“I highly recommend drinking and driving with us, just saying,” she replied with a shrug.
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. Lemme hop in the shower and get dressed.”
I stepped outside my bedroom, dressed in all black from the fitted hat on my head to the Jordans on my feet. The onlyoutlier was the gold Cuban link chain around my neck that I got during a port call in Dubai some years back. I walked into the kitchen to see Lex standing there looking good enough to eat with her phone in her hand. I slowed my stride, overhearing her conversation as my eyes soaked her in from head to toe.
Her petite frame was wrapped in a mesh, spaghetti-strapped, see-through black dress with a V-shaped plunge that showed off her cleavage, and a pair of strappy platform heels that she looked too damn good in that made her three to four inches taller than usual. Long, loose curls framed her face, and dark red lipstick was painted on her lips. I also noticed her ring finger was still empty, but I knew better than to mention it. As badly as I didn’t want to be their designated driver and babysitter, I was glad it gave me a reason to be around Lex.Her aura gave a nigga the chills every time I saw her.
“Baby, you gotta believe me. That shit wasn’t me,” I heard a man explain desperately. “I had four legs yesterday. My second flight had a delay, which fucked up my whole day.”
“So you just needed some outside pussy to relieve your stress?” she accused.
He sighed. “No. Hell no. They delayed my other flights and didn’t have any reserves to cover it, so I ended up with an overnight in Cleveland, where I lost my phone. I couldn’t get a new one until I got to Charlotte.”
“Then who the fuck was fucking on your phone, Pat?” she argued.
“I don’t know. I swear I wouldn’t do you like that, baby. You’re the only person I’m dealing with. I love you. You know I do.”
The look on her face told me she didn’t know who or what to believe. When she turned and saw me, she hurriedly got off the phone. “Pat, I gotta go,” she said before ending the call before he could respond.
“Sorry,” she apologized. “How much of that did you hear?”
I swung my head before allowing a white lie to slip past my lips. “Not much. You good?”
She nodded. “Yup. Want a shot?”
I nodded. “Bet.”
Before she could pour our shots, Liv came down the hallway wearing a tight, tan deep V-neck dress that zipped in the front and had rhinestone and feather details.
“I know y’all rude asses ain’t drinkin’ without me onmybirthday,” she accused, folding her arms across her chest.
“We would never,” Lex insisted, pouring a shot for the birthday girl first.
“To Liv,” I toasted, raising my glass.
The three of us clanked our shot glasses together before throwing the top-shelf tequila back.
“Goddamn, tequila is nasty as fuck, but after a few more shots of this shit, I probably will be too.” Lex giggled.
“Um, hold up. I know we’re mad at Pat, but where the hell is your engagement ring, bitch?” my sister questioned.
“I’m single for the night,” Lex announced.
“Aw hell, you’re still on this shit? I can tell I’m going to need another shot.”
She giggled. “Yeah, me too. I wanna get so fucked up tonight that I can’t feel my face, girl,” she admitted.
“Oh shit.” Liv chuckled, watching Lex pour up her troubles in the form of another shot.
I watched her toss down the tequila, straight to the head like it was water, and wipe the excess from the corners of her lips with the side of her finger before looking my sister dead in the eyes. “This is what happens when a rich nigga wifes you, girl. They don’t do right by you either. He’s not going to know what he had until I’m wrapped in a better nigga’s arms. I just wish I could stop thinking about him for one minute.”
“Me too. At least for tonight. All I want for my birthday is for you to stop thinking about that nigga for the next twenty-four hours.”
Lex’s bare shoulders rose and fell. “You’re right! And what the birthday girl wants, the birthday girl gets.”
“Well right now, this birthday girl wants to get so twisted I’m dancing on top of the bar like an extra inCoyote Uglyby the end of the night. Let’s go!”
The three of us exited the apartment and got inside Liv’s car. I sat behind the steering wheel feeling like a parent driving their bad-ass kids to soccer practice instead of driving toward the club. They kept snickering in the back seat, which made me even more suspicious, so I kept stealing glances in the rearview mirror.
