Her assistant saw how shocked Nina was at the news. “I told you that you were famous now.”
Nina rolled her eyes playfully and warned her, “Don’t start.” She didn’t want to be associated with that word… at least notyet. She wasn’t confident that she’d done enough work to be considered famous.
“I'm serious.”
She turned around and stared out into the gray skies. The view from her office was everything. The floor-to-ceiling windows were a girl boss’s dream come true, even if her future had been handpicked for her by her family. Nevertheless, she was still grateful. There was a brown-skinned girl somewhere on her knees, praying for an office that resembled hers. She took nothing for granted. Nina whispered, “You will do great things today.”
She tossed her headphones over her ears and entered into a no-distraction zone. She was lucky to be able to be productive in her office. In contrast, in her circle of corporate colleagues, everyone collectively agreed that they got more work done everywhere except the office. Nina was the opposite.
Home was her safe haven and she would rather burn the midnight oil in its designated space than to bring it home. Hours ran away from her, and before she knew it, the days began to blend together from meeting to administrative work. She made decisions for a living.
Decisions were made though and budgets were approved while campaigns were in the final review stage. This was her life now and what a good one it was. In the midst of meetings, Nina conducted a few one-on-ones with employees to solve problems, speak life into many, and made a few promises of promotions and raises to others. She was aware that she wasn’t doing the work alone and wanted to reassure her team that their sacrifices weren’t going unnoticed.
It felt like she’d been on go since she stepped off the elevator, which was true, so by six p.m., she was downright exhausted and was struggling to focus long enough to do anything else that required her to use her brain.
It was the perfect excuse to skip out on dinner with her line sisters. It was her mama’s idea for her to reconnect with the ones that lived in the city, about seven of them in total.
The group chat had been active all day. Nina had been threatened twice that if she didn’t show up, then they were done with her, this time for real.
Apparently, she had canceled three separate outings over the past month. According to them, this made her a terrible friend, and unfortunately, they weren’t wrong.
Nina stared at the messages, per usual she was overthinking a simple response. For her, the truth was uncomfortable and she’d always struggled with saying no. She missed something that she had yet to really have, and that was a group of friends that she could trust. Friends who weren’t attached to business relationships and needed something. Friends that didn’t come through the likes of someone else. Yes, she had Danyelle, but she felt like she’d left her when she needed her the most. She was currently on sabbatical in Spain.“I gotta do this for me,”she told her with watery eyes the morning before her departure.
The trip seemed so random, but Nina understood needing to run before you lost your damn mind. She wished that she had gone with her more often than she cared to admit.
The problem was that this group of friends required effort.
Her therapist reminded her constantly that,“You don't get to complain about loneliness when you turn down every opportunity you get to connect.”
The advice annoyed her, mostly because it was true. Nina selfishly wanted friends when it was convenient for her.
With a dramatic sigh that they couldn’t hear, she finally responded after a whirlwind of a day.
“I'm coming.”
The replies arrived immediately.
GOOD.
ABOUT TIME.
WE THOUGHT YOU DIED.
Nina laughed at their sarcasm as she had a change of heart and began to look forward to a girls’ night out. Maybe her therapist had been right all along. Maybe she had to prioritize friendship the same way she did everything else. Tonight could be just what she needed.
She gathered her belongings and hustled home to shower the day off and prepare for what she prayed to be a memorable dinner.
Two hours later, Nina sat beneath the warm glow of a rooftop lounge surrounded by women she had loved for years.
The conversation flowed effortlessly as it always did on the rare occasions that she showed up. They discussed relationships, their budding careers, aging parents, the state of the economy, and a smidge of politics before one of her line sisters reeled it back and said,“We need another round. I do not want to talk about the damn election!”She pounded her fist on the table in a playful manner.
For the first time in a few weeks… shit, maybe months, Nina was able to sit her responsibilities in the chair next to her and not worry about checking on it.Marcelle & Co.was her baby. She didn’t have a nanny or a night nurse for her baby. It went with her everywhere. She carried it for nine months and was now the sole provider and caregiver for what she pushed out. But tonight, the baby slept. She didn’t have to worry about it. She could have a good time without guilt. Nina wasn’t stuck leading the fort, managing employees, directing commercials, fixing shit that she didn’t break. It was a relief to exist without pressure or performance. If this was what it felt like to not have a care in the world, then damn, she should’ve been more responsive in the group chat. Nina was sure that her line sisters all had shit goingon but they didn’t wear it on their shoulders or their faces. The realization was a relief. She decided to order another drink.
“What are you smiling about?” Liza nudged her in the side and asked quietly.
She didn’t even realize she had a positive expression on her face. Nina touched her jaw. “I may be tipsy girl. I missed y’all though.” The alcohol had her relaxed and vulnerable.
“We missed you. Come out more!” Liza begged.
