“Come in,” I say, putting the television on mute.
Lauren opens the door, peeking her head in.
“Hey, just checking in. How you feeling?” She opens the door, standing there in shorts and a tank top.
“I’m okay, back as new tomorrow, I think,” I say, stretching. “You feeling better?” I ask her, knowing she has been beating herself up about the whole thing.
“I just need to move on. Find a boss I don’t want to kill or at least a boss who won’t push me over the edge into insanity.”
“For what it’s worth, he looked really sorry when he stopped—” Her hand flies up to stop me from saying anything. “Fine, subject dropped.”
“I’m going to bed,” she says, closing the door behind her. And I do just that, turning off the light and getting lost in my dreams.
The next morning I wake to a knock at the door, followed by a soft little voice.
“Auntie Kay, I’m going bye bye soon and we didn’t smoochacles.”
I giggle, stretching. “You may enter for some smoochacles,” I shout while she opens the door, coming in.
Her blond pigtails bob up and down as she hops over to me. She climbs on the bed while I turn on my side, opening my arms for her to lie down next to me. She lays her head on my outstretched arm while my other arm snuggles her closer to me. “I gotta go see Daddy and Ms. Camilla,” she says, her small arm wrapping around my neck.
“It’s going to be fun and when you come back we can make some cookies,” I say. “Now give me smooches before mom calls you down. I think I heard a car door slam.”
She leans in, rubbing her nose with mine and then kissing me on the lips. I blow zerberts across her cheeks and then her neck, her giggles coming out while her little hands try to push me away.
“Now be a good girl and smile big when you see mom, okay?” I kiss her nose one more time before she turns over and slips off the bed.
“And when I come back we can do doggy style again, okay, Auntie Kay?”
“Downward Dog, honey,” I tell her while she slams the door. I grab my robe, getting up, glancing at my phone. I have a couple of texts from Noah.
I’m not an Asshat.
Let me take you out and show you.
I don’t answer him. Instead, I close my phone and go to the bathroom and finally make my way downstairs to see Lauren at the counter reading the paper. “Morning,” I say as I go to the coffee machine, taking a sip of the black coffee. “You know what we need to do? Go out.” I watch her eyes move up from the paper. “Get our freak on.”
She eyes me, still not sold.
“Dance, Lauren, shake our pom-poms.” I shake my body, pretending I’m dancing.
“I don’t know, Kay,” she says while I put my cup down.
“When is the last time we went out just to go out and dance?” I don’t wait for her to answer. “I’m going to go and do some yoga, rid myself of the toxins that are probably still lingering in my body, then we will have a nap and get ready to paint the town.” I put my empty cup in the sink. “Better take a nap, grandma, it’s going to be a long night.” I smile at the dib while she tells me to fuck off. Going upstairs, I put on my yoga pants and sports bra, picking up my mat on the way out. My phone is dropped into the bottom of the bag. My fingers are tempted to answer him back. “I need to get laid and get him out of my system,” I say to myself as I walk to the park near the house and I finally rid myself of the toxins.
By the time I’m showered and shaved, I take in my outfit. “Yup, this makes a statement all right.” It consists of a pair of white lace looser-fitting short shorts with a small, shiny black belt. I’ve paired it with a black tube top. I have omitted the bra because I don’t actually need one. The whole outfit comes together with a seriously sexy pair of black open-toe, lace-up stiletto boots. “Yup, let’s do this,” I tell my reflection as I grab my small clutch, putting my phone in it. I walk out of my room, coming face to face with Lauren, who looks a little scared.
“Let’s go get us some dick!” She raises her hands in the air, and I can’t help but laugh. Before she can answer me, we hear a honk outside. “CAB’S HERE!” she yells in her best Jersey shore accent.
We get into the cab and I give him the address to the club we are going to. “Steph’s roommate’s boyfriend’s cousin is the bouncer at this club and she put our name on the list.” I take my phone out of my purse. “We need a selfie,” I tell her, raising my hand in the air and making a duck face. I post it on Instagram with the caption ‘what trouble will we bring tonight?’