“So, what’s goin’ on with you and Vance? Spill, Sugar. We’re here for you,” Daisy told me.
My eyes settled on her and it struck me immediately that she wasn’t just saying that. I realized with some intuitive clarity that they weren’t here to be nosy and interfering. They meant all this shit.
I opened my mouth to tell them it was none of their business, to guard my heart like an emotional Rottweiler when, just like I did with Zip blurting out my plan to save all the runaways from drug dealers, I told them everything.
Everything.
From the minute Vance cornered me in the alley to when he was holding my hand. I held nothing back. I even told them I was a virgin.
When I was done, they were all staring at me with wide eyes and open mouths.
“Shit,” Daisy breathed then swung her head to Roxie, “he moves even faster than Hank.”
“You can say that again,” Roxie replied.
“You’re a virgin?” Ally asked, eyes still huge.
“I can’t think about that right now,” I said to Ally. “It’s one thing at a time. He told me I should wear something nice. I don’t have anything nice. The only nice thing I have is a dress I wore to a colleague’s wedding two years ago and it’s a summer dress and now it’s November. I can’t wear a summer dress in November. And anyway, I don’t even know what ‘nice’ means.”
“Well, I can help with that,” Indy announced and looked at Ally. “We’ll call Tod and Stevie.”
“I’ll help with the outfit,” Roxie put in and Indy nodded.
“I’ll do your makeup,” Jet said on a smile.
“I’ll do your hair,” Daisy offered.
“No!” Indy, Ally and Jet all said in unison, making everyone else jump.
“I’ll do your hair,” Indy declared firmly.
“She gives good hair,” Ally informed me.
“You got her outfit,” Daisy complained, “you can’t have her hair too. What am I gonna do?”
“You can take the virgin part,” Indy said.
Daisy’s blue eyes swung to me and they were bright. “Oh yeah. I can do that.”
“Where do you live?” Ally asked.
I wasn’t keeping up and before I could think better of it, I gave them my address. They all got up.
“She’s in the ‘hood,” Indy noted to the group and then looked at me. “I live two blocks away from you.”
I nodded, still not keeping up.
Then Indy turned to the group again. “Five fifteen, we all meet at Jules’s. Bring what you can,” Indy ordered.
“I’m comin’ too,” May threw in and looked at me, “moral support.”
“Works for me,” Ally replied.
“Me too. See you there,” Roxie said to me.
Then they were gone. May and I stared at the door.
“What just happened?” I asked the door and felt rather than saw May’s eyes on me.