Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 129571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
“Then let me know how I can help. Oh well. If you go down as insane, I’ll dive down in the craziness with you.” Vivian reached for her blunt and also picked up a lighter. “But, be careful.”
“Be careful of what? Benny?”
“No, make sure you don’t become your mom.”
“No. That won’t happen.”
“Okay, it’s just that power can be addicting.”
“I don’t have power.”
She pointed to my engagement ring. “I see a big ass rock that disagrees. You could probably purchase a small island off the coast of Miami with that thing. So I’m just saying, be careful. Make sure there is a limit.”
“I just want Benny gone.”
“And what about your mother?”
I looked away. “I don’t want to talk about her right now.”
“Why not?”
“Let’s just leave that alone for now.” I pictured the moment I punched her. “I’m not stressing over her right now, and besides, she’s just as scared about Benny as we are. We’re actually all on the same side right now. He’s going down.”
“You sound like a bad 80’s movie.” She punched the air. “He’s going down!”
“He is!” I punched the air, too. “Die slow, motherfucker!”
“Now you’re doing a 90’s gang movie.”
“Eh!” I saluted her. “Just don’t let 5-0 come through, man, and my hand will stay on my nine all day for my homies.”
“Please, stop.”
“That’s my gangster impression.”
“It scares me, and not in the way you hoped it would.”
I stuck my tongue out. “Everyone’s a critic.”
“So how are you going to celebrate your engagement? Enough about Benny and this horrible stuff. We need to escape. What are you going to do to celebrate?”
“We’re doing the party.”
“No, that’s about Benny. You both need something that is separate from him.” Then she shrieked and clapped her hands, dropping the blunt and lighter. “What about a private dance? Something sexy and hot. Maybe rent a strip club and all of that.”
“Rent a strip club?” I asked.
“You know your bank account is going to be awesome.”
I stirred uncomfortably. “He gave me his wallet to plan the engagement party. I felt like a mistress.”
“Shut up. Mistresses don’t wear engagement rings.”
“Well, maybe more like a gold digger?”
“Oh get over it, Jasmine. Just think about your life.” She gave me a weak smile. “All of that other stuff, let it go. All of these thoughts and insecurities about what you are and what he is, just forget about it. Love him as much as you can.” She sighed. “Love him as much as you fucking can.”
I picked up the blunt from the bed. “I will.”
“I want to help.” She kept that smile on her face, even though her eyes held a sad gaze. “Let me live through you.”
I gave her a thumbs up. “I’m down to be your avatar.”
“Okay.” She raked her fingers through those blonde strands. “Then if it’s my choice, we’re renting a strip club. Where are the best ones?”
“New York?”
“Maybe.”
“Miami?”
“Oh damn. Beaches, alcohol, and hot Cuban men.” She tossed me a slanted smile. “Maybe that’s where I should be.”
“Where you should be?”
“That’s right. I’ll need to travel with you as you plan. I’m sort of a counselor.”
“Fine.”
“We’re renting out a strip club in Miami.”
“To celebrate the engagement?” I chuckled. “Chase will love that.”
She hit my arm. “And you know that you have to dance for him.”
“No.”
“You have to dance for him,” she argued.
“I can’t dance.”
“Get an instructor. How long do you have?”
“We’re trying to do the big party in a week.”
“Wow.” She waved it away. “Never mind. Maybe we’ll get a stripper to help you put something quick together.”
“I cannot dance.”
“You’ll be fine. Chase watching you on a stage, half-naked and in heels will make him explode in his seat. Oh God, you should have other dancers with you!”
“I’m not dancing, and especially not with other women.”
“We’re going to surround you with tons of naked ladies!”
“Do we really want him seeing me around multiple women? It might give him ideas.”
She laughed. “Oh he’ll be fine. He’s so into you, he probably won’t even see the other women.”
“He better not.” I placed the blunt between my lips and lit it. “Okay. Let’s plan this.”
A knock came at the door. I turned to it, and Sherman peeked his head in. He filled up the whole doorway, looking big and deadly as usual. “Sis, can we talk?”
“Yes.” I coughed and hurried to hand the blunt back to Vivian. I didn’t like him in my business. He’d taken on the role as father to all of us. Even as a grown woman I found myself worried about disappointing him. Additionally, he held his own morals in life. If he didn’t like me doing something, he’d interfere, just like Benny.
I’d been through enough to know that I couldn’t underestimate any of these men anymore.
“That shit isn’t good for you.” Sherman sneered at the blunt.
“I know.” I coughed again. “This is my last one.”