LUST (Urban Fiction)

Chapter 11.

Lauren 

"I really think he's the one 'Mani!, we do everything together, take pictures, he takes me out, all that."

Amani rolled her eyes and eyed me suspiciously as I was bragging about Christopher. I'm really starting to think she really is jealous. Every time I bring him up which is 99.9% of the time her whole attitude shifts to saltiness. 

"When does he take you out?" she asked me, squinting.

I shrugged. "After work." 

"Which is what time?" 

Why's she asking me this? I thought to myself.

"Uhh.. around 7 to 8, sometimes 9." 

She started busting out laughing. "In other words, AT NIGHT!" 

She was beginning to piss me off.  "Okay, so what?" I asked, making sure I showed off all my attitude. 

"Girl, are you dumb? Every girl knows that when a man takes his-" she paused to look me up and down, then continued "-girl out at night only, it's cause he doesn't wanna be seen with her. Why not? because she's number two." 

I looked her up and down like she turned into a alien right in front of me. 

"You're crazy! I'm his one & only." 

"one & only side chick..." she mumbled, but I heard it. And she knows I heard it. Before I could respond she continued to talk. 

"Have you ever met his family? Have you ever been to HIS house?" she asked.

"No.. but-"

"Do you know where he works?" 

I shrugged. "Some business." 

"Which means no. Lauren, do you even know the nigga's last name?!"

I swallowed hard. She had some points but that couldn't mean anything.. right? 

"Okay, so what. that don't mean he cheating!" 

She laughed sarcastically, "On who? you or his main chick?" 

I was getting heated. 

" You get taken out at night- in the dark. You never met his fam, Don't know where he works, don't know his last name -" she paused to continue laughing. "Baby girl, you got all the symptoms of side chick syndrome!"

That was enough to set me off. 

"SHUT UP AMANI! YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING BUT YOU DON'T! YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP, ALL THAT IS IRRELEVANT NON-SENSE! YOU'RE JUST- YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS!"

She looked at me like I lost my mind then laughed again, but it was one of those fake sarcastic laughs. "Jealous?"  She lifted up her left hand and pointed to the 10 karat wedding ring with the big ass diamond. "What's there to be jealous of? I got the ring, a son, and I KNOW my man's family, and his last name. If I feel anything for you, it's pity. I feel bad that you're being led on by some nigga that don't give a damn about you."

I was shocked. My best friend since middle school was saying this to me. 

"Bitch get the fuck out of my house!" I yelled so hard, my throat burned. 

She looked at me like I stabbed her right in the heart. She just stood there stunned, then slowly got up walking towards the door in silence, and when she opened it right before she walked out she turned to look at me one last time and said ".. over a guy." She shook her head before walking out.

I began talking to myself as I paced around the kitchen taking out a glass and my barefoot bottle of wine. 

"Damn right over a guy! my guy!"

I don't need Amani's jealous ass. She is- was, my best friend and this is how she treats me? I thought she'd be happy that i'm falling in love and finally serious with a man. I guess she wasn't the friend I thought she was. 

I picked my cellphone up off the counter . 

NO NEW NOTIFICATIONS. 

I looked at the time on my oven and it read 9:05. 

Chris would've already called, texted- something! 

Amani's words started replaying in my head, but I quickly shook them off. No. No way can he be cheating on me, he's a good man. I laughed at the though of me thinking he's cheating on me. My baby? never. "Oh Amani, you're so silly" I said to no one in particular. She'll realize she's wrong when I get "The Ring" and come back apologizing. My mind wandered off dreaming about me and Christopher's wedding, it'd be white and peach, I'd be walking down the aisle to Jennifer Hudson's "Giving Myself" and everything would be perfect. Ding! I instantly snapped out of la-la land and looked down, but it was only a text from my boss telling me my schedule. I sighed. Where is he?! What if he's in trouble! What if something bad happened? My heart started to race. I'd just have to text him first to find out.

You: Baby? 

After 10 minutes of anticipation I heard the ding. 

My Heart <3: yeah.

I made a funny face at the phone. yeah? 

You: Where are you?

After 20 minutes of him not responding and I got mad and called him. He didn't pick up, so I called again and this time he picked up on the second ring sounding annoyed. 

"Hello?!" he practically yelled. 

I was a little hurt. "Umm, do you know who you're talking to??"

"I have caller ID." he said.

"Well, where are you? It's past 9:30 and I haven't heard from you.. I got worried."

After a moment of silence he spoke up. Did he just put me on mute? Before I could ask his words interrupted me.

"Nah, i'm fine just a little stressed and tired. Work's kicking my ass, so afterwards I went home to get some rest and clear my mind." 

I let out a sigh of relief, my baby's just tired. 

"You want some company? I can come give you a massage..-"

he cut me off. "No, I think i'll just get some rest i'm really tired. I'll hit you up tomorrow okay?" 

He swerved me like a 17-year old high school boy. 

"Okay, baby. I guess so.. Goodnight Christopher."

"Goodnight.." he said. He was still on the phone, I guess he was waiting for me to hang up first.

"Chris?" I said. 

"Yeah?" 

"Say my name?" 

He chuckled. "Goodnight Lauren." 

I let out a sigh of relief, and smiled to myself. 'Goodnight! " And hung up. Why did he cut me off so quick as soon as I wanted to come over though? 

"...Have you ever went to HIS house?" 

Amani's words echoed in my head, but I shook them off. My baby's just a self-conservative person that's all. Just a hard nut to crack, probably based from past relationships. My baby would open up to me in no time though. I was sure of it.