Tiiing!
The silvery bell hanged at the top of the pub's door. Whenever one pushed it to enter the pub or pulled it to exit it would chime. At it's first strike tone, Filly made sure to look up, whenever a new customer walked in. With a huge smile to welcome the customers. However once he saw them, his smile would disappear. That happened, not once and not twice but every time a new customer walked in.
For the millionth time he looked at his phone, it was 9:56PM. The notification he hopped for, had been swallowed somewhere in the realm, he wishfully thought so.
With a huge smile, he squinted as he approached him with the tray on his arms. Without making a sound, he placed the tray softly on the wooden counter. Leaning in he softly tapped on the wooden counter repeatedly. Turning to him, he raised his eyebrows shaking his head unbeliaveably 'What?' he mumbled.
'Tell me about her,' The man began. 'Is it Malaika? Did she reject you ? ooo don't tell me she ghosted you,' he threw question after question. Eyes wide open and a wide smile like someone who had recalled something 'Don't tell me you guys,' he said while tapping his index fingers repeatedly. Filly with frowny brows mumbled 'What!'
'You know,' he said whilst doing the index finger thing.
'Renzo , stop being delusional, Filly began '… you've clearly heard her say it over a million times. She and I are just friends nothing more, nothing less.'
Renzo wasn't his actual name but Lorenzo was. Others referred to him as Loren whatever suited the persona best. He is a 5'10 with long, slender arms and legs, contributing to a "supermodel". His frame, vertical and linear, with a ribcage and hips that align almost perfectly. The waistline did not dip inward significantly, giving the torso an athletic look. His body physique complimented laced shirts, high waist pants and wide legged pants. All that side, he was Filly's right hand man at the pub, so she knew both Filly and Malaika quit well.
' Make me tell you something you guys would make the cute perfect cute couple if only she wasn't stubborn,' gasping for some air ' but if I may ask why is she like that ,'
'She has a boyfriend,' he blurted out.
Gasping 'No way,' eyes wide open
'Why would I lie to you?' Filly asked
Pulling the blue pub chairs ' Fill me in,' he said as he sat.
'They attended the same college, same class, friend groups and profession. They went abroad but she didn't. Now they're all back but his boyfriend came back with another woman as his fiancée,' Filly narrated.
' Yoo! No waay! That is huge.' As a matter of fact I feel sorry for her now,' he said
Filly shrugged and kept on mixing his drinks quietly looking at the door. 'What do you intend to do now? Renzo inquired breaking the short silence between them. Shaking his head 'I don't know,' placing the silvery bottle down 'Probably nothing.'
'She still loves that jerk Omar and I bet she'd do anything to have him back,' Filly clarified.
'Oh! Yeah!' He seconded nodding his head. 'How long were they together?'
His palm up, 'Four years in college,' he began to count ' and five years of waiting,'
'Daaamn! Renzo interjected
'… I'd give say 10 Years,'
'That's quite a long time, she'd need another half a decade or even an entire decade to heal,' he stated. So how is she now? he asked with a concerned voice. Looking at the door he answered I don't know I've been calling her she's not picking up and her friends as well they're looking for her they can't get her. They are waiting for her at the back hopeful that she'll show up,' he smirked.
' That's mad! They are here? he exclaimed loudly 'This is insane it might be messy if she shows up.
You think I'd tell them if she comes ? Filly asked with a lot of concern
Exhaling in relief he stood up and walked away without saying a word. Renzo had been gone for a few minutes, Filly busy with mixing his drinks.
' Three shots of screwdriver,' a familiar voice requested. He turned around without wasting time, his eyes landed on her. The person she had been eagerly waiting for. 'I was sick worried about you, what happened?' he asked. 'Three shots of screwdriver,' she repeated herself as she pulled the chair back and sat waiting to be served like any other customer. 'What's wrong?' he asked with a falling tone. She didn't reply. She placed her phone on the table and began to scroll through leaving him no other option than minding his business.
He placed them shots on the table once he was done preparing them. 'Your friends are at the back,' he informed her as she took the first shot. 'They've been waiting for a while now,' she took the second shot. '…should I inform them…' before he could finish overexplaining himself, she plunged up '…I'll wire you for the drink,' and she left.
Huh! That's weird . Confusion was written all over his face . He failed to understand her behavior, is it something he had said or something he had done prior. For the next three days , this kept on happening . She'd come order her drinks and leave without a word . This was killing Filly . Had he lost her best friend, the woman he craved daily to be his. Her friends as well , they Would come, ask if she had shown up or reached out to him. But knowing they were the reason she had changed he'd say ' … Neither have I laid my eyes on her, nor have I been able to reach her.' They'd insist that he takes them to her apartment, but he'd say he changed her address.
On the fourth day, she came in, 'The usual' she ordered. He got right into preparing the order quietly. Seems like Filly had decided to stay in his lane, not bother about her behaviors. He never questioned her but rather treated her as any other customers. She took her shots and was about to walk away. 'Where have you been?' a familiar voice asked . She turned to look around her eyes laid on the last person she wanted to see. He looked at him, from head to toe, then back to his eyes. She rolled her eyes and smirked. She then began to walk to the door. ' Can we at least talk?' he requested.
'Mhh! She sighed dismissively. ' What's there to talk?' she asked while approaching him. 'Tell me.' Her eyes wide open, raised eyebrows she eagerly yet impatiently awaited the answer. Breathing out heavily to calm himself down he said ' It's not just me it's all of us.'
'All of us? Who is that even?' She asked , you disgust me written all over her face. Our friends are at the back he kept going would you mind to join we need to have a conversation. She scoffed and kept going non-stop till she run out of her breath 'I really don't think I have anything to discuss with you guys as a matter of fact I don't want to be a third wheel.' The court of public opinion was already in session. All eyes on them, starting from the customers, all the way to Filly by the counter. Every ear including the walls wanted to know why these two were angry at each other. The joyful murmurs had somewhat died down.
Using her side eye, she quickly scanned the area and felt all eyes on her. Without hesitation, she began to walk out and he grabbed her hand pulling her backwards. 'Leave me alone,' she yelled. Filly hurriedly walked out of the counter. 'Dude WTF! Do you think you're doing?' he asked. Omar was still holding unto her and she was struggling to let go of the grip. 'Let her go, you heard her,' Filly remarked.
'For the sake of the old days,' Omar began ' Please, let's talk,' he begged. Their eyes fixated on each other, none of them blinking except for Filly's eyes that are shifting from Omar and back to Malaika. After a few seconds she managed to escape the grip. Throwing her arm gently ' I don't want to be a third will,' she explained. 'I promised you, you won't feel left out,' he said and led the way. She walked after him, when suddenly Filly also held her by the wrist. She instantly turned 'If you need me, I am here,' he said. She lowered her head down to their hands and back to his face. He slowly let go of her. The stare alone was enough she never had to say 'Let go of my hand or anything.'
The warm heat from the busy bodies inside couldn't be felt at the back. Just the fresh breeze outside, the loud chatters are replaced by the hooting of the few vehicles outside and different distant wild night animals. Her eyes fall at her friends who are seated in a circle. 'Everyone,' Omar catches their attention and they uniformly raise their heads. For a few seconds, she takes her time to look at them, one at a time. Squeezing her eyes inwards, she starts looking at them again from the beginning. She tilts her head, pulling one of the chairs between Seth and Luca. 'That explains a lot,' she remarks. Sitting quietly without saying a word. She places her hands over her boobs and gently leans against the chair. Exhaling out deeply 'So,' she begins turning to Omar. 'Why did you bring me here?' bluntly.
He takes a few seconds without saying a word. Meanwhile Malaika is looking at her friends, one at a time. 'I want to apologize for what happened last time you were at our place,' he begins to explain himself. She immediately turns to stare at him. 'I am sorry we never told you about my engagement, it happened suddenly.'
Mhh! Suddenly you say,' Malaika mumbled.
'For real,' Anna interjected immediately. 'He just came home one day,' she explained as Mishy nodded her as if she was so interested. '-and-' raising her left hand 'I'm engaged.' '
'Ooh! Really, that was quite the ordeal,' sarcastically.
Pouring more drink to his glass Seth commented as Mishy's eyes shifted to him 'And just like that your man was not your again-
'Baaabe!' Anna yelled as she hit him on the laps at the same time 'WTF!' bro,' Omar rumbled. Gently clapping three times Malaika began as she grabbed Seth's drink 'That's why I liked you back then. You have always been blunt.' Drinking the Seth's drink and giving him his glass back 'Tell me more, you always say it as it when you drank.'
'You are stepping on hot stones, thread carefully,' Luca warned Seth before he could tell anything. 'Thread carefully,' he repeated.
' – When it comes to the matters of the heart(his hands on each other he placed them on his heart and began explain with a retarded speech. He was already drank. We couldn't interfere. We thought it was his obligation (pointing Omar) to tell you (pointing at her)
'Booring,' she remarked. 'I thought some hot tea yet bitter truth for me.'
'You've been awfully quiet,' she commented turning to Ivy while plying with her fingers.
I – umhh! I am-I' Ivy stuttered. Her eyes were all over the table, they got into contact with everyone else on board at some point but not on Mishy. Even accidentally, she made sure not to.
"You what," Mishy interrupted, not with a shout, but with a well-timed, silent beat that sucked the air out of the room 'never thought it was necessary hence the basic bitch move.'
Shutting her eyes tightly, she shakes her head before mumbling ' Ooh! Wow!'
She leaned back, resting her hands loosely on the table. She didn't fidget. She simply waited, letting the silence stretch until Ivy was the one who had to break it.
"It was bitchy of me. (She paused ) It was a basic bitch move"
Mishy tilted her head, a ghost of a smile touching her lips. "Hungry dogs are never loyal, Ivy." Nodding her head 'I know,' she agreed with her.
'Aren't you overstepping? Luca defended her woman as she addressed Malaika.
'Luca,' Ivy Interrupted. 'Rest, this is between the two of us.'
'You're my woma_' before Luca could complete 'She is my bestfriend,' Ivy interrupted again. A slow, malicious smile of satisfaction spread across Malaika's face. It wasn't a smile of warmth, but a predatory sharpening of her features—a cold, asymmetrical lift of one corner of her mouth that didn't reach her eyes. A successful hunt, satisfaction. She was in charge.
'You,' She turned to Omar, intensely looking at him. Her gaze piercing through him. 'You wasted my five fucking years. I waited, was patient. I hoped. But just like back in the days, you managed to disappoint me again.'
'Mishy_' he began but '_STFU! She interjected before he'd pass his point across. 'And all of you here played me for the fool I am,' she smirked pointing at them. 'As in chess, so is life. I can't undo any move, but I can make the next step better.' So Omar, you have my blessing. Make sure to send me the wedding invitation.' The game doesn't end when a pawn takes your queen, but when the King falls. And I won't drown myself in sorrows I am the King. However as a good chess player, I'll keep on making my silent moves, till it's time to say CHECKMATE.