Obsessed

thirty | no buts

June

"Why didn't you tell me!" I look down to see my girl next to me glowering. It's literally seven in the morning, what'd I even do?

"Tell you what?"

"This!"

She lifts a letter in front of my face, I don't bother reading it cause it's from the New York Times.

"Oh that? And?"

"And? Are you serious!? I told you I didn't need you to pay for the fee!"

"Well did you at least get in?"

"Does it matter?! How the hell did you even get my story?"

"Some Sudanese girl"

When I asked Anui to get ahold of her short story, she didn't even question me. Anui knew the password to Lya's computer, shared the doc with me, and from there I uploaded it to the newspaper's website. It was easy peasy as lemon squeezing.

Lya slaps her forehead in realization, "I should've known! You two violated my privacy and sent my story somewhere without my permission! This is unacceptable!"

I take the letter from her and read the first paragraph. If she got accepted, why is she so mad?

"You need to calm down it's not that serious Lya. Plus, it's not like I'm going bankrupt." I shrug.

She crossed her arms across her chest and pouted.

So cute.

"It doesn't matter! I told you I'm not a charity case June. Like, I'm grateful and everything, thank you really, but I'm still pissed! You can't just spend money on me like this and expect me to be okay with it."

"You don't have a problem when it's food."

"That's cause it's food!"

I chuckle at her defensiveness. She's something else.

She knows that my pockets are stuffed, so I don't get the point of her frustration.

"I've told you this multiple times Lya, five hundred dollars is nothing, I mean shit, a million dollars is like a hundred bucks to me." I shrug again.

"Way to show off Richie Rich." She huffs.

I take her chin into my hand and pull her closer.

Her lips are covered in red lip gloss, and there's nothing more I wanted to do than press my own against the soft flesh.

"Listen to me, it's fine. You're going to be on one of the most critically acclaimed newspapers in the world and yet you're here pouting over some stupid fee. We should be celebrating right now."

She looked down at her shoes and she fidgeted with her hands.

"I-I guess you're right, but don't do it again!"

I laugh and shake my head.

"No promises."

She hits my chest playfully and I pull her close so that I'm hugging her from the back.
Her fat ass all up on me, but she doesn't care.

"They also invited me to their ball."

"Who?"

"The New York Times. They want me to go to New York City for their annual ball, I just don't know if I can or should."

"Why not? It's an oppertunity of a lifetime."

"I know it's just...I'm nervous that's all, and I have to find a place to stay, an outfit, I'm going to be around high class authors, editors, CEO's ya know? I'll feel out of place."

I snuggle my face into her neck. We were in an empty hallway so she didn't bother to stop me.

"When's the ball?"

"It's the twenty-sixth, literally in three days, I think I'm just gonna email them and tell them I can't g—"

"I'll go with you."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, I have a trip to NYC the day after. I'll take you and we can stay at my parents penthouse in Manhattan."

"No, no I can't let you—"

I don't think you get it Lya, I don't care about spending money on you. This is literally an amazing opportunity to network and you're going to decline cause I wanna take care of your expenses. Make it make sense. Just let me take care of you without you making a huge fuss!"

She looks up at me with doe eyes. It's the first time I've yelled at her ever since she's given me a chance.

"Sorry— I didn't mean to yell at you."

"It's fine."

I didn't expect that.

"You sure?"

"Yea...You're right, I'm being fussy for no reason. If you want to go ahead and take me along with you I'm fine with it. Thank you."

I smile down at her, "Good girl, I'll tell Randun to book our flight for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? And whose Randun."

"Don't worry about it. And yes tomorrow, we can have a free fun day before the ball."

"But—"

"No buts Lya, I said what I said."