Page 79 of Yours for the Taking (Falling For A Rose)

“We are. Unless you’re not.”

“My girls are calling me out,” she chuckled. “They want me to come chill at the Velvet Café.”

Jacob placed a warm kiss on her lips.

“But I can always stay with you,” she backtracked.

He chuckled. “Go hang out with your girls and call me as soon as you get home to let me know you made it safely.”

“I will.”

Their kiss extended with pecks here and there in the hall, in the car, until Jacob dropped her off at home. But even as she watched Jacob pull off after closing her door, Carla considered calling him back.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Ma’am!” Tina stood from their reserved table inside the Velvet Café Lounge. Planting her hands on her hips, she smiled and perused Carla as she sashayed to their table. “Look at you with a little pep in your step and shit!”

Carla dropped her head back, mouth open, laughing.

“It’s dark in here, and you are lighting this place up with that glow, gotdamn, girl!”

“She sure is,” Chelsea added.

“Oooh, shit,” Lisa rubbed her lips together. “Tell us all about it.”

Carla glanced at the trio of Genesis Rising. The three women were primped and dressed down in dresses, tights, asymmetrical sweaters, heels, and boots.

“Ladies,” She held her clutch tucked under one arm and slid a hand over her red thigh-high body-hugging dress. “Ya girl is in love.”

The group squealed with shouts, delighted by Carla’s news.

Shaking her head, Carla exhaled as a server approached their table with a round of drinks.

“That’s right, we already ordered, and we didn’t leave out your Sex on the Beach.”

Carla laughed. “Thank you, darlings. I appreciate it.”

She grabbed the drink offered from the server and winked her thanks, then turned back to her crew.

“So, tell us all about it, and don’t leave nothing out!” Tina shouted.

“Do you have to be so loud, though?”

“Who’s listening?” Tina waved her hand around. “Everybody is minding their business.”

“The music is too loud, anyway,” Chelsea added.

“I feel like you’re delaying this girl-talk confession, and I don’t appreciate it,” Lisa said.

“Y’all won’t give me a break. I just got here.” Carla rolled her eyes and smirked.

“Tell us, hussy!”

Carla fell into a fit of laughter, and she brought them up to speed on her and Jacob’s trip to Barbados.

“When I tell you guys I had a blast, it’s an understatement. Look, not only did we have fun, we fucked like it was the last days of our lives.”

“Oooooh!” the trio yelled.

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