“You don’t like that.”
I blinked, my head jerking and I stared at Viv.
“Get out of my head,” I ordered.
“Girl, I’ve known you eight years and you’ve been my best friend seven and three quarters of those eight years. It’s impossible for me not to be in your head. So I’ll repeat and use an example this time. Sandrine, we both have been watching for six years that girl trying to land the golden goose. You landed yours. No matter how bumpy the ride gets, listen to your Auntie Vivica, hold the f**k on.”
My back straightened. “Knight’s not a golden goose.”
She leaned in and her face was serious. So serious, I held my breath.
“He is. He absolutely, one hundred percent is… the… golden… goose. And that’s dresses, phones, shit-hot apartments, Aston Martins and a beautiful man who only has eyes for you and makes the world melt away when you two are together even if that together lasts five minutes. There are very few women who meet men like that in their lifetime because there are very few men like that alive. And there are fewer women still who recognize it, take care of it and move heaven and earth to keep it. Now, listen to me. Hold. The. Fuck. On.”
“Okay, Auntie Vivica,” I whispered.
She leaned back, grinned and ordered, “You waver, you call me.”
I sucked in breath.
Then I agreed, “Okay.”
Her eyes dropped to my hand then back to me.
“San Pellegrino?” she asked.
“Knight doesn’t want me drunk,” I answered.
She grinned again. It was slower. It was knowing. And her eyes got warm.
“You do the nasty, you also call me.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I don’t care if he makes you sign a contract and sues your ass for telling me. I wanna know how that man is in bed.”
“How about this,” I started to suggest, “we set up a scoring system right now and that way I can just give you a number, it says it all and I avoid being sued.”
“One, he’s shit, not worth discussing and you’re dumping his ass but keeping the phone, shoes, bags, dresses and etc.” She said instantly and went on, “Two, he’s shit but not such bad shit it’s worth losing the apartment, the ride and the VIP section. Three, he’s still shit but there were moments. Four, he’s somewhat shit but only because you think it’s new and worth another go and it’ll get better. Five, average and workable. Six, slightly above average and promising. Seven, he got you off in a happy way but there’s room for improvement. Eight, all good and possibility of getting better. Nine, he rocked your world. Ten, he created all new ones and you never wanna come up for air. Work for you?”
“I’m not sure I’ll remember that.”
“Well, I will so don’t worry. I’ll give you a refresher when the time comes.”
She so would.
I burst out laughing.
Viv slid her arm around my waist, pulled me close and she burst out laughing too.
I slid mine around her waist and once I quit laughing, I took a sip of my San Pellegrino with lemon in it.
Then I turned my head, tipped it back the inch it had to go to catch my girl’s eyes, leaned close and whispered, “I so love you.”
“And I so love you too. And, babe, let me tell you, this guy is real, doesn’t play you and fulfills the promise everything about him shouts straight out, I will get on my knees and thank God. Because since you were born, you deserved great. And since you were seven years old, you got shit and then worked your ass off for every little scrap of good you could earn. And if he’s the sun finally on your horizon, I’m naming my first boy after him. Which, admittedly, is not a hardship since his name is badass and not Herbert. But, still.”
I smiled into her tawny eyes.
She smiled into my gray ones.