Preseason Love by Ahyiana Angel Page B

wings. Are you down for Buffalo Wild Wings?” Dev blurted out.
    â€œLet’s do it!”
    â€œBrooklyn, here we come!”
    Dev was such a sweetheart and a supportive friend. Before we got on the train to Brooklyn, she arranged an impromptu call with The Clique. All of my girls offered their encouragement and tried to assure me that things would work out for the best. I needed to hear their sweet voices.
    Once at Buffalo Wild Wings, we ate and drank and drank a little more. We called Dev’s dad before we were too tipsy to tell him about my getting fired. He was, of course, shocked. He gave us a pep talk and told us not to let the big bad city bring us down. He also told us to put our food and drinks on his tab, which was beyond nice. Dev knew what to do since her American Express card was under his account. When major changes in life occur, whether expected or unexpected, they help you to see who’s in your corner.
    When I got home that night, I was tipsy, but as long as I didn’t slur my words, I had to call my Jolie and fill her in. I couldn’t bring myself to call her earlier because she was a feisty little lady, and I knew that the news of my layoff was sure to rile her up.
    My Jolie answered the phone in her usual form. “What’s going on, honey? How you doin’?”
    Shockingly, my voice showed no signs of distress. Maybe it was the alcohol. “I’m okay. So let me get right to it. I got let go today.”
    â€œWhat! From your job?” she asked. Like I could have possibly been talking about something else. But I got it. She was in shock.
    â€œSo what the hell happened?”
    I told her to tell Dad to get on the line, too. Then I proceeded to run down all of the shady events from the day. As I suspected, they wanted to come to New York and inflict pain on someone. After the initial anger died down, they let me know that they would help me however they could.
    I loved talking to my parents. They were always encouraging and offered amazing advice when I encountered tough situations. That night, I sat on the line and talked to them for more than an hour while they both reminisced on stories about their past work histories. Talking with my parents always eased my worries and gave me a renewed positive outlook. At that point, I wasn’t sure what type of help I would need, as I was still in a daze. But I knew that they always had my back.
    As the next few days went by, I got in touch with the unemployment office in California to request my dollars and cents. As I felt more comfortable with my reality, I slowly began to tell people about my situation. It was kind of awkward at first and slightly embarrassing, but I was not exactly sure why. It wasn’t like I’d been terminated for poor performance or doing something illegal.
    Almost a week had passed before I finally got around to telling Kari. We were on our way to a movie. While we were riding in the car, I sort of just said it. He was pissed that I had not mentioned anything sooner.
    â€œWhy would you wait to tell me?” Kari asked. “You know I’m here for you and no matter what happens, I have your back.”
    â€œThank you,” I said, not sure what else to say.
    â€œDo you need anything? Are you all right?” Kari asked, as he looked at me with concern.
    I nodded my head as I pretended to listen to him go on and on. But that phrase, “You know I’m here for you and no matter what happens, I have your back,” kept ringing in my ears. I honestly wasn’t certain what that meant coming from him.
    I felt the tears welling up in my eyes, but I tried my hardest not to let them fall. I guess I was so used to looking out for myself and taking care of myself that I couldn’t imagine a man who I liked having that much regard for my well-being and my feelings.

Chapter 8
Whose Life Is This?
    T his was the life: party all night and sleep all day. The first few weeks of being