Co-Workers With Benefits

D I O N

She puts the phone on speaker.

"Wait really? That's Dion's friend." Venice tells her, ripping the crust off the pizza.

"Ooh, makes sense girl, they were at the club with us that day weren't they?"

"Yeah. That was who you was dancing with?"

"Mmhm, Ven lemme tell you-"

"You on speaker boo." She laughs, looking up at me. "Don't go saying something crazy now."

"Oh, my bad. I'll text it to you later." Trinity tells her.

"Nah just call me back later, I gots something real important to tell you." She whispers the last part into the phone.

"Okay bae. Talk to you later."

"Bye Trin." She ends the call and I look at her.

"This how you and your friend go 'round gossiping to each other?" I ask.

"Yeah 'course. Trinity always has the best tea. I'm sure y'all niggas be doing it too."

"That's right, but you girls got some interesting stories out there." I bring my ear closer to her. "What you finna tell her later?"

She laughs and pushes my head away. "Boy gettcho nosy ass outta here. It's nothing to do with you."

I stand up straight, watching her laugh as I bite my lip with a smile.

Yep, I'm definitely whipped.

Her laugh dies down and she looks up. "What're your plans for the rest of the week? I'm already bored." She answers her own question, playing with her fingers. "I wanna get my nails redone. Maybe a short cute pink or blue colour...yeah maybe blue, I ain't had that in a while. Whatchu think?"

I snap out of my daze. "Yeah blue would be pretty."

"'Kay, imma go look on Pinterest." She hops of the chair running out the room.

I pick up my phone and text Lloyd.

Me: The girl you saw at Walmart is Venice's friend.

He replies six minutes later.

Lloyd: How you know bout that?

Me: She just called her, talkin bout you.

Lloyd: Oh damn. She just called her friend and started gossipin bout me? Just like that?

Me: I know right, females crazy.

~

There's only two days left before Venice leaves to go back to her place and the more time I spend with her, the less I want her to leave. I'm so in love with her that I even miss her whilst I'm teaching.

It's ridiculous.

I've never been in love before so I didn't know it was so annoyingly persistent.

I still keep Lloyd updated on my feelings and he suggests that I admit it to her and ask her to move in with me.

At first I thought that would be moving too fast but then I realised that we'd already crossed every line there is.