Kapitel 14: you're not getting any younger

*****

Chloe looked at Mara, she hadn't been expecting that question, ever since the death of her parent she kind of went celibate. She was focused on her work and on bringing justice to her parents. Had she not been out with her friends she would have been caught up in the same fire that had killed them.

"No" she replied calmly

"Don't you think it times you....."

"Oh girl please, " she said with emphasis on the, please

" spare me the sermon, last I checked you are single too," Chloe replied with an odd look on her face

"Chill... the girl I was only suggesting you tried dating, you ain't getting any younger" but deep in her heart, she knew Chloe was right about her.

"Okay so maybe it's time we go boyfriend, hunting," she said displaying almost all her 32 teeth.

"Dress up we start from our grocery store."

Grocery store??? Chloe asked puzzled, her friend was really weird she had been expecting shed suggest going to a bar, club or even a cinema house but a grocery store? What a weird option she thought and let out a sigh.

"I know what you must be thinking why not a club, bar or restaurant"

Chloe chuckled

"You pulled the words right out of my mouth"

Mara laughed, " no girl"

"In a bar, you meet either drunk or depressed souls, in a club you'd need playboys ready to tear your heart in a million pieces and restaurant, you meet guys who aren't good chefs because they prefer buying their meals instead of cooking"

"But in a grocery store...." She paused for a while and winked, making Chloe laugh

"You meet good cooks and responsible young men and trust me, girl I've seen a lot of them at Davies mall," a mall that she was in charge of, she explained and bowed funnily like she just delivered the most amazing speech of the century. Whatever it was, Chloe got her point.

All she could do was laugh uncontrollably. Mara was the queen of humour.

"What could I possibly do without you in my life, she said as a tiny ball of tear dropped from the corner of her eyes due to excessive laughing.

"Nothing girl" she replied

Chloe had been putting on her nightie and hadn't taken her bath even. If Mara hadn't arrived with and cooked brunch she probably wouldn't have had anything to eat.

"And what is more, you're running out of groceries"

" Alright, fine I'll go," Chloe responded reluctantly

"First, you need a good bath you stink," Mara said covering her nose slightly

"No I don't" Chloe replied boldly trying to smell underneath both her armpits.

She shook her head and went straight into the bathroom. She was out in 10 minutes.

Mara had buried her head in Chloe's closet trying to find an appropriate dress for her to put on. She knew Chloe way too much. That girl didn't care about her looks and she wasn't surprised to find her usual baggy jeans and big shirts all over the closet like they were the only outfits she ever wore.

After 15 minutes of searching, she managed to get a blue turtle neck top with skinny black Jeans.

In exhaustion, she couldn't help but mutter the words, "You're Helpless" as she let out a huge sign and fell with her back on the bed.

Chloe chuckled, she knew it would be tough work getting her to wear something that revealed her perfect figure.

Chloe slipped into the dress Mara had rooted out for her. She combed her dark curly long hair and pinned both sides. She wanted to look different today.

She applied a little foundation after noticing the stern look on Mara's face that indicated she applied a little makeup. She searched her drawers for her long lost pink lipstick and applied it slightly to her lip

Alright, we're good to go. Chloe looked in the mirror, she was looking really beautiful. But having this look was quite rare for Chloe, had Mara not been here, she wouldn't have applied anything on her face.

Mara retouched her make up. She was a proper lady. Always had these things in her purse.

They got out and hit the road. The mall was a 30 minutes drive from Chloe's apartment. Chloe was in deep thoughts, she hadn't thought about settling down, her life had just been about her work and finding leads that'd point to her parent's murder she only saw the back of the tall huge guy that started the fire and caught a glimpse of the elderly man that sat in the car whom she was sure, gave the order. There had been a cop that night, a dirty cop who had betrayed her father's trust. She had a huge dislike for dirty cops and had been excellent in bringing some of them to the books. But each day she felt like she was closer. she knew her father's new role as the border officer had something to do with his death and she was going to teach them all down.

Lost in thoughts again huh!? Mara asked. she knew Chloe never got over the death of her parents and she knew how much the fire incident haunted her.

She knew her friend was having nightmares about it and this deeply touched her. she stretched out right her hands removing it from the steering and held Chloe's hands tightly

"you'll be fine, everything will be just fine"

she said in a calm tone. Chloe nodded her head and swallowed hard.

she didn't want to cry, at least not today she was on make up. let out a slight smile.