Back at the office, Naomi read through some files and completed the survey she had been working on earlier, though her eyes skimmed more than studied. The words on the page blurred into each other, her mind only half tethered to the data before her. Her thoughts dangled indecisively between the work she was wrapping up and the much heavier distraction of what she was going to wear for dinner that evening.
She propped her chin against her hand, twirling her pen absentmindedly as she pictured one outfit after another. A simple black dress? Too plain. The emerald green one? Beautiful but maybe too bold. The cream blouse with her tailored skirt? Safe, but perhaps too professional for what could easily be mistaken for a date. Each option left her just as uncertain as before.By the time the clock hands slid toward five, her chest felt tight with restless energy. She stacked the completed files into a neat pile, pushed her chair back, and gathered her things with a deep exhale.
Tasha appeared at her desk right on cue, twirling her car keys around her finger with that easy confidence Naomi had always admired."Five o'clock sharp, baby. Let's roll," Tasha said with a grin.Naomi nodded, slipping her bag over her shoulder. The two of them joined the stream of colleagues filtering out of the office, their heels tapping against the polished floors like a quiet rhythm of release.
Outside, the air was softer now, tinted with the colors of an early evening sky,dusky gold fading into pinks and faint lavender.Tasha unlocked her car with a sharp beep. The headlights blinked to life as they slid inside. Naomi settled into the passenger seat, the smooth leather cool beneath her legs, while Tasha fired up the engine.
A faint trace of Tasha's vanilla air freshener mixed with the sharper scent of fresh upholstery, an oddly comforting blend.The drive out of the office lot and into the evening traffic felt both slow and quick at once. Cars lined up like patient soldiers waiting for their turn at the lights, but the hum of the city kept things moving. Naomi leaned her head back against the headrest, watching the blur of shopfronts, restaurants, and neon signs streak by.Tasha kept one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on the gear. "You're awfully quiet," she observed, glancing briefly at Naomi before focusing back on the road."Just tired," Naomi murmured, though the edge in her voice betrayed her wandering thoughts.Tasha raised an eyebrow, smirking knowingly. "Mm-hmm. Tired. Or stressing about what you're going to wear tonight."Naomi's lips tugged into a reluctant smile. "Maybe both.""Girl," Tasha laughed, shaking her head. "The way you're obsessing, people would think you're meeting royalty, not having dinner with our manager."Naomi didn't reply. She just looked out of the window, the scenery sliding by in silence, but her smile lingered faintly at the corner of her lips.By the time they reached Naomi's apartment, dusk had settled deeper. Streetlights blinked awake, washing the sidewalks in pale orange pools of light.
Tasha parked neatly by the curb, cut the engine, and both women climbed out, their bags swinging at their sides as they made their way inside.The moment Naomi pushed open her front door, music spilled out into the hallway like an old friend waiting for them. A familiar ache carried in the raw voice of Dean Lewis, the opening chords floating heavy in the air."Oh, no," Tasha groaned theatrically the moment the lyrics hit her ears. She dropped her bag on the couch, throwing her arms in exasperation. "Not this song again. You've got to be kidding me."Naomi's lips curved into a small, amused smile as she set her own bag down gently on a chair. She kicked off her heels and flexed her toes against the carpet, the comfort of home settling over her shoulders."What?" she said with a soft laugh. "I like the song. It helps me relax.""Relax?" Tasha's eyes widened as she pointed dramatically at the speaker. "This is not relaxing. This is—you know what this is? This is wallowing. This is sitting in a dark pit of heartbreak with a bucket of ice cream, crying about Jeremiah.""Tasha," Naomi sighed, shaking her head, though she was still smiling.But Tasha wasn't done. She clutched her chest, tilted her head back, and began wailing in an exaggerated, off-key imitation, "I'm sooo saaaaad, why does it have to end like this?my life is overrrr..
"Naomi's laugh burst out of her before she could stop it. She doubled over slightly, covering her mouth with her hand as her shoulders shook. "That's not it, Tash. It's Hurt So Bad.""Yeah, yeah, whatever," Tasha replied, waving her hand dismissively but grinning as she flopped down onto the couch like she owned the place.
The music swelled again, the chorus wrapping the room in its haunting ache."now I'm standing outside your door love...singing in the pouring rain..i gave it everything I could,but you don't want to speak again,and it hurts so bad"...Naomi sang along as she dropped her phone on the television shelve, don't touch it tash,she said jokily as she head towards the bathroom."I'm going to take a quick shower," she said over her shoulder."Go ahead," Tasha replied, stretching her legs out on the couch.Naomi disappeared into the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind her. Steam began to rise almost immediately as the water hissed to life. The song kept echoing through the apartment, low and melancholy.But Tasha wasn't having it. She leaned forward, grabbed the remote, and with one decisive press of a button, silenced the music. The apartment suddenly felt lighter without the dragging weight of sorrow in the background. She smiled to herself, satisfied, and leaned back against the cushions.From the bathroom came Naomi's muffled but sharp protest. "Play it back, Tash!"Tasha chuckled, shaking her head. "Girl, no. You've listened to that sad song enough for a lifetime."Water splashed behind the closed door as Naomi groaned in exasperation. "Tash, I mean it. Put the song back on!"But her friend only grinned wider, folding her arms behind her head as though she hadn't heard a word.