Make Me Yours

Chapter 3

“So, how does it feel? Thirty? Can you feel your face wrinkling already? Are your eggs starting to dry up? Your biological clock ticking?”

Zoey rolled her eyes at Jenny. They were in the stripper’s club and her birthday party just got started. The countdown was on, and in less than two hours, she’d be officially thirty.

“Well, you tell me. You hit thirty three months ago. How did it feel?” Jenny was the oldest amongst them. Zoey came second. Carrie came next and finally, Mariah. All months apart, but it never changed anything; as it shouldn’t.

Jenny gave a small chuckle before replying.

“Oh well, you know what they say… If life begins at forty, then I’m just being born at thirty.”

“No one says that.” Mariah’s words were matter-of-factly.

“I do. Besides, life begins at forty is a generic, and I’m allowed to start mine. You’re born at thirty.”

“More like reborn.” Carrie piped in.

Nodding, Zoey agreed. “True that.”

There was a long pause as she heaved a deep sigh. Thirty… what did thirty mean to her? It su*ked when one had this life planned out and laid out in front of them, only to have it thwarted. For so long, thirty had meant her own home, a husband who adored her, and two beautiful kids running around the house, driving them mad. Thirty had also meant finally getting her dream car, and her own company. Thirty had simply meant success, in every form of the word.

Well, here she was. She wouldn’t say that she wasn’t successful. Of course, she was. She had her own home, her dream car; her company was growing bigger by the day. All of which she was grateful for. However, there was no husband, no children. Tried as hard as she had to shake it off, as 12 a.m. drew nearer, she could not help feeling like something was missing; her life was incomplete and time was running out.

Thirty wasn’t supposed to feel this way. It was supposed to be fun and flirty. Hell, what happened to her? After the last breakup, she hadn’t even tried to date again – not even for fun. She had just buried her head in work and expertly turned down the merest of advances that had been thrown her way since then – except of course, on days when her horny meter went off the charts and she just looked for a fine stranger to hook up with.

That hadn’t happened in a year though. She had gotten tired of sharing her body with men who meant nothing to her. Being detached emotionally made s*x feel so… basic.

Last night was the first time in a long time that she had actually felt something towards any man. If he had… no, she wouldn’t think of him, but if he had paid her any mind at all, she was pretty certain that she would have flirted right back, and maybe even had a one-night stand. She snorted at this. A one-night stand with Mr Ice? Yeah, she thought not.

Two fingers snapped in her eyes and she quickly startled out of her thoughts to see her girls staring at her.

“Girl! Where the hell were you?” Carrie asked, the concern in her voice obvious.

“My thoughts? I’m sorry, I got lost there for a moment. I was just thinking of what a boring life I’ve led so far. I mean, since my last breakup, I haven’t dated anyone. You know? Not one date. All the times I managed to hookup, it was with some random guy at the club…”

“Preach. Not to mention you haven’t gotten laid in a year. Goodness, how are you even coping?”

Zoey narrowed her eyes to slits as she looked at her friend, “Just fine, Myah.”

“Sure. With the help of Mr Frisky.”

She groaned as she covered her eyes in mock mortification. “My vibrator doesn’t have a name and if I ever wanted to give it one, trust me, I would be more creative than Mr Frisky. Who the hell names their s*x toy that?”

Carrie shrugged her shoulders guiltily as she mumbled, “I mean, it isn’t that terrible a name, is it?”

Surprised, they all turned to look at her. “Carrie? You have a vibrator?” They gasped.

“Oh great, that wasn’t loud enough. How about you grab a mic and shout it for the whole world to hear?”

“Well, this is news.” and it was. Carrie could be a nerd, yes, but they all knew she had a freaky side to her. What they didn’t know though, was that she had a vibrator. Zoey was very pleasantly surprised.

“Well yes, but obviously not anymore. What? It does the job. I’m a woman; I have needs too.”

“Amen to that, Carrie. Amen to that. It’s good to know that you’re getting some good ol’ org*sms, trust me. Some of these men don’t even do that.”

“Preach, Jenny! Goodness Lord Jesus, preach! You can never go wrong with a vibrator.”

Mariah’s voice was so loud that several heads turned towards their table. Instead of feeling shame, they all broke into laughter. The people who had turned – two couples on a double date – ended up smiling as they looked away.

“You guys are cray-cray.” Zoey said as they recovered from their bout.

“You love us anyway.” Jenny chipped in sweetly.

Damn her if it wasn’t true. She loved them all so fiercely. Like any other group of friends, they’ve had their share of fights and misunderstandings, but they always found a way to get back together.

“Damn right, I do. Y’all bi*ches are my bestest friends.”

She spread her arms to draw them all into a hug, but all they ended up doing was squishing their cheeks together until they began to laugh again.

“That’s it. We got our first toast for the night!” Carrie announced as they pulled away. She started to fill their cups with the champagne they had ordered. Once she was done, she lifted hers and others followed suit.

“To twelve years of friendship – and more. To the bestest friends anyone could ever ask for. Y’all bi*ches are amazing and I love you with every breath that I take.”

Overwhelmed, Zoey felt her eyes glisten as she clinked her glass against theirs.