To Caress My Day

Moping, Twigs sat in the booth alone in the very same Cafe she and Seth first met while her girls, Neon Jungle, signed autographs by the front counter. With her phone grasped tightly in her hands, her brown eyes bore down into the electronic with anticipation in her heart. They were three days from Valentine’s Day and Seth STILL hadn’t called her yet. To make matters worse, the man has barely spoken to her since they’ve returned from vacation. He rarely sends a barely minute long voicemail, and brief text messages, but other than that there hasn’t been a decent phone call or a surprise visit in sight. And because of all this, she pressed on coming to the cafe today like it would serve as some sort of self discipline for getting her hopes up when she knew damn well she shouldn’t have in the first place.

While Neon Jungle enthusiastically continued to sign autographs to a small cluster of fans, Twigs was sitting alone disregarding her once hot coffee. As lonesome and pathetic as she seemed, she welcomed the solitude. No offense to her dear friends, but she’d rather be at home drowning her sorrows with tears and the food she’d pilfered from her last video gig to sustain her for the rest of the week…if she was lucky. Yes, that was what she’d been reduced to. It had gotten to a point where she couldn’t feed herself some days, and so whenever there was a gig involved, she’d bring a ziplock bag and cram as much food as she could from the banquet table in the back of the room. Everyone on set was always too engaged to notice it, and so she’s relieved she’d gotten away with it for as long as she has thus far.

From across the cafe, Amira honed in on Twig’s sulking, and excused herself to head on over to her booth. “Hey, you! Knock it off with the pouting, will you? You’re gonna scare all the customers away!”

Jumping in her seat, Twigs glanced up at Amira and pouted even more in refusal. “I’m not pouting.”

“You couldn’t fool anyone with that face.” Amira said, pointing to her face as she slipped into the seat across from her. “I take it Seth hasn’t called you yet, huh?”

“What makes you think he has anything to do with this?” Twigs countered promptly, trying to cover her tracks. She wasn’t about to be one of those women that wail over their man being too busy with work. Especially when he technically wasn’t doing anything wrong.

Amira gave Twigs a look. “Girl, I haven’t been crowned ‘THE Best Friend’ for no reason.”

Rolling her eyes at that, Twigs reluctantly confessed while deterring her eyes from her friend. “He’s kinda called me it just…it just hasn’t been the same as it used to be before we went on that vacation.”

“What do you mean it hadn’t been the same?” Amira inquired, so captivated she didn’t notice Shereen quietly slipping into the spot right next to her, aware that they were discussing something important.

“There’s been a major lack in communication because of how busy his job is.” Twigs lamented softly, lifting her desperate eyes to not one, but two friends now. With big sad puppy dog eyes, she went on. “He tells me he’s sorry about it every chance he gets, but…goddamnit, it sucks, you know?”

Sensing the despair from her friend, Shereen reached out across the table to curl her fingers around Twig’s delicate wrist since her hands were still clasped onto her phone. “Oh honey, I can imagine that being so. I mean, I’d feel like I was single at that point, or maybe just friends with benefits.”

“YES!” Twigs fretted, appearing close to tears as Shereen presented her own fears into the open.

“Hey, y'all want some of these goodies?” Jess and Asami interrupted, emerging with a box brimming with assorted pastries. Taking a semi-break from the drama that was Twig’s life, the table dug in.

“So what are your guy’s plans for Valentine’s Day?” Asami asked the table after a mini-doughnut.

Shooting her a glare, Jess elbowed her in the ribs. “Woman, why would you ask us that kind of question when you know only one of us has a goddamn boyfriend at this here table?”

“I know, right? Way to make us feel better about our lonely single lives.” Shereen added with an eye roll.

And so all eyes turned to Twigs who wordlessly shrugged, her glum eyes on her cookie.

Not grasping what that meant, Jess prodded further for answers. “Uh, what exactly is that supposed to mean, Twiggy-Baby?”

“That means she ain’t got no plans either, dummy!” Shereen inserted in order to rescue her somber friend.

“Why not?” Asami asked before she let out a sharp gasp that attracted some attention from the booths on either side of them. “Oh my god, don’t tell me you two broke up!”

Amira had to scoff at that grim notion. “Please, girl! How can you believe something that bullshit when Twigs is on THIS side of the pond, and not the OTHER side burning down all of California?”

“We haven’t broken up.” Twigs assuages her friend with an ephemeral smile. “We just…haven’t made any plans. That’s all.”

“No plans? That seems kinda weird. What couple doesn’t make plans on Valentine’s Day? Especially their very first together!” Jess chattered on, tapping the tip of her index finger on her chin. “I’m guessing Seth has lost track of the days and has no idea what month we’re even on right now.”

Once again, Twigs gave her a muted shrug, unclear of what to say about it since she didn’t know.

“Well, just in case he forgot you should call his ass up, and remind him that it’s gonna be Valentine's Day in 3 days!” Asami recommended her with a nod before reaching into the box for a mini blueberry muffin.

“I…I don’t really wanna bother him, you know? He’s a busy man.” Twigs muttered unconvincingly, shrugging for the third time since their conversation got started as she twiddled with her phone.

“When did you two last see each other in person?” Amira interrogated her, getting to the facts.

“Since the vacation.” Twigs reminded her, not looking to see their faces because she was embarrassed.

“What about the phone calls?” Amira inquired next. “How long were they again?”

“Brief. I’m lucky to get a couple of minutes.” Twigs answered unfortunately. Herf table went mum for a while then, forcing her to look up and see why. Concern was eating at their hushed faces. Exhaling through her nose in annoyance of their pity, Twigs ordered them. “Stop it, you guys. I’m fine.”

Shereen opens her mouth to say something, but Amira hinders her by changing the subject. “We too have been hiding our own problems pretty well lately as well. It’s about going on tour with that big UK artist we told you about.”

“That doesn't change how excited I am for you!” Twigs assured them before leaning forward to question. “Are you gonna tell me who this artist is yet?”

“Be patient, Twigs.” Jess ordered her with a grin. “You’ll find out soon enough just like everyone else.”

Wrapping up their brunch, the group headed back to Twig’s apartment to chill. Tagging alongside her best friend on the sidewalk, Amira privately grilled her. “Hey, how are the bills coming along?”

“I’m managing.” Twigs replied, feeling the cumbersome burden of yet another dilemma in her life.

“Do you need any money?” Amira asked her, knowing exactly what she’d say to her offer.

“No, I’ll be fine, Amira.” Twigs assured her with a firm look.

“Are you sure? Cause your ass is the type of person who could be living in the London sewers and still not ask nobody for money!” Amira portrayed her with a mournful look on her face.

Twigs chuckled at that, then shook her head in dismissal of the money. “For the last time, I’m fine! I’m not gonna be living in the sewers anytime soon.”

“Better not, or else I'll tattle on you to your mama. And you know she don’t play.” Amira reminded her.

“You keep my mother out of this!” Twigs ordered Amira with a smile she couldn’t conceal.

Amira held up her hands. “I promise I will as long as you don’t give me a reason to.”