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JOSHUA STOPPED IN FRONT of the apartment door that belonged to him and Ayoluwa and sighed.
He didn't want to face an entire night of silence like he had been the past couple of days.
Letitia wasn't speaking to him and Ayoluwa definitely wasn't speaking to him and Joshua wanted to turn around and go somewhere, anywhere that wasn't here.
Joshua shook his head then stuck his key in the door and turned it.
Even despite the time of night, Ayoluwa was sitting at her piano in a gray tank top and matching sweatpants, her songbook in front of her and her fingers were playing an old Alicia Keys song.
Joshua licked his bottom lip, "Hey."
Ayoluwa didn't turn, respond nor stop playing the song.
He closed the door behind him, "How long are we gonna do this?"
She stayed quiet, only stopping to take a sip from the steaming mug full of lemon slices and tea before returning her hands to the piano.
"Can you please say something? Anything? I'm tired of the silence." Joshua confessed.
"Yeah? Go turn on the TV." Ayoluwa responded.
Joshua balled his tongue in his cheek at her smart aleck response and nodded as he dropped his duffle bag at his feet then walked forward, "Okay, I deserve that."
"Understatement." Ayoluwa responded, his back still to him.
Padding over to the piano bench, Joshua gently spread one hand over Ayoluwa's spaghetti strap covered shoulder.
She stiffened then took her cup of tea and stood up before facing Joshua, "What are you doing?"
"Touching your shoulder or at least trying to." Joshua replied.
Ayoluwa scoffed, "I don't want to be touched by you right now. Okay?"
Joshua rocked back and forth on his feet a little at the rejection, "You're still upset about the other day?"
Ayoluwa shook her head, "It's like... God, it's like you don't even feel bad about how much you hurt me."
"I didn't mean to hurt you," Joshua sighed, "You gotta believe me. Tia is just a friend and this is all a big understanding. I'm sorry."
"Yeah. It's gonna take a little bit more than that." Ayoluwa said before turning on her heel and heading over to the island in their kitchen.
"Tell me what I gotta do then!" Joshua replied.
"That's part of the problem. I shouldn't have to tell you. We've been together for three years and you don't know how to get me to forgive you?" Ayoluwa chugged the last of her tea and then put the cup in the dishwasher.
"Let's go out." Joshua announced suddenly.
"Out? Out where? You're not tired from practice?" Ayoluwa blinked.
"No," Joshua lied, "I want to try and make this whole thing up to you."
"Okay... Where?" Ayoluwa repeated as Joshua pulled her into his arms and leaned down for a kiss.
This time, she didn't tense up and embraced him back, "You're sweaty."
Almost two hours later, the couple were at an expensive French restaurant in the village, both dressed to nines.
Their table was covered in white cloth and Joshua was slightly pulling at his tie, uncomfortable.
"You know Clive Davis wants me to sing at his pre-Grammy party again so you should make sure that the 27th is free for you." Ayoluwa said then took a sip from her ice water.
"Uh... Isn't kinda late notice for a formal party like that?" Joshua replied before sipping his own water.
Ayoluwa blinked then pushed some hair over her shoulder, "It's in three weeks. We always go together, I didn't think that this time would be any different."
Joshua opened his mouth to respond to her but a female server came and smiled at both of them, her long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail, "Hi, what can I get you tonight?"
"Can we start with a bottle of Riesling?" Joshua started to say but Ayoluwa put her hand up, "Actually, I'm still on a no liquor, no alcohol diet thing. Can I just have some lemonade or something?"
The server nodded, "I'll be right back to take your dinner order."
The server walked away and Joshua let his eyes trail down her body.
"Are you kidding me, bro? Right in front of me?" Ayoluwa asked in a low tone.
"What?" Joshua feigned ignorance.
Ayoluwa stood up from the table, "Like I didn't just see you do that? Are you..."
She huffed then grabbed her purse from the now vacant seat, "I'm going home. You can shove that apology from earlier up your ass."
"She had something stuck to her shoe." Joshua replied, "You're overreacting."
"If I had a dollar for every time you gaslit me, I would be a millionaire by now." Ayoluwa shook her head then threw three hundred dollar bills onto the table, glanced at it and then a twenty dollar bill.
Joshua raised an eyebrow, "We haven't ordered food yet, you don't need to-."
"It's for a hotel room and a taxi because I notice that you forgot your wallet and if you come home tonight, I guarantee you won't leave in the morning." Ayoluwa said then strutted out of the restaurant, the starstruck whispers following her.
The server came back carrying their drinks on a silver serving tray, "Here is your-. Oh, she left?"
Joshua rubbed his forehead, "Yeah. Just the check please."
