Chapter 7

• Zenia’s POV
• We had landed the two magazines on Monday afternoon. Ashley and I were in the best of moods for the remainder of the day.
• “I have an idea. We need to celebrate this! A guy I’ve been 'stalking' on social media is throwing this huge house party tonight for one of his friends. We can go if we want to. The invite says everyone is invited.”
• “No Ashley. I’m not about to go to a party on a Monday night. We got work in the morning, girl.”
• “Oh please Zen, it would be fun and we need to celebrate this.”
• “No! We can celebrate this weekend.”
• “The excitement would be gone by then. We need to do this now, plus I’m dying to see Alex. He’s so damn fine!”
• She was holding onto me like a kid begging for a lollipop at the supermarket. I shook my head at her.
• “Okay fine! We’ll go but for three hours, tops!”
• “Sure, sure, sure. Be ready by 8:00!”
• ____________It was the end of the day, Ashley had already left. I locked up, armed the security system, turned off the lights and central air and went to catch a cab.
• At 8:00 pm, I was dressed and waiting for Ashley to come get me. She picked me up with her sister’s car and drove us to the house party. It was about an hour drive.
• There was a huge guy standing at the door. We told him who we were and used ‘Alex’s name’ to get in without confusion.
• “There he is! There he is!” Ashley pointed to a very handsome looking guy with a fair complexion. He wore all black and looked like the typical ‘bad boy’.
• “He is mighty fine,” I told her.
• “Yesss. I know,” she squealed.
• “Well go over and talk to him.”
• “No! I can’t! I don’t think I’m his type.”
• “Why you say that?”
• “Because I was looking at his Facebook page and there pictures of him and a bunch of different women but not one of them were black. I don’t think he likes black girls.” She had a little sadness in her eyes when she said that but it quickly disappeared like a puff of smoke when we saw the bar.
• One shot led to another and another. I even drank Ashley's drinks.
• “You’re driving tonight bitch!” I told her, taking her shot of tequila and throwing it down my throat.
• My mind went back to EJ and Madison. Madison had just waltz back into his life and disturbed things between us. Why did she even have to come back?
• ~“Am I crazy or is Alex looking at us?” I heard Ashley asking. The room was spinning like a ‘merry go round’.
• “Huh?” I asked as I started dancing out of tune to a slow melody of music.
• I heard EJ’s voice but I couldn’t locate him in the spinning room. Then I felt something cold blowing against my skin and I woke up the following morning on my couch.
• How did I get home?
• ____________The sun rays streamed through the sheer curtains and lightened up the room and my face. I rolled off the couch in a very lazy manner and went to use the bathroom.
• I knew I had a lot to drink last night, I even smelled of the liquor but I didn’t have another hangover.
• That’s rather surprising.
• I took a shower, dried off my skin, applied my body lotion, slipped on my underwear then a short hot pink pants which hugged my booty with a black crop top. I threw on my black and white air max sneakers and light makeup on my face.
• I combed my Brazilian weave into a slick ponytail with put on a pair of silver large hoop earrings.
• Then I phoned Ashley.
• “Hey. You’re coming in today, right?”
• “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” she responded. I heard background sounds and I was sure I heard a guy’s voice.
• “Where are you?” I asked next, straining my ear to hear some more.
• “I’ll be there soon Zen. Bye.” She hung up.
• Ashley has got to be kidding me.
• ~
• I earned many glances and stares from the guys in the streets as I walked to the bus stop. The wind blew gently on my face and my crop top. I looked like I was shooting for a magazine and I was enjoying the attention.
• "Hey baby!”
• “Sweetie, can I get those digits?”
• “Damn girl, you’re so fine.”
• “Hey sweet chocolate. Can I sample that?”
• “That ass is real!”
• Who ever said guys can't be easy to attract?
• ~ I took the bus downtown, did the usual when I got to my store and got to work. Tuesdays usually weren’t busy so I took the time to create new designs and talking to magazine representatives and creating pages to advertise our clothing lines, styles and labels.
• Two hours later, Ashley showed up.
• “Zen, I’m so sorry I’m late. I overslept. If you hadn’t called me, I might have still be in bed.”
• “You slept with someone?” I asked, raising an eyebrow and waited on her response.
• “Ohh, girl.. You’re tripping. No.” She waved me off.
• “I heard a guy’s voice Ash.”
• She turned away with a smile.
• “Okay okay. I’ll be real. I slept with Alex,” she admitted next.
• “Girl, I know you didn’t just said you slept with Alex! Come on Ash, you just met with dude! You want him thinking that you’re so easy and you’re a one night stand material?”
• “Look, slow your roll and mind your own business. We hit it off really well after EJ took you home last night.”
• EJ took me home?
• "And we didn’t have sex. We just slept in the same bed because I did drink and he wouldn’t let me drive home.”
• I rolled my eyes at her.
• “Girl you’re setting up yourself for a heartbreak. All these guys do is bed you, lie to you, create drama for you then leave you. Especially those rich and famous ones who thinks they own the world.”
• “What the hell are you even talking about? Are you still drunk?”
• I heaved a sigh.
• “He texted me! Hey sweetness, hope you got home safely. Have a nice day at work and I’m thinking about you.” She reads.
• “Aww, that’s so sweet,” I sarcastically said which she picked up on.
• “You’re so bitter.”
• “I’m so real. I’m so not falling in love with another guy ever again.”
• “Zenia. You need to let that go. So what if you got your heart broken by that idiot back in college? You can’t compare him to all the other guys out there, Zen, and you know that.”
• “You think Alex wouldn’t turn around and break your heart? My sister once told me that there is no happy ever after and I believe her.”
• “Your sister must have been speaking from an angry place because look at her now! She’s with Evan Hollen. One of richest guys on this planet and she’s happy. They have a son together and are getting married. Happy ever after does exist! You just gotta look for it!”
• She went to the back and began cutting and putting together a dress for a customer.
• I sat down quietly at my desk and began designing a dress but I couldn’t concentrate on it, so I placed my digital notepad aside and strolled through Facebook. I decided to view Madison’s profile.
• She recently changed her profile picture to a picture of her and EJ hugging underneath a tree. They seemed younger. It must have been when they were still in high school.
• I received a text from EJ next. Like he knew I was thinking about him.
• EJ: Hey how are you feeling?
• Me: I’m good. Thanks for taking me home last night.
• EJ: That’s what friends are for.
• I felt a twitch as he referred to us as friends. Deep down, I wanted more but on the surface, I just wasn’t ready and I don’t think he was either. Plus, there was the secret I've been keeping from him.
• Guys just break your heart, lies, create drama, turn your life upside down and leave.
• No! Happy Ever after doesn’t exist!
• _____________