"Would she? Because you know I have left y'all high and dry over guaranteed D."

"I am not you, Phyll. And what is wrong with you?"

DeeDee slumped onto the couch. When Beverly sat next to her, she closed the laptop down.

"There is nothing wrong with us. We just want to make sure you are living life to the fullest." Beverly bumped DeeDee's shoulder. "So, what did you binge watch last night? Cuz your coffee table screams Grey's Anatomy."

DeeDee's phone buzzed on the table. All eyes focused on it.

"You gonna answer that? Don't want to keep your booty call waiting like you did us."

"Stop it. I didn't have anyone over here."

"Go ahead. Answer it."

"It can wait."

Phyllis snatched up DeeDee's phone. "You have mail, ma'am."

"Shut up and give me my phone."

"So, you have been emailing with Mr. Love Note. How is that going?"

"It's going." DeeDee scrunched her face to hide her growing smile. "He seems pretty kool."

"Uh huh. That smile on your face says otherwise." Beverly spoke up.

"What happened last night? Why did you miss brunch today?"

"Yeah, you always beat us there. You love those endless mimosas."