since we have no written agreement, perhaps I should just recall my business altogether.”
I mumbled the chorus of one of the songs we’d sang at Passover under my breath. It was either me give thanks or Tangela meet her maker. I hadn’t felt “aggressive” in a long time, but suddenly I felt capable of inflicting a great deal of bodily harm.
Chill.
“Ms. Daniels, if this is the way you do business then perhaps you should go elsewhere. You broke your word.” I shoved my fists into my pockets and stood—to keep an unexpected swing from escaping me. She was doing that crinkled forehead thing and I wasn’t sure how long I could hold it in. I rose. “Oh, and by the way, whoever you get to fill the order…let me know and I’ll send her the maid of honor dress.”
“You wouldn’t,” Tangela hissed.
You shouldn’t, my heart whispered.
“I will!” I shouted, wishing the both of them would be quiet. Why was I the bad guy for making her stick to her word? I hadn’t wanted any part in this in the first place. Now I was going to be stuck with a bunch of bills because she changed her mind? I was in hot water with my suppliers anyway. And without my local accounts…
A low moan, sort of like the sound of cattle waiting to be milked, pierced my eardrums. “I—I knew you’d be like this…” She sputtered and slobbed between the words. The boat eased back into the pier. Was that it? The spa cruise? A spin around a man-made inlet? She was broke.
Shemika emerged beside me with a box of tissue. I shook my head. Tangela had put me on the verge of crying many times with her careless words, but this was just plain ugly. With her lipstick half across her face, she looked like a clown.
And what did that make me, the evil ringmaster? Pretty much.
“You talked a-all about G-God and then you…Ohhhh!”
I took a deep breath. I’d try to witness to the girl one time and now she had to go and pull that card? I sighed. She’d only paid half. I was out five thousand bucks that I’d already spent to keep the store afloat. What on Earth was I going to do now?
Charge it to my account.
Come on, Lord. Sure I’ll let You cover her arrogance and rudeness, but what about the money? What about me? Why must I always be the one to lay myself down? What about the bill for Rochelle and Tracey lying to me, for Mama dying and leaving me, for Jordan leaving me behind, for Daddy wanting to be his father all of the sudden as if I haven’t been here all the time?
Tears blinded my eyes. Who was going to save me this time?
I am. I’ll take care of you, Dana. Just like always.
I shrugged. “Don’t worry about the money.”
Tangela’s eyes miraculously dried up. A moistened facial cloth appeared from her bag and whisked her face clean. Wow. She was actually pretty under all that paint.
A hand tugged at my arm. Shemika’s. “Don’t worry, Tangie. You, either, Dana. I’m sure your boyfriend will hook you up.”
My head snapped in her direction. My boyfriend? “I don’t have a—”
Shemika pointed out the window to a larger boat docked a few feet away. On top was a small group of people. I made out Austin’s face, then her husband and Mrs. Shapiro. A tall, dark man with a guitar sat between them.
He started to strum.
Adrian’s arms closed around me like a fortress. I had no strength or desire to get free. I was spent, plain and simple.
His face leaned in toward mine. “I know things didn’t work out the way you planned. I’m sorry about that.” He paused, pulling me farther down the boardwalk, his guitar banging against his back like some mariachi band member.
“You do know that I’m willing to help—”
Hadn’t he helped enough? I groaned. “So you’re my sugar daddy, now?”
He flinched, then smiled. “I’m only two years older than you so I don’t think I quite qualify for that role. And in case you forgot, we’re friends. Would you turn down help from Tracey? Didn’t Rochelle loan you the money to open the shop?”
Hmm…he had me there. Although the loan had turned into more of a gift at this point. Even if I held on to Wonderfully Made, paying off that debt would take the next twenty years. Rochelle urged me to forget about it, probably because it was