Finding Joy

Chapter 6

"Lauren, come down here." My mom yelled. "Guests are arriving." She told me.

I shouted back an okay and continued getting dressed.

I put on a red pencil skirt,a white muscle shirt tucked in and a pair of black heels on before I made my way down stairs. My hair was curled in big barrel curls, and I had a gold watch on my wrist accenting the red in both my skirt and on my lips well. The gold statement necklace set my outfit off perfectly with a t while matching my fathers Gold and Red theme as my mother wanted.

"Don't you look cute." My mom said.

"Thank you mama. You too" I said observing her in the all red summer dress and gold strapy wedges she had on.

"Thanks baby girl. Your daddy is outside and was dying for you to come on downstairs." She informed me.

"Is that so?" I asked helping her get the condiments out of the refrigerator.

"Yeah, he's trying to show you off girly. Get ready." She told me.

"I'm as ready as I'm going to get. Where is Kelsey and Erin?" I asked.

"I put Erin's behind to work. Kelsey is outside keeping her boyfriend entertained." She informed me.

I made a barfing sound and she chuckled.

"Stop that Joy. The girls in love." My mom said watching them through the window.

"I know. It just feels like he's taking my friend away." I grumbled.

"Well maybe if you stop being all about work and school, you'll find somebody too." My mother said.

"Ma, don't start." I said.

"Listen sweetie all I'm saying is you're graduating school in about a month, starting your career and you can start dating." She told me.

"Alright ma." I said a little annoyed with the fascination of my love life or lack there of.

"I don't mean to upset you Joy but your last boyfriend was the beginning of your senior year." She stated.

"I know mommy. I'm not mad it's just that it's like everybody is concerned with hooking me up. Y'all act like I'm thirty. I'm still young!" I said

"Baby, you've graduated college a year early, your going for your masters next. All I'm saying, is that I think you should find someone. Even if it's nothing serious. Someone to cuddle up with. It makes a difference." She told me.

"I get it ma. I'll be more open minded to meeting people on my own. I don't need the hook up though, I'm cute." I said smiling.

"That's my girl. Now let's go outside." She said tapping my behind.

I grabbed the tray of fruit salad and walked outside with it, careful to keep the tray from spilling on my shirt.

I walked outside, and music was playing. My dad was smiling and laughing with his friends and few select colleagues and of course family.

"Baby girl come here for a minute." My dad said calling me over.

I smiled and made my way through the decent sized crowd to my daddy.

"Yes." I asked smiling.

"This is my daughter Lauren, Lauren these are the Crowsby's. Phil and Janet." My dad said introducung me to an older couple.

"Hello Mr and Mrs. Crowsby." I said starting a conversation with the couple.

"Hey Bish." Erin said pulling me out of the conversation with the small crowd i'd drawn.