Page 23 of Something Cheeky

“Did you sleep at all last night?” Reina pointed at the dark circles under Zoe’s eyes. “They’re so big, you’re going to have to pay to check them.”

Zoe responded with a yawn so wide and long that her eyes watered. She dragged herself into their usual booth at Hazel’s Kitchen, a soul food restaurant in Northeast. The wall next to it cooled her cheek as it kept her somewhat upright.

“Are you dealing with insomnia again?” Trixie Nguyen fussedas she slid next to her. Her wavy black hair was pulled into a messy bun. “Sorry I didn’t make it home last night. My workshop ran late and it was easier to stay at Andre’s. I was too tired to drive.”

Lately Trixie was Zoe’s roommate in name only. Now that she’d received her sex education certification, she held weekly workshops at her sex-toy boutique. The co-op space she rented was down the block from Hazel’s Kitchen, which was co-owned by Trixie’s boyfriend and his sister, Keisha Walker.

“You should just move in with him,” Reina suggested.

“Hmmm,” Trixie replied noncommittally as she sipped some water.

“You can turn the guest room into a play room.” Reina winked. “And not the kind for small children.”

“I can hear you,” Keisha called out from her hidden high-top in the back. She peeked out from behind a tall potted plant and pointed at the women with her ink pen. “Look, I’m happy for the two of them, but I do not need to know about their sex lives.”

“What she said,” Trixie added as she rolled her eyes at the redhead.

“Morning. Wow, you look, um, tired.” Josie Parks, the mother hen of their group, joined them at the table. After handing over operation of her boudoir photography studio to her sister, Josie now managed a co-op gallery. Her warm brown skin was glowing after her recent trip to sunny New Orleans to visit her long-distance beau.

“Not you, too.” Zoe groaned as she forced her eyes open to peek at her best friends. She’d found her Boss Babes when she moved home after graduation. They were as much family to her as her parents and brother.

Josie scooted into the spot across from Zoe at the spacious booth. She’d mastered her bohemian artist look, which included along scarf tied around her beautiful Afro. Her flowy, light cotton dress emphasized Josie’s generous curves.

“I have a major dilemma,” Zoe said. She closed her eyes, hoping for a reprieve from the bright sunlight filtering through the windows. Instead, Derek’s video replayed itself behind her eyelids. She blinked her eyes back open.

“Is it a man? Or a woman?” Reina stood at the end of the table with her hands on her hips. Today she was wearing a blue floral-print halter and wide-legged navy pants.

“Not everything has to be about dating,” chided Josie. “Let Zoe talk.”

“How about we give Zoe a chance to wake up before we grill her?” Keisha emerged from the bar area with a large mug. The whipped cream floating on top swayed as she gently set the drink in front of Zoe. “It’s your favorite but different.”

“Mmmm, mocha,” Zoe whispered as the deep chocolate scent reached her nose. “Is it time to play guess the flavor profiles?”

The women were used to impromptu taste tests whenever they stepped into Hazel’s Kitchen. It was a perk of holding their mastermind meetings at a friend’s restaurant.

“If you want.” Keisha clasped her hands together but her red-scarf-covered head bobbed in excitement.

Zoe wrapped her hands around the warm mug. Her best friends’ banter faded into the background as she lifted the chocolate elixir to her nose and inhaled deeply before sipping. The sweet liquid warmed her from the inside out. The bitterness of the coffee hotwired her brain enough to squint at her friends.

“Did you put cayenne in this mocha?” Zoe’s eyes widened as the spice hit the back of her throat. “And chocolate liqueur?”

“Chili-infused chicory liqueur.” Keisha’s dark brown eyes sparkled as she laughed. She tucked an errant black curl back into herhead scarf. “It’s a new recipe I’m testing out for our weekend brunch service.”

“Maybe dial down the spice a little?” Zoe coughed, her mouth still tingling from the chili.

“I told Andre we put too many chilis in the bottle!” Keisha said loudly toward Andre, who was restocking the bar. She shook her head and reached for the mug.

“Wait—” Zoe put out her hand. “Let me taste it again now that I know what’s in it.”

Closing her eyes, she brought it back for a larger sip. The slightly bitter yet sweet chicory root liqueur infused with chilis exploded in her mouth while sweet cocoa rounded out the bold flavors. She reveled as the balance of flavors danced on her tongue.

Zoe shimmied in her seat and hummed in delight. A number from Derek’s musical popped in her head so she sang a line from the chorus.

“I’ll have what she’s having,” declared Reina. She waved toward the bar to catch Andre’s attention, then pointed to Zoe’s mug. He winked and nodded in understanding.

“Better make that four more, babe,” Trixie called out to her boyfriend.

“I’m adding ‘one sip will make you sing’ to the menu description,” said Keisha excitedly. “All it needs is a name.”

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