C H A P T E R T W O
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Normani wasn't aware of time or location. She was only aware of the blinding light that stung her closed eyelids and the feeling of her brain pounding agasint her skull like an overhyped drummer. She woke with a groan and rolled over from her stomach to her side. Her eyes fluttered open but a searing pain originating from her eyes reacting to the direct light that fell on them.

"Shit." She grumbled and closed her eyes again.

After twenty minutes, Normani managed to sit up. Her head felt heavy and the headache from hell continued to pound on. Her door opened and Anika stepped in, holding a tray.

"Hey, you're finally up. Good Morning Sunshine." Anika said.

"Ugh. My head is killing me." Normani complained.

"Well, that is expected. You were fucking trashed last night, it was quite funny."

"I don't remember drinking that much, though."

"Your annoying dance friend said otherwise." Anika said teasingly. "Plus, I had to help you to bed last night. You were so gone but it was funny and you needed it. Anyways, I brought you coffee and some asprin to help with that hangover."

Anika lowered the tray on the sheet over Normani's lap and sat across her on the bed. Normani smiled at her. She took a couple of sips of the coffee. Anika had used her favourite mug and had made the coffee just how she liked it.

"Ugh, I'm so lucky to have you as a friend." Normani said with a little pout.

"You best believe. You'll never find anyone like me."

"Not that I'd even try to replace you, hoe." Normani tutted.

Normani and Anika had been best friends since the tenth grade and although Anika hadn't been the longest-standing friend, she was the one who had stayed. Anika was the kind of person she had instantly connected with and as time went by, their bond just grew stronger and stronger. The trials that had been thrown at them hadn't repelled them from one another but had instead brought them even closer.

When Anika had lost her father in eleventh grade and fell into a hole of depression so deep and dark that she had lost herself -- her other 'friends' had deserted her, unable to deal with her despondency and mood swings but Normani had stayed firmly rooted in her life. She was there for her through her grieving process. Normani's family had a strong belief in God and her mother had always taught her that she could never abandon a friend in need. Normani had spent many nights praying for Anika, when her heart could no longer handle to see her friend in such great misery. Anika had pulled through eventually, with a heavier heart that would never heal over losing her beloved father and great appreciation for Normani. Her loyalty to her grew into a fierce tsunami and after that experience, Anika was down for her for better and for worse.

Anika had been there for Normani for the darkest period in her life. The past six months had been absolutely nightmarish but Normani was in the last hour before dawn and she could see the sun coming. She could feel it in her bones that the worst was over and she was finally healing.

"So, how did last night go?" Anika asked.

Normani took a sip and took a moment to contemplate, some of the previous night's details were a bit fuzzy. Anika simply watched and waited. She was dressed homely, in blue cotton shorts and a red tank top. Anika had glorious honey-brown skin, with a sharp jawline, large dark eyes, full eyebrows, perfectly pouted pink lips and a petite stature. She was exquisitely beautiful and Normani had often times felt a bit like a potato in her presence, though she was far from it. Normani was also strikingly beautiful, with skin like brown sugar, and soft, plump brown lips, earthy brown eyes and a body sculpted by gold and magic.

"Girl, I couldn't tell you this last night, but I got to be a backup dancer for SZA!"

"OMG, SZA SZA, as in 9 ft Willow Smith SZA? Get out!?"

"Yeah, yeah that's the one!"

"BITCH!" She exclaimed. "This is huge."

"I know."

"Oh, my lord..." Anika stood up and began to dramatically fan her self with her hand, eyes rolling back. She clutched at her chest and leaned against the wall.

"Dear God."

"Wow." Normani chuckled. "You're so damn dramatic."

"Bitch, you danced for a celebrity. Bitch this is insane. I can't breathe." Anika continued.

After a few seconds, she stopped her dramatic show and sat back on the bed. She cleared her throat a little and mustered the most serious expression she could muster.

"Continue."

Normani laughed at that, throwing her head back and letting out a full on cackle.

"I swear you're just something else."

"You love me. Now tell me more."

"Right, so SZA was performing at some rich girl's twenty-first birthday party. It was in one of those mad exclusive clubs. She had it booked out and shit it was lit. The music was fire and there was so much alcohol I just had to have some."

"Mmm girl you had a bit more than some." Anika interrupted.

"Anyways, I met a man there." Normani said excitedly.

"Girl, now you gotta tell me this!"

"Girl, he was so sexy." Normani threw her head back whining. "He was so fine girl. He was all dark, with this rock hard body and his voice? Lord!" She squealed.

"What happened?"

"We danced together and he was all pressed up behind me and all, we kissed and girl, it has been a while since I've been kissed like that." Normani's eyes fluttered at the thought of the man she had met last night, her ears burning when she thought of how good it had felt to kiss him and to be near him the way she was. His voice and his scent had been so intoxicating and the desire she'd felt for him had overwhelmed her insanely.

"Yaas babygirl." Anika whispered proudly and stood to kiss the top of her head. "Yes this is what I've been waiting for." She looked up at the ceiling and mouthed a 'thank you God.'

"Did you finally get dicked down last night?"

"No. We just kissed."

"You sound disappointed."

Normani blushed then and she was glad her dark skin hid it. Normani had never been one to sleep with someone she had just met but she was ashamed at how much she had wanted to drag Keith into a corner and let him take her.

"Did you get his name or was your mouth too busy with other things ?"

"Keith." Normani answered back with a roll of her eyes. "You know I don't kiss up on strangers."

"Did you get his number?"

Normani frowned. "No. Peaches dragged me out while he was in the bathroom and I was too drunk to remember."

"Aww, bummer."

"Nah, I'll find him," Normani said with strong determination. "It's the twenty-first century, he's gotta be somewhere on social media."

"What if he's the type of nigga who doesn't use social media?"

"I refuse to believe that. I will find him."

"Did you get the last name at least?"

"No."

"Good luck." Anika scoffed playfully and stood up. She took the tray with the empty coffee cup and turned to leave.

"I have an architecture test to study for babes, talk later," Anika said.

"Okay, talk later. Thanks for the coffee and aspirin."

"Anything for you babes."

X O

Around that same time, Keith was seated at in one of the lounge chairs that was placed parallel to the sun that flooded through his penthouse. At the moment, he was on Instagram on his iPad searching for the girl from last night. It was a bright new day and he sipped lightly on his expresso. He had a meeting to attend in forty minutes and he'd already showered and dressed impeccably for it, in navy trousers, a white button-up and a beige blazer.

Thinking back to last night had a smile gracing his lips. The girl from last night, Normani had been an absolute dream to be with. He thought of how she'd seemed more beautiful up close and how her body felt wrapped securely in his and the potent smell of her perfume and the feel of her lips against his and when she had ground against him. . . dear Lord, the woman was too sexy for what was humanely possible.

He had to find her. It had been a while since Keith had felt anything for a woman and the way he had connected with Normani last night was beyond anything that had ever happened to him. Keith was quite a reserved guy and didn't easily warm up to women, well not the way he had to Normani. He usually never kissed a woman on the first day he met her and he certainly didn't dance with them like that. Karibu had teased him about it all night and that morning when he was on his way out to meet Alexis and her family for a continuation of her birthday weekend. They were going for wine tasting and Keith had gratefully declined. Last night had been enough for him.

So far, he'd tried to find Normani by typing 'normani' on the search bar. None of the people that popped up were his Normani.

He went back to his homepage and there, he saw that Alexis had just uploaded a picture. It was of her from last night with her girlfriends and they were all posed for the camera, in their matching pink dresses, standing in order of shortest to tallest with Alexis in the centre.

The caption read alexisgold : the A-team.👑 #Alexis21st

He was about to scroll on (without liking the picture) when he thought back to the fact that Alexis could've uploaded pictures of the celebrities performing. If he could access SZA's Instagram handle, she might've also had posted about the night and maybe, just maybe she would've tagged her dancers. A lot of celebrities did that but others didn't. He hoped SZA was a part of the former.

He clicked onto her profile and sure enough, among the masses and masses of pictures of herself last night along with pictures of her and Karibu, he found a picture of SZA. It was a selfie Alexis had taken with her and Dua. Clicking on sza he was directed to the pop star's page and right there was the source of his answered prayers. Lo and behold, not only had Camila posted pictures of performing from last night, she'd also posted a video and in it, she was dancing up front with Normani. He scrolled through each one but his heart dropped when he realised that everyone but Normani had been tagged.

Scrolling through the comments he saw that a ton of people were commenting with hearts and fire emojis, fans most probably. He saw one comment though, that stood out peachesemporium: thanks for the opportunity of performing with you last night! it was so phenomenal❤ one thing though, i think you forgot to tag Mani 🙉! her @ is nkkordei ✨💛

He breathed a sigh of relief when he pressed on the @ and he was redirected to Normani's Instagram profile. She was a private user though and the place where her name was supposed to be was empty so only her @ and her picture showed. He knew it was her though and his heart flittered momentarily. He didn't waste time. He sent her a follow and DM request.

X O

When the backup dancers had been recruited, they'd been asked for social media details and because Normani was a last minute addition, SZA's team hadn't captured her details.

After Normani had sobered up and showered, she finally switched her phone on. She was a bit startled when her notifications started going crazy to the point where her phone froze for a good three minutes. They were mostly from Instagram and once her phone unfroze, she opened the app to see what the commotion was all about.

The first notification made her heart skip a beat : sza has tagged you in (5) posts

Although she was a private user, she was getting a ton of follow requests from people she didn't know, presumably some of Camila's followers.

She saw that she had a DM request and when she clicked on the message, her heart all but stopped.

keithikande : Hey Normani, it's Keith from last night. I'm so sorry I couldn't get your number from last night. You were phenomenal up on stage by the way. Can we talk?

After checking out his profile to verify that it was him, she didn't waste any time.

nkkordei : 917-***-**** text me 😉. I'm so glad you found me 😀.

Normani couldn't contain her smile and she all but let out a scream when her notification for WhatsApp shrilled.

917-***-* * * * : Hey Normani, it's Keith.