Delicious 1-Shots & Stories

Tryna See Sumn (Ruby Rose and Normani) Part 2

I tell Bre she has my word and we get off the phone. Since I have new plans, I decide to get a shape up in the back of my head, so I go to the barber before going home, finding something to wear and showering.

The address Bre sends me turns out to be a small two-story home. I can hear music playing from their basement or something. I ring the black El Dorado door and to my surprise, a woman who can pass for late 30's answers the door.

I smile, hoping I don't look too confused. "Hi, I was given this address for Josh's party...is this the right place?"

"Yes, the party is downstairs. I'm his mother, you must be a friend of his?"

"A friend of a friend," I say and hold out my hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too...I'm sorry-"

"Call me Ruby."

"I'm Dianne." I smile as we shake hands and she invites me inside. The food smells mouth-watering.

"Let me walk you downstairs," Dianne offers.

I follow her downstairs and it's awkward. It's a bunch of people I don't know staring at me and vice versa. Normani is nowhere in sight. The rap song that had been playing is now turned down.

"Josh, this is your friend, Ruby?" Dianne seems a little confused herself. I look to see who Josh is and identify him as a short, lighter brown skinned guy with muscles.

"Normani's friend," I add for good measure, smiling at him, hoping he'll go with it.

Josh's intense gaze relaxes. "Oh, yeah, yeah. What's up?"

Dianne smiles, visibly relieved before going back upstairs.

Josh walks over to me and all I can think is "Mr. Cool." As in, that's how sees himself.

"You know Normani?" he asks, holding a red plastic cup.

"Yeah, we go way back."

He studies me like he's trying to see if I'm lying or not.

"Then you would know she's not here," he replies.

My brows come together, and I look around again. "Did she leave? She told me she would be here for her friend's birthday party."

"If you know her, shouldn't you know the answer to that."

Suddenly a girl sucks her teeth at Josh and approaches me. "Normani isn't here yet. I'm Tisha by the way."

I smile. "Hi Tisha. I'm Ruby."

"Are you British?"

"Australian. You?"

She nods in interest. "Me, I'm Jamaican."

"Oh I love Jamaica, it's one of my favorite vacation spots..."

"Really?"

Tisha and I get into conversation and Josh disappears, going back to his other friends. The music is loud again and Tisha is leading me to their makeshift bar. She introduces me to another girl, who happens to look like Rihanna's doppelganger. I can't help but take in her beauty. She even has an accent. Naiana is her name.

"Did you hear me?" she asks.

"Hmm?" I then shake my head and smile apologetically before stepping closer. "I'm sorry, what did you say? It's loud in here."

"You were in your own little world," Naiana remarks. "Staring will do that." She smirks.

I laugh, not expecting to be put on the spot. "You should be used to it, no?"