“I know what you’re doing,” Dax says. “You’re convincing yourself that your good girl over there will never know about your arrangement with that dark-haired vixen. If you believe that shit, you’re naïve. I’m gonna guess you and that girl have some arrangement. Let me tell you something. She wants you. I peeped that from the second she came over here, and when she finds out about you and Eden, she’s going to spill the beans. Do you know why? Because no matter how big, scary, and mean you are, you’d never hurt a woman. You’re fucked, my friend,” Dax says before he bursts into laughter.
Chapter 10
Eden
Selene rolls her eyes at our unwanted, uninvited guest. I’ve only seen her a handful of times since high school, but she hasn’t changed. She’s still the same pushy person I’ve known since elementary school.
Our waitress comes over and asks Lexi if she wants anything. She asks for a drink and an appetizer. For some reason, the waitress glances at the table across from us as if she’s asking them a question, but the only one who looks our way is the Black man with a permanent smirk on his face.
“Are you meeting someone here, Lexi?” I ask, hoping that she is, so she can leave us alone. She had no use for us in high school when she was a popular swimmer and softball player.
“Just someone I’m hoping to go home with.” She bends her index finger and bites it in anticipation.
“Anyone we know?” Cori asks.
“I can’t talk about it.” Lexi puts a finger to her lips.
I roll my eyes and lose all interest in the conversation.
We finish our meals while Lexi munches on her appetizer. When we’re done, we all order dessert.
“I don’t usually eat sweets,” Lexi says, even though no one asked. “Gotta stay slim. That’s how my man likes me, but I’ll make an exception tonight.”
My sister’s husband is constantly commenting on her weight. A few Christmases ago, he bought her a gym membership when she asked for a trip. If a man ever mentions my weight, I’ll punch him.
“He sounds controlling. Why aren’t you out with him tonight?” Not that I care, but she crashed our table, so she wasn’t meeting anyone. “Why are you here alone?”
“Oh, he’s working.” She waves her hand dismissively. “And I don’t mind his controlling ways. They’re for the best, and it shows he cares about me.”
“That sounds like a mind control cult,” Selene says.
“What do you know, Selene? You have no man. My man is everything.”
“Good to know,” I mutter, uncaring about Lexi or this mystery man, who probably doesn’t exist. “Maybe I should have gotten the crème brûlée, too.”
We eat our dessert, and Lexi inhales her chocolate cake and ice cream. She goes so far as to eat some of Cori’s. By the time dinner is done, they’ve added the dance floor to the center of the room, and the DJ plays old-school rap music.
“My favorite,” a drunk Selene says. She slides out of the booth and almost falls. “Where’s the damn waitress? I’m going to the bar and getting myself another drink.” She hiccups and stumbles away.
“Let’s dance,” Cori says.
“Yeah, let’s.” Lexi slides out of the booth.
Cori pushes me out, and I fall on my ass. “Bitch, don’t embarrass me,” Cori chastises while she helps me to my feet, and we both laugh uncontrollably. “Come on, Lex.”
She takes Lexi’s hand and mine and pulls us to the middle of the dance floor. Selene stumbles back with a tray of four drinks moments later. She smiles widely and says, “I flirted with some idiot at the bar and got him to buy me four drinks. Men are so stupid. All I did was push my boobs together, and this clown pulled out his wallet.”
“Don’t tell your father,” I warn.
“Those B plusses are working overtime tonight,” Cori says after grabbing a drink. “Cheers.”
We all take one and dance to the music. More people join, and I see Dark Angel get up and stomp to the bar. He looks unhappy, and his friend seems amused. I finish my drink, put the glass on my table, and run back to the dance floor.
Dark Angel is still at the bar and aggressively talking to someone.Fucking mean ass bully.
I forget all about him, and when the calming effects of the alcohol flood my bloodstream, I let go of my inhibitions and dance. If not for the drinks I had, I would be too self-conscious to let loose with him in the room, but now I don’t care.
It’s a fast song that doesn’t have words, but I dance to the loud thumping of the bass and swing my hips from side to side. I stick my ass out and swing it around. When I put both hands on my knees, Selene copies my moves.
