To Caress My Day

Seth took Twigs and her former roommate, Simone, out to eat. Like he speculated, he uncovered a disguise he had tucked away in the trunk of his maserati. How it got there was a mystery to him and he didn’t care to fixate on it at the moment. The long brown shaggy wig and matching wide thick walrus mustache would do the trick and that’s what mattered in the end.

The women felt differently, and wheedled him to sport a brown cowboy hat and a pair of orange circular sunglasses identical to the style John Lennon rocked in his time. Those two accessories would only tally on how goofy he probably already looked.

Flitting his eye from one animated face to the other, Seth tactfully pushed the hat and sunglasses back to them in rejection. “Yeah, I’m gonna have to say no to that.”

Twig’s smile decreased into a pout in the same instant as Simone. “But why, baby? It’s gonna be fine, I promise!”

“We’re not gonna make fun of you.” Simone swore to him, jutting out her bottom lip to make him reassess his decision. “Pwease, Seth?”

Seth sighed heavily, his eyes narrowing on the two young divine women. He could say no to any comely face that requested him to look this absurd for her in public just to be around her, but not when that comely face was his girlfriend? He could refute her nothing, it would seem. Rolling his eyes, he held out each hand for the items back. “Fine, give it here.”

The two snickered in victory before handing it over, and didn’t cease after he donned on the accessories. Seth allowed them to take gratisfaction in his outlandish disguise that probably wouldn’t bamboozle anyone on the streets of London from staring his way, but definitely would in California where people of all different walks of life graced in numerous styles.

Hopping into Seth’s maserati, he ended up parking his car at the curb in front of a food truck. It particularly specialized in variations of burgers from different countries and cultures. Getting out of the car, the trio waited in line before making their orders and nailing the picnic table farthest away from everyone. Since Seth had to modify his voice while in line, Twigs wanted him to be able to relish his meal and conversations away from others so they wouldn’t be able to hear his voice and recognize him. Seth was moved by her arrangement, and swathed an arm around her shoulder for it, pressing a kiss to her silky bountiful curls for added measure.

Sometime after their orders were served and in the middle of devouring it, Twigs tenderly nudged Seth in his side with her elbow to get his attention. As soon as his brown eyes met hers, she ordered him. “Can you do me a huge favor, babe?”

“Sure, what is it?” Seth asked around the salty hot fries he was cramming in his mouth.

Gesturing with a nod of her head to Simone sitting across from them, Twigs said. “I need you to look out for Simone for me when I’m not here. Can you do that for me?”

“I don’t need no looking after, Missy. I can take care of myself just fine, I’m a big girl.” Simone intruded on the two, but they didn’t seem to notice her.

“I’ll keep tabs on her, Pixie, don’t you worry about that.” Seth vowed, lowering his cup of soda down to grab a hold of his girlfriend’s hands, stroking the back of it. “I was already planning to do it anyway.”

Simone rolled her eyes at being ignored, and slurped some of her Oreo milkshake to help swallow her hamburger down. “Yeah yeah yeah. And before you know it, he and I will be the best of girlfriends.”

“Don’t forget finishing each other’s sentences too.” Seth added in with a wink, also prevailing in making Simone laugh, but she clamped a hand over her mouth and turned away to hide it.

Twigs gaped with fake jealousy at the both of them. “Oh, you two better not! If you get any closer you’ll make me jealous!”

“On a serious note, girl, you don't have to worry about anything like that.” Simone comforted her, knowing that she didn’t really need to. Twigs trusted her around her boyfriend and him around her friend. Simone didn’t need to be told that the reprehensible would ever befall between them.

“Yeah, I’m in love with you, woman. Remember that?” Seth reminded her, nudging her with his elbow this time, a grin on his face.

“AND my third eye is on the lookout for a man solely for moi!” Simone declared, looking interested in something else as she smiled haughtily. She could practically hear Twig’s jaw dropped to the table and for good reason. Relationships were never really Simone’s first priority before and so they never lasted that long. Perhaps it was finally time for that to change.

Twigs gasped, gaping at her with wide brown eyes. “Are you serious, girl!?”

Simone nodded, finally meeting her astonished eyes. “Yup! I don’t plan on it being anything super serious though. I still want to directly focus on my career and have it be my main priority above everything else in my life. I can’t have no man getting in the way of that.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t have a friendship with intimacy benefits if you’re not ready to put both feet in yet.” Seth advised, toasting his drink to her. “That’s what I kinda did a bit in college.”

“Yeah, no one wants to hear about the chicks you slept with in college, Seth.” Twigs grumbled with bona fide jealousy this time, popping her straw back into her mouth to slurp at her icy drink.

“It was nothing serious, Pixie.” Seth promised, nudging her with his shoulder this time to get her to turn her frown upside down. “Not as serious as I am about your cute ass, anyway.”

“Whatever, you two! I don’t want to hear about anybody’s sex life right now. I’ve already had enough of your shenanigans today.” Simone banned them with a sweep of her hand. When they both backed down, she looked at Seth. “But I like your suggestion, Seth. I think it would actually fit into my lifestyle right now. I want a relationship, but without the commitment part since I'd rather be committed to my career instead. But at the same time I’ve never really done the friends with benefits situation before. It sounds less than what I want at the same time…”

“Then we don’t know how to help you, honey.” Twigs sighed with defeat, throwing in the towel. Simone always was challenging to assist when it came to relationships. She was never 100% in them.

Seth held up his hands in defeat too. “I did all I could do too. You guys can’t say I didn’t try.”

Simone rolled her eyes and smiled at them. “You guys, I don’t need your help with this. I was just bouncing shit off of you. Don’t worry, when the time comes I will figure this all out on my own.”

Twigs arched a doubtful brow at her. “So you won’t be calling me or the girls for advice in the middle of the night?”

“Oh please! When the hell have I ever done that?” Simone balked with a frown, certain Twigs was lying.

“About once or twice since I’ve met you.” Twigs recalled. “Unlike me, Amira saw the pattern first and made sure when you called her she’d give you the lecture of your life.”

Simone looked away, remembering that momentous conversation. “Oh right...I almost forgot.”

“See!” Twigs rubbed in, prodding Simone’s boot under the table.

“ANYWHO!” Simone blurted out, redirecting the attention off of her by pinning Twigs with her eyes. “What are you doing after this? Going back to your man’s place?”

“I’m not sure yet.” Twigs answered, looking at Seth.

“How about you two spend the rest of the day together.” Seth proposed to them. “And then you can spend the night with me tonight.”

“Sweet! I love that idea!” Simone praised, clapping her hands together. “Thank you for sacrificing your time with our Twiggy-baby here, Seth. Seriously, this means a lot to me.”

Seth grinned as he waved the waitress over for the check. “It’s no problem.”