“Yeah?” I huffed out.
“Damn, friend. What’s wrong?”
My best friend Janae was my person, so I knew she would know something was wrong with me. I just hated talking about the shit.
“What’s not wrong?” I mumbled.
“That’s not telling me shit. Matter fact... I’m on the way.” She didn’t even give me a chance to decline her company before she hung up in my face.
Instead of sulking, I got up and grabbed my laptop off of the floor and sat it on the coffee table as I got up and straightened up. My apartment wasn’t a mess, but I needed to do something to ease my mind.
Thirty minutes passed, and I heard Janae walking through my door. I was in the kitchen when she walked in, so I was the first thing she saw.
“Wassup, friend?” She sat her purse on the counter along with two bottles. “Is it a tequila or wine problem?” she asked. “Either way, get the glasses and let’s figure whatever this is out.”
This was why I loved her. She never asked questions or judged me. She was just ready to help me through and with whatever... no questions asked.
I retrieved two shot glasses and sat at the island and told Janae what I had going on. By the time I gave her the rundown, she was taking another shot, and so was I.
“Damn, bitch. I didn’t think it would be this bad,” she voiced.
“Shit, so how do you think I felt when they dropped this shit on me?” I took another shot.
“I’on know, but we’ll figure it out. Hell, we can set it off like Queen Latifah ‘nem if you want.” She gave me a look that let me know that she was dead ass serious and that alone caused me to double over in laughter.
“Bitch, with my luck, you’d run out like Tee Tee and leave me standing there looking stupid,” I cackled.
“At least you know, bitch. I might be about that life but not when it requires me to do five to ten. I’m too fine for prison, bitch,” she smirked before taking another shot.
“Shit... me too,” I countered. “I’ll figure it out, though. I always do.”
“Why won’t you ask your mama?”
“I can’t do that. She can barely make ends meet just for herself, so I know asking her to help me she’d try to go broke to figure it out.”
My mama was a medical office assistant, so she didn’t make that much money. She made enough to live comfortably, but not enough to have thirty thousand dollars lying around, and her credit was shit because all she did was max out her credit cards to pay the next one off.
“Don’t worry, friend. We’ll figure it out. Even if I have to put this pussy on the market, and you know I’ll get top dollar for it.” She smirked.
“Bitch, you’re dumb as fuck,” I laughed. “But I appreciate you, Nae.”
“Stop all that mushy shit. Let’s start coming up with a plan.”
I threw another shot back and went to get my laptop so we could come up with a plan... a solid one. Time was of the essence, and it wasn’t on my side, so I didn’t have time for sob stories. I needed to get this shit done.
***
a few days later...
I ended up going back to class today. I might as well go while they still have me in the system. I guess a few of my professors knew of my situation because they gave me sympathetic looks that I chose to ignore.
I had to go to work tonight, so I was in the process of getting ready. I was a bottle girl atStacks On Deck. Stacks was cool, and the job paid decent. It afforded me to stay in a semi-luxury apartment but not enough to pay tuition. Hell, I didn’t even drive a current car. I owned a 2022 Nissan Altima that I bought cash with my first round of refund checks at a police auction.
I gave myself a once over in my full-length mirror that sat in the corner of my room and nodded. Grabbing my keys, phone and crossbody, I left my apartment and headed across town to work.
When I pulled up, the parking lot was packed. That most likely meant that some of the football players were in here and the thirsty bitches came out to be another notch on their belt.After parking in the employee lot, I grabbed my things and went through the designated entrance. I nodded at Spike, one of the security guards, and headed inside.
The crowd was already thick, and that was a good thing. Maybe I could end up working a section with the players in it and get a big tip. I could use every last dime right now.
