The Choice (All Normani Ships)

6. Shedding the Extra Pounds

The following day, Normani went to an Italian restaurant with plans to meet Ally for lunch. She had arrived a little early and, just her luck, Ally texted a message informing her that she would be late. So, the model was stuck in limbo. She didn't want to order her food before her friend arrived, and she didn't want to hang around the restaurant not doing anything. However, this dilemma was soon resolved. As she was about to walk out of the restaurant to see if there were any shops around, she saw a hand wave her over. It was Camila.

Normani walked over to Camila's table where she already had a plate of food in front of her. The therapist stood up to hug her ex-girlfriend, and then, they both sat down.

"How are you on this lovely day?" Camila greeted Normani.

"I'm great. How are you?" Normani responded.

"This is one of my better days," said Camila. "I'm actually happy to see you here. As you know, I hate eating out by myself. I mean, I've gotten over it a little, but still prefer to eat with someone."

"I'm not sure how long I'm going to be able to stay, though. I came here to meet a friend...unless you don't mind her joining us," said Normani.

Camila chewed the last bit of food in her mouth and dabbed her face with a napkin. "I don't mind, but I'll probably be finishing up soon."

"Okay. Well, I'll just sit here until my friend comes. So, what has been going on with you?" asked Normani.

"Nothing much. My practice is doing fine. I could use a few more clients, but I can't complain. Most practices fail pretty quickly due to the amount of competition," Camila answered. Then, the psychotherapist stopped speaking for a moment to think. "You know, I really am sorry for the way things ended between us. I just didn't know how to deal with conflict well back then, and I felt as if you didn't want me anymore."

"It's okay," replied Normani. "It's been years, and I wasn't always the most supportive and understanding girlfriend. I think things were better between us when we were just friends."

Camila nodded in agreement. "They were. We weren't all that compatible as girlfriends." Camila looked at her watch to check the time. "I have an appointment coming up, so I'd better get going. It was nice seeing you again."

Normani smiled. "It was nice seeing you, too. Have a good day."

Just two minutes after Camila left the restaurant, Ally could be heard running in with her heels clacking against the tile floor. Normani got up to change tables as a waiter picked up Camila's plate and cleaned her table. Ally followed behind her, and they both sat down.

"Sorry for being late," Ally apologized. "Did you already eat?"

"No," Normani answered. "I was just talking to a friend who was already here. How is the girls' camp going?"

"It's going very well," Ally beamed. "The girls are so adorable. So, do you have any photoshoots coming up?"

"Next week, I'm flying to Paris for a fashion show," Normani answered.

"Wow! That sounds amazing. I've always wanted to visit Paris," Ally said.

"This will be my second time going," stated Normani. "It's really beautiful there...definitely one of my favorite places in the world."

A waiter came to their table to take the women's orders. Normani ordered fettucine alfredo, and Ally ordered tortellini in marinara sauce.

"I'm happy for you," Ally commented. "I've really enjoyed hanging out with you these past couple of days. Too bad we live so far apart."