C H A P T E R F O U R T E E N

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Two hours and half a bottle of sweet wine later, the two best friends were sprawled out on the couch beside each other and continued with the conversation that had been interrupted earlier on.

"How did you meet Faye?" Normani asked.

Anika crossed her ankles and turned her head to her best friend.

"At a grocery store. She bumped into me and sent all my tinned cans flying all over the aisle floor," Anika replied with a dopey smile.

"Ooh, romantic," Normani said.

"Whatever," Anika said while waving her off.

"Anyway, so she knocked all my tins from my hands and she felt really bad about it, obviously and helped me pick them up. She wore this cute yellow sweater and high waist jeans and as she handed me those tins, I thought 'damn, she's cute. I got her to give me her number'and the rest is history."

"You finessed her? Wow, damn, I didn't know you had it in you. I'm actually proud."

"Thank you."

"Are you happy with her?"

Anika nodded, "very. She's special."

Her cheeks tinged pink and Normani couldn't help but be endeared.

"What was it like when you met her for the first time?"

"Nerve-wrecking," Anika replied with a shuddery breath. "We'd planned it for weeks and stuff right, but the day it arrived I could barely even eat. I drove to her house and for the entire two-and-a-half hour ride from Houston to Texas my leg was twitching. I made it to her family home and she was waiting for me on the curb and when I got out of the car and saw her for the first time – I don't know, Mani, it felt like I'd found the gold at the end of the rainbow. She just held on to me for a long time and my heart just started beating really fast. She makes me so happy, I can't describe it. I only have to wait a few more weeks until she moves here. I can't wait."

Anika hadn't even realised it, but her smile was so wide and genuine and Normani couldn't remember the last time her best friend had been this happy.

"So when she moves here, where's she going to live?"

"She's moving into an apartment complex not far from here."

"You told me she's going to community college right? What does she want to be?"

"She wants to be a social worker. She wants to help children especially, isn't that great?"

Normani could almost see the stars shining in Anika's deep brown eyes.

"And she's so pretty, like, super pretty. She's got these big brown eyes that sparkle in the sun and these freckles across her cheeks. You know how I feel about freckles. It's like God spent extra time making her, her beauty is unbelievable."

"Wow, you are so far into this rabbit hole," Normani said.

"I was in too deep from the moment I met her. I can't explain it Mani, she's just so... she's, yeah."

"Lovesick looks so cute on you. On a real note, I am so happy for you, Nika. You deserve this."

"Thank you Mani, I can't remember the last time I was this happy."

"So when will I get to meet your future wife?"

"Soon," Anika replied and then added, "but now that we're done with me I want to know about you and that fine man of yours."

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"Have y'all fucked yet?" Anika asked and wiggled her eyebrows.

"You are so crass."

"Bitch, stop acting like Polly the Polite and tell me if you got dicked down or not. I've been itching to know."

"Fine, alright, alright. I'll tell you," Normani replied and Anika smile was so wide that it took up most of the space on her face.

"We almost did it."

Anika frowned.

"Almost? Why almost?"

"Karibu happened, that's why," Normani said and rolled her eyes.

"Keith's friend?"

"Yeah, like we were at his apartment right, during the weeks that I slept over. We were making out and half of our clothes were gone and I told him to, you know --" Normani motioned with her hands.

"No, I actually don't know," Anika said while she smirked at her friend.

"Nika-"

"I don't speak hand language. How the fuck am I supposed to know what that means?"

Anika continued to egg her friend on, smirking at her with an endless sea of mirth in her eyes.

"Fine you hell-bound bitch, I asked him to make love to me --"

"Oh, you're got all Shakespearean with that nigga huh? That's so cringey, who the fuck in our generation still says that? 'Ooh Mr Big Strong Nigerian Dark Chocolate Man, please make love to me," Anika said in a high-pitched tone.

It was made to mock Normani with a hand pressed to her chest and her head rolled back.

"I won't tell you more of the story if you keep on making fun of me!" Normani replied and whacked Anika with one of the couch pillows.

"That hurt!"

"You deserve it you godawful bitch! Anyway! So he asked me if I was sure and everything, you know how Keith is. I assured him I was and then we got naked and stuff, right and then I asked him to, you know, go slow because I haven't slept with a man in a long time. So he started with the foreplay until I was dripping and all hot, bothered, shaking and begging."

Anika listened with avid interest, her eyes widened in awe.

"He entered me with just his tip and even from that I'm crying tears of joy and everything and it he was this close  to pushing the rest of himself in and in that exact moment, Karibu decided to knock on the front door."

"Oh no," Anika said with a frown.

"What did you guys do? Did you know he was coming?"

"We had to stop and get dressed. He was three hours early for the match he and Keith wanted to watch. I was going to be at dance class at that time."

"That sucks."

"Keith is actually quite happy we got interrupted. He thinks it was God telling us that we weren't ready."

"God wouldn't block your blessings like that, though. He knows how long you've wanted that dick for."

"Bro, I've wanted to sleep with Keith since I met him and we've been dating for close to seven months now and we still haven't gone all the way."

"At least you didn't say make love again."

"I really can't stand you sometimes, you know that?"

"Yeah, but you love me all the time, and on the bright side at least he's eaten you out."

"I still get goosebumps when I think about the night that it happened," Normani replied enthusiastically, tipping her head back and hugging her arms.

"I felt the same way when Faye did it."

"Y'all have already fucked?"

Anika nodded, "yeah, like on the first day."

Anika released a soft chuckle at the look on Normani's face.

"I was set to head back home after spending the whole day with her, then she kind of got me to make out with her in the back seat of the car and then before I knew it she had my legs over her shoulder and she was trying to make my soul leave my body."

Anika tried to sound nonchalant but the light tinge in her cheeks gave her away.

"I-" Normani's lips parted, "I don't know who you are anymore."

"I don't know how she does it," Anika said, raising her arms in surrender.

"You know how I feel about having sex anywhere that's not a private bedroom and about fucking on the first date, but there she was, fucking me with her tongue in Aunt Rindy's car. I couldn't even look at her in the eye for a week after that knowing the sins I'd commited in her car."

"But as long as it was good, then it was worth it."

"It was more than worth it. Dude she does this thing with her tongue where she angles it a certain way-"

"TMI!" Normani replied.

"Bitch, you sent me a paragraph about what Keith's fingers can do inside of your vagina and now you're telling me this is 'TMI?' you're such a hypocrite."

'No, I'm just not used to you being so, un-Anika like. It feels weird to go into detail about your sex life. Are you forgetting that you're  the same girl who felt uncomfortable to describe what it felt like to hold her boyfriend's hand?"

"I was thirteen!"

"And you carried on that way until senior year, dumbass!"

"Fair enough. But okay, anyway, Faye has an amazing tongue. I'll leave it at that."

"Did you get to reciprocate? Get to drink from her wells too?" Normani asked with a teasing expression.

"I will when she comes here. She wanted to 'focus on me' when we were in Texas, but I've been practising. She won't be able to walk for an entire weekend if all goes well."

"Oh, that's the shit I like to hear. Yas girl, make her soul leave her body."

"Then take her out for food afterwards. It's a fucking plan."

"We're like, on the same wavelength right now."

"Because we're fucking geniuses."

"And that's why we're best friends," Normani said and they high-fived each other.

                                                                                                          XO

"Maaani! Did you see what happened today?" Peaches squealed as soon as Normani entered the dance studio for class.

"Yeah, I did," Normani said with a chuckle.

The one-minute Instagram version of their dance had been making rounds in all the melanin feeds and that morning, a few celebrities had liked it, sending a large influx of followers to both Peaches and Normani's Instagram accounts.

"I got fifteen hundred new subscribers on YouTube just today!" Peaches fanned her face with her little hand, "and it's all thanks to you! Girl you are a goldmine. Everything you've been touching this year just turns into gold. We need to do more videos oh my gosh."

"Yeah, we'll do them sometime but right now we need to focus on our warm-ups because Imani has been giving us the eye since she walked in here. I don't think she's in a good mood."

Peaches's eyes widened.

"Right, right! Talk later, Mani!"

Peaches jogged over to her designated spot in the studio and fell into step with everyone else.

As Normani had predicted, Imani was in one of her moods so practice dragged on and by the time they were done, Normani was well and truly exhausted.

She was changing into a pair of her sweatpants when her phone screen flashed with an incoming FaceTime call.

She peered at her new iPhone 7s Plus screen and Alexis's name popped up. She had finally gotten a new phone the previous week with the money she'd gotten from her summer jobs.

She was so proud of herself for having accomplished what may have been a small feat to others but to her meant the world. Keith had gotten her the customised cover of one of her best pictures, a gift he couldn't resist getting for her.

She picked her phone up and answered the call.

"Hey, Mani," Alexis said.

"Hey girl, I haven't heard from you in a while."

"Yes, it's been forever. I just thought to pop in and say hi because I miss your gorgeous face."

Normani could tell that where ever Alexis was at was very bougie because she was dressed elegantly with a full face beat.

'Really?" Normani asked with a knowing glint in her eye.

"Okay, okay, I'm actually calling to personally deliver an invite to you."

"Yeah? Wassup?"

"Well, my makeup line made an 80% profit in its first nine months so to celebrate, I'm having an intimate girls-only party so you can't bring Keith. But you can bring a plus one."

"Can I bring plus two's?"

"Only because it's you. Yeah sure. The theme is all-white. There'll be drinks, food and of course, makeup and well, yes. Will I see you there?"

"When is it?"

"In two weeks time, Saturday night."

"I think I'm free."

"Great, I'll email you the deats  to make it more formal but I am literally so excited for this party."

"Me too," Normani replied, although it was for entirely different reasons.

×

Faye's move to New York had been delayed and Anika was deeply upset about it. Now Normani had created a reason for her best friend's girlfriend to come over and visit. Anika was over the moon and Normani was eager to meet the girl.

Normani stayed home and tidied up the place on the night before Alexis's party while Anika took an Uber to the airport.

She returned an hour later, carrying an overnight bag while her girlfriend trailed behind her. Faye was a soft-spoken girl which was wildly contradictory to all of the stories about her Anika had told told.

She was absolutely breathtaking, with tanned skin, doe-brown eyes, plump wide lips, a long nose and freckles across her cheeks.

She was a head shorter than Anika was a lot considering that Anika was only five-foot-four. There was a silver of similarity in her features to Arabella's, but Normani chose not to dwell on it too much.

After a light lunch, Faye and Anika headed into the bedroom.

The next evening, all three girls were dressed in formal all-white outfits and on their way to Alexis's party, Normani was video-calling her boyfriend.

"How do I look?" she asked and let the camera travel down her body. She was dressed in a silk blouse and a long pencil skirt and heels.

She'd changed her hair again to a curly lace front weave that was tied to the top of her head in an elegant bun. She wore a full face of makeup, too.

"You look absolutely breathtaking Awelewa!" Keith replied, "I'm still so upset you're choosing my arch nemesis over me."

"To be fair, she proposed this first."

"But I really wanted to see you," Keith said with a pout and Normani came to the scary realisation that she had influenced him far too much because that pout was actually making her feel guilty.

"You're seeing me on Monday, though, babe."

"Monday is so far, I miss you so much."

"I miss you too," Normani said and blew him a kiss.

He was lounging on his couch for the rest of the day, dressed in a pair of shorts and an old shirt. She liked looking at him when he was this domesticated because the man barely ever took a break.

"You should enjoy this opportunity to rest, babe."

"You right. I will flop in front of the TV with a couple of beers to wash my woes away."

"Ugh, you're so dramatic. Who raised you?" Normani said while playfully rolling her eyes. The uber entered a neighbourhood Normani wasn't familiar with so she knew they were close to Alexis's.

"Bye babe, I gotta go," she said and blew a few kisses and hung up.

"Was that your boyfriend?" Faye asked.

The girl had a slight accent while spoke as she'd lived in Colombia for a long time.

"Yeah."

"Oh cool, where's he from?" she asked.

"Nigeria."

"Oh," Faye smiled, "I hear the men there are muy execellente at a lot of things." She balled her hand up into a fist and flexed upwards.

Normani laughed at the implication, "now I see why you're Anika's girlfriend. Y'all need to get your mind's out of the gutter."

Faye gave Normani a mischievous smile and Anika looked at her like she'd found the cure to cancer.

"We make such a great team, babe, you and I," she said and kissed her temple. Faye blushed under Anika's affection.

"You guy are so sickenly adorable I can't even be mad that y'all taking shots at me and my man."

×

As was expected, Alexis lived in a large sprawling mansion in Upper New York. The entire place was decorated for the occasion and even a guard stood at the door. (Normani found the guard thing a tad bit dramatic, but then again these were rich people problems.)

"Maaani!" Alexis squealed as soon as she saw her. She embraced Normani with a tight hug. She was dressed in the most expensive-looking tailor-made silk pant-suit with a sixty inch weave hanging down her back. Her entire face beat consisted of her own make-up line products.

"And Normani's guests! Hi!"

"Alexis, this is my best friend Anika and her girlfriend Faye."

"Aww, you guys are a couple? You are both so fricken cute, I could just eat you both up," she said.

"Well, the party's this way," she said and made a sweeping motion with her hand towards the sprawling staircase.

There were only twenty people in attendance and all of the other seventeen girls were a part of Alexis's squad, Normani wasn't sure how the girl was able to keep up with that many people all in one go.

Each girl seemed to clamber for Alexis's attention – wanting to sit next to her, fetch her more glasses of wine and take her pictures for her Instagram. Normani was sure that they'd go pee for her if they could.

Alexis had decided to sit with Normani, Anika and Faye in an intimate corner in the room.

A tray of snacks and chilled white wine rested on the miniature table in front of them. The booth could only seat up to six people so two of Alexis's friends squashed up with them, sitting next to her.

"I get so annoyed when Karibu tackles me to the bed, or something when I've just done my foundation. He just doesn't get it," Alexis said.

"I hate it when my boyfriend does that too!" Normani replied.

The two girls had been dominating the conversation for a while now, while Anika cuddled with Faye and Alexis's friends listened avidly.

Anika kissed Faye's temple again and said, "that's why I'm so glad I'm dating a girl who understands."

"Oh, wait, she's your girlfriend?" one of Alexis's friends asked.

Anika nodded.

"Oh so you're lesbian?"

"Pansexual," Anika replied.

The girl raised her perfectly arched brow up in confusion, "you mean bisexual?"

"No. Pansexual. It means I have no preference, I like everyone."

"Wait, so you mean you like any ol person you see walking down the street? Even like us? No offence though, I'm straight, just asking."

"No, it means I have no problem dating anyone in the gender or sexuality spectrum -- male, female, non-binary, Trans – it doesn't matter to me."

"Well have you ever been with a Transgender?" the girl continued to persist but Anika remained calm and collected under her rapid-fire questioning.

"No, I haven't."

"So how do you know?"

"The same way most straight people know that they're only into the opposite gender without having to think about it," Anika said with a shrug.

"Okay but-"

"Oh my god, shut up Nara! You know how they say even morons seem smart if they're quiet? Take that advice. If you're going to be stupid at least don't show it, god!"

Everyone was shocked by Alexis's sudden outburst and said Naya turned to look at Alexis, her eyes wide with fear.  "Alexis, I'm so sor-"

"Get out of my fucking face," Alexis said and shooed her off. The girl practically sprinted out of the room with Alexis's other minion following right behind her.

"Woah," Faye said.

"Yeah, I won't have none of that queerphobic bullshit in my presence. And it's a good thing though, I've been meaning to get rid of Nara for the longest time ever. Anyway, Anika, Faye, you guys are an absolutely beautiful couple. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Thanks," Anika said while Faye simultaneously replied with, "thank you."

"Wow, Alexis, I didn't pin you to be so... pro LGBT." Normani said. She was actually impressed.

"Nah man, people should be allowed to love who they love and identify as they identify without some straight cis ignorant fool trying to berate them. Plus, it really isn't that big of a deal. Sexuality is so fluid."

"Have you ever been with a girl?" Anika asked.

"Yeah, totally. My best friend and I spent half of our high school years making out. Rachel discovered she was lesbian in junior year and I wanted to make sure of my own sexuality so we fooled around for a bit." Alexis was so nonchalant about it. Normani had never expectedany of this from her.

"Did she propose it or you?"

"I did. Rach was so shy in high school and I figured that there's no one on this planet who loves her more than me so why not be her first kiss? She was so scared it would split us apart but that's crazy, why in the world would I let her go? We're closer than ever now."

"Are you sure of your sexuality now?" Anika asked.

"Yep, I'm definitely straight. Girls are amazing but boys are more my alley. Especially my current boyfriend. Karibu is like my yummy sex god. I love him." Alexis licked her own lips and Normani laughed.

"Is Rachel here?" Normani asked.

"Nope. Rach is studying her undergrad in Politics in the UK. She wants to be an activist. I miss her but a bitch has gotta make moves you know?"

"Does Karibu know about her?" Normani asked.

"He knows she's my best friend but I haven't told him about what we used to do because it's none of his damn business."

"Well, have you and Rachel ever done more than make out?" Anika asked with a raised eyebrow.

Normani, Anika and Faye waited for her answer with avid interest.

Alexis smirked and then said, "I don't kiss and tell but I will say, scissoring is one of the best things to have ever been invented," and took a sip of her drink.

i had so much fun writing this chapter omg! i'm totally supposed to be studying for a semester test but here i am spending 4 hours on an update 😳

anyway! Leave me all of your thoughts in the comments and also if you liked this chapter give mee all of your stars ⭐.

p.s this book is headed to 5k reads so fast and it's actually really astounding to me. I can never thank you all enough for the support aaah! 💕