Naomi #3
A beat of silence follows, save for the soft hum of “Light Shower” by Melanie Martinez spilling through the car. It grates on my nerves, and I suddenly want to scream. It's as if Melanie is keen on unraveling my feelings with every lyric.
Aisha starts drumming her fingers against the steering wheel—her telltale sign that she’s itching to say something more.
“Goddamit, just ask it, June. Ask the damn question.”
She sighs dramatically, like I’ve just given her permission to take her first breath. “So… with you inside or in the guest house?” She turns down the music, throwing me a sly side-eye.
I groan. “He’s in the house with me, down the hall from my room.”
Her grin widens like a cat who’s caught the canary. “Have you fucked him?”
“June!” My voice pitches, and I nearly choke on air.
“What?” She shrugs, casually. “I wouldn’t judge you. I mean, have you seen him?” She arches a perfectly sculpted brow, daring me to deny it.
“Definitely not fucking him.” I hold up my hand, the engagement ring glittering in the sunlight.
“Yeah, okay.” She nods, brows furrowed in contemplation. “That was a stupid question. You’d have told me if you had.”
I stiffen, her words striking a nerve. And memories from last night surge forward, uninvited and vivid—the heat, the tension, the way his touch drove me wild.
“Christian doesn’t know, does he?” Aisha gasps, her voice pulling me sharply back to the present.
“No, and I’d like to keep it that way,” I huff. “Let’s just say he and Mr. Knox didn’t exactly have the warmest of first meetings.”
I’m still a bit leery about that situation. Why would two people who have only just met have so much heat towards each other? I mean, I know Christian is testy about other guys around me, but a clash that is vitriolic must have a backstory.
“You’re still calling him Mr. Knox, you pretentious bitch?” Aisha shoots me a look, half amusement, half exasperation.
“It’s proper,” I reply, tilting my chin in defiance.
“It’s stupid. This isn’t the 1800s, Naomi. And it makes you sound sus as fuck. Add that to the cold ass stares you two keep exchanging, any outsider would think you’re screwing him.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, heat creeps up my neck as I bristle next to her. But damn it, she’s not wrong. I am being a pretentious bitch—and it’s entirely out of spite.
“Oh, come off it,” she presses, giving me a nudge with her elbow. “You know I’m right.”
I sigh heavily. “Fine. You are.”
Her expression immediately illuminates with smug satisfaction. “Wait, was he there yesterday? When Christian proposed?” Her brows shoot up as if the thought just hit her.
“Yes, June.” I roll my eyes. “He goes everywhere I go. And I mean everywhere.”
Before she can launch into a third-degree interrogation, we pull into the lot at Xia.
And I thank God for small mercies. Jaxon’s sleek car pulls up behind us as we hop out.
He steps out with his usual calm precision and leans casually against the door, effortlessly composed while I’m fighting the urge to smack him and then kiss him.
“We’ll just be in here, Jaxon baby,” Aisha calls out, blowing him a playful kiss.
He nods in response, pulling out his phone, his thumb flying across the screen. It shouldn’t bother me. And yet, it does.
Xia feels like a balm the moment we step inside. The air is serene, cool, as if we stepped into a reality where disgruntled fiances and enticing bodyguards don't exist.
“My two favorite girls!” Lisa’s voice rings out as we both rush into her arms for a group hug, squealing.
“Hey, Lis!”
“How have you been, girl?” Aisha jumps in, immediately in interrogation mode. “Still with Andrew?”
“Drew and I are still going strong,” Lisa confirms, her smile bright and easy. I’m glad he’s taking care of her.
“Well, I guess I’ll just have to add a plus one to your RSVP!” I tease, winking.
“We can’t wait!” Lisa's excitement radiates through her. “I was just gushing about the anniversary party the other day. We can’t wait”
“No, Lisa,” I say, holding up a finger and wiggling it. “Plus one.”
Her eyes widen as realization hits, and she gasps, running off. “Hold on, I’ll be right back,” she yells behind her, darting to the back. As my gaze falls on Aisha, she only chuckles.
“Oh,” I groan. “What are you two up to?”
Lisa returns moments later, carrying a bottle and three crystal flutes in her hands.
“Pop the champagne—she’s changing her last name!” she announces with a grin.
I giggle, warmth flooding me. I love my friends. “Guys, no! Y’all are amazing!”
“When Aisha told me, I couldn't let this momentous event pass without marking it with some good champagne," she says, the cork surrendering with a satisfying pop that echoes against marble countertops.
The pale gold liquid cascades into crystal flutes, tiny bubbles racing to the surface like my own rising anxiety.
Aisha's crimson nails flash as she swipes hers immediately, the diamond on my finger catching the same warm light as Lisa's bangles when she hands me mine.
We migrate to a room in the back—all soft lighting and the clinical scent of eucalyptus—where Lisa's cool fingertips trace the contours of my face with professional precision.
Her voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper as she tweaks my skincare routine, suggesting a gentle glycolic peel "to give you that bridal luminescence, darling.”
“It's a wedding present. On the house,” Lisa says with a grin.
“Absolutely not, Lis. You know I won’t do that. Let me pay you.”
She rolls her eyes, dismissing me with a wave. “We’ll talk it over closer to the date. For now, just stay on top of your current regimen. From what I can see, your skin looks amazing.”
Lisa massages some moisturizer into my face while I look at her upside down. “I know you aren’t the mushy type, but would you be my bridesmaid?”
Lisa gasps theatrically, throwing a hand over her heart like some over-the-top Valley Girl. “Oh. Em. Gee. Of course! I’d be honored!” She grabs a napkin from her tool cart, dabbing at imaginary tears as we all giggle.
In another thirty minutes, she finishes up on Aisha, adding a few tweaks to her regime as well.
Just before we go, she pulls me in for a hug.
“Listen, Ni. I know that things have been hard for you in the last couple of years, but see this as a new start. You know what my mom used to tell us about new beginnings.”
I pull her in tighter. “Thanks, Lis. I know MaMa Mei would be so proud of everything you’ve accomplished. You’re too good to me.” I say, giving her one last squeeze before Aisha does the same.
By the time we leave, it’s almost one, so we skip our usual stop at Mers so I can make it back for my appointment.
Timing is tight, but we pull up to my house with twenty minutes to spare. Thank God I’ve been preparing for this meeting all week. Grabbing my things from her backseat, I fling the car door open. “Bye, Aisha! Love you, times ten!”
I don’t even wait for her response, sprinting inside and straight to my home office, my mind already racing ahead to the meeting.