Another knock came at the door.
Raye, Shanti, Joey and I exchanged alert glances.
Duane was sitting at the little table by the window, stuffing his face with cupcakes and eyeing the door with trepidation.
Cautiously, Raye crept to the door and looked out the peephole.
She sighed and opened it.
Jinx’s crew, or a few of them, namely Persia, Skyla and Lotus, came charging in.
“Well, shit. I forgot to bring the beer,” Joey muttered.
“I hope you’re talking some sense into that bitch,” Persia declared after Raye shut the door.
She was pointing an electric-blue tipped, very long, very pointed talon Jinx’s way.
Btw: the electric blue matched her wig.
“Like we all don’t have Pretty Woman fantasies,” Lotus bitched Jinx’s way. “And you’re livin’ the fuckin’ fantasy, and what do you do? You blow it!”
At that, Jinx exploded from the bed and butted tits to tits with Lotus, shouting, “Back off, bitch!”
“Bring it, sister,” Lotus invited, butting tits back and upping the ante by going for an earring.
“Girls, girls, calm down or I’m Tasing all of you,” Raye threatened.
“You wouldn’t Tase them,” Skyla scoffed.
“Wanna bet?” Raye asked.
The ladies-of-the-evening crew took a beat to take Raye’s measure.
Then they backed off, and Jinx and Lotus separated, thankfully with Lotus leaving her earring where it was.
“Now, as much as we love you all—” Raye started.
“You love us?” Lotus asked.
“I don’t eat cheeseburgers on the regular with people I don’t care about,” Raye returned.
“You do that to keep the info flowing,” Persia said.
“When was the last time the Angels needed info from you all?” Raye asked.
No one said anything.
“When was the last time we got together for cheeseburgers?” Raye pushed.
It was the week before last. The place we met was a dive and in a not-great neighborhood.
But the burgers were insane.
“You made your point,” Persia said.
“Good, because we don’t have time for this,” Raye snapped. “Duane’s got problems?—”
“Who’s Duane?” Lotus queried.
