Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 126840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
The air in the room had turned chilly, and it wasn’t only coming from me.
“You know,” I began, “my brother-in-law is a biker, and he’s a really great guy. He loves Archie like crazy. He’s a blast during family dinners because he’s hilarious. He puts up with Elijah.” Elijah was my stepbrother, and although, after a big blow up a few years ago, things had improved, I still held a mild grudge because he’d treated my mom like shit for a long time. “All of his biker brothers and their women are cool. You’ve been to one of their hog roasts. You know they’re awesome.”
“It’s just…”
She didn’t finish that.
“It’s just what?” Marcy snapped.
Bree’s face got hard. “I can see you’re all pissed at me, but someone has to say it.”
She took a big breath.
Then she said it.
“It’s a step down.”
Right.
Someone didn’t have to say it, though after she did, we were all silent because we all didn’t know how to respond in the face of her bullshit.
Unsurprisingly, it was Marcy who broke the silence.
“I really can’t have you in my house right now.”
“Marce!” Bree exclaimed. “Be real. Bryan’s going to make partner in a few years and he’s going to be rich as shit.” She shifted her attention to me. “That’s who you are. That’s what you want. You told me you were going to live the five-star life. Do you think this biker is going to give that to you?”
Another reason why women kept getting typecast in this role?
There were too many other women who did their best to keep them there.
“Core gave me a Baconator,” I reminded her.
She made a scoffing noise.
“Since I haven’t made things clear in the years I’ve known you, I’ll do it now,” I began, openly impatient because I was tired of having this fucking conversation. “I am going to have the five-star life. But I’m going to get it for myself.”
“How’s it going to look, you strolling into a Waldorf Astoria with Core?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I retorted. “I also don’t give a fuck. I’ll be paying a whack to stay there, so they can keep their opinions to themselves. Then again, I don’t care where I am or who I’m around, someone has one, they can keep their unwanted opinions to themselves.”
She didn’t miss my point and her head moved like I’d smacked her.
But…
Seriously?
“As for Core,” I continued, “he’s probably rolling in money. Marijuana sales are huge. But even if they weren’t, my point about the Baconator was, early indications are that he’s happy if I’m happy. So if the Waldorf isn’t his thing, I think he’ll be able to suck it up. Then again, not many people have an issue with enjoying the amenities at a Waldorf Astoria property. Even, and this is just a guess, bikers.”
“I can’t believe I’m sitting in my own house, listening to someone I love defend the person she’s attracted to and wants to spend time with,” Marcy butted in.
That made Bree really mad and she didn’t hesitate to share why.
“Excuse me? Were you not part of the gang up on me about Christos?”
“Bitch, he was scamming you,” Marcy shot back. “Tell you what, I thought that guy was too smooth from the start. He wasn’t my thing. But he was yours. I didn’t say, ‘Listen, babe, he’s too pretty and perfect. It freaks me out.’ I wasn’t sleeping with him. It wasn’t my choice and my opinion didn’t matter. It was only when he started stealing from you that I spoke up. Do you not see the difference?”
Bree opened her mouth.
But our sweet Kyra got there first.
“Marce already said she isn’t comfortable with you being here right now, it’s my place too, and I feel the same. So before you make it worse, maybe you should go and think about what you said to Hellen, but more, what you said about Core. I mean, not only is that not even close to cool, he’s going after Christos and his gang for you. I’m blown away you have so little respect and gratitude. It really stinks.”
“I cannot believe you two are kicking me out.” Bree’s tone was as shocked as her expression.
“We need some space from you.” Marcy affirmed that was where they were at.
Bree glared at her, then Kyra, and for some reason, her longest, most heated glare was at me.
Then she slammed down her fancy glass so hard, I thought she’d break it. She snatched up her purse, walked to the small foyer space and turned on us.
“You all have a lot of thinking to do too,” she informed us.
I had no idea what she expected us to think about, we hadn’t just exposed the bigot within.
But with that, she stormed out.
“Oh my God, that sucked so huge,” Kyra breathed.
“Fuck her. I need a Baconator. Is Wendy’s on DoorDash?” Marcy asked, pushing out of the couch and heading for her phone on the kitchen counter.