Page 27 of The Dating Prohibition
Bo, also known as DJ BlastOff, pointed a finger in their direction as his body moved to the beat of the music. He’d just transitioned
his set from hip-hop to soca, and the floor was packed with whining bodies.
Kendra turned and watched Shonda study him. Headphones on his head, one side pulled behind his ear.
“He looks super familiar. Did you date him at one point?” She glanced at Kendra.
“He asked me out, but I wasn’t interested. We’re friends though. He’s never held it against me.”
Shonda nodded. “It was nice of him to buy us drinks.”
The server returned with two rows of shots.
“What are these?” Lani exclaimed.
“The gentleman next to the DJ booth decided that you needed a little bit more.”
“What are they?”
“He kept it clear, so they’re tequila blanco.”
“More tequila...” Kendra groaned and shook her head.
Shonda grinned knowingly. “I’m glad we took a Lyft because...” She stopped and turned to Lani.
“We ’bout to get fucked up!” Lani said, reaching for two shots, doling them out in front of each of them. The small glasses
were rimmed with flaky salt on one side, and lime wedges split on the lip of each glass.
“Well, let’s get these shots down and then finish our drinks and then we should probably go because these are definitely gonna
be it for me,” Shonda said.
“I don’t even know how I’m gonna get out of bed tomorrow.” Lani jutted her chin at Kendra. “Can I stay with you tonight, Keke?”
“Of course.” She nodded. “Well...”
They each raised a shot glass toward the gentleman at the edge of the booth. He nodded before leaning his ear toward the server
who had returned to him.
The ladies grinned at each other.
“To girls’ night.” Lani raised her glass and the others followed suit.
“Girls’ night!”
Kendra shifted in her bed and felt a flood of light beaming through her eyelids. She groaned. “Oh my god, no more shots for
me.”
Slowly, she opened her eyes, squinting at the light coming in from the windows.
Her mouth was dry and she licked her lips, looking to her nightstand to see if she’d brought a glass of water with her, but there was none.
Her phone also wasn’t on the charger. Her bedroom door was open and light flooded into the living room as well.
For an English basement, the windows had been strategically placed for a surprising amount of natural light.
She lifted her head to see if Lani was on the couch, but there was no sign of her. “Cuz,” she called.
No response.
Kendra threw the covers back and swung her legs over the side of the bed, shoving her feet into her favorite fuzzy slippers
as she padded her way into the living room. “Cuz,” she called again, her voice dull, her throat scratchy.
She made it a few steps out of her door before she saw the soles of a pair of feet protruding from the floor in front of the
couch. “Lani?”
A quiet grunt emanated from the floor. Lani was on her stomach, her arms extended as if she’d face-planted with half of her
body on the thick rug and the other half pressed against the hard floors.
“Lani?”
One arm was sprawled to the side of her while the other was stretched out above her head. She lay with her cheek on the cool
wooden floor tiles. A small trash can was next to her head.
“No talking,” she whispered, her eyes still closed. Her hands clawed at the ground as if the room was spinning and she was
holding on for dear life.
Kendra shrugged and went to the bathroom to pee. After, she stared at herself in the mirror. Her makeup was still on and her
hair stood sideways because she hadn’t bothered to wear her bonnet to bed.
“Oh, this is gonna suck.” She ran water over her face and started her skincare ritual, cleaning off all of her makeup with a cleansing balm and a gentle cleanser.
Patting her face dry, she turned on the shower, tugged on a shower cap, stripped herself bare, and stepped into the water.
She sighed contently as the warm stream kneaded her shoulders.
Kendra removed her cap and let the water run over her hair, deciding to wash it even though she hadn’t made an appointment
for her next silk press. After shampooing and a hair mask, she coated her hair in conditioner and piled it on top of her head
as she went about cleansing and exfoliating her body. She unhooked her detangling comb from her shower caddy and ran it through
her hair before rinsing.
She towel-dried her hair and body as she stepped out of the shower, moving to put leave-in conditioner and a curl custard
into her hair. She ran her fingers through it, wrapped different sections around her fingers for definition, and scrunched
the ends, her coils beginning to drink in the moisture. She heard slow movement upstairs and assumed it was Shonda moving
around.
Kendra threw a robe around her shoulders, cinching it at the waist as she stepped back out of the bathroom. Lani was still
face down on the floor, so Kendra nudged her cousin’s leg with her foot. “You good?”
Lani grumbled something unintelligibly.
“Where’s my phone?” Kendra muttered. She searched every surface—coffee table, kitchen counters, her desk—before finding it
under a heap of clothes on the floor in her bedroom.
She was about to send a text to Shonda when she realized she’d missed one from the night before.
Ben: You havin’ fun?
Kendra bit her lip as she pondered what to respond with.
Kendra: Good morning. Sorry I missed your text. We had shots after a couple rounds and I barely remember getting home.
She then shot a message to Shonda.
Kendra: You good up there, sis?
While she waited for a response, her phone pinged with a message back from BJ.
Ben: You should probably hydrate. How much did you have?
Kendra: A couple of mezcal margs and a couple of shots of tequila.
Ben: That’s brave.
Kendra: It was never the plan, but someone decided to send some shots to our table.
Ben: Y’all had them eatin’ out of your hand there, didn’t you?
Kendra snorted.
Kendra: I guess you could say that. Someone sent us the rounds of shots after we had some random step to us and call us bitches.
Ben: Wait, what?
Kendra: Yeah, not the most gentlemanly of them. But what do you expect from a leather coat and a grill?
Ben: Why do you always attract such weird men?
Kendra: You act like I’m in control of who I attract. Aren’t you in that group too?
Kendra smiled to herself as she sent the message.
Ben: Very funny. You know what I mean.
Kendra: I assure you that I don’t.
Ben: So, after all these shots, are you okay this morning?
She rolled her eyes. You’re not slick. I see you changing the subject.
Kendra: I’m not gonna lie to you, I’m hurting a little bit, but Lani’s far worse.
Ben: What, is she asleep in the bathroom?
Kendra: Well, she is on the floor, but she’s actually on the floor in the living room.
BJ sent a facepalm emoji.
Kendra: Yeah, well, I’m sure I look just as rough as she does, though I’ve had the benefit of a shower.
Ben: Well, you don’t sound like you’re that bad.
Kendra: Mmmhmm, take a look.
She took a quick selfie, a faint smile playing on her lips, her curls still damp.
Ben: It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you wear your hair like that, Kenny.
Kendra: Yeah, I haven’t worn my hair natural in a while.
Ben: Well, it’s about to get hot. You can kiss that press goodbye.
Kendra: You ain’t never lied. Anyway, what are you up to today?
Ben: Well, I am going to the Library of Congress to do some research. But I’ll probably head to the restaurant at some point.
Kendra: Yeah, I’ll probably see you there. Maybe... depends on if I am able to get some food down first.
Ben: Well, just make sure you hydrate because I’m sure you need it.
Kendra: What I need is some ibuprofen.
Ben: Well, that too. Maybe eat some bread or something that can soak up whatever’s still in your system.
Kendra’s stomach growled.
Kendra: There’s definitely still tequila in my stomach because it’s churning.
Ben: You think you’re gonna throw up?
Kendra: I hope not, but at least Lani’s not on the bathroom floor, impeding my ability to do so.
Ben: LOL. True. Well, I’ll check on you later.
Kendra: Okay.
Ben: I really do like the curls.
Kendra: Thanks, BJ.
Kendra smiled to herself as a text from Shonda came in.
Shonda: Bitch, I am in pain.
Kendra stepped out of her room and sauntered over to Lani, whose eyes were still squeezed shut. She snapped a picture and
sent it to Shonda.
Kendra: You’re not the only one.