Page 59 of Yours for the Taking (Falling For A Rose)

“What’s up with you? Why do you sound so spaced out?”

It was the third time Carla traipsed down the lingerie aisle. “Huh? I do?”

“Yes, you do.”

“Oh. I’m looking for a bathing suit for my and Jacob’s trip to Barbados.”

“Wait, what?”

Carla chuckled then caught her cousin up on what she’d missed.

“Holy smokes, Carla!”

Carla gave off a schoolgirl giggle. “I know, right? I think it seems so good to be true that I’m in a fog.”

“I can hear it all in your voice. It’s like you’re here, but you’re not.”

“That’s exactly it.”

“Well, well, well. I am happy for you, cousin. You deserve to have your dreams come true.”

“Do I?”

“What do you mean, do you?”

“I’ve sinned a lot in my life. Should I have my dreams come true?”

“Are you being facetious right now?”

Carla cracked a smile. “I dunno.”

“Okay, snap out of it for one second and be serious with me.”

Carla blinked, took a look around the aisle, and noticed she was now being followed as she’d rounded the aisle a fifth time.

“Girl, I gotta go; this oriental lady is watching me, and I might flip out if I stay a second longer.”

London laughed. “There she is, ladies and gentleman, my cousin is back.”

“That shit ain’t funny.”

London continued to chuckle. “Well, if you weren’t wandering around there, maybe she wouldn’t be.”

“Don’t take up for her.”

* * *

Carla exitedNordstrom and went to Victoria’s Secret. “I would order from Fenty’s lingerie line, but I got no time to wait for it to come in the mail.”

“I thought you were looking for a bathing suit?”

Carla laughed. “Whew, girl, I lied. I mean,” her mouth opened, humor floating into the air. “I am…but first, lingerie.”

“I’m not even mad, do your thing!”

Carla’s lined beeped, and she reached into her purse, scooping her phone out as she neared Victoria’s Secret.

Lennox.

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