At Last by Bianca L. Eugene Read Free Book Online

tears as I reflected on our love.
     
    Chapter Four
     
     
     
    “So what’s been going on?”  Missy asked me while slipping on lemonade.  We strolled through Somerset Collection.  It was the first time in a while that we actually got to hang out.
    She had been really busy, while I’d thrown myself into my work and Taylor since Justin’s passing.  Durran went back to Atlanta shortly after the funeral.  For the time he remained in town though, he was the perfect gentleman.
    He didn’t try to get at me on the rebound or anything like that. He never tried to play on my vulnerability.  He was really just there for me.  He checked on me every day.  If he didn’t call, he’d send me a simple text, “Hey Mama, just thinking of you.”
    “Nothing much. I miss you big head,” I replied to Missy hitting her in the head.
    “Shut up.”  She said rolling her eyes at me.
    I’d always thought Missy was pretty-everyone did.  But it never meant a thing to her. She never acted funny because she was pretty; it never fazed her one bit.
    When we were growing up I was always kinda awkward looking, but Missy had always been cute.  She’d looked the same since we were in elementary school.
    She was short like me, but petite.  Missy was probably a size four to my size ten . Her complexion was caramel. Her hair is long and she usually wears it in a wrap off her shoulders. Recently, I gave her light brown highlights in the front.  It looked really pretty on her, and set off her eyes.  She had long, thick, pretty eyelashes that anyone would die for.  She never used mascara. She also had a beauty mark on the left side of her face right above her full lips.
    She was a make-up artist and a designer.  She owned a boutique in downtown Detroit, Pure Beauty .  When everyone else was talking about going away to college, she was interested in making her own fashions and owning a store.
    She’d been creative for as long as I could remember.  We’d ' long talked about going into business together.  It’s really her dream though.  I thought it would be nice, but hair hadn’t been my passion for a long time.  Missy loved what she did.
    “You heard from Durran?”  She asked as we continued through the mall.
    “Yeah” was all I could give her.  She wasn’t a big Durran fan.  She had been right there with me during Durran’s bullshit. But I must admit it seemed as though she’d gained some sort of respect for him for helping out with Justin’s funeral and such.
    “Whatever, you know you talking to that fool every night.”  She said laughing.
    “No Missy. It ain’t even like that.” I protested. She gave me the “bitch please.” Look I smiled, “I’m serious. He ain’t pushed up on me or nothing like that.  I’ve talked to him just about every night. He’ll just call on some ‘How you doing’ type of stuff.  He asks me how Taylor’s doing-”
    “Oh so he calls her Taylor now?  No more “The baby?”  Mhmmmm.   If we were made in his image, then call us by our names,” She said reciting Ms. Erykah Badu sarcastically. I sucked my teeth at her. She knew that was a soft spot for me, “What? You know it’s true.”
    We made our way into the electronics store and began to look around.
                  “For the record his does call her Taylor, Miss Smart Ass.”  I said pinching her right shoulder.
    “Ouch. You know I bruise easily.”  She said rubbing her arm.
    “You deserve it.  You know I couldn’t stand when he used to do that shit.”
    “Keish, the male ego is so fragile,”   She said smiling.
    “You ain’t shit.  What we doing in here anyway?”
    “I need a universal remote to go to the TV in the shop.  I lost the other one.”
    “How the hell you lose a damn remote?”
    “Easy. Forget where you put it last. Just shut up and help me find one.”
    As we walked around the store looking for a remote, I noticed all the TV’s in the store were set on “The Price is