Page 46 of Awakened by Sin

“I have what I need.”

“You’d tell me if you didn’t, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, what do you want to drink?”

By the time they entered the dance class, Carmen was ready to cha-cha her ass off. She was the youngest person in the class, but that didn’t bother her in the least. She hugged and kissed her mother’s friends and was bathed in their heavy perfume. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. There were only a handful of men in the class. They made a big show of kissing her hand and making jokes like, “If I was forty years younger, baby, you’d have to make a run for it.”

Carmen was glad to see that she hadn’t overdressed. The room was a colorful mix of dresses, heels, and scarves. These women were dressed to impress. The instructors started the class with a walking step, which was torturously slow, but she passed the time by getting to know her rascal dance partner, Marv, a widower with two sons and a daughter in college. The class started to get more interesting when the instructors added side steps and rock steps. The pace picked up, and her brow became slick with sweat. Holy cow, no wonder her mom looked forty. Geez. She really needed to get back into her stripper workout classes. This cha-cha class was kicking her ass.

After the class, they went to a restaurant within walking distance. Carmen became the topic of conversation as the women offered their advice on love, loss, marriage, and tips to find an eligible man. Most of the women offered their own sons. She politely declined and said that she was happily single and independent. This started several heated discussions about whether it was better to be alone or with a man. She had to distract them with a platter of desserts and decaf coffee. In the middle of the commotion, her cell rang.

“Hey, Alice, what’s up?”

“Do you want to help with an animal adoption?” Alice sounded a bit breathless.

“Sure. When is it?”

“Next week. I contacted the shelters, and they’re overloaded, so I had to move up the event a lot earlier than I expected. We’re doing the adoption at Cimarron Elementary next Saturday at eight. I’m having a meeting here at five today if you can make it. We can do dinner after.”

“Okay, I’ll be there.” Carmen looked at the group of elderly people. Maybe some of them needed a furry companion?

“I tried to call Lyla, but she didn’t pick up. Can you check with her?”

“No problem.”

“Thank you so much. See you in a couple of hours!”

She snatched the bill from their pregnant server before anyone noticed and gave her credit card before she announced at large, “There’s going to be an animal adoption at Cimarron Elementary next Saturday. It starts at eight. Do any of your grandkids want a pet?”

She answered their questions to the best of her ability as the server asked her to sign the receipt. She added a large tip for the server who, despite being exhausted, had been kind and patient with the inquisitive, indecisive elders. Her new friends were shocked, and a bit outraged when they discovered she paid the bill.

“You can repay me by bringing someone to the animal adoption next Saturday,” Carmen said.

“You’re a good girl. Isabel raised you right,” a woman said and patted her on the cheek.

It took over fifteen minutes to say goodbye to her new friends. She linked her arm through her mother’s and was about to duck into the car when the server hurried out of the restaurant.

“I think you made a mistake! Did you add an extra zero to the tip by accident?”

Carmen put on her sunglasses. “No, I didn’t. Are you having a boy or a girl?”

“I’m having one of each. But this tip is—”

“Buy the twins something from me,” Carmen said as she slipped behind the wheel.

“What’s your name?”

“Carmen Pyre.”

“Pyre? As in Pyre Casinos? You’re related to Gavin Pyre?”

Carmen resisted the urge to grimace. “Through marriage.”

“I heard the Pyres have been doing great things in the community,” the server said. “It’s a shame what happened at the hospital last week.”

“It is.” The hospital attack had slipped her mind since it had been eclipsed by later events. “If you want the twins to have a furry friend, there’s going to be an animal adoption on Saturday at Cimarron Elementary. You should come. It’ll be fun.”

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