Page 13 of Always There Bayou
It’s not okay! I’m suffering!
Anyway…
“Denny. Denny!” Delilah yells, causing me to jump.
“My bad. What did you say?” I ask, realizing that I’d zoned out.
“I said that I’ll see you in a bit,” she answers. “Don’t be late! We have that field trip to prepare for.”
“I’m stepping into the shower now,” I assure her, lying through my teeth. “Bye, Lilah.”
I disconnect the call and sigh deeply. Today was about to be one hectic ass day. I could feel it.
3:38 PM
“Bye! Thank you for coming!” I wave to the last of the students as they pile back onto the bus. Once they pull off, I walk back into the studio and close the door as a sigh of relief washes over me.
Today was just as hectic as I expected it to be. We had about fifty 13-year-olds in our studio at once, and I felt like I’d been transported back to my middle school days. It was loud, and jokes were being passed around at others' expense. It was rowdy and got out of control at one point, but they did seem to settle down once we started the pottery.
They all seemed to enjoy themselves by the end of the session, and I couldn’t have been happier. A few of them even asked us if they could sign up for more classes. We provided them with flyers including our contact information and website, and they thanked us happily as they left.
It always felt good to inspire the next generation of artists, so even if the day started a little rough, I felt accomplished as I looked around the studio space before me. I smiled at the thought of how I’d been able to make my dream a reality, thanks to my aunt and uncle believing in me and the importance of art.
When I told them that I wanted to be a full-time artist after I graduated from college, they made every effort to help me secure a space big enough to have a whole gallery in the front and a few classrooms in the back. It was a big building already, but that didn’t stop them from buying the building that was attached to it as well. A couple of months later, they gifted it to me as a 22nd birthday present.
I was an amateur tattoo artist by the time I was 18, and not to brag, but I was talented at it. As the year progressed, I got better and better. So, by the time they gifted me that second building, I was a professional, and it only made sense to turn it into a shop.
Bunny’s Tattoo Tavern
Did I use Cory’s nickname for me because it was special to me? Well, yes!
When we were back in high school, she noticed how energetic, bubbly, and excited I was. She admitted that it made her head spin sometimes because I was always so active, but when I apologized, she quickly cut me off. She told me that I should never apologize for being who I am and that the people who loved me would love me regardless.
I think that was the day I fell in love with her.
Ever since then, it was what she preferred to call me because she loved the fact that she was the only one who could. Yeah, as you can see, she likes having her special privileges, especially when it comes to me.
The sound of the door startled me back to the present, and my eyes snapped towards it to see Cory. She smiles, and I feel my heart skip a beat as she comes over to where I am with a couple of bags in her hands.
“What are you doing here?” I ask with a smile.
She returned my smile, holding up a bag of food from one of my favorite restaurants. My stomach growled, and I had to stop myself from salivating. To hell with that cleanse. I was gonna have some of what she’d brought.
“I went out to lunch with Simone and Harley after my therapy session, and I thought I’d bring you and Lilah something since we were at your favorite restaurant,” she tells me. Lilah hears this and immediately skips over. “Hey, Lilah.”
“Yeah, hey, gimme my food,” she says, and I shake my head. She looks up at Cory with an innocent smile as she holds her hands out. Cory chuckles, handing her a bag. “Thank you for always spoiling me. I know I’m the sister you never had.”
“Delilah, I have a sister,” she laughs.
“Yeah, exactly. That’s why I said I’m the sister youneverhad. Duh.”
“You’re a trip, chick,” Cory laughs and playfully pushes her to the side. “You’re welcome for the food. Now, shoo fly.”
Delilah eyes us as a smirk plays at the corner of her mouth. I knew she was about to say some shit, but before I could stop her, she said, “You wanna be alone with yourBunny? That’s cute. Okay, I’ll make myself scarce. I wouldn’t wanna interrupt whateversuper platonicfriendship activities y’all are about to partake in.”
And with that, she scurries off to her office, leaving me standing there with my jaw on the floor. Cory laughs. Either she was the most oblivious person in the world, or she was ignoring what was right there in front of her face. I wanted to ask her about it, but she caught me off guard by sliding her hands to my waist. She smiled up at me, making my heart rate kick into overdrive.
Cory was so fucking attractive. Even though she was a few inches shorter than me at only 5’9, she exuded nothing but confidence. Her deep toffee complexion mixed with her heart-shaped face, deepbrown eyes, and swoon-worthy smile always had me about two seconds away from melting. The locs she rocked complemented her appearance so well, and I sometimes imagined how it would feel to run my hands through them as she devoured me. I shuddered just thinking about it.
