Page 107 of Exposed

“You leave my granddaughter and my golf cart outta this.” Trippy is so flustered by Norma, she quarter turns the wrong way.

“I reported you to management,” Norma announces. “You can’t even drive that hideous piece of chewed bubble gum without running it into something. That little girl sure as heck doesn’t need to be driving either. You’re too old, and she’s too young.”

“Let’s go again! Don’t give up on me now,” the leader calls. “Take it to the right for four!”

Trippy does not take it to the right.

Trippy stops, puts her hands on her round hips, and hitches a colorful Skecher. “You listen here, you old hag?—”

Norma does not respect Trippy’s space and leans in to poke her in the chest. “Don’t call me an old hag. I’m not the one huffing and puffing to theElectric Slide.”

Trippy swats Norma’s hand and is about to take a step forward when I look back at Rocco. “Do something.”

Rocco has stopped shuffling, clapping, and rocking. He’s standing there, arms crossed with an amused expression plastered on his young, handsome face. “I might do a lot of shit for my friends, but being a bouncer at the geriatric community is not on the list.”

“I’m not huffing and puffing!” Trippy wheezes.

There’s no way I can stand here and let anyone upset Trippy.

I put my arm around King’s mother’s shoulders, shift her back, and smile at Norma to defuse the situation. “If you’ll excuse us, we’ll move to the other side so you can dance here.”

Norma lifts an index finger and points in the air between me and Rocco. “One guest at a time. Trippy’s breaking the rules. You or your little boyfriend over there needs to leave.”

“That just proves that you know nothing!” Trippy raises her voice. “This is serious business, and they can’t be apart. There are some things worth breaking the rules for. This is my son’s girlfriend, and that strapping young man over there is her bodyguard.”

“No, no—” I interject.

Norma interrupts, but at least she gets her finger out of my face. “Are you famous?”

“Heavens, no. I’m a nobody.”

“Then why do you need a bodyguard?”

“This is an entire vibe I was not expecting. I’m here for it,” Rocco announces.

I glare at him. “You could do something to help, you know.”

“I might be your bodyguard, but I’m pretty sure you can handle this on your own,” he deadpans.

“Norma!” the leader finally calls over the PA. “Everyone okay back there?”

I exhale and look back at Norma. “He’s not a bodyguard. He’s a friend, that’s all. There’s plenty of room on the dance floor for everyone.”

“Go take your meds, Norma,” Trippy bites as she leans around me to poke the bear. “You’re off your rocker if you think I’m gonna let you boss me around?—”

“And that’s it!” the leader calls over the speaker as the music comes to an abrupt halt. “Let’s take a water break before we move ontoThe Twist! Hydrate, and we’ll take a bathroom break soon.”

I turn and take Trippy with me. “Let’s get a drink.”

“Trippy has two guests!” Norma shouts to the front of the room. I gasp and look back to find the woman pointing at us as I shuffle Trippy to a side table where cups of water are sitting.

“He’s a bodyguard!” Trippy yells over her shoulder so the whole room can hear.

The activities leader gives Norma a little wave like everything is a-okay.

Rocco knocks back a dixie cup of water and picks up a second. “So much for flying under the radar. I hope no one here has a direct line to the cartel.”

“When King gets back, I’m going to tell him to plant some illegal drugs in her golf cart. Then I’m going to call management,” Trippy announces as she sips her own water. “Better yet, Rocco, you can arrest her! That’ll teach her.”

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