“I wouldn’t know, Candy Apple. Mr. Hollingsworth is a very private man. The only conquests we discuss are the corporate kind.”
“Speaking of conquests,” I said, noticing the way Van stiffened. “Doyouhave anything to share, Candace? You seem to love asking questions about our love lives but are secretive about your own.”
“I’m quiet because there’s little to report. I found a delicious new toy that’s getting the job done for now. Did you know they made ones that stimulate your G-Spot, clit, and anus?”
“Yes,” we all replied.
“How the hell did I not know? These are the important women’s issues we need to be discussing each Tuesday.”
“Vibrators are now considered women’s issues?” I asked.
“Equal rights to orgasms,” Candace said boldly, reminding me of the mom on Mary Poppins fighting for voting privileges.
“I’ll start making the posters,” Vanessa said excitedly.
“I’ll sew the sashes to wear across our chests,” Violet said.
“I’ll call the Blissville Daily News and let them know we’re hosting a meeting at Maegan’s house,” April volunteered.
“Thanks a lot,” I told April. “What will our slogan be?”
“Equal Rights to Orgasms,” Candace said. “That’s catchy enough.”
“Nah, we need something that will stand the test of time,” April said. “My rainbow community has the best ones.”
“Yeah,” Candace said. “We can’t steal one of theirs.”
“Instead of telling people to get out and vote, we’ll be telling them to get out and come,” Vanessa said.
“That’s a good one,” Candace said. “We could use the two together. Equal Rights to Orgasm. Get Out and Come.”
We were laughing hysterically when the pizza delivery arrived. The young guy was too awestruck by April’s tight yoga pants and exposed belly to pay us any attention. “Here’s your pizza, Miss Uh…” His eyes zeroed in on her breasts, and he stopped speaking altogether.
“Let me help you with that, Timothy,” Violet said, squeezing between him and April. Timothy tried to look around her, but Violet moved every time he did. It was quite entertaining. Violet signed the credit card slip then handed it and the pen back to Timothy before she took the pizza boxes and carryout bags from his hands and shut the door in his face.
“So rude,” Candace said. “And territorial.” Candace made a roaring sound and swatted Violet on her butt. “And smoking hot.”
“I’ll say,” April said, sounding like she was still in awe over how the night was turning out.
We devoured our food like starving animals and drank wine like it was grape juice which loosened up my lips to tell the girls about the situation with Elijah’s family. I’d never shared the details of his past before, and I felt guilty as hell for doing it then. I just needed to vent to someone about how I felt, and Elijah wasn’t the right one to hear what I had to say.
“She married and cheated on both brothers?” April asked to clarify.
“Women like her make us all look bad,” Vanessa added.
“Poor Elijah,” Violet said softly. “Thank goodness he found you.”
“Maybe we can have Chaz kill her off in a book,” Candace suggested. “I mean, it’s really fun having a writer living amongst us.”
“I’m sure he gets suggestions all the time,” I said, but killing off Brandy was starting to sound good. “I guess there was part of me that wanted to have a showdown with her.” Van started whistling the tune toThe Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.“I really wanted to tell her what I thought about her and the way she treated Elijah, but I wanted to do it in a classy way and not full of shouty, rage-y curse words.”
“With your chin up and head held high,” Candace said.
“Have you been talking to my mom?” I asked when Violet opened the second bottle of wine and started pouring us each a glass.
“Not recently. Why?” Candace replied. I told them about my mom’s advice a few days earlier, and they had the biggest laugh.
“God, I love Jackie,” Vanessa said.
