Page 83 of Solomon’s Temple

We were all too inebriated for this shit.

Twenty minutes later, Skylyn stood in the middle of the living room covered in toilet paper, posing like she was walking down a runway. Lessyn and Jela stood beside her, smiling like they were Les Giani.

I nearly choked on my champagne. “Girl!”

She put one hand on her hip. “What?”

“What the hell kind of dress is that? You look like a damn mummy!”

“A beautiful mummy,” she replied, doing a spin.

“Nah. Shorty does look like she headed to a haunted house!” Sapphire exclaimed.

Everyone screamed with laughter. I leaned against Toni, tears streaming down my face. “I can’t breathe.”

“That’s because you’re getting old,” Toni said.

“I’m literally younger than you.”

Eventually, the energy softened. We settled around the living room with fresh glasses of champagne. The candles were still flickering. The room smelled like vanilla, chocolate, and expensive perfume. Ginuwine played quietly in the background as I looked around at everyone.

Toni and Sapphire, my sisters, my protectors, the women who could turn any serious moment into a joke.

Lessyn, Skylyn, Payton, and Jela.

Women who had entered my life because of the man I loved but were becoming my own friends in their own right.

I looked down at my champagne. For a moment, I felt overwhelmed. Not in a bad way. Just . . . full.

Full of love, full of gratitude, and full of uncertainty too. Marriage was a big thing. A beautiful thing, but still a big thing, and I’d barely had time to process how quickly my life had changed. Toni must’ve noticed something on my face because she reached over and squeezed my hand.

“You okay?”

I smiled. “Yeah.”

“You sure?”

I nodded. “I’m just taking it all in.”

She squeezed my hand again. “You deserve this, bookie, and everything it comes with.”

I swallowed. “Thank you.”

“It’s normal to be nervous, babe. When I married Gabriel, I felt like I was about to faint. It wasn’t because I was scared, but because I had finally found my forever and didn’t want to mess anything up. That man took me out of a cumless relationship and gave me multiple orgasms that I still get until this day!” Lessyn exclaimed, rolling her hips and sticking out her tongue.

“Cumless? For real?” Sapphire asked, shocked.

“Yes, girl. He couldn’t make me cum for shit, and when I found out the reason why, I almost killed him.”

The room went silent for a bit while Lessyn, Sky, and Payton shared a look. Now I wanted to know what happened.

“Wait! We need the tea! Was he gay?” Toni asked the question I wanted to know.

Lessyn shook her head. “Another time. Just know, I’m getting more than I can stand these days.”

“Eww. I really don’t want to hear that.” Skylyn gagged as we all laughed.

“Sky, please. You always want to spoil the moment and never tell what Karon be doing to you in that bedroom,” Payton said, rolling her eyes at her playfully.