18. Girl Talk

{Naya}

"Hey, Naya. Where's your fuckboy?"

I elbowed my way into Portia's apartment. "Seriously, Portia? I haven't seen you in how long and that is the first thing you say?"

Portia closed the door behind us. "Whatever, girl. I knew you were bound to show up one of these days. It's not like you haven't disappeared for days at a time with a guy before."

"By the way, Uri isn't a fuckboy. We haven't even –" I stopped and looked at Ritsu. It was going to be very difficult having girl talk with him around.

"What the hell? Naya, is that a monkey?!"

I set Ritsu down on one of Portia's bar stools.

"Yeah, Uri is into exotic pets. Don't worry. He's uh . . . potty trained."

Portia shook her head. "I can't believe you had the nerve to bring a damn monkey into my apartment."

I relaxed onto her couch and said, "You say that like you're not going to take a million selfies with him before I leave."

The two of us broke into uniform laughter. And that was that. Portia and I were back in BFF world. We spent the next hour passing the time over homemade frappuccinos and a jar of pistachios that she kept around just for me.

Damn, I missed my best friend.

In our conversation, we managed to dance around two dangerous topics – Uri and my father. But it could only last so long. I cringed when Portia breached the question.

"So, does the reverend know that you have a new sugar daddy?"

I groaned, "Portia."

"Girl, I love you to death, but I can't keep lying for you. Do you realize that my parents go to your father's church? Now they're asking me questions about you."

I surrendered my hands. "Okay. You're right. I need to talk to the reverend. And I will. It's just not the right time yet." I looked at my friend and took her hand in mine. "I promise that I'll come clean to him about Uri . . . and about dropping out."

Portia's mouth fell open in disbelief. "Did you just say the 'D' word?"

I rolled my eyes. "Portia, come on. I'm done with being immature about this whole thing. It's about time that I took some damn responsibility for my actions."

Portia leaned over the couch and shook me. With a wild look in her eye, she shrieked, "Who are you and what have you done with Naya!"

I laughed.

She scoffed, "Don't tell me Uri is some spiritual healer or something."

I gave her a playful shove. "Girl, you are crazy. No, he's not. I've just had a lot of time to think these past few days."

"Mrrrow."

Usher, Portia's gray maine coon, came sauntering into the room. Raymond, the smaller tabby, trailed behind him.

I spread my arms and welcomed the cats. "Aww, Usher! Raymond! You miss me? Come here, kitties."

Raymond gladly leaped into my lap, but Usher held back and eyed Ritsu wearily. The monkey demon was all the way in the kitchen, stuffing his mouth with bananas. He looked at Usher briefly and gave a curious stare. I prayed that Portia didn't notice the intelligence in his big, dark eyes.

I called out to Usher again, but he ignored me and hissed viciously at Ritsu. Then the dog-sized cat scampered back into my old bedroom.

"See?" Portia poked me. "Your aura changed so much, it's even throwing Usher off."

Portia was right. It was weird how Usher had just behaved. He was usually such a laid back cat. Then I suddenly remembered back to when Uri had brought me by to get my things. Usher had hissed at him too.

"So . . ." Portia started with a mischievous grin. "You claim that you and Uri haven't gone all the way yet. But I want to know all the other details."

I put Raymond back on the floor and then glanced at Ritsu. The monkey was feigning interest, but I knew damn well that he was listening. Portia must have sensed my hesitation because she rubbed my knee and said, "Do I need to get out the wine?"

I leaned back on the couch. "That would only make this worse . . . . There's really nothing to tell, Portia. Uri's just a big flirt."

Portia got up to get wine anyway. She came back with two mason jars and a bottle of cheap moscato. After pouring me a glass, she said, "Look who's talking. You're the one walking around in leggings and crop tops everyday."

I hastily buttoned up the plaid shirt over my exposed stomach.

"Yeah, okay. I guess we're both flirts."

"Is he big?" So casual.

I nearly spat out my wine.

"Portia!"

"Well is he?"

"No! Didn't you hear me earlier? We haven't done anything!"

Portia did not look convinced. "But you've kissed."

Now I truly felt embarrassed. "No . . . we almost did."

Portia yawned dramatically. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Is there anything juicy that happened while you've been gone all this time? Or have you turned into the nun your father always wanted you to be?"

I thought back to everything that had happened over the past week and a half. The memory of walking in on Uri while he was asleep sprang up. And when he scooped me up in his arms the night we watched Ratatouille. I thought about how sometimes I saw fire whenever he was near and the unnatural hotness of his skin.

Staring down at my jar of wine, I said, "You know that burning sensation you always get whenever you think back to your first crush? Well, that's the effect Uri has. Whenever he looks at me or touches my hair, it's like the whole world is burning for that one moment. I know it doesn't make sense, but . . ."

It's the closest I can come without confessing that he's a djinni.

Portia didn't say anything for a while. Then she downed the rest of her wine and said, "You should have stayed in school, Naya. You could have gotten a degree in lyrical writing or something."

"That major doesn't exist, Portia. Did you mean creative writing?"

"You know what I mean, Naomi! You're talented and smart. You're so much better than you give yourself credit for." By now she was crying.

"You drank too much wine again," I said, tears gliding down my own face.

Portia crumpled into my arms, not caring how she looked. I held her because she was my best friend and she needed to be held. The two of us had been friends since middle school and in that time, I had only seen Portia cry twice – when I withdrew from Emory.

And now.