Page 57 of Fever

I stopped walking at Carla’s heavy insinuation.

“What?” I shrugged.

“You’ll have to come better than that. You talk like the man is sixteen. Honey, he’s in his late-twenties. Josiah knows what he wants.”

“How do you know?” I asked, making my way into the store.

“It’s not rocket science. Look, consider this. Josiah was raised in a strong male household. I’m sure his values are very different from most twenty somethings.”

She had a point, but I didn’t want to let her know it.

“I hear you.”

“Do you,” she shot back.

“I do.”

I browsed through summer dresses before pulling a few off and heading to the dressing room.

“I should’ve been right there with you. I could use some retail therapy. How much vacation time did you put in at work?”

“Initially a week, which ends in three days. But I just got a new job, so I’m going to put in my two weeks’ notice.”

The phone went silent.

“Hello, Carla?”

“I’m so happy for you I could cry.”

“Aww, are you?”

“Yes, I am, but I am jealous as hell.”

We laughed.

“Where did you get another job?”

I paused for dramatic effect. “The Chicago Chronicle.”

Carla gasped then squealed, and I did a little dance in the dressing room as I stepped into the thin gown.

“I know!” I said, excitement bubbling over. “That’s why Josiah is taking me to dinner. He wants to celebrate.”

“Girl, you are on some love-struck shit over there. I can’t even relate!”

I tossed back my head and laughed.

“Tomorrow, his family is having what he called their annual barbeque, and he wants me there.”

“Dang, I want to go! He got about fifty thousand other brothers. Maybe I can bag one of them.”

I laughed again and slapped the wall in the dressing room.

“Hey, you never know. If you really want to go, I’ll ask Josiah if it’s okay that I bring you.”

“Um, why hell yes I want to go!”

My laughter continued. I could see Carla standing with a hand on her hip going into a circle neck roll and lip pop. I twirled in the mirror and loved the way the see-through lace fit my breast snugly down to my waist. From there, silk material flared at my hips stretching to my knees. I felt like Mary Poppins. Well, the updated, sophisticated, sexy as hell version if I did say so myself.

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