I woke up with a start, feeling like I had just fallen asleep. My body protested, heavy with exhaustion. I glanced at the clockâ5 a.m. was when I finally drifted off, and now it was barely 7 a.m. I sighed and checked the date: Sunday. At least I didn't have to drag myself into the office unless there was an emergency.
Relieved, I closed my eyes, hoping to steal a few more hours of sleep. But instead of slipping back into unconsciousness, Yoko's face invaded my mind. Her eyes, her smile... every little detail etched vividly. It was maddening. If I didn't see her soon, I might actually lose my mind.
After what felt like an eternity of staring at the ceiling, I gave up and dragged myself out of bed. A hot shower helped wake me up, but my thoughts remained restless. Yoko. Always Yoko.
Once dressed, I opened my laptop and checked my emails. The morning blur faded as I lost myself in work, but time passed quickly. An hour later, I pushed away from my desk, stretched, and headed to the living room to make coffee.
To my surprise, Namtan was already there, perched on a stool at the kitchen counter, sipping her coffee while scrolling through her iPad. She looked up as I entered, a playful smile lighting up her face.
"Morning, Boss," she greeted. "Coffee?"
I managed a tired smile and nodded. "Please."
Namtan rose to make me a cup, her movements graceful and familiar. She was the kind of person who brought ease into a room.
"You look like you didn't get a wink of sleep," she said as she handed me the steaming mug. "What time did you and Boss Sonya get back last night?"
I rubbed my temple, trying to recall. "Around 1 a.m., I think."
Namtan arched a brow. "1 a.m. isn't too bad. Unless... you worked all night again?"
I shook my head. "No, I just couldn't sleep. Maybe it was all the coffee I had."
Namtan chuckled. "Most likely. How many times have I told you to cut back on caffeine?"
I smirked. "I know, I know."
She leaned on the counter, her teasing smile returning. "But... maybe it wasn't just the coffee. Could it be... Yoko?"
I had just taken a sip of coffee, and her words caught me so off guard that I choked, spilling coffee across the counterâand onto Namtan.
"Ah! What the hell, Fy?" Namtan stood abruptly, wide-eyed.
I burst out laughing at her stunned expression, grabbing a napkin to help. "Sorry! But it's your fault, also I should spill more coffee on you so you will stop calling me Boss."
"My fault?" Namtan shot me an incredulous look, dabbing at her shirt. "How is it my fault that I'm now drenched in coffee?"
"Whoever told you to mention that name?" I asked between fits of laughter.
"Umm... TikTok?" she said, her tone cautious. "It's all over social media."
That caught my attention. I stilled, my laughter fading. "What do you mean, all over social media?"
Namtan sighed, setting her iPad on the counter. "You don't know? Your TikTok live with Yoko and Sofia last night? People are buzzing about it."
She tapped her screen and handed me the iPad. I stared at the video. It featured clips of our live streamâme, Yoko, and Sofia, with background music and captions like "Can you see the chemistry?"
"What the hell?" I muttered, utterly confused.
Namtan gave me a knowing look. "Did you go live with Yoko and Sofia last night?"
"Yes, but... it was just for a short time, Sonya caught me off guard! Was it recorded?"
"Not exactly, but people can screen-record live streams and edit them into videos. Once it's out there, it spreads."
I rubbed my temples. "Can we get it taken down?"
Namtan blinked. "Taken down? Why? It's just a harmless video. Are you offended?"
"No," I said quickly. "It's not about me. I'm worried about Yoko. She's an actress. What if this messes with her management?"
Namtan considered that. "I get it. She does have a love teamâpeople think she's romantically involved with her co-star. But if there's a problem, her management will handle it. Honestly, I think the video's cute. You two have great chemistry."
Her words made me pause. "Chemistry?"
Namtan nodded. "Did you even watch the video? Look at Yoko's reaction when Sonya turned the camera to you. Her eyes widened. She looked... mesmerized."
I rewatched the clip, but I didn't see what Namtan saw. "I don't think so," I mumbled. "I looked like an idiot who forgot how to speak."
Namtan laughed. "No, you looked like a rich snobâintimidating, but in a good way. Yoko probably couldn't take her eyes off you."
Before I could respond, Sonya walked into the kitchen, her hair disheveled, still half-asleep. "What's with all the noise? It's only 8 a.m."
Namtan grinned. "Boss is planning to sue TikTok users for posting her video."
Sonya's sleepy demeanor vanished as she burst out laughing. "What video?"
Namtan showed her the clip, and Sonya doubled over, laughing harder.
I sat there, sulking, as they both laughed at my expense.
"Why would you sue them?" Sonya asked, catching her breath. "You look gorgeous in the video!"
"It's not about me," I protested. "I'm worried it might cause trouble for Yoko."
Sonya leaned in, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Oh, right. Because you're in love with Ms. TikTok girl."
I froze. Sonya smirked. "Didn't you tell her yet?" she teased.
Namtan's eyes widened as she looked between us. "Wait. For real?"
Sonya nodded. "Yep. She admitted it last night. Unless she was dreaming."
I threw a napkin at Sonya, but she dodged, laughing.
Namtan looked at me, waiting for confirmation. I sighed, unable to deny it. "Fine. Yes. But it's complicated."
Namtan stood abruptly. "Oh no. This is bad. So bad."
I frowned. "Why?"
"Because she's an actress and your ex is an actress" She explained. "And you're... possessive."
Sonya burst out laughing again. "She's right! You can't handle anyone looking at us and we're just your friends, let alone someone you like."
"I am not possessive!" I protested.
"Uh-huh," they said in unison.
"Shut up, both of you," I grumbled. "Just... make me a TikTok account."
Namtan raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Don't say I didn't warn you."
Later that morning, after the chaos of setting up my TikTok account, I invited Namtan and Sonya to join me for lunch with my family, but both declinedâthey had their own plans. I headed home alone.
Lunch with my family was a lively affair. My parents, my brother, his wife, and my niece were all there. To my surprise, even my mom brought up the TikTok video.
"You're famous now," she teased.
"How do you even know about it?" I asked, stunned.
"I have a TikTok account," she said matter-of-factly. "Don't you?"
"I do now," I replied, puffing my chest proudly. "Nam made one for me."
The table erupted in laughter. My brother leaned over. "See? You're back from Africa, but you still need to catch up with the world, Ms. Fashion Designer."
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help smiling. The rest of the afternoon was spent playing with my niece, enjoying the warmth of familyâa brief respite from the whirlwind my life had become.
And through it all, Yoko's face lingered in the back of my mind.