Chapter 4

Tiffany

Laurene Billy and I have known each other since high school, and she has been the best friend I could ever want for.

Laurene has always been there for me in ways I could never be there for her.

Laurene was an averagely tall and skinny woman who looked absolutely lovely in her early twenties with her stunning red hair, which she wore in a ponytail on her head today.

She has a few beautiful freckles on her nose and under her eyes. I called them beauty freckles because they enhanced her beauty so considerably that I occasionally wished I had them.

Her eyes were bright green and sloe on the right edges, her nose sharp and pointed, and her body curvy enough to make men fight.

And, certainly, men were fighting over her. Laurene was more into fashion than I was.

While I'd rather dress up in my comfortable t-shirts and jeans with trainers and a messy bun, Laurene preferred casual clothes consisting primarily of dresses and high heels.

She was a walking beauty. But this morning, she wore an oversized black t-shirt with a graphic of SpongeBob dressed as a gang across the breast and letters painted liberally in red below that said 'NAIL AND KILL IT'.

She's dressed in slender, ash- tight jeans and slippers, and her hair is tied up into a sloppy bun in the centre of her head.

She looked almost identical to me, but the amount of sweat gathering on her forehead and neck, as well as the manner she was battling to breathe, could only indicate one thing: she had run all the way here.

“I've got some good news for you, Tiffy!" She screamed enthusiastically, pulling the door open as she moved deeper inside.

“Jeez, who leaves their doors open at this lonely hour in the morning? I could've been a serial killer.”

"But you're not," I said with a broad smile as she stood akimbo in front of me, looking down at me with my neck extended to face her upwards.

“You live in a fucking peaceful neighbourhood, Tiffany. Anyways! What the fuck happened to your phone? I've been trying to reach you all morning!"

" Why? "

" Big news! I found this job that you're absolutely going to enjoy! " She squeaked, and my eyes grew into saucers.

“Really?"

“Yes, it's just a couple of miles away from your side, meaning you can totally trek it and it's some grocery store!" That being stated, she rushes into my bedroom and walks out with my laptop half open in her arms.

She sits alongside me now, and I adjust my position to face her. "What do we gat?" I asked her.

“Heard of 'Spicy and everything in between' store?" She enquired as her fingertips ran across my laptop's buttons, and I slowly shook my head no.

I haven't shopped at many food stores previously. Even I would not be astonished if I didn't know there.

“Well, they have a job opening, and you're going to apply right now online," she says, dumping the open laptop on my lap.

" Online? That sounds like a major thing," I said, looking at the green image on the computer screen in front of me.

It was the vision of a really sophisticated grocery store; I almost couldn't believe it existed in New York City.

“Don't be too impressed by that; it's just a glorified studio image. But I've heard their pay is excellent!"

" Really? How much are we talking about?"

“Don't really know yet but we could find out once your application gets approved" responded by Laura.

I looked back at the laptop and sighed deeply. "I don't know, Laura, there's going to be so many applications, what if mine doesn't get approved?"

"Don't say that," Laurene exclaimed, clutching my hand. “I mean, Tiffany, how does your application not get approved? It certainly would! So, apply soon before the population grows too large!" I flashed her a little smile before saying, "Okay," and quickly clicked on the application page.

I filled up the prerequisites, sent a photo of myself, and wrote the relevant stories before pressing the submit button.

My application was successfully submitted and was being reviewed. They will get back to me the next day.

Looking back at my best friend, I replied, "Thanks, Laurene. Want to eat something? I'm starving.”

“It's past 10 a.m, Tiffany and you still haven't eaten?"

"I actually woke up a few minutes ago," I said, laughing.

“Wow, how convenient of you," she remarked, rising to her feet behind me.

"Amila sleeping too?"

“No, she had gone to school. Would you prefer some scrambled eggs, or something a little more... spicy?” I winked at her.

I purchased some spicy Chinese duck feet from a Chinese restaurant yesterday.

“Hell no! I'm not going to eat duck feet with you Once again!" As we entered the kitchen, I giggled at her foolish exclamations.

I took some eggs from the refrigerator and turned towards the stove before beginning the topic I knew she would enjoy just now.

"So, Laurene, how's your handsome boyfriend” I wiggled my brows at her, causing her to squeal happily.

Laurene and her lover, Dean, have a love chemistry that I cannot understand.

Laurene and Dean met at university after I had dropped out. He majored in laboratory science, and Laurene majored in business.

She would always come to my workplace to tell me about him, how beautiful he was, how completely loving he was, and how perfect he was.

I was thrilled for her, but it made me ponder about my own love life. I'd always come home wondering if my love life would ever be this good.

Dean adored Laurene, and their happiness was so contagious that I envied them.

But I adored them both and would continue to support her.

After dinner, we both went out to fetch my groceries. It took us a few minutes to buy everything and return home.

After a time, I fixed dinner before Laurene left.

And by "go back home," I mean Dean picked her up. I know there have been times when I've been in my bed with my computer, searching through one of those world-wide dating sites, seeking for men who could be interested in me, but you know what's funny?

None of the ordinary men matched my preferences, and the ones I did like and genuinely wanted never wanted me back.

They were the CEO type of men. But I realised they were only fairytales to me. Men like them do not even look at girls like me, let alone show even the slightest interest in me.

Over the years, I haven't truly engaged in a relationship. Back in high school, my crushes never really liked me back, and when my parents died, I grew so inside myself that I didn't give the outside world an opportunity to make me feel better.

I turned down every guy who asked me out back then. I never liked any of them, didn't give them a chance to show themselves, and have never regretted it.