5. IS HE HANDSOME?

Emery scoured the bar for her best friend. She finally saw her attending to a customer at the bar counter; her large hazel eyes squinting as she schmoozed with the customer in front of her, she served him a glass of wine and shoved him away with her hands. Emery smiled, she slung her bag over her shoulder and ambled across the front bar to get to Lola.

"Hey, can I have a glass of wine?" Emery requested, mounting on the barstool, she giggled, patiently waiting for Lola to lift her head to see her.

"Er… What kind of wine do you—?" Lola halted when she saw Emery. "Fuck you, Emery. Where have you been all these years?" She asked boisterously.

She hurried to get Emery off the chair, she dragged her to the hallway, jabbing her head, she heaved her on the stool.

"Hey, you are just going to calm down, okay?" Emery knew she was mad at her.

"No, don't tell me that. You've been off for days and you expect me to calm down? Where the heck have you been, man?" Lola stood arms akimbo, waiting for a response.

"I will explain all that you need to know. But attend to your customers." Emery moved her head in the direction of the bar counter, hoping Lola would go attend to the stranded customer who was waiting for someone to come take his orders.

Lola was about to move when her colleague showed up, "Oh, thank you, Mary." She muttered, veering back to face her best friend. "Spill the beans, where the hell have you been?"

"I have been working, a whole lot to do. But you don't have to worry. Everything is fine and I got the money for Amery's surgery too." She smiled proudly, staring at her beautiful friend as her jaw dropped to the lowest, she blinked her large eyes and clutched Emery's hand.

"No way!" She yelled.

"Yes, I did it." Emery smiled. "It's a very long story and I am here for your help. Lola, this is the time I need you most." 

"Er, did something happen again?" Lola demanded.

"A lot. I got the money like I said, but it's not free." She chewed the inside of her cheeks, fiddling with her fingers, as she stared at Lola. Praying hard that she wouldn't get mad at the secret she was about to leak.

"Common, go on and tell me." Lola nudged her with her hands.

"Wait, you have to promise you won't kill me."

"There is no way I am going to kill my best friend. Okay, I know I get too hard sometimes, but you know you can always talk to me right?" She asked guiltily. Emery bobbed her head to her words. She was her crazy best friend and she wouldn't ask for any other one but her. "So, go on. Tell me all about it."

"I met him here," Emery swallowed hard. "In the night," she added.

"Jesus!" Lola yelled out in shock. "You came here without letting me know? And you met him and, wait, Emery." She scuffed the back of her head, jerking her finger at Emery, she inched closer and glared at her. "There is no way a man would give you such an amount of money without asking for something in return. Oh my goodness, did you let him touch you? Did he take your virginity? Did you have sex with him? Oh my baby, you just had to do it for Amery." She pulled Emery into a big hug that almost suffocated her.

Emery shook her head. She was sure she wouldn't talk if Lola kept on ranting about the things she hadn't done yet.

"I didn't sleep with him or anyone but maybe I'd soon do that." 

"So, what happened? How did you do it? Did you use some voodoo on him?" Lola asked jokingly.

Emery laughed dryly. "You know you talked about the men who come here every night to pick a girl to sleep with."

"Yes, I did. Did you let those men sleep with you?" Lola's eyes grew large, she huffed and folded her arms around her chest. "Start talking now!"

"No, but I considered it. Unfortunately, I was too thick for them."

"Being thick is the new beauty."

"Says a skinny girl who will do anything to get thinner." Emery taunted Lola.

"Wait, I just got that!" She snapped at Emery. "You mean you considered letting those men sleep with you?" Emery nodded to her friend's question, her eyes were pale and she looked very pathetic. "Why would you even do that? We planned to lose our virginity in an honorable way."

"Yes, I know but some things just have to be done, you know?" Emery got up from the stool and paced around the hallway. "He was willing to give me money, lots of money that would pay for Amery's surgery fee and change our lives. I declined his offer at first but when I saw Amery dying, I just had to agree to it. Should I regret this?" She stopped when she was in front of Lola, moving her hands to her shoulder, she jerked her up and stared into her eyes.

"This is not your fault and I am sorry for being too hard on you." Lola hugged her. "Everything is going to be fine."

"I don't think so, Lola. There is a problem." Emery shook her head and reclined back on the stool. She pursed her lips and drummed her fingers on her thighs. 

Lola knew that sign, she could read that her best friend was nervous. "What's bothering you?" She asked.

"A lot, there is more to just sleeping with me Lola. He wants me to have his child." Emery spilled.

Lola flinched as if she was hit by a truck, she clasped her hands together and her jaw dropped.

"You're joking, aren't you?" She burst into laughter. "You joke too much."

"Common, I wouldn't joke with something like this. He wants me to come live with him and be his surrogate mother for a year. I am going to give him a year of my life, crap!" Emery threw her hands above her head, huffing a sigh, she looked at Lola and shook her head pitifully.

"And did you agree to that? Don't tell me you did." Lola fixated her eyes on her best friend. She watched as she flipped her blonde hair and dug her nails into her hair. She shrugged her shoulders and looked away. "Gosh!"

"I didn't have a choice, I can't watch my sister die when there is an option to save her. He offered a whopping three hundred thousand dollars, I couldn't let that offer pass me by."  Emery explained, hoping her best friend would understand her.

"Crazy, that's crazy! I won't let you do that. We have to figure out other ways to get the money. I won't let you sell yourself to a man because of money." Lola stood strong on her point.

"I think at this point we have to be factual with ourselves. Lola, you and I know that there is no way I am going to get that way and Amery will lose her life if we don't save her." 

"I don't know, we can apply for loans, do jobs and other things," Lola suggested.

Emery sighed, she understood her friend was worried about her but her sister mattered more to her. "And watch Amery die slowly, right?" She glared at Lola. "I have chosen this, let me just do it. You know sometimes, we just have to sacrifice some things for the people who matter in our lives. You know how miserable I will be if something bad happens to Amery, I can't watch her suffer when I can help her."

"Yes, and that's just how you are. Placing other's happiness above yours." Lola bent to Emery's level and kissed her forehead. "I will support your choice if that's what you want. You have me and I will always support whatever you want." She smiled.

"I know you will. You don't have a choice, you know?" Emery smirked at her. "There is another problem, a big one this time."

"What again?" Lola groaned. "Don't tell me you're pregnant already." 

"No, don't be silly. I haven't even done it." Emery hit her friend's back playfully.

"Then, what's it this time?"

"I want you to come live with Amery, can you do that?" She requested, drooping her head to avoid seeing the fury in Lola's eyes.

Lola had always loved her space and asking her for this would be difficult, but she couldn't trust anyone else with her sister.

Lola turned away from Emery, she walked towards the entrance slowly. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips; she was about to talk to Emery about staying with them for a while before getting a new apartment. And now the offer was brought to her table without having to ask for it, a great one, she thought but she had to play strictly and taunt her best friend for neglecting her for days. She would just make her beg.

"I don't think I can do that," Lola shook her head.

"It won't work. You know how much I love my solitude."

"Amery would not intrude in your space," Emery whined.

"Amery and I are not the best of friends, she hates me because you chose me as your best friend," Lola said.

"She doesn't hate you, she doesn't. She talks a lot about you." Emery pulled Lola closer. "The doctor assured me that she will get better after the removal surgery. I will be moving into Benhail's house, I need someone to be around my sister and only you can do that for me please."

"This is hard. I feel bad that Amery is sick and I want her to get better but living with her after the surgery? I can't do that, I am sorry." Lola shifted her head to the other side, she smiled when Emery wasn't looking. She had to beg her more.

"Please, I am begging you to do this for me. I have paid for the surgery and it's in two days, I want everything settled before she comes back to the house."

"You can try more by begging me harder, you know?" Lola winked at her.

"Oh Lola," Emery sighed frustratedly. "Do you want me to go on my knees?"

"That would be nice, you know?"

"Screw you!" She hit Lola. "I am just going to get a housemate for her."

"Go ahead," Lola hummed, lounging her hands towards the exit.

"Oh, why are you being knotty? Please, do this for me."

"Fine! I was going to do it, I just wanted you to beg me. My rent was increased, and I can't pay the ridiculous amount the landlord wants us to pay. So, I planned to move out and come spend some time with you until I get a new apartment, but you see? You brought the offer to me on a platter of gold. I will do it, baby girl. You don't have to beg me anymore, glad I made you beg though." She stuck out her tongue and rolled it at Emery.

"How did I end up with a best friend like you?" Emery hissed.

"You fell in love with me at first sight. You just couldn't resist a beauty like me. So, tell me, is he handsome?" Lola whispered to Emery. "Tell me everything about him."

"I don't know much and I haven't noticed if he's handsome or not," Emery replied with a shrug.

"I will find out soon though, I bet he's cute." Lola winked her, lifting her up, she hauled her back to the front bar she was serving at before Emery showed up. "I will come check on you at the hospital tonight. For now, I have to work."

Emery nodded her head, kissed her cheeks, and thanked her again for accepting her request. They said their goodbyes afterward.

Emery dashed out of the bar, relieved that she had almost sorted everything about Amery. What was left was the surgery and how she was going to tell Amery about the contract between her and Benhail. She had promised to tell her every detail after the surgery.

As she walked toward the bus station, she prayed and hoped that her sister would understand everything when it was time to tell her.