“Chill.” Sara held up her hand playfully in Jackie’s direction. “And what does Antonio have to do with Jackie’s voice?” she asked, turning back to Mya.
“Well,” Mya said, leaning toward Sara. “You know how Jackie’s voice has been MIA for the past few weeks? Well, seems like the only time she can talk is when she gets some magic peen from Antonio.”
“You’re lying!” Sara gasped. “I thought the thing with Tanika and the auras was wild. This is wilder.”
Jackie typed furiously into the app. “It really isn’t like that. I just needed to relax, that’s all.”
“Is that why you’re having sex with that man? To relax?” said Sara, her perfectly arched brow raised in amusement.
“It must be,” Mya continued, ignoring Jackie, “Because Antonio gave her the dick de-stressor.” She and Sara cackled and high-fived each other.
“Jesus, you all gotta chill,” Jackie pleaded via her voice assistant, trying to keep the peace in the very posh bridal salon.
Tanika came back from around the partition. “What did I miss? I can hear you all cackling all the way in the back. Let me guess, it was about Antonio’s magic peen.”
“Oh no,” whispered Mya, covering her mouth in horror.
Jackie’s eyes widened at the monstrosity before her. Tanika was in a black mermaid-style dress with heavy beading at the bodice. And was that a visible corset back?Yuck. This was not the early 2000s.
Tanika did a twirl. “What’s wrong with it? Black is elegant.”
Jackie tilted her neck with an attitude as she typed. “You must want to fight in this shop! Didn’t I say no black? You are not marrying my cousin in a black dress, Nik!” The app mispronounced Tanika’s nickname as “Nike,” making Jackie even more irritated.
“Black at a wedding is depressing,” Sara agreed as she sipped her champagne. “You look like Elvira.”
Tanika sucked her teeth. “Whatever. I can wear some custom panda dunks with it! Or maybe some Forces.” She lifted the bottom of the dress to show off her purple Air Force Ones.
“Dunks!” Jackie clutched her chest while she let the app yell on her behalf. She was going to have a heart attack. “Sneakers with a $8000 dress? You cannot be serious!”
“I won’t compromise on the sneakers,” Tanika said, hands on her hips.
Jackie rubbed her temples. She typed, “Fine. But this dress is horrendous. Makes me want to watchThe Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
“Your boobs look good, though,” Mya said, taking a positive spin. “I mean, if you find something with that cut of bodice in white, but with less beads, that would be fly.”
Tanika stomped off the platform and back into the dressing room, followed by the sales associate.
Mya turned back to the group. “Okay, while Tanika goes and tries on something else butt-ugly, Jackie, what’s the tea? Are you and Antonio a thing now?”
Jackie waved her hands before typing in the app. “It was just a hookup. Well, a few hookups. In Mexico.” She swallowed. She couldn’t lie to her girls.
“On the work trip?!” Sara laughed. “I didn’t know you got down like that, girl.”
“I don’t!” Jackie’s app blared. “Something came over me. It’s like I couldn’t resist the man; I’m drawn to him. Like a magnet.” She felt that pull every time she was near him, which was why she’d been avoiding him like the plague.
“A cosmic connection,” Bronwyn said for the tenth time. “You don’t believe in soulmates or soul ties, butsomethingis going on.”
Jackie rolled her eyes as she typed. “You sound like that ridiculous woman I ran into at the pet boutique! She was the same lady who said all that nonsense to me at the animal hospital, the one with the unruly hair. I finally got her name.” She opened her handbag, fished out the business card, and handed it to Bronwyn.
Bronwyn gasped as she read the card. “Don’t you know who that is?” She grabbed Jackie by the shoulders, startling her.
Jackie shook her head no. She shrugged out of Bronwyn’s hold and adjusted her sweater. Psychics, mediums, and all things paranormal were Bronwyn’s jam. Made sense she would be familiar with Mother Mary.
“She’s the psychic that Tanika and Gideon went to after their first date. The lady that was scary accurate about their situation.”
Jackie’s jaw was on the floor.No way.
“Yes, girl!” Bronwyn nodded. “Mother Mary is no fake or fraud. The woman has a gift! And apparently, she knew exactly what was going on with you! She knows you and Antonio are meant to be!”
