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49.

Nicole.

"I'm sorry for bursting in, but you need to see this." Layla bombarded her way into my Office. I was in the middle of a Zoom meeting with a Soon-To-Be Bride about herself and her Wedding Party.

"I'm so sorry, can you please give me a second? My Receptionist just came into my office with some important information."

"No worries" She smiled, waving her hand for me to take my time. "I have the entire day, I'm just so happy you were able to meet with me."

"It's my pleasure." I smiled into the camera. "Just give me five minutes." I muted my computer and turned the camera off so she couldn't see me.

"Sorry!" Layla immediately apologized knowing I hated to be interrupted during meetings with customers. I found outburst very disrespectful and unprofessional in my workspace.

"What is it Lay?" I slightly spun around in my chair, facing her.

"Look" She put her phone in my face.

"Ray's Instagram? What are you showing me this for?" I was confused and a tad bit irritated that that's what she found important.

She smacked her lips "Nicole, look! He's wearing an Ulta shirt, has makeup brushes in his hand— obviously he's working there!"

"And?" I raised my brows. "How are you even able to see his Instagram anyway?" He'd blocked all of us once everything went down. Every Coworker, friend, family member, and he even blocked Taejin and Troi's page.

"Off my third Finsta." She answered causing me to shake my head at her ridiculousness. "I've been keeping up with him but he's never shown his new job until now." She kept showing me his Instagram Story. "You should go to Ulta an-"

"Lay, I'm in the middle of a meeting."

"Afterwards then!" She begged. "Nicole, we talk about Rayvon everyday; we miss him." She stuck her bottom lip out, clasping her hands together in begging form. "Won't you pleaseeee go up there?" Going and begging for forgiveness at Rayvon's job was definitely not the plan I had in mind. I'd much rather us go out for a nice dinner or something.

"We don't even know if that's the one he works at." There was an Ulta about three or four blocks over from my Spa. Ray, Layla, and I had been in there a few times together and Ray knew the store like the back of his hand. I was sure he could get on with no problems.

"Ray wouldn't be caught dead in the Ulta off Hamilton Park." She was right about that. "It has to be that one— C'mon Nicole, pleaseeee?" She asked again. "You know you want to, you're just nervous."

"I'll think about it Layla." I spun back around to my Computer. "Bye, get back to work please." My five minutes had long passed and I didn't want to keep anybody waiting any longer.

"Okay, I'll leave you to it." She dismissed herself, shutting the door behind her.

I couldn't get Rayvon off my mind once I finished my Zoom meeting and it was all Layla's fault. "Ulta run?" She grinned from ear to ear as I stepped through the Foyer of my Spa with my Baby-Blue Chanel in my left hand.

"Shut up" I joked with her. "Hold down the fort while I'm gone and if I'm not back in an hour, call me."

"Okay, I hope you come back with good news!" She shouted behind me as I exited through the glass double doors. I was happy I drove my Coupe today because I was able to parallel park right in front of my Spa. Lord knows I hated trying to squeeze into parking spots in my G-Wagon.

It took me no time to get to Ulta and once I got there, Rayvon's Yellow Volkswagen Beetle definitely was parked front and center. Something pulled at me to get back in my car and head back to work but I knew it was just nerves so I tried my best to shake it off.