You're All I Need

Nine

That Time Their Love Was Expressed...

              *February 1997*

Valentine's Day morning, Sydney woke up in her bedroom and got ready for work. Aside from Easter, Fourth of July Weekend, Thanksgiving Eve, and Christmas, the only other time that her job was packed was for Valentine's Day. Either guys were buying their shorties the new Rocawear coat or girls were buying their boyfriends Timbs or some Jordans. While that still went on, nowadays people came in to buy clothes to wear on Valentine's Day. This year, the movie theater was doing a special viewing of Booty Call so everyone who had a ticket was going to be there with their friends or lovers. Between the movies and dinner, people were going to be busy in love tonight.

Leaving her room, Sydney heard silence coming from Kai's room which led her to guess he wasn't in there. She was then met with more silence in the kitchen. Her assumption of Kai being gone already was confirmed when she didn't see his key on the hook by the door.

As she got in her car preparing to leave, her brand new Motorola StarTAC phone rang. Kai had gotten the same phone and wanted to be able to contact her whenever. Thinking it was him, Sydney rushed to answer. Only to hear her best friend on the other end.

"Happy Valentine's Day boo!" Amani yelled into the phone. Sydney laughed as she said it back to her. Amani was currently home getting ready to go to the mall. "I'mma see you today so I'll bring you your gift."

"Awww you didn't have to get me anything!" She made a mental note to get her something from her store.

"Girl please. What did Kai give you?"

Sydney sighed as she started her car. "He was gone when I got up this morning."

"So he didn't get you anything?"

"I didn't see anything yet."

"Hmm...maybe he will later."

Sydney shrugged, not thinking too much of it. Since last month when they straightened out the Tanji situation and Amani stopped bringing up Kai when Sydney didn't share much, things have been good with them. They've gone on a few dates here and there with each other, so Sydney wasn't too pressed about Kai doing something for her on this day. They worked things out and have communicated much better. Kai treated everyday like Valentine's Day. "Maybe."

"Girl is everything okay? You haven't talked about Kai in a while."

Things have been fine but for the past few days, Kai was acting a little weird. More quiet than usual. But since things have been good with them and he hasn't said anything, Sydney counted it as something outside of them bothering him. He would tell her when he was ready.

"Everything's fine Amani. Me and him just might chill tonight that's all. Look, I'll see you at the mall okay?"

"Okay."

When Sydney got to the mall, it was packed. She parked in the employee parking garage section for the mall and gathered her things to go inside. Her black bomber jacket protected her from the cold wind as she walked through the parking lot to the entrance. Once she got inside, she rode the escalator to the second level and walked straight into City Blue. The urban clothing store wasn't busy yet since the mall literally just opened, but right away Sydney could see her manager Kiara and her new co-worker Darnell, Kiara's brother, getting the registers ready.

Aside from them, Sydney could see Nina making sure the sneakers and clothes were all in place. Nina looked up from what she was doing to Sydney and rolled her eyes.

Sydney sighed, wishing Ryan was working today and not on vacation.

Sydney kept walking and went to the back to put her things into her locker. When she came back out after taking off her coat revealing her uniform, which had to be something from the store, she walked over to Kiara to see what needed to be done.