Page 53 of Safest With You
“Okay, Big Marsha! Not the little one, ahh!” Stella said, shimmying and sticking her tongue out like she was Megan Thee Stallion. Marsha joined in the dance and I shook my head as I grabbed paper plates and a roll of paper towels.
Stella placed the bag down then took the contents out. She handed me two containers and the same to Marsha. I waited for Stella to pull out her food and she only pulled out a little side dish of mac and cheese. Marsha looked at me then back to Stella with a raised brow.
“Bish I know you didn’t eat without us,” Marsha said.
“Man, I was hungry. I hadn’t eaten today and by the time I walked out of there, my stomach was in my damn throat. My bad. It was only a pulled pork sandwich. I didn’t want to get anything too heavy because I have an open house later,” Stella explained.
“Mmhmm. You still want me and bae to come through and act like we’re interested? Shit be fun lowkey,” Marsha said as she opened her container.
“Did you lock the door?” I asked Stella. She nodded, then I went back to my food.
I opened the collards and went in. Like Stella, I hadn’t eaten much of anything today. I didn’t want to get behind on painting. I had furniture being delivered for the waiting area and needed these walls dry. I could afford painters but what was the fun in that? I didn’t mind getting my hands dirty to make my vision come true.
“Yes, can y’all please? Seems like these clients like to think someone else is going to take their dream home,” Stella replied.
She was surely right about that because I was one of them. I got really upset when someone tried to take my first location in South Carolina. They had me effed up. I put in an offer they couldn’t match on purpose and got my spot. Same with this location. I was great at negotiations.
“I got you, boo. Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask, Brandy, are you ready for your trip? You’ve only been cancelling it for like three weeks now,” Marsha asked.
“I was ready when I booked it, but now that we’ve been working on this spot, I hadn’t really thought about it. I know I need to go though.”
“Yeah, before Chardonnay comes here and drags your ass out there,” Stella said with a mouth full of food.
“I’m not canceling this time. Marsha and Mary already made sure I wouldn’t. Mary is going to take over the classes up top and Marsha is gonna bring big bro in to help finish the renovations here. Only thing I have left is packing and checking in,” I explained.
“Okay! I see you, boo. I really think it’ll be good for you. All that fresh country unpolluted air, the scenery, the animals, the lake. Ugh, it’s a dream,” Stella said.
“Did Colton just make you come bish?” Marsha asked playfully.
“Hoe, shut up!” Stella said as she threw a plastic spoon at her.
I laughed and shook my head. Those two always kept my spirits high. I always smiled hard with my girls.
“Oh Stella, how much for the food? I’ma Zelle you right quick,” I said while pulling out my cell phone.
I took another bite of my collards then drank a couple sips of water as I went to open my app. When I finally logged in, I choked on my water.
“Bish, are you okay?” Marsha asked as she rubbed and patted my back.
It took me a little bit to get my throat together and by the time I looked at my friends they were both full of concern.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m good.” I coughed a couple times then wiped my mouth with a paper towel.
“What’s got you choking and shit? I thought you ain’t have no gag reflex,” Marsha said, then burst into laughter from her own half joke.
“Bish I don’t,” I replied, then rolled my eyes. “I just damn near dropped this phone from what I just saw in my bank account.”
“What you mean? Did Jeffrey get access to your funds again? Shit, let me go ahead and drop you something. Don’t worry about the food, boo,” Stella said. She was always so caring, but this was one time I could say she was dead wrong.
“No, boo. You don’t need to do that cuz I just got a deposit in my account for twenty Gs,” I said.
“What?!” they both said excitedly.
“Yes, girl.”
“Armond dropped money in your account?” Marsha asked.
“Technically. It’s a return deposit from the resort. They gave me back everything we spent for our trip, including the flight costs,” I replied.
