Overstimulated

Intermission

Today was thee day. And surprisingly, Ari felt good. Real good. Damngood.

She'd woken up at the ass crack of dawn again, said her affirmations, took her cold shower, meditated, made a healthy breakfast of oatmeal and blueberries, wrote her to-do list, and danced to Megan Thee Stallion as an offering to the goddess of her knees.

Getting dressed had been a simple affair. l. Her bold red lip and oversized bamboo earrings were just the pop of color she needed in the otherwise neutral outfit. She looked good and felt comfortable. Her spirit calms as she read over the interview questions for what felt like the millionth time, fingernails drumming rhythmically on the countertop.

There was still close to an hour before she needed to brave the Los Angeles traffic to meet Maurice and Kamia at Birds & Bees and Aurora was trying not to let anxiety overtake her good mood. Her knee began bouncing against the barstool as she glanced over at the clock, shaking her entire body with the movement and Aurora knew she needed to get up and move.

Huffing, she mentally went through the contents of her tea drawer, knowing that a good brew would help balance her out. Her mother's words echoed in her mind, telling her that peppermint was the best option for anxiety. Aurora had just plucked the hidden canister of serenity garden from the back of her stash when her intercom system blared through the quiet space, nearly making her drop the tin in her hand.

"Jesus Javonte on a cracker," she muttered, her heart hammering as she walked over to the source of the shrill and pressed the button.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ari, girl. It's Kamia."

Aurora blinked a few times. Kamia almost never strayed from a timeline she had set and, if there were any changes, she always ensured to let the affected parties know well in advance. So to have her friend switch things up on her without so much as a phone call was new...

"Hey Kam," she said after a beat of silence, already looking around for the small clutch she'd pulled out her closet. Maybe she had less time than she originally predicted. "I'll be ready in just a few seconds if you want me to meet you in the lobby."

"Actually," Kamia hedged, "I was hoping I could come up for a second."

"Oh," Aurora breathed, blinking rapidly again before she buzzed her in. "Yeah girl, you don't have to ask."

"Kay, be up in a sec."

Huh, that was weird.

There wasn't a single reason Aurora could think of that would make Kamia drop by uninvited. Still, she walked over to her laptop and pulled up the document that held the answers she'd thought up for the meeting. Whatever it was, chances are it was business-related and she loved being prepared for Kamia. Seeing that small glint of pride in her friend's eyes always made her feel like she actually knew what the hell she was doing.

Aurora was such a sucker for praise.

A short collection of knocks came moments later and Aurora walked slowly over to the door, getting used to walking in her new heels. The clicking against her wooden floor making her feel powerful.

"Hey, Kam," Aurora said in greeting when she opened the door.

"Hey boo!"

The two shared a brief hug before Aurora moved back, letting Kamia in. Taking in her outfit as she moved. She looked relaxed in her lightweight long-sleeved Nike shirt and matching capri leggings. A few locs fell out of the high bun she was sporting, framing her bare face. Aurora's eyebrows knitted together as she glanced down at her choice of outfit. Was she too overdressed? Jade did have a knack for being a little overzealous with her clothes.