Page 132 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

Oh, shit. We’ve crossed over.

I cover my face. “Ease up, Jaz,” I say through a laugh. “Little mystery never killed nobody. Make him work for it.”

Celie snatches the mic, wearing that evil-cat grin. “Jaz, let him know you ain’t lookin’ for forever. Just tryna have some fun tonight.”

There’s dead air.

Then she clears her throat, and drops the line. “I don’t want… eh… big romance. Only a little fun. My hotel room? Very nice. But I am alone in it. Too quiet.” She shrugs innocent. “Maybe you help make noise?”

Laughter cracks Celie in half,

and it spills through the car.

Andrew laughs, heat spilling out with it.

He shoots his co-worker a look, then his attention’s back on Jasmine. “I’ll hand it to ya, sweetheart. You ain’t shy.”

I slap my palm over my mouth.

“He’s fucking buying it,” I gasp to Celie.

I press my mic close, every nerve on fire.

“Jasmine, ignore what I said before.

“Go in for the kill. Finish him.”

Jasmine slides forward on the stool, elbows on the bar, eyes fixed on him. “I tell you honest, I never do this…But you make me hot,” she purrs, all sin. “I’m yours tonight. If you want me, I wait here like good girl until ready… Or I give you my hotel number, and you come to me. And I make sure you don’t forget it.”

Andrew’s face transforms from all play

into interest.

My palm’s sweaty on the door.

My stomach’s in a knot.

“This is it,” I say, the words like rocks in my throat. I glance back at Celie. “He’s gonna fuckin’ fold, isn’t he?”

She grins, rooting for exactly that.

She has no idea how far gone I am for him, how crippling this could actually be for me.

Neither did I, until now.

I’m one second away from pulling the plug. Because now I don’t want to know.

Andrew crooks a finger, slow and filthy, leaning in with a dirty secret waiting in his mouth, and my heart flatlines.

His mouth’s so close to her,

I imagine his lips grazing her cheek.

Then I hear Andrew so clearly as if he were whispering in my ear. “Flattered, sweetheart, but nah. I’m all set.”

He nudges his chin, a subtle point down the end of the bar at his co-worker. “My boy over there? Been eyein’ you since you walked in. Go make his night, huh?”

Everything goes silent after.