The Key to Something New – Part 1

"Hey Nadia, is that new?" I asked, squinting at the delicate necklace around Nadia’s neck. A slim silver chain glinted in the sunlight filtering through the patio umbrella above our table. But it was the small rose gold charm that caught my eye. A tiny key. Ornate. Pretty. Maybe even symbolic?

Nadia smiled—no, smirked. That kind of smirk that says, oh honey, if you only knew.

I tilted my head. “Does it represent something?”

That’s when the whole table went quiet. Like the universe had just cleared its throat. Maya and Celine both stopped mid-bite. Even our usually loud and bubbly friend Jessica raised an eyebrow like she was bracing for tea so hot it might scald.

Nadia looked me dead in the eye and said, “Not only does it represent something, babe… it’s the key to a very sexy secret.”

Okay, cue the suspenseful music.…