"If your purpose is to liberate yourself and others into love and freedom, then you should do whatever magnifies the love and freedom in your life and in the lives of whom your actions affect."

Morgan Ann Bennett

"Still no fajitas?" I gave the head cook, Daryl, a hard time at work.

He laughed at me leaned over with my chin on top of my crossed arms that held up the counter. I was just admiring their work, the food at Kitty's was actually amazing. People raved about the seafood nachos, the chicken quesadillas, and anything with Daryl's fried chicken. The chicken his specialty, but these people act like they never had it with seasoning before. No, but it is really good.

"Talk to your man, he took them off the menu," he let me know.

Ugh, Kyle. Is he even my man anymore, I asked in my head. We hadn't talked in a couple days since he left my house after our so-called movie night.

Well he certainly is gonna get the cold shoulder if he really is the reason I no longer have those chicken fajitas!

"Morgan," my co-worker, Ella, called my name from behind me.

I turned to see her in a bright pink cropped tank top and fish nets.

"We just got our new shirts in. Here," she told me, handing one over in a size small.

It ended up being super stretchy but when I put the shirt to my body at first, I feared it wouldn't fit over my girls.

When I stepped out of the office, she eyed me.

"Your tits are perfect," she complimented me in the matching top.

I laughed. "What was wrong with our old shirts?"

"Nothing, these just look better. I got so many tips yesterday, if you know what I mean."

"Hm," I sounded.

This is getting more like Hooters everyday, the place already sounded like a strip club. Might as well be a titty bar, and I'm not totally opposed to that. If it'll make me some more money. . .

In my new top, denim short shorts, and white sneakers, I paraded around, taking orders.

~~~

My last table was a party of three guys. They were pretty cool, here for the drinks and beach. Or should I say, the bikini contest Kitty's was hosting.

It was almost eight and once these guys left, I was going to clock out and race home.

They all had been giving me looks and flirting all night but I just giggled and took their money.

Finally, after returning with their credit cards, I wished them a good night.

"Hey, you should enter that," the bald one said to me.

I followed his line of sight to the stage where Jeff, the MC, began jabbering in the mic.

He cracked some jokes and got the crowd fired up for the main event.

I walked to the back and saw Ella oiling herself down.

"What are you doing?" I laughed at her.

She looked up with eager eyes. "Ooh, good you're here; can you get my back?!"

I lended a helping hand, spraying her entire backside.

"Done?" She asked me.

I nodded. "You look like a glazed donut."

She laughed. "You know, you should enter."

"You're not the first to say that, actually. I can't. I didn't even know these things happened in real life."

Ella, observing her physical appearance in the mirror, told me, "Winner gets a thousand dollars."

~~~

"Up next, Kitty's own, Ella!" Jeff roared into the mic.

The crowd cheered as the ginger stormed the stage in her white two piece.

I stood behind the curtain wondering what the hell I was thinking.

Did I really want to bear my half-naked body to drunken customers for a thousand dollars?

That's when I remembered I had worked for six hours and only made fifty bucks, so. Needless to say, the thousand dollars wouldn't hurt.

And if I don't win— no, I was certain I would. The competition was cute, but in the words of icon Tiffany "New York" Pollard:

cute next to gorgeous, gorgeous is gonna, ya know, devour cute

I put on a veil of confidence and waited backstage with a large t-shirt on until I was called.

After what seemed like fucking forever, Jeff called my name.

"Here she comes, everyone: Morgan, the blonde bombshell!"

I walked out last in nothing but my bikini, smile, and gold anklet.

Hands swaying rhythmically, I felt like Naomi Campbell.

I heard "ooh's" and "ahh's" that hyped my ego even more.

"Look at that smile," one customer shouted out. I blew a kiss in the direction I heard that come from, and did a spin.

"Morgan!" I heard Kyle yell.

Confused, I stopped and stared at him charging towards me.

This guy had the audacity to pick me up and remove me from the stage. Oh, I was utterly gobsmacked.

"Who do you think you are?" I asked, rolling my neck once he finally put me on my feet in the office.

"What do you think you're doing, showing your goods to all those guys?"

"Showing my 'goods'? I'm trying to win money, and you're getting in the way of that, Kyle. It's not like I make so much working here," I argued, covering myself with the large t-shirt again.

Kyle stomped his foot. "You're my girlfriend and I forbid you from going back out there!"

"You forbid me?" I let a laugh slip.

"Morgan! Morgan! Morgan!" The crowd cheered.

I had my "they love me, they really love me," moment and it ate at my jealous boyfriend.

"Morgan, if you go out there, we are so done. I mean it," Kyle tried putting his foot down.

I ripped the shirt back off and chucked it at his face.

"Okay," I said easily, popping a shoulder.

I returned to the stage and accepted that I won.

Jeff presented me with a scepter, one thousand dollars CASH, and a tiara. I felt like Miss Congeniality, waving to them with a cupped princess hand like I learned from the movie The Princess Diaries. Did I mention one thousand dollars cash?

Now this I could get used to!

After the competition, I changed back into my shorts, top, and sneakers, ready to leave.

"Night, everybody," I said with a smile.

I lugged my bag over my shoulder and let out a "what a day" sigh.

"Good night, Morgan!" The group synchronized.

"Later, bitch," Ella taunted. "Even though you beat me."

I pouted, hugging her from the side. "Hey, you got second place."

"Yeah, but a grand is better than five hundred," the redhead moped.

I kissed her temple. "And five hundred is better than nothing."

"Yeah, yeah," she vocalized, spinning on the barstool.

"Uh-oh, run. Quick," she tried to warn me.

It was Kyle.

"Ugh," I sounded, walking away.

"Listen, babe," he addressed me as I neared the door.

"Not listening, Kyle," I said, unamused.

I had reached my car but my keys were stuffed in my bag which I had to shuffle through.

I threw my head back and let out a groan, seeing there was no escaping this guy.

He turned my body around so I could face him straight on.

"I like you a lot and I just feel like you shouldn't break up with me," he went on.

"Leave me alone, Kyle," I almost begged, jiggling my key in the slot on the car door.

He scoffed. "Well it's not like you're the best girlfriend! Yeah, a-and you're not even that hot."

"Whatever you need to say to convince yourself, Kyle," I mumbled, sliding into the seat.

Since my window was down, he stuck his big head through.

"Okay, I lied," he practically whined, "you're so hot, baby, take me back! I miss you already."

"Oh, my God," I uttered back, reversing the Camry.

Unbelievable.

Once I was out of Kitty's parking lot, Kyle chased me but only for a few feet.

"I'm gonna get you back, Morgan Bennett," Kyle yelled. "I love you!"

~~~

"That's right," I boasted, high-giving Quinn. "you can go potty all by yourself."

She nodded in bed, proud.

"I love you," I cooed, finger-combing her hair into a ponytail.

She got up and kissed me.

"Aww," I shrilled.

Quinn giggled and jumped on the queen-sized mattress.
She had the biggest bed in the house. It was mine, I gave it to her. Callie needed to get the three-year-old out of the crib but she said she didn't have the money.
Quinn's room used to be mine and vice versa but with all her toys, she needed more space to play other than the rest of the house. So, I traded. I didn't have much anyway, mostly clothes but I kept them in bins in my closet.
When we switched, I just left the bed there because it was too much to move across the house.

"I said I love you, Mae," I called my niece by her middle name.

"I love you!" She shrieked, almost rushing me.

I laughed quietly.

Seeing she had tuned into her favorite cartoon, I stood from the edge of the bed and cut the lights off, with the exception of her Princess Tiana themed night light.

"Good night," I whispered, shutting the door.

10:34pm

"She sleep?" Callie asked me.

"Ho-ly. You scared the shit out of me!" I gasped, hand on my heart.

She tiptoed straight to the kitchen and foraged for food.

I figured she must've been drunk, or high. Or both.

I walked towards Callie at the fridge in my men's boxers that I wore as pajama shorts and a Hanes plain white tee.

"Fun night?" I asked her. I assumed so, judging by the fishnets she wore.

"Yeah," she laughed, stuffing lunch meat— deli turkey— in her mouth.

"With Cole again?"

"Yeah. Squirt, he is so cute! I think I love him."

"Here we go," I said under my breath, leaning on the counter for support of my tired body.

"He treats me like a queen! We went to that new fancy restaurant, I don't even know how to pronounce it! And he paid for everything. Then we started talking about moving in together. He has a kid, but he's five, so it's perfect-"

"You're going to move in with him? It's only been a week."

Callie's excitement faded. "Can't you just be happy for me?"

"I would if you actually knew this guy. You can't be for real right now, Cal? And you're gonna take Quinn with you?"

"I know him, I know his heart. He loves me," she said in this princess-like voice. She was dreaming, had to be.

"Callie," I let out, frustrated.

"Don't do that, Morgan, don't act all disappointed in me. I don't wanna hear it right now," she made clear, throwing her hands up.

I let her walk around the island and leave me in the kitchen.

I can't keep doing this with her, watching her go through this cycle. She meets guy, guy likes her, she loves guy, guy leaves her, she gets depressed.
And she never wants to hear the truth from me but this isn't healthy.

One thing's for sure, though, she's not taking Quinn from me to move her in with some guy she hardly knows.

~~~

I checked my email as I lied in bed. It was before midnight, I didn't know if Malcolm was awake, or not, but he usually wasn't. That, or he was just too busy to reply so late. Made me wonder.

He wrote:

I haven't stopped thinking about you

I replied:

How sweet..

Then the messages started going back and forth instantly. I take it he had time tonight.

I wish you'd give me your number already

It hasn't been that long

Feels like forever with you

You're just saying that

I saw your pictures from the bikini contest. My god you're perfect but you shouldn't let the whole world see that

Why not? You saw it and liked it?

I'm different. I'll pay you

For?

The pictures. I want to be the only one who can... nevermind 🙊

I laughed at his emoji choice and then replied.

I'll just delete them you don't have to

What's your venmo? Now

Oh? Without further hesitation I sent him my user.

@Morgan-AB

He didn't reply for a minute but when he did it said:

Sent. You can email them please 😍

There's no way, I thought in my head.

I switched apps and opened Venmo only to see I had been sent four thousand dollars. That's one thousand per picture!

So in shock, I sat up just to grasp the idea.

I replied:

This must be my lucky day

Send the pictures love

When I sent them he replied:

Damn you're gorgeous

Thank you! For everything. you didn't have to do that

It's my pleasure to spoil you. Do you need anything else?

What's the catch?

No catch. I just hope you like me as much as I like you

If he was going to keep sending money like that, hell, I'd tell him I loved him!

I like you..

Lie. I liked his money.

Good.

Next thing I knew, Malcolm had purchased the entirety of my Amazon wishlist. I was just in disbelief that this man came along and spent so much money. ON ME!

Are you pleased baby girl?

Extremely, thank you!

You don't have to thank me. I'm going away for a while but when I get back, I have an important question to ask you

Alright. I'll be waiting...

Til then, dream girl...