Lyd. Lyd, do you hear me?” Pilar’s words fell on deaf ears as her best friend continued rummaging through her clothes, looking for the right outfit to wear. “She’s a grown woman, Pilar. Let her be, if that’s what she wants to do,” Simon added, ignoring Pilar’s rants for sanity. The trio had been best friends since childhood and had recently become roommates, as well as business partners, since opening the Smokescreen, an urban coffeehouse. When they were in agreement there was harmony, but when they disagreed the sounds of their high-pitched voices shrieked like an angry wind. “Listen, Mr. Thang, I’m not trying to stop her. She’s just not thinking straight,” Pilar snapped back, her blood starting to boil. The Latina was nothing if not fiery, and when it came to her friends, she often smothered them with being overprotective. Although Simon, who struggled with his bisexuality, found Pilar attractive, she was too aggressive for his own taste. He ignored her snide remarks about his lifestyle, but knew she meant well.
