“No, he hasn’t. You can go. In fact, if you give me that dress, you can go with me and Trooper.” I offered a devious smile and she sucked her teeth.
“Sophie, please. I don’t want to be a third wheel.” She peered at me as if I had insulted her.
“Oh, wait. You can go with Carlos. He’s hot, Maddie. A little on the pretty side, but he’s super sexy. Maybe if he goes, Trooper will feel more comfortable since he won’t be alone.”
“I don’t want a pity date and I don’t appreciate you using me to get your man to agree to go.”
“I’m not, but you want to go. You need a date because there’s no way you should show up alone and let Richard think your lifebegan and ended with him. So it’s a win-win. I’ll call him now and see.” I pulled my phone out and Maddie watched me.
“So, is he like too pretty to take serious or just super cute pretty?” Maddie quizzed while I dialed Trooper.
“Definitely nottoopretty. He’s just really easy on the eyes and has a sexy body.”
“Yo, you better be talking about me, Sophie, ’cause if not, we’re gonna have a conversation later,” Trooper barked through the phone after he heard me explaining Carlos’s looks to Maddie.
“I’m describing Carlos to Maddie.”
“Why the hell are you describing my boy to your friend? And all you need to say is he’s handsome. Let me find out you checking my boy out, Sophie.”
I grinned at the jealous tone in his voice. “Not like that. You’re the only one I check out like that.”
“Better be, but what’s up, though?”
“I was getting my dress for Friday and I was thinking.” I paused for a sec and glanced at Maddie who stared at me intently. “Maybe Carlos could take Maddie, that way you wouldn’t have to be there alone. I know these things can be kind of boring.”
“Hold on,” Trooper said, then the line got quiet.
“Why are you frowning? What did he say?” Maddie whispered.
“He told me to hold on.”
“Ay, he said what she look like?”
I smiled hard. Maddie was beautiful. Much better looking than the women he had been lusting over at Trooper’s party. “I don’t have ugly friends, Trooper.”
He laughed. “Aight, bet. He said send a picture, but he’s going.”
“Just for you, Sophie, so she better not be ugly or have a fucked up personality,” I heard Carlos yell in the background
“Tell him I said thank you and she’s not. I got him covered,” I said.
“Ay, but let me go, we’re in the middle of something. I’ll see you tonight, right?”
“Yes, my place.” I beamed.
“Aight, cool.”
“Sooooooo?” Maddie asked.
I didn’t respond right away. Instead, I scrolled through my pictures, found one of Maddie, and sent it to Trooper.
“He said he’ll go and you better not be ugly or have an ugly personality. Now, can I have that dress, please?”
“No, I need it.” Maddie snatched it back as I reached for it.
“Uh, that wasn’t the deal. Give me the dress.” I lunged her way and grabbed it.
“I guess you earned it,”—she said, rolling her eyes—“and he better not be ugly or have a messed up personality either,” she retorted.
