CHAPTER 30

GIRLS TIME

The blared horn at the gate disrupted the ladies'

gist, the same way it interrupted Susan's nap. She swears under her breath as she pays the driver and opens the gate. She knocks consecutively on Tade's door, after waiting for some minutes and no one was answering the doorbell, she started getting impatient, just then Tade opens the door enchantingly with a tumbler of wine in her hand also dressed like someone going to a ball party "Ooh! Look who finally decided to come home" Susan knew Tade for her luxurious lifestyle but this outfit she is wearing has more story embedded in it, she had to ask "what's going on? Is there a costume party going on upstairs? This is not the regular play date Tade but an extravagant Tade" Tade smirks her lips "I will take that as a compliment, and yes you are welcome to join the fun" Tade turns her back immediately and catwalks back into the room while Susan walks in and shuts the door behind her.

"Susan!!" Nora exclaims as Susan appears behind Tade "Nora!! No one told me you were back" Susan rushes into the room to hug Nora who is also elegantly dressed like the queen of Scotland "I'm lost, what is going on here? Why are you dressed up so fancily?" Chichi walks out from Tade's dressing room sexily taking over the space like it's her runway show "keep or toss?" she asked as she got in front of her audience "That's definitely a keep!" Tade says at the top of her voice, Susan looks lost but Nora comes to her rescue "Tade wanted to go on a shopping spree, so Chichi and I decided to show her that she has all she will ever need in ten years sitting in her closet but she insisted that it's not true so we came to an agreement that we get to keep for ourselves the outfits that have the majority vote on Toss, while she keeps anyone we agree she is meant to keep. So if the Toss is way higher than Keep, that means she is running out of clothes

and she can go shopping" Susan's eyes lit up

immediately as she realizes she could get her outfit for her impending dinner date here at no cost whatsoever "I like fun, and this sounds like fun" Nora smiles and hands over her glass of wine to Susan "After a long day at work, you need it. Drink up and go find something sexy for yourself". Susan takes a long gulp of the wine at the mention of work, 'maybe she doesn't even need to give details about where she has been all morning since they all think it's work she better leaves it at that' she thinks to herself. Her phone rings, it's her mom, she drops the glass cup and walks into Tade's dressing room to answer the phone "Hi mom" her mom's voice is heard faintly "Susie have you gotten home?" Susan manages to pick out the words amidst the sound of laughter in the background "No, I am still at Tade's, is anything the matter?" Caroline replies

excitedly over the phone "I have good news! Tell

your friends we have a wedding to plan" Susan

holds her chest in excitement, then places her hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming as her mom continued over the phone "Henry has been talking about you since you left, baby! It's sealed! He loves you" Susan could hear the excitement in her mom's voice "So that means he wouldn't be traveling in the next two weeks? Since we have to plan a wedding... "He is, though he said you guys are going to talk about it but we are thinking of having your wedding three days before he returns to the United States, so make sure you inform your friends because we need all hands on deck" Susan whispers "Okay mom, thank you" the call trailed off, Susan mutters happily under her breathe "Sweet Jesus! You did this! I am grateful" she flips through the clothes on the hanger as she looks around for something she would love to try out, she hums excitedly "Here comes the bride... Here comes the bride".

Tade checks the time wondering what is keeping

Susan in the dressing room for that long, she stands up and whines to her friends "Let me go help her out before she gets lost in there looking for a Sunday outfit" Nora and Chichi laughed as they watch Tade go into the dressing room.

Nora acknowledges Chichi's outfit as they sat patiently waiting for Susan's entrance "This outfit

looks so beautiful on you, make sure you don't take it off" Chichi laughs softly "Hey, you know you don't have to pretend everything is fine right?" Nora stares at her as if she can see through her broken soul "you can talk to me, or talk to us about it, anything whatsoever! Open up about it, don't let it consume you" Chichi squeezes Nora's hands in affirmation "I know you girls will always be there for me but sincerely I'm feeling better already". Several minutes later, Susan walks out of the dressing room, totally transformed, the girls are bewildered that with a touch of makeup and 'Non-Susan's attire, Susan looks like a different person entirely. They uttered in unison "Wow!" Tade takes a bow in front of them as she presented Susan "I know! I know! Even I marveled at the work of my hand when I was done, I know this is my true calling, I was called in this world to style people" As Susan sits gracefully, Tade goes out and then walks back in with two bottles of champagne, the girls scream, and Tade calls for decorum "Nora has an impending gist for us but insisted that Susan

has to be around, now that she is back, Nora can

you please grace the floor" she gestures to Nora

who gets up immediately and collects the

champagne from Tade laughing "So ladies! I know things were rough over the weekend but we scaled through! "Yes" the girls scream, "I know I wasn't around but trust me it felt like I was here experiencing it with you guys", she pops the champagne and pours some in their tumblers "This is to holding it together, being there for one another, and to the strength we possess that no one could ever imagine" They cheer as they toast to their greatness. Nora is grateful for the friends fate gave her, she smiles as they play around in their fancy outfit, then she clears her throat to continue "well! I traveled over to my parents because I was told my mom is sick, you guys know how I detest going home or attending any family function cause of their ridiculous prayers and their piercing glare at my ring finger.. but this visit home actually brought me good tidings!" Tade injects quickly "Spill the juice baby!" Nora winks at her "I went on a date with a long-time crush!" "Hmmnmm, sexy!" Tade hums while Nora continued "Guy couldn't take his eyes off me all through like I was going to disappear into thin air, He couldn't help it until he popped the question!" the girls' eyes lit up in surprise, Tade had to clarify "popped the question like be my girlfriend question? Or will you go on a second date with me question?" Nora flips her hair in style and winks as she explains "will you take the life journey ride with me question" the girls scream in excitement as Tade acknowledges "that's a smooth line, no guy

ever used that on me, where is his picture at?"

everyone urged Nora to show them what he looks like, she unlocks her phone and brings out Spence's picture while Tade promised to run an FBI check on him, the girls cheered again as Nora poured more wine.

Susan knew this is the best moment to make her

announcement, she motions for decorum, and

everywhere goes quiet "I have an announcement as well, Henry is in town" the girls exchange lost looks wondering who Henry is and how his arrival in town is their business "Really? Guys? Are you kidding me right now? Henry! The guy my mom match made me with" at that point, the girls knew exactly who she was talking about, Tade had to jump in quickly before Susan gets offended "you could have said Mr. Nigeria is in town, we would have understood immediately!" Nora and Chichi echoed "Yes! Remember you didn't put a name to his picture the other day?" Tade added "We were just drooling over his finesse. you know? He is a fine catch and that's not so easy to forget" Susan rolls her eyes, feeling downcast with their attitude towards her announcement, she decided not to spill any more information but the girls tickled her out of her mood to get her giggling, and laughing hysterically until she begged for her life "Okay I will spill!" the girls finally leaves her to catch her breath "We got to meet today, I was even at his family's house earlier on with his mom.. and...boom! I am getting married! Girls! We have a wedding to plan" the girls scream in shock altogether "WHAT?????"