“My place. I have a bottle of tequila and two fatties with our names on them.”
“Sounds like my kind of party.”
“I know it is.” Claudia and I continue to laugh all the way home.
“CHICA.” CLAUDIA NUDGESme, but I ignore her.
“Go away, I’m sleeping,” I roll over and mutter irritably.
“Chica, your phone has been ringing off the hook. Answer that shit already.” She kicks me in the thigh.
“Fuck! Give me it.” I raise my hand, and she places it in my palm. I throw it across the room then bury my head under the pillow.
“Seriously?” she bitches as it annoyingly chirps. I feel the mattress dip and then hear Claudia’s bare feet pad across the bedroom floor. “If you won’t fucking answer it, I will.”
I pop my head up, the sunlight blinding me. Fuck, too much tequila. I will never learn. Claudia drinks me under the table every time. “Who is it?” I ask with one eye open.
“It says G.” She shows me the screen.
Double fuck.
“Give me.” I reluctantly lift my hand.
Claudia once again slaps the phone into my palm and walks out of the bedroom. The letter G is permanently splashed on the screen as it continues to ring. I take a deep breath and answer. “Hello.”
“Well, it’s about fucking time. I’ve been calling all morning!” Regina snaps in her familiar bitchy tone. Always annoyed, always in a hurry, and always making you hurry up and wait. That’s G.
“What do you want?” I ask, trying to speed this convo along. Ever since Benny’s death, the only time G calls me is if she needs something.
“There’s a job. Get your ass over here. Like, now.”
“Really, now? It’s . . .” I look at the screen. “Almost noon,” I inform her disappointedly. I hoped it was earlier. Like eight.
“I don’t give a shit what time it is. Get here.Now.”
“Send a car,” I demand.
“What’s wrong? Your metro card stop working?”
“It’s a bitch to get to Staten Island from here. A car will be the quickest and easiest way.”
I can almost feel her frustration through the phone. She hates doing anything for anyone. Even me.
“Fine,” she spit’s, thenclick.
I smile to myself. G, you’re a fucking cunt.
“Leaving so soon?” Claudia bounds onto the bed holding a bag of chips.
“Were you eavesdropping?”
“Maybe.” She crunches away. “I’m making breakfast. You want pancakes?”
“Isn’t it a little late for pancakes? It’s lunchtime.” I stick my hand in the greasy bag and pull out a ruffled chip.
“It’s never too late for pancakes.”
“And chips?” I mumble with food in my mouth.
