Page 5 of Deadly Sights

As if they heard Danae, the waitstaff enters with dessert, and Tamara intercedes. With a glare directed at Chelsea, she takes control of the cart.

“Why must we do this every time? I’m not here for the dancing. I chose the lounge because that’s what I wanted to do while listening to the music,” I protest, but know they will wear me down as I eye the two slices of chocolate cake heading my way.

“But you will get your ass on that floor if you want a piece of this. Otherwise, Chelsea will be on cloud nine with two slices.”

I glare at Tamara for pitting me and Chelsea against each other. Our weakness for chocolate is not to be messed with. “Fine, one dance.” I reach for the dessert.

Moni pins my hands to the table. “You know that’s not how this works. Say it and do the thing.”

“Why did I ever become friends with you?”

“Excuse us, but your memory of events needs refreshing. You forced us to be friends with you. Picked us up like strays at the shelter.” Danae says and every one of them nods in agreement with synchronized mmhmms. “Now, do as Moni said so we can shake our asses while our asses are hot.”

I sigh before forming my fingers in the shape of a heart and placing my hands over my chest. “I promise that I’ll at least dance with one guy?—”

“Hot guy,” Moni specifies.

“Dance with onehotguy and m?—”

“—whose sexiness is independently assessed by one of the crew. Please read that oath back for me.” As the lawyer in the group, Tamara is worse than Moni with promises.

I glare at the women, but say, “I, Nadira Zane, promise I’ll dance with at least onehotguy whose sexiness has undergone an independent assessment from my crew. And if he asks for a second dance, I’m obligated to accept until he bares a red flag or my crew permits me to exit the dance floor. There, I said it. Now, give me my goddamn cake.” I snatch the dessert off the tray and take the bite I’ve been waiting for all night.

“Mmm.” My eyes close as the decadent richness of the dessert melts on my tongue.

Chelsea, who also has her cake makes noises lewder than mine. I’m not a third of the way through and she’s licking the tines of her fork to get every chocolatey morsel off the damn thing while eyeing what’s left of mine.

“Keep eyeing Nadira’s cake and you’re going to lose an eye. You know she’s worse than you with sharing.” Moni’s warning is not new.

“That’s not true. I share my friends.” I wink while slowly pushing another bite into my mouth.

The gesture is only half teasing because I savor my cake whenever I cheat on my diet, and I always cheat when I’m with my girls. There’s something about the decadent, velvety texture of chocolate icing, the lightness of chocolate mousse, and the dense richness of the cake that puts everything in my world to rights. It’s a feeling I’ve had since waking from my car accident twenty-five years ago, and it hasn’t left me in the intervening years.

“Can you be any slower?” The complaints start with Danae, then everyone echoes her.

I’m seventy percent finished but the ladies are done and their glasses are empty. I roll my eyes at their impatience. “Y’all know I only allow myself this treat when I’m with y’all. Settle yourselves and don’t ruin it for me.”

“The only reason you loving on that cake so much is because you need dick in your life,” Tamara says.

“Ignore her,” I mouth to the bartender whose ears perk up. To Tamara, I say, “What do you know about needing dick? You’ve been on Team P since puberty.”

“Ain’t that right? Remember that story about her almost seducing her high school teacher? That woman nearly caught a case because of Tamara’s horny ass.” Chelsea slams the table in her amusement as she bowls over with laughter.

“Yeah, then she stay trying to put people away, acting like she wasn’t jailbait. Now that she’s got her own firm, she keeping ho’s out of jail.” Moni bumps shoulders with Chelsea.

“You not right, hating on my natural game like this. If I was a straight-chaser, all of you would have found your baby gay membership cards years ago.” She shrugs with a suggestive smile. “I’m just saying.”

“I bet. That teacher sure found hers. She left her husband and hasn’t ridden a dick since you introduced her to the powerof puss.” Chelsea pounds on the table while laughter shakes her body.

“Alright ladies. Ms. Nadira has finished her cake. It’s time to go dick recruiting on the dance floor.” Danae pulls me from the table.

“I’m not a fan of this plan. I already promised I’d dance with one guy. Why are you making it sound like you’re going to have an entire line of men sent my way?”

“I’m not saying we not but I’m also not saying we aren’t,” Moni says, already swiveling her head to survey who’s in the club.

To defend myself, I curve my arms around Chelsea and Danea’s elbows. “I need at least five songs to loosen up before you sacrifice me to the dick altar.”

“That’s not what you need to loosen up.” Danae pulls me to the center of the floor.

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