CROSSROADS

16

Taraji jumped at the loud knock at her door. She looked down to see Mariah sleeping soundly. She got out of bed. She didn't have a hangover, but the drinking made her forget about her bedmate. Taraji looked at the clock. They had slept the day away. She knew she had to stop drinking.
Taraji walked to the door and looked through the peep-hole but couldn't see anything. She knew someone was holding their finger it.
"Who is it?"
"Housekeeping," a high-pitched voice said.

There was a vague familiarity to the voice. Taraji put the doorknocker over the door and cracked it open.
"Oh, shit!" She smiled as she saw Mckenna standing with a rolling luggage bag. "So you gon' let me in, fool?" Taraji looked back at the bed. "Hold on one second."
"What the-"
Taraji closed the door and ran over to the bed. She slightly shook Mariah.

Mariah turned over and smiled. "Hey, you."
"Mariah, I hate to rush you, but my bestfriend is at the door, and you don't have on any clothes." Mariah's eyes widened. She sat up in the bed. "Oh, OK, I'll go the bathroom." She got out the bed, her red hair wild and all over her head. She grabbed her dress and ran to the bathroom

🩷🩷🩷🩷

Taraji walked back to the door. She opened it to see Mckenna standing with her arms crossed.
"It's about damn time." Mckenna pushed the door all the way open and walked in. She paused in the doorway. Mckenna sniffed. She looked at the bed then looked at Taraji and smiled. "Who is she?"
"What? I don't know what you're talking about." Taraji walked into the room.
"You lieeeee! I can smell a woman in the air. You don't wear Bond Number 9. You probably don't know what Bond Number 9 is."

Taraji sat on the edge of the bed. "How do you know-never mind." Taraji knew Mckenna knew her fragrances. Mckenna sat her bag against the wall. Taraji noticed the curious look on Mckenna's face. "What, man?" Mckenna grinned, her dimples deep. "She's still here, isn't she?"
"Oh my God! You really are in the wrong business. You need to be a private detective."
The bathroom door slowly opened. Mariah walked out with an embarrassed smile. Her hair was wet, curls stringing down her back.

Mckenna did a double take. She looked back at Taraji then turned back to Mariah. Mckenna extended her hand.
"So she made you hide in the bathroom? That's sad,
Ti."
"No, I actually needed to get dressed. Hi, I'm Mariah.
And I'm guessing you are Mckenna."
Mariah extended her hand. Mckenna smirked, she had never heard her name so proper before.
"Good job on guessing my perfume."
"Well, I always know a good scent, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Mariah. I'm sure we will see more of each other."

"I'm sure we will." Mariah smiled.
"Well, Taraji, 1 need to get out of here. You will be all right getting to the studio, right?"
Instantly Mariah was back in business mode. Mckenna was impressed.
"Yes, ba-Mariah, I can manage. Thank you again." Mariah blushed. "Anytime. Call if you need me."
"I'll call you later."
Mariah grabbed her purse and left.
Mckenna poked her head out the door to make sure the coast was clear. Taraji rumbled through her duffle bag. She braced herself for Mckenna. Mckenna closed the door and turned around, leaning against the door.

"Really, Ti."
"What?" Taraji cackled.
"You know what? I'm not even gonna say what you think I'm going to say. She seems cool, good taste in clothes. Thick-ass legs for a white girl. I even like the red hair. At least she's not a blonde."
"Mariah is just a friend. Nothing happened."
"Riiighhhhttt." Mckenna walked farther into the room.
"Whatever you say. Zaria gon' kick yo ass when she finds out you fucking Vanilla now. And you got an old Vanilla drop too."
"I'm not fucking anything. She was my sports agent.
She helped me land the modeling gig, which I gotta get ready to get to. Wait, what the hell are you doing here anyway?"

Mckenna stretched out over the bed. "Well, I got some business to look into here. On top of that, I got this girly-ass picture of my friend and figured she had lost her damn mind, so, I had to come and check on you." Taraji snickered. "It's not like that. Dude, you won't believe. I'm the new face of Jocku."
Mckenna sat up on the bed. Her eyes widened. "You are bullshittin' me."
"I'm serious. Mariah got it for me."
"Ti, you aren't a model. Hell, have you ever worn name brand."
"Yeah, once, but it's not like that. You'll see for yourself. Come go with me to the studio. They took some pics of me for my first ad, and I'm going to see it today." Taraji
gleamed with pride.