Dricki: Space Jam

Chapter Three

Nicki's doorbell rang just as she finished sliding on her cotton shorts. She pulled her t-shirt over her head and rushed to the door to let Michaela in from the cold. Naomi was in her car seat sleeping which Nicki was grateful for because she knew her daughter would wake up for a bottle and go right back to sleep.

"Hi," Michaela sat Naomi's seat on the couch and took the wine to the kitchen.

"Hey." Nicki looked up briefly as she unbuckled Naomi from her seat. She grabbed her fleece blanket from the couch and wrapped her in it after picking her up. She took her to their room and laid her in her crib. Nicki returned to the kitchen with the baby monitor in hand. Michaela had taken the lasagna out of the oven and was in the process of making their plates.

"I thought I told you to make a salad." She side eyed Nicki and Nicki rolled her eyes.

"It's in the 'fridge." Nicki leaned against the counter, watching her older sister. "Oh guess what?!" Nicki suddenly remembered.

"What?" Michaela asked as she tossed the salad again, not really wanting to guess.

"He called." Nicki answered nonchalantly.

"What?! When?" Michaela looked at her younger sister with wide eyes. She watched Nicki cross the tiny kitchen and put salad on both of their plates.

"After I got out of the shower. What kind of dressing do you want?" Nicki opened the refrigerator again.

"It doesn't matter and don't try to change the subject. So what did you two talk about? What did he say?" Michaela asked excitedly. She grabbed their plates while Nicki grabbed their glasses and they went to the table.

"Nothing much other than he's been really busy. I told him he caught me at a bad time but I told him I'd call him tomorrow around lunch time, he said he wanted to meet up."

"And?" Michaela asked before sticking her fork into her lasagna.

"And that's it." Nicki shrugged and started eating her salad.

"So? I mean are you gonna meet him or not Onika?" Michaela was starting to grow impatient.

"I don't know Michaela."

What the hell? Michaela thought to herself. "What is there to know Nicki? The guy wants to take you out. At least get a free meal out of it. You know it'll be some place you've never been before because it won't be nowhere around these parts. It's not like he said y'all gone hit up McDonald's or something." Michaela laughed.

"McDonald's saved my life when all I had was a dollar. But I don't know Michaela. I have a shift at Red Lobster tomorrow. What the hell can I wear? My uniform?"

"Uh yes...what he sees is what he gets. If he doesn't like it then you know where you both stand. I mean it's not like he asked to take you to dinner to meet his mother. You're seriously over thinking this." Michaela took a sip of her wine.

"But what if he thinks I'm a gold digger or something?" Nicki tapped her nails against the glass table.

"He asked you out and stop it. That's annoying me."

Nicki stopped tapping her nails and bit her bottom lip nervously. "I guess I can go in my uniform. Whatever. Better sooner than later. No use in pretending to be something I'm not."

"Nika, shut up. I mean so what? He liked you enough to ask you out right?" Michaela asked her younger sister.

"Yeah." Nicki answered quietly, still not sure.

"Well okay then. Get over yourself and eat."

"You are so rude." Nicki huffed and started eating her food. Nicki still wasn't sure about the lunch date but she was a little bit more confident by the time Michaela left. She went to her bedroom with a bottle for Naomi and fed her before getting in the bed with her and laying her on her chest. She turned on her TV and watched old reruns of Judge Judy until she fell asleep.