Devotion

Chapter 5

LEOMI

Ever since I messed up badly while filming, I've been meditating whenever I can to calm myself. It's helped.

I open the curtains in my living room to let the sun in, then drop myself on the couch with a disappointed sigh before grabbing my laptop to do some work.

I haven't spoken to Ares since what happened last week. One moment he was standing so close to me, I thought he was going to kiss me; then the next, he was gone.

We haven't done any scenes together yet, so even though he's there as the producer when I'm filming, he never talks to me or encourages me anymore. He doesn't even look at me.

Deciding not to dwell on it, I take a sip of my coffee from time to time as I go through my emails, wondering what I'm going to do with the rest of my day.

I already had breakfast. I went with my favorites this morning as a treat for myself: pancakes with bacon. If my Haitian mother heard me say that, she'd be horrified since we were raised to love Haitian spaghetti.

Sometimes I spend my time watching movies with Giselle on FaceTime but she wasn't available today. She hasn't been doing well since she left Ace, but I think they're both going to get through it.

I'm a strong believer in whatever happens, happens for a reason, so things will turn out fine.

Later that day, as I'm about to go take a nap, Zamira sends me a text inviting me to a night out. She and the other girls from the studio are going bowling tonight.

I decide to wear apricot-colored flare-leg jeans that are tight around the waist, paired with a pink top with a little bit of white around the edges, and a white pair of sneakers.

Ryan is off tonight, and when I look up the location on the map on my phone, I realize it's a ten-minute walk, so I decide to walk.

Before walking out, I grab my glasses and place them on top of my new silk press.

When I arrive, the girls are already there, and I realize I'm slightly late. "Hi, Zami! Sorry I'm late. I was trying to figure out how to get here," I explain to Zamira as she walks over to give me a hug.

"It's okay, girl. We just got here." As we step back a bit, the other girls approach us. I already know them, but I'm not as close to them as I am with Zami.

"Lee, you know Tara, Amy, and Kat," Zamira says, pointing to each of them in turn.

"Hey guys," I wave at them.

"Hey!" Tara winks and touches up her Afro. Amy waves back, and Kat smiles before grabbing my arm. "Come on, let's play!" she says, making me smile.

"May the best redhead win!" Zamira says, making us all laugh.

"You're so clumsy, Zamira. You'll probably drop the ball the first chance you get," Amy teases, her pale skin turning red with laughter.

"And if you think I'm clumsy, just wait till you see Lee. I've never met someone so clumsy. Always bumping into something or dropping things," Zamira adds with a grin.

"Not when it comes to bowling! I'm competitive," I tell them with a smirk, my tone serious.

"We'll see!"

"Should we make a bet, ladies?" Kat asks, grabbing the ball. She brushes her blonde hair out of her face, her blue eyes piercing as she looks at us.

"I'm listening." Amy responds.

"Whoever loses has to knock on Ares' door and tell him you have a crush on him," Kat says, biting her lip with a devious look.

"What if we don't?" I ask.

"It doesn't matter. It's just a game. I don't care if you tell him the truth afterward," she shrugs.

Okay, now I'm scared. Ares and I aren't even talking. I can't go around pranking him. He might just hate me even more.

"Do we agree?" she asks, looking around with a daring look in her eyes, waiting for any of us to back down.

"Yes," everyone answers except me.

She looks at me. "Leomi? Do you agree?" she asks slowly, as if speaking to someone hard of hearing.

"Um, sure," I say, not sounding sure at all. It was my first time hanging out with the girls, so I couldn't say no.

"Alright, let's play! I'm going first," Zamira says.

Two hours into the game, I'm tied with Kat for the two lowest scores. Zamira has the highest score, and Amy is in second place. I'm frustrated because I'm usually so good at this game, but tonight isn't going well for me.

"I'm going to do this one with my eyes closed!" Kat brags, taking her time. My palms start to get sweaty from how nervous I am.

She closes her eyes and rolls the ball with her left hand behind her back.

All ten pins are knocked down, and I realize I've lost because there's no way I can score more than her now.

She turns around, grinning at me, and I think about how mischievous this woman is. "You lose."

Zamira notices the worried look on my face and says, "Lee, it's fine. It's just a game, right guys? You don't actually have to do it."

"No, it's fine. A promise is a promise. I'll do it," I decide.

"She wants to do it. Let her," Kat puts a hand on her hip as she glares at Zamira.

"What do I do?" I ask, she smiles at me and think for a moment.

"It's simple. All you have to do is..." Kat begins to explain what she wants me to do when I see Ares.

Then, we head back to the building where Ares is staying. They all stay outside and give me an earpiece so they can listen in.

As I knock on Ares's apartment door, I silently hope this goes well. However, when he opens the door, my heart drops.