Page 7 of The Sweetest Surrender

Chapter Three

The metal bars slammed, locking Phoebe, Eden, and Selena within the boxed cell. They still couldn’t believe they’d been taken to jail. They all glowered at the officers as they walked away with smirks on their faces. Each one of them seethed in her own right.

“I can’t even believe this shit,” Selena said, rubbing her wrists where the cuffs had been clamped too tight.

“When I’m done with them, they will never have a job again,” Eden added.

Phoebe sighed and shook her head. This was not how she expected to spend the day when she woke up this morning. All of her happiness had been temporarily stomped as she took in the entirety of their situation.

Selena turned her back to the cell and took an eye around the metal-like structure. Three other women sat in the back, one clearly a prostitute with her heavy makeup, mini skirt, see-through body-hugging top, six-inch heels, and 1980s styled hair. On the floor, a young lady looked like she was in another world as a haze covered her eyes, and she didn’t blink within the thirty seconds Phoebe watched her. The lady next to her stared back at Selena, Phoebe, and Eden; wondering what they’d done to be thrown into the slammer.

“Hey,” the third girl who sat on the floor chimed, “you’re the Rose sisters!”

Phoebe groaned. This would surely make headlines, and she could kick herself for not remembering to come out of the wedding dress.

“I’m sorry, you guys,” Phoebe said.

Selena and Eden frowned over at her.

“This is not your fault, so don’t even start,” Selena said with Eden agreeing.

“Yes, it is,” Phoebe retorted. “I should’ve just went with my gut and stayed with our customary bridal shop.”

“That woman knows you can pay for this dress. That’s why she stumbled all over herself trying to make the sale,” Selena said.

“Even so, if we would’ve gone to Miranda’s, she wouldn’t have called the police on us.”

Eden and Selena pursed their lips, and Selena crossed her arms. It was true, but that was beside the point.

“Does anyone of you have a lighter?” the scantily dressed woman asked.

They all stared at her with one eyebrow hitched.

“Where would we happen to have a lighter?” Selena asked.

The woman shrugged. “There are plenty of places to hide it. I’m sure you know that.”

Eden rolled her eyes.

“How long do you think we’re going to be in here?” Phoebe asked, turning her head to whisper. The question was directed at Selena and Eden, but the scantily dressed woman answered.

“As slow as they move, probably twenty-four hours. By then you would’ve been searched, so if you have anything on you,” the scantily dressed woman paused then continued, “you better give it up now. Like say, a lighter?”

“What exactly do you plan to light?” Selena asked. Either this girl was delusional, or she really planned to set the cell on fire.

The scantily dressed woman smiled and stuck her hand between her legs and pulled out what appeared to be a loose cigarette.

“I just need a hit,” she said.

The women all scrunched their lips, and their faces turned into a scribbling mask.

“Oh my God…” Phoebe sang.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” Eden said. “If she finds a way to light that thing, I’ll die.”

“Besides that, they’re going to search us,” Phoebe said.

Phoebe couldn’t imagine what it must feel like to be stripped of your privileges and examined like a criminal with no basic human rights. In fact, the thought made her lawyer intuition kick in, giving Phoebe another reason to create a bill to pass for people who were locked up that didn’t have a record or was a first-time offender. In this day and age, shit happens; everyone didn’t come to jail with the thoughts of smuggling something in.

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