Page 2 of Devanté
“Why don’t you flash her your pretty boy smile and woo her. She’s always staring at you and laughing at your jokes anyway. That way, you can open the door for me to meet her dad.” Blake eyed me over her glass of orange juice. I steeped myself in her topaz pools for a moment before finding my words.
“Her dad?” I lifted a questioning eyebrow.
“I overheard Gabi saying he worked at Watson Marketing Solutions in LA.”
A deep laugh tumbled from my mouth landing between us on the kitchen table.
“So essentially, we’re both out for personal gain with Gabi?”
“That’s what it sounds like,” she said with a shrug. “Trust me, if I didn’t have to associate with her and her group of cookie-cutter friends, I wouldn’t. I know that Watson only gives a paid intern spot to one college kid a year. I want that spot. I figure it’ll be easier to obtain if I can get into Gabi’s circle.” Blake nearly cringed when she said it, like fitting in with Gabi and her flunkies left her tongue bitter. I didn’t blame her.
“I’ll talk to her tonight at the basketball game and see what’s up. If I can get invited to her house, I’ll put in a good word for you.”
“If? Devanté, all you have to do is blink in her direction and she’ll burn her clothes to the ground.”
“I do have that effect on the ladies.” I shrugged then finished my food.
“I still haven’t figured out why.” A confused frown created a shallow line between her sculpted brows.
“Nah, you know why, Blake. Stop bullshitting. You’ve been my best friend since third grade.” I smoothed a hand over the bottom half of my face and smiled at her.
“Oh, you mean the whole, tall, dark, and handsome thing? Ugh.” She stood from the table and tossed our paper plates in the trash.
“You know it, baby.” I stood too and put our glasses in the sink. The top of Blake’s head met the bottom of my chin when she didn’t have on shoes. I never missed an opportunity to tease her about being short. Especially if I had to reach something on a shelf her vertically challenged ass couldn’t get to.
“Well, use what you got to get what you want. Let me know what she says at the game,” she said. “Meanwhile I’ll try to cozy up to her some more and I’ll let you know if I’m successful.”
“Cozy up?” I laughed. “Blake, you don’t cozy up to people. You don’t even like anyone besides me.”
“And honestly, that’s questionable,” she quipped.
“Whatever. You’re stuck with me.” I tossed an arm around her shoulders.
“Being stuck with you and actually liking you are two different things.” She rolled her eyes and walked into the modest living room. My eyes were stuck on the way her hips and ass swayed beneath the oversized sweatshirt she wore to hide her body. She still couldn’t hide that ass though.
“My mom is coming over for dinner tonight,” Blake told me before sitting on the couch and hugging a pillow. “But you won’t be here to save me because you insist on going to this damn basketball game and smiling in Gabi’s face.”
“Wait, I thought we just agreed that I’d sweet talk my way into her good graces for both of our benefits.” I scratched the back of my head and eyed Blake.
“I know. I just hate being alone with my mother.” Her full lips dropped along with her gaze. She plucked at the pillow in her lap then groaned.
“Your dad isn’t coming?”
“Nope. He has to work. So yeah, just me and Mom. At dinner. Together.” She rubbed her forehead then smoothed a hand over the pillow repeatedly stroking the brown material.
“Blake, stop stressing out. Maybe it’ll be different this time.”
“Your optimistic outlook on life is problematic right now, Devanté.”
“How is optimism ever problematic?” I chuckled. She tidied the coffee table and shifted around on the couch a little.
“Because it refuses to look at past actions as a roadmap to future actions.” She smoothed an invisible lock of stray hair into her ponytail and pushed out a frustrated sigh. I wasn’t going to gain any headway having that discussion with her so I let it go.
“I have no idea what to cook,” she grumbled. “She’s going to pick apart whatever I make.”
“Why don’t you reschedule and come with me to the basketball game?” If I couldn’t offer her any comfort, at least I could offer her a way out. I already knew what she’d say though.
“You know I don’t want to be around all those people I don’t know and don’t care about.”
