#I swear to god tanisha

[kumkaniudaku]

Ladies Night

Word Count: 3.8k

Warnings: SMUT, Language

Light chatter harmonized with the sounds of glasses and silverware clinking in the quaint West Hollywood restaurant chosen as the month’s “girl’s night” location. Around the round table situated in the back of the establishment, you laughed a full belly laugh with your girls at Tanisha’s long-winded explanation of how she planned to get her black porn streaming service off the ground.

“Girl, don’t nobody wanna see no flip phone backshots,” Yvonne laughed before taking a bite from her salad. “All you see is Toy Story sheets and a bonnet.”

“Speak for yourself, sis. Me and Aaron enjoy the occasional amateur ebony flick.”

“Hearing about my brother-in-law’s sexual escapades with my sister will never not be gross. Pass me the wine.”

The table fell into a fit of laughter as Tiana filled her wine glass to the brim with sweet red wine, taking a long sip before dramatically repeating the motion.

“You know how Tasha can get,” Devin smile over her wine glass. “She’s right past tipsy and willing to share just about anything. Tell us, Miss CoCo, when is the last time you put those jaws to work?”

“I am not tipsy.” A small hiccup interrupted your sentence, earning four accusatory looks from the women around the table. “Okay, maybe a little.”

“Maybe a little means Terrible T is on the way. You know you can’t drink!”

“Shut up, Tanisha! Tasha, answer the question. When’s the last time you gave Chadwick the ole two hand twist?”

“I can’t hear you. Lalalalalala,” Tiana sang over the conversation.

“You’re so childish, TiTi,” Taking another sip of your wine, you attempted to focus your blurred vision on Devin. “To answer your question, it was one, two, four weeks ago. Actually, Micah knocked on the bathroom door and we had to stop. Does that count?”

Assorted “oh hell no’s” rang out around the table, leaving you wide-eyed and a bit embarrassed. None of them understood the impossible nature of remaining sexually active in a house teeming with toys, annoying children’s songs about sharks, and two children that knew not, nor cared about the meaning of privacy.

There was no such thing as “mommy and daddy time” when an inquisitive six-year-old and busy 11-month-old roamed the hallways looking for trouble. After having the door nearly kicked down in the middle of the night while Chadwick positioned you over his knee to test out the new flog ended with an earlier than expected lesson on the birds and bees, you and your husband had been forced into a sexual hiatus. Chadwick had no problem waiting it out. You couldn’t say the same.

“So you tellin’ me that you and Big Dic-”

“Tanisha!”

“You and Chad ain’t done the horizontal tango in a month?!”

“Thirty-one days?”

“Four consecutive weeks?”

“Giiiiirl!”

The genuine shock etched across the faces staring back at you penetrated the wine induced haze to convey the gravity of the situation.

“Oh my God. I haven’t had sex with my husband in a month. He’s - he’s gonna leave me!”

“Aaaaand here we go,” Tiana groaned as she took the opportunity to finish off the last of the Colomé, "Estate" Malbec on the table. Catching the waiters eye, she simply lifted the bottle to gesture for another round on your tab.

Assuming her usual role as comforter, Devin rubbed circles against your back to soothe the mix of tears and uncontrolled hiccups rising from your sudden distress.

“Oh, honey, he’s not going to leave you. Christine and I don’t get to have sex for at least two weeks out of the month and we’re fine.”

“It’s not the same,” you croaked before taking a sip from your glass. “You guys are women. Women are smart and have feelings and shit. I know he wants his dick sucked. I know it!”

Your fist hit the table in a drunken rage, getting the attention of a few parties in the area.

“Oh-kay, let’s get you into a more private space,” Yvonne suggested, grabbing her purse. “C’mon, to the bathroom you go.”

“He’s probably packing his things right now. He better leave that sweater I got him for Christmas. I paid for that with his money!”

Yvonne did her best to quiet your hysterics on the way to the bathroom in an effort to save your public image. The firestorm that resulted from the Black Panther’s wife drunk and crying in Nobu would not be pretty once sobriety returned.

Once the smoke had cleared and you were reassured that Chadwick was not planning on divorcing you, you were left to rest against the bathroom sink and purse watch while Yvonne relieved herself in the stall nearby. A loud yawn left you mortified at the stale alcohol taste in your mouth. Deciding to travel light with only your wallet and phone meant no gum, and you preferred not to ask others face to face with offensive breath.

“‘Vonne, do you have some gum in your bag. My mouth tastes like despair.”

“What does that even taste like, fool?”

“Like that time you let weird Bernard from work take you to that rib shack for a date.”

An audible shudder sounded from the other side of the stall before Yvonne could respond, “Please, never bring that up again. The gum is in the left zip compartment. In the tin foil package.”

“What are you? 65?”

“How about you shut your drunk ass up and chew the gum!”

“Okay, okay,” you laughed as you rummaged through her purse. The search for gum turned into a pulling out various lipstick and gloss components to hold against your lips and decide what you would ask for later.

When the toilet flushed to remind you of your original purpose for taking a deep dive into her bag, you hastily grabbed the first package you saw and popped the bitter blue tablet into your mouth. Your quiet gag went undetected before Yvonne could round the corner to wash her hands and follow you back into the main dining area.

With the sex crisis handled, you were able to enjoy your creamy spicy snow crab with your girls and discuss more pressing issues.

“You’re telling me you didn’t cry during the last scene in Dreamgirls? I don’t believe you,” Tiana accused Tanisha across the table.

“What was so sad about it?! They were just singing, then Effie came out in that horrible ensemble. You know what, that was sad. Why they ain’t get my sis a better dress?”

“Tanisha, why are you like this,” you jokingly questioned.

“Y’all need rappers like me,” she answered, imitating Nicki Minaj’s declaration in Chun Li. “Hey, anybody have some gum? This garlic has my breath smelling like weird ass Bernard.”

“Can we please leave that in the past!”

The table fell into another fit of laughter at Yvonne’s expense and the memory of her first attempt at dating after relocating from Atlanta to Los Angeles.

“Sure, ‘Vonne, we won’t bring it up again...tonight,” you taunted, earning an exaggerated eye roll. “You don’t want any of her gum anyway, Nish. It’s bitter, chalky, and dissolves before you can even chew!”

“What are you talking about? Dentyne Ice has never given me those problems.” Pulling her hand from the depths of her bag, Yvonne waved the foil gum package to reveal contents far different from what you had ingested 20 minutes earlier.

“But...I...okay, wait.” Curious stares watched you run your hands over the front of your hair to smooth non-existent flyaways in your low bun. “If that’s the gum in your purse, what were the blue tablets?”

“Blue tablets? What are you -” Yvonne stopped herself as realization came crashing down. “T, that was not gum. Tell me you didn’t have more than one.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT WASN’T GUM?”

Yvonne rushed to quiet you down before explaining the situation. “Girl, that was,” a beat to lean closer and lower her voice. “Girl, that was Viagra.”

“What!”

“Girl, what are you doing with Viagra,” Tiana asked, raising the question that everyone wanted to ask. “Is there something you need to tell us? This is a safe space, sis.”

“First of all, everything is perfect in my bedroom.”

Tiana threw up her arms in faux surrender at Yvonne’s glare, “Okay! I’ll take your word for it. That still doesn’t explain why you’re walking around like Morpheus.”

“I pick up my Dad’s prescriptions when he and my step-mom are out of town. I swear I was just holding them for him until he came home. I must’ve forgotten to take them out of my purse.”

“Devin. Devin, look at me,” you demanded through labored breaths. “Am I going to be okay? I’m slightly intoxicated and I can feel the flames of hell all over my skin. Oh my God, there’s an itch on my back. Devin, there is an itch on my back! Help me, Devin, please!”

“Okay, calm down, Tasha. Calm down.” Devin took your face in her hands to get a better understanding of the symptoms you described. Just as she thought, you were suffering from a mild panic attack, and only marginally warmer than your normal temperature. As for the itch, she surmised that it was most likely an exaggeration. Still, she raked her fingernails across the center of your back to calm you. “You will be just fine, Tasha. Viagra comes with usually mild side effects so you may feel a headache or nausea aside from the expected arousal.”

“So, I’ll just be horny?”

“Just horny,” she assured you. “And, who knows, this could be what you need to get things moving at home. Or, you may not feel a thing. Either way, you’ll be fine.”

As you took in the information and murmurs of agreement from the group, most of your worry dissipated. The worst that could happen was a bout of nausea that you could explain away with the amount of wine you consumed during dinner. Sure, Chadwick would be upset, but it beat explaining you accidentally took a Viagra any day. The more time continued to tick away and the lights of Downtown Los Angeles faded into the tranquility of suburbia with no signs of abnormal arousal, the more you were sure that you had overrated.

A rare pothole in the neighborhood proved you wrong. The slight bump sent shockwaves through your lower half, pulling an unexpected and embarrassing moan from your throat. You were throbbing, confused, and begging for more at the same time.

“Ma’am, are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Um, how much longer until we reach the destination?”

“Say about...four minutes.”

“Is there a way I can pay you extra to get me there in one?”

The driver chuckled as he turned onto your street, “No can do. This is my only stream of income right now. I just got laid off and…”

The middle-aged man’s life story faded into the background, leaving you to face the dull thump between your thighs and your nipples straining against the lace of your bra. By the time the heels of your Manolo pumps were clicking against the hardwood of your home’s foyer, you could feel the honey from your center coating inside of your thighs.

For a moment, all you could hear was your heart thumping wildly in your chest as you looked for any sign of your man. You were met with near silence and darkness in the kitchen and living room, leading you to believe that Chadwick was asleep and you would be left high and the complete opposite of dry for the night. The sound of the television in the home office down the lower level hallway gave you renewed hope that God had heard your prayers, seen your pain, and decided to end your suffering.

Removing your shoes, you tipped toed down the hallway to peek in the room, finding Chadwick sipping a beer with his feet propped on the ottoman while the Clippers game played on the projector against the wall. You let go of a relieved sigh and slowly crept into his line of vision. The blue light on his mahogany skin gave him a celestial glow to match the award-winning smile on his face.

“Look who’s home. D’you have a good time, baby? C’mere.” Chadwick opened his arms for you to join him on the couch, leaving your breath to hitch at the thought of being in such close proximity. His shirtless frame revealed a toned abdomen and sculpted chest. Cautiously, you placed your belongings on the ottoman before occupying the space on his lap. “Mmmm, I missed you. You would think I’d be able to handle a couple of hours without you in the house.”

Your nervous laughter pulled in the scent of his body wash and cologne, forcing you to stifle a needy whimper. “Well, I’m home now. How were the kids?”

“They were actually little angels. Micah helped me make tacos, Noah didn’t take off his diaper like last time, and both of them were asleep by nine. I think I’m getting the hang of this Dad thing. How were the girls?”

“You know, everyone is great. S-same ol -” Chadwick’s fingertips dragging up and down your exposed thigh put in a brief daze that you fought to snap out of.

“Co, are you okay?” Pulling away to get a look at your face, he caught a glimpse your eyes full of lust and partially covered with hooded lids. “Are you drunk?”

“Me? Drunk? Nooooooo. No, no, no, no. I’m not drunk at all.”

Your attempt at convincing your husband of your sobriety was unsuccessful, causing him to continue to press you for answers. “Yeah? If you ain’t drunk, then why you giving me the look?”

A staring contest commenced, the twinkle in his eye meeting the blank look in yours, as you cycled through various response options in your mind. You could admit to the four glasses of wine and pill or conveniently omit the latter altogether. Your therapist’s warning about half-truths still being lies picked the most inconvenient time to play on a loop in your mind, forcing you to come clean.

“Okay, so I did get drunk, but honestly what is drunk for me? You know my tolerance is low. I got a headache from all the wine and crying about you leaving me because we don’t have sex anymore so Vonne took me to the bathroom and told me to take an aspirin out of her purse except I took viagra by accident. What even is Viagra? Long story short, I’m so wet right now I might slip and fall if I stand up and I need you so bad right now! Please...help me.” Your admission came out in one breath and ended with a feeble plea for relief.

Chadwick stared back at you for a moment, confusion turning into a Cheshire smile and a light chuckle.

“You said all of that to tell me you want to make love?”

“No, you aren’t hearing me.” Pushing your body from his arms, you swung a leg over his waist to straddle his lap. His speed was no match for yours as you made quick work of cupping his face and pressing your lips onto his for a fiery kiss. His hands roamed your bottom half until he reached the hem of your dress to lift it to your waist.

Letting his bottom lip go with a whisper quiet pop, you focused your attention on his dazed expression.

“I need to fuck tonight. I want to be pounded, baby. Ruin me. Fuck. Me.”

“I think I can do that for you,” he purred, voice buzzing against your cheek as he leaned forward to nip and suck at a spot on your throat.

The feeling of his lips commanding goosebumps to prickle the skin on your arms and chest sent your mind into a fog. It was a battle between mind and body that forced you to press your palms flat against Chadwick’s chest to push your body off his lap.

“Take it off. All of it,” you commanded as you pulled the zipper down the front of your dress to reveal your lace bra and panty set. It was the first time you could remember wearing a pair of panties that didn’t cover every square inch of your ass, much less match your bra. None of that mattered as you discarded the damp item somewhere across the room.

Chadwick stood to his full height in front of you, displaying his body in all its beauty and glory.  A split second of thick sexual energy turned into an all-out race to touch and taste whatever skin was available on each other’s bodies. Chadwick settled on your lips while took a firm hold on one of your ass cheeks, kneading the supple area and groaning at the feeling. As much as you loved his sensuality, now was not the time.

Breaking the kiss, you pushed your husband back onto the couch before dropping to your knees in front of him. You were too focused on running your hands down his stomach and thighs to notice Chadwick's head fall against the back of the couch at the simple sensation of your skin on his. For weeks he’d tried his best to hide his frustration at the lack of contact, often returning to the activities of his teenage years to stay sane. When your tongue licked a long stripe from base to tip, he could’ve sworn he saw his soul pack up and walk out of the room.

You were a woman on a mission. At some point, as you used both hands to twist around his shaft in alternating directions while you sucked as much as you could fit into your mouth, you forgot he was even in the room.

Sensing he was growing weak from the intensity of your oral demonstration, you took pause to show him some attention elsewhere. Your full lips pressed against his balls to hum a made-up tune, earning hushed curses and a near painful grip on your hair.

“Look at you,” he half spoke, half moaned. “You look so pretty with Daddy’s balls in your mouth. You gon’ make me cum?”

Flickering your eyes up to meet his, you moaned a sultry “mhmm” with your lips still wrapped around him.

“Good girl. Fuck, baby, just like that.”

You stuck around for a few moments longer to lightly suck and grip until the desire to return to his dick was too overwhelming. Moments later, with his hands on either side of your head, Chadwick held you in place while he released inside your mouth.

While always game for sex, Chadwick wasn’t prepared for you to move on so quickly. He was expecting a few minutes of touching, maybe even some reciprocity on his end, but you had other plans. Taking a swipe from your slick entrance, you used your essence as lubrication to jerk his member and speed up the arousal process. It didn’t take long for Chadwick to return to his full erect length. Both of you let out loud sighs of relief and bliss as you sunk down onto his dick, taking each inch bit by bit.

Chadwick watched you in awe as you took control, switching between positions with a dancer’s grace. Your control turned him on to no end while you rode him in whatever way you saw fit, and drank in all of your facial expressions and slurred praises when he plundered you across the arm of the couch.

By the time he found himself fucking into you against the wall with distorted images from the projector danced across your bodies, he was finding it hard to give you the intensity you desired while holding your legs around his waist. Your weight mixed with his aching muscles were becoming a recipe for disaster. Still, he allowed you to bounce in his lap well past his own orgasm in hopes that round four would be the knockout round.

Your body stiffened in his arms as your cried out his name, clawing at his back and tucking your nose into the crook of his neck while hot shoots of white light clouded your vision.

“That’s it, girl, let it go,” He murmured against your skin once he felt you begin to relax. His fingertips drew soothing circles at the small of your back as you began to pepper kisses along his collarbone.

“Oh my God.” The sparks of euphoria were beginning to wane, leaving you wanting more. “I feel like I just ran a mile.”

“You should! It’s been a while since you reached that far in your bag of tricks,” A long yawn left his lips as he reached around you to steady himself on the wall so that you could have room to dismount his waist and stand on your own. When you didn’t let go, he began to worry. “Is something w-”

“More.”

Your abrupt interruption made Chadwick raise his eyebrow in confusion. “What did you say?”

“I need more. You promised, Daddy.”

Chadwick’s jaw slackened in shock as you peered up at him with pleading eyes. He’d just poured his entire being into pleasing you for as long as he could muster, and you still were asking for more. What would’ve turned him on to no end was confusing and a bit demoralizing.

“You are...a monster,” he whispered more to himself than to you.

“Oh, please don’t start the dramatics, Aaron. Just say no if you don’t want to.”

“I just gave you my best performance in months and you want more? Am I only a sex object to you?” Chadwick watched you push away from his body to gather the clothes you could find before making your way to the doorway. “Where are you going? You can’t just walk out on me after this. I deserve to be big spooned after the work I just put in!”

His childish request for cuddling was equally amusing and irritating, forcing you to choke back a smile as you turned to answer his question. “I am going to finish in the bedroom. You can either sit down here and pout or come watch me put the Rabbit to use. Either way, I’m not done. Good night.”

Initially, Chadwick felt proud of himself for making his feelings known without receiving significant pushback. It wasn’t often that he told you no, and even when he did, he would always end up relenting in one way or another. The thought of you accepting a blatant refusal to continue without so much of a pout and one-sided argument became more perplexing the longer he sat (naked) on the couch. The thought of you upstairs, sprawled across the bed while you brought yourself to climax made Chadwick’s mind race and hands roam aimlessly around his body until he was feeling a familiar stiffening below.

“Fuck,” he whispered as he slouched against the couch, fighting the urge to accept defeat and race upstairs to join you. A small moan, one he was sure he wasn’t meant to hear, sent a chill down his spine while sending his resolve out of the room. Looking down, he addressed his member. “You think you got one more in you, bro? Good. Let’s go.”

                                              _________

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[yaachtynoboat711]

At First Glance: Ch.1 ✨💃🏽

A/N: Get ready to learn about the journey out favorite couple has gone on before the Gala! I struggled with this chapter all week. Thank you, @great-neckpectations and the group chat for helping me get out of my block. Love y’all 😭.

Pairing: Winston Duke x Black Plus-Sized! OC

Word Count: ~2.8K

Warnings: language, fluff, Yaa won’t let that petty go 😭

The annual Black Yale Alumni Association Benefit Ball was in full effect.Every year, the BYAA hosted this event to raise funds for their scholarship fund to help Black undergrad and grad students. This was the most anticipated event for Black Yale of the year for both alumni as well as current students. With the event always falling around Halloween, the Ball was a costume party and had a different theme. This year’s theme was “Music’s Icons”.

Even though she had just graduated Yale Law School in the spring and was slated for graduating with her Ph.D. in the December, Khalida Abdullah was NOT missing her first Black Alumni function. Since Yaa had been at Yale, she’d been one of the best-dressed people at the ball. She was always slaying the theme, no matter how vague or specific the theme or the guideline’s would be. It’d helped to have an interest in historical fashion and a sister in the fashion industry. The process for that one night was a strenuous process that lasted for months, with most time being spent in researching ( Yaa’s undergraduate was after all in History, so research came naturally to her in all facets of life). When the theme was announced in late June, Yaa knew she was going as Selena.

The easiest part of Yaa’s decision was picking which musical legend she was going to be for Ball; the hardest part would be which iconic outfit to choose from. Anything Selena put on her body would be replicated by fans and stans for the next 20+ years after her unnecessary death. Either you slayed Selena’s fit or it slayed you; most would fall victim to the latter. Yaa decided on Selena’s outfit from her last concert. It was definitely one of her most iconic and most difficult outfits to pull off. Months of preparation continued until an email was sent regarding the ball. This year’s Best-Dressed would not be granted so easily.

October 26, 2013.8:49 pm, Yaa’s AirBnB.

It was finally time for the turn up. Everything was laid out: the earrings, the custom wig adorned with Selena’s signature bangs, the makeup, even a replica of her lipstick-adorned microphone (Yaa practiced her routine while wearing red lipstick for the effect) were ready for Yaa. Yaa was precise with every detail of the ensemble. In the midst of all the preparation, Yaa’s best friend Tanisha, offered her nervous friend some comedic relief. “

“DAAAAAAAAAAAMN, K.D.! The way you looking and the way this tight ass suit is fitting on ya, you gon’ fuck around and hook a nigga!”

“What are you talking about, Neesh? You always say I’m getting wife’d up at any function I go to. The hell they lookin’ for? I’ve come to this every year since I’ve been in New Haven and nothing. Well, besides being with Quin, but that’s the same as saying nothing. Only reason I’m going is to take pictures, socialize, and say ‘thank you’ to the board and other people for helping me make it through Yale...that’s it. Ain’t no husbands coming this year!” Yaa yelled from the bathroom as she was finishing up her makeup and making her way back into her room. She watched Neesh as she transformed into Donna Summers.

“Do you even wanna get me started?” Neesh inquired as she helped her best friend put on her silver bootie heels, “ Sis, at 22, you were the VALEDICTORIAN of 2013’s Yale Law School class. It was like damn near 700 folks in that hoe and you was the smartest bitch in that bitch, not to mention the fact that you still gotta whole Ph.D. coming in December. You the shit and I just hate that you don’t relish in that. It’s a nigga right now gettin’ ready as we fucking speak going into this function totally oblivious to the fact that a thick ass angel in a tight ass purple sparkly catsuit and a damn wig is finna ‘Bidi Bidi Bom Bom’ her way into his simple ass life. Give it a chance, I know you a young genius but live a little,bitch. He’s gonna be there.”

Yaa chuckled in confusion, “Neesh you dumb as hell for that. Also, you sound pretty confident that he, whoever he is, is going to be there. Please God don’t tell me you’ve played matchmaker again. Bitch I swear to God I’m slappin’ the shit outta you and that’s on muvas.”

“I’m sorry,sis, but I couldn’t let this one pass. He’s the sweetest and most down to earth guy ever. He just graduated with his Master’s in acting in the spring.” Neesh replied.

“Where?”

“Yale.”

Yaa’s reluctant spirit began to soften. “How did I miss him? Is he Black?”

“Bitch, I oughta choke you. Of course he is! Now I must warn you, he, too, just got out of a relationship and he’s never been with a Black woman before.”

Yaa side-eyed Neesh. She knew deep in her heart that Neesh was trying to help. While she appreciated the notion, Yaa was very reluctant to throw herself back into the dating market after her break-up three months ago. “Ok, but please know that you’re still on indefinite suspension from the position of matchmaker.”

The last time Neesh played matchmaker, Yaa’s ex, Quincy ended up being bout crazy as hell. He was very charming, yet manipulative. Yaa was many things, but being to put up with Quincy’s shit wasn’t among them.

At this point, Neesh was begging: “I promise you, K, this one is so much different from Quincy. I’ve been observing him since we started the program. He’s amazing; if I wasn’t such an amazing friend and he hadn’t been in a relationship, I woulda kept him for myself. But I decided not to and we wouldn’t have worked. I know I fucked up but please give this guy a chance.”

When Yaa met Neesh , Neesh was in her final year in Yale’s Theatre program. Neesh was a graduate assistant and the creative genius behind every Yale production. She mastered everything: makeup, costuming, wigs, lighting, you name it. However, she loved costuming and makeup. The two met at an Alpha party the semester Yaa arrived to Yale. Being that they were both SGRho’s and had much in common ,the pair had basically been inseparable since their first conversation. Since graduating, Neesh moved to New York where she became the Creative Director for an off-Broadway theatre company.

Yaa felt sorry for her friend pleading the way she was. Yaa wanted to be stubborn but something was telling her to meet this mystery guy. She finally broke her contemplative silence: “What’s his name,sis?” Neesh was radiating with joy. “His name is Winston. Winston Duke.”

Yaa’s eyebrows went up in curiosity. “Hell kinda name is Winston?” Yaa asked as her head fell back in laughter. Yaa was now wondering what this Winston character looked like. He clearly had to be attractive, or else Neesh wouldn’t have given him a second thought. This was definitely a move of redemption. As the two friends took pictures, Yaa began to get excited about meeting that Winston fellow? Was he tall? Was he Greek? She’d figure out at the ball.

10:54 p.m., The BYAA Ball

The function was going up by the time Neesh and Yaa arrived; that was the plan all along. The vibrations of the loud music pulsated against the walls and floors of the venue. Waves of excellence and Black splendor filled the room.The pink and purple lights juxtaposed the white curtains and couches throughout the club in which gave the space an inviting and jovial energy.

The DJ was blasting that good shit and everyone was going up.

All eyes were on the pair; Donna and Selena were in this bitch and everyone took notice. They took pictures at the photo booth and went their separate ways to socialize with their separate circles. Yaa was the belle of the ball; the moment she walked into the room, Winston saw her and let her and her tight ass purple ass catsuit Bidi Bidi Bom Bom her way into his heart. He watched as she basically floated across the room,socializing with everyone that knew her. Then she smiled. Winston was slightly turned on by the warmth and calming beauty in this Cinderella girl’s candy apple red-colored trillion dollar smile and angelic glow of her caramel hue.

“Wow”, he thought to himself, “She’s a vision of beauty...is that—is that a dimple? GAH!!! It’s just one? My God, she’s perfection. She’s so fuc—GET IT TOGETHER, DUDE!” If there were a control center operating his brain right now, they’d be in overdriven crisis mode. Never had Winston ever felt butterflies for anything other than maybe an audition, but here he was, falling madly in love with a girl that just walked into room. Then she turned around—my God. Winston just about died. Winston wasn’t a guy that obsessed over body features on a woman, but trust Khalida Abdullah’s ass was too much for him.

“Well,I’ll be damned; this tree ass nigga here fine as hell! If he keep looking at me like I’m a jug of water, he gon’ have to buy me dinner. Mmm! Chocolate ass. ” Yaa mentally stated.

The man in question was a rather tall individual. He was clean-shaven, a beautiful milk chocolate toned and had a rather ambitious,yet shy energy about him. Judging by the outfit, Yaa figured he was dressed as Don Cornelius. While he was looking away, she saw him smile and saw only one thing: a gap. Yaa was mysteriously obsessed with gapped teeth, especially on guys. She didn’t know this man from Adam, yet she was feeling him from a distance.

Completely entertained by the mutual eye fucking before them, Neesh and one of Winston’s colleagues and friend, Lupita, smirked to themselves as they mentally devised a plan to get Yaa and Winston together. “Peet, we better not be thinking about the same thing.”,Neesh remarked with a smirk. Lupita chuckled,”Yes. They need to be next to each other. She’s perfect for him!” The friends gravitated towards their gentle giant of a friend. Winston looked at them with confusion,”What’s up, ladies?” Lupita and Neesh looked at each other before Neesh spoke:

“ You remember that lawyer friend I was telling you about?”

Winston nodded,”Yeah, I remember. You never confirmed nor denied if she was cute. I’m still waiting on your answer,Tanisha.”

Neesh rolled her eyes, “ Boy, shut up and follow me.”

The thought of finally meeting Neesh’s lawyer friend made a usually calm Winston a little anxious. The walk across the venue made his chest tighter the closer he got. He still didn’t understand why he was so nervous. His loud friend didn’t settle his nerves either as she practically yelled towards her lawyer friend.

“AYO, K.D.!” Yaa almost got whiplash from turning her head at the rate in which she did. Her eyes widened as the fine guy she was looking at earlier was coming towards her. Her heart almost stopped when he stopped in front of her. He was much taller than she’d imagined, but you wouldn’t catch her complaining. Sis was completely shook. Neesh cleared her throat louder than normal to break the two from the trances they were in.

“Wow. You’re tall.” Yaa stammered.

“Nah, I’m Winston.”, he replied as he smiled and shook her hand. She was NOT about to be out-pettied by this man. If it was a petty war he wanted, then by all means a petty war is what he was going to get.

“Wow, that was corny. That’s what they teaching y’all in the theatre program now?” Winston’s heart fluttered as Yaa’s Southern accent got the best of her. It only came out when she said certain words or phrases.

“Ok, Elle Woods, I see you got jokes, too.”

“One, my name is Khalida Abdullah. Two, coming from a nigga named Winston, I know you got jokes.” Both Lupita and Neesh were damn near on the floor laughing at the exchange. They both knew Yaa was going to win this fight.

“I’m glad they taught you how to be observant in law school.”

“Yeah, of fucking course. You seem to be pretty damn good at observations too, nigga.” Winston was shocked. His train of thought stopped as he realized his attempts at sneaking looks at her failed. He hid his shame and defeat with a rather stoic stare; Yaa returned his stare with a petty stare. After what seemed like forever of staring at each other, Yaa walked closer to Winston and signaled for him to match her height. “You actin’ like I didn’t see your tree ass eye-fucking me all night from all the way over here. Yes, I’m short, but that doesn’t mean I don’t peep shit, Big Fella. I’m about to head to this here cash bar. You coming or not?” Yaa whispered in his ear. She walked away with an extra pep in her switch. She wanted him to know that the ass he was staring at all night wasn’t restrained by the confines of a Spanx. He followed her like a little puppy.

After getting drinks, they began talking; their connection was instant. He found himself making jokes just to hear her infectious laughter. She found herself falling in love with his gap-toothed smile and hearty laughter. They discussed each other’s costume and found many common interests.

“So you’ve really been a Selena fan your entire life?”, Winston inquired, “ I just saw the biopic two years ago and I’ve been a fan ever since. I don’t speak Spanish, but her music is everything.”

“Yeah. When my dad was teaching me Spanish, my personal goal was to translate Selena songs without a translator. It also improved my Spanish skills before I needed them.” Yaa answered.

“So you’re fluent now, yeah?”

“I’m fluent in four languages.”

Winston was shocked, “Seriously?!”

“Yeah, there are a lot of things, you’ll learn about me.” She winked.

Suddenly, “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” came on. The DJ acknowledged Yaa as she made her way to the dancefloor, mic in hand. The DJ started the track back again. Yaa transformed into her idol and the force of the Tejano Queen was with Yaa. She glided as she danced around the dancefloor. Winston watched in amazement. When she finished, the crowd erupted into applause and cheers. Winston was the first one to greet her she left the floor. He told her how amazing she looked and how he felt like Selena was on the floor.

For the remainder of the night, Yaa and Winston talked on the balcony of the venue in the cool nighttime October breeze. They exchanged numbers and social media handles as they walked towards Yaa’s car. He almost stepped on her to get the door for her. “I’m sorry, but you won’t touch that handle, at least when I’m around.” Yaa looked at him with a shocked expression on her face. “You sound pretty confident you’re staying around, Mr. Duke. Tanisha didn’t tell you I drop niggas like a bad phone call?” Winston smirked. “She did,but that doesn’t apply to me.” He closed her car door and waved as she drove away.

When Yaa finally got home, Tanisha was on the couch waiting for her.

“BITCH! You got that nigga in love with your little ass.” Neesh interjected as her head fell back in laughter.

“Whatever. I hate to say it, but you were right: he ain’t that bad. Quincy could never.”

“Yeah,yeah. Thank me at y’alls wedding.”

Yaa rolled her eyes. “Bitch, fuck you.” she laughed. “We have a date in three weeks.”

Neesh’s eyes and grin grew wide. “A WHAT?! Does he know you’re in D.C. now?”

“I mean, I wouldn’t have said yes if I didn’t know how my situation would be.”

The two talked about their night and how boo’d up Yaa was. Though she wanted to deny it, her glow and goofy grin were saying otherwise. “I think it’s him.”

The The peanut butter to my jelly:

@great-neckpectations @randomwordprompts @blackgirloneshots @babygirlofwakanda @kumkaniudaku @royallyprincesslilly @eriknutinthispoosy @teheeboo @texasbama @wakandan-flowerz @soldierandawar @summertimesadnesswithadashofsass @vanitykocaine @sarahboseman @niquelafleur @blackpantherismyish @pastelastronomy24

[ourreferences02]

seventy-three questions

I guess this is like if some random person wanted to interview my kids, idk. Ignore how some things capitalized on their own, ik it’s very annoying. not to mention, I didn’t bold or italicize anything. there’s too many words in this post it would take too much time, sorry. have fun reading all of this

q: what’s your favorite movie you’ve seen in the past month?

Richard: Richard peter Johnson. it’s about me. for sure.

bella: to the bone. I forget if they have a trigger warning. I don’t know, I liked it.

calum: john wick. there’s a lot of cool stuff

leia: frozen and moana!!!

q: favorite animal?

Richard: I honestly don’t know. for shits and giggles, maybe cougars

bella: um... when I was little I really liked birds, bunnies, lions, and lambs

calum: dragons are super strong and op

leia: puppiessssssss

q: best friend’s name?

Richard: sam

bella: i’m not very close with anyone. ally, I guess

calum: kirk junior

leia: luke

q: book you plan on reading?

Richard: the catcher in the rye

bella: pride and prejudice

calum: I want to get the guiness book of world records for 2017

leia: the blue fairy book. it’s about fairy tales

q: something that positively shaped you?

Richard: sick as it sounds, my girlfriend set herself on fire and had to go to the hospital. it was because of me, and when she made it out of that experience with no burns it somehow got me to be more appreciative and inspired me to stop being such a dick sometimes

bella: theo.

calum: I heard about LeBron james

leia: life

q: biggest secret?

Richard: don’t have one, really

bella: it wouldn’t be a secret if I told someone, would it?

leia: I found out that my best friend is sleeping beauty! but a boy!

calum: not telling. i’m not retarded.

q: on a scale of one to ten, how excited are you about life right now?

Richard: ten? idk

bella: 6... hehe

calum: five is average. so five.

leia: a bagillion gazillion and one

q: iPhone or android?

Richard: androids have potato cameras

bella: iPhone. I guess if they’re too expensive an android would be okay

calum: aren’t andriods robots

leia: aye aye captain hahahhahhahhahhaha

q: twitter or Instagram?

Richard: twitter

bella: definitely Instagram

calum: I like jetpack joyride

leia: graham crackers?

q: who should everyone be following right now?

Richard: me. just kidding, um... my friends tyrone and Tanisha. they’re living on their own for the most part, with two twin babies, at fifteen. kudos

bella: not kim Kardashian.

calum: stalkers. show them how they make other people feel.... oh sorry, wrong kind of following

q: favorite food?

Richard: I can’t come up with something so i’m just going to say pizza

Bella: i like chicken alfredo pasta. I’m not sure if it’s my favorite though

Calum: hot dogs

Leia: crackers

q: least favorite food?

Richard: cornbread. I’ve seen timmy wolf down a whole loaf. It was huge. There was a lot of blowing chunks after. Scarring, tbh

Bella: never liked green beans

Calum: eggplants, carrots, and bananas

Leia: steak is hard for me to chew sometimes

q: what do you love on your pizza?

Richard: cheese

Bella: cheese. Oh, richard said that too? Ffs

calum: pepperonis

Leia: anchovies! Just kidding, i’m joking!

q: favorite drink?

Richard: i’ve got no clue. water is very underrated

Bella: i used to love lemonade. Haven’t had that in years. Oh, right. I like tea, coffee, root beer, yeah

Calum: i’ve never had vodka, but vodka

Leia: do slushies count?

q: favorite dessert?

Richard: i’m a fabulous dessert -wink- um, no, in all seriousness, chocolate ice cream

Bella: huh. I haven’t had dessert in a while either. Shit.

Calum: chocolate chip cookies

Leia: everything sweet

q: dark chocolate or milk chocolate?

Richard: well I know how tyrone would answer this. I guess milk chocolate

Bella: milk?

Calum: both

Leia: ooooooh, one second, i’ll be back! NO IT’S NOT TO GET CHOCOLATE

q: coffee or tea?

Richard: coffee

Bella: they’re both good for photos, coffee tastes better, but tea is better for you

Calum: alcohol

q: hardest decision?

Richard: what to answer for this question. That counts?!

Bella: life or death. I chose life, obviously

Calum: i’m bored

Leia: my mom asked me if i wanted a dog or a cat! I said dog, but she never got either one

q: favorite fruit?

Richard: peach. -eyebrow wiggle- I actually don’t know

Bella: pineapple, mango, peach, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, watermelon...

Calum: pear

Leia: applllllllles!!!

q: favorite singer or songwriter?

Richard: shawn mendes. I’M JOKING

Bella: isabella vail. Sorry, no self-promo? Okay, theo herondale -grin-

Calum: eminem

Leia: idina menzel

q: favorite song?

Richard: can’t say

Bella: that’s a lot of pressure

Calum: i’m hungry

Leia: I’VE BEEN STARING AT THE EDGE OF THE WAT-

q: if you could sing a duet with anyone, who would it be?

Richard: shawn mendes. I’M STILL JOKING I SWEAR

Bella: theo.

Calum: that’s gay

Leia: MOANA

q: if you had a tattoo, where would it be?

Richard: could i get a tramp stamp

Bella: i can’t choose, whoops

Calum: my arm

Leia: but they’re permanent!!

q: to be or not to be?

Richard: to be

Bella: to be or not to be.. ahh.. Love it

Calum: not to be

Leia: tooooo beeeeeeee... Two bees?

q: bird-watching or whale-watching?

Richard: whale-watching but only if i could ride the whale

Bella: bird-watching, they make such pretty sounds

Calum: a bird shit on my head

Leia: whale-watching because then i could see mermaids too!!!

q: best gift ever received?

Richard: sofia and will, thank you so much for your second creation. Not that the other ones aren’t good i just mean i love wed oh god just shut up richard. Praise you guys, hallelujah. Rest in peace, will. Would’ve been nice to get a “NOW YOU BE CAREFUL WITH MY DAUGHTER!” chat.

Bella: meeting theo was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.. wait is anyone going to see this? Oh god please no UM OKAY best gift other than that, i got a purple flower pin from.. someone.. Although i technically didn’t get it from them..i don’t want to think about this, never mind

Calum: my mom got a basketball hoop for me

Leia: everything!!

q: best gift you’ve ever given?

Richard: i once decorated bella in glitter and shit and then tried to give her to my mom. Yeah, i still don’t know why i did that. Awww, my little sissie, i’m gonna give her a hug after this

Bella: i wouldn’t know

Calum: i gave kirk junior a whole pack of gum once

Leia: i gave luke’s grandma a pretty flower. She’s really nice.

q: last gift you gave a friend?

Richard: the cornbread timmy threw up

Bella: i’ve never had a real friend, um, i gave annabelle a horse necklace and dora a set of nail polish. But they’re just people i talk to sometimes. Plus annabelle.. ugh

Calum: i gave savannah a pencil. Hope she liked it

Leia: i gave my mom a hug today!!

q: favorite video game?

Richard: OH MINECRAFT FOR SUUUUUUUURE!!! sorry i’m not in a serious mood

Bella: i don’t really play video games, the sims, i guess

Calum: call of duty games

Leia: roblox!! I like the pizza delivery game

q: favorite meme?

Richard: oh boy

Bella: are you serious? Right in front of my salad?

Calum: the spongebob music one

Leia: what’s a meem

q: last country visited?

Richard: greece

Bella: greece

Calum: how much longer

Leia: greece

q: favorite body part on a human?

Richard: well this could get some perverted answers

Bella: eyes. But “eyeballs” sounds atrocious.

Calum: pussy

Leia: their hearts!!!!!!

q: favorite color?

Richard: i like reds, blues, greens, idk

Bella: i loved yellow when i was younger. Blues are good too. As for the stuff that’s not on the rainbow, i guess i like black, gray, silver, gold, and white. Oh red is good sometimes

Calum: red, green, orange

Leia: light blue

q: least favorite color?

Richard: that murky brown and green mixture -shudder-

Bella: the colors that we can’t see or imagine. So frustrating.

Calum: yellow

Leia: i like all of the colors, i wouldn’t want any to feel bad about themselves

q: diamonds or pearls?

Richard: i mean there are no pearls in minecraft... OKAY I’LL STOP

Bella: diamonds

Calum: you could sell the diamonds and be rich

Leia: great grandma grace had pearls

q: heels or flats?

Richard: i lost a bet to a guy in a chiffon skirt, but i make these high heels work

Bella: it depends

Calum: heels are sexy.

Leia: no girl can walk in heels, can they? OMG BELLA YOU’RE WALKING IN HEELS

q: pilates or yoga?

Richard: how about just working out

Bella: yoga

Calum: there’s yoga instructor porn

Leia: you mean pirates or yoda? Yoda is in star wars with princess leia, so yoda

q: jogging or swimming?

Richard: swimming for sure

Bella: i mean, i love swimming. But it’s hard to go near a pool when you’ve drowned yourself. I’m sorry i keep being gloomy

Calum: sorry, i fell asleep

Leia: swimming!

q: best way to de-stress?

Richard: hahahhahhahah

Bella: talking to someone, hugging someone, etc.

Calum: sleeping helps

Leia: just breathe! ahhhh...

q: if you had one superpower, what would it be?

Richard:i heard about a superpower that is all the superpowers

Bella: richard told me abo- he said that too?!

q: weirdest person you ever met?

Richard: the howler or the tricycle guy

Bella: theo. -devilish grin- nO I’M KIDDING DON’T TELL HIM I SAID THAT! Awe, i feel bad

Calum: my whole family

Leia: i don’t know, everyone’s weird in their own way

q: favorite flower?

Richard: i don’t know about many besides roses

Bella: i could list my top 50 if you want

Calum: ew

Leia: dandelions grant wishes!

q: last time you cried?

Richard: when my girlfriend was in the hospital

Bella: ...

Calum: crying is for chumps

Leia: i’m too happy to cry

q: do you like your handwriting?

Richard: no?

Bella: im not sure

Calum: oh bitch i fell asleep again

Leia: i forget to dot my i’s sometimes

q: do you bake?

Richard: i live in a house with girls, of course. OH SHOOT WAS THAT SEXIST, I’M SO SORRY I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE TH- oh right. Forgot about calum. LOVE YA CAL

Bella: baking and cooking are both fun

Calum: no. i eat the baked goods though

Leia: i eat the cookie dough heheh

q: least favorite thing about yourself?

Richard: my anger issues

Bella: my luck

Calum: i’m amazing

Leia: i-i love myself!!! haha..

q: favorite thing about yourself?

Richard: idk

Bella: haha

Calum: everything

Leia: i think i’m nice

q: who do you miss most?

Richard: ggg. Great grandma grace

Bella: not ben. I liked you when you were alive, but you are unbearable as a ghost

Calum: i just want to play basketball

Leia: everyone who is in heaven!!!

q: what are you listening to right now?

Richard: the wind, i guess

Bella: arctic monkeys

Calum: leia trying to sing. She sucks

Leia: my favorite tarzan song

q: favorite smell?

Richard: um

Bella: rain, books, fire, theo, dryer sheets, flowers, oh no did i say theo? -blush- please don’t put that in

Calum: no idea

Leia: freshly baked sugar cookies, bella’s are better than my mom’s!

q: last person you talked to on the phone?

Richard: sam. He’s giving me updates on gilly and her baby. I hope she’s doing okay..

Bella: i got some type of hate call from someone. Idk who.

Calum: kirk junior and i were talking about basketball

Leia: luke. He said i’m giving him mixed signals. I have no clue what that means

q: last person you sent a text to?

Richard: tyrone

Bella: charlie

Calum: i don’t have a phone.. one day

Leia: look! The lollipop made my tongue blue!!!

q: sport you wish you could play?

Richard: is archery a sport? Because that’s cool

Bella: i don’t play any sports -sigh-

Calum: i do play basketball, but i really like basketball, so basketball.

Leia: i wish i could ice skate more

q: hair color?

Richard: a medium/dark brown

Bella: i’m a brunetteeeee

Calum: light brown

Leia: blonde!

q: eye color?

Richard: green. Idk about greater detail

Bella: crystal blue? It’s like a blue but if you turned the saturation down a bit and put some shine in there

Calum: i don’t check

Leia: blue, like blue whale

q: scary films or happy endings?

Richard: both

Bella: happy endings

Calum: no real man likes happy endings

Leia: scary movies scare me

q: favorite season?

Richard: tough

Bella: it really depends. Spring is very rainy but i like the rain. Summer is super hot but school’s out and it’s beautiful out. Fall comes with the colorful tree leaves and the clothing, and winter is cold but you have hot chocolate and oversized sweaters

Calum: i bet bella gave a long answer. Loser.

Leia: summer!

q: sexual fantasy?

Richard: where did that come from

Bella: -beet red- w-what?

Calum: huh

Leia: what’s that?

q: hugs or kisses?

Richard: both

Bella: bot- HE SAID THAT TOO? WTH

Calum: neither

Leia: hug time!

q: rolling stones or the beatles?

Richard: the beatles

Bella: the beatles, for sure

Calum: how many left?

Leia: why are we talking about things in the garden

q: favorite sex position?

Richard: i swear this came out of nowhere

Bella: -blink-

Calum: missions. Missionary? Yeah, that’s what i meant

Leia: i’m so confused

q: farthest you’ve been from home?

Richard: i died twice. Dk where i ended up

Bella: see i killed myself, and then i was in some sort of darkness for a week until i decided to come back

Calum: are we close to finished

Leia: look at this nail polish! Isn’t it so pretty?!

q: left or right?

Richard: the price is right

Bella: right

Calum: left

Leia: right

q: lipstick or lip gloss?

Richard: um

Bella: lipstick

Calum: almost?

Leia: lip gloss

q: scariest dream?

Richard: you’d know if i pissed myself

Bella: ..don’t want to talk about it, sorry

Calum: im not scared of anything

Leia: cookeh im mah mout, un segont

q: favorite type of hair?

Richard: i guess i like head hair over pubic hair

Bella: depends

Calum: hairless cats

Leia: those naked rodents

q: title of your autobiography?

Richard: one second, let me think of something

Bella: i wouldn’t write an autobiography

Calum: Perfection

Leia: my life

q: favorite sound?

Richard: did i really just fall asleep

Bella: sorry, what? I was doodling.

Calum: basketballs bouncing

Leia: water

q: favorite animal?

Richard: wasn’t this already a question

Bella: On the other side of a street I knew, stood a girl that looked like you, i guess thats deja vu

Calum: there has to be only a couple left

Leia: what

q: girl crush?

Richard: there’s this girl named wednesday herondale, she’s honestly my dream girl -grin-

Bella: how’d you know i’m bi? nO NOT BIPOLAR

Calum: i-i don’t h-have one..

Leia: i love my sister!

q: last photograph you took?

Richard: you’d expect it to be a nude because i’m a teenage boy, yeah, yeah, i see you.. well, i’ll have you know, it’s a picture of... my girlfriend. isn’t she beautiful, look at her!

Bella: okay so this one is o- fine. Don’t let me go into detail.

Calum: i took this selfie on my ipad by accident. I have a double chin in it haha WAIT WE’RE DONE?! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Leia: oh this one’s of my finger! whoops!

[kumkaniudaku]

Meet the Parents: Two

A/N: This is the second part to @afraiddreamingandloving ‘s request from ages ago. It’s 2 AM so, please, excuse the errors if you find any. Enjoy. 

Word Count: Hella long. I stopped looking after 5k

Warnings: None. All fluff

Miss Howard University Interest Meeting: Tuesday @ 7:00 PM

You didn’t even get to the end of the decorated flyer in the student union before you snatched it off the bulletin board and jammed it into your binder.

Miss Howard was a coveted title. The perks of campus royalty were abundant but, those only factored into part of your motives. After sitting in on several SGA meetings and listening to your teammates discuss their issues with the administration, you began to realize that you were missing a lot in regards to the current state of your beloved institution. You wanted to help the campus community and, in your mind, donning the bedazzled crown and stifling skirt suits was a fast track to achieving that goal. It also wouldn’t hurt to get a little attention from the man you called friend.

The rush to your apartment left your calf muscles burning and your chest heaving to pull in any available oxygen.

“Why the hell do I live on the third floor,” you huffed, fumbling with your keys.

Pushing open the door introduced you to the smell of burning food, incense from your room and sandalwood. Chadwick was somewhere around the small space, probably let in by Tanisha as she made her way to work.

“I stood over this stove all day just for you to come home late. I swear negros can be so unappreciative.”

You rolled your eyes and dropped your duffle bag to the ground, “You burning up my good pots. And stop coming in my house uninvited.”

Chadwick poked his head around the corner to look at you. His smile faded when he watched you pull off your sneakers and toss them across the living room. Slowly, your shoulders rose and fell as you composed yourself.

“You okay, CoCo? Long day?”

“Coach was insane today. I never want to see another baseline again!”

You pulled your drenched hoodie over your head, tossing it on top of the other dirty clothes in the Adidas bag before flopping down on the worn couch against the wall. Leaning your head against the back of the furniture, your brain began to torment you with memories of the most grueling practice of the season. After the weekend’s embarrassing loss, Coach was less than happy to start a week of practices.

“You couldn’t run on offense last weekend so, your asses gone run today! To the baseline!”

You winced at the replaying of her voice in your head and the couch dipping beside you. Chadwick pulled your bag in front of him, rummaging around the dark interior for the tape to wrap your ankle. As often as you reminded him that the trainer would take care of it in the morning, he swore up and down that he knew the best way to keep your injured ankle in tip-top shape.

Gingerly grabbing your leg, he pressed his fingers into your throbbing calf, rubbing and kneading the aches away. His long fingers danced across your ankle, seemingly erasing the pain in every spot he grazed. Your mouth involuntarily let out a drawn-out moan before you could stop it. A crooked smile curved the corner of Chadwick’s lip though he didn’t acknowledge the sound.

“Anything else happen today,” he asked, eyes focused on your smooth legs.

“Eh, not really. I made a C on a quiz I studied for, almost ate milk with my cereal after morning practice, took a Miss Howard interest flyer, told Jerom-”

“Woah, Woah, Woah! Go back.”

Miming a reverse in movements, you started your monologue from the top, “I made a C on my business quiz, I-”

“Don’t play, girl. You picked up a Miss Howard interest flyer.”

“Yeah. Something wrong with that?” You fiddled with your thumbs to avoid eye contact with Chadwick. If you had it your way, you would’ve moved past that snippet of information in favor of talking yourself out of attending the meeting and letting the opportunity pass. Chadwick’s smirk slowly morphed into a toothy grin. “You, Tasha ‘Fuck the System’ Green, want to be Miss Howard. The most prissy position on campus? You serious?”

“I want to help!”

“Was SGA not accepting new members?”

“You know what, forget it. I won’t go.”

“Oh, come on,” he whined, trying to pry your arms out of their folded position against your chest. When you didn’t budge, he moved to pull you into his chest. “I’m sorry, Co. I didn’t mean it like that. It just surprised me.”

“You don’t think I can do, do you?”

“Look at me,” his fingers brushed across your face to turn your head toward him. “I think you can do anything you put your mind to. Is this something you really wanna do?”

“Yes. I wanna show the campus that you don’t have to be the stereotypical beauty to be a campus queen,” you exclaimed, standing on your feet to hobble to the center of the room. “Queens are supposed to be agents of change. I can do that! I know I can. This is the way I wanna affect my campus community. The tall girls with scraped knees and strong shoulders need love too!”

“You do have some strong ass shoulders.”

“See. That’s why I don’t invite your black ass over here.” Your agility and quickness aided you in surprising Chadwick with a shoe to the chest, temporarily injecting a pained grunt into his solo laugh session.

“Got damn, girl. Big ass shoe,” he grumbled. “If this is what you want, I support you 100 percent. I’ll get you on the phone with my sisters, talk to the last queen to give you some pointers...whatever you want me to do.”

“Really?” Your eyes lit up in excitement, contrasting his eye roll in faux annoyance.

“Yes. You the Queen, right?”

“Right?”

Jumping to his feet, he rushed over to grip your shoulders. “Don’t half-ass it! You the Queen, right?” He eyed you expectantly, waiting for you to catch on.

“Hell yeah, I’m the Queen!”

“You damn right, you the Queen. Act like it and let’s go get you this crown.”

The end of Chadwick’s pep talk started six weeks of ‘Boseman Bootcamp.’ Every evening after class and practice, your otherwise chill best friend would force you to spend another two hours on your feet preparing for the pageant. With books on your head, he would watch you wobble around your apartment in heels, trying to keep your head high and back straight.

Conversations with his older sister gave you an idea of how to prepare your opening speech, complete with practice rounds to ensure that you slowed your words to remain clear and concise for judges. Additional sessions with his friend and former Queen, Layla, gave you an inside scoop on how to impress during the solo interviews and group sessions before you even hit the stage.

Chadwick cleared his schedule as much as he could to work on the dance sequence and talent portion, being sure to give his honest opinion every step of the way. The only thing he hadn’t done was pick your outfits for the night, contending that he wanted to be surprised with everyone else.

With all of the prep focused whipping you into perfect pageant form, you forgot to warn him about the possibility of guests. Honestly, you intentionally chose to keep both sides in the dark. From the first mention of the pageant to your mother in passing, plans were crafted to have your family jump on the first flight from Atlanta to D.C. to witness your crowning moment. While your sister was aware of Chadwick’s place in your life and your feelings, you purposely omitted those when it came to your parents. In their minds, no one would hold a candle to your high school boyfriend and Marine standout, Tariq, so there was no need to fill them in on the second man in your life. Especially since the relationship had yet to progress beyond an innocent peck on the forehead and a few kind words. Chadwick wasn’t your boyfriend and, therefore, there was no need for introductions.

Despite never pressing the issue, Chadwick regularly wondered why you never made an effort to introduce him to the rest of the Green clan. Since the night they met you, his family regularly asked about your wellbeing and made you a regular fixture in family moments. If he was on his way home for a break, you were more than welcome to tag along, an invitation you accepted on more than one occasion. They regarded you as a piece of the family, and it hurt him to think about the possibility that you were ashamed of him.

When your family rolled into town early Thursday morning, you made sure to keep the two parties separate. Your mother was the first to walk into your home, looking around for any visible signs of dirt or disarray.

“Well, Tasha, I see you’ve kept the place clean like I taught you,” she lazily ran her fingers across the coffee table’s surface to check for dust.

“Or she’s trying to hide the evidence,” Tiana, your younger sister, snickered. “Where’s lover boy?”

“TiTi,” you hissed in response but, it was too late. The secret was out.

“Loverboy? You got a boyfriend, little girl? And you didn’t even bother to tell your mama?”

“He’s not my boyfriend, ma! We’re...friends. Best friends.”

“I wish all my best friends were that fine,” Tiana laughed, snooping around the pictures on the walls leading to your bedroom.

Before you could defend yourself, loud banging and strained grunts shifted attention from your nervous sputtering to your father wrestling with Tiana’s suitcase to get in the door.

“I’ve carried sacks as heavy as a toddler up a hill. Hell, I’ve carried 200-pound men on my shoulders in the heat of battle. But I have never, ever, carried anything as big as this suitcase. Tiana, what did you bring all of this for?”

“I need options, daddy. There are college educated men all over the place. I have to stay ready!”

You and your father rolled your eyes at Tiana though you silently thanked God for the momentary distraction. Your dad, Gerald, was your best friend before you even knew what one was. He taught you everything you knew about baseball and basketball from the moment you expressed interest. He went to bat for you every time your mother made a fuss about your dirty dresses after church or how much time you spend outside trying to master a fadeaway jumper like Michael Jordan. When Tiana was old enough, you rejoiced in the fact that your mom finally had someone to go on shopping trips with and force into ballet.

Drastic differences between you and your mother put a damper on the relationship in high school but, with the help of family therapy sessions, the two of you came to understand that your differences were not rebellion. You were your own person, and Elaine had to accept that. Still, she told anyone who would listen how excited she was that her oldest girl would follow her campus queen footsteps.

“So, Pumpkin, you ready for Saturday night? Have you been practicing,” your father asked over dinner.

The soft chatter of other patrons did little to help ease the worry clouding your mind. “Yes, sir. Me and...a friend have been working for a month and a half. I feel confident going in.”

“That’s my girl. You’re a winner! Just like your old man!”

Your mother eyed you over the table, not ready to bypass the second mention of your “friend.”

“Is this friend going to be at the pageant? Why didn’t you invite him to dinner?”

Your father nearly choked on his sweet tea, prompting your mother to pat him on the back through his coughing spell. “Him? Pumpkin, do you have a boyfriend.”

If you could’ve, you would have melted into a puddle of embarrassment and slid out of the door to the nearest storm drain. Instead, you were forced to face the three sets of eyes awaiting your explanation. Realizing that you would no longer be able to keep your business private, you opened your mouth to provide details.

“No, daddy, he’s not my boyfriend. He’s my friend who happens to be a boy. He’s dating someone else right now,” you half lied. He wasn’t dating Michelle; he was fucking her and maybe saying hello when he would see her on campus. That didn’t stop her from swearing that they were more.

“And what is this boy’s name?”

“Chad. Well, Chadwick bu-”

“Chadwick? What the hell kind of name is Chadwick?”

“A rich man’s name,” Tiana mumbled while sipping her drink and looking around the restaurant. She didn’t notice that the attention had shifted to her lusty outburst until she turned her head back to the conversation. “What? With all that directing he’s doin’, he better be rich one day.”

“Ti, don’t do this.”

“And you better marry him!”

“Tiana!” She playfully stuck out her fruit punch coated tongue as you rolled your eyes, making a mental note to wait until she was at least 21 before you shared any more information with her.

“Marry,” your mother scoffed. “Oh, I need to meet this boy! Marrying an artist? What has gotten into you? What about Tariq?”

“Elaine, Tariq isn’t the best catch,” your father defended.

“Says who? He’s handsome, his career is stable, and she’s known him since they were kids. He’s clearly her type.”

“Tariq is also gay,” you interrupted, fed up with the discussion. “Even if I was interested in him, the feelings aren’t mutual.”

Holding on to that secret was tough enough without having to blurt it across the sticky table of a chain restaurant. Your mother had no idea what you type was because she spent much of your life setting you up with her type. You loved men with confidence and a free spirit. Elaine enjoyed the bravado of military personnel and the security that came with being a Marine wife. Trying to please her in high school led to several unnecessary heart breaks. As soon as you were accepted to an institution miles away from her overbearing gaze, you vowed to date who you wanted. With the exception of Chadwick, it was working.

Elaine’s jaw slacked with confusion before she could recover. “Well then, I...I guess you have it all figured out. I’ll back off.”

“Ma, I did-”

“No, no,” she started, smoothing out her khaki skirt and looking to you with a smile. “You’re an adult now. You know much more about yourself than I could ever. I know you’re capable of making good decisions.”  

Silence hit the table for a brief moment as you smiled back at your mother. Though small, the breakthrough was more than you had been able to pull out of her in years. Clearing her throat, Tiana injected her contagious energy into the mix.

“So, is he really gay? I knew it!”

                                      ___________

Thursday transitioned into Friday before you could get a grip on what was happening. With your parents in a separate hotel, you felt comfortable enough to bring Chadwick back to your apartment for last-minute pageant prep. Though you hated to admit it, he was becoming your sense of calm in the whole ordeal.

His large knuckles obnoxiously tapped at your door, making you groan, and Tiana’s eyes light up. If you didn’t know her, you would assume that she was about to go on a first date. Her Karl Kani mid-drift and high waist denim showed the most skin she’d ever been able to show in her entire life. When you told her to get dressed for company, you didn’t intend for her to go in your closet to mimic your personal style. Swinging open the door, you watched Chadwick continue to drum against the door with a smile.

“CoCo Green finally decided to call a brotha.”

“Oh, hush. I don’t see you for one day, and you act like I abandoned you!”

Laughing, he pecked your forehead to Tiana’s surprise. Heat rushed to your cheeks, burning your face almost as much as the grin you’d been holding.

“You must be Chadwick,” Tiana boldly assumed, changing her voice to mimic Toni Braxton’s.

Chadwick turned to you with a smile, realizing who she was by the resemblance. “Yeah, that’s me. Tiana, right? I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Oh, have you?” She cooed, batting her eyelashes.

“Tasha talks about you all the time. How’s Mathletes?”

Tiana’s ‘grown-up’ facade quickly dropped at the mention of her high school activities. Rolling her eyes, she slid from the arm of the couch onto the cushions, grumbling incoherent phrases.

Chadwick shared a look with you before following you into the kitchen to keep the conversation private, “How you feeling, Champ. You ready to take your crown?”

“I don’t know, Aaron. I saw LeAndra at dress rehearsals last night, and she’s good. Like, really good. I can’t compete with that.”

His face screwed up, “She can’t even read. Trust me, I know. I had to listen to her audition last semester.” Memories of sitting in on the “closed” auditions with Chadwick temporarily pushed away your negative thoughts. “What can we do to make you feel ready?”

“She needs a hug,” Tiana yelled from the living room. “From you!”

“Do you,” he asked, eyebrows quirking in mischief. “Come here! Let me give you some love.”

Try as you might, you couldn’t escape the long arms of your childish friend. Chadwick easily pulled you into his body, tickling your sides and drawing a cackle from you in response. His arms tightened around you, turning the innocent moment into a hormone-charged embrace. Your eyes locked for a flash before both of you backed up to opposite sides of the kitchen.

“Yeah so, uh, can we go over my talent one more time?”

“We can but, I think you got it. You’re gonna be amazing, girl. And, even if you’re not, I’m gonna tell you that you are.”

“You plan on lying to me?”

“I never lie to you.” Eye contact created another stalemate as you searched his eyes for any indication of a lie. You found none as usual. Throwing your hands up in surrender, you turned to rummage through the fridge to retrieve a Gatorade for both of you. Chadwick shifted his weight in preparation for his next question. “I see your sister is here. Does that mean that I get to meet your parents this weekend?” In surprise, your head slammed against the top of the refrigerator making Chadwick laugh. “I get it if you don’t want to, Co. I’m just saying...I had no problem introducing you to mine.”

“Chad…”

“Don’t explain. Pass me that Gatorade and let’s go practice these questions.”

Before you could rush out an apology, he was out of the kitchen and interacting with Tiana on the way to your room.

The question and answer session did wonders on your anxiety, allowing you to prepare in front of the master of stage presence himself. His constant reminders to smile and exude confidence burned into your brain by the end of the hour-long rehearsal, you felt like you would excel during at least one portion of the competition.

On the way out of your room, Tiana gave you a cheeky smile behind Chadwick’s back, receiving a set of middle fingers in return. Closing the door behind you, you turned to face your friend.

“Tomorrow,” you started abruptly.

“What?”

“Come early tomorrow. You can meet them then, okay?”

A broad smile spread across his face, revealing his beautiful gap, “Okay, girl. I’ll hold you to that. Tomorrow.”

Final goodbyes followed until he was out of sight and off to finish his day. Walking back into your apartment, you found Tiana attempting to jump back onto the couch to act natural.

“Would it kill you to mind your business,” you asked sitting beside her on the sofa.

“I don’t know. Would it kill you to stop actin like you don’t want that man? Introducin’ him to Mama and Daddy? Sounds like Miss CoCo has a maaan!” Her cackle made your turn your nose up in disgust. A quick flick of the wrist sent a decorative pillow against her face, switching the roles. “Dammit, Tasha, I’m telling Daddy!”

“Good! Then I’ll tell him about this outfit stunt you pulled.” Her mouth opened to speak before closing in defeat. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Now put my shit back!”

                                           ____________

“A little blush here,” a beat, “More on this side...and here we go!” Your mother whipped out a handheld mirror to allow you to judge her makeup application.

Your eyes crinkled as your cheeks rose in a smile, happy with the job she did. While Tiana adjusted the tiny hat over your hair, you turned from side to side to get a better look. Powder foundation rested against your soft skin, a light layer of blush accentuating the apples of your cheeks. Her signature red lipstick was passed to you to add to the look and give you, what she considered feminine appeal.

Still, as you looked around the crowded dressing space at the nine other contestants, you couldn’t help but feel out of place.

Apparently, you missed the extensions memo; your usually short haircut washed and conditioned to form a tightly coiled afro . The other women looked so beautiful and petite in their cruise ship attendant outfits, contrasting the way your long legs and big feet seemed almost manly underneath the short skirt.

Sensing your moment of self-doubt, your mother grabbed the lapel of your jacket, “You know, I didn’t look like a pageant queen either.”

“Impossible. You’re so pretty.”

She smiled and unpinned the broach on her coral dress, sticking the sharp end into the inside of your jacket. “Back then, all the girls looked like you. They were so tall and lean and, there I was, short and could barely see over the microphone.” Without looking at you, she clasped the bedazzled frog pin onto your outfit. “I believe in you, Tasha. You can do it.”

“Mama, this is your lucky pin. I can’t take this.”

“You damn right, you can’t. I’m gonna need that back until you cross those burning sands,” she laughed. “But, tonight, let the power of my founders lead and guide you.”

Her smile matched your own as she pulled you into a hug, rocking your body from side to side. Lost in the moment, you didn’t hear your father walk up until he cleared his throat.

“Uh, pumpkin, this young man says he knows you. Pushed past three people at the door to get back here.”

Opening your eyes, you found Chadwick nervously standing beside your father, cowering away from his death glare. His chest and torso were barely visible behind the assortment of flowers in his hand.

“Yeah, I know him, daddy. This is the friend I was telling you about. Chad, meet my mom and dad.”

“Hi, Mrs. Green,” he nervously replied. As if the light bulb in his head turned on, he jumped to pull a sunflower from the bouquet. “This is for you. I know Tasha has a rose allergy so I, uh, I got these instead. If you don’t like it, I can take them back!”

“No need, Chad. These are lovely. Thank you.” Your mother graciously accepted the single flower, giving you an amused nod before turning to organize the rest of your outfits.

Chadwick made sure to greet Tiana again, handing her a sunflower identical to your mother’s. Your father’s intimidating stare dialed back at your request as he introduced himself, smiling at you over Chadwick’s head.

“And these are yours,” he added, placing the bouquet in your lap. “I wanted to give them to you before it got too crazy at the end. My mom, dad, and Kevin said good luck, by the way. You look...wow. They should go ahead and crown you right now.”

“Whatever. Look at all these girls. I’m so out of place right now.”

Chadwick took a look around, waving at a few of the women that waved at him, before turning back with a shrug. “Between you and me, they all look the same. You stand out, and that’s what’s important. Stop doubting yourself.”

You couldn’t tell but, your family heard every word of Chadwick’s declaration and shared school like giggles in the corner amongst each other. You smiled at his kind words, nuzzling your nose against the flower in your hand.

“Ladies, place! The show begins in ten!”

Bodies scrambled to get into place, prompting you to stand and adjust your skirt. Your support group gave you their last encouraging words on the way to the auditorium, leaving you to do the rest of the pep talking inside your head. In a flash, the big moment approached and sent waves of adrenaline pumping throughout your bloodstream.

Lakeside’s “Fantastic Voyage” fit the cruise ship theme for the opening number to a tee though, you reminded the director on several occasions that the blue costumes resembled flight attendant uniforms. Regardless, your feet and body worked as one to effortlessly carry from point to point, feeling like second nature as the song progressed.

By the end, you were perfectly positioned in the center of the group, smiling down at the judges and audience in a textbook pageant pose. You kept your introduction short and concise like you had been instructed, remaining upbeat and cheery through the opening speech. The bright lights may have skewed your vision but, nothing could stop you from reacting to the loud hoops and hollers of your teammates, family, and Chadwick.

The praises from the audience intensified during the swimsuit portion, further adding to your overall confidence. You waltzed across the stage in a bright red, two-piece and matching wrap skirt, highlighting the athlete’s body that many didn’t know existed. Chadwick attempted to avert his eyes because of his proximity to your father but, he couldn’t seem to look away. He knew that you were beautifully proportioned from the times he’d seen you dressed to party and, still, he wasn’t prepared to see your legs holding a perfect behind and the abs of steel that rested above them.

“Talents” graced the stage following swimwear, becoming a cacophony of botched monologues, off-key song covers, and rhythmless dancing. Your acoustic rendition of Angel of Mine, taught to you day and night by Chadwick captivated the judges and earned you raucous praise from the audience.

A brief intermission allowed you to shimmy out of your swimsuit with the help of your mom and sister and into your formalwear. The red, halter neck dress showed off your toned shoulders and stopped just above the floor. The slit in the front gave you the right amount of room to walk with no obstacles, and the train in the back added drama to the look.

After your walk and bio read by the MC, you waited in line for the question and answer portion. The questions ranged from silly to serious, seemingly alternating as they got closer to you. LeAndra went before you, picking out a slip of paper and handing it to the MC in front of her.

“Contestant Four, do you believe that you are a good role model?”

Year of experience showed through her proud stance as she rolled her shoulders back and flashed a bright smile. You had to admit; she was your stiffest competition in the whole ordeal. LeAndra was beautiful, well known and already involved in campus activities. Her desire to be a politician in her home state of Mississippi made her charming but, her extensive knowledge of pageantry made her a threat.

“What a great question,” she cooed, stretching her Southern drawl. “I do believe that I am a good role model. Howard University has afforded me the opportunity to affect my local and global community in so many ways. Whether it’s working with the Boys and Girl club during my Spring Break or spending time with the elderly, I’m always sure to give back while maintaining an honors-level GPA and participating in extracurriculars. The Bison grind has made me an excellent role model, and I intend to use those principles if I am chosen as the next Miss Howard University.”

Satisfied claps from the audience and impressed head nods followed her answer, making her beam with pride on her walk back to her spot.

Your heart thumped loudly in your ears as your turn drew closer. Dipping a shaking hand into the basket, you chose a question and prayed that it was one of the ones you spent all night going over.

“Contestant five, why do you think you are the best choice for Miss Howard University.”

Taking a deep breath, you released you worry and focused on the question. “Thank you so much for that question. I love your coat by the way,” the audience and judges laughed at your compliment. “In all honesty, my flaws make me the best candidate for Miss Howard University. I’m an unconventional choice that shows the everyday woman that beauty comes in all forms. I’m a little loud, not always graceful and I snort when I laugh. Those quirks make me relatable. Women all over campus can see themselves in me and...that’s how it should be. If I’m chosen, I plan to show other women the beauty in their flaws as well.”

“You sure are beautiful!” ripped through the atmosphere, coming from the only person in the room bold enough to scream out during a formal event. Your smile grew when you spotted your family and Chadwick giving you the thumbs up. No matter the outcome of the night, you felt fortunate to have such amazing people by your side.

Sauntering back to your spot, you felt peace in knowing that you gave it your best effort. The outcome was no longer in your hands, and you would accept whatever result came your way.

Another intermission to tally the votes gave you time to say a quick prayer behind the thick velvet curtain. When the veil was pulled back to reveal the ten contestants for the last time before a winner was crowned, the crowd stood their feet to offer a standing ovation.

“Wow, aren’t these ladies stunning?” the MC asked over the noise. “This is by far the greatest pageant I’ve had the pleasure of hosting, and I wish each of you the best of luck. Without further ado, let’s present the awards voted on by the contestants themselves.” Certificates for Most Reliable, Best Smile and Miss Congeniality were passed out quickly and without much fanfare. The real awards were the most important, and you needed to know the outcome before you exploded on stage.

“Now, for the moment all of these ladies have been waiting for, the announcement of Miss Howard University. First, we’ll announce the first runner-up who will serve as Miss Blue and White for the 1999-2000 academic year. Your new Miss Blue and White is…”

Suspense hung in the air and breath caught in your throat as the MC let the tension build.

“Everyone, stand and congratulate Miss Tasha Nicole Green.”

Your mouth hung open from shock as the reigning Miss Blue and White motioned you over to receive your crown and sash. Loud whistles from the crowd clashed in your ears but, none louder than Chadwick’s. You graciously waved to the crowd, still shocked that you were even called. You fully expected to walk out empty handed and party your disappointment away with your teammates. Instead, you stood as a member of the Royal Court.  

“And, your Miss Howard University for the 1999-2000 academic year is...Miss LeAndra F. Harvey!”

Tyrese’s ‘Sweet Lady’ played in the background for her victory lap as onlookers cheered her accomplishment. Joining them, you clapped for her success earning a sweet smile in return. It was no secret that LeAndra wasn’t the nicest person during the process but, if you were forced to serve beside her for an entire school year, it made sense to be kind sooner rather than later.

Two hours, 1,000 pictures and a set of sore feet later, the ordeal was over, and you were granted the opportunity to sit down and rest in the designated dressing area. Your teammates rushed you first to make jokes about you turning soft on them, you coaching making sure to remind you that being a queen didn’t excuse you from practicing. Other contestants congratulated you and LeAndra came over to compliment you on your performance. Finally, you were greeted by your family, Chadwick noticeably hanging behind.

“Oh, my baby is a queen,” your mother exclaimed, pulling you into the tightest hug you could stand. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you, Mama. I couldn’t have done it without you and the frog,” you smirked.

“Pumpkin can shoot the three and curtsey. Jack of All Trades just like her old man.”

“Thanks, Dad.” You accepted his kiss on the cheek with a smile, noticing Tiana’s expression. “What you got to say, TiTi?”

“I wanna know when the queen perks kick in! Can we get into parties tonight or do we have to wait a weekend? I can come back!”

“See, this is why you’ll be staying home and going to Spelman, young lady,” your mother scolded, pulling your sister away to gather all of your things.

With your family occupied, Chadwick stepped up to greet you, “You did amazing,” he rushed out.

“Thank you, Aaron. You really helped me out. This is your win, too!”

“I wouldn’t be nearly as nice in a dress,” he laughed. Pulling you up and off of your chair, he engulfed you in a hug, the strength of his arms locking you into place. “Congratulation, Co. I’m proud of you.”

You settled into the hug for a moment until you noticed the smiles from your family. Your mother, the naysayer from the beginning, gave you a thumbs up before pulling your sister and father out of the space and to the car.

“I think they like you.”

“Who,” he asked, pulling away to look around.

“My family. They like you. I can tell.”

He laughed loudly, picking up your shoes from the floor beside you and extending his hand for you to grab. “Probably not nearly as much as my family like you. You know my mama tried to come up here for this, right. She’s gonna go crazy when she sees the pictures I took.”

“Oh God, please, don’t show her the swimsuit photos.”

“I won’t,” he agreed, holding the door open for you to walk out of. “Those are for Kevin.”

                                      ____________

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