Whirlwind

38

[Riley]

"Shit. Okay. Slow down, slow down!" I gritted into the mouthpiece of my headphones as I weaved in and out of the crowds of pedestrians cramped along the sidewalk.

New York was amusing to me. Nearly a month away and I almost fooled myself into believing that this mess didn't exist, but the stench of piss and weeping infant on my thirty minute long train ride followed by me currently juggling a very important phone call all while grumbling at hostile panhandlers and glaring at the addresses of every other building reminded me. For the next forty-eight hours I spend in Manhattan my body would temporarily be back into survival mode and I hated that. This kind of rush wasn't one I lived for anymore, hence why I was contemplating on hailing a taxi to drop me off just a block away at my destination to avoid this madness.

"Your voice is all muffled and clashing with all this extra noise I'm stuck in the middle of. So I kind of need you to slow down and speak up."

"I said, this is the second place we've contacted and prepared an order with only for them to turn around and say they can't do the shit." Ib repeated.

"They can't do it either?" I questioned, biting my lip nervously as my last option slipped right through my fingers. "What the hell am I supposed to do now? And why did they call and tell you but not me?"

"I don't know, and maybe because we gave them both of our numbers and I have the information that they need for the damn thing?" he sputtered out mockingly. "And unfortunately, you only have a few days to get something together."

"Yeah, don't remind me. I guess I can kiss my idea goodbye now. Unless, of course, you have something in mind that can substitute it...?"

"Nah, I don't. And there's too much on my plate at the moment for me to try and think of something. I'm dealing with this tour, my artists and their upcoming projects, and might I add keeping secrets from my best friend which is becoming harder to do on a regular. But..." he paused, allowing a silence to linger on the line as my eyes lit up and a sense of optimism struck me.

"But what?" I interjected. "Tell me this is the moment you admit you actually like me and are willing to help me in this extreme time of need."

"The fact that I've been assisting you for the past few weeks now and have before should be enough proof that I like you. Trust that if I didn't, I would've dodged your calls and blocked your number by now, 'cause you're kind of annoying. Anyways, I think I know someone who can help you out."

"Really?!" I exclaimed, as Ib chuckled to himself at my surge of excitement.

"Yeah, let me give him a call and see what he can do. I'll give him your contact info if that's fine with you, and have him call you to set something up. If you need me because you feel like he's trying to fuck you over then call me, aight? I'll handle it from there."

"That's alright with me." I exhaled, feeling relieved that not only was this idea back in action but because I was also a few feet away from the sandwich shop I was meant to be at fifteen minutes ago. "Thank you so much for helping out with this. It should've been done but everyone keeps failing me and I was starting to get nervous that it would be a waste. You might've just saved my ass."

"I did save your ass." he shot back easily. "I hope this means I'll be seeing you soon."

"Now Ib..."

"You doing me just like you're doing your man Cole over here, you know? Every other day he's complaining about how he wishes you would stop being difficult and bring your ass to one of these cities to see him. I'm starting to feel like you're sending us all off Frank Ocean. What's up with that?"