Page 8 of Wicked Throne

Taking a deep breath, I fixed my hair and adjusted my lashes. They seemed to have wanted to slip a little. When I was satisfied we exited my Infiniti and crossed the street. My stomach seemed to be growling and I was ready to eat.

This was kind of a tradition among me and my friends; every month we got together to have brunch and talk shit. We had known each other all through high school, while Naomi and I had ventured to Spellman, Treyanna had gone off to Norfolk State and Carmen had gone to some small women’s college in Raleigh, North Carolina called Meredith.

When we walked inside, we were greeted by a hostess. We bypassed her as we spotted the others and headed to our tables.

Carmen was sporting a baby bump and an annoyed look on her face. “It’s about time you bitches showed up…one of us can’t drink the least you could do is be on time. Trey already had two mimosas.”

Both Naomi and I turned to look at Treyanna who was slowly tipping a glass to her lips and gave a casual shrug. She looked clean and refreshed in the all-white suit she was wearing. “And?”

We all laughed and Naomi and I took our seats. A waiter came by moments later and we put our order in. We relaxed back into the plush and waited.

“So,” Carmen started rubbing her stomach. “Which one of you bitches is ready to throw this baby shower?”

“Ugh,” I groaned.

She stopped rubbing and cut me a look. “Don’t even do that.”

“You know Ivy,” Naomi spoke up. “One day you’re gonna have a bun in the oven and you’re going to want a baby shower.”

“You bitches had better place that evil talk elsewhere,” I glared at them. “And Carmen, stop trying to dig for details. Greg already told me you found the invites we gave him to give out at his job.”

We all looked at each other and started laughing again. It felt good just to laugh and catch up. Before we knew it Treyanna had drunk two more glasses of the bottomless mimosa, and I had just polished off one. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and I had to spill the deets on the shit that had been happening to me.

“Okay bitches,” I started shaking my head and looking around for the waiter.

I needed another drink. When we looked eyes, I waved him over and he nodded.

“What girl?” Treyanna’s eyes got wide

Naomi and Carmen turned serious.

“Bitch what…?”

“Yall not gone believe what I’m bout to tell you…”

The waiter arrived with another pitcher. He assured us the food would be out soon. Once he had disappeared out of earshot, I took a deep breath.

“Y'all my daddy trying to marry me off to some white man…”

The soothing orange taste of the mimosa slid down my throat. The bubbles danced a tango in my stomach.

There!

I had finally said the words out loud. It seemed to have gotten quiet at the table and non of my friends seemed to have blinked.

“Oh my Gawd,” Treyanna said and looked between everyone. “You’re serious.”

“As a fucking heart attack,” I began to bite at my lip.

“Your father can’t think that’s going to fly…this is not the 1800s or some shit,” Carmen spoke.

“Correct, we would’ve been slaves,” Naomi pursed her lips.

“Girl really?” I gave her a look.

She shrugged. “I’m just saying that an arranged marriage for a black woman in the 1800s south…”

Was Naomi even reading my face? “Bitch, shut up! I’m in real distress.”