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I’m strolling through the heavily air-conditioned store, covered in thick goosebumps. The shorts and tank top combo seemed like a good idea before leaving the house. Not so much now. Unless the goal was to catch seductive looks from both men and women. If so, I’m succeeding. The men can keep their eyes. The ladies, well, I’m on the prowl for them anyway. I’m managing through the cold, rushing through each intended aisle with the speed of a demon. Pumping the brakes only after I’m in the coffee section. My favorite section. I’m there for one reason. Shelf three, right in the middle. Ross Gold Coffee’s Cookie Butter Espresso. Served in the amount of twelve, K-Pods only.

Out of all the things my husband does well, his choice in coffee flavor sits right next to his dick game and Sunday morning cranberry waffles. I feel like he made this one strictly for me. It’s so succulent and addictive. Just like his cum. As usual, I grab a box to snap a picture of it.

Sending it straight to bae. I’m all star-struck and proud like a mother seeing their child off to school for the first time. I’ve probably sent Damien a thousand pictures of his coffee in stores,

like he’s never seen it himself. He’s always receptive though. I just want my man to know I care. His dreams matter to me. My baby works so hard. Any time he accomplishes anything, I’m forever his biggest cheerleader.

Cheesing like a hyena, I place a box in the cart before moving forward. Tyesha, my big-headed bestie and business partner, calls not even a second after. As tradition. She usually calls around the same time every morning. Either blabbing about her girlfriend of the week, work, or to vent about Love Island. We rarely talk business until we’re actually together in the lounge. Sometimes I’m even shocked she decided to go into business with me. Not because she doesn’t trust me or anything. More so because her passion has always been cutting hair.

I honestly never wanted her steering away from that. In her words, cutting will always be there. Running a lounge with me, that’s where her heart wanted her to be. I’m grateful for her. Since my mother’s been away, she’s been my consistent rock outside of Dame. My forever sister without sharing a family tree.

“Yes ma’am?” I say into the phone, still going down the coffee section. A big burly man rushes past me and I sure wish he didn’t. His walk away wind smells like an unwiped ass, briefly turning my nose up.

“Um, good morning. Where are you off being a whore at this early?” Tye asks, nosy as usual.

“Good morning to you. And fuck you, hoe. Because I’m actually out being a law abiding citizen, grocery shopping. No dick between jaws, honey. At least not until after work.”

“Um, ugh. Hey, switch over to FaceTime.”

My face wrinkles from confusion. She’s so annoying.

“Bitch, how you gonna call me and then ask me to switch over to FaceTime? Hold on.”

I do as she requested, switching over to FaceTime before propping the phone inside the cart so she can at least see the upper part of me. Upon looking back down at the screen, Tyesha’s holding a glazed doughnut the size of her head. Wearing her typical morning’s best of a red bonnet and a thick blanket draped over her birthday suit.

“Girl, put some fuckin’ clothes on. And where the fuck did you find that big ass doughnut?”

“Dime. You know she calls herself trying to be a baker now.”

My mood switches from excited to mundane within seconds.

“Oh…that’s cool,” I mumble in a tone that’s anything but cool. Tyesha checks my temperature immediately.

“What’s up with y’all anyway?”

“Why would you ask that?” My sublime tone makes my feelings hard to hide.

“I don’t know, it just seems kinda cold with y’all.”

Finally, I just let loose, “Man, ask her. She’s the one acting differently with me. You know I tried to get some smoke from her a couple of days ago, right? Tell me why I got there and she left the house. Talking about she forgot that I was coming. Bitch, I’m trying to put money in your hand. What do you mean, you forgot? She’s never forgotten before. Like, huh? So, yeah, it’s been weird.”

Tyesha is wide eyed at this point.

“Oh wow,” she says, shamefully biting her doughnut again, “Well, I didn’t know about all of that, ma’am. I’m sorry for bringing her up.”

“No. You’re good, sis,” I shrug, “I just feel like she’s mad at me because I chose you over her for the bar manager position. Which I did for a reason.”

“Damn, girl. Mean, much?”

“No, listen. Here’s the thing about Dime. It’s not that I don’t trust her. Or believe in her. I want to see her winning too. Homegirl just needs to get her life together. She has too much going on between that baby daddy of hers and always messing with the craziest of niggas. One of which tried to come to the bar the other night, tripping.”

“Yeah, I remember. He got his ass tossed by Ajax too.”

“And about that fool ass nigga. Ajax,” I roll my eyes, annoyance growing as I check the expiration date of a carton of milk, “Ugh. Nevermind. We’ll talk about his ass later on. Anyway, I don’t know. If she wants to talk, we can talk. I’m all about communication. Talk to me if there’s a problem. Don’t start acting funny and shit.”

“Yeah, I feel you, sis. Hopefully things work out. Because we’re all sisters here. Just remember, Dime isn’t like us. She grew up rough as fuck. In and out of shelters. No real family. Fighting all her life for everything she’s got. Outside of her daughter, we’re all she has. And you know I definitely needed another hustle while I’m looking for a shop. But Dime is out here hungry too. I’m not saying it’s your responsibility to feed her. But I do think it’s a possibility she feels like you left her out in the cold. Just saying.”

Guilt sets in like a slow-moving drug. I hear her.