Applied for that internship yet?

It's after work when Asmaa sees this text, and she doesn't know what to do with it, especially because she's at Phoenix, and whenever she was at work law school felt so far away.

Almost as far away as both Yara and Google.

She could blame the girls. 

Not yet :( I've been swamped

She hits 'Send.'

"...okay, but what if Drake came in?"

"I'd fuck up and get wet, bitch!"

"Ew--For Drake?"

"Hell yes for Drake, what do you fucking mean?" Minnie exclaims, causing the room to grow loud as Asmaa's laughter rings with her co-workers. Min is clapping her hands between words, her cheek piercings glinting under the lights. "What. Do. You. Mean?"

"Yeah," Kezie takes off her makeup with makeup remover wipes, "that's baby daddy material."

"I don't know about that, y'all," Rory purses her lips. "Rih didn't want him--she keeps curving that nigga."

"Rory, yes," Desi nods, jumping up and down to fit into her jeans. "That's true. I bet he's weird. He's probably way too sensitive."

"Now, you know your girl's right when Des agrees."

"So?" Laughs Tati. "He's fine as hell and rich as hell, too. I'd tap."

Desi wrinkles her nose. "Sensitivity is my least favorite shit."

"Because you're heartless," laughs Suzy. "Bitch, we know."

"Yo," Lyric shakes her head, "Drake for real for real looks like he cries after sex."

"No, but," Rory nods as the girls burst into laughter, "that seems one hundred percent accurate."

There's cackling now as Lyric laughs, flipping her blonde hair over her brown shoulder, "Don't tell me y'all don't think the same thing!"

"I read that he likes rim jobs!"

The girls are falling out, with Minnie actually hitting the floor. 

She looks up, cheek piercings glinting as she cries, "What?"

"Mhm," Irene purses her lips. "Your baby daddy likes your tongue up his ass!"

"I cannot," she cries. "Why must you do my M.C.E. like that, guys?"

"But, like," Asmaa grins, shrugging, "I believe it."

"How don't you?" Rory is trying not to burst into laughter again, "He totally looks like he'd be the one to ask you if you ate ass."

Lyric juts out a hand towards her, "That's what I'm sayin' y'all!"

"Shut up, Lyr!"

"I ain't ever lied, boo. Love you."

"He'd be like, 'It's 2018,'" adds Tati, giggling with the other women. "Girls eat the bootyhole, too."

"Suck this dick, mama," snorts Maria, "and while you're at it lick this asshole, too."

"What that tongue do?"

"Minnie, you're wild!"

"You say you're a strong, independent woman? Spread my legs and spread my cheeks."

"Rory!" Kezie clutches her stomach, shaking with laughter. "I cannot with you!"

Desi purses her lips, "He looks like the type to fuck once and fall in love."

"That's the power of them lips, though," Maria smirks, tapping her crotch. "The power of that punani, baby."

These were Asmaa's favorite parts of work: when she was just finishing up her shift and the girls were all gathered around in the dressing room; slightly turnt from the night, buzzed off the money they'd counted and eager to go home.

She liked the days everyone was called into work. 

"Y'all know that American football player, Cam Newton?"

There's a hum of knowing filling the air--most girls do, others don't. Asmaa feels kind of good because she actually does recognize the name and isn't lost.

"Yeah," she nods eagerly. "He's got the dimples...He's actually really really attractive."

"As hell," Charlotte nods, Cockney accent thick as she reaches out to slap her five.

"Well, apparently he walked into some strip club in DC and fucked around and fell in love with one of the strippers," Suzy says, the brunette pursing her lips, "Story goes that he actually waited for her to finish her shift and was all, 'If you come with me you'll never have to work again in your life.' Bitch is now set."

Asmaa's mouth falls. "Serious?"

"I heard that, too," Kezie nods. "And he's fine as hell so I'm patiently waiting on my man," she points to the ceiling. "You there, God? 'Cause I'm through with this waiting shit."

"You?" scoffs Minnie. "Kezie, you catch everything that comes your way. Don't play games."

"But, like...if anyone walks in here from Manchester United..." Charlotte whistles. "It's done. I'm outta here. Forget my number. I never worked at Phoenix, bitches. I'm gone."

Irene purses her lips. "I bet you would do something shady like that, Charlie."

"As much as we've been through here together?" Tati purses her lips, "Ha--you'd better answer all of my calls."

Asmaa laughs. "Yeah. Right."

"But like," Rory laughs, "the fucking same thing literally just happened to Blaire."

The girls cry out.

"True!"

"Bunny came up like that, too."

"I forgot about that lucky bitch!"

"Wait, wait," Asmaa shakes her head. "That's how Blaire met her fiancé? He actually came in here? To Phoenix?"

"Yes--!"

"Some businessman. Heard he owns a few of the clubs out in Doncaster," Charlotte shrugs. "Guess that's where he's from."

"Walked in one day and was like, 'You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen,' and they actually went out on a date and're fucking around and getting married."

Asmaa gasps. "How long had they been dating?"

"Like," Kezie taps her chin, "maybe a year?"

"That's it?"

Kezie nods. "That's it."

Zayn: Done? :) x

She texts back.

Yep :-*

Lyric ties her hair into a bun. It's closing, now, and the hostesses are probably up front still counting cash with Justin. 

"Y'all going to that wedding," she asks, "right?" 

"'Course," Charlotte snorts. "I can't pass up on the opportunity to meet my footie star."

"Charlie, you would be the one to find the athlete," Maria laughs. And she wrinkles her nose, grabbing her coat and purse, "I wouldn't want that," she says, pursing her lips. "To deal with all of his crazy fans?" She shakes her head, "No thank you, Mamacita."

"Just clap back online," shrugs Rory. "Problem solved."

"Or," suggests Irene, "do nothing 'cause you got your man, and all the jealous bitches online don't."

"Okay, true," Maria nods. "But, right now, I'm single and lonely and horny--"

"Same!" Calls Rory, causing Kezie, Desirée and Asmaa to all roll their eyes. 

"--So, I got no haters to worry about," Maria shrugs. "Thanks, though."

"One day," sighs Tati, as they grab their belongings and turn out the lights to the changing room, "we're all gonna sit around for like, a Phoenix reunion, yeah? And we'll be with our men and our kids..."

Desi snorts. "How far in the future we talking about?"

"Shh!" Lyric exclaims, laughing. "Keep going, Tatiana. I liked this..."

Asmaa laughs. 

"We're all gonna be wealthy and our bodies all bounced back from babies and we're gonna be driving our kids off to primary school and..." She sighs, "this'll all be worth it, y'know? Life'll...it'll just be so good," she says, as they exit into the lot, the cool air hitting their faces. "Life'll be so good."

And Asmaa lets that thought settle upon her--seems like all the girls have, because everyone's quiet and smiling. 

That does sound good, doesn't it?

One day, she thinks. One day. 

But now, she catches sight of Zayn's parked car and waves, just as he looks up and sees her and a little smile breaks out across his face.

"See?" Tati grins, nudging her. "Asmaa's halfway there already."

"Ha ha," she replies, "We are nowhere near  close to marriage."

"But, um?" Charlie scoffs, "You have a man, Asmaa. You. Have. A. Man."

"'Bout time she set me up with some of his friends," Rory nods. "'Cause I'm so fuckin'--"

"Horny!" Kezie finishes, and the girls all break out into laughter. "We know, baby girl. We know."

"You didn't tell us Zayn was coming to pick you up," Desi lifts a brow, shaking Asmaa from her own laughter. She purses her lips knowingly. "Where're you going?"

"Oh," Asmaa blinks, looking up as Kezie, Desirée and Rory all stare at her expectantly. "Guys, I'm going to uh..." She blushes furiously, "I'm actually gonna go hang out with him," she laughs--typically, she'd be riding with the girls back to someone's place for dinner or something. "Hangin' out with Zayn..."

Desi chokes on a laugh. "At two AM?"

"You're gonna," Kezie lifts her fingers, miming air quotes, "hang out?"

Asmaa smiles bashfully. "Like adults do."

"And since when," Desi begins, folding her arms, "were you an adult?"

"Shut up," she snaps as her girls all laugh--she knew they were alluding to her being the only one of them that was a virgin. "Shut up. Shut up. Shut up."

"Well, have fun, yeah?" Kezie says, linking their arms to plant a quick kiss on her cheek. She giggles, "Don't hang out too hard, okay?" 

"Come home safe," says Rory, as everyone follows her to her car. "Or I'm calling the police. And The Queen. And somebody's gonna answer me if you're not back in time."

"So dramatic," Desirée rolls her eyes. "Don't do anything Rory would do!"

"Hey!"

"Bye," Asmaa calls, as she grabs the handle to the door. "Good-bye."

And she slips inside. 

She catches Zayn's bemused expression and breathes out a, "Hi."

"Hi," he smiles, chuckling. "You look all happy and shit," he strokes his beard with the back of his hand. "Like, you have a good day at work?"

"Yeah," she grins, sliding into the warmth of Zayn's car and leaning over to kiss him. "I actually did. Actually."

"Yeah?" He's blushing--goodness, Zayn was so cute. "You get off so fuckin' late, though."

"I know, I know."

"Shit," he peers at the clock on his dash. It was just pushing two-fifteen. "S'really late, babe."

"I know," she whines again. "I'm already asleep in my mind."

"Okay, good," He laughs. "Because, like, me too."

"Talk to me," she sighs, leaning her seat back. "'Cause I could fall asleep right now."

"Well," he shakes his head, stroking his beard again as Asmaa smiles fondly at him, "you know we never had our video game date."

"We also haven't finished playing tourist."

He nods, a half-smile growing on his face. "Haven't done that, either."

"You've got quite a few places to take me."

He laughs. "I do," and he nods, cranking the car. He watches Asmaa wave to the other girls as he pulls from the lot, "S'amazing how little free time you've had lately."

And although Zayn isn't accusing her of being busy, Asmaa's stomach turns at his words. She had been busy. She'd been really busy, actually, especially since lately she had been trying to get her life together and start getting a handle on her classwork. 

It didn't help that she was really going over to his place to see him, yes, but mostly do more work. 

In all honesty, she was trying to sit somewhere quiet and work. It was Friday night—Saturday morning, really—and she was about to die beneath the mountain of homework she had to do and needed to really get that shit done.

It was too hard working at her place. Asmaa realized that in a place as nice as Rory's, all she wanted to do was eat and sleep and maybe Netflix when she wasn't doing that. Her desire to do real work was at an all-time low in her bedroom.

So, she figured going over to Zayn's would be better, right?

After all, it was just him, and she could see bae without having to leave. She could see bae and still get her work done.

It was a perfect plan.

Not.

__

The following morning, Zayn's in his kitchen, looking for something, anything to eat.

He could blame his mates for his empty fridge.

But, try telling that to the girl you like.

He's digging through his fridge, now, trying to be as quiet as he can because he's promised to be, and he's promised to be supportive and he's really, genuinely trying to do all the things he'd said just a few hours ago in bed, when all of a sudden there's the loud sound of his front door being thrown open, and the equally loud voices accompanying said sound. 

And now, all of a sudden, it's just super loud. 

Damn. 

"Seriously, that's it. That's it; we're getting married. I'm probably gonna have a second place out in Colombia and I'm gonna name our first daughter Shakira and m'gonna teach her how to play the guitar and she's gonna look just like her mom and m'gonna spoil her rotten 'cause I'm so fuckin' in love with my daughter's mom, guys."

And Zayn blinks, looking up over the fridge as Harry and Niall and Luke waltz into his place and make themselves comfortable, like always.

Luke falls heavily into the chair at his table.

"I'm so fuckin' in love."

Zayn lifts an eyebrow, turning to Harry. "He been at this all day?"

"All day," Harry nods. "Can't catch a break from it, unfortunately."

Luke shrugs cheekily. "It's fine. You're all welcome. I'm happy, is all. Thanks."

"As obsessed with Phoenix as Hazza, honestly," Niall yawns, his hands scrubbing at his face. "Shit. I'm losing sleep being out at this club so late."

"Hey," Luke sits up, "I'm not obsessed, I'm--"

"In love," Harry nods. "Right. With a girl paid to like you, mate. Remember?"

"She's only paid to like me in Phoenix," Luke clarifies. "When I'm with her and it's just the two of us she doesn't owe me shit," and he smiles cheekily. "She likes me."

"Yeah, 'cause she knows you'll throw more pounds if she's friendly," Harry rolls his eyes frustratedly. "S'a pretty simple concept, Luke."

"No," he shakes his head, "it isn't, 'cause unlike you, I haven't been to Phoenix since my dance," he snaps. "I got what I came for. I'm not the one who keeps goin' back."

Zayn whistles. Luke made a good-ass argument.

Harry shrugs nonchalantly. "Whatever," he says, large fingers tapping his tightly clamped lips. "Just don't say I didn't warn you."

"Believe it or not, Harry, there's nothing you've got to warn me about."

"Guys," and the boys all look up, watching as a pretty dark-haired girl in a pink hijab pads into the kitchen, staring at them—they've all been caught like deer in headlights. "Could you please...?

"Sorry, babe," grimaces Zayn. "We'll keep it down."

She clasps her hands, "Thank you."

"Wait," Luke is squinting at her, now. "You work at Phoenix," he asks, "don't you?"

"Yeah," she nods, her words drawn out and hesitant. "Who're you?"

___

sorry y'all i'm back  i had to take a break i had so much sh*t to do i can write again now

if you forgot who worked at Google re-skim the "tequila and sangria" chapter

luv ya! thanks so much for your patience.

comment and vote!