Page 12 of Dangerous Contract: Part 1

“Look, you’ve tried on over a dozen outfits. Some yours, some ours. By the time we get to the party, it will be over,” Meka drawled.

Hmm. So, if she stalled a bit longer, she could miss the party altogether and stay home watching television.

“Heffa, that outfit looks great on you,” Toya told her. “Wear it!”

It wasn’t that the ensemble looked terrible on her. Monique simply didn’t feel like herself in it. The black dress was super tight. There was no hiding her flaws in it. The Spanx she wore underneath helped. And though it was working overtime, it wasn’t enough.

“Instead of putting these long sleeves on the dress,” Monique complained. “They should’ve added that fabric to the bottom to make the dress longer. If my arms are cold, wouldn’t my legs be cold too? Whoever designed this dress is crazy. It was probably a man who made it.”

Men were the worst!

“Yeah, yeah,” Toya sarcastically agreed. “Put the shoes on, and let’s go.”

“This really won’t work,” Monique insisted. “Toya, you’re smaller than me. Your clothing can’t fit me.”

“We used to wear the same size. Who told you to gain weight?” Toya drawled.

That heffa!

“It looks good,” Meka complimented her. “Better than good. You look hot, Mo. This looks better on you than it does on Toya.”

“Not true,” Toya disagreed. “But it does look good on you.”

Monique rolled her eyes.

“Seriously, it does,” Toya assured her. “You can’t see it because you’ve been trapped in the house for so long, catering to a man who didn’t value you, and you’ve lost the confidence you used to have. Tonight is the night you begin the journey of getting it back. This dress will help.”

“I’m confident,” Monique defended herself.

Her friends side-eyed her. Monique sighed for the hundredth time and resumed staring at herself in the mirror. They were right. She wasn’t confident. When her husband left, he took her heart, confidence, and future plans with him.

They were also right about another thing. It was time for her to get those things back. And she couldn’t do that by staying inside and wallowing in self-pity. Her husband had left her. So the fuck what?

Her life hadn’t begun with him, and it wouldn’t end with him. Unless she let it. Sheneededto live again. Shewantedto live again. Monique took a deep breath and released it slowly.

“Okay, ladies. I’ll stick with this freak’um dress that’s much too short. I think I’m officially ready to hit the club.”

As her friends cheered, Monique smiled at her reflection.I’ve got this. I hope. Please have this, Monique.Monique finished getting ready and putting on jewelry. Temeka styled her hair in a cute updo while Toya freshened up her makeup for her. By the time they were done, it was later than they’d thought.

Toya glared at Monique. “They’re probably havinglast call for alcoholright now.”

“Sorry,” Monique apologized. “But I’m dressed now. We’ve got to go somewhere.”

That cost her another glare from her friends.

“Soooo,” Monique hummed. “Are we staying in and watching television? I’m cool with that if you all are. That new dragon show is on. We can...”

“We’re going out,” Toya hissed, interrupting her. “I’ll think of somewhere to go. Let’s get in the car. And Monique, you owe us.”

Uh oh.She hoped it wasn’t like in the old days when they made each other do dares when they owed each other.

“I’ll choose your dare,” Toya told her.

Yep, it was just like old times.

“No,” Monique rushed to say. “We are not in our twenties anymore. Doing dares is childish.”

Both of her friends glared at her. Monique closed her mouth.Dare, it was. After getting into the passenger seat of Toya’s car, Monique’s nervous feelings returned. Tapping her high heels against the floorboard, she stared out the window. When they pulled up at Cattaneos Casino and Resort, she groaned.

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