CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE #2
“I was saving up to go back to college. I’m a certified nursing assistant. I worked at one of the local nursing homes, but they fired me for being pregnant. You can’t lift heavy patients if you’re pregnant.”
“What do you want to be?” Carmen asked.
“A nurse practitioner.”
Carmen nodded. “Come with me.” She motioned to the staircase. “You two go join the others. Jelly and I are going to be awhile.” She glanced my way. “And Nadine? Don’t worry about having that talk with Ray Ann. I’ll explain it all.”
My eyes widened. Jelly was about to get the shock of her life.
Jelly started up the stairs after Carmen. She turned halfway up and gave me wide, questioning eyes. I just held my hands up. I wasn’t sure what Carmen was up to.
Madeline and I each poured a glass of wine and went to join the others. They were talking and laughing instead of watching the movie, but that was fine with me. I plopped down next to Daisy and joined in.
Everyone wanted to know what was up with Jelly, but I felt disloyal telling her story. “If she wants to tell y’all, she will,” I said. We hung out for a good while, drinking wine and gossiping about customers from Sugar.
I was trying not to worry about whatever Carmen was doing with Jelly.
I was also worried about where Jelly was going to stay.
Sure, Reynolds wasn’t over every night anymore, but I didn’t think he would be okay with my best friend being in the guest bedroom of the condo while we fucked all over the place on the nights he was there.
A sudden sharp vibration took my mind off that problem. Daisy’s phone kept buzzing, and since it was in her pocket, I could feel the vibrations. “Who’s texting you so much?”
“No one. Don’t worry about it.”
I studied her face. I’d seen the worried look that flitted across her pretty features before she dismissed it, and I knew there was more to the story. We were friends, but I didn’t think we were close enough for me to stick my hand in her pocket or wrestle her phone away to see who it was.
Before I could ask more, Carmen walked into the room. “Presenting Ray Ann,” she said with a flourish.
Jelly walked in after her, but she didn’t look like herself at all.
We all gasped, me the loudest.
My best friend had been gorgeous all these years, and I hadn’t known.
Sure, I’d been able to tell Jelly was pretty.
She hadn’t been able to hide that, but the woman standing in front of me wasn’t just pretty.
She was truly stunning. Her black hair had been washed, straightened, and styled.
It was shiny and curled at the ends as it flowed around her shoulders.
Her makeup was understated and pretty, highlighting her porcelain skin, cupid bow lips, and, most of all, her bright blue eyes.
She was dressed in a low-cut cocktail dress, and I was shocked to see she had a killer figure. She was petite but still had curves.
“You have boobs?” I cried, and everyone laughed.
Jelly turned pink but laughed. “Yeah, dumbass, I have boobs.”
Carmen wanted to get back to business. “So, ladies, Ray Ann will be joining the staff of Sugar as a hostess. She’ll be staying in the room Nadine just vacated. I’ve already explained everything to her, and she’s filled out her interest application for the auction.”
Everyone’s jaw just about hit the floor. Carmen wasn’t known for doing this kind of thing, and now she’d done it twice in a row—first with me, and now with Jelly. My first reaction was relief. Jelly had a place to stay and a job lined up. My second? Disbelief.
“You’re going to work as a hostess?” I squeaked out. “Does Carmen know you’re…”
“Mean? Yeah. She said I had to work on it and at least try to be nice. She also said that there are some guys who will be into it.” Jelly lifted a shoulder as if to say, “who knows?”
“Well…. that’s… amazing!” I jumped up and practically tackled her in a hug.
“God, Nadine! Get off me,” she protested, trying to extricate herself from my arms. I wouldn’t let her go, though.
“This makes me so happy, Jelly!”
“Nadine, you have to call her Ray Ann. That name is bad enough, but it’s a hell of a lot better than Jelly.”
I made a face. “You know I’ve called her Jelly since we met in pre-K, right?”
“Yes, and I also know you had rough grammar for all twenty-two of your years until I sicced Lonnie Maitland on you. You’ll learn.”
Huh. She had a point.
“Fine. Ray Ann it is.” I thought for a minute then clapped my hands together. “Oh my God, y’all are going to have so much fun getting to know each other!”
Jelly—Ray Ann—looked at me like I was insane. So did Glory. Everyone else, though? They seemed at least mildly excited to have a new roommate.
I flopped back down on the sofa and took a big swig of my wine. “Whew. This has been a strange evening.”
“No shit.” Ray Ann agreed.
“Why aren’t you at the condo with Reynolds?” Carmen suddenly asked.
I felt a stab of… something. Jealousy? Sadness? “He’s with Whitney.”
There was a chorus of displeased voices.
I filled them in on the latest developments.
Carmen cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t know how I feel about that, Nadine. Did you do something to upset him?”
“No. It’s about the campaign. He’s trying to appear like a reliable, conservative family man.”
There were some snorts of laughter from some of the girls.
Carmen narrowed her eyes. “He hasn’t fulfilled all aspects of his end of the contract yet. I’m going to keep my eye on things, Nadine. You let me know immediately if there’s something I need to know about.”
Lord. The last thing I wanted was Carmen looking over my shoulder any more than she already was.