Wild thoughts

"I gotta tell you something but you have to promise not to be mad...or judge."

Latifah locked her hands into one another and pleaded with me. With an eye roll I nodded in agreement so she could spill her secret.

"Okay, do you know the new guy that just moved in downstairs? I just got his number!!" She squeeked pulling out the crumpled piece of paper she wrote his number on.

I shot her a "What's the big deal look"

"Darcy's man lives here somewhere too I think. What's your boy's name?"

I inquired, pointing at her paper.

Her eyes twinkled as she called out his name. "Donnavan, doesn't that just sound like the name of some fancy chocolate?" She licked her lips at the thought.

I interrupted her thoughts with reality. "Hold up, Donnavan is Darcy's man, you never met him before?"

She balled up the paper in annoyance. "If I met him do you think I would have been drooling like I was back there?!" "No I never met him and I thought she was dating a guy named D?" She snarled.

I nodded. "Yea, D as in Donnavan D."

She stormed around the room to express more of her irritation.

"How the hell can I not know? And why is he so fine?!" "How did you know but I didn't? And why would he give me his number if he has a girl?"

I watched as she paced back and forth snatching items of laundry and tossing them to the other side of the room.

"You and Darcy aren't exactly the best of friends after you missed her mom's funeral, and y'all literally only hang out when I'm around." I reminded.

She pointed at me like I just cracked an unsolved mystery.

"Oh my God! How many times can I tell her I'm sorry? It was 1 funeral, I won't miss any of the other ones, I told her that! I get it I guess, but damn she really needs to let that go."

I gasped at Latifah's sharp honesty.

Latifah was raised by her grandmother, who did her best but was also missing a few screws herself. Latifah is a great person and friend but if she thinks she's right, good luck convincing her otherwise.

"La, now you know you wrong for that." I told her.

"I'm not getting into that with y'all, I hate being the middle man!"

"She is supposed to be here in 15 minutes, you need to get ya shit together girl." I snapped.

Knock Knock

Darcy stands with her back toward the door. She's admiring the renovations to the apartment, and nodding in approval at the new addition pool. "Oop I'll know where me and D will be hanging out soon." The thought made her smile.

Latifah opened the door disrupting her thoughts. Darcy turned to face us, and greeted us with a scrunched face smile.

She always made that face when she was forcing it.

"Ladies! Y'all know D lives like downstairs from here? I know, I hate to be all "my man my man," she exclaimed using her fingers as air quotes, "but that's exciting to me. He's really stepping up and doing things different."

She twirled and dropped down on the couch. "So have y'all seen him yet?"

"OH! That's right you haven't seen D in person before La."

"He's like 5'9, dark skin, athletic build, low cut with waves. Trust me, when you see him, you'll know."

She closed her eyes to bask in the image of D she just painted.

I could tell by Latifah's wide eyes, she felt like Darcy already knew Donnavan gave her his number. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out.

"I have actually, handsome, didn't know he was yours." She giggled nervously.

"What you mean by that?" Darcy eyes shot open immediately, she snapped out her daydream at Latifah's words.

"Latifah, I swear to baby Jesus himself, you better not have tried to mack my man!" Darcy raised her in hands in agitated praise.

Latifah reached out her hands to create space between her and Darcy, who had unconsciously stood from the couch and was fastly approaching Latifah.

"Woah, woah, let me tell you what happened at least?" Latifah offered, now raising her hands like Darcy's an officer.

Darcy stepped back, folded her arms and pointed her nose in the air, refusing to look at Latifah. "I'm listening." She said.

Darcy cleared her throat. "So, 1, I have literally never met your man prior to this moment, KC has, but not me and I won't mention how shady that is of you."

"Two, I never knew his real name, you literally always say D."

Three!" She paused for a second to think of other reasons why Darcy should chill.

"Three, he gave me his number. I wouldn't have ever asked if I knew that was your D." She spoke softly so Darcy knew she wasn't trying to rub it in.

"Look, I know you still in your feelings about me missing your mom's funeral, but you know if I could've been there I would've."

Darcy held her hand up for Latifah to stop talking. "First of all, you literally COULD HAVE and WOULD HAVE been there if you didn't slap that girl. Come on! Assaulting someone in PUBLIC, what did you think would happen?!" She snapped.

"Now let me get this straight, D gave you his number when you asked? He didn't say anything? OK what did you say to him?" Darcy interrogated.

Latifah flashed me a look, then Darcy and grinned.

"Warning keep in mind I ain't know he was yours." She cleared her throat then began reinacting what happened.

She noted that the moving truck is what caught her attention. "and like a good neighbor, Latifah's there." She sang.

"No lie, I really said that, which made Donnavan laugh. To which I introduced myself, told him I'm the loud talking, music player upstairs, and if you ever wanna come hang out that's where I'll be."

She deepened her voice when she spoke this time. "I never know where I'll be." She poorly imitated the sound of his voice and how he spoke. "And gave me his number."

"I DIDN'T text it by the way, but that's what happened."

Darcy slowly paced up from the front door to the window, finger on chin deep in thought.

She felt conflicted, and angry and didn't know who to direct it at.

"UGH!! I can't think!" She ruffled her hair aggressively. "KC, what do you think? Call D and cuss him out, break up with him, what? Just tell me what to do." Her voice cracked. She ran to the couch and sunk in, clutching a pillow. Latifah sat across from her on the recliner. I sat beside her on the couch, grabbed her hand and laid my head on her shoulder.

"I can't choose for you Dar. I'm sorry." "BUT" I perked up off the couch a bit more optimistic this time.

"Here is what we know." I lifted my fingers as I listed the facts. 1-Latifah only heard of D..Donnavan as D and she never met him in person or saw pictures."

"2-D randomly gave Latifah his number without her asking, thirsty or naw?"

"3...I actually only had those two, but I'm sure if I think harder, I can have more." I suggested.

Darcy sighed heavily. "You know what? It's cool. It's cool because D is hosting a house party tonight and we're all going to be there."

"I'll introduce you then and see what he says." She shrugged and rushed to the kitchen to pour some shots.

"Let's get turnt up!" She threw the shot back and took another. "That's why we here come on yall!"

"Damn we look good! "Ladies in lace!" Darcy cheered.

We decided to go dressed in sexy lace dresses, each in our favorite color. Darcy's in luxury red, I'm in forest green, and Latifah's in flamingo pink. Our hair is in various style updo's.

I chose to wear my sneakers, you can take the girl out the city as they say. Both Darcy and Latifah are wearing black heels Darcy's are red bottoms to compliment her dress and Latifah a hint of silver with her bedazzled flower she hot glued on each heel.

We walked in to D's apartment. The music was blasting, it seemed like he invited the entire complex and some people throughout the neighborhood. Darcy spotted D. Wearing a suit and tie, I can't deny, the brother is really wearing that suit. Darcy leads us through the crowd, up the stairs where D was talking to a friend of his.

"Babyyy!!" Darcy squealed running into D's arm. He spun her around and kissed her, for a moment it seemed they forgot anybody else was around.

Darcy waved for us to come in closer. "Baby, these are my friends, KC and Latifah." She put extra emphasis on Latifah, who gave an awkward wave.

"Oh yeah, I remember you state farm remix." He laughed. "I met her early today boo, that's crazy. Small world."

Darcy's eye twitched at the laugh.

"So, you giving out ya number?" Darcy looked to D who was surveying the crowd and bopping to the loud music. He pretended like he didn't hear Darcy's question.

"It was nice meeting y'all, Ima go be a good host. Catch you later bae?" He questioned, pulling her into him strongly and giving her a kiss. This one a bit sloppier than earlier.

She bit his bottom lip at the end of their kiss. "You will see me later." She responded smiling.

She waved him off and he disappeared in the crowd.

Darcy turned to Latifah and I.

"So are we good now? Can I enjoy my good man?" She smiled snagging a beer from the tray being walked past.

"I mean that still doesn't explain why he gave me the number, but it's good. You're good, I'm good, it's good." "Can we leave and like party with ourselves? It was awkward at first, wasn't it?" Latifah asked, grabbing a beer for me and her.

"Here's to my two crazy girlfriends who have been to hell and back with me. Who have watched me fall and grow and have helped water me. I love you wenches!" I toasted and raised my beer to them.

Darcy waits until the party is done before she joins him downstairs. Since I'm too intoxicated to drive home, I stay at Latifah's.

"KC, is it weird that I thought Donnavan looked so good in that suit." She laughed "I tried so hard not to look girl."

"The man was most certainly giving Denzel in 1996." I giggled. "But stoop, I feel bad for Darcy. Why did he give you his number? I've been thinking about it all night. The way he swept Darcy off her feet. I mean any woman would want to feel that. I just don't want her to get hurt."

Latifah threw a pillow at me to interrupt my spiraling thoughts.

"Let's get in the bed, he ain't our man, and we'll be there for Dar if and when she needs us. That's all we can do." She admitted.

"La, I'm heading out!" I yell to the back bedrooms as I walk out the door. To my surprise I see D and Latifah laughing and in conversation coming from the laundry room. "What are they up to" I wondered. After last night, Latifah can't say she doesn't know what she's doing now.

"What's up La...D?" I say, playing it cool. "I yelled for you that I was leaving, but you were already up and out here." I scanned them with my eyes to see if I noticed anything suspicious, thankfully not.

"Sooo, why'd you give me your number?" Latifah asked play punching Donnavan's arm.

He smiled. This smile revealed to Latifah, dimples. She could feel butterflies stirring in her belly.

"In case you wanted it." He shrugged.

Wanted it for? Latifah teased.

"Baby! Did you find it?" Darcy called from the pool. Latifah wanted to haul tail out of there out of instinct but she played along.

"Hey Dar, Donnavan told me that you lost your nana's earrings?" Latifah questioned

Darcy's face wasn't too pleased to see the two of them together. She embraced Latifah with a half hug.

"I did! She's going to be livid if I don't find them, like that might be the thing that actually kills her!" Darcy emphasized, going from chair to chair snatching off pillows.

"I uh...hope you find it, I gotta go to work. If you still haven't found it I'll help look more when I get home." She dashed up the stairs into her apartment.

Latifah splashed cold water on her face in the half bathroom of her apartment.

"UGH!! He is taken Latifah, by your bes...well by your frie...by your friend..ish!"

"He is so fine though, AND he's literally coming for me!"

"There are other fine men, I just need my own."

She went back and forth in the mirror until her alarm sounded.

*Knock Knock Knock*

D: "Where you been at Bae? I haven't seen you in awhile.

L: "Donnavan?"

D: C'mere"

"Gasp! Oh my God!" Latifah jolted out of her sleep sweating immensely.

I burst through Latifah's door unable to contain my excitement. "Girl, I came as quickly as I could."

"Ask the red lights if I care today. So what's up, what's going on?" I asked.

Latifah frowned. "I need to move! I cannot get ol boy out of my head and now I'm dreaming of him!"

"I feel awful because he's Darcy's guy which makes it nearly impossible to be a homewrecker!"

I grabbed a pillow off her bed and hit her with it a few times to knock some sense into her.

"You really tryna mack on your friends man girl?" I couldn't hide my disapproval looks. "He is not THAT fine girl."

"Don't be that girl that snakes people man, La."

"Even if he IS cheating, it shouldn't be with you, that's so messed up, and I can't rock with you if you do that." I told her seriously and left without another word.

"A lil too early to be drink'n ain't it State farm?" Donnavan smiled as he walked up to Latifah's apartment. He sat beside her and joined her in drinking a beer. "Wanna talk about it?" He asked.

"Where's Darcy?" Latifah answered his question with one of her own.

"Home." He took a sip of beer.

Latifah watched as each movement made the muscles in his arm flex. She appreciated the sun for shining on him making his skin naturally shine. Her heart began to beat in her eardrums.

"You heard me?" Donnavan asked looking at her with his head slightly tilted. This was the first time she looked in his eyes for real. She was intoxicated by their deep, dark sandy look. She was speechless.

"La?" D called out in concern. He waved his hands in front of her causing her to blink repeatedly.

"Wha? What happened?" Latifah responded in confusion.

Donnavan laughed, stood up and reached out his hand for her to grab. "This is why most people drink at the end of the day." He said helping her inside.

He shut the door behind him and guided Latifah to the couch. As he went to let her go she held on. Pulling him closer to her as she leaned back on the couch.

Donnavan grabs her hands gently off him and places them on her and holds them there. He stares at her with dark lust in his eyes. He bites his lips then follows up with a lick from left to right.

"You're drunk, I never get busy while a lady is incoherent, that's not my style sexy."

He planted a kiss on her forehead that made all the hairs on Latifah stand at attention. "Catch you later alright?"

Latifah blushed and shook her head in agreement.

"Damn, I see why Darcy fell for the charm. He is so good." She thought.