Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding 1)

Forgoing a cab, Lexi trekked on auto-pilot across town haphazardly knocking into eager tourists staring skyward. She remembered being one of those clueless people when she had first arrived in town two measly years ago. Now, she could navigate the city as well as any homegrown she knew, except her best friend, Chyna.

That was precisely who she was after as she meandered down Park Avenue on the way to the Upper East Side. Often she wondered why Chyna even bothered to hang out with her. Perhaps she considered her to be a pet project. After all, they were as close to opposites as they could get. Deep down Lexi knew that she meant more to Chyna than that. It was just hard to imagine anyone like Chyna hanging out with a nobody like her.

Lexi and Chyna had met nearly two years ago standing in line at a nightclub. Well, Lexi had been in line. Chyna was someone who absolutely refused to be subjected to waiting outside at a club, when there was fun to be had on the inside. Lexi was next in line wearing a low cut top, black mini skirt, leggings, and crocodile high heels. She had been freezing her ass off in the forty degree weather, which felt more like twenty, for the past hour. Chyna arrived at the front entrance of the same locale gliding out of an onyx colored town car, and directly through the rope, not even bothering to give the bouncer a complimentary kiss on the cheek.

Lexi, having seen one too many of these girls flounce in front of her, began throwing a fit screaming about another skanky whore taking her place inside. Surprisingly enough, Chyna stopped in her tracks, turned towards her, and began questioning her about her statements. Lexi repeated herself smiling through chattering teeth the whole time. The bouncer appeared as if he was preparing to kick Lexi to the curb, but Chyna put her hand out. After a few seconds demanded the bouncer allow Lexi inside the establishment. They had pretty much been inseparable after that night.

Lexi planted herself in front of the front steps to Chyna's apartment building, smiling at the doorman as he recognized her. "You're here early Miss Lexi," Bernard said opening the door for her signaling for her to enter.

"Yeah, I had a pretty disturbing morning to be honest, Mr. B."

"I'm sure it was nothing you can't handle."

"Thanks, but you give me too much credit," she said producing a smile. "Chyna upstairs?" she asked before stepping through the entranceway.

"Yes ma'am."

"Alone?" she threw the question over her shoulder.

He smiled that all-knowing smile and winked at her. Lexi laughed wondering if someone like Chyna ever slept alone.

Lexi took the elevator to the top floor listening absentmindedly to the classical ballad playing through the speakers. As she exited, she found Chyna's door and slid the gold key into the lock twisting it until it gave. Swinging the door open, she smiled inwardly at the new renovations Chyna had effectuated into her foyer.

Her tastes were constantly changing, and with a trust fund somewhere around the nine digit range, why not readjust one's life, home, and wardrobe whichever way the wind blew. For the time being, a cut crystal vase overflowed with seasonal flora on top of a square, white, sculpted table, that came up to nearly her waist, was situated in the middle of the entranceway. She prayed she hadn't tracked in mud or sidewalk grime on the freshly waxed marble floors as she strode into the sunken in living room. Lexi couldn't imagine a space that contrasted with her apartment more than Chyna's den. In square feet, the area was bigger than Lexi's entire residence. The carpet was a pure white that was constantly steam cleaned to maintain its perfection. A sofa, loveseat, and recliner – all a matching set of soft black leather – centered on an entertainment center that rivaled a movie theatre. Original oil paintings, Chyna had collected while traveling throughout Europe, decorated three of the walls, and black and white photographs floated in a collage of frames against another.

Advancing across the room and through the arching hallway, Lexi made her way towards Chyna's room. She cracked the door open, peering into the expansive area to see if Chyna did in fact have a companion in her king-sized four-poster bed. "Chyna," she whispered into the darkness. "Chyna, wake up sleepyhead."

A deliberate grunt sounded from the other end of the room. "Go away."

"Get your tiny ass out of bed. Is there someone in there with you? I'm not afraid to come do jumping jacks on your five million thread count sheets," she tauntingly said, with surprisingly more enthusiasm then she thought she was capable of that particular morning.

"You wouldn't," a muffled cry emanated from the darkness.

"Come on. How well do you know me?" Lexi questioned.

The covers instantly flew to the foot of the bed and Chyna popped her body up. "All too well," she said swishing her glossy black hair over one shoulder.

Lexi pursed her lips with envy as Chyna slung her long olive-toned legs over the edge of the bed and hopped down. With the genetics of an Italian supermodel, Chyna was enviable from head to toe. Chyna felt more comfortable sauntering around her apartment in skimpy La Perla lingerie than probably anyone else in existence. But, why not? She was rail thin with large perfectly perky br**sts and a petite ass that didn't even look remotely fat in white ultra skinny jeans. Her flawless complexion had never seen a blemish. Her large emerald eyes could look smoky and seductive one minute, then cute and innocent - well marginally innocent - the next. She was one hundred percent her mother's daughter in appearance and her father in personality which explained why she didn't get along with either.

Her parents had made a bloody mess of their divorce when she was in high school spreading their filth and personal affairs all over the tabloids. She wasn't sure why they had gotten so angry. Chyna had known since she was ten years old that both of her parents were having affairs. It had been pretty obvious. She couldn't understand why they hadn't realized that as well. But they hadn't. Or at least they had pretended they didn't, possibly for her sake. But more likely, they looked the other way to hold on to some semblance of why they had gotten married in the first place. Money. Love. Who knew? Now her father couldn't look at her, and her mother couldn't be around her.

"What are you doing here so early? Unbelievable Alexa," she chided, using her friend's full name as always. "You know I need a minimum seven hours of beauty sleep or I look like shit all day. Do I look like I went to bed at midnight?"

Lexi smiled at her. Chyna looked like she had never gotten less than seven hours of sleep in her life. Even the days she had gotten less than seven hours of sleep, she still looked drop dead gorgeous. "Oh wow, I'm sorry," she said in mock repentance. "You look like an ugly old hag this morning. Perhaps you should sleep for another three hours."