You are My Muse

Arms wrapped around his body—his warm, masculine body. God, she loves how he smells: fresh, manly, intoxicating. As if they have a mind of their own, her lips are already on his neck, her fingers tracing the length of his spine. She could drown in him, lose herself completely. “Hi,” he murmurs groggily. Oh no—she forgot how cold her fingers are in the morning. She woke him up. But it’s okay—he loves it. “Hi,” she whispers back as he turns to face her. Dear Lord, how did she manage to score this angel of a man? Yes, she could drown in him forever. His lips find hers, and their bodies do what they do best—converse in a language only they understand. His hands move to her hips, lifting her— “Good moooorning!” What?! No! “Go away!” she yells, mortified. “Leila, I know what your naughty little mind is doing...” Of course, it’s Marie, her best friend. And yes, Marie knows exactly what’s happening in Leila’s head, but that does not give her the right to interrupt. “GO AWAAAY!” Leila screams again, burying her face in the pillow. “N-A-U-G-H-T-Y! Leila is a naughty girl!” Marie sings obnoxiously as she moves away from the door. And just like that, the fantasy is over. Reality crashes down like a bucket of ice water. Now, she has to wake up—wake up to her single and lonely life. She needs a man, like yesterday. Sure, the fantasies are amazing—really, truly amazing—but they’re still just fantasies. The sadness that follows when she comes back to reality? Unbearable. She’s tried training her mind not to fantasize like this, but let’s be real: she fails. Every. Single. Time. Dragging herself out of bed, Leila shuffles into the kitchen, where the sight of Marie—calm and collected as ever—offers a sliver of comfort. “Hi, boo!” Marie chirps, her grin annoyingly bright for this hour. “Please love me,” Leila groans dramatically, slumping onto a stool. Marie smirks. “Are you sure you need more love? After the steamy looove you just had?” “Shut up.” “Anyway, here’s your coffee,” Marie says, sliding a mug toward her. “You’ll definitely need the hydration after all that… effort.” “Love you too,” Leila mumbles, taking a sip. Marie. Leila could never hate her, even if she tried. They’ve been best friends since they were ten, through thick and thin, laughter and tears. They’ve celebrated every milestone together… including, Marie meeting the love of her life. Yep, Marie got lucky—she doesn’t have to deal with this deep, soul-crushing loneliness. Leila sighs, shaking the thought away. “Enough about my lonely, lonely life. We’re still on for the brainstorming session, right?” “Yep, leaving in 30!” “Ah, let me shower then,” Leila says, moonwalking dramatically toward her bedroom. _____________________________________________________________ “I really love this place. When I die, promise me you’ll bury me here,” Leila said, taking a deep, exaggerated breath of coffee-scented air. “You’re such a drama queen,” Marie replied, smiling as she pulled her laptop out of her ‘I Am Just a Girl’ tote bag. Jay’s Café was their go-to spot. It wasn’t far from their apartment, and during the day, it stayed blissfully quiet—perfect for working. The café had become a refuge for them, especially in these frustrating post-graduation months. Leila and Marie had finished university six months ago, bright-eyed and full of ambition. Leila had specialized in structural engineering, and Marie in architecture. They’d spent countless nights dreaming about collaborating on big projects and leaving their mark on the world. But reality hit hard. The job market wasn’t the meritocracy they’d imagined. Instead of their smarts carrying them forward like they always had, they found themselves at a standstill. If you didn’t have money for bribes or connections to open doors, you were stuck. It was a hard pill to swallow, and the past six months had been anything but easy. But now—finally—they had an idea. An idea that sparked a fire in them and pulled them out of their rut. That’s what brought them here today: a brainstorming session to turn that idea into something tangible. “The dynamic duo! How are you ladies?” Jay’s voice broke their thoughts. The owner of Jay’s Café was a charming old man, with a twinkle in his eye that hinted at the heartbreaker he must’ve been in his younger days. Even now, he had a way of making everyone feel special. “Hi, Jay!” the girls said in unison. “Today is the first day of the rest of our lives!” Leila exclaimed, her excitement infectious. “We’re here to brainstorm an idea that will change the world—or at least the world of women,” Marie added with equal enthusiasm. “Ha! So, you girls are what your generation calls feminists?” Jay teased, a playful smile lighting up his face. “Ai, Jay, is there a woman alive who isn’t a feminist in today’s world?” Leila replied, her tone turning serious. Jay chuckled. “Leila, can’t you take a joke? What this world needs is more empowered women like you. And for the record, I’m a feminist too.” “In some topics, there are no jokes, Jay,” Leila said firmly, though her lips curled into a small smile. “Buuut,” Marie interjected, lightening the mood, “we’re so glad to hear you’re on our side.” “And in your feminist spirit, we hope you’ll let us work from here until we can afford an office?” Marie added with a grin. “Anything for my girls!” Jay said, beaming. “But you’d better order something while you’re at it.” “Si, you know I’m addicted to your coffee,” Leila replied, practically bouncing in her seat. “Bring us our usual!” “As black as my motherland and with no sugar for Lady Leila, and sugar plus cream for Lady Marie,” Jay finished, already heading toward the counter. __________________________________________________________ “Done for the day! We are strong, independent women,” Marie declared, clearly proud of herself. “A round of applause for Marieee and Leiiila!” Leila chimed in dramatically, throwing her arms in the air as she headed to the counter to settle their bill. They had just wrapped up their first official meeting as co-founders of The Girls’ Girl Movement (TGGM). They’d laid out plans to start a TGGM YouTube channel, complete with a content calendar. The world had no idea what was coming—but it was about to find out. “Hi, could you pull our bill—table seven, right there,” Leila said to a boy behind the counter she hadn’t seen before. “Table seven, here it is. You’ll pay with M-Pesa, then show me the message,” he said, handing her the receipt. “Okay. I’m Leila, by the way, and that’s my friend Marie. You’ll be seeing us around a lot,” she said, gesturing toward their table. “Speaking of which… I’ve never seen you here before.” She was rambling—why was she rambling? “I’m Jay,” the boy replied. “No, you’re not,” Leila shot back, narrowing her eyes. “But… I am,” the boy said, looking amused. “No, you’re not,” she insisted, shaking her head. “Jay is old and grey—some of the things you are not.” She crossed her arms for emphasis. “Unless time travel is a thing, and you’ve come from the future as your younger self. Oh my gosh, Jay, are you the younger you? But why would—” “Yes,” he interrupted, clearly entertained. “I’ve traveled from the past to see what my future looks like, and I’ve got to say, I like what I’m seeing.” His eyes twinkled with mischief. “Marieee!” Leila called, her eyes wide, mouth agape, and face frozen in shock. “What’s going on here?” came Old Jay’s familiar voice as he walked in from the back. “Jaaay?! But he said…” Leila stammered, pointing at the younger Jay, completely bewildered. “Junior? What have you done to Leila?” Old Jay asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and exasperation. “Nothing,” Junior replied, barely holding back laughter. “But he said…” Leila started, before realization dawned on her—she’d been messed with. By a boy. Leila hated being messed with. Her brain already worked overtime, and pranks like this only made her second-guess herself. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the older Jay. “Hey Jay, here’s the M-Pesa message. Thanks for today—we’ll be on our way,” she said, her voice noticeably subdued. “You know you don’t have to show me that, Leila. I’m sure you’ve paid. See you tomorrow!” Old Jay said warmly. Leila walked out of the café with Marie, her shoulders slightly slumped. “I hate boys!” Leila declared. “They are the stupidest species.” “Well, we don’t need them,” Marie said, nudging her friend playfully. This made Leila smile despite herself. “I know you’re just saying that to make me feel better, but it’s okay. With you by my side, I don’t need any boy.” “I love you more,” Marie replied, taking Leila’s hand as they walked home together leaving the days silliness behind.