In the plaza near the mall was a stand-alone building by a line of high-end storefronts. Italicized in bold black letters over the tinted glass doors were the words Diamond Glitter. It was the pride of Tulip's heart. A physical representation of all her hard work and perseverance over the last seven years. She was no longer that little eighteen-year-old country girl that flew into Bush Intercontinental from Biloxi, Mississippi with a full scholarship to Prairie View A&M. She was fully integrated into Houston city life.

She stepped out of her Bronco, the only relic, and memento from her old life but who can blame her for keeping it. A free car is always a good thing even if it was lemon yellow. She lived in Mercedes and Tesla land but never felt the pressure to upgrade her wheels. She knew better ways to spend seventy grand and it wasn't on something that would depreciate once it rolled off the lot.

The Spring breeze toyed with the hem of her lime shift dress but she paid it no mind as she strutted to the door, which she knew was already unlocked. Niesha's on time wasn't everyone else's early as hell.

Tulip's navy pumps clicked on the polished concrete floor. Crisp white walls, eggshell furniture greeted her as the door swung close behind her.

She didn't cover her mouth as a yawn ripped it wide. There was no need for manners around her best friend and business partner. Niesha knew everything about her from how she liked her coffee to her period symptoms.

They met a year after Tulip graduated during a chance encounter at a free pilates class. She exercise class had shown her exactly how her muscles had relaxed during her office job of selling insurance and the curvy beauty took pity on her and invited her to a smoothie afterward. Tulip never frowned at sweet concoctions so she accepted. Between sips of her mango delight, she told the limber woman about her side hustle of throwing parties and discovered she was a web designer that had an entrepreneurial itch that needed scratching. They had been close ever since.  It was the last time Tulip did pilates, too.  

"Late night," Niesha asked with her iPad in hand standing beside the boutique's statement piece—a reclaimed wood table that was really a door they discovered at a garage sale near Katy. "Had a playdate." She joked.

"I really wish you wouldn't call it that." Tulip sat her purse on her pristine desk. Keeping it organized was a chore she executed every day. Her closet may be in disarray her office space never would.

Customers loved an organized planner. That was also why the cute modern boutique went through a deep clean after hours. Everything had to be on point come early in the morning. She hated having to hustle around the store to get things ready before it was time to open. She didn't need the added stress. People always came in looking for a Puffy party on a Pop-Tart budget before noon.

"Would you rather I say booty call?"

"That would be incorrect since it was a text." She flashed her grin fixing the scarf that kept her box braids in one uniformed place, down her back and out of the way.

"See." Neisha pouted, dropping the device to her chest. "You bending dudes to your will via text and I kept catching duds with that app."She sighed like a wounded puppy. "I'm tired of having first dates with every Tom, Dick, and Daequan."

"Harry." Tulip corrected. "It's Tom, Dick, and Harry."

"I don't know any Harry's." The device pinged and it garnered Neisha's focus instantly; she almost missed Tulip's head shake. "Exactly but I know three Daequan's."

Tulip chuckled starting up her laptop. "And they all spell their names differently."

"You gotta love our creativity. We'll do wonders with the twenty-six letters in the alphabet."

"And an apostrophe."

Niesha sounded her agreement as she took a sip from the Magic Potion coffee spot across the street.

"Uh," Tulip placed her hand on her hip as the Apple insignia lit up the thin screen. "You didn't get your boyfriend to bring me a coffee." She teased.

Niesha tsked, "Lachlan is not my boyfriend." She rolled her eyes with a quirk to her full lips. Everything on her was full. God wasn't stingy when he crafted Neisha Wright and she flaunted all her curves. Her plump thighs kissed each other under the African print pant, her D-cups were held firmly up by the Fenty lingerie she splurged on last month and hidden behind the simple grey t-shirt. A crown braid magnified the beauty of her thick, coily tresses on full display. "We're just friends. He doesn't see me that way."

"Mother fucka, what?" Tulip quipped at the end of a laugh. "Are you senile? That Irish fucker delivers you a coffee every damn morning without fail? He'd bring you an acai bowl for lunch if you asked. Shit, I bet you wouldn't even have to ask just fucking look hungry and he'd dot this damn door."

Neisha couldn't fight her own laugh then nodded her chin to the door, "We're open. Our clients don't know you swear like a pimp Across a hundred and tenth street."

Tulip swatted her words away with a flick of her hand, "I know how to code-switch, thank-you very much." She flashed a sweet, dazzling smile.

"That's what got us the Patal wedding,"

"And your love for Bollywood."

Neisha nodded, "Told you my love for subtitles would come in handy."

"When you're right, you're right." She joined her at the table, "But I'm not looking at another three-hour movie with dancing and singing. I like my movies with slashers or superheroes with fight sequences."

"I'm going to force-feed you culture every chance I get."

Tulip sighed knowing her friend was going to do just that, "I need to touch base with the Garcia's." She picked up one of the many mood boards lining the table. "See, if Marisol is still loving teal."

"She probably doesn't. She probably wants to switch back to the cream tablecloths."

"I'm calling today and I'm going to sincerely and concrete express that this must be the final decision. "The retirement party is in two weeks. I can't play around."

Neisha nodded with her sight trained on their twitter feed. Tulip left all things technology to her and Neisha left all things related to decor and up her.  "We're almost to a million followers on Insta."

"Good." Tulip did her happy dance that involved a whole lot of thrusting.

Neisha's bubbly infectious laugh filled the space."You silly."

"I know. It's fun." She invaded her friend's space, dancing all up on her. The two were sisters with different parents, no one could tell her otherwise.

The door swung open and a well-dressed mature man sauntered in. Tulip fixed her form but it was too late the man's face was around twisted from the boisterous display.

"I'm looking for a Tulip Carpenter." He stern stated.

"That's me." Tulip stepped forward flicking a stray braid back over her shoulder. "How can I help you?"

"I need to speak with you." He's hard eyes went to Neisha then quickly back to her. "In private. It's a sensitive topic."

"It's cool," Tulip nervously chuckled, glancing back at her friend.

He narrowed his eyes then went on, "It's about the baby you put up for adoption ten years ago."

"Ah...Oh. Um..." Tulip flinched at the words. "We can talk..." She looked around for a private space to usher the man off too but there was none in the open floorplan that dazzled her upon first sight.

"I need a refill," Niesha said shaking her cup, droplets of coffee sprouted out and slapped the floor. "I'll bring you a cold mocha macchiato back." She hustled to the door.

Tulip was thankful for her friend's gesture then trained her attention back on the man, "What's this about the baby?"

"Her mom, unfortunately, passed away." He dryly told with as much sympathy as a funeral director. "She left her to you."

"The fuck?" She blinked at the man. As he repeated the words she stood there frozen unable to get out another word or a coherent thought.

This had to be the worst fucking Friday of her life. She didn't know an open adoption came with a return policy also.

How do you think the rest of Tulip's Friday is going to go?

What do you call a 'booty call' that's a text?

Do you think Niesha is being oblivious or his Lachlan just being friendly and nice?

Is Tulip right about not upgrading her wheels to something new and shiny?