Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 139147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
We wandered over while I warned under my breath, “That’s Martha, brown hair, and Linda, gray. Linda’s lovely, but try to ignore everything Martha says.” I paused then finished, “Or does.”
“Gotcha,” Cap said under his breath.
“Hey, guys,” I greeted when we got to them and stopped.
“Heya, Raye,” Linda replied.
“Who are you?” Martha asked Cap.
I motioned to him with my plant. “This is Julien Jackson.”
“Everybody calls me Cap,” he put in, let me go, made his approach and offered Martha his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
She stared at his hand like it was covered in slime.
Not missing a beat, he moved it toward Linda.
She took it.
“Hi, Cap. I’m Linda, and this is Martha,” Linda said.
“Hey,” he replied and moved back to my side.
Linda looked at me. “Did you get the email?”
“What email?” I asked.
It was then I belatedly noticed they were drinking champagne.
It was also then, calling from her opened door, Patsy shouted, “Are we starting? I’m not done with the salad yet!”
“Is it five, girl?” Martha shouted back. “No, we’re not starting. Learn to read a clock!”
Patsy, used to Martha, returned. “Okay! Hi, Raye! Dig the plants!”
“Hey, Patsy!” I called.
Her door closed.
“We’re having an impromptu party,” Linda explained. “Bill and Zach got written confirmation. They’re not raising rents.”
“For two years,” Martha added, before sucking back some champagne from a plastic champagne glass.
A funny vibe came from Cap.
“Wow. That’s great,” I said, because it so totally was.
“And get this,” Martha put in. “They capped Linda’s rent.”
That funny vibe from Cap got funnier.
“I got my own email,” Linda added. “They told me, due to my long-term residency, and as such, investment in the property, my rent will never be increased. Ever. They’re sending me a lease that, even if they sell, the new owners will have to abide by.”
“That’s short for, she’s old and doesn’t have a lot of dough, so they don’t wanna be the heartless, greedy, pissant ogres who put her ass out,” Martha translated.
Martha wasn’t young, but she didn’t have the same number of years on the planet as Linda, by about a decade and a half. And as such, she still was gainfully employed. Not to mention, she’d been able to bank the entire price of the house she’d sold prior to her arrival at the Oasis because it was paid off when she sold it.
At this juncture, Alexis bounced onto the scene.
“Hey, all!” she cried.
She was all lithe grace, considering she was a ballerina with Arizona Ballet.
“Isn’t it fantastic news?” she asked.
Before anyone could answer Alexis, Cap turned in their direction before I knew they were there, so I heard rather than saw Bill state, “Awesome. Raye’s here. Did you make your pudding?”
I turned too.
Bill was looking at me.
Zach was checking Cap out.
“No. I just heard the news,” I told him. “We were at the Botanical Gardens.”
Bill’s eyes narrowed. “Is there time?”
See?
If it wasn’t so damned good, I’d lament ever inventing that recipe. My pudding was better loved than me.
“She can’t snap and make a trifle bowl full of pudding appear, William,” Martha bit out. “It’s quarter to five, for goodness sake. This shindig begins at five.” She turned her steel-gray eyes to me. “Though, you probably have time to throw together some of that Asian slaw.”
I didn’t have the ingredients for my Asian slaw.
“We have to go up and take Cleo out,” I told her, because I didn’t know if Cap was up for an Oasis get-together, so we needed a confab.
“You know the rules, you can’t come empty handed,” Martha warned.
“Man, hat’s off to you. Shit,” Jacob strolled up saying.
His squeeze was at his side.
He was carrying a platter stacked high with raw hamburger meat formed into patties covered in plastic wrap.
“Longest date in history,” Jacob finished.
Alexis’s pretty cheeks went pink in Jacob’s presence, or because she was upset he still had his chick with him, or both.
“Now that’s how it’s done,” Martha confusingly stated, pointing at Jacob and his woman. “Watch and learn, Raye.” She swung her finger and jabbed it at Cap. “He’s too pretty. And you’re too pretty. Everyone knows, if you’re pretty, you swing low and get someone who isn’t as pretty as you. Gives you the upper hand in the relationship. Jacob’s a good-lookin’ man. He knows to swing low.”
This was met with complete and horrified silence.
Linda broke it by snapping, “Martha!”
“Am I wrong?” Martha asked Linda. She didn’t wait for an answer. She looked to me and her mouth kept moving. “My Jeremy, not much to look at, but in the bedroom department, shooie! He had to work harder to make up for other things he lacked. And work he did. Lawd. Your pretty boy probably thinks his looks will do the work for him.” Her gaze swung to Cap. “You’d be wrong.”
“I’ll apologize for her,” Linda said to Jacob’s squeeze, moving her gaze to Cap to include him in the apology that wasn’t hers to give (still, it was nice she gave it).