ISABELLA

      "So you're going to be gone until some time tomorrow?" Omari asked me as I smoothed my white tank top over the waist of my jeans.

      "Yeah," I answered as I grabbed my silver Louis Vuitton sneakers and slipped my feet inside them.

      "Alright. I'm going to be at the club late tonight but if you need me just give me a call alright?" he asked as I pulled my jeans over my sneakers.

      "Look at you," I told him with a smile. After being around him for a while the two of us had become lax around each other. And surprisingly enough I liked him.

      "What?" he asked with a smile as I fastened my white gold earrings and matching necklace securely.

      "You're acting like an overprotective parent," I told him as I slid my wrist through my white gold Frank Gehry bangles.

      "Parent? Nah but I can admit I'm a bit overprotective," he replied before enveloping me in a hug and grabbing my silver monogrammed Louis Vuitton duffle bag and led me out the apartment.

      It took a good twenty minutes to get to the entrance of the campus and Omari put the car in park before hopping out of the car and heading over to my side. He opened the door for me and handed me my bag before leaning against the passenger side and watched me walk onto campus and into the sign in area. This was a new thing for me and I was ready to begin. I was waiting in line when a girl pushed me from behind. I turned around to see a petite blonde dressed in a yellow babydoll, dingy treated low cut jeans, and high heeled gold slides. She carried about three huge bags and tossed apologies as she tried to juggle her luggage. This was only an overnight stay but it looked like she was trying to move in for the next couple of months.

      "It's alright," I told her before curiosity got the best of me. "You know this is just an overnight thing right?"

      "Yeah," she replied with a huge smile. "That's why I packed light."

      'Light?' I asked myself as I took in her bags and shrugged. To each his own.

      "My friend Elizabeth told me that they give you little cards at the end of the trip so you can jot down the names of the people you want to room with," she replied energetically.

      "Really? That's nice," I replied not caring since I wouldn't be staying on campus.

PAULA

      "I'm glad you could make it," I told Dreux as I opened the door to the hotel suite I'd booked for the duration of my stay.

      Originally I'd booked my flight for Saturday but after finding Dreux's number, an associate named Audrina I went to brunch with after the wedding gave it to me, and giving him a call we'd decided to hook up so I caught an earlier flight. In preparation for this date, I'd pulled out all the stops. Had my hair freshly styled along with a manicure and pedicure. I'd also carefully picked out my outfit to keep it casually sexy; I didn't want it to seem as if I spent too much time on my look. I'd settled on a pair of low cut dark blue denim shorts, a thin white lace tank under a dark blue vest, and a pair of dark brown leather flip-flops. My accessories were simple; just a pair of gold hoops and a gold watch. From Dreux's facial expression I could tell he appreciated the work I put into my appearance.

      "So where are we headed?" I asked him as I slipped my card key into my large Gucci bag.

      "I figured we could get a little something to eat and head to this cafe on the strip. India Aire's supposed to do a surprise performance tonight," he replied.

      "It mustn’t be that big of a surprise if you know about," I joked as we left the elevator and headed out to his car.

      He laughed and said, "A friend of mine manages the cafe so he hooked me up."

ISABELLA

      It was a little after seven and the tour of the campus, and my stint in records and registration, was over and I was headed to the dorm room I'd been assigned for the night. After extricating my key from my pocket I unlocked the door to find that the two girls I'd be sharing the room with were already there and had taken dibs on their beds. The blonde was the first to respond and offered me her hand before speaking.

      "I'm Katie Johnson. I took the bed by the window," she replied with a smile before heading back over to her bed and pulling out her pajamas.

      The committee hosting this was having a pajama fest in the student commons and would be showing a couple of Adam Sandler movies and I'm assuming my roomies had decided to go. The second female finished organizing her things before turning in my direction.

      "Don't touch my shit and we'll be fine," she replied as she pulled off her Dolce & Gabbana shades.

      "Trust and believe that you don't have anything I want," I told her coolly before grabbing my Louis Vuitton bag, the only one still in the closet, and began to take my own things out while little miss bad attitude headed into the bathroom.

      "So where are you from?" Katie asked.

      "Manhattan," I answered simply. "What about you?"

      "Silver Springs, Maryland," she answered before pulling out a red lace b       "Just a bit," I told her with a laugh.

      "This is so frustrating," she moaned before trying to find another option. "All my sleep clothes are some form of sheer lace, mesh, or another equally revealing style. I love Victoria's Secret and La Perla...I'm screwed."

      "Wear a robe over it," I replied with a shrug. "What's her problem?"

      "I don't even know," Katie replied with a shrug. "When she came in she was arguing with someone."

      "Well she need not take her personal problems out on me. I have enough of my own," I replied as I kicked off my shoes and pulled out my orange blossom Jo Malone shower gel.

      "I hear that," Katie replied.

      "So what are you thinking about majoring in?" I asked her.

      "Fashion design," she answered. "What about you?"

      "I don't know," I replied with a sigh. "I'm enrolled under the school of business officially but I'm undecided."

      "You should visit the career center," Katie replied as she plopped down on the firm twin sized mattress. "My cousin Darrin went when he was having problems choosing a major and they really helped him out."

      Just then Miss Bitch came out of the bathroom dressed in a stretch silk pajama set and I took that as my cue to call dibs on the bathroom. "I just might do that," I told Katie as I grabbed my things and headed into the bathroom.

Dreux

      Paula and I, surprisingly enough, conversed easily with each other. Though there was a significant age difference between the two of us, she was well versed in many subjects and was able to hold an actual conversation unlike quite a few females I'd met over the years. Young girls didn't do it for me but I was willing to make an exception this once.

      "So you start college this fall?" I asked her rhetorically. "Where are you attending?"

      "I've decided on Georgetown," she replied before taking a sip of her fruity ice drink as we walked down the strip.

      "What's your major?" I asked curiously.

      "Pre-law with a concentration in business law," she replied with a smile.

      "Damn, big dreams huh?" I asked impressed.

      Now in days you'd find more people going into real estate or getting some bullshit degree in business administration not realizing just how many people go into those fields everyday or how hard it would be for them to find a decent paying job after college seeing as the competition pool was extremely high.

      "Not dreams," she replied with a smile, "just goals that will take determination to achieve but I have the will and desire."

KATIE

      Isabella and I headed down to the student commons, her in a cute colorful stripped pajama set. I waved over to my best friend Eva who was dressed in purple short set and led Isabella over and made the introductions. Before we sat down good this cutie dressed simply in navy blue silk drawstring pajama bottoms and a white wife beater walked over.

      "It seems that the two of us keep running into each other," he replied once he stood in front of Isabella. My eyebrow instinctively rose and I turned my attention back to my roommate to see what she'd say.

      Isabella looked at him questioningly before smiling and saying, "Shawn right?"

      "Yeah," he replied taking that as an invitation to sit down. "How have you been?"

      "Fine and you?" she asked though you could tell, or at least I could tell, that it was more so for pleasant conversation than her actually being interested.

      "Better now that I've seen you again. You know, you not agreeing to my date really hurt my feelings," he replied with a pout.

      A smile formed on Isabella's face as she responded, "As I told you, I'm in a relationship right now so nothing but friendship can develop between us."

      See she's a good one cause let that have been me; shit, I would have been all over Shawn.

      "I can respect your loyalty," he started, "but I can tell from your accent that you're not from the MIA and I'm sure you're not deluded into thinking a long distance relationship will actually work."

      "Already trying to forge a wedge, huh?" Isabella asked and I had to stifle a laugh at that.

      "I'm just saying-" he started.

      "Well rest assured that you don't have anything to worry about," she replied.

      "Is that right?" he asked.

      "Yes it is," Isabella started. "Because my man lives in Miami and we live together. So you see there's not really that much distance in our relationship."

OMARI

      "So how have things been progressing between you and Isabella?" my mother asked me over the line.

      "Fine," I replied with a shrug although I was sure she couldn't see it.

      "Dreux tells me that the two of you have separate bedrooms," my mother replied.

      "We are not having this conversation," I said simply.

      "But seriously Omari, the two of you have to sleep together eventually-"

      "Actually we don't," I told her.

      "You do realize that both of you agreed to the terms of the contract," my mother pointed out.

      "I know this but she's going to school and I'm not ready for that kind of responsibility right now," I stated.

      "So how long am I going to have to wait?" my mother asked.

      "Excuse me?" I asked shocked. "This was your idea wasn't it?"

      "No it wasn't," she snapped, "but I'm not against it. Seriously I want grandkids and you're married so how long are you going to make me wait?"

      "We are not having this discussion right now," I told her.

      "Then what discussion are we having?" she asked.

      "You called to ask if I would be able to make it to that function my father was having at the end of the month and I was telling you no," I pointed out.

      "Don't be like that Omari," my mother pleaded again.

      "I have nothing to say to that man right now. He got what he wanted, like he always does, and he should just be satisfied with that," I told her.

      "You act as if you got the short end of the stick," she stated.

      "No, Isabella did," I told her causing her to become silent.

      My mother knew all about arranged marriages and so I'm sure she could imagine what Isabella was going through right now. You would think that because she could relate that she'd try to talk sense into my father but to get her to overlook the fact she'd get a grandchild was just too much to ask.

ISABELLA

      "So I'll see you in August?" Katie asked as I securely tied the strings to my SKY halter.

      "Yeah. Make sure you register for the nine o'clock class for English 102," I told her as I pulled up my jeans and slid my feet into my flats.

      "For sure," she replied and I gave her a wave before grabbing my bag and heading out front where I knew Omari was waiting.