I am the sole protector of my treasure and as the magic builds in my fingertips, I seal it away with a little bit of polish. That’s not what today’s agenda is. I change into my armor: slipping into a dress and sliding my tights on—one leg at a time just like every other woman does. I catalog my newest addition with a photograph. I post the desk I just polished on LifeBook’s market page. The price field stares me in the eyes as I release the desk back into the wild for zero dollars. I’ve learned that it only takes one act of kindness to change a life forever.

Normal people might call my treasure room a spare room, but to me this room is where all the magic happens. This is where something old is made to appear like new again, a treasure in the making. The old and worn desk has transformed. One conversation I will always remember having with my dad was when he told me, “All things are of value to the right person.” He was right.

Ring. Ring. “Hello.”

“When are you coming?” my friend asks.

“Joy, I just finished. I’ll be over there soon. Are you ready?”

“Of course I’m ready. Just waiting on you. Did you at least put lipstick on?” Joy asks.

“I forgot, but I will. Be there soon!”

I end the call and hurry to a mirror. Lipstick is on now. Makeup is like magic, but I prefer my natural look. The things we do for our friends. Maybe they are right—without the illusion magic of makeup, I’m destined to be single forever. I doubt it. I put on my flats and walk out of the door toward my truck. It sputters and spits as I start it. In my mind, this truck is my dragon. Together we go out and search the globe for what I call treasure. It has yet to breathe any fire, but sometimes I worry that it will happen. Hopefully not today.

It’s only a short drive to Joy’s house. I park and gaze out of the windshield. The blazing sun is seemingly changing the colors of the leaves on the trees, as they begin to turn slightly red. I text her that I’m there. She always looks like she’s ready to walk down a red carpet. She approaches my window.

“How do I look?” Joy asks as she does a spin with her skirt twirling around.

“Like a star.” This is what I tell her every time she asks. That’s what she likes to hear. It’s not that it isn’t true, it just gets repeated more than I’d like to hear it.

“Thank you. It’s good that you put your lipstick on. I wish you’d wear more makeup. It would really help you.” Joy winks.

“I like to look natural,” I announce with my shoulders and hands lifted.

“And you are beautiful that way. I just want you to look your best.”

“Are you ready, Joy?”

“Yeah, let’s go find our girls.”

I pull out of the driveway and drive toward the bar. I don’t drink, but all of my friends do. The bar is their favorite place to be.

“Are you going to sing this time, Taiya?”

“I’m definitely not singing. The stage belongs to you, Joy.” Joy smiles at my words.

“You could just come on stage with me and dance.”

“No.”

“Have it your way,” Joy says while turning her head toward the window.

I pull into a parking space and shut off my truck, allowing my dragon to sleep. Joy flips down the mirror on the visor and fixes her hair before getting out. She walks quickly in her heels toward the bar’s doors.

“Are you coming, Taiya?”

“I’m coming,” I yell over to her.

She goes inside as I make my way to the doors. When I get inside, I see that they are all seated in our usual booth.

“Okay, ladies, who’s singing with me tonight?” Joy asks. Leslie looks at each of us quickly.

“None of us, Joy,” Leslie answers.

“You’re all no fun, but at least you all look beautiful.”

They order their drinks and I get my usual, non-alcoholic glass of soda.

Sarah jostles her body into Joy’s shoulder, “Maybe that handsome man will sing with you again.”

“It’s too bad I’m not interested in men. Taiya! Please?”

Leslie quickly spits out, “You don’t have to, Taiya. But maybe you could walk out with the man Joy doesn’t want.”

“I’m not singing.” Maybe Leslie is right, but I just can’t sing in front of all these people. “New topic. How are your husbands?”

Sarah replies, “Mine is at home with the kids, probably half asleep by now.”

Leslie laughs, “I bet mine went to bed right after I left.”

“Are you two planning on having any kids yet?” Sarah faces Leslie as she asks.

Joy gets up and walks over to the band, walking like she is traveling a red carpet to the stage.

“I keep telling him that I’m not ready,” Leslie admits.

“We aren’t getting any younger.” Sarah looks me in the eyes. “Are you even looking for a man?”

“I’m looking. I just haven’t found a good one.”

Sarah calls out my bluff, “You can’t find them if you keep hiding.”

Joy comes back to our booth. “Ugh, this band can’t play very many songs. It will have to do, I guess.”

My phone dings. I pull it out while my friends keep chatting. It’s a message on LifeBook. Someone wants one of my treasures. I type a response, “I’ll meet you tomorrow evening.”

“Taiya!” Joy yells into my ear.

“What?”

“I’m about to sing, are you going to listen or do I have to tie yah to the front row?”

Sarah laughs, “That is how you say your name.”

I type a message asking for the person’s address, while working my response to Joy. “I, uh, will,” I pause to type, then continue, “Listen.” She pokes my shoulder. I put my phone away and say it again, “I will listen, Joy.”

“Great! Let’s get this party started.” Joy walks off to her favorite place, the stage.

“She really loves the stage,” Sarah says.

Leslie looks between each of us, “Do you think she will be famous one day?”

“Definitely,” I say. “Half the city already knows about her bar performances.”

We laugh and then listen to her first song. When she’s finished, we clap along with a few others that were listening.

“If you do want kids, you will have to find a man soon, Taiya.”

“Sarah, please don’t put a time limit on it, ugh.”

“I didn’t set a time limit, it’s just the way it goes.”

“I know. I know.” I look down.

Leslie says, “You could always adopt if it becomes too late. I’ve already thought about it. You’re only thirty, you still have years left.”

A server brings a drink over, and places it in front of Sarah. “This is from the man over there.” He points to a man seated a few booths behind us.

Sarah says, “Tell the man thanks, but I’m married.”

“I’ll tell him that.”

A few moments later the man approaches our booth.

“I won’t tell if you don’t tell,” the man pressures Sarah. Her cheeks turn red as she stares at him.

“Gross! You are gross,” Leslie says, making a disgusted face.

The man winks and walks back toward his booth.

“You are not considering his offer, are you?”

“Well—”

Leslie cuts her off, “No. You better not.”

“Yeah. Leave it at the fact that you still look beautiful after having kids,” I tell Sarah.

Sarah darts her eyes toward me. “Why don’t you give him your number, Taiya?”

I laugh, “No thanks.”

The band plays a slow song and Joy starts motioning for the people to come up onstage with her. Not a single person approaches the steps to the stage.

“Who wants to go up there with Joy this time?” I ask. We move our eyes back and forth between each other. “And, that means she’s solo.”

Leslie stands up. “Taiya, let’s play darts.”

“Okay,” I agree.

Leslie and I stand in front of the dart board. I throw a dart and it just misses the bullseye. Leslie throws a dart and it misses the entire circle.

“No fair. You only had soda this whole time,” Leslie snaps.

“I’m Joy’s driver tonight.”

I throw another dart. It hits the inner edge of the circle’s boundary. Leslie throws another dart and it makes it inside the circle. I throw the final dart and it’s a bullseye! Leslie walks her dart up to the board and sticks her dart in the center with her hand. We both laugh.

Someone at a table yells, “Cheater!”

We laugh again as we set the darts in their holders. We return to our booth and Sarah is missing. I scan the room with my eyes until I notice her. She’s over at the booth with the man that sent her a drink.

“Should we go fetch Sarah?” I ask.

“I think we should wait.” Leslie looks in Sarah’s direction.

Sarah walks back over to our booth.

“Why were you over there?” Leslie demands.

“I had to thank him for the second drink he sent.”

I chuckle, “He sent another one over?”

She just smiles and winks. Joy starts singing louder into her microphone, waking up the audience. Her words start slurring slightly.

“She’s been drinking in between each song,” Sarah states.

“I’m surprised you noticed that, Sarah,” Leslie rolls her eyes at Sarah.

“How many more songs do you think she will be able to sing?” Sarah asks, but then stares off into the distance.

Joy swallows another glass down and starts sliding her hands along her body’s curves.

“This is probably her last song,” I declare.

Joy starts to look tipsy onstage.

Leslie asks, “Taiya, can you take Joy home before she falls?”

“Oh, yes. Let me get her now.” I walk up to the stage.

Joy shouts into the microphone, “My friend came to sing with me! Yay!”

I try to pull her toward the steps. “Come on, Joy, we have to take you home now.”

“Can I stay at your place?”

“No, come on, Joy. I have work tomorrow,” I say as I guide her down the steps.

Sarah and Leslie come over and we all help Joy into my truck.

“She really shouldn’t drink so much between the songs,” Leslie says as she shuts the truck door.

“Thank you, ladies. Don’t stay out too late.” I say as I start my truck.

As I start driving, Joy asks, “Why don’t you sleep at my place then?”

“No, Joy. You’ll be fine once you fall asleep.”

“I am pretty sleepy,” Joy says with her words running together and a slight swaying motion of her head.

She actually stays quiet the rest of the trip, until we reach her house.

“Come on in, Taiya. Such a pretty name.”

“I’m only going to help you into your bed.”

We make our way to her bedside and she tries to pull me onto the bed with her.

“Joy! Let go!”

“Aww, you’re no fun.”

She lets me go, makes some grunting noises, and seems to pass out. I take her heels off. “Goodnight, Joy.”

Joy doesn’t answer.

I go back to my truck, locking her door on my way out. I check my phone again before I head home. The message reads, “I’ll see you tomorrow evening then, thank you.” I place my phone inside my purse and drive home.

I enter the door and take off my flats in the entryway. Then I go to my treasure room. I have to make sure the lamp looks good enough to be delivered. It does. Great. I walk into my bedroom, place my phone on the charger, and just plop on my stomach on top of my bed as my eyelids slowly lower.