GRACE
NK was looking womanly in her regular conservative style of finely tailored black trousers and white shirt with a long black coat. I bet she was only coming from home despite looking so sophisticated like she was going for a conference or something.
She was black so her hair wasn’t straight like ours. It was extremely curly bunch of afro that stood on her head like a halo. She tied around the front with a tiny scarf, giving it a more organized look but I loved it anyway. She always tells me keeping an afro is the greatest headache on earth, still I wish I had it. She made herself comfortable on my long couch, holding a cup of coffee I just handed her as we caught up on the weather and other trivialities as we had promised each other during our college never to talk about important stuff when any of us is absent. It was totally childish of us back then, but we held on to it even as grown adults.
Laurie had gone to bed early, few hours after Connor left. He would come here every single day till I make up my mind, according to him, causing me to blush like a naïve school girl. I was however determined to take it slowly, and that was what I would do.
Jody pounded on my door five minutes later, looking beautiful in her normal spontaneous self and blond hair. “I hope you women haven’t said anything yet?”
“My lips are sealed,” I laughed, bringing her a cup of sweet tea as she liked it. “Why are you looking so…?
“So like she’s just had lots of sex right?” NK commented, rolling her eyes with mockery.
“I hate you, NK,” Jody pouted, dumping all her weight on the love seat. “How are the kids, by the way?”
“Troublesome as ever, I barely escaped,” NK muttered and sipped her coffee. “What’s the big news you had for us? I couldn’t concentrate all day, thinking there might be something better than a recent break-up you want to tell us about.” NK and her sarcastic tongue cut at Jody, and I had to stifle a laugh.
They were both like cats and dog. Always tongue lashing each other.
“No way, we came here for Grace, so we are listening to her before me. And Please note, NK, you bet it’s absolutely not what you are thinking right now,” she argued and then went to peck her cheeks like they always do after each argument.
But NK and I knew perfectly well that Jody was itching to tell us her own big new.
“Whatever,” NK chuckled pecking her back. I sat at the other end of the long couch sipping my coffee as well, eternally amused by the both of them.
“So how was it, Graciee?” Jody asked almost jumping out of her seat from excitement “Spill!”
“Yes, woman, spill,” NK supported her.
I dropped my cup on a small table beside the couch and turned to face my friends properly. “Honestly there isn’t much to tell ladies,” I drawled, feeling heat rising on my cheeks.
“Well your face is telling a totally different story, Ms, just give us the details, we’ll know if there isn’t so much to tell” NK noted and Jody grabbed her both hands in supplication.
My friends are totally crazy. Crazy in a way that we all love, anyway.
“Alright, then, if you say so” I surrendered, rubbing my cheeks to stop it from giving me away further and then launched into detailed description of the visit to Connor’s home, the room he decorated for Laurie, the fanciness of our date and how wonderful the sex was.
My friends as expected listened with complete rapt attention, you’ll think it was an extremely important information while they woo-ed and ah-ed and jeez-ed and chipped in their opinions at every pause I made.
“Gracie, I really think you should quit playing hard to get and let Connor Shelby sweep you off your feet already!” Jody shrieked with innocent glee. I wish I could be as open minded as she was at this point.
“You still love him right?” NK asked in her therapist tone and expression.
“I think I do,” I replied staring into space and visualizing Connor’s face in my mind. “But I’m just scared, people are paying too much unnecessary attention in his life. Things might not work out at the end of the day, and if the public knows about us then, I can never go back to my normal life.”
NK and Jody drew closer to me and each held one of my hands.
“Let’s be positive here, Gracie, please. He makes you happy, you love him, he loves you and the child you both made together, for me, what other people think doesn’t matter anymore.” Jody said with a soothing voice while caressing my right hand.
“Yes, Grace,” NK nodded even though she seldom agrees with Jody’s views. “It’s your relationship, you take charge of it, besides, you child needs her father, especially now that he’s ready to be there for the both of you. But don’t push it, listen to your heart, okay?” she squeezed my left hand gently.
I nodded and they both folded me into the warmest and most reassuring group hug, I had to hold myself back form sobbing hard on their shoulders.
“Your turn, Jody” I turned to Jody immediately we disentangled from the hug. “What’s the big news?”
“Yes, spill” NK said as the both of us sat comfortably on the couch facing Jody who suddenly had a straight face on.
“Well,” Jody started, “My parents did a matchmaking between me and the son of one of my company’s shareholders, you know, their new hobby,” she rolled her eyes.
I and NK convulsed into a fit of laughter and Jody scowled at us.
“So what are you going to do now?” I asked her, panting from too much laughter, “You know they won’t let you be until you take the person you want to marry to them.” I pointed out, knowing what her parents wanted.
“I know but I can never let them choose for me, anyway.” she sighed and leaned back on her seat then suddenly sat up again with a twinkle in her eyes. ‘But there’s more, something happened to me at the grocery shop today,”
“Okay, Jody, we know you hate grocery shopping” NK smirked
“No, that’s not it. The guy I turned down in high school, tried to pay for my grocery today out of the blues” she stated
“What?” I and NK chorused at the same time, and this time, we became really interested.
“The Marcus guy,” she pressed, “I met him in front of your place once, Grace. I think he’s like Connor Shelby’s driver or body guard or something.” she explained shocking us the more.
“He’s Connor’s personal assistant.” I clarified, gulping down my now cold coffee.
“Hol’up a sec right there,” NK said raising her hands in confusion. “Lemme get this straight okay? So what you are saying is, the guy who made that public confession while you were in high school turned out to be Gracie’s boyfriend’s personal assistant?”
“That’s right,” I nodded, realizing how complicated it sounded coming from NK.
“Holy shit,” she muttered wide eyed, “so, what does he want coming to pay for your grocery?”
“He says he wants me to be his girlfriend for a month…?” Jody sounded somewhat convinced and I wasn’t surprised, Marcus must definitely be top in Jody’s kind of guy list.
Wait, for a month?
“Why a month?” NK asked all serious and interested.
“Well, he says he has no idea what he’s feeling and he wants to know what it really is about.” Jody said, sounding defensive.
“So…?” I asked cautiously “Will you agree to be his girlfriend for a month?”
“Well,” she started and NK and I exchanged glances, realizing that Jody was already considering it, if she haven’t even given him an answer already.
“I’m thinking of using him to get my parents off my neck for a while,” she stated, staring into space with a determined expression.
Oh, no, I thought and I was sure NK thought too.
“I’ll be introducing him to my parents as my fiancé” she finalized without batting an eyelid.
“Something could go wrong, Jody,” NK uttered, looking worried for real and I totally understood her.
“What if after that one month he decides he’s done and doesn’t want you?” I asked, a feeling of unease creeping up my chest.
“That’s absolutely fine by me,” she said with so much confidence, “Not that I would ever have feeling for him. I’m not that crazy, girls, relax and trust me.”
But we could never trust Jody; not when it came to the matters of the heart.