4. Dinner Dates ♔

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| King of Hearts |

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By: Janae Destiny

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"You didn't think I'd want coffee too?" Luna asked when she got into Kiara's SUV and saw her empty cup of ice sitting in the cupholder.

"I didn't care that you'd want coffee," Kiara replied. "That's the difference."

"You're mean as hell," Luna said as she buckled her seatbelt.

"I'm really not, but okay. I only got it cause I had shit to do before I came to pick you up and I'm tired as hell."

"Kiara, don't even talk to me about being tired. At least you left early and got some sleep. I ain't even went to sleep yet. I came home to shower and get ready just to go out all over again."

"Nobody told you to be out all fucking night with whoever the fuck that nigga even was."

"You know damn well you know his name," Luna rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Nobody told you to be out all fucking night with Rowan Williams."

"Rowan Williams is on his way to being one of the most talked-about basketball players in the NBA league, so yeah I spent a lil time with him. And he's fine as fuck, so what about it?"

"He is fine," Kiara nodded her head in agreement. Rowan is attractive, and even she could admit that. "Not fine enough to have you weak in the knees after one lil night together though. Y'all ain't even go on a date or even talk for two seconds before you dropping your panties for him."

"This isn't the fifties Kiara," Luna rolled her eyes. "It's okay to fuck without being courted first. But I think you seem to have forgotten about that."

"Now you know damn well you don't wanna go there with me Luna. I'll air your shit out."

"I'm just saying," the girl shrugged, brushing her long body wave curls back behind her shoulder. "Maybe you need a bitch to finally blow your back out one good time. You been more tense than usual lately."

"I'm not tense, I'm stressed. There's a difference. Not that you would know, cause you think sex fixes every fucking thing."

"Cause it does," Luna pulled a tube of Dior lipgloss out of her purse and applied it to her already glossed lips. "What you stressed about though."

"The fact that you don't ever do your job for one. You know I'm in the process of opening up another location meaning you need to be helping Chantal out more, yet you don't do shit."

"I don't know what y'all problem is. The club basically runs itself."

"It actually doesn't. Like... at all," Kiara tried not to get upset with her sister. "You just don't realize it because everyone except you does what they're supposed to."

"Fineee. I'll start picking up the slack, my God," Luna huffed as if she were annoyed that people want her to do her job. A job in which she gets paid for, yet doesn't take seriously even a little bit.

"You know I'm not forcing you to work in my club, right? You can always go find you another job if you don't wanna do the work."

"You've always been so funny Kiara," Luna laughed a lot louder than Kiara appreciated. "Now you know I'm not going nowhere."

"That's the problem," she said very matter of factly. "Luna I'm tryna be on my boss shit this year, and if you ain't with that, you'll no longer be working at my club or at any future businesses of mine. You do realize that, right?"

"Girl I said I'ma get serious about my shit. There's no need to threaten to fire me."

"Oh sis, it's not a threat. You think you can get away with murder cause you're my sister, but that's not how shit works. This is your last warning, and I'm being deadass serious Luna, are you understanding me?"

"Yes," Luna slouched down in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. "God, I hate when you start acting like mom."

"Then stop making me have to act like mom. You're a grown ass fucking woman, I shouldn't have to be talking to you about shit more than one time. So this is the final time," Kiara warned her, and she was not joking- at all.

She's trying to elevate herself and her business, and if her sister isn't willing to put in that same amount of work ethic, she can get left behind.

"I don't know why we still be doing this shit," Luna looked slightly annoyed as Kiara pulled into a parking garage in midtown because the restaurant they were going to was near 'The Shops Miami' Mall.

Luna wasn't really annoyed, she was just tired, which Kiara could understand because she's been running off of only a few hours of sleep all week.

"You know Mondays are always family brunch day, so I don't know why you be acting brand new every single week."

"Because we're 24 and 27 years old still doing family traditions we started as kids. It just changed to Monday instead of Sunday."

"That's... Luna, that's literally what a tradition is. Are you dumb?"

"Bitch, fuck you," Luna laughed. She wasn't even offended, because at least Kiara is bold enough to say those types of things straight to her face. "And daddy said he wanted to talk to us about something. What's that about?"

"Why would I know?" Kiara backed her Lexus LX SUV into a parking spot to make it easier on her when she's ready to leave.

"Cause he tells you everything."

"Clearly not cause I didn't even know they had something to tell us."

"Well you know I'm nosey as fuck," Luna pulled down the mirror on her side to look at herself as she applied even more lipgloss to her lips. "So let's go find out."

When Kiara and Luna made it to the restaurant, their parents were sitting at a table on the air-conditioned patio, already sipping on mimosas.

"Hi daddy," Kiara and Luna both went straight to Keenan and hugged him first.

"Wassup babies," he gave them both a kiss on the cheek.

"Well damn," Chloe, their mother, scoffed because she's always the last one they go to.

"You didn't even give me a chance," Kiara laughed as she made her way around the table to hug her mom. "Hey mama."

"Hey baby girl," Chloe squeezed her back.

"So y'all wanted to tell us something?" Luna didn't waste any time at all. That was the very first thing she asked after sitting down at the table.

"You don't even wanna order first?" Keenan asked her.

"No. What did y'all wanna talk to us about?"

"Okay, so before we tell y'all," Keenan cleared his throat. "I just want y'all to know that this is not gonna affect our family in any way. We're still-"

"Daddy. Just say it," Kiara urged him because she was getting more nervous as he continued to beat around the bush.

"We're uhm... me and your mother are filing for a divorce," Keenan just said it, not wanting to draw things out anymore.

Both Kiara and Luna just sat there in complete silence because they didn't know what to say in response to hearing that.

Kiara wasn't sure why she was so devastated to hear that. She's grown and hasn't lived at home since she was like 19 years old, so it's like not she would be directly affected by it. But for some reason, that news broke her.

Chloe and Keenan King have been together since they were teenagers. They were high school sweethearts and despite whatever ups and downs they've had over the years, it's always been the Kings against the world. Never in a million years did she think her parents would split up. Especially since they've been together for over thirty years now.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now? Like this ain't some sick twisted joke, is it?" Luna asked for both of them because Kiara was thinking the same exact thing.

"Nah for real," Kiara said in a very quiet voice. "Y'all really thought this was the perfect time and place to tell us this?"

"I told Keenan I didn't want to do this here," Chloe shook her head. "I told him we should have had this conversation at the house."

"What even happened between y'all? Y'all always seem so happy together?"

"Sometimes people just grow apart," Keenan reached across the table and attempted to hold Kiara's hand, but she wouldn't let him.

"It's not anything that one of us did," Chloe continued for him. "And no matter what, Keenan is and always will be my best friend. We just... we've been together since we were fifteen years old."

"Exactly," he nodded his head in agreement. "It's no hate or animosity behind it. I think we both just realize that it's time to end things now before we drag things out and we both become versions of ourselves with each other that we don't like."

"I'm so glad I didn't order shit yet cause I'm leaving. This is not a conversation I'm about to have here," Kiara pushed her chair back and got up from the table.

"I agree with her," Luna got up and followed her sister. "I'm leaving too."

Kiara and Luna were both so confused at the moment. Their parents always seem so happy and in love, so divorce was the absolute last thing the girls thought their parents were about to drop on them. But at the same time, thirty years is a long time to be with the same person. A very long time. So maybe they aren't lying. Maybe they did slowly start to outgrow each other somewhere along the way.

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"I like the first apartment the best. It had the biggest rooms," Marco said very quietly because a sleeping Ava was laying on his lap.

They'd been out all day looking at apartments and then had gone to lunch. And after all of that walking around and eating, Ava had knocked out. She fell asleep in the car before they even made it back to the hotel. She didn't even wake up when Monie took her out of her booster seat and carried her up to their room.

"You think so?" Monie kept swiping back and forth looking at pictures of the two different options she was stuck between on her MacBook. "But the third one we had really nice amenities in the building, even if the apartment itself was a little bit smaller."

"You'd rather amenities over a bigger room?"

"It also had a bigger kitchen though. And you like to try out all them new recipes you see online, wasting all my got damn groceries."

"How else I'ma get better at cooking if I don't practice?"

"That's why I don't be saying shit to you. As long as you don't burn my place down, I let you do whatever."

"Monie, you can't even lie, sometimes my food be bussin. Remember that one seafood mac and cheese I made?"

"Aight, I'll give you that," Monie laughed. "That was pretty good."

"Just pretty good? Your fat ass ate half the fucking pan."

"Boy, what I tell you about cussing- Hold on," Monie reached for her ringing cellphone to answer it because it was loud and she didn't want to wake Ava up from her nap.

"Hey, Chantal...?" She answered with a bit of surprise in her voice because that was the last person she was expecting to call her.

"Hey girl," Chantal answered with a laugh like she was talking to somebody else right before she answered the phone. "What's up?"

"Nothing really. Uh... how are you?" Monie continued the small talk, even though she wanted to directly ask Chantal why she'd called her.

"I'm good, thank you. But uh," she cleared her throat. "Me and some friends are going out to dinner tonight and since you're new here, I was wondering if you'd wanna come and explore more of Miami with us."

"Oh that's so thoughtful of you. I'd love to go to dinner with y'all," Monie had a very genuine smile on her face. "But I uhmm..." she looked over at Ava taking a nap in Marco's lap.

"You should go," Marco mouthed.

"Really?" Monie mouthed back and he just nodded his head.

"Monie? You still there?"

"Yeah, sorry. I'll come, yeah, why not?"

"Perfect," it sounded like Chantal had moved the phone away from her mouth. "I'm sending you the information right now. And the restaurant has a dress code, but I'm sure whatever you have will be fine."

"I just got the text."

"Great. I'll see you later girlie," Chantal said before hanging up the phone without a goodbye.

"Why were you so quick to tell me I should go?" Monie asked Marco after the phone conversation had ended. "You don't even know where it is I'm going."

"Because we're new here and you needa make friends so you can be out my face more often."

"I didn't wanna leave y'all for another night though."

"It's not like you gonna be gone all night again. You just going out to dinner."

"But we were supposed to go out."

"We can just order room service. Just make sure you bring us back something good."

"Fine, but if I'ma go out tonight, I need a nap," Monod closed her MacBook and laid down on the bed, pulling her own throw blanket over her.

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Seaspice Brasserie & Lounge

River Dr, Miami, FL

Monie parked in a lot near the waterfront restaurant and cut the music that was playing in the car. She sent a quick text message to Marco saying that she'd made it and he replied telling her to have fun, but not too much fun.

"This kid," she rolled her eyes while letting out a little laugh. She put her phone in the cup holder and pulled down the visor, looking at herself in the very small mirror.

"Bitch you look good as hell," she said to herself as she fluffed her curls a little bit.

She then reached next to her where her heels were on the floor of the passenger side and changed out of her slides into them. Monie might be able to walk and dance in the craziest heels you can imagine, but she can't drive in simple pumps to save her life. She'll drive barefoot before she drives in a pair of heels.

"Monie!" Chantal flagged her down from across the parking lot. She was getting out of her car at the exact same time, with two other girls accompanying her. She might have seen them the previous night at the party, but she couldn't remember.

"Hey Chantal," Monie made her way over to the trio.

"Hey girl," she gave her a quick hug before introducing her to the other two girls.

The four of them made their way inside, and when they were seated, Chantal informed Monie that they were still waiting on two other people to show up. And she wasn't sure why, but she was really hoping one of those two people was Kiara.

They ordered drinks and appetizers while making small talk as they waited for the rest of their party to show up.

"They're here," one of the girls announced in the middle of a very casual conversation. Everyone at the table looked towards the entrance, and even a few more heads around them turned their attention towards the two women walking into the restaurant.

There's just something about Kiara King that naturally draws attention to her. Everyone turns to look when she walks into any room or event, always so enamored by how much confidence and vibrancy she exudes.

"Hey girls," Luna sat down next to Chantal.

"Monie," Kiara slid into the seat directly in front of her. "It's nice seeing you again."

"It's nice seeing you again too, Kiara," Monie held her gaze for a lot longer than she did with anyone else, which seems to be an ongoing thing between them since the previous night.

But Monie can't help it. Kiara is absolutely gorgeous, and she can't help but look at her. She was wearing a shimmery type of body oil that made her skin glow and she's always wearing vibrant colors that make her dark skin pop even more. It's almost impossible to not look at her.

"Ahem," Chantal cleared her throat, bringing the two women back to reality because they seemed to be gone for a second. "Kiara, I ordered you a mango lemonade," she handed the cup to her.

"Thanks, babe," Kiara accepted it with a smile. Of all the drinks on the menu, that's the only one she ever gets besides an occasional cocktail every once in a while.

The server came back to their table, they all ordered their main courses, and Monie excused herself to use the bathroom before their food came out. She walked out of the stall to see Kiara standing in the mirror touching up her makeup.

"You're really pretty," Monie just watched her in the mirror as she washed her hands.

"Thank you," Kiara said as she re-applied lipgloss to her lips. "You're really pretty too."

"Thanks. And your uhm..." Monie hesitated, knowing some girls don't take well to you pointing out imperfections in their makeup.

"My what?" Kiara dropped her Fenty gloss back down into her purse after she was done with it.

"Your eyelash is sort of lifting. The left one."

"You're a real one, cause I ain't even notice," Kiara leaned in closer to the mirror.

For one, she wasn't wearing her glasses or contacts, so she wouldn't have noticed the small lift just from looking at herself in the bathroom mirror anyway.

"Fuck," she muttered while looking through her purse because she didn't put any eyelash glue in there when she switched everything out of the Prada one she'd been wearing for the last few days.

"I think I have some glue," Monie fished around in her own purse after she finished washing and drying her hands. "Here."

"Thanks," Kiara kindly accepted it and leaned as close into the mirror as she could. She was squinting hard as hell trying to see what she was doing.

"Let me just help you," Monie stood in front of her because it was very obvious she was struggling. "You wear glasses or something?"

"I should be," Kiara let out a slight chuckle. "I wear contacts most of the time, but my eyes been irritated from not sleeping so I didn't put them in."

"Why not just wear your glasses then?"

"Oh hell no. I hate wearing my glasses. They make me look how I did in high school. You won't catch me wearing my glasses unless I absolutely have to."

"I'm sure you was cute in high school," Monie's lips curved up into a little smile.

"Maybe towards the end," Kiara huffed. "Not so much the beginning or middle though."

"I find that very hard to believe," she took the tube of eyelash glue and used the applicator to apply some to the end of the lash that was lifting. She was careful though, not wanting to accidentally poke Kiara in the eye with one of her long fingernails.

"Yeah, well kids are cruel," Kiara pouted. "Being one of the darkest kids in my class and then being over six fucking feet tall on top of that wasn't exactly fun growing up. The jokes never stopped. It took me forever to find confidence in myself because everyone made me feel like I was so ugly my whole life."

Even though she isn't ugly, not by a longshot, that's not how she used to feel on the inside. Kiara takes after her father in every single way. She even thought she was uglier than her slightly lighter-skinned and average height sister who takes more after their mother. It took a while to get here, but she doesn't think that way anymore. Kiara knows she's beautiful, and no one can tell her differently.

"Well, I for one think you're absolutely beautiful," Monie pulled away from her after making sure the lash was set in place. "And they probably did too, which is why they teased you so much. They were just jealous they didn't look like you."

"I don't know about all that... but thanks for being nice anyway."

"I'm not just saying it to be nice," Monie whispered, looking up to meet Kiara's eyes. "I actually mean it."

"Thank you," Kiara said very softly. "For real."

"You're welcome," Monie replied, still standing directly in front of her, almost like she didn't want to move just yet.

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