Sensitive Affair

large mirror Taye set before her. She knew her friend worked wonders when it came to makeup. Her capability was no mystery to her

g on the sun, or her twitching blue eyes which looked red under the scrutiny of bright light. "You bloody miracle worker." Lolia sang as she smiled into the mirror turning

my other friend is a fucking artist." She chimed hyping up her girls. Taye rolled her eyes as she let a smile break loose. She placed the mirror back in the huge green makeup box she had hauled from her middle class neighborhood do

ve. "I honestly do not remember the last time I got all dolled up guys." Lolia chimed smiling ear to ear. "With everything that has been happening with Eric this past two years I just...." "No, no, no," Taye started raising her hands to stop Lolia from diving headfirst into a pool of grief. "We are not going to talk about that, we are going to focus on good tidings. Eric is turning sixty-five and it's a good day." Lolia smiled. "It would be an even better day if his dead-beat son comes." Kachi was always the mouthy one. Ready to

appened, he should suck it up." Lolia sighed. She wanted to agree with Kachi and absolve herself of any blame but she just could not. If Nik knew the truth maybe he would not hate her as much but that trut

had important business, but to apologize he sent you a gift." "But he is not coming." "It is progress." Lolia continued. She kissed his forehead. "We are breaking through and soon he will come over and see you." Eric let out a smile. "You are right progress is good." "Eric!" A friend of Eric's called. The short round man wrapped a hand around Eric. "Ladies mind if I borrow this old man." He chimed as he led Eric away. "You are lying." Anitta started once the women were alone. "I have no idea what you are talking about," Lolia replied. "Nik is not out of town and he sent no gift." Anitta continued "Nik would not even talk to you if you were the last person on earth so why the fuck are you lying?" Lolia turned to Anitta and for the first time tonight, her smile fell. "I know that you and your siblings hate me but I care very much about your father." She continued "He is going through so much that all he asks for is to be happy tonight and I would do anything to make that wish come true." "Going through what exactly." Anitta replied, "He realizes that being married to his little gold digger is not all rainbows." "You are right my marriage to your father is not all rainbows." Lolia continued "Sometimes there is just rain but seeing him smile tonight is all the color I need." She stepped closer. "I am not the enemy here, your enemy is time and you better use it before you lose it." "What?" Anitta asked with narrowed eyes. "Lolia," Kachi called from behind. Lolia turned around. Kachi and Taye stood by the stairs both had replaced their glasses of champagne with glasses of red wine. Lolia knew that her friends believed she needed saving thus Kachi waved her over which was most likely Taye's plan because she knew Kachi very well, calm and subtle was not her type of gameplay. Lolia let out a smile indicating that she was fine and with a nod she acknowledged Kachi's invitation before she turned to Anitta once again. "Thank you for coming." Lolia offered "We hope to see more of you." Lolia let out a deep breath as she made her way to her friends. Once she was with them she let out another deep breath. She took Taye's cup of wine and poured it down her throat. It was not enough, so she risked her life and took Kachi's and repeated the same action. Kachi let it slide because she knew Lolia was tense. "What was happening over there?" Kachi asked "Stepmother duties," Lolia replied with a small smile as she folded her hands. "His kids do not know that he is sick." She explained. "Wait what?" Taye asked, "They deserve to know." "It is not my duty to tell them." Lolia defended. "He made me promise. He does not want them to love him again because of pity. He wants it genuine." "So he is waiting to die first?" Kachi stated. "Kachi." Taye cautioned "What?" Kachi scoffed. "Tell your husband the truth. You said that Nik was closer to his mother than his father, that boy is never going to forgive him or you until he hears the damn truth." "Honestly Lia, you are keeping so many secrets for this man." Taye added, "I may agree with Kachi on this one." "Drop it," Lolia replied. "I did not come over here for a lecture." She continued "I just..." She paused as the words died on her lips. "I need something strong." The night's merriments continued as Eric talked to friends and family. Lolia did her best to stay out of the way and just let him enjoy his night. By the middle of the night, they cut a three-tier birthday cake, probably bigger than a wedding cake. "The night is almost over and Rick is not here," Lolia muttered to her friends' hearing. Eric sat in the middle of the room watching along with everyone a lovely performance by some contemporary dancers Lolia had hired. He seemed enthralled as they did their flips and twirls. "Girl staring at the doorway all night long is not going to suddenly make him come in." Kachi offered. "Just enjoy the night instead of worrying so much." "It's not my night to enjoy Kach, it is his," Lolia stated. She closed her eyes as she buried her face in her left palm. "Loli ok." Taye called "Isn't that your husband's first son." Lolia looked up abruptly and to her ultimate surprise, it was. Nik and Rik walked into the room. Rik was in a black tuxedo and Nik was in a blue suit. They both grabbed glasses of wine from the server who offered and walked further into the party. Anitta made her way to them and they exchanged hugs. "You came." Anitta chimed. "Rick talked me into it," Nik replied taking a sip of his wine. "Your father's wife was practically begging," Rick whispered into Anitta's ears. If Nik knew that he was here because Lolia had asked he would be out in the next second. Nik let his eyes roam around the room. This was not the room he had grown up in. This was a different house. The home he had grown up in was much bigger with a mix of gold, blue and red décor, massive paintings hung in every area of the home he had grown up in, his mother was an art enthusiast. Her love for art had birthed his love for art as well. Unlike her, he was not just an enthusiast but also an artist. The chandelier in the middle of the house he had lived in as a child had a much more elaborate design than the light spheres that hung above the room in this space. The crystals had cascaded down like a shiny rainfall emanating from the ceiling held unto by a single but strong line of the same crystal like design. He remembered how he and Rick tried many tim

does not solve everything." He reminded Rick. "No but when was the last time you had sex?" Rick asked "You used to be a babe magnet." he continued "Still are. Your secretary is very interested." Nik rolled his eyes. He was very close to firing her anyway. He did not mix business with pleasure and she seemed not to get the memo because she wore a lot of low cut outfits exposing her breasts and thighs to him. It was unprofessional. "Or Marina, or Sandra." Rick continued "She is interested." "They all want more," Nik replied. They always did. Sex he could d