Page 7 of Happy Endings

She didn’t need his restaurant to do her job. Most of her clients preferred buying sex toys in the privacy of their own home, surrounded by friends. This pop-up was a one-time event at Mama Hazel’s. Trixie vowed to never see or speak to Andre ever again. This time it would be her decision. Not his.

“I love watching you in your element!” Reina handed her the stray order forms, catalogs, and penis pencil toppers that she’d picked up from the tables. “You’re going to kick ass in Bedroom Frenzy’s contest.”

“I’d better. I’ve been stuck in third place all summer. And a new laptop is cool, but the money would be better.” Trixie placed all the papers into her worn brown leather tote. “Thanks again for your help.”

“If by helping you mean sitting here and eating the most amazing chicken and waffles I’ve ever put in my mouth, then you’re welcome.” Reina lowered her voice. “Andre may be a jerk, but he serves the best food I’ve had since I moved up here.”

Trixie gave a half-hearted laugh. Her friend was right about the food. It was delicious. Like Trixie, Reina was a New Orleans native. A native who constantly moaned how Washington, DC, was not really the South—especially in the food department.

“Tonight was my best show this year!” Trixie resisted the urge to jump up and down as she changed the subject from Andre. “If I could have at least one like this every month for the rest of the year, I’m a shoo-in for first place.”

“You can’t go wrong with booze, good food, and battery-operated boyfriends,” Reina said. “I think I just described my Friday night date!”

Reina waggled her eyebrows. Trixie laughed.

“Which boyfriend do you want? It’s my gift to you for being my chauffeur and assistant tonight. I’ll even toss in batteries.” Her company never included batteries with any of their products. Sometimes Trixie would offer them free of charge to encourage customers who were on the fence. What was the point of buying a sex toy when they had to steal AAs out of their TV remotes?

“Now, that’s friendship!” Reina chuckled. “Hanging out with you is the only gift I want. Though I’d like my own suction-cup, glow-in-the-dark dildo so I can play ring toss in my office.”

“He’s yours! I’ll order you a brand-new Glo-Man.”

“Oooh, a virgin.”

“You are so bad!”

“I’m just being my fabulous self.” Reina winked and tossed her red hair.

“Yes, you are.” Trixie hugged Reina.

“Which reminds me. My offer is still good.” Reina shot a look toward the bar. “Say the word and I’ll kick his ass.”

“I love that you have my back, but I don’t want you arrested because of him. He’s not worth it. I’m over him.”

Except she wasn’t. Seeing him again stirred up conflicting emotions. She wanted more closure than the note he’d left. And standing so close to his warm, muscular body had aroused her in ways a vibrator couldn’t take care of.

Trixie needed to stay focused on her career. She wasn’t about to give Andre Walker the chance to derail her dreams—or break her heart a second time.

Chapter 4

Two weeks later

To the Bitchin’ Boss Babes!” The four women clinked their glasses.

These weekly meetings were the highlight of Trixie’s week.

At least once a week, she and her three best friends met for a business mastermind session, but the late lunches always became a combination of brainstorming business ideas and day drinking.

Without their help, Trixie would be aimlessly moving from job to job in DC, much like how she’d done in New Orleans after Andre dumped her. Reina had offered her a bartending job even though Trixie’s main experience with cocktails was drinking them. Zoe literally opened her door to Trixie and let her move in rent free until she got on her feet. Then there was Josie Parks, the Boss Babes’ leader, who helped Trixie set goals after she took the Bedroom Frenzy job.

“We made it another week, babes.” Reina lifted her margarita and took another sip before anyone else lifted hers. “Too bad the zoning meeting I attended this week didn’t serve cocktails. There would’ve been fewer stuffy dudes arguing.”

Though Trixie was a latecomer to the group, she knew the origin story by heart. A few years ago, the three women attended a chamber of commerce happy hour only to be snubbed by all the suit-wearing, “serious” business owners there. They ended up huddling around a small cocktail table. Once they learned about each woman’s “nontraditional” business, Boss Babes was formed.

Trixie sipped her cà phê s?a dá and leaned against the booth’s high-backed seat. Ph?-Ever 75 was one of the few places where they could commandeer a table for their long lunch meetings, and the dark roast espresso sweetened with condensed milk reminded her of home.

“Another toast to my parents, who don’t mind that we spend hours at their restaurant and only buy a bowl of ph? each.” Zoe Tran, the best roommate Trixie could ever have, raised her glass.

“And for finding a parking space at Eden Center in less than five minutes.”

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