Page 34 of Fever

Chapter Ten

Two days later

11:42 p.m.

“So, let me get this straight. You just left your job?” Octavia’s hand went to her forehead as she listened to Carla’s ordeal. I took a sip of my cocktail and relaxed in my chair, crossing my legs.

We were at the Dream Lounge. Our previous girls’ night out had been postponed when Octavia called with an excuse of not feeling up to going out. It was becoming a regular habit. Since I’d known Octavia, she and Jonathon Alexander Rose had been as thick as thieves, and it wasn’t unusual when she bailed on girls’ night out every now and then.

The Dream Lounge had a nice atmosphere. The ritzy nightclub held a diverse crowd, and everyone mixed and mingled quite nicely. The music was some of my favorite neo-soul artists. Maxwell’s “Fortunate” serenaded us as we laughed and sipped our drinks.

“Now, somebody tell me about their day so I can get off mine,” Carla said, taking a huge sip of her mimosa.

“Business as usual for the most part,” Selena said. She fiddled with the diamond earring that hung from her earlobe. “This one over here though is having the time of her life with Jonathon.” Selena sipped her drink, sucking in her jaws as she batted her eyes at Octavia.

Octavia’s curly afro was not tamed tonight. The springy curls sat loud and proud on her head, and I was in love with the style. Octavia cut her eyes at Selena.

“Jonathon and I are just friends. Nothing more,” she said.

“Girl, please, who are you kidding?” Selena said, shrugging. “No one that’s who. I’ve seen the way he looks at you and vice versa. I don’t understand why you’re trying to hide it.”

“I’m not hiding anything. You are the one making assumptions. If Jonathon and I were dating, why would I be ashamed of it?”

“I didn’t say you were ashamed of it, but you do like him, right?”

“That’s not the type of relationship we have. Look, just chill, okay? It’s not like I don’t hear enough of that from my aunt. I don’t want to hear it from you, too.”

Selena rolled her eyes and slid her straight locks behind her ear. “Whatever you say. I just thought you’d have something fun to share, but pay me no mind. What do I know?”

Everyone turned to me. “What’s up with you and Josiah?” Selena asked.

I took another sip of my cocktail. “Nothing’s going on with Josiah and me. We are also just friends.”

Everyone at the table began twisting their lips and sucking air through their teeth.

“Now that’s just a bold-faced lie,” Octavia said.

“Really, out of everyone, you should understand.”

“Yeah, I would, but clearly, you and Josiah have something going on. You were late to your best friend’s wedding.”

“Then you disappeared right after,” Selena added.

“Mmhmm, and I didn’t want to be the one to tell you this, but I saw a picture of you and him on social media. Ran right through my newsfeed,” Carla added.

I turned to her with wide eyes. “What? And you’re just now telling me this?”

“I mean this was the other day when we last spoke and it slipped my mind.” she tried to justify.

“But that didn’t stop you from telling me about the honey brown skin brother you met at the library, did it?”

Carla’s face flushed a crimson red, and everyone turned to her. “Honey brown skin brother, damn Carla, you holding out, too?”

“I was getting around to it,” Carla defended.

“Hold on, let’s go back to this picture you saw. What does it look like?” I asked.

Carla took out her cell phone and went into her photo gallery.

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