My Best Friend's Girl - Laurmani

1

Normani walked into the overcrowded bar, scanning the room to find her friend whom she was supposed to meet for the rugby. It was going to be a big game, every game between Samoa and South Africa always promised a lot of action with a lot of big hits and dirty play from the Samoan side. But Ty had also mysteriously said that he had something he wanted to tell her and here she was, trying to find him and a good spot to watch the game. She finally spotted him at a table in front of the big screen and bumped through the crowd to join him.

"I wasn't expecting this place to be so full," Normani said as she took her seat.

"Hey butch," he leaned over the table to give her a hug.

"Hey there, so what was the news?" she asked and ordered a beer from the waiter.

"You will see her now. I finally found a girl that I like enough to consider settling down with, I even stopped fucking the secretary after we dated for about a week," he said with a large smile.

"Wow, that must be some girl then," she said with a smile that matched his.

"She is," as he spoke Normani saw raven hair manoeuvring through the crowd.

She finally reached the table and sat down next to Ty, "this is Lauren, Lauren this is my best friend Normani ."

"Nice to meet you," Normani said and took in the beautiful woman.

"You too, no offense but I was kind of expecting a guy when he said You were coming," Lauren said with a shy smile.

"It doesn't help that he always makes me sound like one either, so I don't blame you," Normani accepted her beer and took a long drink.

Lauren was exactly what she had always imagined her future girlfriend would look like, the raven hair that fell effortlessly across her shoulders and the green eyes that held tiny golden flecks. She had a tiny button nose and full, pink lips that always seemed ready to curve into a smile. Her 5'4"frame was lean, strong and undoubtedly feminine with large breasts that sat proudly upon her chest. The green Springbok rugby jersey she wore enhanced the greenness of her eyes that reminded Normani of the tree groves on the farm.

"You know I see you as one of the guys, Butch. You offer me the best of both worlds, your great advice on what women want and how I should dress and then you are also someone I get to play PlayStation with and who loves watching rugby," Ty tried to defend himself.

"I didn't say that you were wrong, it might just make everyone you tell about me more comfortable if you add that I am a female so that they aren't shell shocked when they meet me," Normani said and smiled at Lauren.

"Did he just call you Butch?" Lauren asked with a tiny smile playing at her lips.

"Yeah I did. That is exactly what she is and it just fits. It comes from school days though, she was always talking sports with the guys instead of fashion and make-up with the girls," Ty laughed at the memory.

"It is kind of cute actually and it suits you very well," Lauren said as she studied the tall woman sitting opposite Ty. Her ebony hair was cut short along the sides and at the back with long bangs that fell over her right eye and a few platinum highlights that gave her hair some depth. Gorgeous brown eyes stared back at her and the slightly upturned nose crinkled when she smiled. Her plump, Cupid's bow lips were formed into a slight pout and her strong jaw gave her face the subtle masculinity that made her unbelievably beautiful. Lauren stared at the rugby jersey that stretched tightly across the broad shoulders and saw the strong and muscled arms that peaked from beneath the shirt. Her left arm was covered in a full sleeve tattoo and her long legs in faded blue jeans.

"Thanks, I think," Normani said and scratched her head.

Ty ordered shooters and mere minutes later the game started. Everyone in the pub rose to their feet and clutched their shirts with their right hands when the national anthem began. South Africans are a very proud nation and this came across clearly when all the voices rang out as they sang. Normani's body burst into gooseflesh in the moment that never ceased to stir her because she knew that even this country where the citizen's differences were so publicly advertised that they all stood together when fighting a common enemy, even if it was in sport.

Throughout the game Normani looked over at the couple and realized that they fit together very well, Ty was a large man with broad shoulders. One of their favourite pass times as friends were going to the gym and the results clearly showed. His light brown hair was dreaded and neatly braided and his face always cleanly shaven, his hazel eyes were always friendly and Ty was happy that her friend finally found someone that he truly liked.

"How are things on the farm?" Ty asked during half time.

"Busy, my mom has been taking on less and less, after her heart attack she has gradually become weaker and I fear that she won't be around much longer. I have been running the place lately and trying to convince her to move into the city where she will be closer to decent medical care," Normani replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

"She will die on that farm and we both know it," Ty said concern colouring his voice.

"Yeah she will and there's not much that I can do to convince her otherwise," she had given up that particular fight and in her heart she knew that her mother had also done the same, except she gave up on the fight to live.

"Can't your father talk her into moving to the city?" Lauren asked and noticed the flinch of pain across Normani's features when she asked.

"My father deserted us about twelve years ago when I was just eleven. he never wrote or tried to call, so the answer to your question would be no, he won't be able to convince her of anything at this stage."

Lauren's face fell and she suddenly regretted asking, "I am so sorry, I didn't know."

"Don't worry about it, things like that happen in life and it can only make us stronger," Normani smiled at the smaller woman and felt her heart skip a beat when the smile was returned.

"Well, back to the game, Samoa will be starting their foul play tricks now because they are so far behind," Ty said and rested his hand on Lauren's thigh for reassurance.

"That is to be expected, although they have already started," Normani joined the conversation and tried to drown out her reaction at Lauren's smile.

The game continued with the entire pub swearing at the Samoan players after one tackled the Springbok captain with a stiff arm against his neck and another grabbed Strauss between the legs in a ruck. If the referee had to hear all of the creative names that the supporters called him he would immediately hang up his refereeing jersey and walk away.

"That motherfucker deserved a red card for that move!" Normani said in outrage and heard the people around them agree.

"I just hope for his sake that Strauss doesn't bump into him off the field," Lauren said looked at the replay again.

"I would murder a man if he did that to me," Ty said and shook his head.

"He was just handling the ball," Normani said with a chuckle and heard Lauren laugh, a melodic sound that sent her heart rate into over drive.

"Classy, Butch, very classy," Ty said between chuckles.

"Rather him handling those balls than me," she returned and shrugged.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully and Ty clearly expressed his pleasure at his best friend and girlfriend getting along so well. Normani invited them over to the farm the weekend and he was looking forward to being on the grounds that held a lot of his school memories once again. He travelled a lot for work and was pleased to know that Normani would be here to look out for Lauren if she ever needed anything. They said their goodbyes and Normani drove off to the apartment they had in the city, her mind filled with images of the young raven haired beauty.

Unbeknownst to Normani, Lauren was having similar thoughts and admonished herself for thinking about another woman that way. But no matter how hard she tried, those brown eyes kept reappearing in her mind's eye and she couldn't rid herself of the thoughts of that smile.