The Single Life with Zola Patterson Part 2 - Danielle Allen Page 0,47

in my bag, I walked into Black Lotus and made a beeline for my table.

“Hi ladies!” I hugged Kia and Lilith before I took a seat.

“Well, hello! You look like great,” Lilith complimented me.

“So, do you guys!” I told them.

A round of drinks were purchased as we cheered on the first act. There were so many talented people in Richland, and we were awestruck by the first few acts. The fifth person to grace the stage struggled through all their notes, but we clapped just as loudly for them as we did everyone else.

“I wouldn’t have the nerve to sing in public, so I’m always going to show love,” I told my friends under my breath.

When it was time for the intermission, I opened my mouth to say something, but I was interrupted.

“You look extremely happy,” Lilith pointed out suspiciously.

“Did you stop by and see your man before you came here?” Kia asked, cocking her head to the side. “You do look extra smiley.”

I laughed. “I just got a good amount of sleep. That’s all.”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Lilith held up her hands. “We are not going to breeze over the fact that you have a man. Please explain!”

Grinning, I lifted my shoulders coyly. “What can I say?”

“Zola has a boyfriend!” Kia squealed.

Lilith did a double take. “What? A boyfriend?”

I nodded. “I have a boyfriend.”

Her eyes widened as she looked between us. “You’re lying.”

I shook my head. “Nope. I met someone who made me feel like dropping everyone else was worth it.”

“How?! When?! Why?!” The quick succession of questions caused me and Kia to laugh. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand what’s going on. I saw you three weeks ago, and you were giving us the single girl dating tips and embarrassing yourself with your bonnet.”

“Oh! That’s him,” I cried out, grabbing her arm across the table. “My man is the one who didn’t ask for my number when we met and you guys said it was because of the bonnet.”

“What?” she screeched, clapping her hands excitedly. “Are you serious?”

“Turns out the bonnet didn’t scare him off,” Kia joked.

I playfully slapped her arm. “That was still traumatizing,” I laughed. “I was flirting and giving him all the vibes and after he left, I realized I had a bonnet on for half of our interaction.”

“That’s tragic,” Lilith agreed, touching her own hair. “That’s why I keep a satin pillowcase in my overnight bag so no one ever catches me slipping. But we have to get back on point because I need information! This is crazy. The queen of the single life is now part of a couple!”

“Zola Patterson has a boyfriend,” Kia announced proudly. “Meanwhile, I’m single.”

“This is the twilight zone,” Lilith remarked. After a moment to process, she gave me a look. “You dropped all your hoes for this man?”

My head fell back as I laughed. “I didn’t have hoes.”

“Oh, you had hoes,” Kia confirmed. “You had a team of men ready to do your bidding.”

“Most of them were trying to sleep with me, so they would do my bidding because they were trying to get some. It was less about me and more about what they can get out of the situation.”

“How do I navigate that?” Kia wondered. “By the time sex comes up, I’m in a relationship with him.”

Lilith snickered. “Well, that’s your problem right there. You have to test the goods out first. You can’t buy the cow without a sample of the milk.”

“That’s a good point. There was one bullet I could’ve dodged a few years ago had I had sex with him before we caught feelings for each other,” Kia reminisced, tapping the table. “But once I like him, the sex is automatically good.”

“It doesn’t work like that for me,” Lilith pointed out. “If I like him and then the sex is bad, I don’t like him anymore.”

We all laughed.

Kia took a sip of her drink and looked at us. “Since I’m trying to stay single for the rest of the year, how do I avoid the men who just want sex?”

I shrugged. “You’re beautiful and fun, so men are going to automatically want to have sex with you. You just have to be clear about what you want and date with intention. Get what you want out of it.”

They looked at each other. “What do you mean?”

“So, I go on dates for experience, fun, a good time, etc. If a man goes on a date to have a good time and that’s what he makes