Thick & Thin

Chapter One: "Who the hell is Kevin?"

Kelly sat strategically positioned at the bar of Carraba's so she could easily see the entrance of the restaurant.
As usual, both of her trifling ass best friends were running late. She knew they would be at least half an hour, so she stopped worrying and took the time out to order herself a strawberry daiquiri. Scanning the faces throughout the restaurant for some type of familiarity, she sipped on her daiquiri; regretting ever rushing to get here in the first place. She knew they'd have her waiting around forever. Letting her gaze fall on the handsome bartender a few inches away, she grinned in his direction when she noticed him staring a hole in her face. Despite the fact that she was taken, that didn't stop her mind from forming dirty thoughts about his sexy physique.
She was pondering that very thought and mesmerized by her delicious drink when she felt a hand slap her upside the back of her head. She turned around with the quickness, ready to clock someone in the nose, but only came face to face with one-third of her clique.
"Girl!" Kelly shoved Michelle's shoulder as she took a seat next to her. "I was about to go off on your ass."
"humph. Yea right. Kelly, you know you can't fight!" Michelle stated clearly remembering the day Kelly found herself in a confrontation in 10th grade. She had held her own for a good five minutes until Beyoncé; the rowdy one of the group- had to jump in before the other chick beat the living daylights out of Kelly.
"Psh. Whatever!" she brushed that statement off with ease. "What the hell took you so long? I've been waiting here for almost an hour."
"Well that's definitely not my problem. B told me you said 1:30."
"I said 12:30!!! Where is that anyway, I got a few words for her trifling ass."
"Probably somewhere wrapped up with Shawn. They've been spending a lot of time together. You think he'll be around for a while?" Michelle said taking a sip of Kelly's daiquiri. It was only normal for her to do something like that.
"humph. Knowing B, he'll be gone by next week. You know she doesn't get too serious with her men. She's such a dog." Kelly laughed at her own joke and Michelle followed nodding her head.
"Ohh!" she uttered and Kelly immediately followed her gaze to the bartender and smiled.
"I know right!"
He looked up in seconds, once he felt a pair of eyes on him and smiled at the two women; particularly the thin one with the auburn mane.
"Yea, too bad, he's not my type." Michelle chided and Kelly rolled her eyes. That was her excuse every time Michelle came across a guy that showed interest in her.
She was definitely the type that busied herself with work just to avoid any kind of relationship with the opposite sex. Kelly secretly believed that it had something to do with her parent's divorcing. Her and Beyoncé had both been around to witness the drama Chelle had to go through, and couldn't blame her for not wanting to even be in a serious relationship, but she had to start somewhere. It had clearly left a huge gash in her heart and Kelly was willing to do anything to help her friend out.
"I'm really starting to think, you don't have a type at all Chelle. You don't even know him." Kelly replied as she caught him staring at Michelle. It was obvious he liked what he saw, since she couldn't have him, the best she could do was hook him up with Michelle.
"Excuse me!" Kelly announce getting his attention.
"What the hell are you doing?" Michelle shoved her elbow into Kelly's ribs.
"Helping you out girl. Duh!" she said quickly before the bartender made his way over to them.
"What can I do for you ladies?" he asked flashing his pearly whites leaving them both in aw.
"Uhm, I'll have another Strawberry Daiquiri and, your number ..for my friend here." Kelly winked nodding her head towards Michelle. "She's a little shy!"
"No problem at all." he smiled and walked away as Michelle punched Kelly in her arm.
"You're going to thank me later. Did you see the way he was looking at you!!? Trust, he wants!!" Kelly laughed while Michelle blushed. He came back in a matter of seconds with Kelly's daiquiri and placed a napkin with scribbled numbers across it in front of Michelle.
"Now are you gonna have me waiting around or are you gonna use that?" he asked her and Michelle just smiled trying to muster up some type of smart comeback.
"uhh Kevin?" Kelly stated eyeing his nametag. "She'll be calling you!!"
Kevin laughed at the way Michelle tensed up every time he came near her and took Kelly's word before walking towards the other end of the bar but keeping his eyes on Michelle the entire time.
"Oh thank you Jesus!" Michelle huffed and jumped up from the stool she was sitting in; quickly walking towards the hostess so they could be seated. The last member of their party had finally arrived.
"What the is stuck up her ass?" Beyoncé asked Kelly as Kelly walked up to her. Michelle had walked right past her, not even acknowledging her presence.
"She's just mad 'cause I was playing match maker with the bartender over there. I got him to give her his number." she replied still sipping on her drink. "And what the hell took you so long to get here?"
"Girl!" Beyoncé put her hand up as if she wanted to say 'don't even ask', but of course Kelly wasn't having that.
"Girl! What!?" Kelly blasted her as they finally sat down at the table with Michelle and started looking over the menu.
"Let's just say, Shawn and I got a little carried away this morning." Beyoncé blushed and covered her face with her menu.
"Oh god, here we go. I knew your ass was going to have some wild ass story to share when you got here." Michelle said disgusted. "Please tell me Brendan wasn't there to witness how much of a freak his mother is, this time."
Beyoncé's jaw dropped, she was obviously offended. "Okay! Yes, he walked in on me ONE TIME, but that's only because I forgot to lock the door. Besides he was a baby, he didn't know what the hell was going on." she quickly waved them off, thinking what had happened was no big deal.
"I cant believe y'all still haven't let that go!" she chuckled to herself and continued looking over the menu in search of what she wanted. Even though, coming to this restaurant was a routine for them, she made it a point to get something different every single time. Just like her men, she got bored with getting the same thing over and over again.
The waiter finally arrived; taking their orders and promising to be back in less than 5 minutes with their drinks.
"Well, other than our love lives, what's been goin on with you ladies?" Michelle chimed and the two of them looked at her like she was crazy.
"Our?" Kelly asked confused and Beyoncé followed. "Michelle, sweetie, what do you mean our? Since when do you have a love life?" Beyoncé and Kelly laughed at their prude friend.
Michelle joined in hiding her shame well. "Shows how much you two know!"
"Oh please do, enlighten us Michelle, tell us what's been going on with you!" Beyoncé crossed folded her arms over her chest while Kelly did the same; waiting for Michelle to answer.
"Well, his name is Derrick. I met him through a friend at the office."
"That's all we get?" Kelly asked upset.
"Yea, I'm gonna need a last name, his social, his shoe size, is it big!?" Beyoncé counted off on her fingers while they laughed.
"You would ask something like that, wouldn't you!"
"Hey, it's a necessity."
"Got that right!" Kelly added. "So is this why you were acting like that when I tried to hook you up with Kevin!" she asked. "You already taken, huh?"
"Who the hell is Kevin!?" Beyoncé asked completely confused.
"The bartender." Kelly quickly pointed in his direction and focused her attention back to Michelle.
"Well, yea." she shrugged.
"Ooh!" Beyoncé gawked at Kevin and shoved Michelle. "Well uh, if you not gon do something with that, I'll be glad to take him off your hands. I mean that is what friends are for." she smiled and they shook their heads.
"Don't you have enough men at your door already?"
"You can never have enough hun!"
"psh. Just like a nigga!" Kelly mumbled and Beyoncé giggled.
Their food finally arrived and they wasted no time diving in and continuing their conversation while they ate. About 30 minutes later they were done. Paid the bill and were headed to the parking lot to spend another 20 minutes on their long ass good-byes.
"Call me later!" Beyoncé motioned towards Kelly and Michelle as the two of them stood beside Kelly's silver Mercedes in the parking lot elongating their conversation. She couldn't waist her time standing around; running her mouth, she had better things to do.