Love Bomb 💣

Chapter 1: Date with Zavion

“We have to prove our hypothesis. Best friends?” he said, clinking wine glasses with her. Ever since they were knee high to grasshoppers, Nyxine and Zayvyan’s parents have been trying to marry them off to each other, ignoring that Zay is gay. Over the years, they remained distant but friendly associates. Tonight, they decided to go on a proper date at the Villa Steak House to appease their parents.

“Dude it’s hilarity at this point. What’s been going on with you and Emilio?” Nyxine was nosy and she missed her friend.

He took a deep breath before speaking and he still stammered over his words and pushed his steak around his plate. “Yeah, umm, he decided he wanted kids with someone else.” She gasped and he continued, “This woman showed up to my house fully 8 months pregnant, apparently he is married and Ima side bitch.” He tried to move on,

“On to the next, but what about you and Luna?”

“Um sir we are not skipping across that run dat ass back, she showed up to THE MANOR! You have got to be kidding me but continue.”

“Why she showed up to THEE fuckin’ Manor, big belly and all, trying to confront me, but I’m not Barbara and she aint Shirley. I told her talk to her dog of a man not me and closed my door. She was too hyped up to make sense, so I waited her out til she calmed down and stopped banging on my damn door. Finally, I let her in and made it clear I’d call the cops if she got too excited. But that's that on that," he tried to change the subject again, "soooo about you and Luna?"

"Tried it again bitch! details or I will fight you right in this restaurant, sweetie." She said expectantly, then noticed that the light usually in his smile was gone. "Friend, what happened? Did this shit happen today? You gotta let this out."

As he regaled her with a tale of a woman ready to leave but scared because she is so young and pregnant, he also spun a web about needing cash. She knew what to expect from her friend with the plan. Zavian was always ready to make money, but nothing he did ever actually panned out, so she rarely 'invested' in his schemes. She told him they could have stayed at home and had an old-fashioned man-bashing sesh, but he wanted to get out of the house. They decided the dance floor was where they wanted to be, so after finishing their dinner, they walked down the sidewalk to Lily's, the hottest club in town.

It was now around 10 pm, they were early, and Zay knew the bouncer, so they got in quickly. They decided to hit the dance floor and work off some of the 30 pounds of steak they had just eaten. While they danced, a bachelorette party came in, and Nyxyne immediately noticed the girl in 50 shades of purple. Her skin was smooth like black coffee and her smile was 60watts but Nyxyne was transfixed by her unnaturally dark eyes. Eventually, Zay noticed she had stopped dancing but followed her eyes and recognized the buxom beauty. He started to wave her over but Nyx stopped him. He laughed, knowing that as friendly as Nyx was, she was probably still with Luna, and she needed to put away her playa ways. They spent the next few hours dancing and sipping Long Island Iced teas.

When the night ended, they went to the all-night diner across the street to get milkshakes. "When are you making that life-altering lasagna again? I haven't had it since we were in high school." He was sipping on his bourbon-spiked milkshake and Nyxyne was daydreaming. She had already built a new life with her new favorite person: The Lady in Purple.

"If I make it, will you invite my new fave?" He recognized that mischevous smile and knew her game plan. He wanted to warn her but knew it would fall on deaf ears. Yet he tried any way.

"Nah Im not bringing her. She is not what you are looking for. She a bit of a self-hater. Also what's up with you and Luna?" Before she could explain in walks Ms. Purple herself. Nyxyne is silently planning their life together and Zay has never seen her so intent on a person so he decided to introduce them. He motioned for her to come over and she acquiesced.

"Kelsi, this is..."

"I'm Nyxyne, nice to make your acquaintance. How do you know Zay?" She asked as she stood to meet the woman of her dreams.

"Hello, Nyxyne, everybody needs a good fae on their team. But I've got a bachelorette party to attend." She skipped off back to the party. That dismissal was but a love tap to Nyxyne. She was like a shark in water and decided to play Kelsi's game. She would pursue, but Zayvyan was still worried about Luna, who wasn't there to keep an eye on her wandering woman.

He reminded her again of the woman she was supposed to have at home and she finally spilled the tea. She had broken up with Luna because Luna wasn't real. He was confused but continued to listen. Luna had been a plant for a news outlet trying to get dirt on Nyxyne's family. Her real name wasn't even Luna; it was Thalia, and she was a reporter.