text: Lina Jay Paris & London (edited) 
   
   
   London 
   ~London~ 
     
        “Didn’t I tell you to get out of here?” Sterling chastised London Hunter. She twisted her lips and ignored him as she sat at her desk. “London, it’s a Saturday and a beautiful day at that! Go enjoy it!” he told her. “I have a lot of work to do!” she told her boss. “When are you going to take a vacation?” he asked as he walked over to her and massaged her shoulders. London wanted to protest but the massage felt too good. “I don’t know, Sterling,” she closed her eyes. 
     
        Before she could sink into his touch and the stress-relieving technique, he stopped and sat in the chair next to her. “I can handle it, London, Jody’s here. We only have--” he went through the files that she had on her desk. “…four more patients to see.” London had worked for Dr. Sterling Dobson since he started his own practice five years ago. She was his medical assistant, office manager and file clerk all wrapped up in one. 
     
        She loved her job but Sterling consistently pestered her to take a vacation. “Go home, London,” he ordered. “Make me!” she joked. “If you don’t leave, you’re fired!” Sterling threatened her for the millionth time within the past three years. She knew he wasn’t serious and brushed off the empty threat. Sterling stood up, grabbed the patient’s files from her desk and walked away. “Hey!” she let out a little yell. 
     
        “Go home! Now! Jody?” Sterling called for his other medical assistant. “Yes, Dr. Dobson?” the young girl popped out of nowhere. “Take these and guard them with your life! Do not let London get near them!” he told the girl. “Yes, sir,” Jody took the files and left. London adjusted her scrubs as she stood up. She knew when she was beat. 
     
        She grabbed her car keys and walked towards the waiting area to exit the office. “That’s my girl,” Sterling smiled. “If I was your girl, you’d let me stay!” she pouted. “Good bye, London,” Sterling laughed. “Good bye, Sterling,” London didn’t bother to look back at him. “Enjoy your weekend and you better not come back in here until Monday morning!” He said. 
     
   *************************** 
     
             London sulked in her car and thought about her life.  Was this it?  “Yes it is because you’re boring…and a workaholic….just like dad!” Her twin sister, Paris had no problems telling her on a daily basis. London wanted more excitement in her life; she wanted to be more like her younger sister.  “By two damn minutes!” Paris’s voice echoed in her head . London laughed. 
     
        Her twin sister had the life that she wanted to live—minus all the men. She thought she found a little excitement when she met Shawn but he became accustomed to her bland life after a year into their relationship. Sterling tapped on her car window and London crossed her arms. “Why are you still here?” he asked her. London didn’t bother to roll down the window. 
     
        “I knew you were out here. Don’t make me call the police and have them escort you home!” he said. “I’m going!” she started up the car and drove away. She watched Sterling in her rear-view window as he shook his head and smiled. She adored the man but she couldn’t cross that employee/employer boundary. She valued her job, plus, he was going through a divorce. She didn’t want to be the rebound girl!     
     
         Besides, she had Shawn. Speaking of Shawn, she was in desperate need of a hug. Her thought wasn’t completed before her cell phone rang. “What?” she answered the phone. “That’s rude! Don’t answer your phone like that! Especially when you know it’s me,” Paris scolded her sister. “Hello, Paris!” she put on a happy but fake façade for her twin. “That’s better, Lucy! What are you doing?” Before London could tell her to stop calling her Lucy, Paris spoke again. 
   “Let me guess? Leaving work?” 
   “Yes, leaving work, Paris.” 
   “It’s Saturday, isn’t today your day off? Why’d you go to work today, Lucy?” 
   “I wanted to help Sterling with the patients.” 
   “You two go out yet?” 
   “No, he’s my boss, Paris. I can’t go out with him.” 
   “So what? Stop playing games with the man and ask him out already!” 
   “You know I can’t do that.” 
   “Why not?” 
   “Because I have morals!” 
   “Fuck your morals! Better yet, let him fuck the morals out of you!” 
   “Watch your mouth.” 
   “Sorry, mother—but seriously, Londie, ask the man out already. How long have you been wanting this man? With his tall caramel ass! Damn he’s a fine man.” 
   “He’s my boss, Paris. I’m not going to ask him out.” 
     
        “Then why would you tell me how yummy he is, how good he smells, and how much his hard work at the gym is paying off? You talk about the man every day. You wanted me to pressure you into asking him. If you didn’t you wouldn’t have told me about him.” 
   “First off, I don’t recall using the word ‘yummy.’ Second, I only told you about him because you asked me about him.” 
   “Then why do you talk about him every day?” 
   “I don’t talk about him every day. I talk about my job.” 
   “Every day, though?” 
   “I’m passionate about my job.” 
   “You need to get passionate about that man and let him clean some of those cobwebs up outta there!” 
   “Okay, Paris. I’m done with this conversation.” 
     
        Paris laughed. “Okay, I’m done. But I’m tired of hearing about him. So don’t tell me about him if you don’t want my honest opinion.” 
     
        “Will do! Where are you?” London was afraid to ask. She knew her sister well enough to know that she probably had some guy up under her. 
     
   “About to get my hair done and then I’m going to get a mani and a pedi. Wanna join me?” 
   “No, I’m okay.” 
   “Are you sure? Devin’s next two appointments cancelled on him and Mrs. Won just opened her shop!” Mrs. Won had been on vacation for two months with her husband. He had a nervous breakdown when he was robbed. She closed her shop and went home to Beijing for a few weeks. 
     
        “You know you can use a mani and a pedi…..come on……my treat!” Paris tried to persuade her but London wanted to see her man. 
   “I’m on my way to see Shawn, so I’ll take a rain check.” 
   “A rain check—just so you can see Shawn?” 
   “Yup.” 
   “Okay, I know that this is going to hurt, Londie, but I slept with Shawn!” 
     
        London knew her sister was a hoe, but she also knew that Paris wasn’t dumb either. Their bond was stronger than that and they both knew it. Paris hated Shawn and London knew that Paris was upset that she passed on a girls’ day out to be with him. 
     
        “Pinky?” London asked. Pinky was their word when they knew that the other was lying. It was like saying, “Are you for real?” 
   “NO, but if I did would you leave him?” Paris asked. 
   “Good bye, Paris!” She was done with the conversation. 
   “Bye, Londie.” 
     
        London closed her flip phone and continued on her quest to get a hug from her man. When she pulled up to Shawn’s apartment building, she had butterflies in her stomach. “What is wrong with me?” She asked herself as she stepped out of her car and walked towards the building. She pushed the buzzer for his apartment but there was no answer. She pushed it again. 
     
        She knew that Shawn worked the graveyard shift at his job so she knew he was there. “He must be sleep,” she told herself. She waited five more minutes before she pushed the buzzer again. No answer. She called his cell phone and it went straight to voicemail. She should have known better. He always turned his phone off in the mornings so that he could sleep. 
     
        “Hey, London,” Greg, another tenant came through the main door. “Hey, Greg,” she pretended to look for her keys. She didn’t really have keys to Shawn’s apartment but he didn’t have to know that. “Forgot your key again?” he asked. “Yeah. Are you on your way to work?” she made small talk and walked into the hallway as he stood in the doorway. “Yup, all work and no play,” he smiled at her. “Well, thanks for opening the door. Have a good day at work,” she said as she made the three story hike up to Shawn’s apartment. “Have a good day, London,” Greg said before he left. 
     
        London knocked on Shawn’s door and looked down at her scrubs as she waited for him to open the door. “It’s for me!” she heard a female voice call out from the other side of Shawn’s door. “OH, I guess it’s not for me,” the girl said when she opened the door and saw London. “You sick, baby?” the girl asked Shawn as she held the door open and blocked the entrance to the apartment. “No, why you ask?” he asked her.     
     
        London heard Shawn but she didn’t have a visual on him yet because the girl in front of her blocked her view. “There’s a nurse at the door. This bitch got on scrubs and everything. You sure you not sick?” she opened the door wider and let London walk in. “Shit,” Shawn said under his breath. “No, he’s not sick,” London snapped as she noticed Shawn laid across the couch that she bought him a few months ago. 
     
        Shawn lit his cigarette and puffed out smoke as his gaze went back to the TV that London paid for the same day she paid for the couch. “Is my breakfast ready yet?” he asked the girl. “Working on it, baby,” she walked into the kitchen that was still visible from the living room. Shawn didn’t bother to explain himself as he shifted on the couch. 
     
        She looked at the man that laid on the couch with no regards to her feelings. His light skin and piercing hazel eyes had once caused her to melt in his arms--but now, she wanted to vomit all over him. She refused to cry in front of him. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. She could see the girl out of her peripheral view, but she kept her eyes and attention on Shawn. 
     
        The only piece of clothing that he had on was the red silk boxers that…yes…..she paid for, too! The girl was barefoot and only had on what London assumed to be the red Victoria Secrets panties and bra set that Paris bought for her. She left the underwear over Shawn’s apartment so that she would have something sexy to wear during their love making. She didn’t even have a chance to wear them! London was on the verge of exploding! “I want her to leave! NOW!” London yelled at Shawn. 
     
        The girl let out a “hmm” and went back to cooking like it was her apartment and London was the intruder. “I need for you to leave,” Shawn said. “You heard him! Get out!” London screamed at the girl. “I was talking to you, London,” Shawn took another puff of his cigarette. “What? Are you serious?” she snapped. The girl laughed. “Shut up!” London screamed, wanting to smack the smile off her face. 
     
        “Why? Why, Shawn?” London felt her throat tighten up as she swallowed back tears. “I’m done, it’s over,” he said nonchalantly. “You’re done? YOU’RE done?” she was losing it. London picked up the porcelain black panther that was on the side of the TV and used it to smash the TV. “What the fuck are you doing?” Shawn yelled and jumped out. “Crazy ass bitch!” the girl screamed when she entered the living room. 
     
        London swung the front door open causing it to hit the mirror that was on the wall. She ran down the stairs with tears in her eyes. Once she reached her car, she sped off like a bat out of hell. She wasn’t in the mood for anyone so she went home. 
     
   *************************** 
     
        It was close to eight that night before London had stopped crying. She didn’t bother to turn on anything; not the lights, TV, radio….nothing! She was sitting in a pitch black apartment with a box of tissue. She was lying on her bed and was still dressed in her scrubs from earlier that day. 
     
        Her parents and her sister tried to call her, but she wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. London wished that she had an older brother or at least a convict cousin that could break every bone in Shawn’s body. Shawn even called her but she didn’t bother to answer the phone. How did this happen? Did she not make him happy? Was it because she was too fat—too skinny? Was her hair not long enough? Maybe it was too long? 
     
        Her sister did say that she was a workaholic. Was it that? Did she spend too much time at work? Did she not give him enough of her time? Did he feel neglected? London was about to pick up the phone to call Shawn when her best friend, Ronnie, called her. “Hey, Londie,” her friend greeted her. “Hi,” London burst into tears. “Oh my God, Londie, what’s wrong?” Ronnie asked. Ronnie was only able to get half the story between London’s sobs. “I’m on my way!” Ronnie bolted out her door to make her way to her best friend. 
     
        An hour later Ronnie and London were sitting on London’s bed eating ice cream and watching,  Waiting to Exhale . “I’m so sorry, Londie, but he was a jerk anyway,” Ronnie told her as she pushed her ruby red glasses back up her caramel colored nose. “Can you please call my sister and tell her what’s going on. I don’t think I can do it!” London pleaded. “Sure,” Ronnie picked up London’s cell phone to call Paris. 
     
   “This better be important!” Paris snapped. 
   “Well, hello to you too, Paris,” Ronnie rolled her eyes. 
   “Ronnie? Oh, hell! Is it that time of month again? Let me guess…it’s  ‘book club’  time….no, no….it’s ‘ sit in the library and read a thousand page book until the library closes’  time?” 
   “Funny, but no. It’s ‘London just caught Shawn cheating on her’ time!” Ronnie snapped. 
   “What? You’re shitting me?” 
   “No, Paris, it happened earlier today.” 
   “Aww, where’s my boo-boo?” 
   “Sitting here crying.” 
   “And I bet you two are over there eating ice cream and watching some shit like  Waiting to Exhale  or  Steel  
   Magnolias —something to make you two bitches cry even more!” 
   “And what do you suggest that we do, Paris?” 
   “Watch something like  Set It Off  ….hell, it’s Saturday night. Go to a club. Go shake a few nuts from a tree!” 
   “And what is that term supposed to mean?” 
   “It means go hit a club, met a random guy and ride his dick ‘til you feel better!” 
   “How is that going to solve anything?” 
   “I forgot who I was talking to—the bloomers committee. I’m done talking to your boring ass. Where’s my boo-boo?” 
   Ronnie put London on the phone. 
   “Hello,” London knew that if she cried her sister was going to scream at her. She fought back the tears. “Aww, boo-boo, are you okay?” 
   “No, how could he do this to me?” 
   “We are not going to worry about that or focus on him. Now that you are single, we have a lot to do. I’m taking you out tomorrow afternoon. So be ready, okay?” 
   “Yeah,” London said. 
     
        London disconnected the call, fell back on the bed, and started crying again. Ronnie rubbed her arm to try to soothe her. “Maybe we should go to a club and shake a few nuts from a tree,” Ronnie told her. 
   “What?” London said between sobs. “You know…go to a club and let our hair down! You know…get loose.” 
   “Now you sound like Paris.” 
   “Maybe what we both need is a little of your sister in our lives. So, what do you say? You up for a night on the town?” 
   “I don’t know.” 
   “I mean, we don’t have to paint the town red, we can paint it purple or something!” 
   London let out a small laugh, “You are so crazy!” 
   “Crazy like a fox, come on….let’s get dressed.” 
     
   ******************************* 
     
        The next morning London woke up to Ronnie sleeping in her full-size bed next to her. Ronnie’s chin length black hair was all over the place. She was pretty without her glasses and London couldn’t fathom why the girl never opted to get contacts. She was happy to have a friend like Ronnie; someone who stuck by her side through good times and bad. London rolled over on her back and closed her eyes, but they flew back open when she heard a baritone singer and the sound of water from the shower hitting the tub floor.      
     
        She sat up and gasped. “Ronnie? Ronnie?” she shook and poked her friend. “What?” Ronnie was still half asleep when she heard the voice. She quickly sat up and looked at her friend. “What’s that?” Ronnie was freaking out. “Question is, who is that?” London slowly got out of the bed and grabbed the bat that was in her bedroom closet. 
     
        Ronnie grabbed her glasses off the nightstand and followed suit. When they got to the hallway, Ronnie bumped into London. “Back up a little, Ronnie,” she whispered. They tip toed until they were a few inches away from the bathroom door. As soon as the man walked out of the bathroom, the women screamed and his towel fell to the floor. 
     
        “Lord Jesus have mercy,” Ronnie said when she saw the man in full view. “Ronnie!” London snapped at Ronnie as she held the bat straight out like it was a gun. “I’m sorry,” Ronnie apologized. The man smiled. 
     
        “Who the hell are you?” London asked. “Vince, we met at Chester’s, remember? Oh, I guess you don’t! I told you to take it easy on that Grey Goose. I guess you regret it now, don’t you?” he teased. As he stood there wearing nothing but a smile, Ronnie watched as the drops of water slowly fell down his mocha colored muscular chest, down his six pack and to the sexiest belly button she’d ever seen. 
     
        “How the hell did you get in my apartment?” London demanded. “You invited me in….you and your friend,” he smiled at Ronnie and made his chest flex up and down. “I don’t believe you!” London replied. “No? Okay, have you checked your wardrobe?” the man continued to tease Ronnie. London looked down and realized that she was wearing a man’s baby blue button down shirt. 
     
         She quickly glanced at Ronnie who was sporting his tie around her neck. “Please put the bat down. I’m not going to hurt you,” Vince smirked. London lowered the bat, “I think I’m going to be sick.” 
     
        “The bathroom’s free if you need it,” he stared at Ronnie but directed the statement at London. Vince kissed Ronnie. “Okay, okay. Break it up,” London pushed them apart and removed his tie from around Ronnie’s neck. 
     
        “I want you to leave my apartment,” she handed him the tie. “No problem, can I get my shirt back?” he ask London. London went to her bedroom to change out of his shirt and into a long shirt of her own. When she returned, she saw Ronnie’s back up against the wall with her legs wrapped around Vince’s waist. She had her arms around his neck as he cupped her bare ass. 
     
        The kiss was explicit enough for London to consider it rated X. “Ronnie!” London yelled at her best friend. “What the hell has gotten into you?” she asked her. Vince released his grip on Ronnie and grabbed the shirt that London was trying to give to him. “Oh, my um….my glasses,” Ronnie pointed to his head. Vince removed Ronnie’s glasses from his head and placed them on her face. 
     
        “Okay Casanova, the bathroom’s that way but I’m pretty sure you know that!” London pushed him away from her best friend. Vince walked backwards to the bathroom taunting and teasing Ronnie as he licked his lips. Once he was in the bathroom London pulled her friend into the bedroom. “What the hell was that?” she asked Ronnie. 
     
   “I don’t know! The man is sexy!” 
   “Ronnie, get a hold of yourself. Do you even remember what happened last night?” 
   “All I remember was entering the club, ordering a few drinks, and then passing out face down on your bed.” 
   “I don’t remember anything after that first drink.” London confessed. 
     
        Vince walked into the bedroom and London was more than impressed. He went from a towel model to a fortune 500 executive in no time flat. 
   “It was nice meeting you ladies. I would make you breakfast, but I have to get to church,” Vince said. He smiled at Ronnie, “Call me!” 
   “I’ll call you,” she giggled. 
     
   “You ladies have a blessed day.” He winked at Ronnie. As Vince was walking out the door London stood dumbfounded as she watched her best friend swoon over a man that she barely knew. How did they end up like this? 
     
     
   
   
   Publication Date: September 16th 2020 https://www.bookrix.com/-bt9b3b00f9a61b5