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“She gets that,” said Cory. “But it’s still a come up now girl. You gotta admit that much.”

“And because me and Cory are the only two people in this big city that has your best interest at heart,” said Tess, “we’re gonna tell it to you like it I-S is. And I’m telling you what I heard. I heard, from a number of people in that big-ass building we work in, that Mr. William Dabner Skeffington the Fifth has a lady in every port. Or city. Or country. Or whatever the hell they call them places. He gets around. He covers the waterfront, is the way one of them put it.”

A depressed look came over Joy. Cory, who had whipped out his oriental fan and was fanning himself, looked at Tess. “Thanks a lot, Contessa,” he said. “You really knows how to change the mood.”

“What did I do?”

“The girl needs a break. That’s why she agreed to go out with us tonight. And that’s what she gets in return? You reminding her of how her hubby used to be?”

“Used to be?” Tess said. “Who said that’s how he used to be?”

Cory looked at Tess. “If you ain’t got the receipts,” he said, “then you need to shut up honey. Don’t even go there, Tess.”

“Any who,” said Joy, trying to regain her cheerfulness, “what were we talking about before it became all about me?”

“I don’t know about Tess,” Cory said as he gave Tess the side-eye, “but I was talking about how wonderful it is to have a good-paying job, a nice car, and a night out on the town. I was talking about how we need to do more of this. We deserve it.”

“Here here,” Joy said as they all picked up another shot glass, clacked the glasses, and flung the liquor down their throats.

But then Cory’s cellphone began pinging one ping after another ping. “What the,” he said without finishing his sentence as he picked up his phone.

Then Tess’s phone began pinging one after another ping too. She picked up her phone.

“There must be some juicy gossip going on,” Joy said as her two friends checked their phones. “And as usual, they don’t bother to tell me anything.”

“We tell you everything,” Tess said as she was checking her phone, “so they don’t have to.”

Joy laughed. “True that,” she said.

But then Cory and Tess, after checking their phones, glanced at each other.

Joy caught their glance. “Is it hot gossip like I said?”

“It sure is girl,” Cory said.

“Who about?”

Tess looked at her. “According to my text messages,” she said, looking concerned, “it’s about you.” Then she handed Joy her phone.

Since Joy was seated in the middle of the threesome, Cory and Tess leaned in to see just what the video displayed.

Joy pressed the arrow. An anchorwoman was telling the news. But in her backdrop was a photograph of a black woman, a white man, and William’s photo in the middle! Joy frowned. “What in the world is this about?”

“Listen to the lady,” Tess said.

They watched and listened to the anchorwoman as she finished a story on the arrest of an FBI ten most-wanted bank robber. “And in political news,” the anchor then shifted gears, “there appears to be a love triangle brewing involving one of our own and our neighbors to the north that just may completely derail the hopes and dreams of a promising candidate for Prime Minister of Canada. Diana Davenport, a member of parliament, is alleged to currently be in an illicit affair with American billionaire William Skeffington.”

Joy’s heart sank. As did Tess and Cory’s hearts too. But they all kept on watching.

“A video is circulating online purporting to show Mr. Skeffington and Mrs. Davenport, the wife of Canadian financier Arthur Davenport, making passionate love just two weeks ago.”

“Two weeks ago?” Cory blurted it out so loud that Tess had to kick him under the table.

Then they both looked at Joy. She thought William was out of town on business two weeks ago. He was on business alright!

But Joy’s entire being was glued to that anchorwoman.

“Our News Now team has confirmed that the video is not A.I. generated, but is, in fact, authentic. We reached out for comments from Mr. Skeffington’s office, from Mr. Davenport’s office, and also from Mrs. Davenport’s campaign. No-one has, as of yet, returned any of our numerous requests for comment. The awfulness of it is that Diana Davenport had a substantial lead in the polls, even though she’d just officially entered the race. And had she won, she would have been the first prime minister in Canadian history of African descent, and only the second female prime minister. She would have made history on two counts. So many people were counting on her. But with her love affair with William Skeffington, that dream is, for all intents and purposes, over. Because nobody is going to vote for a liar and a cheat in Canada. Perhaps in America, but not in Canada. But we will keep you posted. And in other news,” she began moving on, and Joy handed the phone back to Tess.