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I checked my watch for what felt like the hundredth time, tapping my foot impatiently as I remained seated on the bed, waiting for my friend Remi to finish getting ready. The faint sound of her humming the lyrics to "Do Betta" by Rayana Jay drifted from the bathroom, where she was currently adding the final touches to her makeup.

"How long does it take for you to get ready?" I called out, trying to mask my impatience.

"I'm almost done," she called back.

I rolled my eyes and pushed myself off the bed as I walked over to the bathroom. "You've been saying that for the past two hours," I leaned against the doorframe and crossed my arms to my chest. "You always take forever getting ready just to look 'flawless.'"

I had to agree to this girl's night out at her insistence. We both agreed to meet up at her place to get ready at around seven PM and then leave at around nine. It was already 8:45 PM. Remi had already finished doing my makeup twenty minutes ago, and we hadn't worn our outfits yet. Honestly, I was exhausted from a long and hectic week at work, on top of dealing with other stuff going on in my life and I just wanted to hibernate for the whole weekend.

"That's 'cause I am flawless—no Beyoncé," she countered, staring at me through the mirror.

I couldn't help but chuckle. Remi's confidence was one of the things I both envied and admired about her. It always came naturally to her, and she was always sure of herself on just about everything.

"Don't let your ego outgrow your makeup bag, Remi," I warned her in a playful tone. "Whatever happened to the simple days of just throwing on a hoodie and a pair of jeans and calling it a night?"

"Girl, the only reason I'd ever wear that in public is if I'm going out to buy groceries or if I want to repel men away from me and not get laid," she answered as she applied her mascara.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that her confidence also came with blunt honesty. She always had a way with words whenever she spoke her mind, which was both refreshing and slightly shocking, depending on how you wanted to look at it.

"And here I thought you were dragging me on this girls' night out just to have a couple of drinks, not a mating call." My eyebrows fell up as I said, unsure whether I should be impressed or taken aback.

"Of course, we're going to have a couple of drinks. How else are we going to celebrate your liberation from a life sentence with no parole?" she said. "The 'mating call,' as you call it, is just a bonus if we're lucky."

"Marriage is not a life sentence." I rolled my eyes.

"The 'till death do us part' bit sounds like you're signing up for a lifetime subscription you can't cancel." She argued.

I chuckled at her dramatic analogy and shook my head. "Marriage isn't supposed to be a life sentence. It's a lifetime commitment. There's a difference."

"Girl, please. Your 'lifetime commitment' only lasted you six years."

I winced slightly at her statement. She was right, of course, but it was still a raw subject, and hearing it being tossed around so lightly felt a bit too soon for my liking.

"Gee, thanks for the reminder, Remi. Not like I need to be reminded that I'm a newly divorced woman," I said dryly, trying to mask my discomfort with sarcasm.

Remi quickly caught on and turned to face me with a look of guilt. "Hey now, I didn't mean for it to come out like that. You know I'm happy that you don't have to deal with him unless it involves Chiho."

My guarded expression softened bit by bit as her words sank in before I let out a sigh. "I know, I know," I said, understanding that she meant well despite her rough delivery. "I'm also glad that I'm out of a dead-end marriage, but the entire experience left a bitter taste in my mouth."

"Your now ex-husband's a scumbag," she said matter-of-factly. "He tends to do that no matter how much Listerine you use to get the taste out your mouth."

I laughed at her comment. "You don't have to tell me twice," I said. "I'm honestly surprised it him took that long to ask for a divorce."

"I'm more surprised you even waited for him to ask for a divorce, sis."

"Well… he made his choice long before he asked for a divorce and so did I."

Remi leaned against the sink and gave me an impressed look. "Girl, you're better than me," she laughed, shaking her head. "I would have left long before he even decided anything."

"Trust me, Remi. There were times I wanted to," I confessed. "But it was easier said than done, especially with Chiho involved."

Remi hummed with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Shiet. It's shit like this I'm thankful I'm still single."

I laughed again and shook my head. "You done?"

"Yep, I'm all done," she replied, pushing herself off the sink.

"About time. I was starting to think I'd be old by the time you were done."

"Oh, fuck off, Ami," she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, it's not my fault you take too long getting ready, okay." I retorted playfully.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." She waved her hand dismissively as she moved past me, exiting the bathroom. "Now come along, Your Majesty, before you throw another hissy fit."

I rolled my eyes and followed her back into the bedroom. "I don't throw hissy fits. I just express my impatience in a passionate manner."

"Whatever you say, babes," she said, making her way to my wardrobe.

I sighed, shaking my head at her sass. If I didn't know her better, I'd think she got off on aggravating me. And I had a feeling that it was going to be a long night.