I N S T I N C T I V E

(Four.)

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One Week Later

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Ramona stared at Gwen and Brittany as they vented about their boyfriends to her in the pristine dining restaurant. "And Brian did that same thing yesterday, girl!" Said Gwen. "Girl, Lamar drives me crazy, trust me." Said Brittany, shaking her head and taking a sip from her margarita. "I swear, men. They never listen. Yet they always want us to be so compliant with them?" Asked Brittany. "And you know what? What's wrong with a man being the one listening? What's wrong with a woman taking a man out to dinner?" Gwen asked.

Ramona licked her teeth, taking a small sip from her wine as she listened. "Girl what do you think?" Asked Brittany. "Well, if you take a man out to dinner perhaps don't bring him here." Ramona said, looking around the restaurant. "The foundation of the building isn't even, and depending on the types of beams that they used, that might be the reason why. And the carpets are prone to wear out because it seems like the owner went with cheaper sub-flooring..." She said. "Not that, Ramona." Said Gwen. She sighed. "Oh. Well, I don't see anything wrong with a woman taking initiative. You can't just be at their will all the time. I...think that you both need to sit down and have a talk with Lamar and Brian about it." She said.

"How did you become such a relationship therapist? I'm impressed." Said Gwen. And at that moment, Ramonas phone started to ring. She looked at the caller ID, realizing that it was Dwight. After a few more days of them talking to one another and Ramona taking the building of the restaurant into consideration, the two agreed to exchange phone numbers for both convenience and business-purposes.

She answered it quickly. "Hello? Hi...yes..." She said, and her friends exchanged glances. They wondered why she seemed to have a slightly different tone of voice, and pushed her hair behind her ear while she spoke on the phone with him. "Yes, I plan to start on the drafts some time next week. We have to schedule a meeting with the restaurant owners first of course. Yes, do you want to discuss them some time?" She asked.

"We can do it tonight if you prefer...No, I'll pay. I'll pick out a place, alright?...okay, see you soon." She said, then ending the call. "What the hell was that?" Asked Brittany. "What was what?" Asked Ramona. "Ohhh, girl...!- Relax, it was a business call." Said Ramona. "A business call where you just planned dinner?" Asked Gwen. "Who is that mysterious man?" Asked Brittany.

"His name is Dwight. Dwight Thomas. We met last week on my way to work. He's a real estate agent who was looking to have a restaurant built for an owner. We're working together to get it done. That's all." Said Ramona. The woman groaned. "I swear, everything is about work with you." Said Gwen. "I mean, we don't only talk about work..." Trailed off Ramona, rubbing her finger around the top of her wine glass. "What else do you talk about?" Asked Brittany, squinting.

Ramona sighed. "He graduated from Northwestern with a major in economics and a minor in business institutions." Said Ramona. "Damn, so how did he react to your university? You know men hate when a woman is at the same level or above them." Said Gwen. "He complimented me. He didn't seem bothered by it at all. We actually had a lot in common when it came to school work ethic. I was the top of my class, and he graduated early." She said.

"Well how is he as a person?" You know there's always a catch." Said Brittany. "I've only known him for a week, but...he invited me for tea when we first met to talk about the building plans. He paid. There was a frustrating client that I saw there, and he didn't hesitate to step in and defend me against him. I could say he's a nice man, and he seems to be a gentleman as well. And he finds enjoyment in talking about work just like I do." Said Ramona.