Page 17 of Pieces of Heaven

“Yes. I had a little girl last June,” she explains and shows me a picture of a small baby cradled in Eagle’s arms. “I wanted to wait until after she was born to do the shower and official wedding.”

“She wanted to drink booze,” Wynonna announces. “And, boy, did she enjoy her liquor. Irina’s not normally this lively. The booze is still running the show.”

Unsure if Wynonna’s comment is the playful kind of teasing, I remain very still.

“Most of them are new moms,” Callie explains. “I’m happily childfree except for my stepchildren who are a handful.”

Wynonna narrows her eyes. “Eat it, Mommy.”

“I’m also childfree,” Rosemary says, ignoring the lowkey bickering between Wynonna and Callie. “Landry’s youngest is a year old now. Yazmin’s son just had his first birthday. Selene’s son was born back in March. Wynonna’s youngest is nearly four.”

“Esther’s a treasure,” Wynonna states and stops frowning at Callie. “She loved the cupcakes so much that she stuck a few in her pockets for later.”

We share a collective chuckle before Wynonna’s brown eyes zero in on me in a wholly aggressive way.

“So, what’s this thing about Kendra?” Wynonna demands.

I look at them sitting together along the banquette seating in my small coffee shop. They take up three tables, breaking into their little teams within the group. Irina takes pictures of the shop before noticing my gaze on her.

“My friend is curious about your shop, but Fiona doesn’t leave her house.”

Nodding, I smile at how warm they all seem. However, they’re also staring as if waiting for me to do something cool.

“What about Kendra?” Wynonna asks again.

“Is she your friend?”

“Yes. I refer to all my friends as cunts.”

Callie rolls her blue eyes. “Ignore Miss Whiny over here. Just tell us about the cunt.”

Standing behind the counter, I shrug. “She was my first customer. So, when she asked for a sample, I thought nothing of it.”

“Uh-oh,” Wynonna says and nods at Callie. “Freeloading cunt.”

“Then what happened?” Landry asks when the other two get into a silent, facial-reaction conversation.

“I gave her one. I wouldn’t do that at my parents’ places. But this shop is new, and I wanted to make a good impression.”

“You showed weakness,” Wynonna says and shakes her head dramatically. “A foolish but understandable mistake.”

“Did she not like the sample?” Selene asks, seeming confused.

“She said it tasted weird and demanded a different flavor. Then, she claimed the chocolate one tasted like bleach and accused me of being reckless with my food prep.”

Wynonna nods. “Sounds about right.”

“I apologized and suggested she eat elsewhere. But rather than leave, she asked for a free cup of coffee to smooth over what happened. If I didn’t agree, she threatened to give me a bad review and tell all her friends how I tried to poison her.”

Most of the women seem shocked by Kendra’s behavior, but Wynonna and Callie just nod like it’s expected.

“I gave her coffee. I just wanted her to leave. I thought it was over. I mean I sensed she probably pulled that routine with other people. But I didn’t think she’d come back.”

“But she did.”

“Yes. The next day and then the next. She kept eating stuff and making threats. Then, she brought a friend. I told them they had to pay. She acted like she would but only gave me what she thought the food was worth. I asked them to leave. They threw chairs around and broke a few things. I told them not to come back. She left me alone for a few days and then came back and apologized.”

“But it was a con,” Wynonna says, and I nod. “See, Kendra isn’t smart or attractive. She clearly has a terrible personality. She’d be completely forgettable except for how she tires out people.”

---