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“I see you're done drooling over the club's embellishments?” Oriana asked as she noticed her friend finally approaching their table after minutes of gaping at the regally caparisoned club.

Emerald only rolled her eyes, dismissing Oriana's remark and smug look as she turned towards the other people at the table, passing them what she hoped looked like a genuine smile and not akin to a grimace.

“Hi,” she greeted as she began walking towards the empty seat beside Oriana. She was glad they hadn't chosen a booth because it would've been quite awkward and inconvenient trying to slide in with her pretty short outfit; besides, she delightfully embraced the lack of human contact — something that even made her feel more gauchely than other things.

However, before she could sink into her haven of serenity — well, something close to the serenity you could attain in a club, taking into consideration the booming music — she was pulled into a hug — the epitome of the human contact she direly disliked.

“Emerald!” the culprits shouted over the music as they held tightly onto her. She could feel her right and left earlobes tingling from the additional impromptu squeals, as if the blasting music wasn't enough.

Watching the entire scene unfold before her, Oriana couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips from the expression that was etched on her best friend's face. She looked like a deer caught in headlights with her eyes wide open as confusion slapped her in the face.

Emerald shot her a glare before awkwardly patting their backs as best she could while she caught a whiff of daffodils and scented spices with honey before the two ladies pulled away.

She tried to stymie her sigh of relief from being released from their death grips as she looked up at the two beautiful women standing before her with huge smiles on their faces.

Her eyes gleamed with recognition as her once fake smile immediately turned genuine.

“Shadley. Black,” she grinned. These ladies, together with Oriana and Logan had been Emerald's only friends in college. Other than Logan who had been friends with her since freshman year in Kipperdale High back in Chicago, she had met Ori in college, who at the time was already friends with Amari Shadley and Aubrey Black.

Since then, they had instantly clicked but she was closer to Oriana than the other two ladies because Emerald had the tendency to withdraw into her shell. Back in high school and college, she had been the beautiful yet nerdy girl in glasses; someone that was always blending into the background but somehow, Logan had fought his way into her life, likewise Oriana a few years later.

Howbeit, Amari and Aubrey were more of the type that respected people's privacies so they hadn't pushed Emerald's buttons like Oriana had done but eventually, they had become really good friends, occasionally hanging out sometimes to get Emerald out of her cocoon.

Amari and Aubrey only rolled their eyes in response to Emerald's greeting while Ori continued to snicker in mockery.

“I see you're still doing the last name thing?” Amari teased as she helped Emerald pull out the chair she had initially set out to sit in. She gave a grateful smile in return as she proceeded to sit.

Back in college, Emerald had had the habit of calling the people she was acquainted with — which were but a few — by their last names, even Logan had suffered the same fate in high school. She used it as a medium to maintain a distant stranger–not–friend type of relationship and it seemed like the use of Amari and Aubrey's last name already rubbed off on her not in a way to distance herself from them but in a mutual nickname way.

“I really was looking forward to being called by my first name or at least a nickname tonight but like always, Pearce is a piñata of surprises,” Aubrey smirked.

“You can't blame me. I'm yet to update my vocabulary. Besides, I don't have the first name thing in me,”  Emerald chuckled as she looked really closely at the two ladies, her friends. They hadn't changed one bit — well, in terms of attitude that is — but compared to the last time she had seen them which was about two years ago, they looked really good. Both caramel skinned ladies had always been beautiful and confident in their looks but tonight, they looked exceptional and at the thought of their warm greeting, she could feel her previous anxiety slowly dissipate into thin air.

Amari Shadley, a 24 year old black woman with hazel eyes and long ombre hair ranging from the dark brown to really light brown colour as it cascaded down her shoulders stopping at the middle of her back. Her caramel skin was on show with her yellow off–the–shoulder top which revealed her glistening collarbones and a bit of her cleavage — much to her boyfriend's chagrin — tucked into her high waisted ripped blue washed jeans, cobra–skinned heeled boots and a white Gucci purse to compliment the whole outfit.

Seated beside her with the same mischievous smirk that seemed to have never left her face since college was Aubrey Black. Aubrey was also a 25 year old black woman with shimmering dark skin like that of a caramel apple.

In contrast to Amari's long hair, Aubrey had shoulder length kinky and Afro–type golden brown hair with light brown eyes that seemed to sparkle with mischief under the dim light. She had on a similar outfit to Amari's; a cobra–skinned top with really thin straps tucked into light brown high waisted cargo pants reaching up to her ankle. She paired up the outfit with low black heels and a black Gucci purse, cognate to Amari's.

They both had on light makeovers, nothing more or less than some mascara, eyeliners and a thin layer of lipgloss. In conclusion, these ladies looked fucking beautiful and the elegance they seemed to radiate complimented them even more.

“Oooh you look sexy, Pearce. I see you've ditched the glasses?” Aubrey asked as the never ending smirk didn't erase itself from her lips.

Emerald arched her perfectly shaped eyebrow at her. What was wrong with her glasses?

“No offence. I think you look really cute with them on but right now, you look way sexy without them,” she winked as she leaned back in her chair, watching Emerald's reaction, which as usual, wasn't anything more than a slight smile.

Amari and Ori burst into laughter as they let out really loud whistles which would have been quite embarrassing if it weren't for the already roaring music in the club.

“Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?” Amari winked at her.

“Told you you looked hot as fuck, Mera. I can't believe you thought you looked like a high schooler with the backpack on,” Oriana chimed in, agreeing with the girls.

Oriana had done the honors of choosing Emerald's outfit for their outing, much to Emerald's dismay but she had no choice; choosing the right outfit for a clubbing occasion wasn't her forte. Infact, the only fashion thingy she was good at would be choosing an outfit in the professional garb.

Gladly, Oriana had made the most of this opportunity and had chosen for Emerald, a short black gown which started right below her breasts and stopped mid thigh with a little slit at the right end, revealing her deliciously long and perfectly shaped legs.

The gown was held up by two really thin straps tied in a pretty bow–shaped knot on her shoulders. Underneath the gown, she wore a white round neck top with sleeves stopping a little ways past her elbows.

Pairing her entire outfit up with some white sneakers and a red Acewood PU leather backpack, she couldn't look more sexier with such simple outfit. The clothes accentuated all her curves, making most men in the club do a double take just to drool at her out–of–this–world assets. She let her hair loose around her face as Ori had straightened out her curls and had applied the same mascara, eyeliner and lipgloss combo, making her ethereal emerald green eyes pop and her lips to glimmer lusciously under the laser beam lights.

Even with her simple and not very exposing outfit, the horny men who had stumbled at the sight of her couldn't deny the fact that she was the prettiest among the ladies that surrounded the table.

As for Oriana, she had gone with a short jacket type cargo gown with a black belt around her waist to keep the outfit together. It was a simple yet also sexy outfit that revealed a reasonable amount of her cleavage as well. Her red hair was tied into a tight bun on her head and she had on a pair of hot heeled boots made with black velvet material.

Together, they looked like they were about to conquer the world with their looks that screamed ‘walking sex goddesses!’

“Enough of that, how bout we get this party started!” Oriana squealed as she clasped her hands together in enthusiasm before jumping to her feet to storm the luxurious bar loaded with drinks.

“What would you guys have?” she asked as she looked expectantly at all of them, including the two men seated beside Amari and Aubrey respectively. Emerald hadn't taken proper notice of them before now, so in question, she raised an eyebrow at the two ladies whose eyes widened in remembrance.

They hadn't introduced their boyfriends to Emerald!

“Sorry. It kinda skipped our mind to introduce y'all to each other,” Amari passed her a sheepish smile.

“Here's Darren Rodriguez, my boyfriend,” Amari introduced as she snuggled closer to him, making him wrap an arm around her instinctively. He gave Emerald a small smile with a little nod, which she reciprocated.

“And here, unfortunately, is my own boyfriend, Zander Fleece,” Aubrey introduced with her usual sarcastic tone as she passed her signature smirk to her boyfriend who gave her a playful glare before turning to smile at Emerald.

“Boys, meet the last and final piece to complete the puzzle of the Blue Belles, Emerald Pearce,” Ori announced dramatically.

“Nice to meet you,” Emerald said to the two men seated closely to their girlfriends, almost protectively. She smiled at that.

“Nice to meet you too, Miss Pearce,” they echoed. She nodded and looked away from them to Oriana who had an amused look on her face. She raised her eyebrow at that as her eyes went to Ari and Bree who were sporting the same look. She only shrugged them off.

Darren and Zander hadn't expected Emerald to just accept to be called Miss Pearce. They had expected her to have replied with the typical ‘Oh you can just call me Emerald’ like most women would've done but nope, she had them stunned into silence.

“Uhm how bout we go get the drinks for you ladies instead,” Darren, who looked like he was from an Hispanic descent offered as he stood up.

“Yeah. Let's do that,” Zander, the dark chocolate skinned man with rather bulging muscles and tattoos covering both his arms also stood up.

“What would you ladies have?” Darren asked.

Amari and Aubrey momentarily passed each other mischievous looks before replying. “Scorpion bowl. Two bowls. The ladies will be sharing,” they grinned.

Darren and Zander only groaned in disapproval before walking towards the bar and soon enough, a full blown conversation sprang up between the ladies as they filled each other in on what had happened in their lives during the period they hadn't seen each other.

Well, it was more of Amari and Aubrey filling Emerald in since unlike her, Oriana frequently met with both ladies so she pretty much knew what was going on with them.

Aubrey had opened Brey Cooks, a chain of restaurants in some places in America but she was still hoping to expand even more and she had somehow ended up with Zander Fleece, a world's famous basketball player while Amari worked as a personal assistant to Dylan Rodriguez, the CEO of the New York branch of Rodrico., a.k.a Darren's cousin. Plus, Dylan had also aided Darren and Amari's relationship.

Conclusively, these ladies were independent and self accomplished with their successful and decent jobs. Emerald also told them about how well her therapy place had been doing but she kept her responses vague for confidential reasons, or so she told herself.

Emerald was scrolling through her phone after having enough sips of the strong, volcanic tiki punch when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up a bit groggy as her eyes tried to focus on the culprit's face which looked really familiar.

She let out a frustrated groan as she could feel the appearance of an impending migraine stirring round her head. She had adamantly objected to taking more than three sips but her friend's coercion had gotten her to take many sips from two bowls out of three and now the effects were starting to show.

“Looks like you're already slightly drunk,” the voice chuckled. “Well, you have always been a lightweight,” the culprit plopped down into the seat that had been previously occupied by Oriana who had run off to God knows where, saying she had her prince charming to hunt down right after Amari, Aubrey and their boyfriends had gone to the dance floor. They had invited Emerald but she had only declined, saying she needed to calm her head and body that seemed to be on fire.

Her vision finally cleared and the person's face immediately came into focus. A really wide grin spread across her lips and she let out a happy squeal as she lunged forward and squeezed the life out of the man seated beside her. The drink was making her act weird but she was indeed happy to see him.

“I see you've missed me then?” he chuckled as he hugged her back just as tight but he made sure not to suffocate her.

“More than you could imagine,” she mumbled into his shoulder as she breathed in his familiar scent; blackcurrant, bergamot, french apples and a burst of pineapple mixed perfectly to give an amazingly fruity yet manly fragrance. He smelled so good she could eat him up in an instant.

He pulled away and she stared right into his blue eyes. Even in the almost dark room, she could make out the grey speckles as his eyes glistened like always. She took in his blonde hair which had formerly looked like a bird's nest but tonight, it looked equivalent to a sexy bed hair; a bit disheveled but just to perfection.

They continued to stare at each other, both drinking each other in after staying apart for almost a year. To him, she looked even more beautiful and better than before. He could make out the familiar sparkle in her green eyes that held something akin to satisfaction and happiness.

He grinned and grabbed her face in his soft, warm hands, pulling her closer to him as they did their usual greetings. It had been their routine since high school and it had grown on them over the years.

They pulled back and grinned at each other again. “I've missed you so much, Eme,” he said to which she replied with a small ‘me too.’

“How have you been?” he asked seriously. He had been gone for so long, he couldn't help but worry about her.

“I'm good, Lolo. No need to worry about me,” she passed him a small smile, one that didn't reach her eyes.

He let out a breath, dropping the topic for her sake as he let his eyes linger on her face before looking round the table which was littered with empty shot glasses and three bowls of Scorpion bowl. He could see the flaming 151 right in the middle of the bowl and he turned to Emerald with a surprised yet amused smirk on his face.

“You actually drank this?” he asked amusedly.

“Oh shut it,” she rolled her eyes, earning a chuckle from him.

They continued to stare at each other with the same smile; they had missed each other so much that they could spend the entire night hugging.

“How come you're here?” she asked and before he could reply, a particular song, Best Friend by Saweetie ft Doja Cat came blasting through the speakers.

Logan's eye immediately went wide with joy and she watched as his blue–grey eyes glistened with excitement. He was already bouncing impatiently in his seat.

“Ahhh! I love this song!” Emerald laughed at her friend's antics as he immediately jumped to his feet.

“Wanna dance?” he asked as he stretched out his hand to her.

She shook her head. “No, I don't think I ca—”

“Oh shush! Live a little, Miss Uptight!” he cut her off as he swept her off her seat, carrying her bridal style as he literally ran to the stage, making her cling to him as she burst into laughter.

“Whooo!”

And together, the two friends enjoyed the night dancing to different varieties of songs with huge smiles on their faces, oblivious to the raging storm, the erupting volcano seated at the bar, watching their every move.