Not That Bad

SIXTEEN

"That sunlight really does slap you in the face," Kaya said, frowning. She sat with Olivia at the small space that constituted as a dining area. Lauren had found a little half-circle table that she placed against the wall and decorated with a small plant and a couple of chairs. Kaya had cereal in front of her while Olivia was nursing a coffee. No matter how much Olivia drank, her hangovers always put her out of commission the next day.

"See what I mean?" Olivia asked. "And Lauren swears that it helps her wake up in the morning." Under her breath she mumbled, "that's a damn lie." Kaya smiled. Lauren was still asleep while Olivia woke up right as the sun came into their room, complaining the entire time. Kaya, typically an early riser, was up before the sun.

"It's okay," she said, taking a bite of her cereal. "So, what are our plans for the day?"

Olivia chewed for the moment. "Well, you and Lauren are free until I get off of work. Maybe we could catch lunch together? There's this place in Chinatown that me and Lauren love and it's only a few minutes away by the subway. After that, we could do some shopping and touristy stuff?"

Kaya nodded. It sounded like a solid plan. After Olivia finished her coffee, she changed into her work clothes before leaving. It was just Kaya alone until Lauren woke up, and Lauren was a deep sleeper that usually slept in for as long as she possibly could.

So that Kaya would have something to do while she waited for her friend, she sent a quick "good morning" text to her mother and started cleaning her mess. Once she was done, she showered, checked her emails, and then opened up Netflix so that she could watch a new episode of one of her new favorite shows. It was a nice rest day, and she accidentally took a nap.

"This place is gorgeous," Kaya said later that day, looking around. Though she'd never wanted to come to Chinatown, it was something that she was glad she had seen at least once in her life. The place was so rich with culture, history, and perseverance against time that she had to stop for a moment and take it all in.

Lauren and Olivia were behind her, holding hands and talking about their day. Lauren had finally woken up at almost twelve. Within ten minutes she was ready to go and meet Olivia for lunch; Kaya had no idea how the girl managed to get ready that quickly. Olivia had literally taken a shower and put on a full face of make up in ten minutes, while it took Kaya ten minutes to do a passable cat-eye.

"You have no idea," Lauren said, breaking away from her conversation. "And if you think that this place is gorgeous now, you should see it at night. It's to die for."

"Everything with you is to die for," Olivia laughed, wrapping her arm around her girlfriend. "Now if you can decide on a place to eat, then we'll be all set."

The three had been walking around for a couple of hours, trying to find food. Though there was food all around them, Lauren had wanted something specific, a little restaurant in a hard-to-find area. Lauren eventually found a small Vietnamese restaurant—choosing that cuisine mainly because Kaya hadn't eaten Vietnamese food before—and ordered their food before sitting down. The restaurant was small but colorful; Kaya was in love with it.

"So," Lauren said.

Kaya felt her stomach drop. She knew what was coming.

"You and Ty," she said. "What's the deal? Have the two of you come to terms with your feelings?"

Olivia opened her mouth to shush Lauren but was stopped when her girlfriend continued.

"The two of you have been dancing around this for ages and everyone can see it," Lauren said. "No guy willingly spends the night at the house of a girl he's not interested in. And he cooks in your house." Everyone knew that Ty was notorious for not cooking anywhere but in the comfort of his own kitchen. He liked being in control of the environment there, as he cooked when he was content or angry. It said a lot that he cooked in Kaya's kitchen more than his own, even commenting that he liked her kitchen better. Her kitchen, with her old appliances and dated décor.

Kaya made a face. She had no excuse for that. She stirred her bowl of pho and looked anywhere but at Lauren.

"I'm not trying to push you into a relationship," Lauren said, "but—"

"Yes you are," Olivia interrupted, stopping her girlfriend by putting a hand over Lauren's mouth. "If Kaya and Ty want to be in a relationship then that's their business. And us being as nosy as the entire population of Layton isn't helping either of them."

Kaya felt grateful for Olivia in that moment, even as her face was burning. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"No problem," Olivia said, ignoring her squirming girlfriend. "But when you get back to Layton, you and Ty should really talk. Clear the air."

Kaya nodded, as she had been thinking the same thing. She had acknowledged her feelings for Ty a while ago, and Olivia had confirmed what she had suspected just a few months back. Kaya knew that once the two of them talked there would be no going back from it, and she needed to make a decision that she wouldn't regret later on in life.

"I don't want to talk about this," she said. "I just want to enjoy my vacation."

Olivia nodded. "Good," she said. "And I'll make sure that Lauren stays out of your hair." She finally uncovered Lauren's mouth and the girl took a breath of fresh air before glaring at her partner.

"Whatever," Lauren said, crossing her arms and pouting.

"On the off-hand," Kaya said, grateful that they agreed to change the subject. "I'm thinking of starting my own business. Ty is pushing me to do it and I'm taking on more projects, so I think I'm ready to dive in."

Lauren squealed, causing some of the restaurant patrons to turn and stare at the group. "Congratulations!" she said, nearly leaping over the table to give Kaya a hug. Olivia tugged at Lauren's shirt, encouraging her girlfriend to sit back down. After Lauren sat down, Kaya spoke again.

"Thanks," she said. "I don't know where to begin at, so that's why I wanted to ask you, Livvie, where you started when you created your business."

Olivia took a sip of her water and set it down. "Well, I went to school for business, specifically in entrepreneurship. I always had the mindset of starting my own business, and made sure to take plenty of internships at event-planning businesses. Once I got that out of the way, I got my business license and went for it."

Kaya's mouth twisted in thought. "Do you think I should take a business class?" she asked.

"You could," Olivia said, taking a bite from her plate of bun thit nuong. "I would also ask Ty, since you two are sorta in the same field. You definitely need to get your license first. And trademark your business name. You have a name yet?" 

Kaya shook her head. "So far, this is something that I'm thinking about. I'm starting to build a brand, y'know? And with all of this freelancing that I'm doing I should probably go for it."

"Definitely! And you know that any advice you need, any sponsor you need, I'm down for it." Olivia grinned at her friend. "We need more Black-owned businesses and more Black creatives in the business. And you've got the talent to make it big."

Kaya smiled at her friend's enthusiasm. "Well, I guess I have my answer then."

"Let's toast to it," Lauren chimed in. "We can help you think of business names later."

Kaya wanted to cry. She didn't deserve such wonderful friends, and she was thankful that she became Olivia's friend. When she moved back to Layton, she wouldn't have believed it.